Setting Up Desktop and Application Pools in View

Install View Agent on a Virtual Machine
You must install View Agent on virtual machines that are managed by vCenter Server so that View
Connection Server can communicate with them. Install View Agent on all virtual machines that you use as
templates for automated desktop pools, parents for linked-clone desktop pools, and machines in manual
desktop pools.
To install View Agent on multiple Windows virtual machines without having to respond to wizard
prompts, you can install View Agent silently. See “Install View Agent Silently,” on page 30.
The View Agent software cannot coexist on the same virtual or physical machine with any other View
software component, including a security server, View Connection Server, View Composer, or
Horizon Client.
Prerequisites
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Prepare the guest operating system for remote desktop deployment. See “Prepare a Guest Operating
System for Remote Desktop Deployment,” on page 22.
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To use a Windows Server virtual machine as a remote desktop (rather than as an RDS host), perform
the steps described in “Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use,” on page 24.
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If the machine has the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package installed, verify that the version of
the package is 2005 SP1 or later. If the package version is 2005 or earlier, you can either upgrade or
uninstall the package.
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Download the View Agent installer file from the VMware product page at
http://www.vmware.com/go/downloadview.
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Verify that you have administrative rights on the virtual machine.
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Familiarize yourself with the View Agent custom setup options. See “View Agent Custom Setup
Options,” on page 28.
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Familiarize yourself with the TCP ports that the View Agent installation program opens on the firewall.
See the View Architecture Planning document for more information.
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If you select the View Composer Agent custom setup option, verify that you have a license to use View
Composer.
Procedure
1 To start the View Agent installation program, double-click the installer file.
The installer filename is VMware-viewagent-y.y.y-xxxxxx.exe or VMware-viewagent-x86_64-y.y.y-
xxxxxx.exe, where y.y.y is the version number and xxxxxx is the build number.
2 Accept the VMware license terms.
3 If you install View Agent on a Windows Server machine on which the Remote Desktop Services (RDS)
role is not installed, select Install VMware Horizon View Agent in 'desktop mode'.
Selecting this option configures the Windows Server machine as a single-user View desktop rather than
as an RDS host. If you intend the machine to function as an RDS host, cancel the View Agent
installation, install the RDS role on the machine, and restart the View Agent installation.
4 Select the Internet Protocol (IP) version, IPv4 or IPv6.
You must install all View components with the same IP version.
5 Select your custom setup options.
To deploy linked-clone desktops, select the View Composer Agent option.
6 Accept or change the destination folder.
Chapter 3 Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines
VMware, Inc. 27