This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is
replaced by a new edition. To check for more recent editions
of this document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
EN-001724-02
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
Configuring User Profiles with View Persona Management255
17
Providing User Personas in View 255
VMware, Inc. 5
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
Using View Persona Management with Standalone Systems 256
Migrating User Profiles with View Persona Management 257
Persona Management and Windows Roaming Profiles 259
Configuring a View Persona Management Deployment 259
Best Practices for Configuring a View Persona Management Deployment 268
View Persona Management Group Policy Settings 272
Troubleshooting Machines and Desktop Pools281
18
Display Problem Machines 281
Send Messages to Desktop Users 282
Troubleshooting Desktop Pool Creation Problems 282
Troubleshooting Network Connection Problems 292
Troubleshooting USB Redirection Problems 295
Manage Machines and Policies for Unentitled Users 297
Resolving Database Inconsistencies with the ViewDbChk Command 297
Further Troubleshooting Information 300
Index301
6 VMware, Inc.
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in
View
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View describes how to create and provision pools of machines and
create pools of remote applications that run on Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) hosts. It includes
information about preparing machines, configuring policies, entitling users and groups, configuring remote
desktop features, and configuring user profiles with View Persona Management.
Intended Audience
This information is intended for anyone who wants to create and provision desktop and application pools.
The information is written for experienced Windows system administrators who are familiar with virtual
machine technology and datacenter operations.
VMware, Inc.
7
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
8 VMware, Inc.
Introduction to Desktop and
Application Pools1
With VMware Horizon 6, you can create desktop pools that include one or hundreds or thousands of virtual
desktops. You can deploy desktops that run on virtual machines, physical machines, and Windows Remote
Desktop Services (RDS) hosts. Create one virtual machine as a base image, and View can generate a pool of
virtual desktops from that image. You can also create application pools that give users remote access to
applications.
This chapter includes the following topics:
“Farms, RDS Hosts, and Desktop and Application Pools,” on page 9
n
“Advantages of Desktop Pools,” on page 10
n
“Desktop Pools for Specific Types of Workers,” on page 11
n
“Advantages of Application Pools,” on page 14
n
Farms, RDS Hosts, and Desktop and Application Pools
With View, you can create desktop and application pools to give users remote access to virtual machinebased desktops, session-based desktops, physical computers, and applications. View takes advantage of
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and VMware PC-over-IP (PCoIP) technologies to provide highquality remote access to users.
RDS Hosts
RDS hosts are server computers that have Windows Remote Desktop Services and View Agent installed.
These servers host applications and desktop sessions that users can access remotely. To use RDS desktop
pools or applications, your end users must have access to Horizon Client 3.0 or later software.
Desktop Pools
There are three types of desktop pools: automated, manual, and RDS. Automated desktop pools use a
vCenter Server virtual machine template or snapshot to create a pool of identical virtual machines. Manual
desktop pools are a collection of existing vCenter Server virtual machines, physical computers, or thirdparty virtual machines. In automated or manual pools, each machine is available for one user to access
remotely at a time. RDS desktop pools are not a collection of machines, but instead, provide users with
desktop sessions on RDS hosts. Multiple users can have desktop sessions on an RDS host simultaneously.
Application Pools
Application pools let you deliver applications to many users. The applications in application pools run on a
farm of RDS hosts.
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9
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
Farms
Farms are collections of RDS hosts and facilitate the management of those hosts. Farms can have a variable
number of RDS hosts and provide a common set of applications or RDS desktops to users. When you create
an RDS desktop pool or an application pool, you must specify a farm. The RDS hosts in the farm provide
desktop and application sessions to users.
Advantages of Desktop Pools
View offers the ability to create and provision pools of desktops as its basis of centralized management.
You create a remote desktop pool from one of the following sources:
A physical system such as a physical desktop PC or an RDS host
n
A virtual machine that is hosted on an ESXi host and managed by vCenter Server
n
A virtual machine that runs on a virtualization platform other than vCenter Server that supports View
n
Agent
If you use a vSphere virtual machine as a desktop source, you can automate the process of making as many
identical virtual desktops as you need. You can set a minimum and maximum number of virtual desktops to
be generated for the pool. Setting these parameters ensures that you always have enough remote desktops
available for immediate use but not so many that you overuse available resources.
Using pools to manage desktops allows you to apply settings or deploy applications to all remote desktops
in a pool. The following examples show some of the settings available:
Specify which remote display protocol to use as the default for the remote desktop and whether to let
n
end users override the default.
If using a virtual machine, specify whether to power off the virtual machine when it is not in use and
n
whether to delete it altogether.
Specify whether to use a Microsoft Sysprep customization specification or QuickPrep from VMware.
n
Sysprep generates a unique SID and GUID for each virtual machine in the pool.
In addition, using desktop pools provides many conveniences.
Dedicated-assignment
pools
Each user is assigned a particular remote desktop and returns to the same
desktop at each login. Users can personalize their desktops, install
applications, and store data.
Floating-assignment
pools
The remote desktop is optionally deleted and re-created after each use,
offering a highly controlled environment. A floating-assignment desktop is
like a computer lab or kiosk environment where each desktop is loaded with
the necessary applications and all desktops have access to necessary data.
Using floating-assignment pools also allows you to create a pool of desktops
that can be used by shifts of users. For example, a pool of 100 desktops could
be used by 300 users if they worked in shifts of 100 users at a time.
10 VMware, Inc.
Desktop Pools for Specific Types of Workers
View provides many features to help you conserve storage and reduce the amount of processing power
required for various use cases. Many of these features are available as pool settings.
The most fundamental question to consider is whether a certain type of user needs a stateful desktop image
or a stateless desktop image. Users who need a stateful desktop image have data in the operating system
image itself that must be preserved, maintained, and backed up. For example, these users install some of
their own applications or have data that cannot be saved outside of the virtual machine itself, such as on a
file server or in an application database.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Desktop and Application Pools
Stateless desktop
images
Stateful desktop images
You create stateless desktop images by using View Composer and creating floating-assignment pools of
linked-clone virtual machines.
You create stateful desktop images by creating dedicated-assignment pools of either linked-clone virtual
machines or full virtual machines. If you use linked-clone virtual machines, you can configure View
Composer persistent disks and folder redirection. Some storage vendors have cost-effective storage
solutions for stateful desktop images. These vendors often have their own best practices and provisioning
utilities. Using one of these vendors might require that you create a manual dedicated-assignment pool.
Stateless architectures have many advantages, such as being easier to
support and having lower storage costs. Other benefits include a limited
need to back up the linked-clone virtual machines and easier, less expensive
disaster recovery and business continuity options.
These images might require traditional image management techniques.
Stateful images can have low storage costs in conjunction with certain
storage system technologies. Backup and recovery technologies such as
VMware Consolidated Backup and VMware Site Recovery Manager are
important when considering strategies for backup, disaster recovery, and
business continuity.
Pools for Task Workers
You can standardize on stateless desktop images for task workers so that the image is always in a wellknown, easily supportable configuration and so that workers can log in to any available desktop.
Because task workers perform repetitive tasks within a small set of applications, you can create stateless
desktop images, which help conserve storage space and processing requirements. Use the following pool
settings:
Create an automated pool so that desktops can be created when the pool is created or can be generated
n
on demand based on pool usage.
Use floating assignment so that users log in to any available desktop. This setting reduces the number
n
of desktops required if everyone does not need to be logged in at the same time.
Create View Composer linked-clone desktops so that desktops share the same base image and use less
n
storage space in the datacenter than full virtual machines.
Determine what action, if any, to take when users log off. Disks grow over time. You can conserve disk
n
space by refreshing the desktop to its original state when users log off. You can also set a schedule for
periodically refreshing desktops. For example, you can schedule desktops to refresh daily, weekly, or
monthly.
VMware, Inc. 11
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
If applicable, consider storing desktops on local ESXi datastores. This strategy can offer advantages
n
such as inexpensive hardware, fast virtual-machine provisioning, high-performance power operations,
and simple management. For a list of the limitations, see “Storing Linked Clones on Local Datastores,”
on page 210.
NOTE For information about other types of storage options, see Chapter 15, “Reducing and Managing
Storage Requirements,” on page 197.
Use the Persona Management feature so that users always have their preferred desktop appearance and
n
application settings, as with Windows user profiles. If you do not have the desktops set to be refreshed
or deleted at logoff, you can configure the persona to be removed at logoff.
IMPORTANT View Persona Management facilitates implementing a floating-assignment pool for those users
who want to retain settings between sessions. Previously, one of the limitations of floating-assignment
desktops was that when end users logged off, they lost all their configuration settings and any data stored in
the remote desktop.
Each time end users logged on, their desktop background was set to the default wallpaper, and they would
have to configure each application's preferences again. With View Persona Management, an end user of a
floating-assignment desktop cannot tell the difference between their session and a session on a dedicatedassignment desktop.
Pools for Knowledge Workers and Power Users
Knowledge workers must be able to create complex documents and have them persist on the desktop.
Power users must be able to install their own applications and have them persist. Depending on the nature
and amount of personal data that must be retained, the desktop can be stateful or stateless.
Because power users and knowledge workers, such as accountants, sales managers, marketing research
analysts, must be able to create and retain documents and settings, you create dedicated-assignment
desktops for them. For knowledge workers who do not need user-installed applications except for
temporary use, you can create stateless desktop images and save all their personal data outside of the virtual
machine, on a file server or in an application database. For other knowledge workers and for power users,
you can create stateful desktop images. Use the following pool settings:
Use dedicated assignment pools so that each knowledge worker or power user logs in to the same
n
desktop every time.
Use the Persona Management feature so that users always have their preferred desktop appearance and
n
application settings, as with Windows user profiles.
Use vStorage thin provisioning so that at first, each desktop uses only as much storage space as the disk
n
needs for its initial operation.
For power users and knowledge workers who must install their own applications, which adds data to
n
the operating system disk, create full virtual machine desktops. Use Mirage to deploy and update
applications without overwriting user-installed applications.
If knowledge workers do not require user-installed applications except for temporary use, you can
n
create View Composer linked-clone desktops. The desktop images share the same base image and use
less storage space than full virtual machines.
If you use View Composer with vSphere 5.1 or later virtual desktops, enable the space reclamation
n
feature for vCenter Server and for the desktop pool. With the space reclamation feature, stale or deleted
data within a guest operating system is automatically reclaimed with a wipe and shrink process.
12 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Desktop and Application Pools
If you use View Composer linked-clone desktops, implement View Persona Management, roaming
n
profiles, or another profile management solution.
Configure persistent disks so that you can refresh and recompose the linked-clone OS disks while
keeping a copy of the user profile on the persistent disks.
Pools for Kiosk Users
Kiosk users might include customers at airline check-in stations, students in classrooms or libraries, medical
personnel at medical data entry workstations, or customers at self-service points. Accounts associated with
client devices rather than users are entitled to use these desktop pools because users do not need to log in to
use the client device or the remote desktop. Users can still be required to provide authentication credentials
for some applications.
Virtual machine desktops that are set to run in kiosk mode use stateless desktop images because user data
does not need to be preserved in the operating system disk. Kiosk mode desktops are used with thin client
devices or locked-down PCs. You must ensure that the desktop application implements authentication
mechanisms for secure transactions, that the physical network is secure against tampering and snooping,
and that all devices connected to the network are trusted.
As a best practice, use dedicated View Connection Server instances to handle clients in kiosk mode, and
create dedicated organizational units and groups in Active Directory for the accounts of these clients. This
practice not only partitions these systems against unwarranted intrusion, but also makes it easier to
configure and administer the clients.
To set up kiosk mode, you must use the vdmadmin command-line interface and perform several procedures
documented in the topics about kiosk mode in the View Administration document. As part of this setup, you
can use the following pool settings.
Create an automated pool so that desktops can be created when the pool is created or can be generated
n
on demand based on pool usage.
Use floating assignment so that users can access any available desktop in the pool.
n
Create View Composer linked-clone desktops so that desktops share the same base image and use less
n
storage space in the datacenter than full virtual machines.
Institute a refresh policy so that the desktop is refreshed frequently, such as at every user logoff.
n
If applicable, consider storing desktops on local ESXi datastores. This strategy can offer advantages
n
such as inexpensive hardware, fast virtual-machine provisioning, high-performance power operations,
and simple management. For a list of the limitations, see “Storing Linked Clones on Local Datastores,”
on page 210.
NOTE For information about other types of storage options, see Chapter 15, “Reducing and Managing
Storage Requirements,” on page 197.
Use an Active Directory GPO (group policy object) to configure location-based printing, so that the
n
desktop uses the nearest printer. For a complete list and description of the settings available through
Group Policy administrative (ADM) templates, see Chapter 16, “Configuring Policies for Desktop and
Application Pools,” on page 217.
Use a GPO if you want to override the default policy that enables connecting local USB devices to the
n
desktop when the desktop is launched or when USB devices are plugged in to the client computer.
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Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
Advantages of Application Pools
With application pools, you give users access to applications that run on servers in a data center instead of
on their personal computers or devices.
Application pools offer several important benefits:
Accessibility
n
Users can access applications from anywhere on the network. You can also configure secure network
access.
Device independence
n
With application pools, you can support a range of client devices, such as smart phones, tablets,
laptops, thin clients, and personal computers. The client devices can run various operating systems,
such as Windows, iOS, Mac OS, or Android.
Access control
n
You can easily and quickly grant or remove access to applications for one user or a group of users.
Accelerated deployment
n
With application pools, deploying applications can be accelerated because you only deploy applications
on servers in a data center and each server can support multiple users.
Manageability
n
Managing software that is deployed on client computers and devices typically requires significant
resources. Management tasks include deployment, configuration, maintenance, support, and upgrades.
With application pools, you can simplify software management in an enterprise because the software
runs on servers in a data center, which requires fewer installed copies.
Security and regulatory compliance
n
With application pools, you can improve security because applications and their associated data are
centrally located in a data center. Centralized data can address security concerns and regulatory
compliance issues.
Reduced cost
n
Depending on software license agreements, hosting applications in a data center can be more costeffective. Other factors, including accelerated deployment and improved manageability, can also reduce
the cost of software in an enterprise.
14 VMware, Inc.
Preparing Unmanaged Machines2
Users can access remote desktops delivered by machines that are not managed by vCenter Server. These
unmanaged machines can include physical computers and virtual machines running on virtualization
platforms other than vCenter Server. You must prepare an unmanaged machine to deliver remote desktop
access.
For information about preparing machines that are used as Remote Desktop Services (RDS) hosts, see
Chapter 7, “Setting Up Remote Desktop Services Hosts,” on page 87.
For information about preparing Linux virtual machines for remote desktop deployment, see the Setting UpHorizon 6 for Linux Desktops guide.
This chapter includes the following topics:
“Prepare an Unmanaged Machine for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 15
n
“Install View Agent on an Unmanaged Machine,” on page 16
n
Prepare an Unmanaged Machine for Remote Desktop Deployment
You must perform certain tasks to prepare an unmanaged machine for remote desktop deployment.
Prerequisites
VMware, Inc.
Verify that you have administrative rights on the unmanaged machine.
n
To make sure that remote desktop users are added to the local Remote Desktop Users group of the
n
unmanaged machine, create a restricted Remote Desktop Users group in Active Directory. See the View
Installation document for more information.
Procedure
1Power on the unmanaged machine and verify that it is accessible to the View Connection Server
instance.
2Join the unmanaged machine to the Active Directory domain for your remote desktops.
3Configure the Windows firewall to allow Remote Desktop connections to the unmanaged machine.
What to do next
Install View Agent on the unmanaged machine. See “Install View Agent on an Unmanaged Machine,” on
page 16.
15
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
Install View Agent on an Unmanaged Machine
You must install View Agent on an all unmanaged machines. View cannot manage an unmanaged machine
unless View Agent is installed.
To install View Agent on multiple Windows physical computers without having to respond to wizard
prompts, you can install View Agent silently. See “Install View Agent Silently,” on page 30.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have administrative rights on the unmanaged machine.
n
To use an unmanaged Windows Server machine as a remote desktop rather than as an RDS host,
n
perform the steps described in “Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use,” on
page 24.
Familiarize yourself with the View Agent custom setup options for unmanaged machines. See “View
n
Agent Custom Setup Options for Unmanaged Machines,” on page 17.
Familiarize yourself with the TCP ports that the View Agent installation program opens on the firewall.
n
See the View Architecture Planning document for more information.
If the machine has the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package installed, verify that the version of
n
the package is 2005 SP1 or later. If the package version is 2005 or earlier, you can either upgrade or
uninstall the package.
Download the View Agent installer file from the VMware product page at
n
http://www.vmware.com/go/downloadview.
Procedure
1To start the View Agent installation program, double-click the installer file.
The installer filename is VMware-viewagent-y.y.y-xxxxxx.exe or VMware-viewagent-x86_64-y.y.y-
xxxxxx.exe, where y.y.y is the version number and xxxxxx is the build number.
2Accept the VMware license terms.
3Select the Internet Protocol (IP) version, IPv4 or IPv6.
You must install all View components with the same IP version.
4Select your custom setup options.
5Accept or change the destination folder.
6In the Server text box, type the host name or IP address of a View Connection Server host.
During installation, the installer registers the unmanaged machine with this View Connection Server
instance. After registration, the specified View Connection Server instance, and any additional instances
in the same View Connection Server group, can communicate with the unmanaged machine.
16 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Preparing Unmanaged Machines
7Select an authentication method to register the unmanaged machine with the View Connection Server
instance.
OptionAction
Authenticate as the currently
logged in user
Specify administrator credentials
The Username and Password text boxes are disabled and you are logged
in to the View Connection Server instance with your current username and
password.
You must provide the username and password of a View Connection
Server administrator in the Username and Password text boxes.
Provide the username in the following format: Domain\User.
The user account must be a domain user with access to View LDAP on the View Connection Server
instance. A local user does not work.
8Follow the prompts in the View Agent installation program and finish the installation.
9If you selected the USB redirection option, restart the unmanaged machine to enable USB support.
In addition, the Found New Hardware wizard might start. Follow the prompts in the wizard to
configure the hardware before you restart the unmanaged machine.
The VMware Horizon View Agent service is started on the unmanaged machine.
What to do next
Use the unmanaged machine to create a remote desktop. See “Manual Desktop Pools,” on page 81.
View Agent Custom Setup Options for Unmanaged Machines
When you install View Agent on an unmanaged machine, you can select or deselect certain custom setup
options. In addition, View Agent installs certain features automatically on all guest operating systems on
which they are supported. These features are not optional.
Table 2‑1. View Agent Custom Setup Options for Unmanaged Machines in an IPv4 Environment (Optional)
OptionDescription
USB RedirectionGives users access to locally connected USB devices on
their desktops.
USB redirection is supported on remote desktops that are
deployed on single-user machines. In addition, redirection
of USB flash drives and hard disks is supported on RDS
desktops and applications.
This setup option is not selected by default. You must
select the option to install it.
For guidance on using USB redirection securely, see the
View Security guide. For example, you can use group policy
settings to disable USB redirection for specific users.
Client Drive RedirectionAllows Horizon Client users to share local drives with their
remote desktops.
This setup option is not selected by default. You must
select the option to install it.
After this setup option is installed, no further configuration
is required on the remote desktop.
Client Drive Redirection is also supported on VDI desktops
that run on managed, single-user virtual machines and on
RDS desktops and applications.
View Persona ManagementSynchronizes the user profile on the local desktop with a
remote profile repository, so that users have access to their
profiles whenever they log in to a desktop.
VMware, Inc. 17
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
Table 2‑1. View Agent Custom Setup Options for Unmanaged Machines in an IPv4 Environment (Optional)
(Continued)
OptionDescription
PCoIP SmartcardLets users authenticate with smart cards when they use the
Virtual audio driverProvides a virtual audio driver on the remote desktop.
In an IPv6 environment, the only optional feature is PCoIP Smartcard.
Table 2‑2. View Agent Features That Are Installed Automatically on Unmanaged Machines in an IPv4
Environment (Not Optional)
FeatureDescription
PCoIP AgentLets users connect to the remote desktop with the PCoIP
LyncProvides support for Microsoft Lync 2013 Client on remote
Unity TouchAllows tablet and smart phone users to interact easily with
PCoIP display protocol.
PCoIP Smartcard is supported on remote desktops that are
deployed on single-user machines but is not supported on
RDS host-based remote desktops.
display protocol.
The PCoIP Agent feature is supported on physical
machines that are configured with a Teradici TERA host
card.
desktops.
Windows applications that run on the remote desktop.
Users can browse, search, and open Windows applications
and files, choose favorite applications and files, and switch
between running applications, all without using the Start
menu or Taskbar.
In an IPv6 environment, the only automatically installed feature is PCoIP Agent.
18 VMware, Inc.
Creating and Preparing Virtual
Machines3
You can use virtual machines managed by vCenter Server to provision and deploy remote desktops. You
can use a virtual machine managed by vCenter Server as a template for an automated pool, a parent for a
linked-clone pool, or a machine in a manual pool. You must prepare virtual machines to deliver remote
desktop access.
For information about preparing machines that are used as Remote Desktop Services (RDS) hosts, see
Chapter 7, “Setting Up Remote Desktop Services Hosts,” on page 87.
For information about preparing Linux virtual machines for remote desktop deployment, see the Setting UpHorizon 6 for Linux Desktops guide.
This chapter includes the following topics:
“Creating Virtual Machines for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 19
n
“Install View Agent on a Virtual Machine,” on page 27
n
“Install View Agent Silently,” on page 30
n
“Configure a Virtual Machine with Multiple NICs for View Agent,” on page 37
n
“Optimize Guest Operating System Performance for All Windows Versions,” on page 37
n
“Optimize Windows 7 and Windows 8 Guest Operating System Performance,” on page 38
n
“Optimizing Windows 7 and Windows 8 for Linked-Clone Virtual Machines,” on page 40
n
“Preparing Virtual Machines for View Composer,” on page 46
n
“Creating Virtual Machine Templates,” on page 52
n
“Creating Customization Specifications,” on page 53
n
Creating Virtual Machines for Remote Desktop Deployment
The initial virtual machine establishes a virtual hardware profile and operating system to be used for rapid
deployment of remote desktops.
1Create a Virtual Machine for Remote Desktop Deployment on page 20
You use vSphere Client to create virtual machines in vCenter Server for remote desktops.
2Install a Guest Operating System on page 22
After you create a virtual machine, you must install a guest operating system.
3Prepare a Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment on page 22
You must perform certain tasks to prepare a guest operating system for remote desktop deployment.
VMware, Inc.
19
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
4Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use on page 24
To use a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 virtual machine as a single-session
View desktop (rather than as an RDS host), you must perform certain steps before you install View
Agent in the virtual machine. You must also configure View Administrator to treat Windows Servers
as supported operating systems for View desktop use.
5Install Desktop Experience on Windows Server 2008 R2 on page 25
For RDS desktops and applications, and for VDI desktops that are deployed on single-user virtual
machines that run Windows Server, scanner redirection requires that you install the Desktop
Experience feature on the RDS hosts and the single-user virtual machines.
6Install Desktop Experience on Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2 on page 26
For RDS desktops and applications, and for VDI desktops that are deployed on single-user virtual
machines that run Windows Server, scanner redirection requires that you install the Desktop
Experience feature on the RDS hosts and the single-user virtual machines.
7Configure the Windows Firewall Service to Restart After Failures on page 26
Some Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 machines that are deployed as single-session
desktops do not become available immediately after they are provisioned. This issue occurs when the
Windows Firewall service does not restart after its timeout period expires. You can configure the
Windows Firewall service on the parent or template virtual machine to ensure that all machines in a
desktop pool become available.
Create a Virtual Machine for Remote Desktop Deployment
You use vSphere Client to create virtual machines in vCenter Server for remote desktops.
Prerequisites
Upload an ISO image file of the guest operating system to a datastore on your ESXi server.
n
Familiarize yourself with the custom configuration parameters for virtual machines. See “Virtual
n
Machine Custom Configuration Parameters,” on page 21.
Procedure
1In vSphere Client, log in to the vCenter Server system.
2Select File > New > Virtual Machine to start the New Virtual Machine wizard.
3Select Custom and configure custom configuration parameters.
4Select Edit the virtual machine settings before completion and click Continue to configure hardware
settings.
aAdd a CD/DVD drive, set the media type to use an ISO image file, select the ISO image file of the
guest operating system that you uploaded to your datastore, and select Connect at power on.
bSet Power-on Boot Delay to 10,000 milliseconds.
5Click Finish to create the virtual machine.
What to do next
Install a guest operating system on the virtual machine.
20 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 3 Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines
Virtual Machine Custom Configuration Parameters
You can use virtual machine custom configuration parameters as baseline settings when you create a virtual
machine for remote desktop deployment.
You can change certain settings when you use View Administrator to deploy desktop pools from the virtual
machine.
Table 3‑1. Custom Configuration Parameters
ParameterDescription and Recommendations
Name and Location
Host/Cluster
Resource Pool
Datastore
Hardware Machine Version
Guest Operating System
CPUs
Memory
Network
The name and location of the virtual machine.
If you plan to use the virtual machine as a template, assign
a generic name. The location can be any folder within your
datacenter inventory.
The ESXi server or cluster of server resources that will run
the virtual machine.
If you plan to use the virtual machine as a template, the
location of the initial virtual machine does not necessarily
specify where future virtual machines created from
template will reside.
If the physical ESXi server resources are divided into
resource pools, you can assign them to the virtual machine.
The location of files associated with the virtual machine.
The hardware machine version that is available depends on
the ESXi version you are running. As a best practice, select
the latest available hardware machine version, which
provides the greatest virtual machine functionality. Certain
View features require minimum hardware machine
versions.
The type of operating system that you will install in the
virtual machine.
The number of virtual processors in the virtual machine.
For most guest operating systems, a single processor is
sufficient.
The amount of memory to allocate to the virtual machine.
In most cases, 512MB is sufficient.
The number of virtual network adapters (NICs) in the
virtual machine.
One NIC is usually sufficient. The network name should be
consistent across virtual infrastructures. An incorrect
network name in a template can cause failures during the
instance customization phases.
When you install View Agent on a virtual machine that has
more than one NIC, you must configure the subnet that
View Agent uses. See “Configure a Virtual Machine with
Multiple NICs for View Agent,” on page 37 for more
information.
IMPORTANT For Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows 2012
R2, and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems, you
must select the VMXNET 3 network adapter. Using the
default E1000 adapter can cause customization timeout
errors on virtual machines. To use the VMXNET 3 adapter,
you must install a Microsoft hotfix patch:
After you create a virtual machine, you must install a guest operating system.
The type of SCSI adapter to use with the virtual machine.
For Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7 guest operating
systems, you should specify the LSI Logic adapter. The LSI
Logic adapter has improved performance and works better
with generic SCSI devices.
LSI Logic SAS is available only for virtual machines with
hardware version 7 and later.
The disk to use with the virtual machine.
Create a new virtual disk based on the amount of local
storage that you decide to allocate to each user. Allow
enough storage space for the OS installation, patches, and
locally installed applications.
To reduce the need for disk space and management of local
data, you should store the user's information, profile, and
documents on network shares rather than on a local disk.
Prerequisites
Verify that an ISO image file of the guest operating system is on a datastore on your ESXi server.
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Verify that the CD/DVD drive in the virtual machine points to the ISO image file of the guest operating
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system and that the CD/DVD drive is configured to connect at power on.
Procedure
1In vSphere Client, log in to the vCenter Server system where the virtual machine resides.
2Right-click the virtual machine, select Power, and select Power On to start the virtual machine.
Because you configured the CD/DVD drive to point to the ISO image of the guest operating system and
to connect at power on, the guest operating system installation process begins automatically.
3Click the Console tab and follow the installation instructions provided by the operating system vendor.
4If you are installing Windows 7 or Windows 8, activate Windows online.
What to do next
Prepare the guest operating system for View desktop deployment.
Prepare a Guest Operating System for Remote Desktop Deployment
You must perform certain tasks to prepare a guest operating system for remote desktop deployment.
Prerequisites
Create a virtual machine and install a guest operating system.
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Configure an Active Directory domain controller for your remote desktops. See the View Installation
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document for more information.
To make sure that desktop users are added to the local Remote Desktop Users group of the virtual
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machine, create a restricted Remote Desktop Users group in Active Directory. See the View Installation
document for more information.
22 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 3 Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines
Verify that Remote Desktop Services are started on the virtual machine. Remote Desktop Services are
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required for View Agent installation, SSO, and other View operations. You can disable RDP access to
your View desktops by configuring desktop pool settings and group policy settings. See “Prevent
Access to View Desktops Through RDP,” on page 133.
Verify that you have administrative rights on the guest operating system.
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On Windows Server operating systems, prepare the operating system for desktop use. See “Prepare
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Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use,” on page 24.
If you intend to configure 3D graphics rendering for desktop pools, familiarize yourself with the Enable
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3D Support setting for virtual machines.
This setting is active on Windows 7 and later operating systems. On ESXi 5.1 and later hosts, you can
also select options that determine how the 3D renderer is managed on the ESXi host. For details, see the
vSphere Virtual Machine Administration document.
Procedure
1In vSphere Client, log in to the vCenter Server system where the virtual machine resides.
2Right-click the virtual machine, select Power, and select Power On to start the virtual machine.
3Right-click the virtual machine, select Guest, and select Install/Upgrade VMware Tools to install the
latest version of VMware Tools.
NOTE The virtual printing feature is supported only when you install it from View Agent. Virtual
printing is not supported if you install it with VMware Tools.
4Use the VMware Tools time synchronization function to ensure that the virtual machine is
synchronized to ESXi.
ESXi must synchronize to an external NTP source, for example, the same time source as Active
Directory.
Disable other time synchronization mechanisms such as Windows Time Service.
The VMware Tools online help provides information on configuring time synchronization between
guest and host.
5Install service packs and updates.
6Install antivirus software.
7Install other applications and software, such as smart card drivers if you are using smart card
authentication.
If you plan to use Workspace Portal to offer a catalog that includes ThinApp applications, you must
install Workspace Portal for Windows.
IMPORTANT If you are installing Microsoft .NET Framework, you must install it after you install View
Agent.
8If Horizon Client devices will connect to the virtual machine with the PCoIP display protocol, set the
power option Turn off the display to Never.
If you do not disable this setting, the display will appear to freeze in its last state when power savings
mode starts.
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Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
9If Horizon Client devices will connect to the virtual machine with the PCoIP display protocol, go to
Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings > Performance Settings and change the setting
for Visual Effects to Adjust for best performance.
If you instead use the setting called Adjust for best appearance or Let Windows choose what's best formy computer and Windows chooses appearance instead of performance, performance is negatively
affected.
10 If a proxy server is used in your network environment, configure network proxy settings.
11 Configure network connection properties.
aAssign a static IP address or specify that an IP address is assigned by a DHCP server.
View does not support link-local (169.254.x.x) addresses for View desktops.
bSet the preferred and alternate DNS server addresses to your Active Directory server address.
12 Join the virtual machine to the Active Directory domain for your remote desktops.
A parent virtual machine that you use for View Composer must either belong to the same Active
Directory domain as the domain that the linked-clone desktops will join or be a member of the local
WORKGROUP.
13 Configure Windows Firewall to allow Remote Desktop connections to the virtual machine.
14 (Optional) Disable Hot Plug PCI devices.
This step prevents users from accidentally disconnecting the virtual network device (vNIC) from the
virtual machine.
15 (Optional) Configure user customization scripts.
What to do next
Install View Agent. See “Install View Agent on a Virtual Machine,” on page 27.
Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use
To use a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 virtual machine as a single-session View
desktop (rather than as an RDS host), you must perform certain steps before you install View Agent in the
virtual machine. You must also configure View Administrator to treat Windows Servers as supported
operating systems for View desktop use.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the steps to install the Desktop Experience feature on Windows Server 2008
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R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2. See “Install Desktop Experience on Windows Server 2008 R2,”
on page 25 or “Install Desktop Experience on Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2,” on page 26
On Windows Server 2012 R2 machines, familiarize yourself with the steps to configure the Windows
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Firewall service to restart after failures occur. See “Configure the Windows Firewall Service to Restart
After Failures,” on page 26.
Procedure
1Verify that the Remote Desktop Services role is not installed.
When the Remote Desktop Services role is not present, the View Agent installer prompts you to confirm
that you want to install View Agent in desktop mode. If the Remote Desktop Services role is present,
the View Agent installer does not display this prompt and it treats the Windows Server machine as an
RDS host instead of a single-session View desktop.
24 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 3 Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines
2Install Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2012 R2.
If you do not install SP1 with Windows Server 2008 R2, an error occurs when you install View Agent.
3(Optional) Install the Desktop Experience feature if you plan to use the following features.
HTML Access
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Scanner redirection
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Windows Aero
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4(Optional) To use Windows Aero on a Windows Server desktop, start the Themes service.
When you create or edit a desktop pool, you can configure 3D graphics rendering for your desktops.
The 3D Renderer setting offers a Software option that enables users to run Windows Aero on the
desktops in the pool.
5On Windows Server 2012 R2 machines, configure the Windows Firewall service to restart after failures
occur.
6Configure View Administrator to treat Windows Servers as supported desktop operating systems.
If you do not perform this step, you cannot select Windows Server machines for desktop use in View
Administrator.
aIn View Administrator, select View Configuration > Global Settings.
bIn the General pane, click Edit.
cSelect the Enable Windows Server desktops check box and click OK.
When you enable Windows Server desktops in View Administrator, View Administrator displays all
available Windows Server machines, including machines on which View Connection Server is installed, as
potential machines for desktop use. You cannot install View Agent on machines on which other View
software components are installed.
Install Desktop Experience on Windows Server 2008 R2
For RDS desktops and applications, and for VDI desktops that are deployed on single-user virtual machines
that run Windows Server, scanner redirection requires that you install the Desktop Experience feature on
the RDS hosts and the single-user virtual machines.
Procedure
1Log in as an administrator.
2Start Server Manager.
3Click Features.
4Click Add Features.
5On the Select Features page, select the Desktop Experience checkbox.
6Review the information about other features that are required by the Desktop Experience feature, and
click Add Required Features.
7Follow the prompts and finish the installation.
VMware, Inc. 25
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
Install Desktop Experience on Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2
For RDS desktops and applications, and for VDI desktops that are deployed on single-user virtual machines
that run Windows Server, scanner redirection requires that you install the Desktop Experience feature on
the RDS hosts and the single-user virtual machines.
Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 are supported on machines that are used as RDS hosts.
Windows Server 2012 R2 is supported on single-user virtual machines.
Procedure
1Log in as an administrator.
2Start Server Manager.
3Select Add roles and features.
4On the Select Installation Type page, select Role-based or feature-based installation.
5On the Select Destination Server page, select a server.
6On the Select Server Roles page, accept the default selection and click Next.
7On the Select Features page, under User Interfaces and Infrastructure, select Desktop Experience.
8Follow the prompts and finish the installation.
Configure the Windows Firewall Service to Restart After Failures
Some Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 machines that are deployed as single-session desktops do
not become available immediately after they are provisioned. This issue occurs when the Windows Firewall
service does not restart after its timeout period expires. You can configure the Windows Firewall service on
the parent or template virtual machine to ensure that all machines in a desktop pool become available.
If you encounter this issue during provisioning, the Windows event logs display the following error: The
Windows Firewall service terminated with the following service-specific error: This operation
returned because the timeout period expired.
This issue occurs on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 machines. Other guest operating systems
are not affected.
Procedure
1On the Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows 8.1 parent or template virtual machine from which you
will deploy a desktop pool, select Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.
2In the Services dialog box, right-click the Windows Firewall service and select Properties.
3In the Windows Firewall Properties dialog box, click the Recovery tab.
4Select the recovery settings to restart the service after a failure occurs.
SettingDrop-down Menu Option
First failure:
Second failure:
Subsequent failures:
5Select the Enable actions for stops with errors check box and click OK.
Restart the Service
Restart the Service
Restart the Service
6Deploy or redeploy the desktop pool from the parent or template virtual machine.
26 VMware, Inc.
Install View Agent on a Virtual Machine
You must install View Agent on virtual machines that are managed by vCenter Server so that View
Connection Server can communicate with them. Install View Agent on all virtual machines that you use as
templates for automated desktop pools, parents for linked-clone desktop pools, and machines in manual
desktop pools.
To install View Agent on multiple Windows virtual machines without having to respond to wizard
prompts, you can install View Agent silently. See “Install View Agent Silently,” on page 30.
The View Agent software cannot coexist on the same virtual or physical machine with any other View
software component, including a security server, View Connection Server, View Composer, or
Horizon Client.
Prerequisites
Prepare the guest operating system for remote desktop deployment. See “Prepare a Guest Operating
n
System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 22.
To use a Windows Server virtual machine as a remote desktop (rather than as an RDS host), perform
n
the steps described in “Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use,” on page 24.
If the machine has the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package installed, verify that the version of
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the package is 2005 SP1 or later. If the package version is 2005 or earlier, you can either upgrade or
uninstall the package.
Chapter 3 Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines
Download the View Agent installer file from the VMware product page at
n
http://www.vmware.com/go/downloadview.
Verify that you have administrative rights on the virtual machine.
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Familiarize yourself with the View Agent custom setup options. See “View Agent Custom Setup
n
Options,” on page 28.
Familiarize yourself with the TCP ports that the View Agent installation program opens on the firewall.
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See the View Architecture Planning document for more information.
If you select the View Composer Agent custom setup option, verify that you have a license to use View
n
Composer.
Procedure
1To start the View Agent installation program, double-click the installer file.
The installer filename is VMware-viewagent-y.y.y-xxxxxx.exe or VMware-viewagent-x86_64-y.y.y-
xxxxxx.exe, where y.y.y is the version number and xxxxxx is the build number.
2Accept the VMware license terms.
3If you install View Agent on a Windows Server machine on which the Remote Desktop Services (RDS)
role is not installed, select Install VMware Horizon View Agent in 'desktop mode'.
Selecting this option configures the Windows Server machine as a single-user View desktop rather than
as an RDS host. If you intend the machine to function as an RDS host, cancel the View Agent
installation, install the RDS role on the machine, and restart the View Agent installation.
4Select the Internet Protocol (IP) version, IPv4 or IPv6.
You must install all View components with the same IP version.
5Select your custom setup options.
To deploy linked-clone desktops, select the View Composer Agent option.
6Accept or change the destination folder.
VMware, Inc. 27
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
7Follow the prompts in the View Agent installation program and finish the installation.
NOTE If you did not enable Remote Desktop support during guest operating system preparation, the
View Agent installation program prompts you to enable it. If you do not enable Remote Desktop
support during View Agent installation, you must enable it manually after the installation is finished.
8If you selected the USB redirection option, restart the virtual machine to enable USB support.
In addition, the Found New Hardware wizard might start. Follow the prompts in the wizard to
configure the hardware before you restart the virtual machine.
The VMware Horizon View Agent service is started on the virtual machine.
If you selected the View Composer Agent option, the VMware Horizon View Composer Guest Agent
Server service is started on the virtual machine.
What to do next
If the virtual machine has multiple NICs, configure the subnet that View Agent uses. See “Configure a
Virtual Machine with Multiple NICs for View Agent,” on page 37.
View Agent Custom Setup Options
When you install View Agent on a virtual machine, you can select or deselect custom setup options. In
addition, View Agent installs certain features automatically on all guest operating systems on which they
are supported. These features are not optional.
To learn which features are supported on which guest operating systems, see "Feature Support Matrix for
View Agent" in the View Architecture Planning document.
All custom setup options are selected by default except Client Drive Redirection, Serial Port Redirection,
Scanner Redirection, USB Redirection, and PCoIP Smartcard.
Table 3‑2. View Agent Custom Setup Options in an IPv4 Environment
OptionDescription
Serial Port RedirectionRedirects serial COM ports that are connected to the client
system so that they can be used on the remote desktop.
This setup option is not selected by default. You must
select the option to install it.
Serial port redirection is supported on remote desktops
that are deployed on single-user machines.
Serial port redirection is available in Horizon 6 version
6.1.1 and later releases.
Scanner RedirectionRedirects scanning and imaging devices that are connected
to the client system so that they can be used on the remote
desktop or application.
This setup option is not selected by default. You must
select the option to install it.
Scanner redirection is available in Horizon 6.0.2 and later
releases.
28 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 3 Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines
Table 3‑2. View Agent Custom Setup Options in an IPv4 Environment (Continued)
OptionDescription
USB RedirectionGives users access to locally connected USB devices on
HTML AccessAllows users to connect to View desktops by using
View Composer AgentLets View Agent run on the linked-clone desktops that are
Real-Time Audio-VideoRedirects webcam and audio devices that are connected to
Client Drive RedirectionAllows Horizon Client users to share local drives with their
Virtual PrintingLets users print to any printer available on their client
vRealize Operations Desktop AgentProvides information that allows vRealize Operations for
View Persona ManagementSynchronizes the user profile on the local desktop with a
their desktops.
USB redirection is supported on remote desktops that are
deployed on single-user machines. In addition, redirection
of USB flash drives and hard disks is supported on RDS
desktops and applications.
This setup option is not selected by default. You must
select the option to install it.
For guidance on using USB redirection securely, see the
View Security guide. For example, you can use group policy
settings to disable USB redirection for specific users.
HTML Access. The HTML Access Agent must be installed
on View desktops to allow users to make connections with
HTML Access.
deployed from this virtual machine.
the client system so that they can be used on the remote
desktop.
remote desktops.
This setup option is not selected by default. You must
select the option to install it.
After this setup option is installed, no further configuration
is required on the remote desktop.
Client Drive Redirection is also supported on RDS
desktops and applications and on VDI desktops that run on
unmanaged machines.
computers. Users do not have to install additional drivers
on their desktops.
In Horizon 6.0.1 and later, virtual printing is supported on
the following remote desktops and applications:
Desktops that are deployed on single-user machines,
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including Windows Desktop and Windows Server
machines
Desktops that are deployed on RDS hosts, where the
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RDS hosts are virtual machines
Hosted Apps
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Hosted Apps that are launched from Horizon Client
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inside remote desktops
In Horizon 6.0 and earlier, virtual printing is supported on
desktops that are deployed on single-user, Windows
Desktop machines.
The virtual printing feature is supported only when you
install it from View Agent. It is not supported if you install
it with VMware Tools.
View to monitor View desktops.
remote profile repository, so that users have access to their
profiles whenever they log in to a desktop.
VMware, Inc. 29
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
Table 3‑2. View Agent Custom Setup Options in an IPv4 Environment (Continued)
OptionDescription
PCoIP SmartcardLets users authenticate with smart cards when they use the
VMware AudioProvides a virtual audio driver on the remote desktop.
In an IPv6 environment, the only optional features are View Composer Agent and VMware Audio.
Table 3‑3. View Agent Features That Are Installed Automatically (Not Optional)
FeatureDescription
PCoIP AgentLets users connect to the View desktop using the PCoIP
Windows Media Multimedia Redirection (MMR)Extends multimedia redirection to Windows 7 and later
Unity TouchAllows tablet and smart phone users to interact easily with
Virtual video driverProvides a virtual video driver on the remote desktop.
PCoIP display protocol. This option is not selected by
default.
PCoIP Smartcard is supported on remote desktops that are
deployed on single-user machines.
display protocol.
Installing the PCoIP Agent feature disables sleep mode on
Windows 8 and Windows 7 desktops. When a user
navigates to the Power Options or Shut Down menu, sleep
mode or standby mode is inactive. Desktops do not go into
sleep or standby mode after a default period of inactivity.
Desktops remain in active mode.
desktops and clients. This feature delivers a multimedia
stream directly to the client computer, allowing the
multimedia stream to be processed on the client hardware
instead of the remote ESXi host.
Windows applications that run on the remote desktop.
Users can browse, search, and open Windows applications
and files, choose favorite applications and files, and switch
between running applications, all without using the Start
menu or Taskbar.
In an IPv6 environment, the only automatically installed feature is PCoIP Agent.
Install View Agent Silently
You can use the silent installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) to install View Agent on
several Windows virtual machines or physical computers. In a silent installation, you use the command line
and do not have to respond to wizard prompts.
With silent installation, you can efficiently deploy View components in a large enterprise.
If you do not want to install all features that are installed automatically or by default, you can use the
ADDLOCAL MSI property to selectively install individual setup options and features. For details about the
ADDLOCAL property, see Table 3-5.
Prerequisites
Prepare the guest operating system for desktop deployment. See “Prepare a Guest Operating System
n
for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 22.
To use Windows Server as a single-session remote desktop (rather than as an RDS host), perform the
n
steps described in “Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use,” on page 24.
30 VMware, Inc.
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