Configure/Manage Horizon View desktop images

First need to create new Virtual Machine on vCenter Server which manage VDI, login to vSphere Web Client and create new machine. Important setting to remember is to choose VMXNET network adapter for Windows 7 SP1.

Install Windows OS next install VMware tools.
Install service packs and updates.
Install antivirus software.
Install all other application and software which should be included in main image
Microsoft .NET should be installed after View Agent.
Change power option Turn off the display to Never
Set Visual Effects to Adjust for best performance under Advanced System Settings  in Control Panel
Configure network settings if static IP address is to be used
Join to Active Directory
Configure Windows firewall to allow RDP connections

Install and configure the Horizon View Agent

Next step is to install VMware View Agent on the new created machine.

Double click the installation file VMware-viewagent-6.2.0-3005627, Click Next

Accept license agreement and click Next

Choose IP protocol to use for connection click Next

Select all option which are required for your deployment plan click Next

View Agent will suggest to enable RDP if wasn’t enable before click Next

Click Install to start the installation and restart when prompt,

 

Optimize Windows services and desktop settings according to best practices

VMware provide good guide to follow which services, task should be stopped or disable to improve Windows OS performance and save disk space of cloned VM.

Disable Disk Defragmentation schedule. From Windows click Start and type defrag, choose Disk Defragmenter for list of application. Click Turn on schedule and deselect Run on a schedule. 

When using master Image disable Windows Update so if will not run on linked clone

Disable Diagnostic Policy Service

Disable Superfetch service

In Task scheduler disable Registry backup and System Restore

Uncheck Use this Program in Windows Defender under Administrator setting

Change setting in Internet Option for Feed and Web Slice Settings, uncheck Automatically check feeds and Web Slices for updates

 

Utilize the VMware OS Optimization Tool (OSOT) to optimize Windows 7/8 images

VMware OSOT tool provide fast and easiest way to optimize Windows desktop image to use for VDI deployment. This tool is frequently updated by VMware and new feature are added. New version can be download from here.

With new version we can perform action as:

Analyze, Optimize, View History, Create templates, download public templates and perform remote analysis.

OSOT tool come with pre-build templates with list of modification for standard master image, we can use templates for Windows 7 or 8 as well Servers 2008 or 2012 for RDS deployment.

OSOT allow to modify Windows setting as in list below.

After running OSOT tool Analysis directly or remotely on Windows machine, OSOT present Analysis Summary in 4 groups

We can as well see detailed summary of what kind of optimization will be applied and what is current state of item.

Steps to use OSOT tool:

1. Running OSOT tool on clean master image
2. Review the results of the analysis
3. Run optimization on master image
4. Analyze result and troubleshoot any failed.
5. From history tab run rollback is necessary

Create virtual machine snapshots

Login to vSphere Web client and navigate to VM and templates.
Find Main Image for VDI, if the VM is running open console and shutdown Windows.
Next from Action menu choose Snapshots > Take Snapshot.
Type Name and Description and click OK

Install the VMware Mirage client

Download View Mirage Client installation file from VMware website. Extract and copy to main image, double-click the installation file click next and accept license agreement.