VMware View

Display VMware Horizon View Pool information using PowerCLI

For a VMware View Horizon Healthcheck I needed to display all VMware View Pools created and export some settings for documentation. The easiest way to do this is using View PowerCLI on a VMware View Connection server.

Here are some examples to use:

Display all the pools and settings:

get-pool

Display the pools with selected fields in table form:

Get-pool | select DisplayName,Pool_ID,Enabled,MinimumCount,MaximumCount,HeadroomCount,Persistence,Pooltype,Protocol | FT -AutoSize

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Display the some fields in table form and export the pool information to a a text file:

get-pool | select DisplayName,Pool_ID,Enabled,MinimumCount,MaximumCount,HeadroomCount,Persistence,Pooltype,Protocol | FT -AutoSize | out-file c:\temp\pools.txt

The get-pool commands does not export all the settings that can be provided in a VMware View pool.

Troubleshoot VMware View Security Server PCoIP port problems

Recently I had to troubleshoot a VMware View Client connection problem.  In a new VMware View environment the customer has installed a VMware Horizon View Security Server for the external connections.  When a external View Client tried to connect through the Security Server using the PCoIP protocol to the View desktop the following appeared:

The connection to the remote computer ended

When the users connects to the View Desktop using the LAN (without the Security Server) everything worked fine. I suspected that a PCoIP port (4172 TCP and UDP) is blocked between the Security Server and desktop pool or vice versa. 

To troubleshoot this problem I used the tool “Netcat”. With Netcat TCP and UDP ports can be checked (Telnet can only check TCP ports). So I used Netcat  to check the TCP and UDP ports between the Security server and View Desktop (1) and the View Desktop to the Security Server(2).

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Here is an example how to use Netcat:

On the View desktop  run Netcat  to listen to UDP port 4172: 

nc –l –u –p 4172

On the security server run Netcat to connect to the View Desktop on UDP port 4172:

nc –u ipaddress 4172

You can type some text and press enter. The text typed in the screen must be displayed on both sides, If not the port is blocked.

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So I discovered that the 4172 UDP protocol from the View desktop pool to the Security server was blocked by a firewall. After opening this port in the firewalls the problem was solved.

More information:  Netcat for Windows can be downloaded here.

Implementing VMware Horizon View 5.2 book available

The “Implementing VMware Horizon View 5.2”  book is written by Jason Ventresco. This book provides detailed description of the deployment and administration of the VMware Horizon View suite.

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VMware Horizon View helps you simplify desktop and application management while increasing security and control. This book will introduce you to all of the components of the VMware Horizon View suite, walk you through their deployment, and show how they are used. We will also discuss how to assess your virtual desktop resource requirements, and build an optimized virtual desktop.

"Implementing VMware Horizon View 5.2" will provide you the information needed to deploy and administer your own end-user computing infrastructure. This includes not only the View components themselves, but key topics such as assessing virtual desktop resource needs, and how to optimize your virtual desktop master image.

You will learn how to design and deploy a performant, flexible and powerful desktop virtualization solution using VMware Horizon View. You will implement important components and features, such as VMware View Connection Server, VMware View Composer, VMware View Transfer Server, and VMware View Security Server.

"Implementing VMware Horizon View 5.2" will take you through application virtualization with VMware ThinApp, the implementation of Persona Management, and creation of Desktop Pools. We then cover View Client options, Desktop maintenance, and Virtual Desktop Master Image. Finally we discuss View SSL certificates management, Group Policies, PowerCLI, and VMware View Design and Maintenance to help you get the most out of VMware View.

If you want to learn how to design, implement and administrate a complex, optimized desktop virtualization solution with VMware View, then this book is for you.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Chapter 1: Designing a VMware Horizon View Infrastructure
  • Chapter 2: Implementing VMware Horizon View Connection Server
  • Chapter 3: Implementing VMware Horizon View Composer
  • Chapter 4: Implementing VMware Horizon View Transfer Server
  • Chapter 5: Implementing VMware Horizon View Security Server
  • Chapter 6: Using VMware ThinApp
  • Chapter 7: Implementing View Persona Management
  • Chapter 8: Creating VMware Horizon View Desktop Pools
  • Chapter 9: VMware Horizon View Client Options
  • Chapter 10: Performing View Desktop Maintenance
  • Chapter 11: Creating a Master Virtual Desktop Image
  • Chapter 12: Managing View SSL Certificates
  • Chapter 13: Implementing VMware Horizon View Group Policies
  • Appendix: Advanced Details about Key Horizon View Features

 

It contains 390 pages and is availabe as paperback and eBook. More information about the book can de found here