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DublChen
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View Pools recompose issues with apps and printing

Hello gang!

This will be my first post with you guys.  I have a Horizons View environment with a troublesome pool.  I created this pool as linked-clones with dedicated desktops so that users could install what software they may need.  Now I've found myself in a sticky situation.  I need to recompose the desktops to update them to View 5.3 and with Windows updates and other such items.  Problem is I tried a test on one desktop and it blew away the custom software they installed AND their printers.  So I have a couple of questions...

What would be the best way to recompose these desktops so that in the future if I need to rebuild them, I won't have to send the team out to reinstall 862864901 (fictional number) printers and apps?

Should I look at moving to Thinapps and Thinprint?  I have not dug into either of those areas, so I don't have any practical experiences with them yet.  If there is documentaion, guides, or videos around, I'd be happy to dig in.

Thanks gang,

Keith

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seanmassey
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The ThinPrint that is installed with the View Agent is not the full-fledged ThinPrint product.  It is just a subset of full product's features that VMware licensed from Coronado.

Unfortunately, there isn't much documentation on using ThinPrint.  If you're using PCoIP, it basically just runs and pulls local printers into the desktop.  This has some limits - users can lose access to a lot of features on the more feature-rich MFPs.  That's one of the trade-offs of using a universal printing solution.

What kind of printers are your users printing to?  Are they networked printers?  Are the users inside of your company firewall?  If so, you might want to consider deploying printers through Group Policy Preferences.  I've used this in the past in place of ThinPrint because my users used a number of advanced features on our MFP that weren't exposed through the ThinPrint driver.

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vcpguy
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Keith welcome to the forum !!!

1. If you recompose you will be loosing all the custom software that your users have installed. It is like formatting your hard drive and hoping you will still have your software that was installed prior to formatting your drives.

Suggestions for Applications - Use Thinapp or some kind of Application Virtualization. If you want to give users ability to install software and still use a floating pool, you can use Software from Liquidware Profile Unity/Flex App  UIA and DIA - user installed App and Department installed App. Here is the Link - FlexApp™ For ProfileUnity | Liquidware Labs

Suggestion for Printers - You need to use ThinPrint or Location based printing. Using ThinPrint is easy to install and configure but it depends how are your users accessing those VDI VMs. Remember to use ThinPrint you have to first install Tools and then VDI Agent. Even during the installation/upgrade you have to be careful.

Hope this helps !!!

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DublChen
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Are we talking Thinprint as an internal function of Horizon View or the Thinprint product that is a seperate purchase?

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vcpguy
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It is purchased by VMware long back. You have it when you install View Agent and tools.

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DublChen
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Last question then, is there any documentation for Thinprint?  I can't find any through a mother Google search.

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vcpguy
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What question you have may be I will be able to help you.

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DublChen
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Just where to start.  I've noticed thinprint gets installed with the agent and tools on the individual images, but I've always just loaded a print driver to the dekstop and let 'er rip.  If there is an environment for thinprint, I wouldn't know where it is.  I'm done with my VCP5 stuff for the server environments, but haven't started all of my View books yet.  Smiley Happy

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seanmassey
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The ThinPrint that is installed with the View Agent is not the full-fledged ThinPrint product.  It is just a subset of full product's features that VMware licensed from Coronado.

Unfortunately, there isn't much documentation on using ThinPrint.  If you're using PCoIP, it basically just runs and pulls local printers into the desktop.  This has some limits - users can lose access to a lot of features on the more feature-rich MFPs.  That's one of the trade-offs of using a universal printing solution.

What kind of printers are your users printing to?  Are they networked printers?  Are the users inside of your company firewall?  If so, you might want to consider deploying printers through Group Policy Preferences.  I've used this in the past in place of ThinPrint because my users used a number of advanced features on our MFP that weren't exposed through the ThinPrint driver.

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andrefarinha
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When you recompose a pool, the only software kept is the one that is installed in the snapshot used. If you need more applications, you should add them to the image, or use ThinApp...

Regarding the printers issue, deployment via GPO has solved all of my problems (the ones regarding printing, at least...)