VMware View 5.1 new features highlighted
Today VMware announced VMware View 5.1. A lot of great new features in this update. In this blogpost I was going to highlight the new features of this release but that has already been done a lot by other bloggers. Instead, I will highlight a couple of the new features and dive a little deeper. First of all, if you haven’t read about the new features, here are a couple of links where you can read all about them:
- VMware EUC blog: What’s New in VMware View 5.1
- VMware View 5.1 press media backgrounder
- VMware View, optimizing storage with View storage accelerator
- VMware View, demystifying VMware View Large Scale Designs
- NTPRO.NL: VMware View 5.1 announcement
- VMware EUC Portfolio: View Composer Array Integration Tech Preview
Reading these posts will get you up to speed. General availability of VMware View 5.1 will be in Q2 of 2012.
Here are the things to keep in mind when implementing or upgrading to VMware View 5.1:
VMware View Local Mode – Lessons learned
I’ve been working with VMware View Local Mode for couple of weeks now and I wanted to share my experience. VMware View Local Mode allows a virtual desktop to be downloaded to a laptop or desktop and to be executed locally. The CPU, memory, disk, network and graphics from the local desktop is being used to execute the virtual desktop. No remote display protocol is being used. VMware View Local mode is also part of the Client Side Desktop Virtualization (CSDV) Smackdown, a whitepaper which explains what CSDV is, when to use it and what the possibilities are. This whitepaper will be comparable to the VDI smackdown, only this time it will not be about server-hosted desktop virtualization, but client-hosted desktop virtualization. This whitepaper is expected to be released in Q1 of 2012. In this blogpost I will share my experience with VMware View Local mode, how it works and what doesn’t work.
How it works
The benefits of using VMware View Local Mode:
“With View Client with Local Mode, users can check out and download a View desktop to a local system such as a laptop. Administrators can manage these local View desktops by setting policies for the frequency of backups and contact with the server, access to USB devices, and permission to check in desktops.”
I assume you have a basic knowledge of the VMware View architecture. If not, here is a basic overview:
VMware ThinApp online bootcamp
VMware is organizing a six-part bootcamp about ThinApp, VMware’s Application Virtualization solution.
“…we show you how to use, deploy, and optimize VMware ThinApp. The session will include everything from deployment best practices, tips & tricks for performance enhancement, and improving application compatibility. We will be releasing one on demand session each day starting October 31st. At the end of this bootcamp, you’ll understand how to use VMware ThinApp. Register to get a free e-book of all the presentations included in this bootcamp series.”
Starting October 31st, a new video will be released daily:
ThinApp Design Best Practices
- Speaker – Ray Dusseault, VMware
- This session provides an overview real world best practices surrounding the new ThinApp Design Process along with a basic timeline for the ThinApp Plan & Design engagement.
ThinApp Implementation Best Practices
- Speaker – Ray Dusseault, VMware
- This session provides an overview of the latest ThinApp Strategy, methodology and real world Implementation best practices.
ThinApp Performance Enhancing Techniques
- Speaker – Dean Flaming, VMware
- Common tips, rules, basic troubleshooting procedures, and suggestions used to help enhance performance of ThinApp packages, including pre-capture settings, post-capture clean-up, deployment options pros and cons, and environment configurations.
Scripting within ThinApp
- Speaker – Dean Flaming, VMware
- Understanding the basics of scripting within a ThinApp environment including use of the callback functions as timing mechanisms, additional options available by admins, and how to implement a scripted solution within a ThinApp packaged application.
Isolation Modes Explained
- Speaker – Travis Sales, VMware
- Isolation modes are at the heart of the abstraction layer within ThinApp. We will explore their uses and and how to adjustment them for optimal application compatibility.
AppLink Fundamentals
- Speaker – Travis Sales, VMware
- AppLink enables you to package, deploy, and update component pieces separately while keeping the benefits of application virtualization. This session will explore AppLinks use scenarios and uses cases.
Check the VMware Desktop Community website for more information.
VMWorld 2011- Update 1
This week I’m attending VMWorld 2011 in Las Vegas. Although I spend a lot of time shooting and editing interviews and daily wraps for the Dutch VMUG site, I just wanted to create a blogpost to share what I found interesting. I will add content to this post during this week.
Day 1
- Project Horizon: Managing VMware ThinApp as a Cloud Service
This session was about Vmware Horizon AppManager and the ThinApp integration, which is new. It was explained how VMware Horizon works from a technical point of View. What also is possible to track app usage and real-time monitoring.
- VMware View Plus Virtual Cloud Infrastructure: What’s New and Future Directions
The new VMware View 5 features highlighted. If you want to know more, read Myvirtualcloud.net.
- View Enterprise Architecture Design and Implementation Best Practices
This session was actually exactly the same as the first video of the VMware Bootcamp.
- View Troubleshooting: Looking under the hood … Continue Reading
Synology DS1511+ NAS Review
This is the sixth post in the SMB/LAB NAS review. The entire review compares the following products on features and performance:
- Cisco NSS324
- Iomega IX4-200d
- Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 6
- QNAP TS-859U-RP+
- Synology DS1511+
Today I describe my experiences with the Synology DS1511+. This unit is one of the heaviest prosumer models of Synology and is fitted with 5 drive bays. The unit looks nice, is quiet (of course depending on the disks you use) and is just like the QNAP, packed with features.
