In 20 Jun 2017 ,VMware announced Horizon 7.2 This release centers on the desktop and includes many enhancements, which are very important, These changes include
- Anew solution for Microsoft Skype for Business
- Helpdesk tool
- Updates to Linux virtual desktops.
- VSAN encryption support
- Enhancements in Horizon 7.2 scalability
- Horizon Client Update
Skype for Business
With Horizon 7.2, our optimized solution for Skype for Business is now officially supported with Windows clients. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft, this allows you to deliver Skype for Business in a virtual desktop while also delivering a great user experience—securing collaboration, simplifying management and reducing costs.
The solution works Horizon windows client version 4.5 (windows thin client only)by leveraging a media engine at the client to create an optimized solution, with the client endpoint providing media offload capabilities for audio and video calls. This results in a solution that can optimally deliver audio
and video either directly between endpoints for one-on-one collaboration, or offload it to a central Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) for multiparty conference calls or meetings
Help Desk Tool
This is a new feature in Horizon 7.2,it is a requirements for many customer especially the big scale VDI customers also its important to have such too in competing with other VDI solution as citrix, Help Desk Tool is a feature of Horizon Enterprise edition and Horizon Apps Advanced edition.
Horizon 7.2 introduces a new Help Desk Tool, which provides IT admins with level one and two help desk functionality.
Through the simple-to-use interface, help desk staff can quickly look up a user, find their sessions and drill down into specific session details, including:
- On the client side: client name, client IP, username, protocol and bandwidth information.
- On the server/virtual machine (VM) side: machine name, IP address, logon time, duration, session state, state duration, Horizon pod name, connection broker and vCenter name.
And using the Horizon Help Desk Tool, help desk staff can take basic actions to help get the user up and running again, including:
- Sending a message to the user,
- Launching Microsoft Remote Assistance to actively help the user in session,
- Disconnecting and
- Resetting the VM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8SzRPILb8s
Linux Desktops
As part of the Horizon 7.2 release , VMware Horizon 7.2 for Linux provides new capabilities that broaden the use case for Linux desktops. This includes key features such:
- Client Drive Redirection (CDR)
- USB Redirection
- Audio output for HTML Access
- Single sign-on on RHEL 7 Workstation x64 and CentOS 7 x64
- FIPS 140-2 mode on RHEL 6 x64 and RHEL 7 x64
- K Desktop Environment (KDE) on CentOS 6 x64 and RHEL 6 x64
- RHEL 6.9 x64 and CentOS 6.9 x64
Virtual SAN
vSAN encryption capabilities is now supported in Horizon 7.2
New Enhancements and Scalable design
Instant clone
- Reuse pre-existing AD account for Instant Clone pool – if an existing AD computer account name matches the Instant Clone machine name, then re-use computer account name.
- SVGA settings for Instant Clone pools – allows admin to specify video memory settings in master VM and pools to inherit those settings. Things like memory, number of monitors and resolution can be adjusted.
- Local storage support – admin can create an Instant Clone pool using local datastores. Does not include HCI such as vSAN, which was already supported.
Scalability
- Connection Server :Horizon 7 now supports 4,000 maximum simultaneous connections per Connection Server instance for direct connections, PCoIP Secure Gateway connections, and Blast Secure Gateway connections. Each Horizon 7 pod supports 20,000 maximum simultaneous connections.
- vCenter :Horizon 7 now supports 4,000 full clones, instant clones, and linked clones per vCenter Server
Horizon Client updates
- Windows 4.5 client updates
- We have a completely rewritten client installer, with a beautiful UI. The new installer includes .net and both the 32 and 64 bit versions of the clients for a total size of 220 MB.
- Allows install of 32bit components on 64 bit client as an installer option
- Skype for business support
- Horizon 7 and vIDM contextual policy enforcement
- Extending login in as current user to support wake from sleep
- Windows 10 creators update support
- Scrolling wheel pad support on Panasonic laptops
- Mac 4.5 client updates
- Support for session pre-launch and linger for remote applications
- Horizon 7 and vIDM contextual policy enforcement
- DPI sync support
- Aero Peek support
- Linux 4.5 client updates
- Skype for business support – Beta release
- DPI sync support
- iOS 4.5 client updates
- DPI sync support
- Android 4.5 client updates
- Support for Samsung DeX mode
- Horizon 7 and vIDM contextual policy enforcement
- High Quality mode to obtain best display quality (DPI sync)
- Unauthenticated access to remote applications
- Improved audio with VMware Blast Extreme
- Chrome 4.5 client updates
- Support for multiple monitors (2 monitors)
- Helper extension to support default Server URL configuration
- Unauthenticated access to remote applications
- Improved audio with VMware Blast Extreme
- HTML Access 4.5
- Horizon 7 and vIDM contextual policy enforcement
- Unauthenticated access to remote applications
- Multiple monitor support
- DPI sync support
- Skip initial portal screen to go directly to launcher
- Windows 10 4.5 UWP client updates
- Windows 10 creators update support
- Windows Hello authentication support
- Copy and paste support
- Xbox One support