Horizon View

Windows 10 with Horizon View Agent generates BSOD

After installing the VMware Horizon View Agent (6.1.1)  on a Windows 10 (tested with build 10240), it generates a Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) when pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del/Ins.

PSOD

 

The error is: DRIVER_IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (kbdclass.sys).

To fix the problem (The solution was found on the Microsoft Community site, link):

  • RDP to the Windows 10 VM
  • Edit HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\UpperFilters
  • Put the kbdclass before the vmkbd value
  • Reboot the VM

Upperclasses Uppper2

After changing the UpperFilters value I was able to login the Horizon View desktop without BSOD.

 

 

VMware Horizon View Client Drive Redirection

On of the new features of VMware Horizon 6 version 6.1.1 is Client Drive Redirection (CDR). Microsoft RDS and Citrix already have CDR for many years in there product. Now this handy feature is available in Horizon View. CDR is supported on VDI desktops (single-user) and RDS desktops and applications on Windows and as Tech Preview on Mac OS X clients.

Here’s a quick overview how-to enable Client Drive Redirection (CDR):

Requirements

  • Horizon View 6.1.1 environment (Connection Server, composer etc.)
  • View Agent 6.1.1 or later
  • VMware Horizon Client 3.4.0 build-2769709

Install the Horizon View Agent. During the installation of the VMware Horizon Agent enable the Client Drive Redirection feature.

agent

After installing the new Horizon View Agent is deployed on the Horizon View environment,  connect with  new 3.4.0 Horizon Client. When connecting for the first time to the there’s  a pop-up asking to access your local files. Make sure to allow this and select “Do not show this dialog again”.

View Deskstop

In the Horizon View Client there is a option called “Share Folders”. In the sharing box add local drives and folders to share in the VDI desktop session.

0_sharing Sharing

In the Windows Explorer the drives and folders that are mapped are visible.

files

 

Note: With Client Drive Redirection (CDR), the folders and files that are sent across the network are NOT encrypted!

What VMware Horizon View PowerCLI features you like to see?

PowerCLI 6.0 R1 is released with some cool new features. One thing I missed in this announcement is improvements in the PowerCLI support for VMware Horizon View. The latest release of VMware Horizon View 6.1 still has NO PowerCLI improvements! This is a huge bummer because PowerCLI is very limited in VMware Horizon View.

On the VMware PowerCLI Blog the following statement is written (link):
Each new release tends to have several features or enhancements that have been asked for by YOU, our customers. These new features come to us by way of interaction at events like VMworld, Partner Exchange, VMUG Conferences, Twitter, Email, and customer visits. What better way to show our customers that we listen then by adding in features they ask for? This release does not disappoint! Thank you to all who provide feedback and help us continue to improve this great tool.
So we must provide feature request feedback to the PowerCLI team to improve PowerCLI for VMware Horizon View!
I have the following feature requests:
  • Ability to run from remote systems
  • Creating and exporting desktop pools with all the settings available as in the GUI (Horizon View Administrator)
  • Available as module
  • Getting the Health overview as in the VMware Horizon View Administrator
  • Filter on the desktop status such as problem desktops, agent unreachable, deleting, missing, disconnected, available etc.
  • Filter pools and display the amount of desktops that are used, available desktops, headroom and total desktops.
  • Check the ADAM replication between the Connection Servers
  • Search and filter the Event database on error and warnings
  • Add or remove a VM to a manual pool
  • Send messages to desktops
Please let me know what features request you have by placing a comment in this blog post, even if it is already mention. All the feature requests will be bundled and forwarded to the PowerCLI team. I hope to see some of the feature requests in the next release of PowerCLI for VMware Horizon View.
Looking forward for your feature requests!