Desktop as a Service (DAAS) Implementation Using VMware View 4.5

Desktop As A Service (DAAS)
Implementation Using VMware VIEW 4.5
Submitted By
Rajesh Para
(105344385)
Under the supervision of
Mr. Sujith Jose (Operations and Tech. Consultant, Allied Digital)

School of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (SOST)
I2IT– IGNOU CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION & RESEARCH

MTECHTC (July 09)
Department of Advanced Networking and Telecommunication
1

International Institute of Information Technology,
P-14, Rajiv Gandhi InfoTech park, Hinjewadi, PUNE – 411057

I2IT – IGNOU CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

P-14, Pune Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune-411057, India

Certificate

This is to certify that Mr. Rajesh Para of NOV 09 batch has satisfactorily completed
the Thesis entitled, “ Desktop As A Service (DAAS) Implementation using VMware
View 4.5 ” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of M.Tech in
Advanced Information Technology with specialization in Networking &
Telecommunications.

Signature of HOD

Signature of Internal Mentor

Date:.
Place:

2

Thesis Approval Sheet

Thesis entitled ‘Desktop As A Service (DAAS) Implementation using VMware View
4.5’; by Rajesh Para (105344385) is approved for the M.Tech in Advanced Information
Technology with specialization in Networking & Telecommunications.

Date: ________________

Examiners
_________________
_________________
__________________

3

Acknowledgement
I express my deep sense of gratitude to my mentor, Mr. Sujith Jose (Operations and
Tech. Consultant, Allied Digital), for the adroit guidance, profound interest,
constructive suggestions, critical evaluations and perceptual encouragement during the
conduct of investigation and the preparation of manuscript. I shall remain grateful to him
for the same forever.
It is profound pleasure to express my deep sense of gratitude to our Internal guide
(International Institute of Information Technology) Prof. Balaram Saha for her support,
profound interest, suggestions in the fruitful completion of this project
It is profound pleasure to express my deep sense of gratitude to our Prof. Ravindra
Joshi (HOD, Department of Networking & Telecommunication) for his support,
profound interest, suggestions in the fruitful completion of this project
No appropriate words could be traced in the present lexicon to express my sublime
obeisance to those who helped me directly or indirectly to make this project successful.

Rajesh Para

4

Declaration

I, Rajesh Para , a bonafide student of International Institute of Information Technology,
Pune, hereby declare that the project work entitled “Desktop As A Service (DAAS)
Implementation using VMware View 4.5” is a result of work carried out by me during
my project phase under the guidance of Mr. Sujith Jose (Operations and Tech.
Consultant, Allied Digital).

Date:
Place: I2IT, Pune

Rajesh Para
(MTECHTC)
105344385

5

ABSTRACT
Many companies have turned to virtualization technologies for their servers and in their
data centers to simplify administration and to reduce management chores and operating
costs while maintaining reliability and safeguarding against disasters. Seeing the
significant benefits virtualization delivers in those environments, companies are now
looking to apply the same technology to their desktop computers.

The idea behind what is called a Desktop As A Service (DAAS) is to run desktop
operating systems and applications inside virtual machines that reside on servers in the
data center. Desktop operating systems inside virtual machines are also referred to as
virtual desktops. Users access the virtual desktops and applications from a desktop PC
client or thin client using a remote display protocol and get almost the full features as if
the applications were loaded on their local systems, with the difference being that the
applications are centrally managed.

Similar to server virtualization, DAAS offers many benefits. Specifically, desktop
administrative and management tasks are significantly reduced; applications can quickly
be added, deleted, upgraded, and patched; security is centralized; and data is easier to
safeguard and back up. Managing desktop PCs has always been a time-consuming and
challenging task. And recently, it has become ever more so as companies have had to deal
with new security risks and support increasing numbers of remote and mobile users.
Companies also have to support an increasing use of employee owned resources

6

On top of all of these issues that make desktop management so challenging to reduse
effort involved in managing desktops in several aspects, for example data security, user
management, disaster recovery and many DAAS is the solution.

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
Fig.2.1. shows the relationship between the major components of a VMware View deployment.

Page No
8

Fig.3.1. vCenter Server Installer Window

16

Fig.3.2. vCenter server installation, customer information window

16

Fig.3.3. vCenter Server Database options window

17

Fig.3.4. vCenter Server Service account information window

17

Fig.3.5. vCenter server installation default destination folder

18

Fig.3.6. Selecting vCenter server mode from linked mode or standalone mode

18

Fig.3.7. Connection information for vCenter Server window

19

Fig.3.8. Adding new data center to the vCenter server through vSphere Client

20

Fig.3.9. Adding a host to the vCenter server

20

Fig.3.10. ESXi host added successfully to the vCenter server

21

Fig.4.1: welcome to the Installation wizard for VMware View connection server

23

Fig.4.2. view connection server default destination folder

24

Fig.4.3. View connection Server Installation options

24

Fig.4.4. Error message that shows view connection server require a static IP

24

Fig.4.5. View connction server installation in progress

25

Fig.4.6. Firewall configuration window

25

Fig.4.7. View Administrator Login screen

26

Fig.4.8. VMware view administrator basic interface

26

7

Fig.4.9. Adding vCenter server to the view administrator

27

Fig.5.1. Creating new OU to the active directory domain controller

29

Fig.5.2. Adding new user to active directory domain controller

30

Fig.5.3. Adding new database instance for view composer

31

Fig.5.4. Adding database details to configure view composer

31

Fig.5.5. Microsoft SQL server DNS configuration for view composer

32

Fig.5.6. View composer installation wizard

33

Fig.5.7. Adding Database information during view composer installation

34

Fig.5.8. Adding View composer to the vCenter Instance in view Administrator

35

Fig.6.1. Logging in to the vCenter server through vSphere client

36

Fig.6.2. opening a console of the Desktop on which view agent is going to be installed

37

Fig.6.3. View Agent Installation wizard

37

Fig.6.4.View Agent installation Custom Setup options window

38

Fig.7.1. Add pool wizard in the view administrator

39

Fig.7.2. type of pool to be assaigned to the user

40

Fig.7.3. Selecting type of virtual desktop to be assaigned to the user

40

Fig.7.4. Assaigning ID for the new pool that is creating

41

Fig.7.5. Choosing the pool seeting from the available options

41

Fig.7.6. View composer Disks settings window

42

Fig.7.7.Provisining Settings Window

42

Fig.7.8. Vcenter settings window

43

Fig.7.9.Guest Customizations window

44

Fig.7.10. Summary of the options selected to create a desktop pool

45

Fig.7.11.Desktop pools listed inside the view Administrator

46

Fig.8.1. view client installation wizard

48

8

Fig.8.2. view client installation, custome setup options windows

48

Fig.8.3. Adding connection server instance details to view client installation

48

Fig.9.1. Entitling the user to the pool

51

Fig.9.2. logging in to view client

52

Fig.9.3. Choosing the respective pool from the list of pools that are assigned to user

52

9

CONTENTS
CHAPTER

Page No

Chapter 1
Introduction

1

1.1. Introduction to Virtualization

1

1.2. What is Virtualization

1

1.3. Overview of VMware View 4.5

2

1.4. Advantages of using VMware View

3

1.4.1. Reliability and Security

3

1.4.2. Convenience

4

1.4.3. Manageability

4

1.4.4. Hardware Independence

4

1.5. VMware View Features

5

1.5.1. Usability

5

1.5.2. Security

5

1.5.3. Centralizes Administration

6

1.5.4. Scalability

6

Chapter 2
Defining A Use Case

7

10

2.1. Use Case

7

2.2. How the VMware View Components Fit Together

8

2.2.1. Client Devices

8

2.2.2. View Connection Server

9

2.2.3. View Client

10

2.2.4. View agent

11

2.2.5. View Administrator

11

2.2.6. View Composer

11

2.2.7. Vcenter Server

12

2.2.8. View Transfer Server

12

Chapter 3
vCenter Server

14

3.1. Gathering Prerequisites

14

3.2. Database Requirement

14

3.3. Operating System Requirements

15

3.4. Installation of vCenter Server

15

3.4.1. Step by step installation Procedure

15

Chapter 4
View Connection Server

22

4.1. Preparing for view 4.5 connection server Installation

22

4.2. View manager or view connection server requirements

22

4.3. Step by Step Installation Procedure

23

11

4.4. Using View Administrator

25

Chapter 5
View Composer

28

5.1. Preparing Active Directory

28

5.2. Database Settings

30

5.3.Installing the View Composer Service

32

5.4. Configuring View Composer

34

Chapter 6
View Agent
6.1. Step by Step Installation of View Agent

36
36

Chapter 7
Creating The Linked Clone Desktop Pool
7.1. Creating a linked clone desktop pool in view Administrator

39
39

Chapter 8
View Client

47

8.1. About view Client

47

8.2. View Client Installation

47

Chapter 9
Connecting to the VMware vView Virtual Desktops
9.1. Entitling The Users to Pool

50
50

12

9.2. Logging in To View Client

51

Conclusion

54

References

55

13

14

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Introduction to the Virtualization
There’s a new wind of change in the IT industry today. It’s called virtualization.
Virtualization is the process of implementing multiple operating systems on the same
set of physical hardware to better utilize the hardware. The great advantage of this is
that you can take a physical server that is running at 10 percent utilization and
transform it into one running at 60 to 80 percent utilization by loading it up with
multiple virtual machines. Companies with strong plans to implement virtualized
computing

environments look to gain many benefits, including easier systems

management, increased server utilization, and reduced datacenter overhead. Traditional
IT management has incorporated a one-to-one relationship between the physical servers
implemented and the roles they play on the network. When a new database is to be
implemented, we call our hardware vendor of choice and order a new server with
specifications to meet the needs of the database. Days later we may order yet another
server to play the role of a file server. This process of ordering servers to fill the needs
of new network services is oftentimes consuming and unnecessary given the existing
hardware in the datacenter. To ensure stronger security, we separate services across
hosts to facilitate the process of hardening the operating system. The byproduct of this
separation of services has been the exponential growth of our datacenters into large
numbers of racks filled with servers, which in most cases are barely using the hardware
within them.

1.2. What is virtualization
Before defining virtualization, let’s look at how a computer system works without
15

virtualization in place. Operating system runs directly on top of the hardware, including the
CPU, memory, NIC, and disk. In this case, the operating system and hardware are tightly
coupled, and applications often interfere with each other. Given the boundary of the
physical machine, expensive resources cannot be shared and often are underutilized.
Now let’s look at a virtualized system. The operating system is detached from physical
hardware and is running on a virtual machine. Multiple operating systems can be installed
and run simultaneously on the same machine.
“Virtualization is an architecture that allows you to run multiple operating systems
simultaneously on a single computer. Each copy of an operating system is installed on its
own virtual machine”

1.3. Overview of VMware View 4.5
VMware View 4.5 is the leading desktop virtualization solution, built for delivering
desktops as a managed service. With VMware View, IT organizations can unlock a user’s
data, applications and Operating System from the end device and manage these
components centrally in the datacenter to provide a secure and customized desktop to
users with a superior end-user experience from any location, on any compatible device.

The VMware View client is a native Windows client and provides access to the View
infrastructure. The client is also available for the Macintosh and the Linux platform as
open source. The VMware View agent runs in the virtual desktop and can be currently
hosted in Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. It provides a management point
for the View Connection Manager. The View Connection Server (also known as the View
Manager) can run in either Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 (as either a virtual machine
or a physical machine). It provides brokering services to the end user accessing the View
infrastructure from the View client. It also provides management services to the View
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administrator. An optional VMware View Security Serve is installed in the DMZ. This is
a hardened installation of the VMware View Connection Server and provides access for
users connecting to the View infrastructure from the public Internet. Finally, an optional
VMware View Transfer Server provides the ability to transfer desktop virtual machines to
authorized VMware View clients. The VMware View environment runs on top of the
VMware vSphere infrastructure, which provides the virtualization services necessary to
deliver the virtual desktop. The management of vSphere is accomplished via VMware
vCenter, which provides a single pane of glass for setting up, monitoring and managing
the virtual infrastructure. Management of the VMware View environment is
accomplished through the View Connection/management Server.

1.4. Advantages of Using VMware View
When you manage enterprise desktops with VMware View, the benefits include increased
reliability, security, hardware independence, and convenience.

1.4.1. Reliability and Security
Virtual desktops can be centralized by integrating with VMware vSphere and virtualizing
server, storage, and networking resources. Placing desktop operating systems and
applications on a server in the datacenter provides the following advantages:
1. Access to data can easily be restricted.
2. Sensitive data can be prevented from being copied onto a remote employee's

home computer.
3. Data backups can be scheduled without considering when end users' systems

might be turned off.
4. Virtual desktops that are hosted in a datacenter experience little or no downtime.
5. Virtual machines can reside on high-availability clusters of VMware servers.
17

6. Virtual desktops can also connect to back-end physical systems and Windows

Terminal Services servers.

1.4.2 Convenience
The unified management console is built for scalability on Adobe Flex, so that even the
largest View deployments can be efficiently managed from a single View Manager
interface. Wizards and dashboards enhance the workflow and facilitate drilling down to
see details or change settings.

1.4.3. Manageability
Provisioning desktops for end users is a quick process. No one is required to install
applications one by one on each end user's physical PC. End users connect to a virtual
desktop complete with applications. End users can access their same virtual desktop from
various devices at various locations. Using VMware vSphere to host virtual desktops
provides the following benefits:
1. Administration tasks and management chores are reduced.
2. Administrators can patch and upgrade applications and operating systems without
touching a user's physical PC.
3. Storage management is simplified. Using VMware vSphere, you can virtualize
volumes and file systems to avoid managing separate storage devices.

1.4.4. Hardware Independence
Virtual machines are hardware-independent. Because a View desktop runs on a server in
the datacenter and is only accessed from a client device, a View desktop can use
operating systems that might not be compatible with the hardware of the client device.
For example, although Windows Vista can run only on Vista-enabled PCs, you can install
18

Windows Vista in a virtual machine and use that virtual machine on a PC that is not
Vista-enabled. Virtual desktops run on PCs, Macs, thin clients, and PCs that have been
repurposed as thin clients.

1.5 VMware View Features
Features included in VMware View support usability, security, centralized control, and
scalability.

1.5.1. Usability
The following features provide a familiar experience for the end user:
1. Print from a virtual desktop to any local or networked printer that is defined on
the client device, or use the location-based printing feature to map to printers that
are physically near the client system. The virtual printer feature solves
compatibility issues and does not require you to install additional print drivers in a
virtual machine.
2. Use multiple monitors. With PCoIP multiple-monitor support, you can adjust the
display resolution and rotation separately for each monitor.
3. Access USB devices and other peripherals that are connected to the local device
that displays your virtual desktop.

1.5.2. Security
VMware View offers the following security features, among others:
1. Use RSA SecurID two-factor authentication or smart cards to log in.
2. Use SSL tunneling to ensure that all connections are completely encrypted.
3. Use VMware High Availability to host desktops and to ensure automatic failover.

19

1.5.3. Centralizes Administration
The following features provide centralized administration and management:
1. Use Microsoft Active Directory to manage access to virtual desktops and to
manage policies.
2. Use the Web-based administrative console to manage virtual desktops from any
location.
3. Use a template, or master image, to quickly create and provision pools of
desktops.
4. Send updates and patches to virtual desktops without affecting user settings, data,
or preferences.

1.5.4. Scalability
Scalability features depend on the VMware virtualization platform to manage both
desktops and servers:
1.

Integrate with VMware vSphere to achieve cost-effective densities, high levels of
availability, and advanced resource allocation control for your virtual desktops.

2. Configure View Connection Server to broker connections between end users and
the virtual desktops that they are authorized to access Use View Composer to
quickly create desktop images that share virtual disks with a master image.
3. Using linked clones in this way conserves disk space and simplifies the
management of patches and updates to the operating system.

20

CHAPTER 2
DEFINING A USE CASE
2.1.Use Case
The design process for customer based on VMware View 4.5 begins with the definition of
a use case. In this scenario, assume an environment that is based in one location.
Employees or users will access the virtual Infrastructure from the VMware View client,
which will be installed in either a Windows desktop or provided through a certified end
client device such as a thin terminal device. The assumption is that this environment is
limited to 10 to 30 end-user-devices. Scaling beyond this size will require a rearchitecture of the ESX/ESXi environment. For instance, we assume that all user and
management traffic flows over a single 1Gb link. This, and other assumptions, may
change in a real-world deployment.

VMware View leverages a concept of Desktop Pools, which are logical containers that
represent a unique use case. In this case, the use case is a small employee environment.
Desktop type, access mode, user experience, performance and application set will be
characterized in the Desktop Pool. Use cases align to Desktop Pools. An important
question to consider is whether a particular use case requires a stateful or stateless
desktop image. Stateless architectures have significant advantages such as being easier to
support, enabling View Composer-based management and reducing storage costs.
Stateful desktop images require traditional image management techniques. They are
created by assigning a dedicated pool of full virtual machines. In this scenario, we will
deploy stateless desktop images by utilizing VMware View Composer and leverage
floating assignment pools of linked clone virtual machines. Please note that the
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performance of the Proof of Concept (POC) will be highly dependent on a number of
factors, including the host configuration (CPU, memory, network) and storage. vCenter
Server requires 2 physical 64-bit CPU cores (2.0 GHz or faster), 4 GB of RAM, 5 GB of
disk space, and a one-Gigabit or faster networking connection.

2.2. How the VMware View Components Fit Together
End users start View Client to log in to View Connection Server. This server, which
integrates with Windows Active Directory, provides access to a virtual desktop hosted on
a VMware ESX server, a blade or physical PC, or a Windows Terminal Services server.

Fig.2.1. shows the relationship between the major components of a VMware View deployment.

22

2.2.1. Client Devices
A major advantage of using VMware View is that desktops follow the end user regardless
of device or location. Users can access their personalized virtual desktop from a company
laptop, their home PC, a thin client device, or a Mac. From Mac and Windows laptops
and PCs, end users open View Client to display their View desktop. Thin client devices
use View thin client software and can be configured so that the only application that users
can launch directly on the device is View Thin Client. Repurposing a legacy PC into a
thin client desktop can extend the life of the hardware by three to five years. For example,
by using VMware View on a thin desktop, you can use a newer operating system such as
Windows Vista on older desktop hardware.

2.2.2. View Connection Server
This software service acts as a broker for client connections. View Connection Server
authenticates users through Windows Active Directory and directs the request to the
appropriate virtual machine, physical or blade PC, or Windows Terminal Services server.
View Connection Server provides the following management capabilities:
1. Authenticating users
2. Entitling users to specific desktops and pools
3. Assigning applications packaged with VMware ThinApp to specific desktops and
pools
4. Managing local and remote desktop sessions
5. Establishing secure connections between users and desktops
6. Enabling single sign-on
7. Setting and applying policies

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Inside the corporate firewall, you install and configure a group of two or more View
Connection Server instances. Their configuration data is stored in an embedded LDAP
directory and is replicated among members of the group. Outside the corporate firewall,
in the DMZ, you can install and configure View Connection Server as a security server.
Security servers in the DMZ communicate with View Connection Servers inside the
corporate firewall. Security servers offer a subset of functionality and are not required to
be in an Active Directory domain. You install View Connection Server in a Windows
Server 2003 or 2008 server, preferably on a VMware virtual machine.

2.2.3. View Client
The client software for accessing View desktops runs either on a Windows or Mac PC as
a native application or on a thin client if you have View Client for Linux. After logging
in, users select from a list of virtual desktops that they are authorized to use.
Authorization can require Active Directory credentials, a UPN, a smart card PIN, or an
RSA SecurID token. An administrator can configure View Client to allow end users to
select a display protocol. Protocols include PCoIP, Microsoft RDP, and HP RGS for View
desktops that are hosted on HP Blades. The speed and display quality of PCoIP rival that
of a physical PC.

View Client with Local Mode (formerly called Offline Desktop) is a version of View
Client that has been extended to allow end users to download virtual machines and use
them on their local systems regardless of whether they have a network connection.
Features differ according to which View Client you use. This guide focuses on View
Client for Windows and View Client for Mac. The following types of clients are not
described in detail in this guide:
1. View Client for Linux, available only through certified partners.
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2. Various third-party clients, available only through certified partners.
3. View Open Client, which supports the VMware partner certification program.
4. View Open Client is not an official View client and is not supported as such.

2.2.4. View Agent
You install the View Agent service on all virtual machines, physical systems, and
Terminal Service servers that you use as sources for View desktops. This agent
communicates with View Client to provide features such as connection monitoring,
virtual printing, and access to locally connected USB devices. If the desktop source is a
virtual machine, you first install the View Agent service on that virtual machine and then
use the virtual machine as a template or as a parent of linked clones. When you create a
pool from this virtual machine, the agent is utomatically installed on every virtual
desktop. You can install the agent with an option for single sign-on. With single sign-on,
users are prompted to log in only when they connect to View Connection Server and are
not prompted a second time to connect to a virtual desktop.

2.2.5. View Administrator
This Web-based application allows administrators to configure View Connection Server,
deploy and manage View desktops, control user authentication, and troubleshoot end user
issues. When you install a View Connection Server instance, the View Administrator
application is also installed. This application allows administrators to manage View
Connection Server instances from anywhere without having to install an application on
their local computer.

2.2.6. View Composer
You install this software service on a vCenter Server instance that manages virtual
25

machines. View Composer can then create a pool of linked clones from a specified parent
virtual machine. This strategy reduces storage costs by up to 90 percent. Each linked
clone acts like an independent desktop, with a unique host name and IP address, yet the
linked clone requires significantly less storage because it shares a base image with the
parent. Because linked-clone desktop pools share a base image, you can quickly deploy
updates and patches by updating only the parent virtual machine. End users' settings,
data, and applications are not affected. As of View 4.5, you can also use linked-clone
technology for View desktops that you download and check out to use on local systems.

2.2.7. vCenter Server
This service acts as a central administrator for VMware ESX servers that are connected
on a network. vCenter Server, formerly called VMware VirtualCenter, provides the
central point for configuring, provisioning, and managing virtual machines in the
datacenter. In addition to using these virtual machines as sources for View desktop pools,
you can use virtual machines to host the server components of VMware View, including
Connection Server instances, Active Directory servers, and vCenter Server instances. You
can install View Composer on the same server as vCenter Server to create linked-clone
desktop pools. vCenter Server then manages the assignment of the virtual machines to
physical servers and storage and manages the assignment of CPU and memory resources
to virtual machines. You install vCenter Server in a Windows Server 2003 or 2008 server,
preferably on a VMware virtual machine.

2.2.8. View Transfer Server
This software manages and streamlines data transfers between the datacenter and View
desktops that are checked out for use on end users' local systems. View Transfer Server is
required to support desktops that run View Client with Local Mode (formerly called
26

Offline Desktop). Several operations use View Transfer Server to send data between the
View desktop in vCenter Server and the corresponding local desktop on the client system.
When a user checks in or checks out a desktop, View Manager authorizes and manages
the operation. View Transfer Server transfers the files between the datacenter and the
local desktop.
1. View Transfer Server synchronizes local desktops with the corresponding
desktops in the datacenter by replicating user-generated changes to the datacenter.
Replications occur at intervals that you specify in local-mode policies. You can
also initiate replications in View Administrator. You can set a policy that allows
users to initiate replications from their local desktops.
2. View Transfer Server keeps local desktops up-to-date by distributing common
system data from the datacenter to local clients. View Transfer Server downloads
View Composer base images from the image repository to local desktops.
3. If a local computer is corrupted or lost, View Transfer Server can provision the
local desktop and recover the user data by downloading the data and system
image to the local desktop.

NOTE: Before beginning the installation off all view components we assume that a
dedicated active directory domain controller is installed on any one of 64-bit or 32-bit
windows 2003 or windows 2008 r2 operating system.
IMPORTANT: No other view components should be installed on this active directory
server

Summary
The use case is defined and also introduced all components that make VMware view 4.5
environment and described them briefly
27

CHAPTER 3
vCENTER SERVER
3.1. Gathering Prerequisites
The installation of the vCenter Server is covered in detail in the “ESXi Installable and
vCenter Server Setup Guide.” The manual is available for download on the VMware
support site located at: http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs. You can follow the ESXi
Installation manual for detailed step-by-step instructions, can be found below.
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_esxi_i_vc_setup_guide.pdf

3.2.Database Requirements
vCenter Server requires databases to store and organize server data. You do not need to
install a new database server for the vCenter Server installation to work. You can point
the installation program to use any existing supported database (IBM DB2, Oracle, or
Microsoft SQL Server). For information about supported databases see the vSphere
Compatibility Matrix at http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Note that for the purposes of this installation we can use the bundled Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 Express database. This should be sufficient for the purposes of the POC. The
database though should be upgraded for a production environment. Unless you are
planning to use the bundled SQL Server 2005 Express database, have a supported
database created. The detailed steps and prerequisites for installing the vCenter Server are
found in Chapter 2 and Chapter 10 of the “ESXi Installable and vCenter Server Setup
Guide.”
NOTE: The system you use for the installation of vCenter Server must belong to a
28

domain and not simply a workgroup, and should have a static IP address. The IP address
must have a valid DNS registration that resolves properly from all managed hosts.

3.3. Operating System Requirements
The vCenter Server can be either virtual (hosted on the VMware hypervisor) or physical.
It can be either Windows Server 2003 64-bit, XP Pro 64-bit or Windows Server 2008
(Enterprise 64-bit, Standard 64-bit, Datacenter 64-bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2.
Make sure that your operation system is 64-bit enabled. Also note that if you are using an
existing database that a 64-bit DSN is required for vCenter Server to connect to its
database. For a current list of supported Operating Systems for vCenter Server see the
“vSphere

Compatibility

Matrix”

found

on

the

support

website:

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs

3.4. Installation of vCenter
The vCenter server should be a member server in the domain. Mount the vCenter Server
4.1 iso on the 64-bit or 32-bit system. The mount can be accomplished in several ways. If
the proposed vCenter Server is a physical system, then mount the image on the physical
CD/DVD drive. If the proposed server is a virtual machine, the vCenter Server 4.1 iso
can be mounted from the a CD on the local client CD/DVD drive which is running the
Virtual Infrastructure Client, or the ESXi host CD/DVD drive or the SAN datastore itself.
These options can be specified in the edit virtual machine properties in the VI Client.
Another possibility is to run a third-party software package that will mount the vCenter
Server 4.1 iso as a local drive.

3.4.1 Step by step installation procedure
1.Once the vCenter iso is mounted, run the Autorun command on the DVD if it hasn’t
29

already run. You will see the following GUI. The name of the vCenter image at the time
of publication is VMware-VIMSetup-all-4.1.0-29021.iso. The name will change with the
next release of patching.

Fig.3.1. vCenter Server Installer Window

2. Select the first option, vCenter Server. After selecting the appropriate language option,
select Next several times and agree to the license terms. You will see the following
display asking for the Windows user name, organization and license key. You can safely
omit the licensee key in this step since the installer will use an evaluation key, which will
last 60 days. You can enter a permanent key at a later date.

30

Fig.3.2. vCenter server installation, customer information window

3. Choose either an existing database or have the installer place a SQL Server 2005
Express instance on the local machine. In our case, we’ll choose the latter. This Express
database is appropriate for small-scale deployments only (maximum of 5 ESXi hosts and
50 virtual machines)

Fig.3.3. vCenter Server Database options window

4. You can run the vCenter Server Service as either a user-specified account in the
domain or the default SYSTEM account. We’ll use the default SYSTEM account.

31

Fig.3.4. vCenter Server Service account information window

5. Next, choose the folder where you wish to install vCenter Server. We’ll select the
default

Fig.3.5. vCenter server installation default destination folder

6. When asked if vCenter Server should be standalone or join a vCenter Server group,
select Create a standalone VMware vCenter Server instance.

32

Fig.3.6. Selecting vCenter server mode from linked mode or standalone mode

7. The next display shows the default ports that vCenter Server utilizes. We will use the
defaults.

Fig.3.7. Connection information for vCenter Server window

8. Click Install to begin the installation.
9. Click finish to complete the installation

When the installation is complete you can view the vCenter Server Manager through the
vSphere Client. The vSphere client can be loaded from the same iso that delivered the
vCenter Server Manager or downloaded from the vCenter Server Manager web server.
33

Simply point your browser to the IP address of the vCenter Server Manager and hit the
Download vSphere Client URL. Next you will need to add the ESXi host to the vCenter
Server. This is done by bringing up the vSphere Client and logging into the vCenter
Server Manager. First, add a new datacenter. Select the vCenter Server Manager in the
selection pane in the upper left hand part of your vSphere Client display after you’ve
brought up the client and logged into the vCenter Server. Now right mouse button and
select New Datacenter. In our case, we’ll name our datacenter View.

Fig.3.8. Adding new data center to the vCenter server through vSphere Client

Once the display is presented, select the Hosts tab. Then click the right mouse button and
select “Add Host”. Enter the host name or the IP address of the ESXi server and the
credentials to log into the server.

34

Fig.3.9. Adding a host to the vCenter server

Once vCenter Server has the ESXi host connected successfully it will look like the
following in the vSphere Client

Fig.3.10. ESXi host added successfully to the vCenter server

Summary
Installation of Vcenter server is completed and added a host to it successfully. Next step
is the installation of view conection server.

35

CHAPTER 4
VIEW CONNECTION SERVER
4.1. Preparing for View 4.5 Connection server Installation
There are several VMware documents that will be referenced in this document. The first
is the VMware View 4.5 Evaluators Guide. A detailed manual for the installation of View
4.5 Manager and Composer can be found in the View 4.5 Installation guide at:
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/view45_installation_guide.pdf.

The purpose of this VMware View 4.5 Installation guide is to provide step-by-step
instructions for installing and configuring View 4.5 for the environment. If there are any
questions or issues that come up during the installation, please consult the authoritative
“VMware

View

4.5

Installation

Guide”

from

the

following

link
36

“http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/entdesk/view”.

4.2. View manager or view connection server Requirements
The View Manager can be installed on a 32-bit or 64-bit dedicated physical or virtual
machine (a system hosted on VMware ESX or ESXi hypervisor). The hardware
requirements are listed in Chapter 1 of the View installation manual; but briefly, the
system should support at least dual processors, have multiple network interface cards,
4GB of RAM (Windows Server 2008) or 2 GB of RAM (Windows Server 2003 32-bit).
Windows Server 2003 32-bit, Windows Server 2003 R2 32-bit and Windows Server 2008
R2 64-bit are supported for the View Manager. Note that the View Manager provides a
web server interface which supports Internet Explorer 7 or greater. You may need to
update the View Manager Host web browser if you are running an older Operating
System.
Ensure that you have a valid license key for the VMware View Connection Server. You
can request an evaluation key as well as download the View and ESXi software from the
VMware website at: https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=default.
NOTE: The View connection server must be joined to an Active Directory domain. The
View Manager must also be configured with a static IP address.

4.3. Step by Step installation procedure
1. The View 4.5 Manager can be installed on either a Windows 2008 Server or Windows
2003 Server. You can download the necessary View 4.5 components from the VMware
Support download site:
http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/desktop_downloads/vmware_view/4_5
For reference purposes, a video of “how to install and configure the VMware View 4.5
Manager” can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKYHdUj3O5s

37

2. After downloading the VMware-viewconnectionserver-x86* image, run the installation
as an administrator

Fig.4.1: welcome to the Installation wizard for VMware View connection server

3. After accepting the defaults for the agreements, accept the default install folder or
change it as appropriate and click next.

Fig.4.2. view connection server default destination folder

4. Since this is the first View Manager installation, select the Standard Server build (As
we are installing the first connection server we need to select standard server.)

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Fig.4.3. View connection Server Installation options

5. If you receive the following message, follow the directions indicated and change the IP
from DHCP to a static IP. You’ll need to start the View Manager installation again after
the change

Fig.4.4. Error message that shows view connection server require a static IP

6. You will see the following window as the installation makes progress:

Fig.4.5. View connction server installation in progress

7. If you are installing on a Windows 2008 Server you will see the following window.
39

Click Next and continue the installation.

Fig.4.6. Firewall configuration window

8. When the View 4.5 Manager installation is complete click on finish to exit the
installation wizard

4.4. Using View Administrator
You can confirm the installation by bringing up the View Manager Configuration display
by typing in the View Manager IP address into an Internet browser as below.
( http://<IP_ADDRESS_VIEW_MANAGER>/admin ).
Note that the View administration interface will require Flash (you will receive a notice
the first time you bring up the admin GUI along with a download option). You can also
bring up a web browser to the same address by double clicking on the “View
Administrator Console” icon on the View Manager desktop. Click on “Continue to this
website” to accept the default security certificate.

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Fig.4.7. View Administrator Login screen

1. Log in to the View administrative interface by pointing your web browser to the IP
address followed by /admin (for example, http://192.168.0.201/admin). Login using the
credentials of a domain administrator.

Fig.4.8. VMware view administrator basic interface

2. Select Product Licensing and Usage on the left-hand part of the display and select the
“Edit License” button. Enter the VMware View 4.5 License Key and click OK. As noted
above, an evaluation key can be requested from the VMware website
https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=default

41

Fig.4.9. Adding vCenter server to the view administrator

3. Add the vCenter Server to the View Manager. Select View Configuration -> Servers in
the left hand selection window. Then select Add in the right result pane. Enter the vCenter
Server address, user name and password. Select OK.

Summary
The vCenter server is installed on a dedicated server successfully. An host is added to the
vCenter server for the centralized management. The vCenter instance is added to the view
administrator. So that the managed virtual machines which are under vCenter server can
be used to create a desktop pool and can be assigned to the user. A view composer
instance can also be added to this vCenter server to create linked clones of master virtual
machine template.

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CHAPTER 5
VIEW COMPOSER
For the purposes of this environment, will be deploying linked-clone desktops from a
single desktop image. View Composer provides this capability and has a few
requirements. Namely, a SQL database must reside on or be available to the vCenter
Server instance that will be integrated with the View Manager. If an SQL databases
already exists for vCenter Server, View Composer can use that existing database instance.
If not, View Composer can use the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express instance provided
with vCenter for quick proof of concept deployment. In actual production, we
recommend that you have a standalone SQL server instance that can also be used later for
logging the VMware View event database. This SQL Server Express database should be
upgraded if the View system is going into production use. The VMware hypervisor, ESX
or ESXi must be vSphere 4 or later to take advantage of View Composer.

5.1. Preparing Active Directory

VMware View utilizes Microsoft Active Directory for user authentication and
management. Windows 2000 AD, Windows 2003 AD, and Windows 2008 AD are
supported. Again, ensure that the View Manager system is joined to an Active Directory
domain. Since users will be authenticated against Active Directory, the View Manager
domain should have proper trust agreements in place to authenticate the lab users You
may want to consider (although it’s not required) creating an Active Directory
organizational unit (OU) specifically for your View desktops. An OU is a subdivision in
Active Directory that contains users, groups, computers, or other OUs. This capability
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allows group policies to be applied uniquely to the virtual desktops. GPOs can be
managed via the Group Policy module for PowerShell (including in Windows Server
2008 or with Microsoft’s Remote Server Administration Tools).

1. Create a new Active Directory Organizational Unit that will store all of your lab linked
clone desktops. Open Active Directory Users and Computers (run dsa.msc) and create the
new OU. For the purposes of this lab, it is named the new OU “lab linked clones”.

Fig.5.1. Creating new OU to the active directory domain controller

2. Create a user account in Active Directory for the View Composer. This user should
have the following capabilities to the OU just created: Delete Computer Objects, Create
Computer Objects, Write All Properties, Read Permissions, Read All Properties, and List
Contents. The account permissions should apply to all child objects in the linked clone
OU. We will use the user name “Composer.”

44

Fig.5.2. Adding new user to active directory domain controller

3. Log in into vCenter and create a new folder to hold the lab linked clone desktops
(right-click on your datacenter object -> New Folder). If vCenter is not installed yet, see
Appendix B and complete the installation of vCenter.

5.2. Database Settings
For utilizing linked-clones, it will be necessary to install View Composer, which the
following steps outline. Briefly, you will install View Composer on the vCenter Server,
create a data source name (DSN) and then create a View Composer database (either
Oracle 9i, Oracle 10g, Oracle 11g or a SQL Server database). The View Composer
service does not include a database. The View Composer database stores information
about the desktops deployed by View Composer. For our purposes, we will add a new
View Composer database to the existing vCenter Server SQL Server 2005 express
database. To create the database, first download and then launch the SQL Server
Management Studio Express (this is a free utility from Microsoft). Since vCenter is
running on a 64-bit Operating System be sure to download the 64 bit package. In our case
that is SQLServer2005_SSMSEE_x64.msi from http://download.microsoft.com.
1. The procedure on the vCenter Server is to select Start -> All Programs -> Microsoft
SQL Management Studio Express 2005. Right click on the databases folder and click

45

New Database. We’ll use the name ViewComposer. Click OK.

Fig.5.3. Adding new database instance for view composer

2. Now that the database exists, you must configure an ODBC connection to the
Composer server. On the vCenter Server, select Start -> Administrative Tools -> Data
Source (ODBC). Select System DSN tab. Click Add and select SQL Native Client from
the list and click finish.
3. Complete the form. In this case we’ll use the name ViewComposer to describe the
ODBC DSN and specify the virtual server hostname in the server field drop down box.
Click on Next.

46

Fig.5.4. Adding database details to configure view composer

You can specify either Windows NT authentication (for a local SQL server as in our
specific case) or SQL Server authentication (if you are using a remote instance of SQL
Server).
4. Click Next. Change the default database to the name of the View Composer database
from the dropdown list.

Fig.5.5. Microsoft SQL server DNS configuration for view composer

Ensure you have both “Use ANSI quoted identifiers” enabled and “Use ANSI nulls,
paddings and warnings” enabled as well.
5. Select Next and then Finish. Select the Test Data Source to verify that the connection is
established properly. Don’t proceed until the test completes successfully.
47

NOTE: If you will be using an Oracle 11g or 10g Database for View Composer instead of
SQL, please see the View Installation Guide for details on the setup.
Now that the View Composer database and View Composer DSN are configured, you can
move on to the installation of the View Composer service on the vCenter Server.

5.3. Installing the View Composer Service
1. If you have not already done so, download and run the VMware View Composer 2.5
executable on the vCenter Server. The installer filename is VMware-viewcomposerxxxxxx.exe, where xxxxxx is the build number. This installer file installs the View
Composer service on 64-bit and 32-bit Windows Server Operating Systems.

Fig.5.6. View composer installation wizard

2. Accept the End User Agreement by clicking Next and accept the terms. For our case,
we’ll install the Composer in the default directory by clicking Next. Select the DSN for
the View Composer database that you provided in the Microsoft or Oracle ODBC Data
Source Administrator Wizard. In our case, we’ll use View Composer. If you have not
already created a DSN for the View Composer database, click on ODBC DSN Setup to
configure a name now.
48

Fig.5.7. Adding Database information during view composer installation

3. Accept the default SOAP Port and click Next. Either provide an SSL certificate or
select the radio button to create a default SSL certificate. Click Install and Finish to
complete the Composer service installation.
It will be important to ensure that the vSphere environment has enough CPU, memory,
and I/O resources to host the desktops that you require. It is a best practice to use the
vSphere client to monitor those resources. There are several other important practices to
follow. Stagger the run times of the antivirus software. Also ensure that the Dynamic
Name Service (DNS) is operating correctly and that the desktop virtual machine names
can be resolved in DNS. To test DNS operation, ping the Active Directory and View
Connection Servers by name.

5.4. Configuring View Composer
To use View Composer, you must configure View Manager with initial settings. Earlier in
the procedure, a domain user was created with permissions to add and remove virtual
desktop machines from the Active Directory domain that contains the linked clones.

49

We’ll now configure that same user in the View Manager. In the View Manager
administration window (http://<IP_ADDRESS_OF_VIEW_MGR>/admin) select View
Configuration->Servers. In the vCenter Servers panel, select the vCenter Server already
configured. Now click Edit. Enable the View Composer. View Manager now attempts to
communicate with the View Composer service running on the vCenter Server.

Fig.5.8. Adding View composer to the vCenter Instance in view Administrator

Summary
View composer instance is installed in the vCenter server successfully. And also it is
added to the vCenter server details under view administrator. Hence it is possible to
create linked clones of a managed virtual machine.

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CHAPTER 6
VIEW AGENT
The View Agent component assists with session management, single sign-on, and device
redirection. You must install View Agent on all virtual machines, physical systems, and
terminal servers that will be managed by View Manager. Refer the following table for the
list of supported operating systems for the view agent installation

Table.6.1 lists the operating systems supported for View Agent.

6.1. Step by step installation of view agent
1) Launch the VMware vSphere Client from the shortcut on the desktop of the “Control
Center” machine.

51

Fig.6.1. Logging in to the vCenter server through vSphere client

2) Check the box labeled “Use Windows session credentials”. Click Login.
3) From the left column of the VI Client interface, select the Parent Windows7 VM
named “W7” and open console.

Fig.6.2. opening a console of the Desktop on which view agent is going to be installed

4) In the console select VM from the tool bar, click Guest and click the Send
Ctrl+Alt+Del option.
5) Login as “administrator“
6) Run the “VMware-viewagent-4.5.0-274035.exe” from the desktop. When prompted

52

for the “open security – security warning” click Run.
7) Click Next to start the installation.

Fig.6.3. View Agent Installation wizard

8) Accept the End User Patent Agreement and then click Next.
9) Under custom setup leave the options default. Click Next to continue.

Fig.6.4.View Agent installation Custom Setup options window

10) Click Install to begin the installation. You will see several screens flash by in the
background as the various components are installed.
11) If you have any warnings about drivers, please click Continue Anyway.
12) Click Finish when the wizard completes and reboot the desktop

53

Summary
The view agent is installed on a desktop which means the desktop is ready to assign a
user or to create a linked clone desktop pool.

CHAPTER 7
CREATING THE LINKED CLONE DESKTOP POOL
Now that you have created the Parent virtual machine, and configured VMware View to
use the Composer user, we will next create a pool of linked clones.

7.1. Creating a linked clone desktop pool in view Administrator
1. Open the VMware View Administrator console. Select Inventory -> Pools and then the
Add button. And Select the Automated Pool option in the resulting Add Pool Wizard

54

Fig.7.1. Add pool wizard in the view administrator

2. Virtual desktop users can either have dedicated or floating desktops. Dedicated means
that each time a user logs in they will get the same virtual machine. Floating provides the
end user with a random desktop from the pool. In our use case, the lab environment, we
will assign desktops to lab users randomly so we will use the “Floating” user assignment.

Fig.7.2. type of pool to be assaigned to the user

Virtual machines can be deployed as either full virtual machines created from a vCenter
Server template or as Composer linked clones. We will be using Composer linked clones
because they share the same base image (Parent) and therefore use significantly less
storage space. The user profile can be redirected to persistent disks that will be unaffected

55

by OS updates and refreshes

Fig.7.3. Selecting type of virtual desktop to be assaigned to the user

3. After hitting Next, specify the attributes of the Pool. Provide a name for the pool,
display name (which the users will see when they connect to the View Manager from the
View client), the View Folder (which can be used for organizing the pool and delegating
administration and a description to be shown in the Summary tab for the View
Administrator.)

Fig.7.4. Assaigning ID for the new pool that is creating

4. Now specify the pool settings. These settings are detailed in the VMware View 4.5
Administrator Guide. For our purposes we will set the automatic logoff after disconnect
to 60 minutes. Hit the Next button.
56

Fig.7.5. Choosing the pool seeting from the available options

5. The following configuration screen gives you the option to redirect disposable files
such as page files and temp files to a “Non-persistent disk.” This non-persistent disk will
be deleted automatically when a user session ends. We will use the default 4096 MB
value. Hit the Next button.

Fig.7.6. View composer Disks settings window

6. The next screen provides the ability to assign names to the virtual desktops. Enable the
basic settings of Enable Provisioning and Stop provisioning on error. We have set the
naming convention to include two digits (01, 02, .…) beginning with LinkedClone--. The
size of the pool is also specified here. In our case, we are setting up 10 desktops. These
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desktops can be provisioned whenever they are needed (on demand) or up-front. Up-front
will ensure the desktops are ready when the users log in. Also note the number of spare
desktops (which refers to the spare powered-on desktops). We will set the number to the
maximum pool size to ensure that the desktops are all available immediately for the lab
users.
`

Fig.7.7.Provisining Settings Window

7. The next screen is used to specify the default Parent image. Hit Browse and select the
Parent virtual machine prepared earlier. Next specify the virtual machine folder in
vCenter Server that you wish to place the desktop virtual machines within. Select the
ESXi host (or Cluster) and the vCenter Server resource pool you wish to use. And finally,
select the datastore you wish to place the new Desktop virtual machines within.

58

Fig.7.8. Vcenter settings window

8. The next screen allows you to specify which Active Directory Container to place the
virtual machines within. You can also specify whether you wish to use either Microsoft’s
Sysprep or QuickPrep for preparing the virtual machines for lab use. As the name
implies, QuickPrep is designed to work efficiently with View Composer and is generally
faster than Microsoft Sysprep. Sysprep generates a unique SID and QuickPrep does not.
Note that SysPrep is only supported on vSphere 4.1. You can also specify the use of a
different datastore for the View Composer replica disks (Parent virtual machine). This is
accomplished under the datastore’s browse button. If you have a high speed datastore
such as a Solid State Drive or fast LUN you wish to use, this would be appropriate to host
the Parent virtual machine. The View 4.5 reference architecture provides more
information on how to optimize View 4.5 deployments by utilizing tiered storage. The
image below provides a snapshot of the screen. For the lab deployment, consider using
the stateless or non-persistent desktops and have linked clone replica stored in a solid
state drive (SSD).

The Replica is the Parent image that the linked clones use as their base image. It
considered a best practice to place this Parent image on a high-speed datastore such as a
solid state drive on the ESXi server. If a higher speed datastore is not an option, then
don’t select the “Use different datastore for View Composer replica disks”.
9. The next screen lets you set the guest customization options. Specify the domain and
AD container you wish to add the View desktops into. You can use the default OU
(CN=Computers) or utilize the OU created earlier to contain the lab virtual desktops. You
can also specify whether you want to use QuickPrep (with optional power-off and postsynchronization scripts) or Microsoft’s Sysprep. If you choose to use Sysprep, follow the
directions in the VMware ESXi Administrators guide. For the purposes of our lab, we
will choose to use QuickPrep.
59

Fig.7.9.Guest Customizations window

10. Finally, the last screen summarizes the options selected. Hit Finish after reviewing the
selections.

Fig.7.10. Summary of the options selected to create a desktop pool

The View Manager will now begin to create the lab pool. You can watch the pool virtual
machines being created by bringing up the vCenter client. Look under “Inventory ->
virtual machines and Templates” and note the tasks in the lower part of the screen. Note
also that the View Manager is in charge of creating and destroying the desktop virtual
machines. DON’T create or destroy the desktop virtual machines from within vCenter.
The entire lifecycle of the desktop virtual machines will be handled by VMware View
Manager.
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NOTE: If you find errors with the customization process, see the VMware Knowledge
Base article found online at: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1026999
Now that the pool is being created, the next step is to entitle lab users to access the
desktop virtual machines. This is done from within the View Administrator interface.

11. Go to the View Administrator (https://[name_of_View_Manager]/admin) and select
the “Inventory -> Pools” tab. Select the newly created Pool and select the Entitlements
button. Now hit the Add button. Enter the lab user active directory name into the “Find
User or Group” screen. You can enter as many users or groups as you wish. These users
will have access to the virtual desktop machines. After entering and then selecting the
user name or group, hit the OK button. This will return you to the Entitlements interface.
Hit OK. You should now note that the pool ID has a green arrow under the entitlements
column indicating that the pool is entitled. Note also that the Enabled column is also
checked. If checked, the pool is enabled for end users to access their entitled desktops.

You can check on the status of the newly created desktops by going to the View
Administrator interface and selecting Inventory -> Desktops. The desktop name, pool ID,
DNS name, host and so forth are presented here. Note in particular the Desktop Status. It
will read Available when View is ready to present the desktop to the end user.

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Fig.7.11.Desktop pools listed inside the view Administrator

Summary
A linked clone desktop pool has been created and entitled to a user. The final step is to
connect the users to the newly created virtual desktop. This connection is accomplished
via the VMware View Client. This client is supported on a number of end user devices
such as zero clients, laptops, desktops, thin clients, and other mobile devices.

CHAPTER 8
VIEW CLIENT
8.1. About view client
Users run View Client to connect to their View desktops. You must install View Client or
View Client with Local Mode on a supported operating system. Table 8.1 lists the
Microsoft Windows operating systems supported for View Client. For information about
operating systems supported by other View Clients, such as View Client for the Mac and
View Client for iPad, Go to
https://www.vmware.com/support/viewclients/doc/viewclients_pubs.html.
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IMPORTANT: View Client with Local Mode is supported only on Windows systems
and only on physical computers. In addition, to use this feature, your VMware license
must include View Client with Local Mode

Table 8.1. View Client Operating System Support for Windows-Based Clients

8.2. View Client Installation
1) Run the VMware-viewclient-<version>.exe file.
2) Click Run.
3) Click Next

Fig.8.1. view client installation wizard

4) Accept the End User License Agreement
5) Click Next

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Fig.8.2. view client installation, custome setup options windows

6) You can add the connection server. Then click Next

Fig.8.3. Adding connection server instance details to view client installation

7) Click Next , on the enhanced single sign on window
8) Click Next, by accepting the defaults on the configuring short cuts window
9) Review Installation and Click Install to start the installation
10) Click Finish when complete.

Summary
Hence we completed the installation of view client by running this we are able to connect
the pool by providing the credentials in the login screen.

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CHAPTER 9
CONNECTING TO THE VMWARE VIEW VIRTUAL
DESKTOPS
The final step is to connect the users to the newly created virtual desktop, which is
accomplished via the VMware View Client. This client is supported on a number of enduser-devices such as laptops, desktops, thin clients and others. We will start by testing the
65

connection from a Windows PC or laptop. Download the VMware View Client onto the
end-user-access point and begin the installation. There are several types of the View
Client. The larger View client image supports the ability of checking out the desktop
virtual machine. Install the smaller image, which instead simply provides access to the
lab desktops. Once the VMware View Client is installed, run the client. Point the client to
the Fully Qualified Domain Name or IP address of the View Manager. Enter the login
credentials of the entitled lab user. Hit OK. Now select the Pool ID.

Now that the pool is being created, the next step is to entitle lab users to access the
desktop virtual machines. This is done from within the View Administrator interface.

9.1. Entitling the users to pool
1. Go to the View Administrator (https://[name_of_View_Manager]/admin) and select the
“Inventory -> Pools” tab. Select the newly created Pool and select the Entitlements
button. Now hit the Add button. Enter the lab user active directory name into the “Find
User or Group” screen. You can enter as many users or groups as you wish. These users
will have access to the virtual desktop machines. After entering and then selecting the
user name or group, hit the OK button. This will return you to the Entitlements interface.
Hit OK. You should now note that the pool ID has a green arrow under the entitlements
column indicating that the pool is entitled. Note also that the Enabled column is also
checked. If checked, the pool is enabled for end users to access their entitled desktops.

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Fig.9.1. Entitling the user to the pool

You can check on the status of the newly created desktops by going to the View
Administrator interface and selecting Inventory -> Desktops. The desktop name, pool ID,
DNS name, host and so forth are presented here.

9.2. Logging in to view client
Note in particular the Desktop Status. It will read Available when View is ready to
present the desktop to the end user. The final step is to connect the users to the newly
created virtual desktop. This connection is accomplished via the VMware View Client.
This client is supported on a number of end user devices such as zero clients, laptops,
desktops, thin clients, and other mobile devices.

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Fig.9.2. logging in to view client

Now select the Pool ID and click on Connect.

Fig.9.3. Choosing the respective pool from the list of pools that are assaigned to user

You should now be attached to the virtual desktop. If you move your mouse to the top of
the screen you should see the Options menu available. Note there are several options to
disconnect. You can disconnect or disconnect with logoff. Disconnecting from the
desktop will leave the state of the desktop in place. Disconnecting with logoff will both
disconnect the user from the virtual desktop as well as logoff the user from the session as
well. There is a Connect USB Device menu pane at the top of the frame as well. This will
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allow the user to connect various USB devices to the virtual desktop.
Summary
By this chapter we accomplished our main aim and the implementation of Desktop As A
Service (DAAS) is accomplished successfully using VMware view 4.5

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CONCLUSION
To accomplish Desktop As A Service, a new or existing active directory domain
controller is installed and joined all required servers and desktops to the domain. For the
centralised management of the virtual infrastructure vCenter server is installed in a
dedicated virtual windows server. To act as a broker between the user machine, which is
called client, and the desktop that is assaigned to user, a connection server is installed. It
acts as a broker. To implement linked clones we installed view composer inside the
vCenter server.

Successfully implementing and integrating all the above componets the main aim of the
project, which is delivering a centralised, secured, and managed desktop to the employee.

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REFERENCES
1. Chris McCain and Rawlinson Rivera Mastering VMware Infrastrusture 3
2. http://www.vmware.com/virtualization/
3. http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_esxi_i_vc_setup_guide.pdf
4. http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
5. http://www.vmware.com/pdf/view45_installation_guide.pdf.
6. http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/entdesk/view
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKYHdUj3O5s

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