FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

VMware Horizon FLEX

Q. What is Horizon FLEX? Once the virtual desktop is downloaded or copied to the end users’ computer, they will have access to a full desktop A. VMware Horizon® FLEX™ provides the flexibility IT needs to environment with access to corporate applications. The virtual serve end users, while maintaining security and compliance desktop policies sync regularly with the Horizon FLEX server with centrally managed, containerized desktops. With Horizon and will allow IT admins to remain in control. FLEX, you can finally deliver a reliable Windows experience to BYO users, Mac users, contractors and road warriors – Q. Who is Horizon FLEX for? whether offline or online. A. Horizon FLEX is ideal for organizations dealing with BYO Q. What are the key benefits of Horizon FLEX? users, Mac users, contractors, road warriors or regional offices: A. Key benefits of Horizon FLEX include: • Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC) – Supports employees using their own computer for work, or for those users who want to • Embrace BYO and Macs: Easily deliver local virtual use a Mac even though a PC is “standard issue.” desktops to Mac and PC users with incredible flexibility. • Temporary or contract workers – Enables temporary or • Work from anywhere, even when disconnected: Get contract workers access to the applications and data they access to a rich desktop experience through our industry- need, whilst protecting corporate data, especially if the user leading clients, ensuring productivity even when on the road has their own computer. or disconnected from the network. • Road warriors – Supports employees who are not always • Simplify desktop management with desktop containers: connected to the corporate network, for example, road- Easily entitle, control and secure Windows virtual desktops warrior sales reps, or consultants or employees working from a central web console. from home. • Easily manage, backup or patch virtual desktops: Manage, • Regional offices – Supports regional offices that need to backup or patch Windows virtual desktops using the Mirage exchange confidential information with the home office for Horizon FLEX layering technology or continue to use using a standard set of corporate applications. your own Windows image management tools. • Development and training – Supports development, • Reduce costs: Minimize the training needs of your workforce testing, and training efforts that require an isolated with our streamlined user-experience. Deploying virtual environment that is hardware- and OS-agnostic. desktops is significantly less expensive than shipping laptops to onboard your new employees or contractors. Q. How do I buy Horizon FLEX? Q. How does Horizon FLEX work? A. You can purchase Horizon FLEX directly from VMware or from your preferred reseller. It is also available for direct A. With Horizon FLEX, IT administrators can provide Windows sale on www..com. Please contact VMware sales to virtual desktops to end users in a self-service manner. Use of learn more. the containerized desktops is governed by policies that are defined centrally and can be updated dynamically. Q. Where is Horizon FLEX available? IT administrators entitle users to the desktops they need A. Horizon FLEX will be available worldwide. based on their roles and groups as defined in Active Directory. Q. Can I upgrade to Horizon FLEX? End-users can receive containerized desktops in one of A. Yes, you can upgrade to Horizon FLEX from VMware Fusion® three ways: 6 Professional, Fusion 7 Pro, Fusion 8 Pro, Player 7 Pro™, • Download on-demand over the corporate network. Users Player 6 Plus, Workstation 12 Player, Workstation 12 Pro, simply enter their credentials in the Horizon FLEX clients Workstation 11 or Workstation 10. and see a list of virtual desktops available to them. Q. Can I use Horizon FLEX if I don’t have VMware Horizon • Via courier on a USB key or portable hard-drive View or vSphere? • IT helpdesk provides the desktop to their PC or Mac via a A. Yes, Horizon View (or Advanced / Enterprise) and VMware desk-side visit vSphere® are not required to use Horizon FLEX.

FAQ / 1 VMware Horizon FLEX

Q. How is this different from Horizon View or Horizon Air? • When used with Mirage for Horizon FLEX, user documents and data sync back to the Mirage management server. A. VMware Horizon 6 and Horizon Air™ run in your data center while Horizon FLEX runs locally on your end users’ computers. • Horizon FLEX does not require the full VMware vSphere, Horizon FLEX complements Horizon View™ and Horizon Air VMware View technology stack to provide desktops to setups by giving employees access to a Windows virtual end users. desktop that they can use when offline or disconnected from • Horizon FLEX is suitable for use with Windows and Mac the network. Users demanding Macs, contractors bringing end-points. their own laptops and employees on the road that want to • The Local Mode feature was part of View 5 and is no longer be productive while offline would be better served with supported in Horizon View (Advanced or Enterprise) Horizon FLEX. Q. How does Horizon FLEX compare to VMware ACE? Q. Can my users be productive even when disconnected from the network? A. Horizon FLEX has some key differences when compared with the VMware ACE™ technology: A. Yes. Because Horizon FLEX virtual machines are stored locally on the users’ Macs or PCs, they can be productive even when • Horizon FLEX uses modern protocols to provide superior disconnected from the network. compatibility and lower TCO • Horizon FLEX has been designed from the ground up to Q. Does Horizon FLEX require a network connection? work with Macs and PCs, whether corporate owned or A. Horizon FLEX clients can run offline for a set period of time, employee owned. governed by policy. The clients do not need a network • Horizon FLEX is able to manage the contents of the connection to run but will periodically check-in with the Windows virtual desktop using the Mirage for Horizon central server to sync policies and renew the usage lease. FLEX functionality. Communication between the client and the central server uses the HTTPS protocol. Q. Is this a Type 1 or Type 2 solution? Q. Can I use Horizon FLEX on Macs? A. Horizon FLEX clients are type-2 that run on top of a host - Mac OS or Windows - . A. Yes, Horizon FLEX comes with clients that run on both Macs and Windows PCs. Q. Does Horizon FLEX support operating systems? Q. What is Mirage for Horizon FLEX? A. Horizon FLEX supports Linux operating systems within a (e.g. for field service technicians). The Horizon A. VMware Mirage™ for Horizon FLEX allows you to easily FLEX clients are supported on Mac OS X and Windows PCs manage, backup or patch Windows virtual desktops. and laptops. Q. Do I need to use Mirage for Horizon FLEX instead of my Q. What policies are supported in Horizon FLEX? existing image management tools? A. The full list of FLEX polices varies depending upon the client A. No, you can simply use the Horizon FLEX policy server to hypervisor. Using a combination of fixed image and dynamic deploy and manage your virtual machines and continue to server policy an administrator can specify over 70 distinct use your existing image management tools. control points. Q. Does this work with other management tools like SCCM? Processor A. Horizon FLEX comes with Mirage to easily manage, backup • Specify VM memory allocation or patch the Windows virtual desktops. If you would prefer • Specify number of processors assigned to VM using your own image management tools such as SCCM or • Specify number of cores per processor assigned to VM Altiris, Horizon FLEX is compatible with these too. • Specify the type of engine used Q. How does Horizon FLEX compare to the Local Mode ––Automatic, binary, VT-x, AMD-V, VT-x/EPT, AMD-V/RVI feature in View? • Enable / disable acceleration for binary translation A. Horizon FLEX has some key differences when compared to • Virtualize CPU performance counters View Local Mode: • Specify process priorities • Desktops do not need to be checked-out and checked-back • Disable memory page trimming in as they reside locally on the laptop – resulting in better usability.

FAQ / 2 VMware Horizon FLEX

Storage • Use host settings for monitor • Map virtual disk to local volume ––Initially set by admin, user can edit • Add virtual hard disk • Specify number of monitors to use ––IDE, SCSI, SATA (independent, persistent, non-persistent) ––To a maximum of 10 ––New, existing, physical • Specify screen resolution • Add virtual CD/DVD • Use Retina Mode (mac only) ––ISO, physical (SATA, SCSI, IDE, legacy emulation) • Specify graphics card memory allocated to VM • Add floppy drive • Use enhanced virtual keyboard ––Image, physical • Share battery info with VM • Connect CD/DVD at power-on • Synchronize guest time with host • Share local folders with VM • Specify hardware compatibility level • Map local folders as network drive • Add parallel port • Share local folders as read only ––Physical, file Network • Add serial port • Connect network at power-on ––Physical, file, pipe • Create bridge directly to physical network • Add generic SCSI device • Initially set by admin, user can edit User Experience • Share host IP address • Go full screen on power on • Create private network to host ––Initially set by admin, user can edit • Create custom virtual network • Close application after powering off VM • Attach to specific LAN segment • Enable drag & drop between host and VM • Custom throttle incoming network traffic • Enable shared clipboard (cut & paste) • Emulate incoming pipe size • Show borders in Unity mode ––Modem (28.8Kbps, 56Kbps) • Show badges in Unity mode ––ISDN (64Kbps, 128Kbps) • Add custom colored borders in Unity mode ––Leased line (192Kbps, 1.544Mbps, 45Mbps) • Enable direct access to applications ––Cable (4Mbps, 10Mbps, 100Mbps) • Auto-update embedded VMware Tools • Enable VNC access ––Manual, auto, global Hardware Recovery & Protection • Turn USB support on or off • Revert to snapshot on power-off ––Except for keyboard and mouse • Auto-create snapshot on power-off • Specify USB supported level • Auto-create snapshots ––1.0, 2.0, 3.0 ––Daily, hourly, every 30 mins • Automatically connect new USB devices • Specify number of snapshot generations to keep • Add specific USB controller • Force local encryption password reset • Share Bluetooth devices with VM • Specify VM expiration date • Connect soundcard on power-on • Display custom message for expired VM’s • Specify host sound card to use • Display custom message for soon expiring VM’s • Connect printer at power on • Specify policy server contact frequency • Auto-map host printers to VM • Specify policy server contact grace period • Add specific printer • Remote kill of local VM • Hardware accelerate 3D graphics

FAQ / 3 VMware Horizon FLEX

Q. What are the main components of Horizon FLEX? Q. What are the server requirements for Horizon FLEX? A. There are 5 major components that make up a complete A. Horizon FLEX has a main server and an optional VMware Horizon FLEX deployment. Mirage Server. • Horizon FLEX Policy Server • Horizon FLEX Server Windows based server that provisions desktop images, sets Minimum CPU: 1 Quad-Core Processor or 2 vCPUs policies, and entitles users to Horizon FLEX Virtual Machines. 2.26GHz Intel core speed or equivalent • Horizon FLEX Client Minimum 512MB /Recommended 4GB Type 2 hypervisor that executes the Horizon FLEX Virtual Disk: 10GB+ /Recommended 40GB+ Machine(s) on a local computer. VMware Fusion Pro 7.1 or Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012 and above higher on OS X. VMware Player Pro 7.1 or higher for Windows. .NET 3.5 SP1 and above IIS 7.0+ with II6 Management Compatibility and ASP.Net • VMware Mirage Optional server for managing the Horizon FLEX Virtual • VMware Mirage Server (optional) Machine images. Also used for disaster recovery. Horizon Minimum 4 vCPU, Recommended 8 vCPU FLEX Virtual Machine(s) Minimum 8GB RAM, Recommended 16GB 146GB Free Disk Space • Customer created guest operating systems for use with the Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012 and above Horizon FLEX Clients. .NET 3.5 SP1 and above • Your file server IIS 7.0+ with II6 Management Compatibility and ASP.Net A place where you host your Horizon FLEX Virtual Machine(s) for local download. Can be your server or a Q. What are the new features added in Horizon FLEX 1.1 public service such as AWS. A. The following features were added to Horizon FLEX 1.1 that Q. What are the tested Host Operating Systems for shipped in March 2015 Horizon FLEX? • Active Directory organizational unit sync A. VMware has verified the following host operating systems as • RVM Setup Service usability improvements compatible with the Horizon FLEX Clients: • Pause/Resume virtual machine download • Windows 10, Windows 8.x, Windows 7, Windows Server • Unrestricted modification of virtual machine memory and 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2 processor settings • Mac OS X 10.9, Mac OS X 10.10 • Mass deployment with VMware Fusion Additional operating systems as supported by Fusion Pro and • Windows Server 2012 R2 guest operating system support Workstation Player may be used but have not been tested at this time. Q. What are the new features added in Horizon FLEX 1.5 Q. What are the tested Guest Operating Systems for A. The following features were added to Horizon FLEX 1.5 that Horizon FLEX shipped in June 2015 A. VMware has verified the following guest operating systems as • The ability to remotely wipe a VM from a host machine compatible with the Horizon FLEX Clients: • Granular control over USB devices • Windows XP, Windows 7 (all versions, including 32-bit and • Policy control over a common file system between the host 64-bit), Windows 8 (all versions), Windows 10 and client • 14.04 • More lenient user controls over RAM and CPU allocation • Mac OS X 10.9, Mac OS X 10.10 • Greater integration with Active Directory for encryption / decryption Additional operating systems as supported by Fusion Pro and • Limit to single instance of virtual image Workstation Player may be used but have not been tested at this time.

FAQ / 4 VMware Horizon FLEX

Q. What are the new features added in Horizon FLEX 1.6 A. The following features were added to Horizon FLEX 1.6 that shipped in September 2015 • Windows 10 support • Microsoft DirectX 10 support for guests • Added USB 3.0 support to Windows 7 virtual machines (with the latest Intel USB driver) • Support adding an incremental number to the Active Directory machine name • Support virtual machine URL entitlement • Support for recognizing Horizon 6 Advanced & Enterprise license keys

VMware, Inc. 3401 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto CA 94304 USA Tel 877-486-9273 Fax 650-427-5001 www.vmware.com Copyright © 2015 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws. VMware products are covered by one or more patents listed at http://www.vmware.com/go/patents. VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Item No: VMW6773-FAQ-HORZN-FLEX-USLET-104 09/15