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For power users and knowledge workers who must install their own applications, which adds data to
the operating system disk, there are two options. One option is to create full virtual machine desktops,
and use Mirage to deploy and update applications without overwriting user-installed applications.
The other option is to create a pool of linked clones or instant clones, and use App Volumes to persist
user-installed applications and user data across logins.
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If knowledge workers do not require user-installed applications except for temporary use, you can
create View Composer linked-clone desktops or instant clone desktops. The desktop images share the
same base image and use less storage space than full virtual machines.
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If you use View Composer with vSphere 5.1 or later virtual desktops, enable the space reclamation
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.
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If you use View Composer linked-clone desktops, implement View Persona Management, roaming
profiles, or another profile management solution. You can also 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.
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If you use instant clone desktops, implement roaming profiles or another profile management solution.
You do not need to configure persistent disks. You can use App Volumes to retain a copy of the user
data and profile.
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.
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Create an automated pool so that desktops can be created when the pool is created or can be generated
on demand based on pool usage.
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Use floating assignment so that users can access any available desktop in the pool.
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Create instant-clone or View Composer linked-clone desktops so that desktops share the same base
image and use less storage space in the datacenter than full virtual machines.
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If you are using View Composer linked-clone desktops, institute a refresh policy so that the desktop is
refreshed frequently, such as at every user logoff.
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If you are using instant clone desktop pools, View automatically deletes the instant clone whenever a
user logs out. A new instant clone is created and ready for the next user to log in, thus effectively
refreshing the desktop on every log out.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Desktop and Application Pools
VMware, Inc. 13