How to Query the Version of Horizon View Client

[palmeroj]

Visibility:     Open to anyone

Hi.

I have a large VDI of about 1000+ virtual desktops. Most of these users are remote (overseas) and I have NO control over their host systems. However, I would like to keep users on the same version of View Horizon Client. Is there a way to check the version from the VM or VCenter via script? This way I could determine who to reach in order to request they update the client in their Host machine.

Thank, you.

[vTimD]

This only works if you are connecting via PCoIP. RDP will not update the logs properly.

Open DriveLetter:\ProgramData\VMware\VDM\logs on the VDI. You'll be looking for the following info in the most recent PCoIP Server logs:

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :(peer_endpoint_advertisement_info): ------>>>  Start of peer endpoint advertisement received from peer: -----

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> Peer Endpoint Type: Client

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> PCoIP Implementation: Software

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> PCoIP Version: /svn/SVN_Repository/soft_pcoip/branches/soft_pcoip_rc_3_21@3.21.0.34930 Jul  4 2014 12:46:57

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> Software Part Number: SoftPCoIP CPU-ID = 0x0000007b

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> Device Name: Soft PCoIP for Linux on x86/64

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> OS Type: Mac OS X

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> OS Distribution Name: Darwin 14.3.0 (Apple MacOS)

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> OS Bit System: 64 Bit

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> Processor Architecture: X86

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> Processor Bit System: 32 Bit

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> Number of Processor Cores: 4

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :===> Memory Size: 457 MB

08/29/2015, 07:50:20.979> LVL:2 RC:  0            PRI :(peer_endpoint_advertisement_info): ------>>>  End of peer endpoint advertisement received from peer: -----

As you can see here, it is telling me the PCoIP version (client version) that I was using (3.2), my base OS (mac) etc. You could find a way to script a log pull and dump it to a file. That kind of scripting work is not my forte, but at least you know where you can pull the data from. Hope that helps.

[larsonm · Accepted solution]

The Horizon Toolbox, a VMware Fling available from VMware Labs, provides the information that you seek.

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/vmware-horizon-view-toolbox-fling-instructions.pdf

[cH1LL1]

Nice Thankyou !

[Bleeder]

Based on this it should be possible to forcefully logoff PCOIP sessions via a script that monitors the VDM logs for older client versions.  Of course it would be nice if this functionality was built-in to Horizon View.

[grossag]

On a Windows client: HKLM\Software\<Wow6432Node>\VMware, Inc.\VMware VDM\Client\BuildNumber (note: not an explicit version number but instead a build number)

Unfortunately I can't find any more information that you could query via script.  We send the client version via XML-API to the server using <set-client-info> in the "client-version" subtag, but unfortunately it is not propagated to the admin UI and I don't think it's scriptable.