Author: Carl Stalhood

VMware Workspace ONE Access Load Balancing

Last Modified: Oct 19, 2022 @ 5:49 pm

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This topic assumes you’ve already set up one VMware Workspace ONE appliance as detailed at https://www.carlstalhood.com/vmware-access/

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Citrix ADC Configuration

VMware recommends a minimum of three VMware Access nodes. See Recommendations for Workspace ONE Access Cluster at VMware Docs.

Setup the load balancing before you clone the appliance. GUI instructions in this section. Or skip to the CLI Commands.

  1. In your Citrix ADC, go to Traffic Management > Load Balancing > Monitors, and add a monitor.
  2. Give the monitor a name and select HTTP-ECV as the Type. (Source = Proper VMware Identity Manager Node Monitoring when using F5 BIG-IP Appliances-UPDATED at VMware Communities)
  3. In the Basic Parameters section:
    1. In the Send String field, enter GET /SAAS/API/1.0/REST/system/health/heartbeat
    2. In the Receive String field, enter ok
    3. Check the box next to Secure. Ignore the SSL Profile field.
  4. Scroll down and click Create.
  5. Go to Traffic Management > Load Balancing > Servers and add three servers that point to the IP addresses of your planned three VMware Access appliances. These don’t have to exist yet.


  6. Go to Traffic Management > Load Balancing > Service Groups and add a Service Group.

    1. Give the Service Group a name.
    2. The protocol is SSL. Note: if you configured certificate-based client authentication in VMware Access, then use SSL_BRIDGE instead of SSL.
    3. Scroll down and click OK to close the Basic Settings section.
    4. Bind three members to it and specify port 443.
    5. Click OK to finish adding members.
    6. On the left, in the Settings section, click the pencil icon.
    7. Check the box for Client IP and enter X-Forwarded-For in the Header field.
    8. Bind a monitor, and select the Access monitor you created earlier.
    9. If you click the three members, then one of them should be UP.
  7. Go to Traffic Management > SSL > Certificates > Server Certificates and install a certificate that matches your VMware Access FQDN.
  8. Go to Traffic Management > Load Balancing > Virtual Servers and add a Virtual Server.

    1. Give the Load Balancing Virtual Server a name.
    2. Protocol = SSL. Note: if you configured certificate-based client authentication in VMware Access, then use SSL_BRIDGE instead of SSL.
    3. Enter a new VIP.
    4. Click OK to close the Basic Settings section.
  9. Bind the Service Group created earlier.
  10. Bind the certificate. This certificate must match the name users will use to access VMware Access.
  11. Configure Persistence:
    1. While still editing the Virtual Server, on the right, in the Advanced Settings column, click Persistence to move it to the left.
    2. On the left, in the Persistence section, select SOURCEIP, and give it a timeout of 60 minutes or more. COOKIEINSERT might not work with some mobile devices.
    3. Click OK to save the Persistence settings. If you don’t click OK, then your persistence settings won’t be saved.
  12. Enable WebSockets for Outbound Connectors:
    1. While still editing the Virtual Server, on the right, in the Advanced Settings column, click Profiles to move it to the left.
    2. On the left, in the Profiles section, next to HTTP Profile, click Add.
    3. The primary purpose of this HTTP Profile is to enable WebSockets so name it accordingly.
    4. As you scroll down, optionally check the box next to HTTP/2.
    5. Scroll down to the bottom and optionally check the boxes next to Mark HTTP/0.9 requests as invalid, Mark CONNECT Requests as Invalid, Mark TRACE Requests as Invalid, and Drop Invalid HTTP requests,
    6. At the bottom right, check the box next to Enable WebSocket connections.
    7. Click Create to finish creating the HTTP Profile.
    8. Back in the Profile section, make sure your new HTTP Profile is selected, and then click OK to close the Profiles section. Make sure you click OK in this section, or your new HTTP Profile won’t be enabled.
  13. If you haven’t enabled the Default SSL Profile, then perform other normal SSL configuration including: disable SSLv3, disable TLSv1, disable TLSv11, bind an A+ Cipher Group, and enable Strict Transport Security. You can do these settings in the GUI in the SSL Parameters and SSL Ciphers sections of the Virtual Server. 
    set ssl vserver MyvServer -ssl3 DISABLED -tls1 DISABLED -tls11 DISABLED -tls12 ENABLED

unbind ssl vserver MyvServer -cipherName DEFAULT

bind ssl vserver MyvServer -cipherName SSLLabs-APlus

bind ssl vserver MyvServer -eccCurveName ALL
  14. Create another Load Balancing Virtual Server on HTTP port 80 and configure it to redirect HTTP to HTTPS.


CLI Commands

Here are the CLI Commands for the configuration shown above:

add server Access01 10.2.2.151
add server Access02 10.2.2.152
add server Access03 10.2.2.153
add lb monitor lbmon-access HTTP-ECV -send "GET /SAAS/API/1.0/REST/system/health/heartbeat" -recv ok -secure YES
add service AlwaysUp 1.1.1.1 HTTP 80 -healthMonitor NO
add serviceGroup svcgrp-Access SSL -cip ENABLED X-Forwarded-For
bind serviceGroup svcgrp-Access Access01 443
bind serviceGroup svcgrp-Access Access02 443
bind serviceGroup svcgrp-Access Access03 443
bind serviceGroup svcgrp-Access -monitorName lbmon-Access
add ns httpProfile httpProfile-WebSockets -dropInvalReqs ENABLED -markHttp09Inval ENABLED -markConnReqInval ENABLED -markTraceReqInval ENABLED -webSocket ENABLED -http2 ENABLED -builtin MODIFIABLE
add lb vserver lbvip-Access-SSL SSL 10.2.5.207 443 -persistenceType SOURCEIP -timeout 60 -httpProfileName httpProfile-WebSockets
add lb vserver lbvip-Access-HTTP-SSLRedirect HTTP 10.2.5.207 80
add responder action http_to_ssl_redirect_responderact redirect "\"https://\" + HTTP.REQ.HOSTNAME.HTTP_URL_SAFE + HTTP.REQ.URL.PATH_AND_QUERY.HTTP_URL_SAFE"
add responder policy http_to_ssl_redirect_responderpol HTTP.REQ.IS_VALID http_to_ssl_redirect_responderact
bind lb vserver lbvip-Access-HTTP-SSLRedirect AlwaysUp
bind lb vserver lbvip-Access-SSL svcgrp-Access
bind lb vserver lbvip-Access-HTTP-SSLRedirect -policyName http_to_ssl_redirect_responderpol -priority 100 -gotoPriorityExpression END -type REQUEST
set ssl vserver lbvip-Access-SSL -sslRedirect ENABLED -ssl3 DISABLED -tls11 ENABLED -tls12 ENABLED
bind ssl vserver lbvip-Access-SSL -cipherName SSLLabs-APlus
unbind ssl vserver lbvip-Access-SSL -cipherName DEFAULT
bind ssl vserver lbvip-Access-SSL -certkeyName WildCorpCom
bind ssl vserver lbvip-Access-SSL -eccCurveName ALL

VMware Access Load Balancing FQDN

VMware Access must be able to connect to the Load Balanced FQDN on HTTPS 443. The load balancing certificate must match the Load Balanced FQDN and must be trusted by VMware Access. See below to import a root certificate to VMware Access.

  1. In the VMware Access appliance, go to Monitor> Resiliency.
  2. Select an appliance. Then in the top right, click VA Configuration.
  3. On the left, click Install SSL Certificates.
  4. On the right, switch to the tab named Trusted CAs.
  5. Paste in the CA root certificate in PEM (Base64) format. This is the CA cert that signed the server cert that is bound to the load balancing VIP. Click Add.
  6. Click Restart Service.

  7. On the left, click the Workspace ONE Access FQDN page.
  8. Enter the FQDN that resolves to the VIP on the load balancer and click Save.
  9. The appliance will restart.
  10. Connect to the load balanced DNS name, select System Domain, and login as admin.
  11. In 22.09 and newer, go to Settings > New End User Portal UI and enable it if it’s not already enabled.
  12. In older VMware Access:
    1. Go to Catalog > Settings.
    2. On the left, click New End User Portal UI.
    3. On the right, click Enable New Portal UI if it’s not already enabled.

Clone Appliance

In Identity Manager 2.7 and newer, VMware recommends a minimum of three nodes. See Recommendations for Workspace ONE Access Cluster at VMware Docs.

  1. Login to the appliance console.
  2. If you see the file /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules, delete it.
  3. Shut down the original VMware Access appliance.
  4. Right-click the VMware Access appliance and clone it to a new Virtual Machine.
  5. Give the cloned appliance a name.
  6. In the Select clone options page, do not customize, and do not power on the machine. The original VM should be powered on before powering on the new VM. Click Next.
  7. In the Customize vApp properties page, expand Networking Properties and change the IP Address and Host Name (FQDN). Click Next and then click Finish.
  8. After cloning is complete, power on the original VMware Access appliance. Don’t power on the cloned appliance until the original is fully functional.
  9. Wait for the original appliance to fully boot (you see the blue screen).
  10. Once the original appliance is running (the blue login screen is shown), you can power on the new cloned appliance.
  11. Once both appliances are booted, login to one of them and run curl -XGET 'http://localhost:9200/_cluster/health?pretty=true'. Make sure it says two nodes and status is green. It might take a couple minutes before the two nodes become clustered. You might have to reboot the cloned node before it joins the cluster.
  12. In VMware Access Admin Console, go to Monitor > Resiliency.
  13. All nodes should be shown with green check mark status.
  14. Repeat this entire section to clone to a third appliance.

Add Cloned Appliances to NetScaler ADC

  1. In Citrix ADC, go to Traffic Management > Load Balancing > Servers, and add a Server for the new appliance.
  2. Go to Traffic Management > Load Balancing > Service Groups and edit the existing VMware Access Service Group.
  3. Click the Members section.
  4. Bind a new Member and select the new appliance on Port 443. The rest of Load Balancing should already have been configured.

Multi-datacenter

For multi-datacenter, see Component Design: Multi-site Design at Workspace ONE Access Architecture at VMware Tech Zone.

Also see Setting up a Secondary Data Center for Workspace ONE Access at VMware Docs.

  • The database in the primary datacenter is replicated to the secondary datacenter.
  • The VMware Access appliances in the secondary datacenter have read-only connectivity to the database in the secondary datacenter.
  • Active-active data centers is not supported. The secondary data center is a hot stand-by.
  • Horizon Connection Server groups are configured in failover order.
  • Citrix ADC GSLB or F5 GTM handles failover of the VMware Access DNS name.

VMware Workspace ONE Access 23.09

Last Modified: Nov 7, 2023 @ 5:39 am

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Planning

VMware Workspace ONE Access (formerly known as Identity Manager) is a component of VMware Workspace ONE.

  • For Horizon, VMware Workspace ONE Access enables integration of additional apps from Citrix and the web (e.g., SaaS).
  • For full functionality, VMware Workspace ONE Access should be paired with VMware Workspace ONE UEM (aka AirWatch; not detailed in this article).

Workspace ONE Access System and Network Configuration Requirements at VMware Docs.

From Workspace ONE Access Architecture in the VMware Workspace ONE and VMware Horizon Reference Architecture:

Single data center:

Multiple data centers:

Outbound firewall requirements are detailed at VMware Docs.

Upgrade Appliance

Version 19.03 and newer no longer include the embedded Connector so you must deploy one or two Windows machines to run the external connector. The embedded Connector version 19.03 can be migrated to the external Windows Connector 23.09.

See Supported Upgrade Paths at VMware Docs:

For clusters, remove all nodes except one from the load balancer and upgrade the node that is still connected to the load balancer. Then upgrade the remaining nodes.

If you have the older 19.03 Identity Manager Connectors, then see Migrating to VMware Workspace ONE Access Connector 22.09 at VMware Docs.

To upgrade an appliance:

  1. Ensure SQL is version 2014 or newer.
  2. Backup the database.
  3. Make sure the VMware Access SQL Service Account is a db_owner on the VMware Access database.
  4. In the Access admin console, go to Dashboard > System Diagnostics Dashboard to verify no issues with the appliance.
  5. SSH (e.g., Putty) to the appliance as sshuser and then run su to elevate to root user.
  6. Run df -h to verify at least 4 GB of free space on the / partition.
  7. For online updates, verify that the virtual appliance can resolve and reach vapp-updates.vmware.com on ports 80 and 443.
  8. If your appliance is version 21.08.0.1 (not 21.08.0.0), then download update-fix.tgz and install it as detailed at VMware Docs.

  9. Run /usr/local/horizon/update/updatemgr.hzn check to verify that an update is available.
  10. Snapshot the appliance.
  11. Run /usr/local/horizon/update/updatemgr.hzn updateinstaller
  12. Run /usr/local/horizon/update/updatemgr.hzn update. Updating will take several minutes.
  13. On the first node, enter y to perform a reindex. Enter n on other nodes.
  14. Reboot the VM when done.
  15. Upgrade log files are in the /opt/vmware/var/log directory, or https://WS1AccessHostnameFQDN:8443/cfg/logs
  16. Run the check command again to see if there are any other updates available.
  17. Repeat the upgrade on the remaining nodes.
  18. See Post-upgrade Configuration of Workspace ONE Access at VMware Docs to reinstall the provisioning adapters, refresh People Search Configuration, update Log4j Configuration Files, and fix Cluster ID in second data center
  19. Upgrade your Connectors to a version that is the same or older than the appliance. You might need a new es-config.json file to add support for Virtual Apps Collections.
    1. Before upgrading, suspend all the connector services at Integrations > Connectors > Manage
    2. RSA needs changes if upgrading from Connector 20.10 and older

New Deployment Preparation

DNS Configuration

If you intend to build multiple appliances (3 or more) and load balance them, specify a unique DNS name for each appliance. The Load Balancing DNS name is different from the appliance DNS names. For example:

  • Appliance 1 = access01.corp.local
  • Appliance 2 = access02.corp.local
  • Appliance 3 = access03.corp.local
  • Load Balancing Name = access.corp.com. This name is used both internally and externally.

VMware Workspace ONE Access DNS names are separate from Horizon DNS names.

You’ll need SSL certificates that match these names.

Each of these DNS names must have a corresponding reverse DNS pointer record.

  1. Create DNS records for the virtual appliances.
  2. Create reverse pointer records too. Reverse pointer records are required.

LDAP Accounts

  1. All accounts synced with VMware Workspace ONE Access must have First Name, Last Name, and E-mail Address configured, including the Bind account.
  2. Create a new Active Directory group for your VMware Workspace ONE Access users. Assign this group to your pools instead of assigning Domain Users.

SQL Database

If you want to build multiple Identity Manager appliances and load balance them, configure them with an external database (e.g. Microsoft SQL).

For a script that performs all required SQL configuration, see Configure a Microsoft SQL Database at VMware Docs.

  1. In SQL Management Studio, create a New Query.
  2. Copy the SQL commands from VMware Docs and paste them into the New Query window.
    1. For Windows Authentication, copy the commands from Configure the Microsoft SQL Database with Windows Authentication Mode.
    2. For SQL Authentication, copy the commands from Configure Microsoft SQL Database Using Local SQL Server Authentication Mode.
    3. Change the values in the brackets and remove the brackets. Don’t forget the collation at the top of the script.
  3. Then click Execute.
  4. Configure SQL Autogrowth to 128 MB as detailed at VMware Docs.

OVF Deployment

  1. Download the VMware Workspace ONE Access 23.09 Virtual Appliance OVA file.
  2. In the vSphere Web Client, right-click a cluster and click Deploy OVF Template.
  3. In the Select source page, browse to the identity-manager-23.09.0.0_OVF10.ova file, and click Next.
  4. In the Select name and location page, enter a name for the VM, and click Next.
  5. In the Select a resource page, select a cluster, and click Next.
  6. In the Review details page, click Next.
  7. In the Accept License Agreements page, click Accept, and then click Next.
  8. In the Configuration page, select a size and click Next. 4 vCPU and 8 GB of RAM are sufficient for 25,000 users.
  9. In the Select storage page, select Thin Provision, select a datastore, and click Next.
  10. In the Select networks page, select the network for the appliance. You can deploy it either internally, or in the DMZ. If in the DMZ, you can later install Workspace ONE Access Connectors in the internal network in outbound only mode. Click Next.
  11. In the Customize template page:
    1. Select a time zone.
    2. Expand Networking Properties if it’s not already expanded.
    3. Host Name – Enter a hostname for the first appliance.
      • If you intend to build multiple appliances and load balance them, then each appliance needs a unique name that does not match the load balanced name. If you only want to build one appliance, then the appliance Host Name should match whatever users will use to access Identity Manager.
    4. DNS and Gateway – In the Networking Properties section, enter the standard DNS and Gateway information.
    5. According to Install the Workspace ONE Access OVA File at VMware Docs, the Domain Name and Domain Search Path fields are not used.
    6. IP Address – Enter the IP address that is configured in DNS for the host name. DNS reverse lookup for this IP address must resolve to the appliance Host Name.
  12. Click Next.
  13. In the Ready to complete page, click Finish.

Setup Wizard

  1. Power on the appliance.
  2. Wait for the appliance to power on and fully boot.
  3. Go to https://myAccessFQDN to access the Access Setup Wizard.
    You must connect to the DNS name. Connecting to the IP address will cause problems during the database setup process.
  4. In the Set Passwords page, enter passwords for the three accounts and click Continue. Notice that two of the passwords must be 14 characters or longer.
  5. In the Select Database page, change it to External Database.

    Note: this page will only function properly if your address bar has a DNS name instead of an IP address.
  6. For Windows authentication, enter a JDBC URL similar to the following (VMware Docs), enter credentials for the Horizon Windows service account, and then click Continue. The connection string changed in version 22.09. 
    jdbc:sqlserver://sql03.corp.local:1533;DatabaseName=VMwareAccess;integratedSecurity=true;authenticationScheme=NTLM;domain=corp
  7. For SQL authentication, enter a JDBC URL similar to the following, enter the credentials for the Horizon SQL account, and then click Continue. Access 21.08 and newer has an option to encrypt the database connection. 
    jdbc:sqlserver://mysqlserver.corp.local;DatabaseName=saas;multiSubnetFailover=true

  8. The database will be configured.
  9. In the Setup Review page, click the link to log in to the Admin Console.

SSH – Enable Root Access

This is optional. Enabling root access lets you use root credentials when using WinSCP to connect to the appliance.

  1. Putty to the VMware Workspace ONE Access appliance.
  2. Login as sshuser.
  3. Run su – and enter the root password.
  4. Run vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config.
  5. Scroll down to line containing PermitRootLogin.
  6. Press <i> on the keyboard to change to insert mode.
  7. Go to the end of the line and change no to yes.
  8. Press <ESC> to exit insert mode.
  9. Type :x to save the file and exit.
  10. Run systemctl restart sshd.

VMware Access Certificate

The Windows Connectors require the VMware Access certificate to be trusted. Generate a new appliance certificate using a trusted Certificate Authority and install the certificate on the appliance.

  1. Login to the Identity Manager web page as the admin user in the System Domain.
  2. Click Monitor and then click Resiliency.
  3. Click the VA Configuration button next to the appliance name.
  4. On the left, click the page named Install SSL Certificates.
  5. On the right, click Choose File next to Import Certificate File.
  6. .pfx files are supported.
  7. In the Password field, enter the .pfx password.
  8. Click Save.
  9. It will take several minutes for the certificate to be installed and the appliance to restart.

Load Balancing

VMware Access can be cloned, clustered, load balanced, and globally load balanced as shown below. Source = Multi-site Design in the Workspace ONE Access Architecture.

To clone multiple VMware Access appliances and load balance them, see one of the following:

Windows Connector

All VMware Access Connectors are Windows Servers.

VMware Access supports Connectors that are the same version or older than the VMware Access appliance.

A Connector with 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM supports 100,000 users.

  1. Load balance your VMware Access appliances so the Connector can connect to the Load Balanced FQDN instead of a single VMware Access appliance.
  2. Build one or more Windows machines on the internal network that will host the Windows connector. The Windows machines must be joined to the domain.
  3. The VMware Access certificate must be trusted by the Connector servers.
  4. Login to the VMware Access administration console through the load balanced FQDN as the admin user in the System Domain.
  5. In 22.09 and newer, go to Integrations > Connectors and click New.
  6. In older Access:
    1. On the top tabs, switch to Identity & Access Management.
    2. On the sub-menu bar, on the far right, click Setup.
    3. On the sub-menu bar, on the left, click Connectors.
    4. Click the blue NEW button.
  7. In the Select the Connector page, select the Latest Workspace ONE Access Connector and click OK.

  8. Click Confirm.
  9. In the Download Installer page, click the button to Go to myvmware.com and download the connector installer if you haven’t downloaded it already. Then click Next.
  10. In the Download Configuration File page, enter a 14-character password, click Download Configuration File, and save it somewhere. Then click Next.
  11. In the Summary page, click Close.
  12. See Workspace ONE Access Connector Systems Requirements at VMware Docs for sizing guidelines. For example, installing all components on a single server requires 12 GB of RAM.
  13. On the Windows machine, run Workspace-ONE-Access-Connector-Installer-22.09.1.0.exe.
  14. Click Install to install .NET Framework 4.8.
  15. Click Yes to restart.
  16. The Connector installer should automatically launch again. If not, you can launch it manually.
  17. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Workspace ONE Access Connector page, click Next.
  18. In the License Agreement page, click I accept the terms, and then click Next.
  19. In the Service Selection page, click Next.
  20. In the Specify configuration file page, browse to the es-config.json file downloaded earlier and then click Next.
  21. In the Select Default or Custom Installation page, choose Custom and then click Next.
  22. In the Specify Proxy Server Information page, click Next.
  23. In the Specify Syslog Server Information page, click Next.
  24. In the Citrix Configuration page, click Next.
  25. In the Install Trusted Root Certificates page, click Browse and upload your CA and Intermediate certificates that signed the VMware Access certificate. Java uses different root certificates than Windows so you’ll need to upload them here so Java can use them. Click Next.
  26. In the Specify Ports page, click Next.
  27. If you are installing the Kerberos Auth Service, then select a .pfx certificate that clients will trust and click Next.
  28. In the Specify Service Account page, enter service account credentials and then click Next.

    • The service account must be added to the local Administrators group.
  29. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  30. In the Installation Wizard Completed page, click Finish
  31. In VMware Access, go to Integrations > Connectors to see the new Connector. If you don’t see it, then check C:\Program Files\Workspace ONE Access\Virtual App Service\logs\eis-service.log on the Connector server.
  32. Repeat these steps to add another connector. You can use the same es-config.json file.

Configuration

  1. Login to the VMware Access web page as the admin user in the System Domain.
  2. In 22.09 and newer, go to Settings > User Attributes.

    1. In older VMware Access, switch to the Identity & Access Management tab.
    2. On the top right, switch to the Setup view.
    3. On the left, switch to the User Attributes sub-tab.
  3. In the Default Attributes section, check the boxes next to distinguishedName and userPrincipalName. These are needed for Horizon.

  4. In the Custom Attributes section, click Add Row and enter objectGUID.
  5. Add another row and enter mS-DS-ConsistencyGuid. These are needed for Office 365 integration.

    • In older VMware Access, in the Add other attributes to use section, click the plus icon and enter objectGUID.
    • Click the green plus and add mS-DS-ConsistencyGuid. These are needed for Office 365 integration.
  6. At the top of the page, click Save.
  7. In 22.09 and newer, go to Integrations > Directories and click Add Directory > Active Directory at the top right of the page.

    1. In older VMware Access, on the top right, switch to the Manage view.
    2. On the Directories tab, click Add Directory > Active Directory.
  8. Enter a Directory Name.
  9. Change it to Active Directory over integrated Windows Authentication.
  10. Select one or more Connectors as Directory Sync Hosts and User Auth Hosts.
  11. Select which attribute users should enter as their User Name.
  12. Scroll down.
  13. Enter the LDAP Bind credentials. Click Save & Next.
  14. Select the domains you want to sync and click Next.
  15. In the Map User Attributes page, scroll down, enter Active Directory attribute names for any missing attribute, and click Next.
  16. In the Select the Groups page, click the plus icon to add a DN.
  17. Enter a Base DN in LDAP format and then click Select Groups.
  18. Search for your Access Users group, select it, and click Save.
  19. Click Next.
  20. In the Select the Users page, click Next.
  21. In the Sync Frequency field, make a selection and then click Sync Directory.
  22. You can click the link to view the Sync log.
  23. Or from the main directories list, you can click the directory name, and then click the tab named Sync log to view the log.

  24. Sync Settings can be changed by clicking the button on the right.

Sync Connector Redundancy

If you build another Windows Connector, you can add it to the Directory as another Sync Service.

  1. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, at Integrations > Directories, click the directory.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, in the VMware Access console, in the Identity & Access Management page, on the left, click the Directories link.
    2. Click the link for your Active Directory domain.
  2. On the right, click the Sync Settings button.
  3. Switch to the Sync Service tab.
  4. Select the new connector and click the plus icon to move it to the bottom.
  5. You can order the connectors in failover order. Click Save.

Sync Group Membership

By default, VMware Access does not synchronize group members. You can force a sync.

  1. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Accounts > User Groups.

    1. In older VMware Access, go to Users & Groups > Groups.
  2. Notice that the groups are Not Synced. Click the link for a group.
  3. Switch to the Users tab. Then click the Sync Users button.

Logon Experience

  1. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Settings > Login Preferences and click Edit.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, go to Identity & Access Management > Setup > Preferences.
  2. On the bottom, you can optionally hide the Domain Drop-Down menu. Then select the unique identifier that Identity Manager will use to find the user’s domain (typically UPN if multiple domains). VMware Access can show a Domain Drop-Down if a unique domain cannot be identified.
  3. The user will be prompted to enter the unique identifier.

Administrators

  1. Sync the user that you want to assign the role to. Or sync the group that the user is a member of. If syncing a group, also sync the members of that group.
  2. You can assign a role from the Accounts > Users page by clicking a user and then clicking Edit Roles.

  3. To add a role, in VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Accounts > Roles.

    1. In older VMware Access, go to the Roles tab.
  4. You can add a Role. See VMware Blog Post Introducing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in VMware Identity Manager 3.2.
  5. Then you can assign synced users to a role (e.g., Super Admin) by selecting the role and then clicking Assign.
  6. Search for a synced user and then click Save.

License

  1. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Settings > Appliance and then switch to the tab named License.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, switch to the tab named Appliance Settings.
    2. Switch to the sub-tab named License.
  2. Enter the license key and click Save. The Workspace ONE Access license is separate from your Horizon license.

SMTP

  1. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Settings > Appliance and click the tab named SMTP.

    1. In older VMware Access, on the top, click the Appliance Settings tab,
    2. Click the sub-tab named SMTP.
  2. Enter your mail server information and click Test Connection and then click Save.

Kerberos Authentication

Kerberos lets users Single Sign-on to the VMware Access web page. Some notes on Kerberos authentication:

  • It only works for Windows clients.
  • The clients connect to the Connectors, so firewall must permit the inbound connection to the Connectors on TCP 443.
    • For High Availability, load balance your Connectors.
  • The Connector (or load balancer) must have a valid, trusted certificate.
  • The Connector’s FQDN (or load balancer FQDN) must be in Internet Explorer’s Local Intranet zone.

Connector Certificate

To upload a certificate to the Connector:

  1. On the Windows Connector machine, run the Connector installer.
  2. In the Program Maintenance page, leave it set to Add/Remove Services and click Next.
  3. Keep clicking Next until you get to the Install SSL Certificate for Kerberos Auth Service page. Browse to the .pfx, enter the password, and then finish the wizard.

TCP 443 Inbound

TCP 443 must be opened inbound to the Connectors. You might have to add TCP 443 to a Windows Firewall rule.

Enable Kerberos authentication

  1. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Integrations > Connector Authentication Methods. Click New and then click Kerberos.

    1. On in older VMware Access, on the top, go to the Identity & Access Management tab.
    2. Click the sub-tab named Enterprise Authentication Methods.
    3. Click the New button and then click Kerberos.
  2. In the Directory and Hosts page, select the Connectors. Then click Next.
  3. In the Configuration page, if you plan to load balance the Connectors, then change Enable Redirect to Yes. Then finish the wizard.
  4. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Integrations > Identity Providers.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, go to Identity & Access Management > Identity Providers.
  5. On the top right, click Add Identity Provider and then click Create Workspace IDP.
  6. Give the IDP a name.
  7. In the Users field, select the directory.
  8. In the Authentication Method field, select Kerberos.
  9. In the Network field, check the box next to ALL RANGES.
  10. In the IdP Hostname field, enter the FQDN that is load balanced to the Connectors. Click Add.

Configure Policy to use Kerberos

  1. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, go to Resources > Policies and click the Network Ranges button.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, go to Identity & Access Management > Manage > Policies and click Network Ranges.
  2. Add a Network Range for internal networks if you haven’t already.
  3. At Resources > Policies, click Edit Default Policy.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, go to Identity & Access Management > Manage > Policies.
    2. Click Edit Default Policy.
  4. Click Next to go to the Configuration page.
  5. Click Add Policy Rule. Or click the plus icon to add a Policy Rule.
  6. Select a Network Range for the internal network.
  7. For and the user accessing content from, set it to Web Browser.
  8. Optionally configure and user belongs to group(s). When enabled, VMware Access asks the user for username only, and then looks up group membership to determine which authentication methods should be used. See Access Policy Settings at VMware Docs.
  9. Select Kerberos as the first authentication method.
  10. Select Password (cloud deployment) as the second authentication method. Click Save or OK.
  11. Drag the new Policy Rule to move it to the top. Then click Next and Save.
  12. If you break your config such that you can’t login anymore, then see Enabling Break-Glass URL Endpoint /SAAS/Login/0 in Workspace ONE Access at VMware Docs.

Customize Appearance

  1. You can change the browser’s title and favicon at Settings > Branding.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, go to Identity & Access Management > Setup > Custom Branding, on the Names & Logos tab.

  2. The Sign-In Screen section lets you upload a logo, upload an image, and change colors.
  3. If you go to Settings > Password Recovery, you can configure a link to a password recovery tool or change the Forgot Password message.

    1. In older VMware Access, find it at Identity & Access Management > Manage > Password Recovery Assistant.
  4. If you scroll down, you can optionally Show detailed message to End User when authentication fails.
  5. For branding of the user portal, go to Integrations > Hub Configuration and click Launch.
  6. Then go to the Branding page from inside Hub Services.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, click Catalog, and then click Settings.
    2. On the left, click User Portal Branding.
  7. Make changes to Logos, colors, etc.
  8. On the top right, click Log out of Hub Services to return to the VMware Access administration console.

Resources

Horizon Console – Enable SAML Authentication

  1. Login to Horizon Console.
  2. On the left, under Settings, click Servers.
  3. On the right, switch to the Connection Servers tab.
  4. Select a Connection Server and click Edit.
  5. On the Authentication tab, change Delegation of authentication to VMware Horizon to Allowed.
  6. Click Manage SAML Authenticators.
  7. Click Add.
  8. In the Label field, enter a descriptive label.
  9. In the Metadata URL field, enter the VMware Access FQDN.
  10. In the Administration URL field, enter the VMware Access FQDN, and click OK.
  11. If you see a certificate error, click View Certificate, and then click Accept.
  12. Click OK to close the Manage SAML Authenticators window.
  13. There’s a Workspace ONE mode, which forces all Horizon Clients to connect through VMware Access instead of directly to the Connection Servers. Delegation of authentication must be set to Required before Workspace ONE mode can be enabled.

VMware Access – Virtual Apps Collection for Horizon

  1. In the VMware Access Admin Portal, go to Resources > Virtual Apps Collections.

    1. Or in older VMware Access, in the VMware Access Admin Portal, click the Catalog tab, and then click Virtual Apps Collection.
  2. If you see Introducing Virtual Apps Collection page, click Get Started.
  3. Click the SELECT link in the Horizon box. Note: Horizon Cloud is only for Single Pod brokers. For Universal Broker, configure it from inside Horizon Cloud.
  4. Give the Horizon Connection a name.
  5. Arrange the Sync Connector appliances in priority order. Click Next.
  6. Click Add a Pod.
  7. Enter the FQDN of a Connection Server in the Pod.
  8. Enter Horizon View admin credentials in UPN format. The account needs at least Read Only Administrator access to Horizon.
  9. There’s a True SSO option if you enabled a password-less authentication (e.g., SAML) to VMware Access.
  10. Click Add.
  11. You can optionally add more pods and then enable the Cloud Pod Architecture option. Click Next when done.
  12. Change the Sync Frequency and Safeguards as desired.
  13. Click Next when done.
  14. Click Save & Configure. The connection is tested at this time.
  15. The URLs for accessing Horizon are defined in each Network Range. For each Horizon URL, create Network Ranges. Or click All Ranges.
  16. Near the bottom, in the Client Access FQDN field, enter the FQDN that users in this Network Range use to login to Horizon. Then click Save. Note: the Horizon FQDN is different than the VMware Access FQDN.
  17. After the Horizon Virtual Apps Collection is added, switch to the Overview tab, select the collection, and click Sync without safeguards.

    • Note: whenever you make a change to the pools in Horizon Administrator, you must either wait for the next automatic Sync time, or you can return to this screen and click Sync.
  18. You can click the alert icon to see issues.
  19. If you go to Resources > Virtual Apps, you will see your synced Application and Desktop pools

Horizon Pools Catalog

  1. In the VMware Access Admin console, at Resources > Virtual Apps, you can see the Horizon View icons. Only the pools in the root Access Group are synced.
  2. Click an icon, and then click View Assignments.
  3. Make sure entitlements are listed. Entitlements are assigned in Horizon Console, and not in VMware Access. VMware Access merely syncs the entitlements from Horizon.
  4. Only AD groups synced to VMware Access will be displayed. Domain Users are not synced by VMware Access and thus won’t be displayed here.
  5. If you make changes in Horizon Console, then manually sync the Virtual Apps Collection so the changes are reflected in VMware Access.
  6. Back in the Virtual Apps list, if you check the box next to one of the icons, you can place the icon in a Category by clicking the Categories menu.
    • You can select or more existing categories.
    • Or type in a new category name at the top of the list.
      3The category is then displayed next to the catalog item.
  7. There’s also a Recommended category.

    • Recommended icons can be found in the User Portal at Apps > Recommended. Users can click the Categories drop-down to see other categories. Users have to logoff and log back in to see Category changes.
  8. In VMware Access 22.09 and newer, user portal settings are configured in Hub Services. Launch it from Integrations > Hub Configuration.
  9. The App Catalog page has some settings for the Catalog Layout.
  10. Or in older VMware Access:
    1. Go to Catalog > Settings.
    2. On the left, click User Portal Configuration.
    3. From this screen, you can control tab visibility, and put recommended apps in the Bookmarks tab. Click Save when done.

User Portal

The User Portal (aka Intelligent Hub) is the interface that non-administrators see after logging in. Administrators can switch to the User Portal by clicking the username on the top right and clicking User Portal.

Administrators in the User Portal can switch to the Workspace ONE Access Console by clicking the username on the top right.

Some User Portal features:

  1. When a user logs in to the VMware Access web page the pool icons will be displayed.
  2. When the user clicks an icon, you can use either Horizon client or Browser for opening a pool.
  3. To set the default launch method:
    1. On the top right, click your name, and click Account.
    2. In the Horizon Remote Apps section, click either Horizon Client or click Browser.
    3. The Horizon Client option has a link to download and Install the Horizon Client.
  4. Back in the Apps list, to mark an icon as a Favorite, click the three dots next to an icon and then click Add to Favorites.
  5. Or open an app’s Details page, and then click the star icon.
  6. Then you can click Favorites tab to display only icons that are marked as Favorites.
  7. If you configured Categories, they are listed in the Apps tab in the Categories drop-down.

Citrix AppDNA 7.18

Last Modified: Sep 2, 2018 @ 7:53 am

86 Comments

Navigation

This article applies to all versions, including 7.18, and 7.15

Change Log

Planning

Your Citrix License Server must have XenApp or XenDesktop Platinum Edition licenses. If you don’t have Platinum Edition licenses, then work with a Citrix Partner to perform AppDNA analysis.

AppDNA server should have the following:

  • 12 GB of RAM
  • 80 GB free disk space for up to 200 applications. 150 GB if more applications.
  • Cannot be installed on a Delivery Controller. Must be a separate machine.

SQL Server:

  • SQL 2008 R2, 2012, 2014, or 2016. SQL Express is not supported.
  • AppDNA generates load on SQL during install (duration = few hours) and during import and analysis.
  • See Optimize AppDNA > Optimize SQL Server at Citrix Docs.
  • Disk space could easily be 20+ GB.

AppDNA can directly import and analyze .msi installers. For non-.msi installers, you’ll need a machine to capture the install process. The machine(s) should be the same operating system as what you are migrating from. The machine can either be directly accessible through a hypervisor, which means AppDNA can automate the capture process. Or it can be any machine where a user can perform Self Provisioning.

Server Prerequisites

  1. On the AppDNA Server, open Computer Management. Edit the Administrators group, and add the service account.
  2. In Server Manager, start the Add Roles and Features Wizard.
  3. In the Select features page, select .NET Framework 3.5. Click Next.
  4. In the Confirm installation selections page, click Specify an alternate source path.
  5. Browse to the sources folder on the Windows Server 2012 R2 or newer DVD, and click OK.
  6. Click Install.

Server Installation/Upgrade

The same installation process is used for both new installs and upgrades.

  1. On the AppDNA server, run the downloaded AppDNA 7.18 (Citrix-AppDNA.msi).

  2. It takes a few minutes to launch.
  3. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Citrix AppDNA 7.18 page, click Next.
  4. In the License agreement page, select I accept the terms, and click Next.
  5. In the Citrix AppDNA Installation Type page, select Complete, and click Next.
  6. In the Citrix AppDNA installation locations page, click Next.
  7. In the Ready to install Citrix AppDNA page, click Install.
  8. In the Installation Wizard Completed page, click Finish.

SQL Database

Instructions from CTP Eric Haavarstein Configure Citrix AppDNA 7.11 in Minutes instead of Hours:

  1. If you are upgrading an existing installation, then skip to the Configuration Wizard.
  2. If this is a new installation, on the AppDNA server, go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\AppDNA\Server\Bin, and extract the AppDNA.bz2 file.
  3. Rename the extracted file with a .bak extension.
  4. Copy the file to the backup folder on the SQL server.
  5. In SQL Studio, right-click Databases, and click Restore Database.
  6. Change the Source to Device, and click the ellipsis.
  7. Click Add.
  8. Select the AppDNA.bak file, and click OK twice.
  9. Change the destination database name as desired, and click OK to begin the restore.

  10. Add a service account to SQL logins.
  11. On the Server Roles page, add the service account to the bulkadmin role.
  12. Give the service account db_owner permission to the AppDNA database.

Configuration Wizard

  1. The Configuration wizard launches. Or you can launch Configure AppDNA from the Start Menu.
  2. In the Prerequisites page, click Enable.
  3. In the Configure AppDNA page, if you are upgrading, select the Upgrade installation option, and click Next. The remaining wizard screens will be different but similar.

    1. Or leave it set to Configure new installation, and click Next.
  4. If you are upgrading, on the Choose database page, after selecting your database and clicking Next, if you see a message about Subscription Advantage expiration, click OK, and go back a couple pages.

    1. Back on the Configure AppDNA page, change the selection to Licensing, and click Next.
    2. In the License management page, leave the selection set to Activate, and click Next.
    3. In the Choose database page, click Next.
    4. In the License database page, enter your license server name, and click Next.
    5. In the System check page, click Activate.
    6. In the Progress page, click Close, which closes the wizard.
    7. Relaunch the Configure AppDNA wizard and attempt the upgrade again.
  5. If this is a new installation, in the Create database page, enter the SQL server name, enter the database name, and click Next. Note: in order for the Configure AppDNA wizard to create the database, the person running the wizard must have sysadmin permissions on the SQL Server.
  6. In the Connect to database page, enter the credentials of your service account, and click Next. AppDNA will use this service account to connect to the database.
  7. If this is a new installation, in the License database page, enter the address of a Citrix License server that has XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Licenses, and click Next.
  8. In the CEIP page, make a selection, and click Next.
  9. In the Firewall page, click Next.
  10. In the System check page, click Fix next to any errors it finds. Then click Next, Configure, or Upgrade.

  11. It will take several minutes to update the database.
  12. Click Close when done.
  13. See Optimize AppDNA > Optimize IIS at Citrix Docs.

Note: Database and License Configuration can also be run from the command line: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\AppDNA\Server\Bin\AppDNAConfig.exe”

Logging

CTX219766 Understanding Logging in AppDNA explains how to enable the various logs, and where to find the logs.

  • Verbose logs
    • On the client
    • On the server, including Configuration Wizard
  • QueueProcessor Verbose logs
  • Event logs
  • Application Import logs
  • Other miscellaneous logs

SSL/TLS

See Citrix CTX222781 Configuring AppDNA for SSL/TLS:

  1. "%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe" set config -section:system.webServer/serverRuntime /uploadReadAheadSize:"104857600" /commit:apphost
  2. Import a certificate, and in IIS, bind it to the Default Web Site.
  3. Edit the file C:\Program Files\Citrix\AppDNA\Server\web.config. Adjust ReportBaseUrl to https and port 443.
  4. Configure the AppDNA Client to connect using https.

 Launch and Login

  1. Launch AppDNA from the Start Menu.
  2. Login as administrator and apps3cur3.

Configure Modules Wizard

  1. In the Welcome page, click Next.
  2. This wizard lets you select which modules to enable. The more modules you enable, the longer it takes to analyze an application. Go through each page and make your selections.
  3. AppDNA 7.11 and newer support analysis of Windows Server 2016.


  4. Then click Configure.
  5. And click Close.
  6. AppDNA 7.9 adds a new Compliance Manager module. The module was enhanced in AppDNA 7.14 to check for FIPS compliance, NTLM, and Credential Guard.

  7. You can use the Module Manager (Configure > Modules > Management) to see what each module is checking for.
  8. Click Groups next to one of the modules.
  9. Notice that not every analysis rule is enabled.

Customer Experience Improvement Program

Do the following to disable CEIP:

  1. Open the Edit menu, and click Settings.
  2. On the CEIP page, uncheck both boxes next to Continue participating. Click Save. Google Analytics was added in AppDNA 7.16.
  3. See https://www.carlstalhood.com/delivery-controller-7-16-and-licensing/#ceip for additional places where CEIP is enabled.

Users

  1. Open the Administration menu, expand User Management, and click Users.
  2. In the toolbar, click Add from AD.
  3. Select your Citrix Admins group, and click OK.
  4. On the right, notice that Administrators role is selected by default.
  5. Open the File menu and click Exit.
  6. Launch AppDNA again.
  7. On the login page, click Options.
  8. You can check the box next to Integrated Login and click Log On.
  9. Note: if you enable Auto Login and want to disable it, edit the registry.
  10. Go back to Administration > User Management > Users.
  11. Edit the administrator account.
  12. And change its password.
  13. Then click Save.

Direct Import

  1. Switch to the Import workspace.
  2. On the left, under Import, click Applications.
  3. On the right, switch to the Direct Import tab.
  4. Click Browse in the toolbar. Then browse to an .MSI file.
  5. The .msi files are shown in the list. Select one or more, right-click, and click Import to begin analysis.
  6. You can select one or more modules for analysis. Note: it might take a few seconds for the list to appear. Click Import.
  7. The Server Queue is displayed. If needed, you can cancel a task in the Server Queue.
  8. If you close the Server Queue, you can reopen it by clicking the View Server Queue link on the bottom right.
  9. Analysis is performed against the modules you selected.
  10. After analysis is complete, switch to the Reports: Applications workspace.
  11. On the left, select a report you want to view.
  12. You might be prompted to select applications. If you want to change this selection later, there’s a Change Selection button on the toolbar.

  13. The report displays a list of applications with color coding. Click the colored boxes to view more details.

Install Capture

Install Capture lets you import application installers that are not available as MSI files. AppDNA uses a hypervisor connection to automate the Install Capture process. Alternatively, you can do a manual capture using the Self Provisioning process.

Prepare Install Capture Machine

  1. Create a share on the AppDNA machine. The captured data is stored in this share.


  2. The operating system of the Install Capture machine should match the operating system version you are migrating from.
  3. On the Install Capture machine, make sure Remote Desktop is enabled.
  4. On the Install Capture machine, browse to the AppDNA server in the \\AppDNAServer\C$\Program Files\Citrix\AppDNA\Tools folder, and run Citrix AppDNA VM Configuration.msi.
  5. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Citrix AppDNA VM Configuration page, click Next.
  6. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms and click Next.
  7. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  8. In the Installation Wizard Completed page, click Finish.
  9. Click Yes when prompted to reboot.
  10. Citrix Blog Post How to Speed Up AppDNA Install Capture by Using a Pre-captured Before Snapshot details how to take an Install Capture Snapshot manually, store it in the Install Capture machine, and then configure the Install Capture profile to skip taking an Install Capture snapshot. This Install Capture snapshot process is separate from hypervisor snapshot. 
    "C:\Program Files\Citrix\AppDNA\VM Configuration\ossnapshot.exe" -cfg:"C:\Program Files\Citrix\AppDNA\VM Configuration\cfg.xml" -out:"c:\windows\temp\before.snap" -diff
  11. You can either take a snapshot now, or AppDNA will do it for you.

Configure AppDNA for Install Capture

  1. In the AppDNA Console, open the Edit menu and click Settings.
  2. On the left, switch to the Install Capture page.
  3. On the right, click New.
  4. In the Virtual Machine Configuration Wizard page, click Next.
  5. In the Virtual machine details page, give the configuration a name.
  6. Select vSphere and click Next.
  7. In the vSphere Host Details page, in the Single Sign-on Server field, enter the Platform Services Controller hostname
  8. In the Port field, enter 7443.
  9. In the vCenter Server field, enter the hostname of the vCenter server.
  10. Enter credentials that can snapshot and perform power operations on the Install Capture machine. Click Test and then click Next.
  11. In the vSphere Virtual Machine page, in the list of machines, select the Install Capture machine and click Next.
  12. In the vSphere Snapshot selection page, if there are no snapshots, click Take Snapshot.

  13. Click Test. At least confirm that the machine can be reverted to snapshot. Don’t worry if the console doesn’t open. Click Next.
  14. In the Virtual machine connection page, enter the hostname of the Install Capture machine, and click Test. Note: the RemoteAdmin.exe process only runs while somebody is logged into the machine. Click Next.
  15. In the Capture output location page, enter the UNC path to the file share on the AppDNA server, and click Test. Then click Next.
  16. In the Virtual machine state page, make a selection, and click Next.
  17. In the Virtual machine configuration summary page, click Finish.
  18. Citrix Blog Post How to Speed Up AppDNA Install Capture by Using a Pre-captured Before Snapshot details how to take an Install Capture Snapshot manually, store it in the Install Capture machine, and then configure the Install Capture profile to skip taking an Install Capture snapshot. This Install Capture snapshot process is separate from hypervisor snapshot.
  19. Click Save to close the Settings window.

Perform Install Capture

  1. Switch to the Import workspace.
  2. On the left, under Import, click Applications.
  3. On the right, switch to the Install Capture tab. Click Browse and find an installer you want to import using Install Capture.
  4. If you have more than one Install Capture machine, use the drop-down to select the one you want to use.
  5. Select the apps. Then right-click, and click Import.

  6. Select the modules for analysis. Then click Import.
  7. The Install Capture VM will be started.
  8. Eventually you’ll be prompted to RDP to the Install Capture machine.
  9. The capture process begins with a snapshot of the Install Capture machine.
  10. Then the application is installed. This should happen automatically.
  11. Then a differencing snapshot is taken and uploaded to AppDNA Server.
  12. Analysis is performed against the modules you selected.
  13. After analysis is complete, switch to the Reports: Applications workspace.
  14. On the left, select a report you want to view.

Self Provisioning

Self Provisioning is very similar to Install Capture except there’s no need for direct connectivity between AppDNA server and the hypervisor that hosts the Self Provisioning machine. Once the process is started in the AppDNA console, a different user can complete the snapshot process on the Self Provisioning machine.

Prepare Self Provisioning Machine

  1. Make sure AppDNA VM Configuration is installed first.
  2. On the Self Provisioning machine, browse to the AppDNA server in the C$\Program Files\Citrix\AppDNA\Tools folder, and run Citrix AppDNA Self Provisioning Client.msi.
  3. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Citrix AppDNA Self Provisioning Client page, click Next.
  4. If you see the Pre-Requisites Check page, stop the installer, install the AppDNA VM Configuration Client and then restart this installer.
  5. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms, and click Next.
  6. In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
  7. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  8. In the Installation Wizard Completed page, click Finish.
  9. Take a snapshot of the Self Provisioning machine.

Perform Self Provisioning Capture

  1. In the AppDNA Console, switch to the Import workspace.
  2. On the left, click Applications.
  3. On the right switch to the Self Provisioning tab.
  4. Then click the Configuration icon in the toolbar.
  5. In the Self Provisioning page, enter the UNC path to a share that both machines (AppDNA server and Self Provisioning machine) can access.
  6. In the toolbar click Browse and browse to the application installer.
  7. Click Publish to push the files to the file share.

  8. Click in the PublishedFile column to access the full path and copy it to the clipboard.
  9. On the Self Provisioning machine, run the Self Provisioning Client from the Start Menu.
  10. Paste in the path and click Start.
  11. After the snapshot is taken, click the Start button and install the application.
  12. Once the install is complete, another snapshot will be taken and the results will be uploaded to the share. Click Close.
  13. Back in the AppDNA console, click Refresh Status and make sure the status changes to Complete.
  14. Make sure the application is selected and then on the right side of the toolbar click Move to Import.
  15. This moves the application to the Direct Import tab where you can select the application and click Import & queue for analysis button to begin analysis.

Solutions

CitrixTV XenApp Upgrades with AppDNA demonstrates the Solutions feature of AppDNA 7.6 including: XenApp upgrades, operating system image upgrades, and application interoperability.

Other links on Solutions:

Here are generic instructions for adding a Solution:

  1. For some of the solutions it is helpful to import operating system images of the machines you are moving from and the machines you are moving to..
  2. In the Import workspace, on the left click Operating Systems.
  3. On the right, click Download Snapshot Manager. Run this on a operating system image that you want to import.
  4. Then click Import from MSI to import the MSI file generated by the Snapshot Manager.
  5. Switch to the Solutions workspace.
  6. On the top left click Add solution.
  7. In the Solutions Templates page, select a solution and click Next.
  8. In the Solution name page, give the solution a name and click Next.
  9. In the Platform name page, choose the platform you are migrating from and click Next.
  10. In the Applications page, select the applications you want to analyze and click Next.
  11. In the Solution platforms page you can change the Target platforms or add more platforms.
  12. Click Build.

VMware Horizon 6 – Cloud Pod Architecture

Last Modified: Sep 2, 2018 @ 7:50 am

3 Comments

Navigation

Planning

Cloud Pod Architecture lets you create a single icon that load balances connections across multiple pools in multiple pods in multiple sites (datacenters).

  • Entitlements can be local or global. Local means pools only in a single pod. Global means merging pools from multiple pods into a single entitlement.
    • Don’t configure both global and local entitlements for the same pool.
    • A single pool can only belong to one global entitlement.
    • Global Entitlements work in a single pod (good for large pools). Or you can you have multiple pods and multiple sites.
    • Horizon 6.2 supports Global Entitlements for applications. However, it’s one application per global entitlement.
  • Use NetScaler GSLB or F5 GTM to connect Horizon Clients to a Horizon 6 Connection Server. The Horizon 6 Connection Server then uses Global Entitlements to select a pod/pool/desktop.
  • By default, pools in pods in the same site as the Horizon 6 Connection Server that the View Client is connected to are preferred over pools in remote sites. Use Home Sites to override this behavior. Home Sites are assigned to Active Directory user groups.
  • For Dedicated Assignment pools, global entitlement only helps with the initial connection. Once the user is assigned to a desktop then that desktop is always selected. Users are not automatically provided with a desktop from another site if the site containing their dedicated desktop has gone down. The desktop request will fail because the dedicated desktop isn’t available. The administrator could configure a separate Global Entitlement for the users to provide a floating desktop until such time the original site recovers. That floating entitlement should be arranged to deliver desktops from other sites as required.
  • The Horizon 6 Connection Servers participating in Cloud Pod Architecture communicate with each other over TCP 22389 and TCP 8472. Make sure these ports are open.
  • View Administrator includes a new administrator privilege: Manage Global Sessions. The regular Administrators role has access to multiple pods. The new Local Administrators role can only manage the local pod.

Limits:

  • Max users = 20,000
  • Max Pods = 4
  • Max Sites = 2
  • Max Horizon 6 Connection Servers = 20

Traffic flow (Rob Beekmans – VMware Horizon View Cloud Pod – unwanted routing?):

  • Use F5 GTM or NetScaler GSLB to connect users to a Horizon 6 Connection Server in any pod. If active/active, use proximity load balancing to control which pod is initially accessed.
  • The Horizon 6 Connection Server looks up the Global Entitlements to determine the destination pod for the Pool.
  • User’s PCoIP session goes through the initially connected Horizon 6 Connection Server and across the DCI (Datacenter Interconnect) circuit to the remote pod. There’s no way to re-route PCoIP through a Horizon 6 Connection Server in the remote pod. In fact, the Horizon 6 Connection Servers in the remote pod are never accessed. You need sufficient DCI bandwidth to handle this PCoIP traffic.

Initialize First Pod

  1. In View Administrator, on the left, expand View Configuration and click Cloud Pod Architecture.
  2. On the right, click Initialize the Cloud Pod Architecture feature.
  3. Click OK to initialize.
  4. A status page is displayed.
  5. Click OK to reload the client.
  6. On the left, expand View Configuration and click Cloud Pod Architecture.
  7. Feel free to rename the federation.

  8. On the left, expand View Configuration and click Sites.
  9. Rename the Default First Site to be more descriptive.

  10. If you click the site to highlight it, you can rename the Pod to make it more descriptive.

  11. If you add a Replica server after global entitlements are enabled, see Setting up the Cloud Pod Architecture feature on a replicated View Connection Server instance.
  12. See Restoring View Connection Server instances in a Cloud Pod Architecture pod federation.

Additional Pods – Join Federation

  1. Connect to View Administrator in the 2nd pod.
  2. On the left, expand View Configuration and click Cloud Pod Architecture.
  3. On the right, click Join the pod federation.
  4. Enter the name of an existing Horizon 6 Connection Server that is already joined to the federation.
  5. Enter credentials and click OK.
  6. The Join status is displayed.
  7. Click OK to reload the client.
  8. On the left, expand View Configuration and click Sites.
  9. If this pod is in a different site then click Add to create a new site.
  10. Give the site a name and click OK.
  11. Highlight the 1st site.
  12. On the bottom, highlight the new pod and click Edit.
  13. Rename the pod and put it in the 2nd site. Click OK.

Global Entitlements

Do not create both global and local entitlements for the same pool otherwise users might see two icons.

  1. In View Administrator, on the left, expand Catalog and click Global Entitlements.
  2. On the right, click Add.
  3. In the Type page, select Desktop Entitlement or Application Entitlement and click Next.
  4. In the Name and Policies page, give the entitlement (icon) a name. For Application Entitlements, it’s one entitlement per application so include the application name.
  5. Make other selections. The Use home site checkbox tells the global entitlement to respect user home sites but the user home sites can only be configured at the command line (lmvutil). Click Next.
  6. If creating a Desktop Entitlement then there are more options.
  7. In the Users and Groups page, add users that can see the icon. Click Next.
  8. In the Ready to Complete page, click Finish.
  9. Double-click the new global entitlement.
  10. On the Local Pools tab, click Add.
  11. Select the pools you want to add and click Add. Remember, only one app per Global Entitlement.
  12. Go to another pod and view the Global Entitlements.
  13. On the right, double-click the Global Entitlement.
  14. On the Local Pools tab, click Add to add pools from this pod.

Monitoring

  1. Once Global Entitlements are enabled, a new Search Sessions node is added to View Administrator. This allows you to search for sessions across federated pods.
  2. The Dashboard shows the health of remote pods.

Home Sites

Home sites can’t be specified in View Administrator so use lmvutil instead:

  • lmvutil provides almost no feedback.
  • Its parameter names are case sensitive.
  • It requires you to authenticate for every single command.
  • There are different commands for groups vs users.
  • Home sites for groups don’t understand nesting.

Do the following to create home sites and assign them to users:

  1. Run Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. To create home sites for users, see pubs.vmware.com.

Related Pages

VMware Horizon 6 – Virtual Desktop Pools

Last Modified: Sep 2, 2018 @ 7:50 am

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This topic details View configuration for Virtual Desktop Agents. RDS Farms are detailed at https://www.carlstalhood.com/horizon-6-rds-farmspools/.

Navigation

Prep

  • Each pool points to one vSphere cluster. 32 hosts maximum. If Virtual SAN, 20 hosts maximum.
  • Ensure vSwitch has sufficient ports for the new virtual desktops.
  • Ensure the VLAN has enough DHCP addresses for the desktop pool.
    • Lower the DHCP lease time too.
  • KMS Licensing is required for Windows 7+ and/or Office 2010+
  • The virtual desktop pools will use the same hardware specs (e.g. vCPUs, memory size, network label) specified on the master virtual desktop. Adjust accordingly.
  • The parent image should be in the same cluster where the linked clone virtual desktops will be created.

Disk space:

  • One or more LUNs for storage of the virtual desktops. Maximum of 140 desktops per VMFS5 LUN. Up to 250+ desktops per NFS LUN.
  • By default, Replicas are copied to each LUN that contains virtual desktops. It’s possible to place the Replica and the linked clones on separate LUNs. If you use a dedicated Replica LUN, then there is only one copy of the Replica no matter how many LUNs are used for storing virtual desktops. Note: NFS VAAI requires Replica to be copied to each virtual desktop LUN.
  • Persistent disks can be used to store the user’s profile (but not user-installed applications). To enable Persistent disks, the pool must be Dedicated Assignment. You can place the persistent disks on a LUN that is separate from the linked clones LUN. A better option is to use View Persona or User Environment Manager instead of Persistent disks.
  • Disposable disks. In Dedicated Assignment pools, you have the option of creating Disposable Disks. These disks are always stored with the virtual desktop (you can’t choose a dedicated disposable disk LUN). If you’re planning to frequently refresh the desktops, there’s no point in using Disposable disks.
  • .vswp files. Allocate disk space for memory swap and graphics memory overhead. Any unreserved memory will result in a .vswp file. For example, if the master virtual desktop has 2 GB of RAM configured and none of it is reserved then each linked clone will have a 2 GB .vswp file.

Floating (Non-Persistent) Desktop Pool

  1. In View Administrator, on the left, expand Catalog and click Desktop Pools.
  2. On the right, you can clone an existing pool. This copies many of the settings from the existing pool into the new pool.
  3. Or just click Add.
  4. In the Type page, select Automated Desktop Pool and click Next.
  5. In the User Assignment page, select Floating and click Next.
  6. In the vCenter Server page, select View Composer linked clones. Select the vCenter server and click Next.
  7. In the Pool Identification page, enter a name for the pool. A VM folder with the Pool ID as the name will be created in vCenter. Also, assign the pool to an Access group to restrict delegated administration. Note: If you intend to integrate with VMware Identity Manager, then make sure you select the root Access group. Other Access Groups won’t work. Click Next.
  8. In the Pool Settings page do the following:
    1. Change the selection for Automatically logoff after disconnect to After and specify a disconnect timer.
    2. Change the selection for Delete or refresh desktop on logoff to Refresh Immediately.
    3. Change the selection for Allow users to choose protocol to No. Then make your desired choices for 3D rendering and Maximum monitors. If not using 3D, max out the number of monitors and the resolution. This will grant more video RAM for each desktop if their video card is set to automatic.
    4. Note: Windows 7 MMR (H.264 only) requires 3D rendering to be enabled.
    5. Scroll down.
    6. Check the box next to HTML Access.
    7. HTML Access requires monitor resolution to be 1920×1200 or higher.
    8. Click Next.
  9. In the Provisioning Settings page, enter a naming pattern. You can use {n:fixed=3} to specify the location for the incremented numerals. Make sure the naming pattern does not conflict with any existing machines.
  10. Enter the maximum number of desktops to create. You can create all of them now or wait to create them as users connect. When a user connects to one of these desktops, View immediately creates another desktop (up to the maximum) and powers it on.
  11. Enter the number of spare (idle, unassigned, unused) desktops you want powered on. View maintains this number up to the maximum number of desktops.
  12. In Horizon 6.2, the maximum number of desktops per pool is 2,000. Ensure that the DHCP scope has enough addresses for the Max number of desktops specified here. Click Next.
  13. In the Disposable File Redirection page, select Do not redirect disposable files and click Next. Since we’re refreshing the desktops on logoff, there’s no need for a separate disposable disk.
  14. In the Storage Optimization page, check the box for Select separate datastores for replica and OS disk if you want to use storage tiering. Click Next.
  15. In the vCenter Settings page, most of these are self-explanatory. Click Browse next to each option and make your selection.
  16. If the Parent VM is not showing up in the list then check the box next to Show all parent VMs and click the … next to the VM to see the issue.
  17. For Linked clone datastores, select one or more datastores on which the virtual desktops will be placed. Select your Storage Overcommit preference. Since you are refreshing desktops on every logoff, they should stay small so Unbounded is probably acceptable. VMware recommends no more than 140 virtual desktops per VAAI-enabled LUN. If the LUN is not VAAI enabled, 64 is the maximum. Click OK when done.
  18. For Select Replica Disk Datastores, select one datastore for the replica and then click OK.
  19. Then click Next.
  20. In the Advanced Storage Options page, be aware of the following:
    • View Storage Accelerator creates digest files, which consumes disk space. Creation of the digest files requires IOPS. Make sure to set the blackout times so that this digest creation does not happen during peak hours.
    • Reclaim VM disk space is not useful for non-persistent desktops.
  21. If you scroll down, there’s a new Transparent Page Sharing Scope. The default is no sharing. Use one of the other options to enable sharing. Click Next.
  22. In the Guest Customization page, next to AD container, click Browse and select the OU where virtual desktop computer objects will be placed.
  23. Consider checking the box next to Allow reuse of pre-existing computer accounts. Click Next.
  24. In the Ready to Complete page, you may entitle users now or later. Click Finish.
  25. To check the status of the virtual desktops, go to Catalog > Desktop Pools.
  26. Double-click the pool name.
  27. On the Inventory tab, click Desktops (View Composer Details). There’s a refresh button.
  28. You can also view the status of the desktops by looking at the Dashboard.
  29. Your VMs should eventually have a status of Available.
  30. If you encounter issues with View Composer, see VMware 2087379 VMware Horizon View Composer help center

Entitle Virtual Desktops

To make a pool accessible by a user, it must be entitled.

  1. Go to Catalog > Desktop Pools.
  2. Double-click the pool name.
  3. On the Settings tab, click Entitlements.
  4. In the Entitlements window, click Add.
  5. Find a group that will have permission to log into these desktops and click OK.
  6. Then click OK.
  7. For a Persistent pool, go to the Inventory tab to see the desktops. Select a desktop and under More Commands click Assign User.
  8. Find the user and click OK. Repeat to assign users to additional desktops.

Update a Pool

  1. Power on the master/parent virtual desktop.
  2. After making your changes, shut down the master virtual desktop.
  3. Right-click the virtual machine and take snapshot. You must create a new snapshot.
  4. Name the snapshot and click OK.
  5. If you do this often, you’ll need to periodically delete the older snapshots. Right-click the master VM and click Manage Snapshots.
  6. Delete one or more of the snapshots.
  7. In View Administrator, go to Inventory > Pools.
  8. Double-click a pool name.
  9. On the Settings tab, click View Composer and then click Recompose.
  10. In the Image page, select the new snapshot and click Next.
  11. In the Scheduling page, decide when to apply this new image and then click Next.
  12. In the Ready to Complete page, click Finish.
  13. On the Inventory tab, you can click Desktops (View Composer Details) to check on the status of the recompose task.

Related Pages

VMware Horizon 6 – Master Virtual Desktop

Last Modified: Sep 2, 2018 @ 7:53 am

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Use this post to build a virtual desktop that will be used as the parent image or source image for additional virtual desktops.

Navigation

đź’ˇ = Recently Updated

Hardware

  1. The virtual desktop pools will use the same hardware specs (e.g. vCPUs, memory size, network label) specified on the master virtual desktop. Adjust accordingly.
  2. Set Memory as desired.
  3. For New Hard disk, consider setting Thin provision.
  4. Make sure the virtual desktop is using a SCSI controller.
  5. The master virtual desktop should be configured with a VMXNET 3 network adapter.
  6. When building the master virtual desktop, you will probably boot from an ISO.
  7. Before using View Administrator to create a pool, ensure the CD/DVD drive points to Client Device and is not Connected. The important part is to make sure ISO file is not configured.
  8. There’s no need for the Floppy drive so remove it.
  9. If you have any Serial ports, remove them.
  10. In Device Manager, after installing VMware Tools, make sure the video driver is VMware SVGA 3D.
  11. If not, you can use the driver at C:\Program Files\Common Files\VMware\Drivers\video_wddm.

Windows

Operating System Selection

As of Horizon 6.2, Windows 10 is supported. However, Multimedia Redirection is not supported.

Preparation

  • Partition Alignment. For Windows XP, make sure the partition is aligned. You’ll need to create and partition the disk in advance on another virtual machine and set the partition offset. create partition primary align=1024. Windows 7 doesn’t have this problem.
  • VMware Tools. Install the latest version of VMware Tools and Guest Introspection (formerly known as vShield Endpoint) Driver prior to installing the Horizon 6 Agent.
  • Teradici Audio Driver – https://techsupport.teradici.com/link/portal/15134/15164/Article/1434/Teradici-Virtual-Audio-Driver-1-2-0-Release-Details-15134-1434
  • For the AppVolumes Agent and Imprivata OneSign agent (if applicable), don’t install them until Horizon 6 Agent is installed.

Windows 7 Networking Hotfix

  1. Ensure the vSphere network port group allows a sufficient number of connected virtual machines.
  2. Make sure Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is installed.
  3. Download hotfix 2550978 from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2550978.
  4. Run Windows6-1-KB2550978.msu.
  5. Click Yes when asked to install the hotfix.
  6. Click Restart Now.

Follow http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315539 to delete ghost NICs

For desktop VMs using VMXnet3 NICs, you can significantly improve the peak video playback performance of your View desktop by simply setting the following registry setting to the value recommended by Microsoft:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Afd\Parameters\FastSendDatagramThreshold to 1500

[As discussed in a Microsoft KB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/235257]

Black Screen Hotfix

VMware 2073945 – Reconnecting to the VDI desktop with PCoIP displays a black screen: Request and Install Microsoft hotfix 2578159: The logon process stops responding in Windows.

Power Options

  1. Run Power Options. In Windows 8 and newer, right-click the Start Menu to access Power Options.
  2. Click the arrow to show more plans and select High performance.
  3. Next to High performance, click Change plan settings.
  4. Change the selection for Turn off the display to Never and click Save changes.

System Settings

  1. Domain Join. For linked clones, join the machine to the domain.
  2. In System control panel applet (right-click the Start Menu > System), click Remote settings.
  3. Enable Remote Desktop.
  4. Activate Windows with a KMS license if not already activated. Note: only KMS is supported with View Composer.

Windows Profiles v3/v4 Hotfix

Roaming user profiles are tied to the operating system version so profiles on Windows 8.1-based, Windows 10-based, or Windows Server 2012 R2-based computers are incompatible with roaming user profiles in earlier versions of Windows.

Profiles are compatible only between the following client and server operating system pairs:

  • Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016
  • Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
  • Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
  • Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

If Windows 8, install hotfix http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2887239.

If Windows 8.1, ensure update rollup 2887595 is installed. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2890783

After you apply this update, you must create a registry key before you restart the computer.

  1. Run regedit.
  2. Locate and then tap or click the following registry subkey:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlset\Services\ProfSvc\Parameters
  3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then tap or click DWORD Value.
  4. Type UseProfilePathExtensionVersion.
  5. Press and hold or right-click UseProfilePathExtensionVersion, and then tap or click Modify.
  6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then tap or click OK.
  7. Exit Registry Editor.

After you configure the UseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry entry, you have to restart the computer. Then, Windows 8.1 creates a user profile and appends the suffix “.v4” to the profile folder name to differentiate it from version 2 of the profile in Windows 7 and version 3 of the profile in Windows 8. Then, Windows 8.1-based computers that have update rollup 2887595 installed and the UseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry entry configured use version 4 of the profile.

Windows 8 creates a new copy of the user profile and appends the suffix “.v3” in the profile folder name to differentiate it from the original version 2 profile for Windows 7. After that, Windows 8-based computers that have this hotfix installed and the UseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry entry configured use the version 3 profile for users.

Install Applications

Install applications locally if you want them to be available on all virtual desktops created based on this master virtual desktop.

Or you can use a Layering product (e.g. VMware App Volumes, Unidesk) or App Streaming (e.g. ThinApp, Microsoft App-V).

Antivirus

Microsoft’s virus scanning recommendations (e.g. exclude group policy files) – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822158.

Anti-Virus Practices for VMware View – http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-AntiVirusPractices-TN-EN.pdf

Sophos

Best Practice for running Sophos on virtual systems – http://www.sophos.com/en-us/support/knowledgebase/110507.aspx and Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows 2000+: incorporating current versions in a disk image, including for use with cloned virtual machines – http://www.sophos.com/en-us/support/knowledgebase/12561.aspx

Symantec

Best practices for virtualization with Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1, 12.1 RU1, and 12.1 RU1 MP1 – http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH173650

Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 – Non-persistent Virtualization Best Practices – http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH180229

How to prepare a Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 client for cloning – http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO54706

Non-persistent desktops:

After you have installed the Symantec Endpoint Protection client and disabled Tamper Protection, open the registry editor on the base image.

  1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC\.
  2. Create a new key named Virtualization.
  3. Under Virtualization, create a key of type DWORD named IsNPVDIClient and set it to a value of 1.

To configure the purge interval for offline non-persistent VDI clients:

  1. In the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager console, on the Admin page, click Domains.
  2. In the Domains tree, click the desired domain.
  3. Under Tasks, click Edit Domain Properties.
  4. On the Edit Domain Properties > General tab, check the Delete non-persistent VDI clients that have not connected for specified time checkbox and change the days value to the desired number. The Delete clients that have not connected for specified time option must be checked to access the option for offline non-persistent VDI clients.
  5. Click OK.

Make the following changes to the Communications Settings policy:

  1. Configure clients to download policies and content in Pull mode
  2. Disable the option to Learn applications that run on the client computers
  3. Set the Heartbeat Interval to no less than one hour
  4. Enable Download Randomization, set the Randomization window for 4 hours

Make the following changes to the Virus and Spyware Protection policy:

  1. Disable all scheduled scans
  2. Disable the option to “Allow startup scans to run when users log on” (This is disabled by default)
  3. Disable the option to “Run an ActiveScan when new definitions Arrive”

Avoid using features like application learning which send information to the SEPM and rely on client state to optimize traffic flow

Linked clones:

To configure Symantec Endpoint Protection to use Virtual Image Exception to bypass the scanning of base image files

  1. On the console, open the appropriate Virus and Spyware Protection policy.
  2. Under Advanced Options, click Miscellaneous.
  3. On the Virtual Images tab, check the options that you want to enable.
  4. Click OK

Trend Micro

Trend Micro Virtual Desktop Support

VDI Pre-Scan Template Generation Tool

Best practice for setting up Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in OfficeScan

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Virtual Desktop Infrastructure/Support In OfficeScan

Horizon 6 Agent 6.2.2

Horizon 6 Agent Installation

Install Horizon 6 Agent on the master virtual desktop:

  1. Only install Horizon 6 Agent after VMware Tools. If you need to update VMware Tools, uninstall Horizon 6 Agent first, upgrade VMware Tools, and then reinstall Horizon 6 Agent.
  2. Check the video driver to make it is VMware SVGA 3D.
  3. Go to the downloaded Horizon 6 Agent 6.2.2. Run VMware-viewagent-6.2.2.exe.
  4. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for VMware Horizon View Agent page, click Next.
  5. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms and click Next.
  6. In the Network protocol configuration page, select IPv4 and click Next.
  7. In the Custom Setup page, if you want Scanner Redirection then enable that feature. Do the same for USB Redirection. Note: Scanner Redirection will impact host density. Click Next when done making selections.
  8. Click OK to acknowledge the message regarding USB redirection security.
  9. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  10. In the Installer Completed page, click Finish.
  11. Click Yes when asked to restart.

User Environment Manager Engine

If you are licensed for User Environment Manager (Horizon Enterprise Edition), install the User Environment Manager Engine.

  1. Make sure Prevent access to registry editing tools is not enabled in any GPO. This setting prevents the FlexEngine from operating properly.
  2. In Windows 8 and newer, open Programs and Features (right-click the Start Menu) and click Turn Windows features on or off.
  3. Select .NET Framework 3.5 and click OK.
  4. Click Download files from Windows Update.
  5. Go to the extracted User Environment Manager 9.0 folder and run VMware User Environment Manager 9.0 x64.msi.
  6. In the Welcome to the VMware User Environment Manager Setup Wizard page, click Next.
  7. In the End-User License Agreement page, check the box next to I accept the terms and click Next.
  8. In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
  9. The Choose Setup Type page appears. By default, the installer only installs the engine. You can click Custom or Complete to also install the console.

  10. In the Choose License File page, if installing on a View Agent then no license file is needed.
  11. Otherwise, Browse to the license file. Then click Next.
  12. In the Ready to install VMware User Environment Manager page, click Install.
  13. In the Completed the VMware User Environment Manager Setup Wizard page, click Finish.

Unity Touch

With the Unity Touch feature, tablet and smart phone users can quickly navigate to a Horizon View desktop application or file from a Unity Touch sidebar. Although end users can specify which favorite applications appear in the sidebar, for added convenience, administrators can configure a default list of favorite applications.

In the Unity Touch sidebar, the favorite applications and favorite files that users specify are stored in the user’s profile. For non-persistent pools, enable Roaming Profiles.

To set the default list of favorite applications:

  1. Navigate to HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMware Unity
  2. Create a string value called FavAppList.
  3. Specify the default favorite applications using format: path-to-app-1|path-to-app-2|path-to-app-3|…. For example:
Programs/Accessories/Accessibility/Speech Recognition.lnk|Programs/VMware/VMware vSphere Client.lnk|Programs/Microsoft Office/Microsoft Office 2010 Tools/Microsoft Office 2010 Language Preferences.lnk

Unity Touch can be disabled by setting HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\VMware,Inc.\VMware Unity\enabled to 0.

For more information, see the Feature Pack Installation and Administration guide at http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/view_pubs.html.

Direct-Connection Plugin

If you wish to allow direct connections to the Horizon 6 Agent, install the Direct-Connection Plugin. This is not a typical configuration since it allows users to bypass the Horizon 6 Connection Servers but is useful if you need to restrict a Horizon 6 Agent to only one Horizon Client.

  1. Run the downloaded Direct-Connection Plugin (VMware-viewagent-direct-connection-6.2-xxx-exe.
  2. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for View Agent Direct-Connection Plugin page, click Next.
  3. In the End-User License Agreement page, select I accept the terms and click Next.
  4. In the Configuration Information page, click Next.
  5. In the Ready to install View Agent Direct-Connection Plugin page, click Install.
  6. In the Completed the View Agent Direct-Connection Plugin Setup Wizard page, click Finish.
  7. When running the Horizon Client, enter the FQDN or IP address of the Horizon 6 Agent (virtual desktop).

Composer – Rearm

By default, when View Composer creates linked clones and runs QuikPrep, one of the tasks is to rearm licensing. You can prevent this by setting the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\vmware-viewcomposer-ga

SkipLicenseActivation  DWORD           0x1

Dynamic PCoIP Policies

If you wish to change PCoIP Policies (e.g. clipboard redirection, client printers, etc.) based on how the user connects, see VMware Blog Post VMware Horizon View Secret Weapon. The article describes configuring VMware Horizon View Script Host service to run a script to change PCoIP configuration based on the Connection Server that the user connected through. Full script is included in the article.

VMware OS Optimization Tool

  1. Download the VMware OS Optimization Tool VMware fling.
  2. Run the downloaded VMwareOSOptimizationTool_1050.msi.
  3. On the Analyze tab, on the bottom left, click Analyze.
  4. Check both boxes and click Continue to Analyze.
  5. Review the optimizations and make changes as desired. Then on the bottom left click Optimize.
  6. Click the FAILED links for more information.
  7. The History tab lets you rollback the optimizations.
  8. The Templates tab lets you edit the optimizations. You can create your own template or edit an existing template.
  9. Also see VMware 2100337 Improving log in time for floating desktops on DaaS and Horizon View for deletion of ActiveSetup registry keys that slow down 1st login. These optimizations do not appear to be included in VMware’s OS optimization tool.  💡

Snapshot

  1. Make sure the master virtual desktop is configured for DHCP.
  2. If connected to the console, run ipconfig /release.
  3. Run antivirus sealing tasks:
  4. Shutdown the master virtual desktop.
  5. Edit the Settings of the master virtual machine and disconnect the CD-ROM. Make sure no ISO is configured in the virtual machine.
  6. Take a snapshot of the master virtual desktop. View Composer requires a snapshot.

Related Pages

VMware Horizon 6 Security Server

Last Modified: Nov 7, 2020 @ 6:35 am

11 Comments

Navigation

Preparation

Security Servers are intended to be deployed in the DMZ.

Horizon View Security Server is installed on Windows. If you prefer a Linux appliance, see VMware Access Point.

Security Considerations for Horizon View 5.2 – http://www.vmware.com/resources/techresources/10371

Firewall Ports

If there is only one Security Server in the DMZ, create a NAT’d public IP to the Security Server. Create a public DNS entry that resolves to this IP address.

If there are two Security Servers and you intend to load balance them, create three public IPs:

  • Public IP NAT’d to the load balancer IP. Create a public DNS entry that resolves to this IP address. This is the DNS name that users will enter into their Horizon Clients.
  • Public IP NAT’d to each of the Security Servers. Each Security Server must be exposed directly to the Internet. Create public DNS names that resolve to these public IPs. When installing Security Server, specify these public DNS names and not the load balanced DNS name.

Note: your load balancer might be able to provide persistence across multiple port numbers and thus there’s no need for the server-specific public IPs. For example, in NetScaler this is called Persistency Groups.

Firewall Rules for View Connection Server at pubs.vmware.com.

Open these ports from any device on the Internet to all Security Server and Load Balancer public IPs:

  • TCP 80
  • TCP 443
  • TCP and UDP 4172. UDP 4172 must be opened in both directions.
  • TCP 8443 (for HTML Blast)

Open these ports from the Security Servers to internal:

  • If IPSec is enabled in View Administrator (Global Settings > Security > Edit), open ISAKMP Protocol (UDP 500) and ESP. Or if there is NAT between the Security Server and the Connection Server, open NAT-T ISAKMP (UDP 4500). Configuring a Back-End Firewall to Support IPsec at pubs.vmware.com.
  • TCP 8009 (AJP13) to the paired internal Horizon 6 Connection Server.
  • TCP 4001 (JMS) to the paired internal Horizon 6 Connection Server.
  • TCP and UDP 4172 (PCoIP) to all internal Horizon View Agents. UDP 4172 must be opened in both directions.
  • TCP 32111 (USB Redirection) to all internal Horizon View Agents.
  • TCP 22443 (HTML Blast) to all internal Horizon View Agents.
  • TCP 9427 (MMR) to all internal Horizon View Agents.
  • TCP 4002 for Enhanced Messaged Security – Change the JMS Message Security Mode to Enhanced at pubs.vmware.com

Pairing Password

  1. In View Administrator, on the left, expand View Configuration and click Servers.
  2. On the right, switch to the Connection Servers tab.
  3. Select the Horizon 6 Connection Server to which the Security Server will be paired. Then click More Commands and click Specify Security Server Pairing Password.
  4. Enter a password and click OK.

Install – Security Server

  1. Ensure the Horizon 6 Security Server has 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU.
  2. Login to the Horizon 6 Security Server.
  3. Go to the downloaded Horizon 6 Connection Server 6.2.2 and run VMware-viewconnectionserver-x86_64-6.2.2.exe.
  4. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for VMware Horizon 6 Connection Server page, click Next.
  5. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms and click Next.
  6. In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
  7. In the Installation Options page, select Horizon 6 Security Server and click Next.
  8. In the Paired Horizon 6 Connection Server page, enter the name of the internal Horizon 6 Connection Server that this Security Server will be paired with. If using a hostname, it must be resolvable (edit the local HOSTS file) to the correct IP. Also, the correct firewall ports are required. Click Next.
  9. In the Paired Horizon 6 Connection Server Password page, enter the pairing password specified earlier and click Next.
  10. In the Horizon 6 Security Server Configuration page, edit the URLs as appropriate. These URLs must be externally accessible. The top URL is a FQDN while the middle URL is an IP address. These can be changed later. Click Next.
  11. In the Firewall Configuration page, click Next.
  12. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  13. In the Installer Completed page, click Finish.

SSL

Horizon 6 Security Server Certificate

  1. Run mmc, add the Certificates snap-in and point it to Computer > Local Machine.
  2. Request a new certificate with a common name that matches the FQDN of the HTTPS Secure Tunnel URL or import a wildcard certificate. If using a load balancer, the FQDN must match the load balancer FQDN, not the Security Server FQDN. Also, the private key must be exportable.
  3. Note: the private key must be exportable. You can either click Details to mark the key as exportable or use IIS to create the certificate.
  4. After creating the certificate, try exporting it. If the option to export the private key is grayed out then this certificate will not work.
  5. In the list of certificates, look for the one that is self-signed. The Issuer will be the local computer name instead of a Certificate Authority. Right-click it and click Properties.
  6. On the General tab, clear the Friendly name field and click OK.
  7. Right-click your Certificate Authority-signed certificate and click Properties.
  8. On the General tab, in the Friendly name field, enter the text vdm and click OK. Note: only one certificate can have vdm as the Friendly name.
  9. Then restart the VMware Horizon 6 Security Server service.
  10. If the VMware Horizon View Security Gateway Component won’t start then your certificate doesn’t have an exportable private key. The private key must be exportable.

Global Accepted Ciphers

VMware 2121183 Response to CVE-2015-4000 (a.k.a., Logjam) for Horizon View and Horizon 6 products: The default global acceptance and proposal policies are defined in View LDAP attributes. These policies apply to all Horizon 6 Connection Server instances in a replicated group and all security servers paired with them. To change a global policy, you can edit View LDAP on any Horizon 6 Connection Server instance.

For details about how to navigate to the correct View LDAP attributes, see the topics called Global Acceptance and Proposal Policies Defined and Change the Global Acceptance and Proposal Policies in the View Security guide. Note that although these links point to the 6.2 version of the guide, the topics are the same as those in the 5.2/5.3 and 6.0 versions of the guide.

  • Change the pae-ClientSSLSecureProtocols attribute and the pae-ServerSSLSecureProtocols attribute as follows: 
    pae-ClientSSLSecureProtocols = "\LIST:TLSv1.2,TLSv1.1,TLSv1"

pae-ServerSSLSecureProtocols = "\LIST:TLSv1.2,TLSv1.1,TLSv1"

    This setting enables TLSv1.2 by default, to make use of the new cipher suites you will be adding when you set the next attributes.

  • Change the pae-ClientSSLCipherSuites attribute and the pae-ServerSSLCipherSuites attribute as follows: 
    pae-ClientSSLCipherSuites = "\LIST:TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,
TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA"

pae-ServerSSLCipherSuites = "\LIST:TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,
TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA"

Note that although these cipher suites are shown on separate lines to improve readability, when you edit this attribute, enter the cipher suites on one line with no spaces after the commas.

Also note that the last cipher suite shown in the list, SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA, should be omitted if all connecting clients support AES cipher suites.

To add 256-bit versions of the cipher suites, follow the instructions in the topic JCE Policy Files to Support High-Strength Cipher Suites in the View Security guide.

SSL Ciphers – Horizon 6 Security Server

Sven Huisman: Secure your Horizon View security server: from rating F to A-: see the blog post for detailed instructions.

  1. Update the JCE Policy Files to Support High-Strength Cipher Suites
  2. Use ADSIEdit to change pae-ServerSSLCipherSuites, pae-ServerSSLSecureProtocols, pae-ClientSSLCipherSuites, and pae-ClientSSLSecureProtocols
  3. Or you can edit C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Server\sslgateway\conf\locked.properties

  4. If this Horizon 6 Connection Server or View Security Server is publicly accessible, check it at ssllabs.com.

Disable RC4 – Blast Secure Gateway

VMware 2122359 Disable RC4 on Blast Secure Gateway: RC4 is already disabled in Horizon 6.2. Follow this procedure for older versions of Horizon View.

  1. Run an elevated text editor and open the file C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Server\appblastgateway\lib\absg-config.js.
  2. Scroll down to line 111 and change :RC4: to :!RC4:.

Load Balancing

See Carl Stalhood – Horizon View Load Balancing

Enable PCoIP Secure Gateway

  1. In View Administrator, on the left, expand View Configuration and click Servers.
  2. On the right, switch to the Connection Servers tab.
  3. Click the Connection Server that is paired with the Security Server and click Edit. Note: you can’t configure this directly on the Horizon 6 Security Server and instead must configure it on the paired Horizon 6 Connection Server.
  4. On the General tab, check the box next to Use PCoIP Secure Gateway for PCoIP connections to desktop. Also, make sure Secure Tunnel and Blast Secure Gateway are enabled. Click OK.

Related Pages

VMware Horizon 6 Configuration

Last Modified: Sep 2, 2018 @ 7:53 am

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Navigation

Preparation

Horizon Service Account

  1. Create an account in Active Directory that View will use to login to vCenter. This account can also be used by Composer to create computer accounts in Active Directory.
  2. Make sure the password does not expire.
  3. Domain User is sufficient. Permissions will be delegated where needed.

vCenter Role for View Composer

This role has all permissions needed for both full clones and linked clones.

  1. Create an account in Active Directory that View will use to login to vCenter.
  2. In vSphere Web Client, on the Home screen, click Roles.
  3. Click the plus icon to add a Role.
  4. Name the role View or similar.
  5. Expand Datastore and enable Allocate space, Browse datastore, and Low level file operations.
  6. Expand Folder and enable Create folder, and Delete folder.
  7. Expand Global and enable Act as vCenter Server, Disable Methods, Enable Methods, and Manage custom attributes.
  8. Scroll down and enable Set custom attribute and System tag.
  9. Expand Host, expand Configuration and enable Advanced Settings.
  10. Scroll down and enable System Management.
  11. Enable Network and everything under it.
  12. For Virtual SAN, enable Profile-driven storage and everything under it. VMware 2094412 – When attempting to deploy linked clones using VMware Virtual SAN (VSAN) you receive the error: Unable to connect to PBM sub system PB may be down

  13. Expand Resource and enable Assign virtual machine to resource pool and Migrate powered off virtual machine.
  14. Expand Virtual Machine and enable everything under Configuration, Inventory, and Snapshot Management (or State).
  15. Expand Virtual Machine > Interaction and enable Power Off, Power On, Reset, and Suspend.
  16. Expand Virtual Machine > Provisioning. Enable Allow disk access, Clone virtual machine, Customize, and Deploy template.
  17. Scroll down and enable Read customization specifications. Click OK when done.
  18. Browse to the vCenter object. Permissions must be assigned at the vCenter level. It won’t work at any lower level.
  19. On the right, switch to the Manage tab and select the Permissions sub-tab.
  20. Click the plus icon to add a permission.
  21. Under Users and Groups click Add.
  22. Find the Active Directory account that View will use to login to vCenter, click Add and then click OK.
  23. On the right, under Assigned Role, change it to View Composer Administrator. Then click OK.
  24. The service account is now listed on the Permissions sub-tab.
  25. The service account also must be a local administrator on the vCenter server. In Server Manager, go to Tools > Computer Management.
  26. Go to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Groups. Double-click Administrators. Add the View service account and click OK.

Active Directory Delegation

View Composer uses an Active Directory account to create computer objects in Active Directory. This service account must be granted permission to create computer objects.

  1. Create an OU in Active Directory where the virtual desktop computer objects will be stored.
  2. In Active Directory Users & Computers, right-click the OU where the computer objects will be stored and click Delegate Control. This wizard is not included in Active Directory Administrative Center.
  3. In the Welcome to the Delegation of Control Wizard page, click Next.
  4. In the Users or Groups page, add the Active Directory service account for View Composer. Then click Next.
  5. In the Tasks to Delegate page, select Create a custom task to delegate and click Next.
  6. In the Active Directory Object Type page, click Next.
  7. In the Permissions page, check the three boxes under Show these permissions.
  8. In the Permissions section, check the boxes next to Read All Properties and Write All Properties.

  9. In the Permissions section, scroll down and check the boxes next to Create Computer objects and Delete Computer objects. Click Next.
  10. In the Completing the Delegation of Control Wizard page, click Finish.

Events SQL Database

A new empty SQL database is needed for storage of View Events. Only SQL authentication is supported.

  1. In SQL Server Management Studio, create a new database.
  2. Name it VMwareViewEvents or similar. Switch to the Options tab.
  3. Select your desired Recovery model and click OK.

  4. Add a SQL login if one does not exist already. Windows authentication is not supported.
  5. Right-click a SQL login and click Properties.
  6. On the User Mapping page, check the Map box next to the VMwareViewEvents database.
  7. On the bottom, add the user to the db_owner database role. Click OK when done.

Licensing

  1. Run the Horizon 6 Administration Console by double-clicking the desktop shortcut. Or, go to https://FQDN/admin.
  2. If Flash is not installed, you are prompted to install it. This won’t work on Windows Server 2012 unless you have the Desktop Experience feature installed. To avoid this, use Chrome.
  3. Login using a Horizon View administrator account.
  4. On the left, under View Configuration, click Product Licensing and Usage.
  5. On the top left of the right pane, click Edit License.
  6. In the Edit License window, enter your license serial number and click OK.
  7. The license expiration is now displayed. Note that only Horizon Advanced and above have Application Remoting (published applications).

Administrators

  1. On the left, expand View Configuration and click Administrators.
  2. On the right, click Add User or Group near the top.
  3. In the Add Administrator Or Permission page, click Add.
  4. Enter the name of a group that you want to grant permissions to and click Find.
  5. After the group is found, click it to highlight it and click OK.
  6. Then click Next.
  7. Select the role (e.g. Administrators) and click Next.
  8. Select an access group to which the permission will be applied and click Finish. Note: If you intend to integrate with VMware Identity Manager, then only pools in the root Access group will sync with Identity Manager. Other Access Groups won’t work.

Help Desk

None of the built-in roles are useful for Help Desk. Create a new role.

  1. On the right, switch to the Roles tab and click Add Role.
  2. Name the role Help Desk or similar.
  3. Check the box next to Console Interaction and scroll down.
  4. Check the box next to Manage Machine and click OK.
  5. To further restrict Help Desk permissions, on the Access Groups tab, create an Access Group. Pools can be placed in an Access Group and if an administrator only has permission to one Access Group then pools in other access groups cannot be managed. Note: If you intend to integrate with VMware Identity Manager, then only pools in the root Access group will sync with Identity Manager. Other Access Groups won’t work.

  6. Switch back to the Administrators and Groups tab and click Add User or Group.
  7. In the Add Administrator Or Permission window, click Add, find your Help Desk group and click Next.
  8. Click the Help Desk role to highlight it and click Next.
  9. Check the box next to an Access Group to which the permissions will be applied and click Finish. Note: If you intend to integrate with VMware Identity Manager, then only pools in the root Access group will sync with Identity Manager. Other Access Groups won’t work.
  10. The group is added to the list and the role is shown on the right.

vCenter and View Composer

If you are adding multiple vCenter servers, make sure each vCenter Server has a Unique ID. In vSphere Web Client, go to the vCenter Server > Manage > Settings > General > Edit > Runtime Settings and confirm that the ID is unique for each vCenter server.

  1. On the left, expand View Configuration and click Servers.
  2. In the right pane, in the vCenter Servers tab, click Add.
  3. In the Server address field, enter the FQDN of the vCenter server.
  4. In the User Name field, enter the Active Directory account that View will use to login to vCenter as detailed earlier in this post. Also enter the password.
  5. Click Next.
  6. If you see a message regarding invalid certificate, click View Certificate.
  7. Then click Accept.
  8. In the View Composer page, select Standalone View Composer Server. Enter the FQDN of the server and the credentials of an account to access the View Composer server. The service account must be a local administrator on the View Composer Server. Click Next.
  9. If you see an invalid certificate, click View Certificate.
  10. Then click Accept.
  11. In the View Composer Domains page, click Add.
  12. Enter the Full domain name of where the virtual desktop computer objects will be created.
  13. Enter the Active Directory service account credentials that has permission to create computer objects and click OK. Then click Next.
  14. In the Storage page, check the box to Enable View Storage Accelerator and increase the host cache size to 2048. View Storage Accelerator causes digest files to be created thus increasing disk space requirements. Reclaim VM disk space requires IOPS during its operation. Click Next.
  15. In the Ready to Complete page, click Finish.

Disable Secure Tunnel

By default, Horizon Clients connect to virtual desktops by tunneling through a Horizon 6 Connection Server. It would be more efficient for the Horizon Clients to connect directly to the virtual desktops.

  1. In View Administrator, on the left, expand View Configuration and click Servers.
  2. On the right, switch to the Connection Servers tab.
  3. Click the Connection Server and click Edit.
  4. On the General tab, uncheck the box next to HTTP(S) Secure Tunnel. Also, make sure the other Secure Gateways are not enabled. Click OK. Note: if you are using HTML Blast internally then disabling the gateway will cause Blast connections to go directly to the Agent and the Agent certificate is probably not trusted.

Event Database and Syslog

  1. On the left of View Administrator, expand View Configuration and click Event Configuration.
  2. On the right, under Event Database, click Edit.
  3. Enter the name of the SQL server.
  4. Select Microsoft SQL Server as the Database type.
  5. Enter the name of the database.
  6. Enter the SQL credentials (no Windows authentication).
  7. Optionally, enter VE_ (or similar) for the Table prefix. This allows you to use the same Events database for multiple View installations.
  8. Click OK.
  9. The View Administrator now shows it configured. You can change the age of events shown in View Administrator.
  10. To add a syslog server, look on the right side of the page.
  11. You can go to Monitoring > Events to view the events in the database.

Event Database SQL Index

VMware Knowledgebase article – The Event database performance in VMware View 6.0.x is extremely slow (2094580): Symptoms:

  • The Event database performance in VMware View 6.0.x is extremely slow when browsing within View
  • High CPU usage on the SQL server, hosting the Event database
  • The larger the Event database becomes, the slower the queries run.

To resolve this issue, create an index. Run this command on your SQL Event database:

CREATE INDEX IX_eventid ON dbo.VDIevent_data (eventid)

Substitute VDIevent_data for the table name using your Event database prefix.

Event Queries

VMware Fling – Horizon View Event Notifier: collects and sends the alerts via email (SMTP) to users that are specified during the configuration process. It allows aggregation of alerts across multiple Horizon View Pods and for near real-time alerting of Horizon View alerts that are otherwise very difficult to be notified on.

Chris Halstead – VMware Horizon View Events Database Export Utilty: this utility allows administrators to easily apply very detailed filtering to the data and export it to .csv. You can filter on time range,  event severity, event source, session type (Application or Desktop), Usernames and Event Types.  The application allows for extremely granular export of data.   The exported columns can also be customized and the application will export data from both the live and the historical tables in the View Events Database.

VMware Knowledgebase article – Creating SQL views to retrieve the top 50 maximum number of concurrent desktop sessions over a period: This article provides steps to create database views to retrieve the maximum number of concurrent desktop sessions over a period from the event_historical table.

To retrieve the top 50 maximum number of concurrent desktop sessions over a period time from the event_historical table, run this query:

select Count, Time from(select top 50 DOB.<prefix>_data_historical.IntValue as 'Count', DOB.<prefix>_historical.Time as 'Time' from DOB.<prefix>_historical.DOB.<prefix>_data_historical where DOB.<prefix>_historical.EventID = DOB.<prefix>_data_historical.EventID and DOB.<prefix>_data_historical.Name = 'UserCount' and DOB.<prefix>_historical.EventType='BROKER_DAILY_MAX_DESKTOP order by DOB.<prefix>_historical.Time DESC) A Order by Time

Where <prefix> is the prefix for the event table. You can find the prefix that you must use by examining other view definitions, such as user_events.

Global Settings

  1. On the left, under View Configuration, click Global Settings.
  2. On the right, under Global Settings, click Edit.
  3. Set the View Administrator Session Timeout. This applies to administrators and help desk. 4320 minutes (72 hours) is the maximum.
  4. Forcibly disconnect users is an active session timeout. It is not an idle timeout in that it doesn’t care if the user is working or not. The default is 10 hours so consider increasing it. Note: this timer does not log the user out of Windows. Instead it merely disconnects the user and requires the user to logon to Horizon 6 Connection Server again.
  5. Under Client-dependent settings, you can set an idle timeout. This is new in Horizon 6. The idle timeout applies to applications only (not desktops). An additional disconnect timeout is configurable in each pool’s settings.
  6. Enable automatic status updates enables automatic updating of the table displayed in the top-left corner of View Administrator.
  7. Make other changes as desired. Click OK when done.
  8. To configure an idle timeout for desktop sessions, use the instructions in http://myvirtualcloud.net/vmware-view-disconnect-logoff-or-shutdown-your-vm-when-idle/. Or create a screensaver. http://communities.vmware.com/message/1756450?tstart=0

Global Policies

  1. By default, Multimedia Redirection is disabled. You can enable it by going to Policies > Global Policies.
  2. On the right, click Edit Policies.
  3. Set Multimedia redirection to Allow and click OK. Notice that Multimedia redirection is not encrypted.

Authentication

How to Set Up 2-Factor Authentication in Horizon View with Google Authenticator:

  1. Linux box with Likewise joined to Active Directory.
  2. Google Authenticator software installed on Linux
  3. Freeradius installed on Linux
  4. Configure View to authenticate with RADIUS
  5. Installation and configuration of Google Authenticator client

Backups

  1. On the left, expand View Configuration and click Servers.
  2. On the right, in the Connection Servers tab you can select a Horizon 6 Connection Server and click Backup Now. Backups can be found in C:\ProgramData\VMware\VDM\backups.
  3. If you Edit the Horizon 6 Connection Server, on the Backup tab you can schedule automatic backups. This also backs up the View Composer database but not the vCenter database. VMware 1008046 – Performing an end-to-end backup and restore for VMware View Manager.

Related Pages

VMware Horizon 6 Connection Server

Last Modified: Nov 7, 2020 @ 6:35 am

20 Comments

Navigation

đź’ˇ = Recently Updated

Windows Features

  1. It’s probably helpful to install some administration tools on the Horizon 6 Connection Servers. In Server Manager, open the Manage window and click Add Roles and Features.
  2. Click Next until you get to the Features page.
  3. Check the box next to Group Policy Management and scroll down.
  4. Check the box next to Telnet Client.
  5. If you need Flash Player (e.g. to connect to the vSphere Web Client or View Administrator), then expand User Interfaces and Infrastructure and check the box next to Desktop Experience.

  6. Click Add Features when prompted.
  7. Expand Remote Server Administration Tools > Role Administration Tools > AD DS and AD LDS Tools > AD DS Tools. Check the box next to Active Directory Administrative Center. Click Add Features when prompted. Then click Next .
  8. Then click Install.
  9. You will see a message prompting you to reboot. Right-click the Start button to reboot the server. it will reboot twice.

Install Standard Server 6.2.2

The first Horizon 6 Connection Server must be a Standard Server. Subsequent Horizon 6 Connection Servers are Replicas. Once Horizon 6 Connection Server is installed, there is no difference between them.

A production Horizon 6 Connection Server should have 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU. Each Horizon 6 Connection Server can handle 2,000 virtual desktops.

  1. Ensure the Horizon 6 Connection Server has 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU.
  2. View Composer cannot be installed on the Horizon 6 Connection Server.
  3. Go to the downloaded Horizon 6 Connection Server 6.2.2 and run VMware-viewconnectionserver-x86_64-6.2.2.exe.
  4. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for VMware Horizon 6 Connection Server page, click Next.
  5. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms and click Next.
  6. In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
  7. In the Installation Options page, select Horizon 6 Standard Server and click Next.
  8. In the Data Recovery page, enter a password and click Next.
  9. In the Firewall Configuration page, click Next.
  10. In the Initial Horizon 6 View Administrators page, enter an AD group containing your Horizon administrators and click Next.
  11. In the User Experience Improvement Program page, uncheck the box and click Next.
  12. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  13. In the Installer Completed page, uncheck the box next to Show the readme file and click Finish.

Install Replica Server 6.2.2

Additional internal Horizon 6 Connection Servers are installed as Replicas. After installation, there is no difference between a Replica server and a Standard server.

A production Horizon 6 Connection Server should have 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU. Each Horizon 6 Connection Server can handle 2000 virtual desktops.

  1. Ensure the Horizon 6 Connection Server has 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU.
  2. Go to the downloaded Horizon 6 Connection Server 6.2.2 and run VMware-viewconnectionserver-x86_64-6.2.2.exe.
  3. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for VMware Horizon 6 Connection Server page, click Next.
  4. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms and click Next.
  5. In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
  6. In the Installation Options page, select Horizon 6 Replica Server and click Next.
  7. In the Source Server page, enter the name of another Horizon 6 Connection Server in the group. Then click Next.
  8. In the Firewall Configuration page, click Next.
  9. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  10. In the Installer Completed page, click Finish.
  11. If you are adding this Replica server to a Pod that is already enabled for Global Entitlements, see Setting up the Cloud Pod Architecture feature on a replicated View Connection Server instance.

Horizon 6 Connection Server Certificate

  1. Run mmc, add the Certificates snap-in and point it to Computer > Local Machine.
  2. Request a new certificate with a common name that matches the FQDN of the Connection Server or import a wildcard certificate.
  3. Note: the private key must be exportable. If using the Computer template, click Details then click Properties.
  4. On the Private Key tab, click Key options to expand it and check the box next to Mark private key as exportable.
  5. In the list of certificates, look for the one that is self-signed. The Issuer will be the local computer name instead of a Certificate Authority. Right-click it and click Properties.
  6. On the General tab, clear the Friendly name field and click OK.
  7. Right-click your Certificate Authority-signed certificate and click Properties.
  8. Note: the private key of the certificate you use for Horizon 6 Connection Server must be exportable. To verify, try exporting the certificate. If the option to export the private key is grayed out then this certificate will not work.
  9. On the General tab, in the Friendly name field, enter the text vdm and click OK. Note: only one certificate can have vdm as the Friendly name.
  10. Then restart the VMware Horizon View Connection Server service. It will take several seconds before you can connect to View Administrator.
  11. If the VMware Horizon View Security Gateway Component won’t start then your certificate doesn’t have an exportable private key. The private key must be exportable.

SSL Ciphers

Sven Huisman: Secure your Horizon View security server: from rating F to A-: see the blog post for detailed instructions.

  1. Update the JCE Policy Files to Support High-Strength Cipher Suites.
  2. Use ADSIEdit to change pae-ServerSSLCipherSuites, pae-ServerSSLSecureProtocols, pae-ClientSSLCipherSuites, and pae-ClientSSLSecureProtocols
  3. Or you can edit C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Server\sslgateway\conf\locked.properties

  4. If this Horizon 6 Connection Server or Horizon 6 Security Server is publicly accessible, check it at ssllabs.com.

Horizon Portal – Client Installation Link

If you point your browser to the Horizon 6 Connection Server, the Install VMware Horizon Client link redirects to the VMware.com site for downloading of Horizon Clients. You can change it so that the Horizon Clients can be downloaded directly from the Horizon 6 Connection Server.

      1. On the Horizon 6 Connection Server, go to C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Server\broker\webapps. Create a new folder called downloads.
      2. Copy the downloaded Horizon Clients to the new C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Server\broker\webapps\downloads folder.

      3. Run Notepad as administrator.
      4. Open the file C:\ProgramData\VMware\VDM\portal\portal-links-html-access.properties file with a text editor (as Administrator).
      5. Go back to the downloads folder and copy the Horizon Client filename.
      6. In Notepad, modify link.win32 and link.win64 by specifying the relative path to the Horizon Client executable under /downloads. The following example shows a link for Horizon Client for Windows x64:
        link.win64=/downloads/VMware-Horizon-View-Client-x86_64-3.5.2-3150477.exe
        Then Save the file.
      7. Restart the VMware Horizon View Web Component service.

It will take a few seconds for the ws_TomcatService process to start so be patient. If you get a 503 error then the service is not done starting.

Now when you click the link to download the client it will grab the file directly from the Horizon 6 Connection Server.

LDAP Edits

Mobile Client – Save Password

If desired, you can configure Horizon 6 Connection Server to allow mobile clients (iOS, Android) to save user passwords.

  1. On the Horizon 6 Connection Server, run ADSI Edit.
  2. Right-click ADSI Edit and click Connect to…

  3. Change the first selection to Select or type a Distinguished Name and enter dc=vdi,dc=vmware,dc=int.
  4. Change the second selection to Select or type a domain or server and enter localhost. Click OK.
  5. Navigate to Properties > Global. On the right, double-click CN=Common.
  6. Scroll down, click to highlight pae-ClientCredentialCacheTimeout and click Edit.
  7. Enter a value in minutes. 0 = no saving of credentials. -1 = no timeout. Click OK.

iOS TouchID

vDelboy – How to Enable Touch ID in VMware Horizon 6.2

  1. On the Horizon 6 Connection Server, run ADSI Edit.
  2. Right-click ADSI Edit and click Connect to…
  3. Change the first selection to Select or type a Distinguished Name and enter dc=vdi,dc=vmware,dc=int.
  4. Change the second selection to Select or type a domain or server and enter localhost. Click OK.
  5. Navigate to Properties > Global. On the right, double-click CN=Common.
  6. Find the attribute pae-ClientConfig and double-click it.
  7. Enter the line BioMetricsTimeout=-1 and click Add. Click OK. The change takes effect immediately.

Ciphers

VMware 2130289 Using client drive redirection or file association with the secure tunnel enabled might have performance issues

When using client drive redirection (CDR) or file association with the secure tunnel enabled, you might encounter performance issues when transferring CDR data between Horizon Clients and remote desktop machines. (File association is the ability to open local files with a remote application.)

Amend your acceptance policies to remove the following GCM-based cipher suites:

TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384

To change a global acceptance policy, you can edit a single-valued attribute, pae-ServerSSLCipherSuites, in View LDAP on any View Connection Server instance. This attribute lists the cipher suites used by View Connection Server or security server. Take these steps:

  1. Start the ADSI Edit utility on your View Connection Server computer.
  2. In the Console tree, select Connect to.
  3. In the Select or type a Distinguished Name or Naming Context text box, type the distinguished name DC=vdi, DC=vmware, DC=int.
  4. In the Select or type a domain or server text box, select or type localhost:389 or the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the View Connection Server computer followed by 389. For example: localhost:389 or mycomputer.mydomain.com:389
  5. Expand the ADSI Edit Tree, expand OU=properties, select OU=global, and select CN=common in the right pane.
  6. On the object CN=common, OU=global, OU=properties, select the pae-ServerSSLCipherSuites
  7. Set the following list of cipher suites: 
    \LIST:TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256,
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384,
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,
TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,
TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA

    Remove the line breaks that were inserted in the preceding list for clarity. The order of the cipher suites is unimportant.

  8. Restart the VMware Horizon View Connection Server service.

For more information about setting acceptance policies for cipher suites, see “Configuring Security Protocols and Cipher Suites on a View Connection Server Instance or on a Security Server” in the View Security guide at http://pubs.vmware.com/horizon-62-view/topic/com.vmware.horizon-view.security.doc/GUID-7F6963F5-D5FC-47B2-9AE7-1FE5B8600723.html.

Load Balancing

See Carl Stalhood’s Horizon View Load Balancing using NetScaler 11.

Remote Desktop Licensing

If you plan to build RDS Hosts, then install Remote Desktop Licensing somewhere. You can install it on your Horizon 6 Connection Servers by following the procedure at https://www.carlstalhood.com/controller/#rdlicensinginstall.

Horizon Toolbox 2

Install the Horizon Toolbox Fling on your View Connection Servers. This is a web-based tool that adds the following functionality:

  • Auditing of user sessions
  • Auditing of virtual machine snapshots
  • Auditing of Horizon Client Versions
  • Remote Assistance – users request assistance from administrators
  • Virtual Machine Remote Console
  • Power Policy for pools

To use the Toolbox, make sure the following are enabled in your View Connection Server pod:

  • Events database
  • Customer Experience Improvement Program

.NET Framework 3.5 and Remote Assistance

  1. On the View Connection Server, in Server Manager, open the Manage menu and click Add Roles and Features.
  2. In the Features page, select .NET Framework 3.5.
  3. Scroll down, select Remote Assistance and click Next. This feature is only needed if you will respond to Remote Assistance requests directly from the View Connection Server.
  4. In the Confirmation page, click Specify an alternate source path.
  5. Mount or extract the Windows Server 2012 R2 ISO.
  6. Enter the path to the sources folder on the Windows Server 2012 R2 ISO and click OK. Then click Install.

Toolbox Installer

  1. Download the Fling. Check the box next to I have read and agree and click Download.
  2. Run the downloaded VMWARE-Horizon-Toolbox-x64-2.0.1.msi.
  3. In the Welcome to the HorizonToolbox Setup Wizard page, click Next.
  4. In the Select Installation Folder page, select Everyone and click Next.
  5. In the Confirm Installation page, click Next.
  6. In the Installation Complete page, click Close.

Firewall

  1. Run Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.
  2. Create a new Inbound Rule for port 18443.
  3. Select Port and click Next.
  4. Enter TCP 18443 as the local port and click Next.
  5. Allow the connection and click Next.
  6. Name the rule Horizon Toolbox or something like that. Click Finish.

Toolbox Certificate

Horizon Toolbox comes with a self-signed certificate. It can be replaced by doing the following:

  1. Copy a certificate .pfx file to C:\Program Files\VMware\HorizonToolbox\HorizonToolbox2.0.1\conf.
  2. Edit the file server.xml that’s in the same conf folder.
  3. Scroll down to the <Connector port=”18443″ section (near line 85).
  4. Change the keystoreFile attribute to the name of your .pfx file.
  5. Change the keystorePass attribute to the password for your .pfx file.
  6. Add a new attribute keystoreType=”PKCS12″
  7. Close and save the file.
  8. Restart the Apache Tomcat 8.0 Tomcat8 service.
  9. Point your browser to https://view.corp.local:18443/toolbox.
  10. Login using View Administrator credentials.

Toolbox Remote Assistance

  1. On the Horizon 6 Agent machine, navigate to the View Connection Server Horizon Toolbox folder \\vcs01\c$\Program Files\VMware\HorizonToolbox\HorizonToolbox2.0.1\webapps\toolbox\static\ra and run Horizon_Remote_Assistance_Installer_v1035.exe.
  2. You might be prompted to install .NET Framework 3.5.
  3. Click Install for End User.
  4. Click OK to launch Remote Assistance.
  5. Close Remote Assistance.
  6. When done, click Finish.
  7. Users can initiate a request by clicking the Horizon Remote Assistance icon on the desktop.
  8. Click OK to submit a request.

  9. Support people can see support requests in the Toolbox interface on the Remote Assistance tab.

VMware Horizon 6 Composer

Last Modified: Sep 2, 2018 @ 7:50 am

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Navigation

Planning

vCenter Server planning:

  • A single vCenter Server can handle 10,000 VMs. However, this is a single point of failure. VMware recommends separate vCenter servers for each 2,000 VMs. More vCenter Servers means more concurrent vCenter operations, especially if your pools are configured for Refresh on Logoff.
  • Each ESXi cluster is managed by one vCenter Server.
  • Don’t use existing vCenter servers. Build separate vCenter servers for the vSphere clusters that host Agent VMs. Horizon licenses includes vCenter licenses so there’s no excuse to not use separate vCenter servers.

Horizon Composer server planning:

  • Each vCenter Server requires its own View Composer. There’s a one-to-one mapping.
  • View Composer cannot be installed on a Horizon 6 Connection Server.
  • View Composer server with 2vCPU, 4 GB RAM can support up to 2,000 virtual machines with up to 1,000 per pool.
  • View Composer server with 4 vCPU, 10 GB RAM can support up to 10,000 virtual machines with up to 2,000 per pool.

A remote SQL Server is needed for databases:

  • vCenter database
  • Horizon Composer database
  • Horizon Events database
  • Supported SQL versions are listed at pubs.vmware.com.

SQL Server Preparation

Only SQL Authentication is supported.

  1. Open the properties of the SQL Server.
  2. On the Security page, make sure SQL Server authentication is enabled.
  3. Create a new SQL database for View Composer.
  4. Call it VMwareViewComposer or similar. Then switch to the Options page.
  5. Select your desired Recovery model and click OK.
  6. View Composer only supports SQL authentication on remote SQL servers. Expand Security, right-click Logins and click New Login to create a new SQL login.
  7. Name the new account.
  8. Select SQL Server authentication.
  9. Enter a password for the new account.
  10. Uncheck the box next to Enforce password policy.
  11. Then switch to the User Mapping page.
  12. On the User Mapping page, check the Map box for VMwareViewComposer.
  13. On the bottom, check the box for the db_owner role and click OK.

.NET Framework 3.5.1

  1. Composer requires .NET Framework 3.5.1, which is not installed by default on Windows Server 2012 R2. In Server Manager, open the Manage menu and click Add Roles and Features.
  2. In the Before You Begin page, click Next.
  3. In the Select installation type page, click Next.
  4. In the Select destination server page, click Next.
  5. In the Select server roles page, click Next.
  6. In the Select features page, expand .NET Framework 3.5 features and select .NET Framework 3.5. Click Next.
  7. In the Confirm installation selections page, click Specify an alternate source path. Note: you will need the Windows Server 2012 R2 media.
  8. Enter the path to the \sources\sxs folder on the Windows Server 2012 R2 media and click OK.
  9. Then click Install.
  10. In the Results page, click Close.

SQL Native Client

  1. On the View Composer server, run sqlncli.msi.
  2. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for SQL Server 2012 Native Client page, click Next.
  3. In the License Agreement page, select I accept and click Next.
  4. In the Feature Selection page, click Next.
  5. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  6. In the Completing the SQL Server 2012 Native Client installation page, click Finish.

ODBC

  1. On the View Composer server, run ODBC Data Sources (64-bit).
  2. On the System DSN tab, click Add.
  3. Select SQL Server Native Client and click Finish.
  4. Enter the name ViewComposer for the DSN and enter the SQL server name. Click Next.
  5. Change the selection to With SQL Server authentication and enter the credentials of the new ViewComposer SQL account. Then click Next.
  6. Check the box next to Change the default database and select the VMwareViewComposer database. Then click Next.
  7. Click Finish.
  8. Click OK twice.

Install – Composer

  1. Don’t install on Horizon 6 Connection Server: View Composer cannot be installed on the Horizon 6 Connection Server. They must be separate machines. View Composer is typically installed on vCenter server for less than 1000 linked clones.
  2. Extra Memory for vCenter: If you install View Composer on a vCenter server, VMware recommends adding 8 GB of RAM to the server. See VMware 2105261 Intermittent provisioning issues and generic errors when Composer and vCenter Server are co-installed
  3. vCenter Service Account: if you install View Composer on a vCenter server, login as the same account that was used to install vCenter. See VMware 2017773 Installing or upgrading View Composer fails with error: The wizard was interrupted before VMware View Composer could be completely installed
  4. Internet access for CRL checking: If the View Composer server does not have Internet access, see VMware 2081888 Installing Horizon View Composer fails with the error: Error 1920 Service VMware Horizon View Composer (svid) failed to start
  5. Install: Go to the downloaded View Composer 6.2.2 and run VMware-viewcomposer-6.2.2.exe.
  6. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for VMware Horizon 6 Composer page, click Next.
  7. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms and click Next.
  8. In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
  9. In the Database Information page, enter the name of the ODBC DSN.
  10. Enter the SQL account credentials (no Windows accounts) and click Next. For remote SQL databases, only SQL accounts will work. The SQL account must be db_owner of the database.
  11. In the VMware Horizon 6 Composer Port Settings page, click Next.
  12. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
  13. In the Installer Completed page, click Finish.
  14. Click Yes when asked to restart the computer.
  15. If you encounter installation issues, see VMware 2087379 VMware Horizon View Composer help center

Administrator Permissions

If View Composer is installed on a standalone server (not on vCenter), Horizon 6 Connection Server will need a service account with administrator permissions on the View Composer server. Add your View Composer Service Account to the local Administrators group.

Composer Certificate

  1. Stop the VMware Horizon 6 Composer service.
  2. Open the MMC Certificates snap-in. Open your Certificate Authority-signed certificate and on the Details tab note the Thumbprint.
  3. Run Command Prompt as Administrator
  4. Change the directory to C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware View Composer.
  5. Run sviconfig -operation=replacecertificate -delete=false.
  6. Select your Certificate Authority-signed certificate. Use the thumbprint to verify.
  7. Then restart the VMware Horizon 6 Composer service.

SQL Database Maintenance

SQL password: The password for the SQL account is stored in C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware View Composer\SviWebService.exe.config. To change the password, run SviConfig ?operation=SaveConfiguration as detailed at VMware 1022526 The View Composer service fails to start after the Composer DSN password is changed.

Database Move: To move the database to a new SQL server, you must uninstall Composer and reinstall it. See VMware 2081899 VMware Horizon View Composer fails to work properly after migrating the Composer database to a new SQL server

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