5.2
Table Of Contents
- VMware Horizon View Architecture Planning
- Contents
- VMware Horizon View Architecture Planning
- Introduction to Horizon View
- Planning a Rich User Experience
- Feature Support Matrix
- Choosing a Display Protocol
- Using View Persona Management to Retain User Data and Settings
- Benefits of Using View Desktops in Local Mode
- Accessing USB Devices Connected to a Local Computer
- Printing from a View Desktop
- Streaming Multimedia to a View Desktop
- Using Single Sign-On for Logging In to a View Desktop
- Using Multiple Monitors with a View Desktop
- Managing Desktop Pools from a Central Location
- Architecture Design Elements and Planning Guidelines
- Virtual Machine Requirements
- Horizon View ESX/ESXi Node
- Desktop Pools for Specific Types of Workers
- Desktop Virtual Machine Configuration
- vCenter Server and View Composer Virtual Machine Configuration
- View Connection Server Maximums and Virtual Machine Configuration
- View Transfer Server Virtual Machine Configuration and Storage
- vSphere Clusters
- Storage and Bandwidth Requirements
- Horizon View Building Blocks
- Horizon View Pods
- Advantages of Using Multiple vCenter Servers in a Pod
- Planning for Security Features
- Understanding Client Connections
- Choosing a User Authentication Method
- Restricting View Desktop Access
- Using Group Policy Settings to Secure View Desktops
- Implementing Best Practices to Secure Client Systems
- Assigning Administrator Roles
- Preparing to Use a Security Server
- Understanding Horizon View Communications Protocols
- Overview of Steps to Setting Up a Horizon View Environment
- Index
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If View desktops use the space-efficient disk format available with vSphere 5.1 and later, stale or deleted
data within a guest operating system is automatically reclaimed with a wipe and shrink process.
Hardware Independence
Virtual machines are hardware-independent. Because a View desktop runs on a server in the datacenter and
is only accessed from a client device, a View desktop can use operating systems that might not be compatible
with the hardware of the client device.
For example, although Windows 7 and 8 can run only on Windows 7- and 8-enabled devices, you can install
Windows 7 or 8 in a virtual machine and use that virtual machine on a PC that is not Windows 7- or 8-enabled.
Virtual desktops run on PCs, Macs, thin clients, PCs that have been repurposed as thin clients, tablets, and
phones.
If you use the HTML Access feature, end users can open a View desktop inside a browser, without having to
install any client application on the client system or device.
Horizon View Features
Features included in Horizon View support usability, security, centralized control, and scalability.
The following features provide a familiar experience for the end user:
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On Microsoft Windows client devices, print from a virtual desktop to any local or networked printer that
is defined on the Windows client device. This virtual printer feature solves compatibility issues and does
not require you to install additional print drivers in a virtual machine.
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On any client device, use the location-based printing feature to map to printers that are physically near
the client system. Location-based printing does require that you install print drivers in the virtual machine.
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Use multiple monitors. With PCoIP multiple-monitor support, you can adjust the display resolution and
rotation separately for each monitor.
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Access USB devices and other peripherals that are connected to the local device that displays your virtual
desktop.
You can specify which types of USB devices end users are allowed to connect to. For composite devices
that contain multiple types of devices, such as a video input device and a storage device, you can split the
device so that one device (for example, the video input device) is allowed but the other device (for example,
the storage device) is not.
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Use View Persona Management to retain user settings and data between sessions even after the desktop
has been refreshed or recomposed. View Persona Management has the ability to replicate user profiles to
a remote profile store (CIFS share) at configurable intervals.
You can also use a standalone version of View Persona Management on physical computers and virtual
machines that are not managed by View.
Horizon View offers the following security features, among others:
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Use two-factor authentication, such as RSA SecurID or RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User
Service), or smart cards to log in.
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Use pre-created Active Directory accounts when provisioning View desktops in environments that have
read-only access policies for Active Directory.
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Use SSL tunneling to ensure that all connections are completely encrypted.
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Use VMware High Availability to host desktops and to ensure automatic failover.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Horizon View
VMware, Inc. 9