VMware Horizon 8 2212

VMware has just released a new version of Horizon 2212. These are some of the features/support introduced:

  • Horizon 8 version 2212 in conjunction with App Volumes 4 version 2212 introduces Horizon Published Apps on Demand.  With this new feature, administrators can use App Volumes applications directly in their instant-clone RDS farms.  Now applications can be delivered dynamically to a generic Windows OS as users launch them. This greatly simplifies static image management and gives administrators the ability to reduce their application specific farms. This also brings the Horizon and App Volumes administration consoles closer together, allowing Horizon administrators to add App Volumes Manager servers and entitle applications to users without the need for duplicate entitlements in App Volumes. This feature creates an opportunity to reduce the time-consuming management of application installations on RDS Farms, and enables scenarios such as multiple users being able to use different versions of the same application while logged in to the same RDS Server.
  • Microsoft MAK licenses are now supported with Instant Clones.
  • When you create an automated pool of full clone desktops, you can now specify an active directory OU in which computer accounts can be created. Previously, computer accounts would get created in the default OU and administrators would manually move them after pool creation. This feature, which already exists for Instant Clone desktop pools, addresses this pain point for administrators.
  • Cloud Pod Architecture is supported with IPv6 environments for more security and added address spaces.
  • Administrators can now generate a CSR configuration file, import a CA-signed certificate to Connection Server, and monitor health of the certificate from Horizon Console.

More details here:

VMware Horizon 8 2212 Release Notes

VMware Horizon 8 2212

AppVolume Application in Pending Delete

In some situations, removing an Application of AppVolume may not result correctly, and as a result, the state of applications from the UI may result in deleting and stalling:

In my case, I also have the advantage that they have not remained in cancellation even if the Packages

To perform the cleanup, you must work on the AppVolume Database.

To proceed we must:

  • Locate the server that hosts the DB.
    • On an AppVolume server, in 64-bit ODBC, there is an SRVMANAGER entry edit the entry and identify the server’s name and its DB name.
  • Shut down each server with the App Volume Manager role of the App Volume Manager service.

  • Connect with SQL Management Studio to AppVolume DB.
  • Back up your DB.
    • Using the native SQL tool or third-party backup tools.
  • Remove the rows corresponding to the application in the dbo.app_products table.
    • In some situations, it may not be enough the name and then in the removal query we indicate the status that is deleting.

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If there are also packages in a state of deleting also proceed with the removal of the corresponding rows that we can find in the dbo table .app_packages.

AppVolume Application in Pending Delete

Horizon Instant Clone -VM Replica and Template in inaccessible state

In the various maintenance activities of a Horizon infrastructure, it can happen to find VMs of the instant clone chain in an inaccessible state. (Caused by issues on hosts or vCenter such as sudden shutdowns without properly maintaining Horizon Desktop Pools.)

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In the VMware Horizon solution there is a tool, from the command line, that allows the cleaning of these objects.

The tool is present in the directory

C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Server\tools\bin>

of one of the connection servers of the Horizon infrastructure

The command is iccleanup.cmd

The first step is to connect to the vCenter in question by launching the following command

iccleanup.cmd -vc <fqdn of vCenter> -uid <administrative user>

Once you have entered the password you will have the possibility to list the VMs of the instant clone infrastructures implemented on that vCenter with the LIST command

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Or delete objects in an inaccessible state, for example:

With the delete –index 2 command

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After the completion of the cleaning, the situation will be as follows:

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Horizon Instant Clone -VM Replica and Template in inaccessible state