VMware Horizon version 7.7 was released on December 2018, with a lot of new features, and now VMware has just released the new version of VMware Horizon: version 7.8 has several improvements as documented in the release notes.

Definitely VDI is not dead, and maybe 2019 it’s not the year of VDI… just because each year is an important year for VDI and EUC.

Note that not only Horizon 7 version 7.8 has been released, but also VMware Horizon Client 5.0, VMware ThinApp 5.2.5, VMware User Environment Manager 9.7.0, VMware App Volumes 2.16 and Client Agent Release Train (CART) 5.0. Those produc remain at the same previous version: VMware Mirage 5.9.1, VMware App Volumes 3.0. 

You can see the highlights of this release in the VMware Horizon 7.8 and Client 5.0 What’s New video or in this blog post.

VMware Horizon 7 version 7.8 provides the several new features and enhancements in different infrastructural components as well described in the product release notes.

Horizon Connection Server

The UI based on the HTML-5 interface become more and more complete… and that’s very positive considering that Flash it’s almost died.

There is an additional support for Windows Server 2019 is now available for both the Connection Server and View Composer. Unfortunately a virtual appliance of both components is still to far to become real…

• Horizon Console (HTML5-based Web Interface)
  • You can use Horizon Console to initialize the Cloud Pod Architecture feature, join pods to the pod federation, and create and manage global entitlements, sites, and home sites.
  • You can use Horizon Console to recreate and restore linked clones with persistent disks.
  • In Horizon Console, the Cancel task option is available for linked-clone operations.
  • You can use Horizon Console to create automated linked-clone farms.
  • You can use Horizon Console to configure Horizon Connection Server and set up user authentication.
  • You can use Horizon Console to configure role-based delegated administration.
  • You can use Horizon Console to configure policies for client sessions.
  • You can use Horizon Console to create and configure shortcuts for published desktop or application pools.
• Published Desktops and Applications
  • Client restrictions for published desktops and applications on RDS hosts are expanded to support Organizational Units (OU).
  • You can use CPU, memory, disk statistics, and session counts to define the load balancing policy for published desktops and applications on RDS hosts.
• Virtual Desktops
  • Instant clones support the vSphere TRIM and UNMAP features for vSAN datastores.
  • You can reuse existing computer accounts to deploy instant clone desktop pools on the domain.
• True SSO
  After users use True SSO to login to the desktop, they can unlock the desktop after reauthentication from the Workspace ONE portal using the same True SSO logon credentials.
• Domain security changes
  • When users log in to a Horizon 7 version 7.8 Connection Server from Horizon Client, they might need to enter a domain in the User name text box, for example, domain\username or [email protected]. Depending on the server configuration, the Domain drop-down menu might be hidden, or it might contain *DefaultDomain*. For details, see the information about the Send domain list and Hide domain list in client user interface global settings in the VMware Horizon 7 Security document.
  • When users log in to a Horizon 7 version 7.8 Connection Server from Horizon Client for Windows, they might need to enter credentials even though they have enabled the Logon as current user setting. A new configuration setting determines whether a Connection Server will accept the Logon as current user setting. For details, see the information about the Accept logon as current user setting in the Horizon 7 Administration document.
  • For more information on configuring Horizon Connection Server version 7.8 domain settings to work with Horizon Clients earlier than version 5.0, see the VMware Knowledge Base article https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/67424.
  • This release contains new user authentication security improvements that resolve CVE-2019-5513 which is documented in VMSA-2019-0003.

Horizon Agent for Linux

• Expanded support for Linux distributions
  Horizon Agent for Linux is now supported on desktops running the RHEL 7.6 or CentOS 7.6 distributions.
• Multi-monitor support for VMware Horizon HTML Access clients
  Beginning with Horizon HTML Access version 5.0, the multi-monitor feature is supported in Horizon 7 for Linux desktops.
• Smart card redirection
  Horizon 7 version 7.8 supports smart card redirection on Linux desktops running RHEL 7.1 or later. This feature allows client users to authenticate into a Linux desktop using a smart card reader connected to the client system.
• Expanded OS support for True Single Sign-on (SSO)
  Horizon 7 version 7.8 supports True SSO on Linux desktops running Ubuntu 16.04 or 18.04, SLED 12.x SP3, or SLES 12.x SP3.
• Read-only mode for Session Collaboration
  When an administrator enables this feature, a client user can invite additional users to join a Linux remote desktop session in read-only mode. Only the primary user can access controls on the remote desktop. Additional users can view the desktop but cannot control or make changes to it.
• Expanded support for NVIDIA vGPU
  NVIDIA vGPU is now supported on Linux desktops running SLED 12.x.

Horizon Agent for Windows

• You can now use regular expressions when you create URL Content Redirection rules. See “Regular Expression Rules That URL Content Redirection Supports” in the Configuring Remote Desktop Features in Horizon 7 document.
• Smart card authentication is now supported with UWP apps, such as Microsoft Edge, in remote desktops.
• Helpdesk plugin is included in the Horizon Agent Installer.
• VMware Integrated Printing offers a finishing option (staple, booklet) for specific redirected printers.
• When an administrator enables the read-only mode for session collaboration, a client user can invite additional users to join a Windows remote desktop session in read-only mode. Only the primary user can access controls on the remote desktop. Additional users can view the desktop but cannot control or make changes to it.
• Note that the VMware Knowledge Base (KB) article 2150295, Supported Windows Versions for Remote Desktop Systems for Horizon Agent is not yet updated to version 7.8, but for Windows 10 the supported versions should be:
  • Windows 10 1607 LTSB (Enterprise)
  • Windows 10 1703 CBB, Semi-Annual (Enterprise, Professional, Education)
  • Windows 10 1803
  • Windows 10 1809

Horizon Client

The new Horizon Clients have a new look and feel in alignment with VMware Workspace ONE

Also Horizon Client 5.0 is enhanced to include HTML Access 5.0.

• Windows Client – You can now enjoy enhanced multiple monitor support for up to six monitors for displaying remote desktops and published applications.
• Mac Client – You now have support for setting Mac Clients into dark mode.
• iOS Client – In Presentation Mode, the iOS Client now supports screen rotation. You can also now use the built-in camera redirection with Real-Time Audio Video (RTAV).

Horizon scalability

• The Cloud Pod Architecture limits that have been validated for Horizon 7 version 7.8 are the following:
  • 250,000 total sessions (same as Horizon 7.7)
  • 50 pods (new limit)
  • 10,000 sessions per pod (same as Horizon 7.7)
  • 15 sites (new limit)
  • 7 Connection Server instances per pod (same as Horizon 7.7)
  • 350 total Connection Server instances (new limit)

For more informartion on all limits, see this page.

Andrea Mauro

Virtualization, Cloud and Storage Architect. Tech Field delegate. VMUG IT Co-Founder and board member. VMware VMTN Moderator and vExpert 2010-24. Dell TechCenter Rockstar 2014-15. Microsoft MVP 2014-16. Veeam Vanguard 2015-23. Nutanix NTC 2014-20. Several certifications including: VCDX-DCV, VCP-DCV/DT/Cloud, VCAP-DCA/DCD/CIA/CID/DTA/DTD, MCSA, MCSE, MCITP, CCA, NPP.