7.0

Configuring Serial Port Redirection
With serial port redirection, users can redirect locally connected, serial (COM) ports such as built-in RS232
ports or USB to Serial adapters. Devices such as printers, bar code readers, and other serial devices can be
connected to these ports and used in the remote desktops.
Serial port redirection is available in Horizon 6 version 6.1.1 and later releases with Horizon Client for
Windows 3.4 and later releases.
After you install Horizon Agent and set up the serial port redirection feature, the feature can work on your
remote desktops without further configuration. For example, COM1 on the local client system is redirected
as COM1 on the remote desktop, and COM2 is redirected as COM2, unless a COM port already exists on the
remote desktop. If so, the COM port is mapped to avoid conflicts. For example, if COM1 and COM2 already
exist on the remote desktop, COM1 on the client is mapped to COM3 by default. You do not have to
configure the COM ports or install device drivers on the remote desktops.
To make a redirected COM port active, a user selects the Connect option from the menu on the serial port
tool tray icon during a desktop session. A user can also set a COM port device to connect automatically
whenever the user logs in to the remote desktop. See “User Operation of Serial Port Redirection,” on
page 203.
You can configure group policy settings to change the default configuration. For example, you can lock the
settings so that users cannot change the COM port mappings or properties. You can also set a policy to
disable or enable the feature altogether. With an ADM template file, you can install serial port redirection
group policy settings in Active Directory or on individual desktops. See “Configuring Serial Port
Redirection Group Policy Settings,” on page 205.
When a redirected COM port is opened and in use on a remote desktop, you cannot access the port on the
local computer. Conversely, when a COM port is in use on the local computer, you cannot access the port on
the remote desktop.
Requirements for Serial Port Redirection
With this feature, users can redirect locally connected, serial (COM) ports, such as built-in RS232 ports or
USB to Serial adapters, to their remote desktops. To support serial port redirection, your View deployment
must meet certain software and hardware requirements.
View remote desktop
The remote desktops must have View Agent 6.1.1 or later, or Horizon Agent
7.0 or later, installed with the Serial Port Redirection setup option, on the
parent or template virtual machines. This setup option is deselected by
default.
The following guest operating systems are supported on single-user virtual
machines:
n
32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7
n
32-bit or 64-bit Windows 8.x
n
32-bit or 64-bit Windows 10
n
Windows Server 2008 R2 configured as a desktop
n
Windows Server 2012 R2 configured as a desktop
Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View
202 VMware, Inc.