VMware has just released a new update for the enterprise desktop virtualization software VMware View. The new version which is 5.0.1 is a maintenance release and includes updates for the server, client and agent components. This maintanace release fixes a few issues which are tracked at the VMware website. (Resolved Issues)

The resolved issues are grouped as follows:

• Install and Upgrade
• View Administrator
• View Client
• Miscellaneous

Install and Upgrade

• Previously, you could not include the space character in the security server password or a trailing space at the end of the password. If the security server password contained a space, security server installation failed with the messageUnable to pair the Security Server with the specified Connection Server.

View Administrator

• Previously, on rare occasions, when you used the Add Pool wizard, the following error message appeared: “There was an error while trying to determine domains. [errorcode=3,000].” This message indicated that one of the domain objects in Active Directory was corrupted. This issue has been resolved.

View Client

• A memory leak issue associated with copying and pasting text was addressed and resolved.
• Occasionally, if you used a View desktop on multiple monitors and had some application windows open on each monitor, if the View desktop session got disconnected and then reconnected, some of the application windows would change size, position, monitor, or some combination of these. This issue has been resolved.
• Previously, on rare occasions, View Client could not connect to View Connection Server, and the client logs indicated a failure of the AcquireCredentialsHandle API, with a 0×80090305 error. This situation occurred because the message framework component of View Client failed to load the secur32.dll system DLL dynamically. This issue is now resolved by linking secur32.dll statically in Messageframework.dll.
• With regards to the virtual printing feature, occasionally, one or more printers available from your client system would not become availab le from within your View desktop. Or you would see printers listed in the View desktop that were not available to your client computer but were available from a client computer that you previously used to connect to your View desktop. This issue has been resolved.
• Previously, on Japanese systems, if you used location-based printing, in the View desktop, if you went to the Printers and Fax dialog box, clicked Preferences, and then went to the “Page Setup” and “Advanced” tabs, you would find that the text at the bottoms of these tabs was truncated. This issue has been resolved.
• Previously, when you first logged in to a checked out local desktop, the desktop would sometimes display the following error: There are currently no logon servers available to service the logon request.This issue was most likely to occur for a Windows Vista or Windows 7 guest operating system on a full virtual machine from a manual or automatic pool.

Miscellaneous

• Previously, if you opened a command prompt in a View desktop and ran the set command, the list of environment variables displayed would sometimes not include the volatile environment variables for View Client. This issue has been resolved.
• Previously, you could configure dedicated View desktops to be suspended if users had logged out but not if they had disconnected without logging out. This issue has been resolved so that you can now configure dedicated View desktops to be suspended when users disconnect. This functionality helps to conserve resources. To enable “Suspend on disconnect”:
  1. Open ADSI Edit.
  2. In the console tree, click ADSI Edit.
  3. From the Action menu, select “Connect to.”
  4. In the “Select or type a domain or server ” field, specify the server name as localhost:389.
  5. Under “Connection point,” click “Select or type a distinguished name or naming context “, and then specify the distinguished name as DC=vdi,DC=vmware,DC=int and click OK. 
     The ADAM ADSI Edit main window appears.
  6. Expand the ADAM ADSI tree, and expand OU=Properties.
  7. Select OU=Global and select CN=Common in the right pane.
  8. Select Action > Properties, and under the pae-NameValuePair attribute, add new entrysuspendOnDisconnect=1.
  9. Restart View Connection Server.

The new version also includes some new features.

• New Mac OS X Client (Release Notes)
• Client SSL requirement

Link: http://downloads.vmware.com/d/details/view_501_premier_en/dCV0YndkakBidCVkKg==

I’ve just spotted a new document from VMware which could be interesting for the View architects and admins out there. The technical best practice paper is about Antivirus solutions in a VMware View environment. It gives you an overview of the common practices used to secure the VDI installation.

Link: http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-AntiVirusPractices-TN-EN.pdf

Today Cisco announced that the company will resell VMware View 5 software as part of an integrated desktop virtualization solution based on Cisco’s UCS (Unified Computing System). Here’re are key facts highlights:

• The Cisco UCS and VMware View integrated desktop virtualization solution provides customers with:
  • Simplified physical and virtual infrastructure and management associated with virtual desktop deployments, providing an excellent user experience, coupled with a foundation optimized for performance and availability.
  • A streamlined operational model that enables the deployment of virtual desktops to users in minutes.
  • A lower cost per seat realized through greater hosted desktop density, fewer components to purchase and manage, and reduced storage costs.
  • Scalability to meet customers’ business needs and regulatory requirements, while reducing risk and total cost of ownership (TCO).
  • Consistent security policy implementation and administration through UCS Manager and VMware View integration.
  • Consistent access to the desktop environment across locations and devices, with exceptional application responsiveness and graphics performance.
• Cisco VXI builds on Cisco’s network-based architectures from Collaboration to Borderless Networks to the Unified Data Center, combined with services and support to deliver a comprehensive virtual workspace solution that simplifies deployment, reduces overall costs and minimizes implementation risk.
• By the end of the first quarter of 2012, distributors, channel partners and customers will be able to purchase Cisco and VMware integrated virtual desktop solutions directly from Cisco.
• Cisco is also introducing new channel enablement resources, such as playbooks and tool kits, to help channel partners to accelerate their customers’ journey to the cloud.
• Through this agreement, customers can take advantage of Cisco Capital financing offerings when purchasing the integrated Cisco and VMware desktop virtualization solution which can reduce capital expenditures and spread out the cost.

More Information can be found at the following website.

Link: http://investor.cisco.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=648069

Kudos to Matt Lesak who posted a link to the VMware View 5.0 Documentation Center. He pusblished a link on Twitter which forwards you to the TCP and UDP Ports needed for VMware View. As I get tons of requests about the networking ports I thought it might be a good idea to pusblish this link on the blog.

The article gives you an overview of all ports with Source, Target, Port number, protocol and a brief description.

Example:

Link: http://3url.de/vmwareviewports

Original Tweet by Matt: #VMwareView network port table ow.ly/7Z8sv #VDI #VMware

A free tool for VMware View with the name VMware View Portal eXtender was coming up in the last week. With that tool you can add a Content Management System (CMS) for branding and adding oher functionality to the View Portal. With the eXtender you can add functionality like announcements, links, support information and more. Here’s what the vendor says:

If you want to learn morr about the tool, you should check ou this website: http://www.techstur.com/Solutions/VMWare/Tech.aspx

VMware has published a few videos about vCenter Operations for VMware View. This article gives you just one of the videos. Please check this link to see more.

The city of Pittsburgh is using VMware View 5.0 for nearly 3000 users. Please find the links for a video and the case study here. Especially in the public sector VMware View is a great solution when it comes to information security.

Video: View 5 at City of Pittsburgh

Case Study: http://www.vmware.com/a/customers/customer/429

The new version of the VMware View Client is available for download. The new version comes with some great features.

• Optimized performance for VMware View 5
• Support for iOS5 including AirPlay
• Presentation Mode for use with external display and AirPlay
• Embedded RSA soft token simplifies login to desktop
• Background tasking to move between Windows and iOS apps

BTW: The new Android client is available too!

Via Twitter: @mittim21