The vGPU feature of RemoteFX makes it possible for multiple virtual machines to share a physical graphics adapter. The virtual machines are able to offload rendering of graphic information from the processor to the dedicated graphics adapter. This will decrease the CPU load and improve the scalability for graphic intense workloads that run in the VDI virtual machines.

To off-load graphically intense workloads from the CPU to a physical GPU in Windows Server 2012 the following hardware is required:

• A SLAT-capable processor (Second Level Address Translation). AMD calls this processor feature “NPT” (Nested Page Table), Intel calls it “EPT” (Extended Page Table).
• A DirectX 11-capable GPU with a WDDM 1.2 compatible driver.
  • Note: Windows 7 with SP1 virtual machines with RemoteFX vGPU enabled require a DirectX 11-capable GPU on Windows Server 2012. The Windows 7 with SP1 virtual machine RemoteFX vGPU enabled virtual machine will still only support DirectX 9 in this configuration for RemoteFX vGPU.
• A “Full Installation” of Windows Server 2012 with the Hyper-V and Remote Desktop Virtualization Host roles enabled.
  • Note: Remote Desktop Virtualization Host role is not supported on Windows Server 2012 Core use full installation option for Windows Server 2012 instead.
• Windows 7 Enterprise with SP1 or Windows 8 Enterprise as guest operating system in the virtual machine with the RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter enabled.
  • Note: Windows 7 with SP1 with RDP 8.0-Update will only leverage RemoteFX vGPU using RDP 7.1 when running on Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V with RemoteFX VGPU: (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2012/10/09/remote-desktop-protocol-8-0-update-for-windows-7-sp1-enabling-a-great-wan-user-experience-for-windows-7-sp1-virtual-desktops.aspx ). When running a Windows 7 SP1 VM with the RDP 8 update with updated VGPU WDDM driver on Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V, RDP 8 can be enabled with the full RDP 8 feature set including UDP with VGPU (this has been tested and validated).
  • Note: Hyper-V Integrated Services must be updated on any Windows 7 with SP1 virtual machine.

Source: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/16652.remotefx-vgpu-setup-and-configuration-guide-for-windows-server-2012.aspx#Requirements_for_RemoteFX_vGPU

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In Windows Server 2012, RD Connection Broker provides the following functionality:

• Allows users to reconnect to their existing virtual desktops, RemoteApp programs, and session-based desktops.
• Enables you to evenly distribute the load among RD Session Host servers in a session collection, or pooled virtual desktops in a pooled virtual desktop collection.
• Provides access to virtual desktops in a virtual desktop collection.

In Windows Server 2012, RD Connection Broker functionality is extended so that you can easily create collections. Connection routing and load-balancing capabilities are also improved. This document presents performance and scalability testing results for RD Connection Broker. It describes the most relevant factors that influence the performance of the component.

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=38779

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Propalms TSE 7.0 supports latest Microsoft Remote desktop protocol RDP 8.0 on top of Windows Server 2012.

The latest version is a comprehensive solution to implement shared hosted desktop VDI and virtualise Windows applications using the RDP 8.0 protocol that is claimed to beat Citrix ICA protocol. Propalms plans to go aggressive with this solution as it has better features and security aspects as compared to the competition.

Propalms TSE 7.0 is a complete Server Based Management solution that extends Microsoft Remote Desktop 2000/2003, 2008 and 2012 offering features such as Application Publishing, Virtual Desktop Broker, Seamless Windows, Resource based Load Balancing, Simple Web based Management, Session Management, Server Health Monitoring, Reporting, Virtual IP, Single Port Relay, Universal Print Driver, Application Access via Desktop Shortcut, Windows Start Menu or Browser-based Application LaunchPad. Propalms TSE 7.0 has tons of features to provide a great management platform on top of Windows 2012. When combined with Propalms OneGate platform, Enterprise SSL VPN solution, it delivers enhanced secure platform, to securely and efficiently deliver the business critical applications to users irrespective of their location.

Source: http://biztech2.in.com/news/enterprise-solutions/propalms-announces-integrated-vdi-and-application-delivery/156962/0

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• Disable Office Animations
  ADM\Microsoft Office 2013\Miscellaneous
• Do not use hardware graphics acceleration
  ADM\Microsoft Office 2013\Miscellaneous
• Dialog boxes and new windows displayed as blank in Office 2013 RemoteApps on a client computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2786923
• With Citrix XenApp you can disable the shadow boarder using a reg key
  How to disable shadow hWnds in Office 2013 applications
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2821007

More tips from Thomas Koetzing here: http://www.thomaskoetzing.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=377&Itemid=254

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This free one-day course will cover the latest approaches to desktop virtualization and the business cases for each, guidance for choosing appropriate virtual desktop types according to requirements, and architectural guidance for building a VDI.

This course is designed for IT Pros interested in the latest approaches to desktop virtualization, the business cases for each, guidance for choosing appropriate virtual desktop types according to requirements and architectural guidance for building a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with appropriate sizing, scalability and fault tolerance. In addition to VDI, Microsoft Sr. Technical Evangelist Joey Snow and holSystems’ Lead Architect Corey Hynes will cover Session Virtualization, application and user state virtualization, and scenarios for desktop virtualization vs. traditional desktops.

Source: https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/liveevents/using-vdi-to-enable-new-workstyles?CR_CC=200206313

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Especially in RDP8 the server side rendering of video is so good that it is pretty hard to see if WMR is actually used. In RDP7 it was a lot easier to see because the video performance would be so bad without WMR that it was easy to tell.

In RDP8 the way to tell is actually pretty easy. If you are running a full desktop and you want to check if WMR is working (even if you think you turned it one) you should the live preview tiles. So on your remote session, launch a video in Windows Media Player and minimize it. Then, highlight Media Player in the task bar to show the ‘live preview’.

If it actually does show a mini preview of the video you are playing then WMR is NOT working. This is because when WMR is being used, the video is actually redirected to the client and not rendered on the server and as Windows does not know what to display in the live preview.

Great tip huh? Thanks again for Microsoft for providing it!

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New features are now available:

• FlexApp DIA Option – The optional DIA feature set has an intuitive Application Packaging Console and enables administrators to make applications available to users through unique patent-pending technologies which exhibit an unprecedented compatibility rate for virtualizing the installation of applications.   FlexApp currently only supports non-persistent VDI environments but will be extended to physical and persistent environments next year.
• Blacklist and Whitelist Capabilities – Privilege Elevation features for FlexApp User Installed Applications have been expanded to include the ability blacklist and whitelist applications by name and signed certificate, and can be limited to a list of approved applications located in a file path.
• New Graphical User Interface –A completely new management console look-and-feel has been updated to function more like a control panel.  The application still has all the advantages of being able to be run as a web console.
• Profile Cleanup – A profile cleanup function can be set to automatically delete the local version of profiles by scheduled intervals.  This feature is especially helpful in Terminal Services or Citrix XenApp environments where profiles can consume large amounts of storage.
• Authentication and Automated Integration with Microsoft Active Directory -- ProfileUnity is now easier than ever to setup and administer.  An enhanced Guided Configuration Wizard applies ProfileUnity Management to select groups automatically in AD.   Additionally, ProfileUnity Administrative Access can now be controlled through AD groups.
• VHD Provisioning – Administrators will have the ability to provision VHD storage for users by using Context- Aware Filters to automatically provision a VHD to a specified storage area.  The VHD can even be predetermined as expandable and be limited to a maximum size.

Source: http://www.liquidwarelabs.com/company/pr_02052013.asp

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• Citrix XenApp 6 and 6.5: Support for Citrix Worker Groups
  RES Workspace Manager now supports Citrix Worker Groups for publishing applications on Citrix XenApp servers.

• Citrix XenApp Publishing: Support for publishing applications and content to multiple farms
  It is now possible to have a single managed application in the RES Workspace Manager Console, which is published across multiple farms with the same configuration. Previously, a duplicate managed application was required for each Citrix farm.

• Citrix XenApp Publishing: Support for publishing Citrix Applications from Console on non-Citrix server
  It was previously necessary to publish a Citrix published application from a Console running a Citrix server.

Also some performance enhancements, to optimize the following critical areas:

• Datastore: Performance improvement of database connection check
  Benefit of reducing (the already very minimal) network traffic

• User Settings: Performance improvement
  Optimizations to the caching of the User Settings and improved the logic around user settings caching. User Settings for applications that have not been active in the user session will not be cached.

• Workspace Composer: Improved logon time
  Improve logon times by optimizing the loading of user registry settings.

Source: https://blog.ressoftware.com/index.php/2013/02/08/res-workspace-manager-2012-sr2/

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Driver Free Printing with the ThinPrint Output Gateway, a continuously developed virtual driver, makes complex installation and administration of printer drivers on the server a thing of the past. The ThinPrint RDP Engine 9.0 supports finishing options for all major printer models, including hole-punching, stapling, binding and printing of multiple pages on one sheet. In addition, adaptive compression of print files ensures a low network load, high-performance printing results and rapid transmission of application data.
Cortado extensively tests finishing options of printer drivers, including those for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 and can support these drivers. A free demo version of the ThinPrint RDP Engine 9.0 can be downloaded at www.thinprint.com/rdp9.

Source: http://www.thinprint.com/News/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/392/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/203/Default.aspxSimilar Posts:

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One of the biggest challenges VMware View administrators face in large deployments is desktop pool maintenance. Commonly each desktop pool has Active Directory security groups with the number of users a given desktop pool will support.

As employees leave/join the organization, security groups require maintenance to ensure the number of users in each group correctly match the amount of desktops available.

This tool allow administrators to bind an Active Directory connection and specify:

* How many users there should exist per group (based on VMware View pool size)
* Floating or Persistent deployment
* Source Security Groups (all users to be distributed to pools)
* Destination Security Groups (All groups the users may be assigned to)

Technicalities: Floating deployment does not take in consideration if user has a persistent desktop. Persistent deployment ensures users are kept within the same security group and desktop pool they have previously been assigned to.

Source: http://myvirtualcloud.net/?p=4530Similar Posts:

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