VMware View FAQs

A. VMware View 4 is a tightly integrated desktop virtualization solution purpose-built for delivering desktops as a managed service. The VMware View solution helps IT organization automate desktop and application management, reduce costs, and increase data security through centralization of the desktop environment. This centralization results in greater end user flexibility and increased control for IT organizations. By encapsulating the operating systems, applications, and user data into isolated layers, IT organizations can change, update, and deploy each element independently for greater business agility. Unlike other desktop virtualization products, VMware View is built on and tightly integrated with vSphere, the industry leading virtualization platform, allowing customers to extend the value of VMware infrastructure and its enterprise class features such as high availability, disaster recovery and business continuity.

A. VMware View 4 is available in the following two editions:

1. VMware View Enterprise - includes vSphere 4 for Desktops, vCenter 4, and VMware View Manager 4.
2. VMware View Premier - includes vSphere 4 for Desktops, vCenter 4, VMware View Manager 4, VMware View Composer, VMware ThinApp 4 and VMware Offline Desktop for experimental use.

A. With VMware View the desktop is “decoupled” from physical devices and delivered as a managed service from a centralized location such as the datacenter or from the cloud. End-users can connect to their desktops applications and data from multiple devices and across any network connection for an optimized and familiar desktop experience. By centralizing desktops in the data center, organizations benefit from improved manageability and control while end-users benefit from flexible access and improved levels of service.

A. VMware View Manager 4 provides end users with flexible, secure access to their personalized virtual desktop from a wide range of end point devices over the LAN or across the WAN. With VMware View Manager administrators have a single point of control to simply and cost-effectively manage, provision and deploy virtual desktops. The built-in security features of VMware View Manager ensure that data, information and intellectual property remain protected in the datacenter while still being accessible to end-users from a variety of locations. VMware View Manager 4 is included as a component of VMware View Enterprise and VMware View Premier but may also be purchased separately as an Add-On for existing customers running VMware vSphere.

A. There are several key new features available in VMware View 4. Some of the more notable features include:

• PCoIP – A display protocol specifically developed for virtual desktop delivery. PCoIP is able to dynamically detect and adapt to the end users network connection providing each user with the best desktop experience regardless of location or task. VMware View with PCoIP is delivered with support for software end points, which include the View Client and a VMware View virtual desktop. In addition to software support, the VMware View solution also supports PCoIP enabled end points to address the requirements of even the highest end users.
• vSphere Support – Provides the foundation for VMware View and helps to extend the power of the datacenter to the desktop environment by delivering powerful business continuity and disaster recovery features such as VMotion, High Availability, Dynamic Resource Scheduler (DRS) and Consolidated Back Up. Optimized specifically for VMware View desktop workloads, VMware vSphere is able to scale to support 1000s of desktops to meet the requirements of even the largest organizations. In addition vCenter helps organizations to manage more than 1,000 hosts and up to 10,000 Virtual Machines from a single console providing a common platform to manage both servers and desktops from the datacenter to the cloud with unparalleled levels of scale, control and automation.
• Simplified Sign On – Addresses the need for a seamless end user experience when logging into a VMware View virtual desktop from a physical thin client or workstation. With Simplified Sign On user credentials entered into the local client can be reused to authenticate the user as they log into their virtual desktop. This makes the login process simple and efficient.
• Restricted Entitlements – Enables to ability to restrict user access to desktop pools based on the connection server being used for access. With connection servers being deployed across different networks, IT organizations can enforce access based on the user’s location. Depending on how the connection server is configured a group of users can be either permitted or denied access to their virtual desktop according to the connection server being used for access.

For additional details and features available in VMware View 4 please see the release notes: http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/view_pubs.html

A. PCoIP is supported in the View Client and View Manager, both of which are included as part of the View 4 Enterprise and View 4 Premier bundles, as well as the add-on packages. No additional licensing is required for PCoIP.

A. To evaluate PCoIP please download the free 60 day evaluation of VMware View 4.

A. No. The VMware View 4 solution does not require any special hardware for PCoIP support. The software View Client in VMware View 4 supports PCoIP and enables connections to the View Manager and VMware virtual desktops using the PCoIP protocol. The VMware View 4 solution is, however, compatible with PCoIP hardware endpoints which help to address the requirements of high end users.

A. Yes, the PCoIP protocol is optimized for connecting users to virtual desktops on the LAN or across the WAN.

A. No, VMware View Manager 4 is required for PCoIP support. However customers can use View Manager 4 to connect to virtual machines running on either VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or vSphere 4.

A. In addition to PCoIP VMware View 4 supports ALP, RDP and RGS.

A. VMware View Composer uses Linked Clone technology to reduce storage requirements by up to 70% while streamlining desktop image management by enabling rapid creation and updates of desktop images that share a virtual disk with a master image. With View Composer IT organizations can manage 100s or 1000s of desktops as a single image. All desktops linked to the master image can be patched or updated through View Manager simply by updating the master image, without affecting users’ settings, data or applications.

A. ThinApp virtualizes applications for increased compatibility and streamlined management. Applications are separated from the underlying operating system and packaged with a virtual operating system as an EXE or MSI file. Applications packaged with ThinApp can be run on servers in the datacenter or even a shared network drive and accessed through a shortcut on the virtual desktop. This reduces the size of the desktop image and subsequent storage needs. Since the applications are isolated and virtualized, multiple applications or multiple versions of the same applications run on users’ virtual desktops without conflict. Applications are managed and deployed centrally, ensuring that all users’ desktops are up to date with the latest application version.

A. Offline desktop is an experimental feature in VMware View 4. Offline Desktop allows complete virtual desktops to be moved between the datacenter and physical desktop devices with security policies intact. Virtual desktops may be “checked out” onto a physical device enabling users to work when they are not connected to a network, and then “checked in” back to the datacenter—intelligently synchronizing changes. Offline Desktop allows a user to run their virtual desktop offline or simply take advantage of local resources for the best virtual desktop user experience available.

A. VMware View is an end-to-end solution including all the components needed to take control of desktops and applications without sacrificing user flexibility or productivity. Companies can choose to repurpose their existing PCs to access their virtual desktops or move to a thin client to further reduce costs and reduce the desktop refresh cycle. Microsoft Active Directory is required to run the VMware View Manager software.

A. VMware has a Thin Client Certification Program for VMware View and several thin client devices have earned the status of “VMware Ready Certified “ including Linux-based thin clients. For a complete list, please see our Thin Client Compatibility Guide

A. VMware customers are transforming their desktops by replacing traditional PCs with virtual desktops that can be more cost effectively managed and controlled while providing unmatched levels of flexibility for end-users. VMware View is used in a variety of ways by the thousands of customers in scenarios such as:

• Desktops as a Secure Managed Service
  With VMware View 4, it’s easy to deliver cost-effective virtual desktops and applications securely from the datacenter or other centralized location to internal employees, call centers, government agencies, healthcare providers, educational facilities or offshore facilities. VMware View with PCoIP provides a superior total desktop experience to all users across any type of network, no matter where users are located. Confidential data and information is removed from the end-point device, and access is tightly controlled and managed. Strong network encryption protects data in transit, and integration with RSA SecurID enables two-factor authentication. These features can help reduce the risk of data leakage or malicious code intrusion and simplify regulatory compliance.
• Desktop Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
  VMware View extends the reliability, automated backup, data protection and disaster recovery abilities traditionally reserved for server applications to the desktop. Remotely managing your virtual desktops using VMware View eliminates the need for on-site desktop management and maintenance. Bring the power of VMware vSphere Enterprise Plus to your desktops and standardize on a single platform to manage your desktops through the datacenter to the cloud.
• Remote or Branch Offices and Secure Remote Access
  Deliver high-performance virtual desktops from centralized datacenters or centralized servers onsite, to remote or branch offices such as retail stores, bank branches and physician’s offices and even offshore facilities . No need to staff remote locations with IT resources, since desktop management and provisioning are done centrally and users get the benefit of a high performance personalized desktop environment even over a high-latency, low-bandwidth connection.
• Windows 7 Migration
  Eliminate many of the problems typically encountered during OS migrations, such as high costs, application compatibility with the new OS and lack of hardware support. Minimize the cost and disruption of migrating users and applications to Microsoft Window 7 desktops. Extend the life of existing desktop hardware to access virtual Windows PC desktops, reduce application conflicts and costly application porting and regression testing by delivering Microsoft Windows 7 as a virtual desktop with VMware View 4.

A. We recommend trying the free 60 day evaluation of VMware View, which includes VMware vSphere 4, vCenter, VMware View Manager 4, VMware View Composer, VMware ThinApp and Offline Desktop for experimental use. You will additionally need Microsoft Active Directory (not included) to run the VMware View Manager 4 evaluation.

A. VMware Professional Services and VMware accredited partners have several years of experience implementing VMware View for customers. Organizations may wish to seek their expertise to expand and optimize a View installation and achieve rapid time to market. For those interested in learning how to install, configure and manage VMware View and the new components, VMware Education Services offers hands-on training courses to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to implement and deploy. In addition, VMware provides self paced tools and resources in the VMware View Eval Center on vmware.com.

A. We recommend customers use VMware View Manager when deploying VMware View. You will find that VMware View Manager is ideal for your virtual desktop environment for the following reasons:

• VMware View Manager comes with a Windows client with support for PCoIP, Smart Pooling, an optional proxy server for encrypted WAN connections, optional RSA SecurID®, tight integration with Microsoft AD, Unified Access to multiple hosted desktop platforms, Virtual Printing, Multi Media Redirection and other features to simplify the management and provisioning of desktops as well as enhance the end users experience. In addition, View Composer for reduced storage and streamlined image management, and Offline Desktop for experimental use is only available when using VMware’s View Manager.
• In addition to VMware View Manger’s comprehensive features, it is tested for large environments and tightly integrated with VMware vSphere 4 for improved reliability, disaster recovery and data protection.
• The entire VMware View solution comes from the same vendor – the makers of the market leading virtualization platform. Support is seamless regardless of the component and you can leverage your own VMware infrastructure expertise inside your company for your desktop infrastructure without retraining because the administrative interface is the same from servers to desktops.
• VMware View Manager is priced competitively to help organizations achieve year-over-year operating cost savings on their investment. Visit our TCO desktop calculator to learn how you can help reduce your desktop operating expenses.

A. VMware View supports a number of devices connected via USB to the client through support for USB redirection. Additionally, VMware View Manager extends USB device support for some devices not typically supported by display protocols such as PDAs. Any device that is USB 1.1 or 2.0 compatible may be used with the VMware View solution, provided they are connected to a device running the VMware View Windows client.

A. One of the many inherent benefits of centralizing your desktops into a virtual environment in the data center is that the desktops no longer reside on employee-owned PCs or laptops that are not easily controlled. When desktops are centrally managed in a secure data center, IT organizations can more easily apply virus scanning software and apply other standard security policies of the company. Desktops in this environment can be locked down to limit access to various network drives or shut a user off instantly when they leave the company. VMware desktop virtualization technology lets you leverage the “sandbox” capabilities of a virtual machine that is fully contained, isolated from the host operating system, and designed by desktop administrators to be a good citizen of the desktop community.

A. VMware has many companies running VMware View for a variety of uses with performance that meets or exceeds their needs. VMware View 4 delivers support for the PCoIP protocol which directly addresses end-user requirements for a high quality computing experience regardless of task or location. With support for both software and hardware enabled PCoIP end points, VMware View is the perfect solution for the entire spectrum of end users in an organization.

VMware View also makes use of features in vSphere to ensure top performance for the virtual desktop environment. Features such as Dynamic Resource Scheduling (DRS) give each individual user just enough resources to meet their needs in the centralized data center. End users, especially those with heavy CPU requirements, may see an improvement in performance because their centralized desktops are running off more powerful hardware at the backend.

Organizations are encouraged to evaluate VMware View to ensure the performance satisfies end-user requirements. Customers can immediately begin evaluating View using the 60 day evaluation license or by purchasing the Vmware View Enterprise or Premier Starter Kit.

A. Yes, VMware View has been fully tested with and supports VMware vSphere 4. For more information on VMware View 4 compatibility and version requirements please see the VMware View Manager 4 Administration Guide.

A. Yes, VMware View 4 delivers a technology preview of Windows 7 support for hosts and guests. Please see the VMware View Manager 4 Administration Guide for more details on operating system support.

A. Yes, View Manager can run as a virtual machine and share the same virtual infrastructure. Although it is a server workload and only desktop workloads are allowed with the VMware ESX license included in the View bundle, there is an exception in the View End User License Agreement (EULA) that allows for any server workload that supports the desktop environment to be deployed. This includes View Manger, vCenter and other virtual machines deployed to support the licensed number of View desktops.

A. VMware partners who are part of the “VMware Desktop Competency” have demonstrated their excellence in deploying VMware View. Your VMware Sales team can help you identify a VMware reseller in your area with VMware View experience or you can search the listings of VMware resellers, consultants, distributors and direct resellers using our Partner Locator.