Omnissa Horizon 2412: Master RDS Host

Last Modified: Jan 31, 2025 @ 10:46 am

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Use this post to build a Windows Server Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) that will be used as the source image for additional cloned Remote Desktop Session Hosts. Or you can build each Remote Desktop Session Host manually using the steps detailed in this post. Virtual Desktop is detailed in a separate article.

This post applies to all Horizon versions 2006 (aka 8.0) and newer.

Change Log

Hardware

  • The session host pools will use the same hardware specs (e.g., vCPUs, memory size, network label) specified on the master session host. Adjust accordingly.
  • Set the vCPUs to 8. Two is the minimum.
  • Typical memory for an 8-vCPU session host is 24 – 48 GB (e.g., 32 GB).
  • For New Hard disk, consider setting Thin provision. And increase the size so it can store the locally cached profiles (C:\Users).
  • The session host should be configured with a VMXNET 3 network adapter.
  • When building the master session host, you will probably boot from an ISO. When you are ready to create the pool (RDS farm), 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.
  • There’s no need for the Floppy drive so remove it.
  • If you have any Serial ports, remove them.

NIC Hotplug – Disable

  1. Users could use the systray icon to Eject the Ethernet Adapter. Obviously this is bad.
  2. To disable this functionality, power off the virtual machine.
  3. Once powered off, right-click the virtual machine, and click Edit Settings.
  4. On the VM Options tab, expand Advanced, and then click Edit Configuration.
  5. Click Add Configuration Params.
  6. On the left, enter devices.hotplug. On the right, enter false.
  7. Then click OK a couple times to close the windows.
  8. The VM can then be powered on.

VMware Tools

See Omnissa Product Interoperability Matrices for supported versions of VMware Tools with different versions of Horizon Agent.

The latest versions of VMware Tools resolve security vulnerabilities.

VMware Tools includes the Shared Folders feature, which prevents roaming profiles from being deleted properly. When installing VMware Tools, make sure you deselect Shared Folders so it is not installed.

After installing VMware Tools, open Registry Editor and go to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\Order. Look in the ProviderOrder value on the right, and ensure that vmhgfs is not listed. If it is, remove it.

Windows

Disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Config

  1. In Server Manager, switch to the Local Server page.
  2. On the far right, click the link for On next to IE Enhanced Security Configuration.
  3. Click Off for both Administrators and Users. Click OK.

Windows Update

Whenever you deploy a virtual machine from a template and SysPrep is executed during the cloning process, all Windows Update settings are reset. You must reconfigure Windows Update on every new virtual machine (or use group policy).

  1. In Server Manager, click Local Server on the left. Then on the right, click the link for Last checked for updates.
  2. Click Advanced Options.
  3. Check the box next to Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows, and then click the back button. Then click Check for Updates.

  4. Windows Update will automatically start checking for updates.
  5. Install any updates it recommends.

Local Administrators Group

Add your Horizon Admins group to the local Administrators group.

  1. In Server Manager, open the Tools menu, and click Computer Management. Or launch it by right-clicking the Start Button.
  2. Add the Horizon Admins group to the local Administrators group.

C: Drive Permissions

The default permissions allow users to store files on the C: drive in places other than their profile.

  1. Open the Properties dialog box for C:\.
  2. On the Security tab, click Advanced.
  3. Highlight the line containing Users with Create Folders permission, and click Remove.
  4. Highlight the line containing Users with Create Files permission, and click Remove.
  5. Click OK to close the Advanced Security Settings window.
  6. Click Yes to confirm the permissions change.
  7. If you see any of these Error Applying Security windows, click Continue.
  8. Click OK to close the C: drive properties.

Installs

Install/Upgrade Horizon Agent

To install Horizon Agent on Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH), do the following:

  1. Latency – In Horizon 2106 (8.3) and newer, maximum latency between Horizon Agent machine and Connection Server is 120ms. Older versions of Horizon have lower maximum latencies.
  2. Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2012 R2 are supported.
    • Windows Server 2022 is supported in Horizon 2111 (8.4) and newer.
  3. VMware Tools – install VMware Tools before you install Horizon Agent.
    1. If you need to update VMware Tools, uninstall Horizon Agent, upgrade VMware Tools, and then reinstall Horizon Agent.
    2. See Omnissa Product Interoperability Matrices for supported versions of VMware Tools with different versions of Horizon Agent.
  4. Download Horizon Agent 2412 (8.14)
  5. Run the downloaded Omnissa-Horizon-Agent-x86_64-2412-8.14.0.exe.
  6. If you want the URL Content Redirection feature, then you must run the Agent installer with the following switches: /v URL_FILTERING_ENABLED=1.
  7. If you want the UNC Path Redirection feature in 8.7 and newer, then you must run the Agent installer with the following switches: /v ENABLE_UNC_REDIRECTION=1. You can combine the two switches.
  8. In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for VMware Horizon Agent page, click Next.
  9. In Desktop OS Configuration page, select RDS Mode and click Next.

    1. Click OK to install the role.
    2. Restart the machine.
    3. After restart, login, and re-run the Agent installer.
  10. In the Network protocol configuration page, select IPv4, and click Next.
  11. In the Custom Setup page, several features are disabled by default. Horizon Smart Policies in Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM) can control some of these features but only if the features are installed.
    1. USB Redirection is an option.
    2. If this RDS Host will be a master image for an Instant Clone farm, then install the Instant Clone Agent. For manual farms, don’t select this feature.
    3. Scanner Redirection is an option. Note: Scanner Redirection will impact host density.
    4. Serial Port Redirection is an option.
    5. There’s an option for Horizon Performance Tracker, which adds a program to the Agent machine that can show the user performance of the remote session. You can publish the Tracker.

    6. In Horizon 2206 and newer, Storage Drive Redirection provides faster performance than Client Drive Redirection.
  12. Click Next when done making selections.
  13. Click OK to acknowledge the USB redirection message.
  14. If you see the Register with Horizon Connection Server page, enter the name of a Horizon Connection Server, and click Next. You only see this page if you deselected the Instant Clone Agent feature. Registration is necessary for Manual RDS Farms (no Instant Clones).
  15. In the Ready to Install the Program page, Horizon Agent 2306 and newer have an option to Automatically restart system on successful completion. Click Install.
  16. In the Installer Completed page, click Finish.
  17. Click Yes to restart the server.
  18. If you want to know what features were selected during installation, look in HKLM\Software\VMware, Inc.\Installer\Features_HorizonAgent. Or look in the installation log files as detailed at Paul Grevink View Agent, what is installed?

  19. To verify installation of the URL Content Redirection feature, check for the presence of C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Agent\bin\UrlRedirection.
  20. There’s also an IE add-on.
  21. URL Content Redirection is configured using group policy.
  22. To verify installation of the UNC Content Redirection feature, check for the presence of C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Agent\bin\UncRedirection.

Install/Upgrade Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM) Agent

All editions of Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer are entitled to Dynamic Environment Management (DEM).

  • Horizon Standard Edition and Horizon Advanced Edition are entitled to DEM Standard Edition, which only has personalization features that replace Persona. If you are using FSLogix Profile Containers for profiles, then you probably don’t need DEM Standard Edition.
  • Horizon Enterprise Edition is entitled to DEM Enterprise Edition, which has all DEM features, including Smart Policies, Privilege Elevation, etc.

DEM 2006 and newer Agents (FlexEngines) require additional configuration to enable DEM Computer Settings. You can either configure registry settings on each DEM Agent machine, or in DEM Agent 2103 and newer you can use an installer command-line switch. Both are detailed at Perform Installation with Computer Environment Settings Support at Omnissa Docs.

  • Group Policy Preferences can push these registry keys to the Horizon Agent machines. Or you can manually modify the registry in your master images. The minimum registry values are Enabled and ConfigFilePath as detailed at Perform Installation with Computer Environment Settings Support at Omnissa Docs. For the list of additional registry values, see FlexEngine Configuration for Computer Environment Settings at Omnissa Docs.
  • Command line install looks something like below. The command line installer switch sets the same ConfigFilePath and Enabled registry values as shown above.
    msiexec /i "\\fs01\bin\Omnissa\DEM\Omnissa-DEM-Enterprise-2412-10.14\Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager Enterprise 2412 10.14 x64.msi" /qn COMPENVCONFIGFILEPATH=\\fs01\DEMConfig\general

To install DEM Agent:

 

  1. Windows 10 Compatibility – See Omnissa 57386 Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager and Windows 10 Versions Support Matrix
  2. Make sure Prevent access to registry editing tools is not enabled in any GPO since this setting prevents the FlexEngine from operating properly.
  3. DEM 2412 (10.14) is the latest release.
  4. Based on your entitlement, download either DEM 2412 (10.14) Enterprise Edition, or DEM 2412 (10.14) Standard Edition. For ESB Horizon, download the DEM version included with your ESB version of Horizon.

  5. Run the extracted Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager Enterprise 2412 10.14 x64.msi.
  6. In the Welcome to the Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager Enterprise Setup Wizard page, check the box next to I accept and click Next.
  7. In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
  8. In Choose Setup Type page, click Custom.
  9. In the Custom Setup page, click Next. Note: the DEM Management Console is typically installed on an administrator’s machine.
  10. In the Ready to install Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager Enterprise page, click Install.
  11. In the Completed the Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager Enterprise Setup Wizard page, click Finish.