View composer agent not showing as an option

[Bluemoon404]

I am trying to install View 4.5 following the http://www.vmware.com/pdf/view45_admin_guide.pdf guide. Page 48 of the guide says "View Composer Agent Lets View Agent run on the linked-clone desktops that are

deployed from this virtual machine.

I have created my Windows 7 PC which I am going to be using as the parent in my linked clone setup. My question is when I run the VMware-viewclient-4.5.0-293049 installer I am not getting the option to install view composer agent only logon in as current user and USB redirection.

Any ideas why view composer agent is not listed.

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Seems you mixed up View Client and View Agent.

.. when I run the VMware-viewclient-4.5.0-293049 installer

from the guide (Step 1)

To start the View Agent installation program, double-click the installer file.

The installer filename is VMware-viewagent-4.5.0-xxxxxx.exe or VMware-viewagent-x86_64-4.5.0-xxxxxx.exe, where xxxxxx is the build number.

André

[cfrankiv]

Andre, I am having this same problem, but I am sure I am using the View 4.5 and View 4.6 agent installer packages on the VMWare site. I have downloaded the trials and there is no way to get the View Composer Agent to show up as an installation option.  The package I am using is VMware-viewagent-4.5.0-293049 . It does the same thing on Win7 and XP, there is no option to install the Composer Agent and View Manager complains that it is not installed when you try and deploy linked clones. Any ideas? I haven't found anything online about his. I have been able to deploy a full clone with the same agent package and connect throught the client fine. I have attached a screenshot of the agent installer options to the thread and it is clearly not there.

Thanks,

Frank

[Camek]

I am not sure where you are reading about the View Composer Agent. You will only install the View Agent on your image (XP or Win7).  Then you must install the VMware View Composer on the same box as your vCenter.  The View manager will use this service running in vCenter to generate the linked-clones. Check out http://www.vmware.com/pdf/view-46-installation.pdf and look in section 4 (page 29) for how to setup Composer.  Next make sure that you have setup you View Composer service account under View Composer Setting (View Config > Servers  > vCenter Composer Setting).   Post back any questions and I will happy to help.

[cfrankiv]

Thanks Camek. I have attached a screenshot from this install guide http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/Installing-VMware-View-components which shows the View Composer Agent install option within the View Agent Installer. This option is not available when I run the installer. Also, my linked clones build fine when I provision them through View Manager, but they are not able to communicate back to the view manager server, and the error is "View Composer agent is not installed in the master VM". I can access them fine from the VCenter console, but View Manager does not broker the session back to the client. There are several posts which mention View Composer Agent as an install option within View Agent, but I do not have that.

Here's another VMware communities thread that mentions the composer agent.

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/292532?tstart=300

Frank

[Camek]

OK this now make sense, I have to agree with A.P. you are installing the wrong software....   The "VMware-viewclientxxxxx"  software you are using is what you use to install on your workstation to connect to the view connection server which then gives your vitrual desktop.

On your VM image you need to use the "VMWare-viewagentxxxxx" .   When you go to the VMWARE download site this is part of the VMware View Manager then download the 64bit or 32bit version of the "agent" not the "client".   Then I suggest you do the full install which will give you the view composer agents.

[kgsivan]

Please ensure VMware Tools are installed in the parent VM

[cfrankiv]

Thanks Siviprasad, that was all it was. Seems I had overlooked VMware tools on these images, but that fixed my problem. Cheers!