Tips

Tips

VMware virtual desktop software

• How to use VMware Horizon Performance Tracker

  A good user experience is essential for VDI. Learn how to install and use VMware Horizon Performance Tracker to take the pulse of end-user experience.  Continue Reading

• How to use two-factor authentication in Horizon View

  Two-factor authentication is an important security layer for VDI deployments that helps to prevent breaches. Discover the ins and outs of implementing 2FA in VMware Horizon View.  Continue Reading

• How does VMware vRealize Operations for Horizon work?

  VMware's built-in VDI monitoring tool, vRealize Operations for Horizon, can help IT pros gather performance and usage data in VMware and Citrix VDI deployments.  Continue Reading

• Ensure software and hardware get along after a VDI platform upgrade

  IT admins must be careful when handling VDI upgrades, because platform vendors and certain endpoint devices don't always play nice together.  Continue Reading

• Find the right home for each of the four VMware Horizon editions

  There are four editions of VMware Horizon IT admins should know about: Horizon for Linux, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise. Each one addresses different needs.  Continue Reading

• Understand the basics of VMware Blast Extreme vs. PCoIP

  For years PCoIP has been the go-to remote display protocol for View shops, but VMware's in-house protocol, Blast Extreme, is ready to take over.  Continue Reading

• What makes VMware Horizon Air Hybrid-Mode tick?

  With VMware Horizon Air Hybrid-Mode, you get the control of on-premises virtual desktops with the simplified management of desktop as a service.  Continue Reading

• A hands-on look at VMware Horizon View 7

  Reading up on VMware Horizon View 7 has value, but you never know how the company's desktop virtualization platform will work in production until you use it. One expert gives a hands-on tutorial.  Continue Reading

• Software-only options poised to change VDI storage market

  The VDI storage market is heating up, with an array of options for software-only storage platforms. Each one differs significantly from the next.  Continue Reading

• Hardware-based 3D graphics acceleration brings CAD to remote corners

  Graphics acceleration technology improves virtual desktop performance at the VM level, not over the network. One company deployed it for heavy-duty field work in the boondocks.  Continue Reading

• How desktop provisioning works with VMware Instant Clone

  IT can use Instant Clones in VMware Horizon View to provision multiple virtual desktops with shared RAM and disk resources, which can improve overall performance.  Continue Reading

• Explore five hyper-converged infrastructure vendors for VDI

  HCI deployments are good for VDI, but finding the right vendor is tough. Nutanix, Cisco, SimpliVity and others offer strong options for VDI shops.  Continue Reading

• How to deliver Linux desktops using VMware Horizon

  VMware added support for Linux VDI in Horizon View 6.1. It still has some work to do to match the functionality of Windows desktop virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Take a closer look at what's in VMware Workspace One

  After Citrix released a cloud-based management platform in 2015, VMware answered with Workspace One, which combines enterprise mobility management, user authentication and a virtual desktop platform.  Continue Reading

• Compare Citrix, VMware and Microsoft remote display protocol options

  As desktop and app virtualization technologies advance, the top vendors' remote display protocols are keeping pace. Citrix HDX, Microsoft RemoteFX, VMware Blast and Teradici PCoIP protocol can all support modern end-user computing.  Continue Reading

• How VMware App Volumes works

  VMware App Volumes offers IT admins a way to deliver persistent applications from a nonpersistent virtual desktop pool. Learn exactly how this technology works.  Continue Reading

• Smackdown: Citrix User Profile Management vs. VMware View Persona Management

  VMware and Citrix's user profile management tools help secure virtual desktop data and reduce latency during login and logoff better than basic Windows roaming profiles. Learn how the two vendors treat profiles differently.  Continue Reading

• VMware App Volumes and ThinApp are better together

  VMware has two app virtualization tools, but organizations don't need to choose one or the other. Using App Volumes and ThinApp together gives IT departments plenty of app delivery options.  Continue Reading

• How to set up Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition

  Parallels Desktop for Mac provides a way to run Windows applications on Mac computers, and the business edition allows IT to take control of configuring, deploying and managing virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• VMware Project Enzo takes EUC management to the cloud

  Following in the footsteps of Citrix Workspace Cloud, VMware is readying a cloud-based platform of its own, which aims to make workspace design, delivery and management easier than ever.  Continue Reading

• Deliver single apps via Horizon 6 RDSH application pools

  Delivering a full desktop can be excessive if users only need access to a few legacy applications. VMware Horizon View 6 allows IT to publish individual apps through an RDSH farm.  Continue Reading

• How to integrate VMware Workspace Portal with View

  VMware's Workspace Portal offers users a one stop shop to access hosted, virtual, Web and published applications. If you integrate it with View, they can access virtual desktops, too. Here's how.  Continue Reading

• VMware Workspace Portal puts desktop, app access in one interface

  VMware Workspace Portal offers users one interface where they can access SaaS and published apps as well as data-center and cloud-hosted desktops. If your shop supports any of those, the portal could be right for you.  Continue Reading

• Using Horizon 6 RDSH to support task workers

  VMware has long supported RDSH, but not well. In Horizon 6, RDSH can use PCoIP and you can use it to deliver sessions and applications to task workers.  Continue Reading

• Horizon 6 RDSH: How it works and what's missing

  VMware finally has a way to get remote applications to users with RDSH in Horizon 6, but it comes sans simplified access and installation management for hosts.  Continue Reading

• Get to know VMware's Cloud Pod Architecture

  VMware's Cloud Pod Architecture in Horizon 6 lets VDI deployments span multiple data centers and makes managing large deployments easier. But if you have persistent desktops, you'll need a replication tool in case of an outage.  Continue Reading

• Dissecting XenDesktop, Horizon View VDI software

  If you're thinking about buying VDI software, you're probably looking at XenDesktop and Horizon View. Both products do pretty much the same thing, but with different hypervisors, protocols, storage and management tools.  Continue Reading

• Four new features minus two old equal VMware Horizon 6 with View

  What's new in VMware Horizon 6 with View? App remoting, two kinds of hardware graphics acceleration and the Cloud Pod Architecture to name a few. But View Client with Local Mode and built-in profile management are noticeably absent.  Continue Reading

• Feature highlights and pricing for the top VDI platforms

  What do the top VDI platforms have to offer? Get the skinny on the most popular software and the key features that differentiate them.  Continue Reading

• Breaking down VMware GPU virtualization options: Soft 3D, vSGA and vDGA

  VMware GPU virtualization options Soft 3D, vSGA and vDGA have different uses and benefits, but they all help companies reap performance rewards.  Continue Reading

• How VMware Horizon View stacks up

  VMware View's storage features, ease of use and manageability help it stand out against other VDI software candidates.  Continue Reading

• An overview of VMware and Citrix virtual GPU support

  Graphics-intensive apps sure are hungry, but you can keep them satiated with virtual GPU features from the major desktop virtualization vendors.  Continue Reading

• Making Citrix XenDesktop play nice with a VMware hypervisor

  You can run XenDesktop on a VMware hypervisor, but what does that entail? Learn how clustering and vCenter Server work in a mixed VDI environment.  Continue Reading

• How to create Citrix XenDesktop vs. VMware View virtual desktop pools

  Not all virtual desktop pools are made equal. Creating and managing them calls for different processes in VMware View and Citrix XenDesktop.  Continue Reading

• VDI comparison: Citrix XenDesktop vs. VMware View

  A VDI comparison of XenDesktop vs. View reveals more similarities than differences, but organizations must decide which features are essential.  Continue Reading

• VMware View components: What you need and how they work

  To use VMware View for VDI, you need a few different View components, including the View Agent, vCenter Server and View Connection Server.  Continue Reading

• What's new in VMware View 5.1: Integration, storage, endpoint support

  VMware View 5.1 offers View Storage Accelerator and support for more types of endpoints. Even point upgrades can deliver surprising enhancements.  Continue Reading

• One year later and still no VMware AppBlast: What's the story?

  Project AppBlast got lost in the Horizon Suite shuffle at VMworld 2012. IT pros were left wanting more information about how and where the technology will be used.  Continue Reading

• Expect answers about VMware AppBlast, Horizon at VMworld 2012

  At VMworld 2012, attendees can expect VMware to provide some answers about what AppBlast is for and how Mirage might integrate with VMware View.  Continue Reading

• With Wanova Mirage, VMware won’t leave physical desktops in the dust

  VMware's promise that Wanova Mirage will remain a standalone product for traditional PCs proves the company is not ignoring physical desktops.  Continue Reading

• Third-party options fill Wanova's single image management shoes

  In the wake of VMware's acquisition of Wanova, there may be a spot open for third-party single image management tools. SmartDeploy, for instance, offers something similar to Mirage.  Continue Reading

• Desktop virtualization comparison: VDI vs. Remote Desktop Services

  For desktop virtualization, you have a choice between the paths of VDI and Remote Desktop Services. Robert Frost took the road less travelled, but you don't have to choose just one.  Continue Reading

• Acquisition explosion: VDI vendors beef up virtual desktop management

  With oodles of acquisitions among VDI vendors these days, you might wonder how these deals will affect the market. The companies involved are renewing focus on virtual desktop management.  Continue Reading

• Using VDI as a software test environment

  VDI isn't just for desktop delivery. Virtual desktops can also serve as a software test environment, where you can do OS and app testing quickly and easily.  Continue Reading

• The new age of application delivery methods: More than just install

  There are lots of application deployment methods these days, including streaming and 'presenting' via RDS. It's time to form a complete app delivery infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• VMware vSphere Storage Appliance could lower the cost of small VDI

  Using the vSphere Storage Appliance with VMware View could help small VDI implementations save money up front and make it easier to grow.  Continue Reading

• Quest vWorkspace 7.5 plus Hyper-V: Worthy competitor to VMware, Citrix

  The latest version of Quest vWorkspace includes Hyper-V Catalyst Components, which optimize memory and disk I/O to boost virtual desktop performance.  Continue Reading

• Top 10 desktop virtualization news and tips of 2011

  Desktop virtualization grew up in 2011 and SearchVirtualDesktop.com was there to capture all the moments. Here's a countdown of the year's top 10 news stories and tips.  Continue Reading

• Making sense of Cloud Gateway, VMware Horizon and Web Interface

  Citrix and VMware both have software to help enterprises access all applications, enterprise and cloud. Here's how Citrix's latest version of Cloud Gateway stacks up.  Continue Reading

• Citrix provides clear desktop virtualization migration path

  With a new, free Virtual Desktop Assessment Tool and App-DNA's application migration tool, Citrix has cleared the path to desktop virtualization. Now, what will VMware do?  Continue Reading

• Managing multiple hypervisors -- the vAdmin's dilemma

  Forget about standardizing on one hypervisor -- a mixed hypervisor environment is inevitable, especially if you virtualize servers and desktops. These tips will prepare you.  Continue Reading

• Quest offers free Virtual Desktop Optimizer Tool for any platform

  If you manually tweak your virtual desktop images, check out Quest vWorkspace Desktop Optimizer. It's free and it works on any VDI platform -- including XenDesktop and View.  Continue Reading

• Evaluating remote desktop connection brokers

  In part three of our virtual desktop toolbox series, we explain remote desktop protocols and how to choose the best connection broker for your environment.  Continue Reading

• Quest Software, Virtual Bridges offer more bang for the buck

  Citrix and VMware lead the desktop virtualization race, but Quest Software and Virtual Bridges' virtual desktop products are closing in fast, with features the big two don't have.  Continue Reading

• Brian and Gabe's VMworld 2011 preview

  Brian and Gabe cover what to expect during VMworld 2011 in Las Vegas next week, including possible surprise VMware View 5 announcements, the Best of VMworld 2011 awards and more.  Continue Reading

• Citrix and VMware ignore physical desktops, add management complexity

  Citrix and VMware push virtual desktops and ignore the fact that enterprises continue to use Windows PC and laptops. Here's how their disregard for physical desktops impacts IT.  Continue Reading

• Citrix XenClient vs. VMware View 4.5 Local Mode -- which is better for your environment?

  Offline support for VDI comes in different forms. VMware's Local Mode offers benefits that Citrix XenClient doesn't, and vice versa. Here are the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• Managing VMware View 4.5 virtual desktops with PowerCLI

  VMware View 4.5 supports PowerShell-based extensions, PowerCLI, to manage virtual desktop environments. Here are some useful cmdlets for creating virtual desktop pools.  Continue Reading

• Results of a VMware View 4.5, XenDesktop 5 POC: #Fail

  An IT manager tests VDI products from Citrix and VMware, and after seven months of piloting the latest versions of XenDesktop and View, he finds that neither is enterprise-ready.  Continue Reading

• Backing up apps in Microsoft App-V, Citrix XenApp and VMware ThinApp

  Few backup tools target virtualized applications, so here the most important components to manually back up for Microsoft App-V, Citrix XenApp and VMware ThinApp.  Continue Reading

• The downsides of VMware View Local Mode may outweigh its benefits

  Local Mode in View 4.5 provides offline support for virtual desktops but poses challenges that IT pros should consider before deeming it the answer to disconnected VDI.  Continue Reading

• How to configure Wyse terminals without console interaction

  As virtual desktop infrastructure has become mainstream, Wyse has supported Citrix, VMware View and other virtualization systems. Learn how to configure Wyse thin clients.  Continue Reading

• VMware training software allows quick lab set up

  VMware Lab Manager helps in training environments where students need more than just a desktop, but rather a more powerful server or a multi-server lab.  Continue Reading

• Free virtual desktop competes with VMware, Microsoft

  Open Source VirtualBox, a free desktop virtualization software, has powerful features, is easy to use and install and you can't beat the price.  Continue Reading

• Key components missing from VMware View portfolio

  VMware's View portfolio could become a reality with the addition of seven key components.  Continue Reading

• VMware View: Desktop virtualization's newest fantasy or reality?

  VMware View is a new approach to virtual desktops. You can run it on any client, which allows users to take their centralized desktop along with them. But will it become a reality?  Continue Reading