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How to use Novell with VMware View

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Since VMware View does only support Microsoft Active Directory Service as directory service, Novell eDirectory users need another way to get their environment working with the VMware virtual desktop infrastructure. First of all you will definitely need an Active Directory to integrate the View Manager with so that the users can logon and get authenticated. To get the users from the eDirectory in sync with the Active Directory you should use the standard Novell tools.

To run your login scripts, network and printer mappings from your Novell environment you have to install the Novell Client on the virtual desktop. In my test installation I’ve used the client in version 4.91 SP5 and installed the software before the VMware View agent. This is important to get the GINA chaining working properly. You should install the Novell client in the Custom Installation mode that you can decide which options to be chosen.

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When it comes to the components be sure that Novell Distributed Print Service is unchecked and continue installation.

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Please check both, the NMAS authentication and also NICI. Uncheck the NetIdendity Agent.

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At the network protocol screen please choose IP only and click on next.

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Choose your login authenticator and press Next again.

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Finish the installation.

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After the installation the Novell Client requires and reboot which you should do. After restarting the desktop the login GINA is changed to the Novell one. Please login here with you Windows login credentials and choose the Windows authentication.

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Now you can install the VMware View Agent and select the features you want to use with your desktop.

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When the agent was installed successfully please open the Windows Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Novell\Login. Create two new string values here. The first one is DefaultLocationProfile which needs to be set to Default and the second is TSClientAutoAdminLogon which needs to bet set to 1.

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Logoff from the virtual desktop now and entitle the desktop to a user. Since I’ve just installed a test server for Novell eDirectory I’ve no user/password sync setup. I’ve created my test user in the Active Directory and eDirectory and set the same password then pre-configured the Novell Client with the Novell Server and Tree name.

The following videos shows how it looks like when logging on to a VMware View desktop with integrated Novell Client and working GINA cascading:

VMware View & Novell eDirectory from Christoph on Vimeo.

Added 17.06.2009: It is necessary that the context for the user is pre-configured in the registry when not using context-free login. Otherwise the Novell login dialog will come up and state that the username/password combination is wrog or the user was not found in the specific context. I’ve also worked on the Zenworks integration for a while and seen that it is possible to integrate it but it seems that there are some issues. Possibly just a configuration mistake but I don’ t really know. I managed the DLU but the roaming user profile fails.

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Posted by Christoph Harding on Friday, June 5, 2009 at 11:24 am 
Filed under Active Directory, Authentication, Directory Service, Novell, View Agent · Tags , , , , , 5,879 views

  • Tosmith
    What do we do if we need Novell Distributed Print Services? Basically we us iPrint. In that case do I need Novell Distributed Print Services?
    Tim
  • hi tim, you can use iprint. w're using it too and it works fine. when you would like to make the printers available after a recompose, you must set the right value "AllowUserPrinters" at:
    SYS:APACHE2\HTDOCS\IPPDOCS\iPrint.ini to the value "2"

    Simon
  • Tosmith
    Currently set to "3". I plan to have the iprint printers installed/configured in the Pool's Parent/Snapshot. It works better for us to use Workstation Printers. Should be fine, right?
  • we have many printers, and they are mostly only for one user, so it makes for us no sense to add these printers in the snapshot, so every user add his printer self.
    i don't know what the option 3 is.
  • using the novell client should work that out

    Von meinem iPad gesendet

    Am 12.07.2010 um 16:55 schrieb "Disqus" <>:
  • Tosmith
    I have an issue where the Novell Client does not come up for at least 5 minutes. It is random and seems to be related to a recent log out. In other words, if you log out you might not get back in for 5 to 10 minutes. If you wait long enough the client does come up.
  • You should generate Debug logfiles on client and agent. Go to the installation folder in C:/programs/vmware.. and use the support.bat in the folder DCT to first set the debuglevel with parameter loglevels and then start the generation of the logs. Look for the entry where the agent is waiting the long time as you said.

    Regards.

    Christoph
  • exot
    Vmware says that the bug (SSO with PCoIP) has been fixed with 4.0.1

    but its still not working. any ideas?
  • I think thats not the case for the Novell GINA. The connection shouldn't work with PCoIP as it is a console based protocol.
  • Hi Christoph

    Does single sign on work with view 4, over pcoip?
    By us, it works only via rdp.

    Thanks for testing :)

    info for all novell-users:
    when you distribute the gpo's via novell, you must change the settings in the novell gpo's and not in the active directory.
  • Hi there,

    It's only working with RDP. Also when the article was written there were
    onbly View 3.

    Regards.

    Christoph

    2010/1/14 Disqus <>
  • Andre
    Hi Christoph,
    do you know if there is something new in this case?
    I'm testing also View 4.01 with a Novell Login and Single Sign on. And with PCoIP it doesn't works.
    So I have the hope that after a lot of time there is a workaroung solving this "feature".

    Regards,

    Andre
  • i've heared that with view 4.5 the sso-problem will be solved with many others solutions, but i have no infos about the novell sso. i hope it works too, my users are nerved about this double login (p20 login and vm login) :)
  • ok, now i know whats the problem, it's a bug.
    View 4 Single Sign on not working:
    http://communities.vmware.com/thread/244051
  • adriansahota
    Has anyone got this going with Windows 2008 Terminal Server yet? I've added the Novell Client 2, and VMware Agent, and my passwords between Active Directory and eDirectory are in sync, but when i try to connect to the terminal server via View, I get a local username/password error. If i click ok, and do a Novell Login, hey presto, all is fine, Novell Drive Mappings and AD Account logged in. Any idea's? Thanks.
  • Adam
    Have you had any luck with the Zenworks integration?
  • Hi Adam,

    I've tested it with ZW 7 and 10. Did you have issues?

    Regards,

    Christoph
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