Written by: Douglas A. Brown, MVP, CTP
VMware just posted the Virtual Desktop Manger (VDM) 2.1 Reviewer's Guide for download. This is not just any Reviewers Guide as it was actually written by me! :-)
I've actually been evaluating and testing VMware's VDM 2.x solutions since the early beta's were available. I must admit, I very much liked what I saw in the early beta releases. I feel the beauty of VDM is that it is easy it is to deploy, administer, and use. That being said, while I was evaluating VDM, I thought it might be fun to document how to install, configure, and use it. You know, I wanted to document the exact steps I used to install my VDM 2.1 lab environment. I wanted to create a VDM in a Box!
Once I was about 100 pages in to the document I decided to email a friend of mine who works for VMware to tell him about what I was working on while "messing around" with VDM and he ended up asking me if I would be interested in writing it for VMware to use as a "Reviewer's Guide". Hence this white paper. VMware's goal for this white paper is to give you everything you need to get you up and running with VDM, as quick as possible, even if you have never used VDM before. That being said, VMware just posted their version of my VDM white paper for all to download!
BUT... I'm not done.. I'm still working on my version of the VDM white paper and will soon release it as VDM in a Box 1.0! I will write more about VDM in a Box 1.0 in the coming weeks so stay tuned. I will say I'm looking to turn this document in to a sort of "Open Source" project where the "VDM community" can collaborate on making it better!!! (If you are interested in collaborating on VDM in a Box please email me at dbrown@dabcc.com)
The VMware Virtual Desktop Manager 2.1 Reviewer's Guide includes the following sections:
- VMware VDM 2.1 Overview
- VMware VDM 2.1 Key Features and Components
- VMware VDM 2.1 Requirements & Prerequisites
- VMware VDM Agent, Client and Web Access Prerequisites
- Firewall Modifications
- How to Create VMware VDM Specific User Groups
- How to Install the VDM Connection Server Standard Role
- How to Install the VDM Replica Server Role
- How to Load Balance VDM Connection Servers
- How to Install the VDM Security Server Role
- How to Login to the VDM Administrator Web Site
- How To License VMware VDM 2.1
- How to Configure VDM to Communicate with VMware VirtualCenter
- How To Add a VDM Administrator
- How To Edit the VDM Global Settings
- How to Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) Key
- How to Submit CSR to your Certificate Authority
- How to Add the New SSL Certificate to VMware VDM
- How to Create the Base Virtual Machine
- How To Install Windows XP on a VMware ESX Host
- How to Install Applications
- How to Apply Windows XP Patches and Security Updates
- How to Add Group Policy Loopback Setting to VDM Managed Desktops
- How to Install the VDM Agent
- How to Create and Configure Virtual Machine Templates
- How to Convert the Base Virtual Machine to Template
- How to Configure VirtualCenter to Deploy Unique Virtual Machines from Templates
- How to Create a Guest Customization Specification
- How to Perform Maintenance to Existing Virtual Machine Templates
- How to Implement VDM Specific Windows Group Policies
- How to Prepare the Active Directory Environment for VMware Group Policies
- How to Add the VDM Group Policy ADM Template
- How to Add a New Individual Desktop
- How to Assign (Entitle) Users / Groups to a Individual Virtual Desktop
- How to Create a Persistent Desktop Pool
- How To Assign (Entitle) Users / Groups to a Persistent Desktop Pool
- How to Create a Non-Persistent Desktop Pool
- How To Assign (Entitle) Users / Groups to a Non-Persistent Desktop Pool
- How to Install the VDM Client on a Windows Client
- How to Login to VDM 2.1 through the VDM Windows Client
- How to Login to VDM 2.1 through the Web Access Client