VMware View 5 PCoIP Client for Mac

While many of you are aware that the VMware View PCoIP Client for Mac has been released mid march, I have not got to test it earlier as I was busy with my VCDX as well few vCloud Projects. Actually as a Mac user I were looking for this for a while, & now got the time to try it and it work just great. This has removed one task that I needed Windows for. Many of you might know that at VMware we use VMware View 5 to access our lab systems to test products and train our self on new products. Having to fire up a virtual machine and go through that to access our VMware View lab was quite painful & I am really glad the VMware View 5 Client for Mac now support PCoIP as there is no comparison between it and RDP specially over WAN connection.

In this post, I will document how to download and install the VMware View PCoIP Client for Mac & my experience with it. Though before we start let’s look at what the new PCoIP client for Mac offer as of version 1.5.0.

Features In the VMware View Client for Mac OS X

–       Support for Intel-based Macs

–       PCoIP protocol optimized for VMware View 5

–       Full screen support for Mac OS X Lion users

–       Copy and Paste plain text between View 4.x… Read More

Updating VMware ThinApp Packages Mechanisms

Updating VMware ThinApp packages is much easier and scale with ease when compared to updating traditional software packages. In fact VMware ThinApp offer multiple ways to update ThinApp Software packages that every environment can find a mechanism that suit their needs. In this post, I will discuss the major VMware ThinApp update mechanisms and the scenario each update mechanism suit best. I have noticed many posts/articles around the web talk about how to use a certain VMware ThinApp update mechanism, but not many that explain when to use that mechanism. In this post, I will work on trying to cover both area how to use a specific VMware ThinApp update mechanism and when to use it.

Before going into each mechanism, its worth mentioning this post is a part of a larger VMware ThinApp series I am creating & below are the links to other VMware ThinApp posts in this series in case you were looking for one of these or interested to read about it as well.

The Magic of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp

VMware ThinApp Preparing the ThinApp Capture and Build Machine

VMware ThinApp Deployment Scenarios

Updating VMware ThinApp Packages Mechanisms (This Post)

VMware ThinAPP Antivirus Best Practices

VMware ThinApp Isolation Modes Explanation, Examples, & Video

OK, so let’s look at the different VMware ThinApp packages update mechanism available to you

Updating VMware ThinApp Packages with In-Place Updates

Let’s first cover how this procedure work.… Read More

VMware ThinApp Deployment Scenarios

VMware ThinApp can be deployed using two main methods streaming or locally deployed. The main difference between the two methods is where the ThinApp Package will be executed from. In the streaming case the ThinApp package will reside on a shared folder, where users access it remotely. In the other hand when locally deploying ThinApp packages the ThinApp package is copied to each of the end point devices and executed locally. Each method can be deployed in few different ways, & has its pros & cons. Some companies rather streaming, some rather locally installed, where others mix and match between the two. Below is a closer look on each of the two main VMware ThinApp Deployment Scenarios.

VMware ThinApp Streaming.

In this scenario, the ThinApp executable packages will reside on a shared folder hosted by a windows file server or a storage filer where users access it remotely by accessing it directly by browsing the share folder to it or by a short cut created by the administrator or ThinReg to the executable. The beautiful part of ThinApp streaming that it does not require any specialized infrastructure like other Application Virtualization products in the market. All you require to be able to stream ThinApp Application is a file share where you put the executable and users access it from it.… Read More

VMware ThinApp Preparing the ThinApp Capture and Build Machine

In a previous post(The Magic of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp), I have shown how to create a virtualized Mozilla FireFox using VMware ThinApp and how easy the process is. If you still not sure what ThinApp is or you just want a quick idea about how it works, then please make sure you read my previous post first(The Magic of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp). Though if you want to get a more optimized package then there is more guide lines to follow. In this post, I will document what you need to do to create a good machine to capture & build the ThinApp packages on. Following this article will help you build better ThinApp packages faster and give you a bit more repeatable results.

Before going into preparing the ThinApp Capture and Build machine details, its worth mentioning this post is a part of a larger VMware ThinApp series I am creating & below are the links to other VMware ThinApp posts in this series in case you were looking for one of these or interested to read about it as well.

The Magic of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp

VMware ThinApp Preparing the ThinApp Capture and Build Machine(This Post)

VMware ThinApp Deployment Scenarios

Updating VMware ThinApp Packages Mechanisms

VMware ThinAPP Antivirus Best Practices

VMware ThinApp Isolation Modes Explanation, Examples, & Video

Before talking about how to build and optimize your ThinApp Build and Capture machine (CnB), you will need to understand a bit more about the process of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp.… Read More

The Magic of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp

For those of you who already know ThinApp, this article might not be of a great interest though keep checking back as I am planning to write few more advance ThinApp articles in the upcoming days. If you have not heard of ThinApp or just heard a small whisper here and there about it or about Application Virtualization then keep reading. For some time I have thought everyone has heard of ThinApp, but after visiting few customers around as well talking to my friends at different large vendors I have discovered that ThinApp & Application Virtualization are still a hidden treasure.

For those who is familiar with VMware ThinApp, it is worth mentioning this post is a part of a VMware ThinApp posts series I am creating. Below are links to the rest of the series in case you are interested in other more in depth VMware ThinApp topic.

The Magic of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp(This Post)

VMware ThinApp Preparing the ThinApp Capture and Build Machine

VMware ThinApp Deployment Scenarios

Updating VMware ThinApp Packages Mechanisms

VMware ThinAPP Antivirus Best Practices

VMware ThinApp Isolation Modes Explanation, Examples, & Video

 

OK so before I talk about Application Virtualization & VMware ThinApp let’s ask few questions:

Have you ever wanted to take any application like Firefox, Chrome, MS Office with you on a thumb drive?… Read More

VMware ThinApp Isolation Modes Explanation, Examples, & Video

ThinApp Isolation Modes is one of the really nice settings that not many has explored. Most people who has built a ThinApp Package using the easy VMware ThinApp GUI will really not need to worry about changing the VMware ThinApp Isolation Mode in the Package.ini as the ThinApp packager GUI ask you if you want to allow the thinapped application to write to folders and files out on the physical file system the ThinApp application run on or not allow it to. What is happening in the background is that the GUI is just changing the Isolation mode in the background.

Before going into Isolation Modes, its worth mentioning this post is a part of a larger VMware ThinApp series I am creating & below are the links to other VMware ThinApp posts in this series in case you were looking for one of these or interested to read about it as well.

The Magic of Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp

VMware ThinApp Preparing the ThinApp Capture and Build Machine

VMware ThinApp Deployment Scenarios

Updating VMware ThinApp Packages Mechanisms

VMware ThinAPP Antivirus Best Practices

VMware ThinApp Isolation Modes Explanation, Examples, & Video(This Post)

Back to VMware ThinApp Isolation Modes. OK, so if I am saying the default option is normally more than enough and we already know how to use that what is the point of this post.… Read More

VMware APPBlaster to change the Operating System game

If you have not heard of VMware APPBlaster yet, then its worth noting it is a technology that will enable users to access any application on any operating system as long they have a browser that support HTML 5. The usages of this technology will be limitless. Imagine running MS Visio 2010 on MAC or on Linux without having to install any client/agent or software. It will run directly into your web browser just as it was running directly on your machine. Check out the below Video of Scott Davis (VMware End User Computing CTO) presenting VMware APPBlaster at VMworld 2011 in Las Vegas.

This Technology will definitely change the importance of which operating system you use. At the moment the Operating System you use will govern what applications you can run. The more applications an Operating System is compatible with the more chance it will succeed. This will be irrelative in the future, as no matter what OS you run you still be apple to run any application you desire and all you need to do that is a web browser. Another fun concept to read is how this well help people to shift to lighter OSes that based on a browser like Google Chrome OS.… Read More

VMware View 4.6 Windows 7 Quick Prep fail where it work for Windows XP

One of the most asked questions lately by partners and customers when it come to VMware View 4.6 Implementation (I believe its applicable for older versions of View as well) is that when creating a Windows 7 Desktop Pools that utilize Linked Clones & try to utilize Quick Prep the deployment of desktop fails at the customizing stage. In the other hand, if they use SysPrep instead of Quick Prep the Desktop Deployment succeed & Desktops work normally though its much slower than Quick Prep can customize a Desktop VM. Further, Windows XP Pools work just fine with Quick Prep at the same setup. To be honest this has hit me before and that how I found out the solution.

In most cases the Quick Prep fail with Windows 7 due to the way Microsoft handle License Activation in Windows 7. As per VMware KB 1026556

== VMware KB 1026556 Quote Start  ==

By default, the View Composer QuickPrep process uses Microsoft Key Management Service (KMS) to activate Windows 7 and Windows Vista guest operating systems. To make sure that View Composer properly activates the operating systems on linked-clone desktops, you must use KMS license activation on the parent virtual machine.… Read More

VMware View Client for Android Tablets is here

For all of those Android Tablets fans who had a VMware View environment and wanted to connect to, but had no official VMware View Client that support Android this post is carrying out the good news to you. Now VMware has officially released a VMware View Client for Android Tablets, which finally will give us the same functionality iPAD users has enjoyed for a while. I believe now I can move on and buy an Android Tablets my self and be sure it will work with VMware View with the full functionality without any problem. Getting the VMware View Client up and running on your Android tablet is nothing more than a quick visit to your Android Market and download the client from there. You hear it correctly, VMware has just pushed the VMware View Client into the Android Market for ease of availability.

Below are few things to know about the new VMware View Client for Android Tablets:

* It has quite similar functionality to the iPad VMware View Client release about 6 months back leaving Android tablet users with jealousy of not having the same option. Well, guess what now Android users can enjoy the same.

* The new Android VMware View Client support Honeycomb Android 3.0… Read More

VMware View PCoIP Client on Ubuntu is finally here

If you are an Ubuntu user like I am, a VMware View PCoIP Client for Ubuntu has been long waited for. Unfortunately, officially it still not released by VMware so if you want the official release then you just have to wait. Though if you are looking for a work around then its here, and you don’t need to get stuck with the disastrous RDP protocol. Before I mention anything further, how about watching the below video as a teaser. A real teaser!



Yes, its what you just saw in the video VMware View Client with PCoIP is currently running on my Ubuntu Natty Narwhal 64-bit. It works like a charm. And no I am not leaking a new VMware View Client from VMware, that I can not share with you. I am pretty sure the development team has this kind of client in their mind, but I have no clue when and where it will happen or what it will look like . Till then, this work around can make our life much easier than sticking with RDP. If I have teased you enough, I am sure you are looking on how I have done this and looking at how short this post you probably figured out I am not showing that in here, but I have documented this on the  Linux 2 Aix Blog in details and can be found at:

VMware View PCoIP on Ubuntu How to

I have decided to share the instructions on a Linux blog as I believe its where it should belong and where more Ubuntu users will be searching.… Read More

VMware View 4.5 Location Based Printing

I believe one of the greatest addition to VMware View 4.5 is Location Based Printing. I have the question just popping up right and left lately (3 customers just this week), on how to get VMware View users to print to their nearest printers when they are using virtual desktops. In physical environment this was possible by applying computer policies, but when using terminal services or VDI the device used to access terminal service or Virtual Desktop might not be on the domain if even exist when using Zero Clients. Further, the user might access the same VM(Same computer name) from different locations, which make the use of Computer Policy alone not applicable.

Location Based Printing seems to be a sneaky problem since ages (Since Terminal Service came to exist). So far the only solution was to create a vbs script that execute as soon the user logon to the VM or terminal service which find the device name its running on & based on that it assign the correct printer. Keeping up & trouble shooting these scripts were always as painful as teeth pulling. To be honest till today, I did not have the exact answer, & as I promised my partners & customers to find out the solution I have done my research today.… Read More

VMware View 4.5 in large VDI implementation over 2,000 Virtual Desktop Tips

I have just been assigned to assist one of our partners design a VDI environment using VMware View 4.5 with 5000+ Virtual Desktop. At this number of desktops every small bit has to be counted for while putting the design out. Some of the info required for the design was not ready in my mind nor obviously documented on the web. For that I had to contact our PSO team, & they have shared the answers with me. I am really thankful to the bright consultant who helped me with these info (requested not to mention his name so I will respect that). As these tips were not easy to find I thought I will share it with all of you.

Before I start I should mention a great document to look at when designing such an environment the VMware View 4.5 Architecture Planning Guide shows a clear architecture of how to design for 2,000 users, but missing some details when you go beyond 2,000. Below are few tips that I hope you will find useful.

For such huge environment where shall I install VMware View Composer?

You will still have to install VMware View Composer on the same machine as vCenter as that the only place its supported to be installed as per the following paragraph from the installation Guide for View Composer at page 34 you should find the below statement:

“To use View Composer, you must install the View Composer service on the vCenter Server computer.Read More

Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is not too cheap

I was reading Manlio Vecchiet article “Microsoft’s new VDI licensing: VDI Suites” can be found here. I believe its quite misleading, but hey fair enough being a part of the Microsoft Marketing Team. I had left a comment on the article, but as it seems it had never made it on there. I thought I will post it on my blog & publish my opinion of the article.

It’s funny how Microsoft Virtualization Campaign is completely built on the word Free & lower Cost. I had never thought Microsoft main priority was ever to only produce a cheaper solution not a better one.

One thing bugged me in Manlio Vecchiet article is the claim that Microsoft VDI integrated with Citrix Broker will still cheaper than VMware View. As I am working for a partner of both VMware & Citrix I have seen many cases where Citrix Connection broker price alone was more expensive than the VMware View. So its insane to claim Citrix Connection broker in addition to Microsoft VDI will be a cheaper option.

In the other side, how complex will Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastrucure solution be. I mean watch out how many tools & how many servers you need to setup Microsoft VDI Solution in Manlio Vecchiet sentence “both new offerings include licenses for all the key technology components mentioned above when used in a VDI scenario: Hyper-V Server, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, System Center Configuration Manager, System Center Operations Manager, Remote Desktop Services (CAL) and MDOP”.… Read More

Nokia N800 & VMware Mobile Virtualization

VMware seems to always come up with innovations that blow people mind. One of the latest VMware innovations I was checking out is VMware Mobile Virtualization.

Let’s see how VMware define Mobile Virtualization. As per VMware, Mobile Virtualization(MVP) is a thin layer of software that is embedded on a mobile phone to decouple the applications and data from the underlying hardware. It is optimized to run efficiently on low power consuming and memory constrained mobile phones. The MVP currently supports a wide range of real-time and rich operating systems including Windows CE 5.0 and 6.0, Linux 2.6.x, Symbian 9.x, eCos, µITRON NORTi and µC/OS-II.

Let’s see what VMware Mobile Virtualization mean in simple terms. It means you can have two instances of mobile OS(Which can be different OS’s for example Win CE & Android) running at the same time. In other words, you can have one OS for your Work & another for your personal. Each with its own specific applications & calls functionality on the same device.

Do you currently carry two mobile phones? Is one of them for work & one for personal use. Did you ever think that is too heavy of load, but you still do it?… Read More

VMware View manager problem when entering domain administrator for the View Composer setting

While trying to add the domain administrator to my VMware View Composer settings in VMware View Manager, I was getting the following errors repeatedly:

Wrong Domain

Bad user name or Password

I have found out that the problem was caused by my Virtual Center where VMware View Composer reside was not a part of the domain, and was not using my domain controller as a DNS resolver. To resolve this problem I had came up with two solution:

1- Use your domain controller DNS as the DNS resolver on your VMware vCenter / VMware View Composer Server if possible.

2- On the View Composer server, add the domain name to the domain controller’s IP address mapping in the Windows hosts file: %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.

For example:
111.345.333.235 <domain name>
 
Please note this is seems to be a well known issue. A VMware KB with the second solution I provided can be found here: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=1007837&sliceId=2
 
Though the KB did not mention the first solution I mentioned above, it is 100% workable & supported.
If this saved you some headache and time, please take the time to share your experience with us. Thanks.
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