VMware Horizon View Agent Direct-Connect Plugin Hands-On

One of the great new features of VMware Horizon View 5.3 or later versions is the ability for any Horizon Client to connect directly to a Horizon View desktop without using View Connection Server. VWhat Is the

Horizon View Agent Direct-Connection For?
This new feature is intended to allow Horizon View to be deployed to support some specific additional use cases. These use cases include the following:
DaaS – Multi-tenant Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) deployments such as those used with Desktone technology. Newly acquired by VMware, the Desktone platform enables service providers to deliver Windows desktops as a subscription service.
Branch offices – Branch office and retail store environments where VMware vSphere hosts running Horizon View desktops are deployed in multiple locations, and View Clients connect locally within each location without being constrained by WAN performance and reliability. Several VMware partners have incorporated this feature into their branch office solutions for Horizon View.
Brokerless Horizon View desktops – Simple 1:1 deployments where full brokering from View Connection Server is not needed.

How to Install the VADC Plugin

1. Download the VADC plugin installer from VMware Website and Run it.

2. On the Welcome page click on Next

3. Accept the License Agreement

4. On configuration information page after required modification click on Next

5. Click on Install

How to Connect with VDI Desktop Running with VADC Plug-in

1. Add Your VDI Desktop as New Server

2. Click on Continue on Certificate Warning Page

3. Provide Authentication details

4. Now VDI Desktop is connected directly by using Horizon Client

For More Information:-
https://blogs.vmware.com/euc/2013/11/vmware-horizon-view-agent-direct-connection-vadc.html

Unable to delete Tenant in vRA 7 with Error "System Exception"

Today i was trying to delete a tenant in vRA 7 and it was not working. Error was "System Exception"

Solution:-
It is documented in this KB
This is known Issue and currently there is no solution. Only workaround is available to handle this issue.

1. Take a snapshot or backup of your vRA appliance(s).
2. Copy this script into a file and save it as recover-tenant.sh on your vRA appliance in the  /tmp directory.
   
   #!/bin/bash
   export PYTHONIOENCODING=utf8
   
   administrator_password=${1?"Usage: $0 <SSO ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD> <TENANT ID> [HOST]"}
   tenant_id=${2?"Usage: $0 <SSO ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD> <TENANT ID> [HOST]"}
   host="${3:-localhost}"
   
   token=$(curl -v -s -S -k -X POST -H "Accept: application/json" -H "Content-type: application/json" -d '{"username":"administrator","password":"'"$administrator_password"'","tenant":"vsphere.local"}' https://$host/identity/api/tokens/ | \
      python -c "import sys, json; print json.load(sys.stdin)['id']")
   tenant=$(curl -v -s -S -k -H "Accept: application/json" -H "Content-type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer $token" https://$host/identity/api/tenants/$tenant_id )
   tenant=$(curl -v -s -S -k -H "Accept: application/json" -H "Content-type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer $token" -X PUT -d "$tenant" https://$host/identity/api/tenants/$tenant_id )
   echo $tenant
   
3. Grant execution permissions to the file by running the command:
   
   chmod +x /tmp/recover-tenant.sh
4. Execute the file by running the command:
   
   /tmp/recover-tenant.sh <SSO ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD>
   
   
   Note: Replace <SSO ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD> with your administrator@vsphere.local password.
   
5. Capture the output of the script's execution, this may be needed in case of failure or if the issue is not resolved.
6. Attempt to remove the tenant from the vRA UI again.

Monthly Patch Program for VMware vCenter Server Appliance Photon OS

VMware is now introducing a new Monthly Security Patch Program for the VCSA. The program will deliver important OS vulnerability patches on a monthly release cycle. VMware will monitor and fix any newly discovered OS vulnerabilities.

To know more refer these links:-
https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2017/09/monthly-security-patch-program-vcenter-server-appliance-vcsa.html
https://blogs.vmware.com/security/2017/09/security-patches-vmware-vcenter-server-appliance-photon-os.html
https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/rn/vcenter-server-appliance-photonos-security-patches.html

Horizon Client Version 4.6 for Windows

Yesterday on 21st September 2017 VMware released new version of Horizon Client for Windows. This latest version has some new key features listed below:-

• Support for pre-launched applications
  A Horizon 7 administrator can configure a published application so that an application session is launched before you open the published application in Horizon Client. When a published application is pre-launched, the application opens more quickly in Horizon Client. This feature requires Horizon 7 version 7.2 or later on the server.
• Support for server-created Start menu shortcuts for remote desktops and published applications
  A Horizon 7 administrator can configure Start menu shortcuts for remote desktops and published applications. If you are entitled to remote desktops or published applications that have shortcuts, Horizon Client places the shortcuts in the Start menu on your local system when you connect to the server. This feature requires Horizon 7 version 7.3 or later on the server.
• HTML5 multimedia redirection with Chrome
  A Horizon 7 administrator can configure the HTML5 Multimedia Redirection feature to redirect HTML5 multimedia content from a remote desktop to your local system when you use the Chrome browser. Because your local system plays the HTML5 multimedia content, you have a better audio and video experience. The HTML5 Multimedia Redirection feature is enabled by default in Horizon Client during installation. A Horizon 7 administrator must enable HTML5 Multimedia Redirection in the remote desktop during Horizon Agent installation. Horizon Agent 7.3 is required.
• New command-line properties for the Horizon Client for Windows installer
  The following command-line properties have been added to the Horizon Client for Windows installer:
  • INSTALL_HTML5MMR - specifies whether to install HTML5 Multimedia Redirection support.
  • REMOVE - specifies the features not to install.
  • STARTMENU_SHORTCUT - specifies whether to create a Start menu shortcut for Horizon Client on your local system.
• Support for UNC paths with client drive redirection
  You can now use the client drive redirection feature to redirect mapped drives that have UNC (Universal Naming Convention) paths.
• USB redirection support in nested mode
  The USB redirection feature is now supported when you use Horizon Client in nested mode.
• SHA-256 support
  Horizon Client has been updated to support the SHA-256 cryptographic hash algorithm.
• OpenSSL 1.0.2l support
  The OpenSSL library is updated to version openssl-1.0.2l.

For more info refer:-
https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Horizon-Client-for-Windows/4.6/rn/horizon-client-windows-46-release-notes.html

Select Specific Monitors in a Multiple-Monitor Setup

Horizon Client 4.3 or later support selectin of sepecific monitor in a multiple monitor setup. You can use the selective multiple-monitor feature to select the monitors on which to display a remote desktop window. For example, if you have three monitors, you can specify that the remote desktop window appears on only two of those monitors. By default, a remote desktop window appears on all monitors in a multiple-monitor setup.
You can select up to four adjacent monitors. The monitors can be side by side, stacked two by two, or stacked vertically. A maximum of two monitors can be stacked vertically.

This feature is not supported for remote applications.

Procedure

1	Start Horizon Client and log in to a server.
2	In the desktop and application selection window, right-click the remote desktop and select Settings.
3	Select PCoIP or VMware Blast from the Connect Via drop-down menu.
4	Select All Monitors from the Display drop-down menu. Thumbnails of the monitors that are currently connected to your client system appear under Display settings. The display topology matches the display settings on your client system.
5	Click a thumbnail to select or deselect a monitor on which to display the remote desktop window. When you select a monitor, its thumbnail turns green. A warning message appears if you violate a display selection rule.
6	Click Apply to save your changes.
7	Click OK to close the dialog box.
8	Connect to the remote desktop. Your changes are applied immediately when you connect to the remote desktop. Your changes are saved in the Horizon Client preferences file for the remote desktop after you exit from Horizon Client.

Display Scaling Feature in VMware Horizon Client

A user who has a high-resolution screen such as a 4K monitor, or who has poor eyesight, generally has scaling enabled by setting the DPI (Dots Per Inch) on the client machine to greater than 100 percent. With the Display Scaling feature, the remote desktop or application supports the client machine's scaling setting, and the remote desktop or application appears normal-sized instead of very small.
Horizon Client saves the display scaling setting for each remote desktop separately. For remote applications, the display scaling setting applies to all remote applications that are available to the currently logged-in user. The display scaling setting appears, even if the DPI setting is 100 percent on the client machine.
An administrator can hide the display scaling setting by enabling the Horizon Client Locked Guest Size group policy setting. Enabling the Locked Guest Size group policy setting does not disable the DPI Synchronization feature. To disable the DPI Synchronization feature, an administrator must disable the DPI Synchronization group policy setting.
In a multiple-monitor setup, using display scaling does not affect the number of monitors and the maximum resolutions that Horizon Client supports. When display scaling is allowed and in effect, scaling is based on the DPI setting of the primary monitor.
This procedure describes how to enable the Display Scaling feature before you connect to a remote desktop or application. You can enable the Display Scaling feature after you connect to a remote desktop by selecting Options > Allow Display Scaling.

Setup the Display Scaling in Horizon Client Windows Operating System
1. Access the Control Panel  > Appearance and Personalization

2. Click on make text and other items larger or smaller

3. Adjust the size > click on apply. You will be prompted for sign out and sign in back to apply these changes

4. Start Horizon Client and connect to a server.

5. In the desktop and application selection window, right-click the remote desktop or application and select Settings.

6. Select the Allow display scaling check box. Click Apply to save your changes. Click OK to close the dialog box. Now you can experience same display scaling in your VD session.

IoT vs IoE vs M2M

Link given below:-
http://blog.aeris.com/ioe-vs.-iot-vs.-m2m-what-s-the-difference-and-does-it-matter

What is IoT (Internet of Things)?

Source:-
YouTube Channel

Application Licensing in VMware App Volume

Many customers have asked if application virtualization could reduce software licensing costs, and my answer has always been simple—ask your application vendor. For Microsoft Office, the answer is no. None of the application virtualization solutions for Microsoft Office will reduce Office licensing costs. All Microsoft Office applications purchased as a software product are licensed per device, where “device” is a physical or virtual system that runs Microsoft Office applications or a system that is used to access Office applications remotely. Each license permits only one user to access the software at a time. The only exception to this rule is the subscription-based model that is licensed per user. Also important to note is that neither of the following purchase scenarios permits network use:

• Microsoft Office retail purchase (the fully packaged product)
• Acquisition of Office with hardware that includes the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) licensing

In other words, for most VDI scenarios you can use only Microsoft Office editions that are available with Microsoft volume licensing. These include Office Professional Plus 2013, Office Standard 2013, and Office 365 ProPlus. You cannot use Office Home & Student or Office Personal editions on VDI.

Horizon 7 - URL Content Redirection

Source:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIKaK6Oo5MM

Mind Map of VMware Horizon 7 Desktop Pools

Tried Putting my thoughts on VMware Horizon Desktop Pools in the form of Mind Map.

I hope this is helpful for VMware Horizon beginners.

How to Find VMware Products available for Public Evaluation?

VMware provides two ways for you to try our products free for 60 days:

• Hands-on Labs allow you to experience products in a virtual lab environment anytime, anywhere. No installation, license or special hardware is required, and you can get started in just minutes.
• Evaluation versions of products can be downloaded and installed in your own environment and are fully-functional for a limited time.

There is always confusion among the Admins those who want to learn VMware Solutions that Which VMware Product is available for Public Evaluation and Which one is not? Let me share how you can find this:-

1. Open this URL https://www.vmware.com/in/try-vmware.html
2. Expand the categories to check which product is available for Public Evaluation and which one can only be used in H.O.L (Hands on Labs)