Hydration of applications

A method comprising:

• installing a first application on a computing device, wherein files associated with the first application are stored at a local storage of the computing device;
• installing a second application on the computing device, wherein files associated with the second application are stored at on a remote computing device;
• storing, at the local storage of the computing device, metadata indicative that the second application is not written to the local storage of the computing device;
• responsive to a request to launch the second application:
• determining that the metadata indicates that the second application is not written to the local drive of the computing device;
• causing a download request to be transmitted to the remote computing device;
• receiving, from the remote computing device based on the download request, a download package for the second application, wherein the download package includes a predefined compressed batch of files to which the first application belongs, wherein one or more files of the batch are operable to execute the second application on the computing device without executing an installation process;
• based on the download package, write the files to the local storage of the computing device;
• and
• service the request by launching the second application on the computing device without executing the installation process.

A system configured to launch applications, the system comprising one or more processors;

• a memory in communication with the one or more processors, the memory storing computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system
• to:
• install a first application on a computing device, wherein files associated with the first application are stored at a local storage of the computing device;
• install a second application on the computing device, wherein files associated with the second application are stored at on a remote computing device;
• store, at the local storage of the computing device, metadata indicative that the second application is not written to the local storage of the computing device;
• responsive to a request to launch the second application:
• determine that the metadata indicates that the second application is not written to the local drive of the computing device;
• cause a download request to be transmitted to the remote computing device;
• receive, from the remote computing device based on the download request, a download package for the second application, wherein the download package includes a predefined compressed batch of files to which the second application belongs, wherein one or more files of the batch are operable to execute the second application on the computing device without executing an installation process;
• based on the download package, write the files to the local storage of the computing device;
• and
• service the request by launching the second application on the computing device without executing the installation process.