In Part 1 we built the provisioning policy and wired it to a group with size/capacity. In Part 2, we’ll actually publish the apps, tweak their details, undo changes when needed, and explain how licensing & concurrency work (with a simple diagram).
- Where we work: All Cloud Apps
- Publish an app
- Edit an app (safe, instant updates)
- Reset an app (rollback to discovered state)
- Unpublish (and how “delete” works)
- Accessing apps (Windows App)
- Licensing & monitoring (Frontline Shared mode — explained)
- Troubleshooting checklist
Where we work: All Cloud Apps
Once your first Frontline Cloud PC (Shared mode) finishes provisioning, the image’s Start-menu apps appear in Windows 365 → All Cloud Apps as Ready to publish.
You can: Publish, Edit, Reset, and Unpublish apps here. Deletion is tied to the policy assignment (more on that below).
Publish an app (All Cloud Apps)
- Intune Admin Center → Devices → Windows 365 → All Cloud Apps
- Pick one or more apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Edge) with status Ready to publish → Publish
- Watch the status flow:
- Ready to publish → Publishing → Published
- Once Published, the app appears in Windows App for all users assigned to the provisioning policy.
- All Cloud Apps list (Ready → Publishing → Published)
If an app shows Failed: Unpublish it, then publish again. Check that the Start-menu shortcut on your image is valid (path/command still exists).
Edit an app (safe, instant updates)
For a published or ready app, select Edit to adjust:
- Display name
- Description
- Command line (e.g., parameters)
- Icon path index
Changes inherit scope tags & assignment from the provisioning policy, and updates are immediate in Windows App.
- Edit dialog (name/description/command/icon index)
Reset an app (rollback to discovered state)
If you went too far with edits, use Reset to revert back to whatever was discovered from the image originally (name/icon/command). Great for quick experiments.
- Reset confirmation
Unpublish (and how “delete” works)
- Unpublish: App status goes Published → Ready to publish and the app disappears from Windows App. Its edited details are reset.
- Delete: There isn’t a “delete app” button—Cloud Apps are discovered from the image. To truly remove an app from scope, remove the provisioning policy’s assignment (or update the image so the Start-menu shortcut no longer exists).
- Unpublish action
Accessing apps (Windows App)
Users launch Windows App (Windows/macOS/iOS/Android) and see the Published apps. Selecting an app starts a session on a Frontline Cloud PC (Shared mode).
- A published app can spawn other apps on that Cloud PC when needed (e.g., Outlook opening Edge from a link), even if the other app isn’t separately published.
- To tightly control what can launch, use Application Control for Windows policies.
- Windows App with your published apps visible
- Launch flow (e.g., Outlook → Edge link)
Licensing & monitoring (Frontline Shared mode — explained)
Frontline (Shared mode) is built for brief, task-oriented access with no data persistence per user session. Think “one at a time” use of a shared Cloud PC.
The rules!
- 1 Frontline license = 1 concurrent session.
- You can assign many users to the policy, but only N can be active at once (where N = number of Frontline licenses you assigned to that policy).
- When a user signs out, their data is deleted and the Cloud PC is free for the next user.
- There’s no concurrency buffer for Frontline Shared mode (and none for GPU-enabled Cloud PCs).
Monitoring concurrency (what to look at)
- Frontline connection hourly report: See active usage over time; verify you’re not hitting limits.
- Frontline concurrency alert: Get notified if you breach your concurrency threshold.
- Note: Concurrency buffer doesn’t apply to GPU or Frontline Shared Cloud PCs—plan capacity accordingly.
Practical sizing tip: Start with a license count that matches your peak simultaneous users for that group/policy. Watch the hourly report for a week, then adjust up/down.
Troubleshooting checklist
- Published but not visible? Confirm the user is in the assigned group and is using the latest Windows App.
- Failed on publish? Unpublish → Publish. Validate the Start-menu shortcut on the image and any custom command-line parameters.
- Unexpected app launches (e.g., Edge opens)? That’s normal when an app calls another binary. Use Application Control if you must restrict it.
- Hitting concurrency: Users 1..N can connect; N+1 waits. Increase Frontline licenses on the policy or split users into multiple policies sized per peak.
I hope you find this helpful information for creating a Cloud App. If I have missed any steps or details, I will be happy to update the post.
Thanks,
Aresh Sarkari