Windows Server 2003 / 2008 as Desktop

[wolf]

Hello,

has anyone tried if Windows Server 2003 or 2008 can be used as a desktop (View agent installed and working) and if all functionalities (multimedia redirection and printing) do work correctly ?

[Troy_Clavell]

I don't believe they are supported OSs for View

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/GuestOS_guide.pdf

[mittim12]

Troy, is correct in that they can't be used as desktops within View. You can use 2003 as a terminal server and set it up in view.

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[wolf]

Yes I read the guide.

Nevertheless, Windows 2008 (without TS) with Desktop Experience is very close to Vista.

The issue arises because MS Licensing for service providers (SPLA) does not allow for Vista to be run in a virtual environment but only at a physical station.

This means that given the current licensing, ethier a Service Provider get a FPP box, or no way to get XP/Vista on VDI......

So I am asking, regardless of what the guide says, if anyone tried it: I saw a post of a guy saying he was seeing W2K8 with no TS as a desktop in the desktop pools, but i do not know if he installed the View components and if it was working.

I know this would be unsupported from VMware (even if it works), but there is no other workaround to SPLA at present.

The only other way would be to have each WIndows Server to act as a TS with 1 user: but in this case View supports only physical machines/TS and not virtual ones.....

I can understand the issues between phy and virt if we talk about provisioning, linked clones, ... but not about the broker itself: this should not make any difference.

[mittim12]

Our 2008 servers shows up as Vista boxes if you go to create an Individual Desktop. These servers do not have the agent installed and I have never tried to add them so I'm not sure if they would work.

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[wolf]

Thank you mittim12,

have you any plan to do a test ?

I should set up a whole environment to do it and honestly I would prefer to avoid it.

[mittim12]

I hadn't planned on testing it only because it isn't something we are interested in but if I can find a non-production WIndows 2008 server I will set it up and see if it works.

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[wolf]

Thank you very much. I hope you will be able to.:D

[mittim12]

I installed the View agent on one of the 2008 servers that was showing up under available desktops. Once this happens the server was no longer available for selection in the individual desktop group but instead it was only available in the Terminal Server listing. Upon removal of the view agent the server does not return as a available selection in the desktop wizard.

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[wolf]

Thank uou for your test.

This is interesting: this might mee that anyway it might be possibile to access it as a terminal server with 1 user (i.e. a "desktop"); even this would be supported/possible as per guide (Terminal Server should be only physical machines as per guide).

Uhmmmm, worth investigating.

I think anyway VMware should support at least Windows 2008 + Desktop services role as a desktop....

[mittim12]

I have a single Windows 2003 Server setup in remote administration mode that is setup in View as a Terminal Server source and it works great. Although 2008 isn't a supported OS for View I think you may have some luck going this route.

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