Omnissa Horizon 8 : Virtual Desktop and Application Delivery

Understand Omnissa Horizon 8 scalability limits from individual pods to Cloud Pod Architecture and CPA federations, including per-pod capacity and vCenter constraints for global deployments.

Deploy and configure the Horizon server pod to deliver virtual desktops and applications, and gain a concise overview of Horizon server pod deployment within Omnissa Horizon 8.

Omnisa Horizon 8 is a powerful virtual desktop infrastructure that lets users access Windows desktops and applications from anywhere. Desktops are hosted centrally for secure remote access and management.

Create a Windows Server virtual machine for Horizon 8 from a template and name it winSVR01, configure thin provisioning and a 60 GB disk, verify it appears in Active Directory.

Learn to deploy the horizon 8 connection server by choosing standard, replica, or enrollment options, set a static IP, configure firewall ports, and complete installation with the horizon console.

Log in to the Horizon 8 console using localhost admin or the server's fqdn. Activate the Horizon connection server license by entering the key and saving after validation.

Log in as admin in the Horizon console, add the vCenter IP and credentials, accept the certificate, and then add the corp.local domain for Active Directory.

Add a replica Horizon Connection Server to the Horizon 8 environment to achieve high availability and load sharing by distributing connections and preventing a single point of failure.

Deploy the Horizon 8 replica connection server by configuring a static IP, DNS name, and domain controller address, then connect to an existing Horizon connection server for replication.

Deploy and configure an instant clone desktop pool by creating an active directory security group, deploying Windows 10 virtual machine from a template, installing Horizon agent, and taking the snapshot.

Compare persistent vdi with non-persistent or instant clone vdi to see how dedicated vms retain changes and profiles, while fresh desktops discard changes after logout.

Create an Active Directory security group for instant clone desktop access, add users, and assign the group to a Horizon entitlement to control access to Windows 10 machines.

Deploy a Windows 10 VM from a template for instant clone deployment (win10ind01), with thin provisioning and 2 GB memory, then verify AD domain membership via Horizon Connection server.

Apply a Windows 10 base image optimization for desktop virtualization by analyzing settings, disabling updates, firewalls, antivirus, and store apps, tuning visual effects, and enabling instant clone desktop pools.

Install the horizon agent with admin rights and IPv4, avoid the instant clone option, and then take a snapshot after installation; a horizon connection server FQDN is not required.

Understand how Horizon Instant Clone Desktop Pools deploy multiple standardized desktops from a single golden image and snapshot, enabling faster scaling and simpler master image updates.

Configure and deploy a Windows 10 instant clone desktop pool using Horizon Connection Server and vCenter, and manage floating versus dedicated pools, snapshots, and entitlement.

Deploy and configure a full clone desktop pool, gaining an overview of its setup within Horizon 8 for virtual desktop and application delivery.

Create an Active Directory security group on the domain controller for the Windows 10 underscore full desktop and add system admin and three users as members to grant access.

Deploy a Windows 10 virtual machine from a template for full-clone desktop deployment, configure the name, cluster, storage, and memory, then verify Active Directory connectivity to the domain controller.

Optimize the Windows 10 base image for desktop virtualization using the Horizon OS optimization tool, apply best performance settings, enable agent installation, and manage snapshots and template creation.

Deploy the Horizon agent to create a full desktop pool by converting the configured machine into a template and enabling automatic install. Note the machine name will not change.

Configure and deploy a Windows full clone desktop pool via the Horizon console, including automated pool creation, template setup, VM folder location, cluster, datastore, and entitlement.

Launch a full clone desktop Windows 10 VM with horizon client, then log in as system admin with entitlement to access the persistent Windows 10 desktop in the pool.

Master deploying, configuring, and managing published applications within Horizon 8 to deliver virtual desktops and applications.

Deploy a Windows server virtual machine for an RDS farm by using templates, creating new VMs, configuring storage, and verifying domain registration for instant clone readiness.

Install the Horizon agent and deploy RDS host services on the servers to publish apps in RDS mode, enable instant clone, and verify connectivity to the connection server.

Compare Horizon instant and full RDS farms for scalability and load balancing, noting instant clones from a golden image ease maintenance and reduce storage, while full farms require manual updates.

Configure the RDS farm using automated instant clone with a golden image and snapshot, then publish applications from the Horizon console.

Set up the RDS farm with a full image, add a manual farm, name it clearly, set it as default, refresh, and prepare to publish the application.

Publish an application from the RDS farm by adding from installed applications, configuring the application pool and entitlement, and distinguishing instant versus persistent publishing on the farm.

Test the RDS published application by launching it via the horizon client and horizon connection server, confirm access for sysadmin and user123, and verify multiple apps and desktops are ready.

Deliver virtual desktops and applications by deploying, configuring, and managing a shared desktop in Horizon 8, as covered in module 5 overview.

Deploy a Windows Server 2022 VM for a shared desktop by provisioning from a template, configuring 2 CPU and 4 GB RAM, removing the CD drive, and validating AD access.

Deploy rds host services and install the horizon agent to set up remote desktop services, configure the connection server WinSVR01, and complete automatic restart.

Learn how to manually set up an RDS farm for shared desktops, configure default settings, register the farm, and verify the RDS host availability before delivering to users.

Create a shared desktop pool in Horizon 8 by adding an RDS desktop pool, naming it back office, and submitting to complete the pool setup.

Grant access to the shared desktop by adding entitlements for users and security groups, then verify connections with the Horizon client and monitor performance.