The default URL used to access the Horizon Console is https:// < connection_server_FQDN > /admin, where < connection_server_FQDN > is the fully qualified domain name of the Connection Server instance. This URL allows you to log in to Horizon Console by using a secure (TLS) connection. You can also use the IP address of the Connection Server instance instead of the FQDN, but this might result in blocked access or reduced security due to certificate mismatch. You cannot use https://localhost to connect from the Connection Server host, but you can use https://127.0.0.1 instead. The other options are not valid URLs for Horizon Console.  References :  Log In to Horizon Console

Windows golden image optimization is the process of reducing the size and improving the performance of the Windows OS image that is used as the base for the desktop pools. Some of the best practices for Windows golden image optimization are:

Disable unnecessary services: Services that are not required for the desktop functionality or user experience should be disabled to reduce the resource consumption and potential security risks. For example, services such as Windows Search, Windows Defender, Windows Update, and Superfetch can be disabled for better performance and stability.

Disable power options: Power options such as hibernation and sleep mode should be disabled to free up disk space and avoid potential issues with the desktop state. Hibernation can consume a large amount of disk space by creating a hiberfil.sys file that stores the system memory contents when the desktop is powered off. Sleep mode can cause problems with network connectivity and user sessions when the desktop is resumed from a low-power state.

Other best practices for Windows golden image optimization include:

Activate Windows OS paging: Paging is a mechanism that allows the OS to use a portion of the disk as virtual memory when the physical memory is insufficient. Paging can improve the performance and stability of the desktops by preventing out-of-memory errors and reducing memory contention. However, paging can also increase disk I/O and wear, so it should be configured with caution and monitored regularly.

Turn off automatic Windows maintenance (scheduled tasks): Automatic Windows maintenance is a feature that runs various tasks such as disk defragmentation, disk cleanup, security scanning, and system diagnostics in the background. These tasks can consume a lot of CPU, memory, and disk resources and interfere with the user experience and desktop performance. Therefore, it is recommended to turn off automatic Windows maintenance and run these tasks manually or on a scheduled basis when the desktops are not in use.

Turn off automatic Windows Updates: Automatic Windows Updates is a feature that downloads and installs updates for the OS and other Microsoft products in the background. These updates can consume bandwidth, disk space, and CPU resources and cause compatibility issues with some applications or drivers. Therefore, it is recommended to turn off automatic Windows Updates and manage the updates manually or through a centralized tool such as VMware Update Manager or Microsoft WSUS.  References : [Optimizing Your VMware Horizon View 7.x Golden Image] and [VMware Horizon 8.x Professional Course]

VMware Horizon ' s Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM) allows for the creation of Horizon Smart Policies with conditions that can be applied based on various criteria, including time of day. By utilizing DEM, an administrator can create policies that restrict certain actions, such as saving data to client devices, outside of specified business hours (5PM to 9AM in this case), thus achieving the desired control over user activities based on the time of day.

To deploy a RDS desktop pool with the new standard of Windows Server 2019, the steps should be ordered as follows:

Prepare the Windows Server 2019 golden image. This is the first step because you ' ll need a prepared OS image to base your RDS desktop pool on.

Add an Automated Farm. Once your golden image is ready, you can set up an automated farm for the RDS desktop pool.

Add a RDS desktop pool. Using the automated farm and the prepared golden image, you can now add the RDS desktop pool.

Entitle AD users and/or groups. With the RDS desktop pool in place, the next step is to give Active Directory (AD) users and groups the necessary entitlements to access the desktops.

Launch Horizon Client and verify access to RDS desktop. As the final verification step, launch the Horizon Client to ensure that you can access the newly created RDS desktop pool and that everything is functioning as expected.

So, the sequential order is: Prepare the Windows Server 2019 golden image - > Add an Automated Farm - > Add a RDS desktop pool - > Entitle AD users and/or groups - > Launch Horizon Client and verify access to RDS desktop.

A black screen when connecting to a Horizon virtual desktop can be caused by various reasons, such as network issues, hardware issues, Horizon tunnel issues, or underlying guest operating system issues. Based on the options given, the following could be the cause of the issue:

A vRAM shortage on the Horizon virtual machine. This can affect the display performance and cause a black screen or a disconnect.  To resolve this issue, you should configure the pool to provide enough video memory for the resolutions you plan to present to the clients 1 .

The incorrect video driver version installed on the Horizon virtual machine. This can cause compatibility issues and prevent the display protocol from working properly.  To resolve this issue, you should verify that the View desktop is using the correct video driver and that it is compatible with the VMware Tools and Horizon Agent versions installed 2 3 .

An incorrect firewall configuration. This can block or misroute the display protocol traffic and cause a connection failure.  To resolve this issue, you should verify that the required ports are open between the client, UAG/Security server/Connection server, and VDI machine 4  .

The other options are not likely to cause a black screen when connecting to a Horizon virtual desktop:

The client machine video memory is too high. This should not affect the display protocol performance or cause a black screen. The client machine video memory is only used to render the display on the local device, not on the remote desktop.

The Horizon virtual machine video memory is too high. This should not cause a black screen or a disconnect either. The Horizon virtual machine video memory is used to allocate resources for the display protocol on the server side, not on the client side.

References :

Dual monitors configured using PCoIP does not span both the monitors for VMware View and Connecting to a VDI desktop with PCoIP displays a black screen and disconnects after 10 seconds

Error attaching to SVGADevTap, error 4000: EscapeFailed reported by PCoIP server

Interoperability Matrices

Configuring PCoIP Secure Gateway in VMware View

[Network Ports in VMware Horizon]

The URL Content Redirection feature allows administrators to configure specific URLs to open on the client machine or in a remote desktop or published application. This can help reduce the risk of users downloading malware to the corporate network, as well as improve the user experience and performance of certain web applications.

To meet the requirements of the scenario, the administrator needs to enable the URL Content Redirection feature in Horizon Agent when installing or upgrading it on the instant-clone desktops. This will allow Horizon Agent to send or receive URLs from Horizon Client, depending on the redirection direction. The administrator also needs to configure group policy settings to indicate how Horizon Agent redirects the URL. Specifically, the administrator needs to enable agent-to-client redirection, which means that Horizon Agent sends the URL to Horizon Client, which opens the default application for the protocol in the URL on the client machine. The administrator also needs to specify which URLs are redirected from a remote desktop to a client, and which URLs are not redirected. In this case, the administrator needs to configure a whitelist of intranet websites that are allowed to open inside the virtual desktop, and a blacklist of all other websites that are automatically redirected to a browser on the client machine.

The other options are not relevant or sufficient for meeting the requirements. Disabling the Allow External Website feature in Horizon Agent will prevent users from accessing any external websites from their virtual desktops, which might not be desirable or practical. Enabling secure website settings in the Global Settings Security menu will not affect how URLs are redirected, but only how secure connections are established between Horizon components. Enabling the URL Content Redirection feature on the desktop pool settings will not work unless it is also enabled in Horizon Agent and configured with group policy settings.  References :  Configuring URL Content Redirection  and [VMware Horizon 8.x Professional Course]

Writable Volumes are user-specific virtual disks that store user-installed applications, data, and settings. App Volumes is a real-time application delivery system that uses Writable Volumes to deliver applications that are not multi-user aware. However, sometimes it might be necessary to prevent App Volumes from persisting specific data between sessions, such as temporary files, application updates, or registry keys. To do this, administrators can specify exclusions for Writable Volumes in a policy file called snapvol.cfg.

The snapvol.cfg file is a text file that contains policy settings for App Volumes. These settings determine which files and registry keys are captured or excluded by App Volumes. The snapvol.cfg file can be customized by administrators to suit different needs and scenarios. The snapvol.cfg file can be applied to both application packages and Writable Volumes.

To specify exclusions for Writable Volumes, administrators can use the following keywords in the snapvol.cfg file:

exclude_uwv_file: This keyword excludes a file or folder path from being persisted on a Writable Volume. For example, exclude_uwv_file=\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++ excludes the folder location of Notepad++ from being overwritten during an update.

exclude_uwv_reg: This keyword excludes a registry key or value from being persisted on a Writable Volume. For example, exclude_uwv_reg=\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Notepad++ excludes the registry location of Notepad++ from being overwritten during an update.

The snapvol.cfg file must be uploaded to the Writable Volume by using the Update Writable Volumes feature in App Volumes Manager. The exclusions will take effect after the user logs off and logs back in to the desktop.

The other options are not valid files for specifying exclusions for Writable Volumes:

config.ini: This file is used to configure the App Volumes agent settings, such as the App Volumes Manager address, the logging level, and the SSL certificate validation.

svservice.log: This file is used to record the App Volumes agent log messages, such as the agent status, the package attachment, and the error messages.

json.cfg: This file does not exist in App Volumes.

References :  Writable Volume Exclusions ,  Policy Files (snapvol.cfg) in App Volumes , and [VMware Horizon 8.x Professional Course]

To enable an instant-clone pool to use NVIDIA GRID vGPU, the administrator needs to do the following:

Install NVIDIA GRID vGPU in the physical ESXi hosts and select Shared Direct in the Host Graphics Settings 1 2 .

Prepare a golden image with NVIDIA GRID vGPU configured, including selecting the vGPU profile to use 1 2 .

Take a snapshot of the golden image 1 2 .

In Horizon Console, when creating an instant-clone pool, select Manage Using vSphere Client in the 3D Render field.  Instant-clones inherit the settings configured in the vSphere Client for the golden image 1 2 .

Therefore, the possible reasons for the issue are:

The administrator has selected Shared instead of Shared Direct when editing the Host Graphics Settings for the ESXi host in the vCenter Server.  This option is for vSGA, not vGPU 3 .

The golden image and snapshot that the administrator selected has not been configured for NVIDIA GRID vGPU.  The administrator needs to verify that the correct vGPU profile is selected and that the NVIDIA drivers are installed in the golden image 4 .

The other options are not valid because:

Horizon 8 does have an explicit 3D renderer option for instant clone, but it is Manage Using vSphere Client, not NVIDIA GRID vGPU 1 2 .

Instant-clone pools do support NVIDIA GRID vGPU as long as the ESXi hosts and the golden image are properly configured 1 2 .

References  :=  1 : VMware Horizon 8 Documentation:  Enable NVIDIA GRID vGPU for Instant-Clone Pools   2 : VMware Horizon 8 Documentation:  Configuring 3D Rendering for Automated Instant Clone Farms   3 : VMware Horizon 8 Documentation:  Types of Graphics Acceleration   4 : VMware Horizon 8 Documentation:  Prepare a Virtual Machine to Use Accelerated 3D Graphics

Single sign-on (SSO) is a feature that allows users to log in to Horizon Client once and launch remote desktops and applications without being prompted for credentials again. SSO is enabled by default and can be configured in the Global Settings of Horizon Administrator. One of the settings is SSO Timeout, which determines how long the user’s credentials are cached before they expire. If the SSO Timeout is too short, users might be frequently asked for credentials when opening additional apps. To resolve this issue, the administrator can increase the SSO Timeout value or set it to -1, which means that no SSO timeout limit is set.  References :  Global Settings for Client Sessions in Horizon Console  and [VMware Horizon 8.x Professional Course]

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Horizon-7/7.13/horizon-console-administration/GUID-E2A7CA32-193D-43D9-B08E-DD20CAE9CA28.html

A screenshot of a computer program Description automatically generated

VMware Horizon is designed to deliver a virtual desktop and application infrastructure, providing IT with a modern, streamlined approach to deliver, protect, and manage Windows and Linux virtual desktops and applications while containing costs and ensuring that end users can work anytime, anywhere, on any device. Horizon 8 supports flexible hybrid and multi-cloud deployment options and offers an optimized experience with unified communication and collaboration tools. The VMware Blast Extreme Protocol, included with Horizon 8, is a dynamic display protocol that delivers an immersive, feature-rich user experience across devices, locations, media, and network connections​​.

VMware Workspace ONE UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) is crucial for ensuring that end-user devices comply with an organization ' s IT policies. It manages and secures endpoints like smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops, streamlining operational tasks for IT while ensuring corporate data security.

VMware Workspace ONE Access facilitates secure and simplified access to enterprise applications, providing single sign-on capabilities and conditional access based on user authentication. This ensures that users can access the resources they need efficiently while maintaining the security of the organization ' s data and applications.

References:

For more information on VMware Horizon 8 and its capabilities, you can refer to VMware ' s official documentation and resources available at techzone.vmware.com, which provides a comprehensive overview of Horizon 8, including its architecture, components, and deployment scenarios​​​​​​.

Detailed insights into VMware Workspace ONE UEM and Workspace ONE Access can be found within VMware ' s product documentation and techzone resources, which offer guidance on implementing and managing these solutions as part of the Anywhere Workspace ecosystem​​.