Deploy Linked Clone Virtual Desktop in VMware Horizon 6MustBeGeek

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View Composer is an optional component of VMware Horizon 6. It is used to deploy linked clone virtual desktops in VMware Horizon 6 VDI infrastructure. Linked clone virtual machine is based on parent VM snapshot. All the subsequent linked clone virtual machine are linked to master VM. View Composer requires database to store information of linked clone virtual desktops. The database can be dedicated database or existing database server used by vCenter, but the database instance must be new/unique for View Composer server. Separate ODBC database connection must be created for View Composer.

Deploy Linked Clone Virtual Desktop in VMware Horizon 6

This step is done after installing View Composer server and creating virtual machine template. Log in to View Connection server admin center. Expand Catalog and select Desktop Pools. Click Add.

Choose Automated Desktop Pool and click Next. For linked clone virtual machines always choose Automated Desktop Pool.

Choose Dedicated user assignment and click Next. You can see the details about each options is given in the right pane below.

Choose View Composer linked clones option. Click Next.

Type name to identify the pool. Click Next.

Review desktop pool settings. Click Next. Here, I have enabled HTML access so that users can access virtual desktop via web browser too.

In Provisioning settings, choose use a naming pattern. You can also specify number of total desktops as shown below. Click Next.

Configure View Composer Disks and click Next. Choose redirect windows profile to a persistent disk, this way users will experience same desktop every time they log on to their vDesktop.

Review Storage policy settings. Click Next.

Browse all the vCenter settings and click Next.

Review advanced storage options.

Review Guest Customization and click Next.

Review the settings. Click Finish.

Now add entitlements to this pool. Here I will add finance security group. Because I want users who are member of finance security group to be able to access these virtual desktops.

Adding finance user group. As you can see below, I have added Finance active directory security group. Click OK.

It will take a while to build all the virtual machines. You can also view details of the virtual desktop by double-clicking the pool as shown below.

After it is built you can view the virtual machines by going into hosts and clusters view in vCenter as shown below. Notice the naming of all virtual desktops, we had setup, MBG-FN-{n}.