VMware View 4.0 with PCoIP Released

OK so I am a bit late but I have been away on holiday so please forgive me. Whilst I was away the much anticipated VMware View 4 was released with the PCoIP remote display protocol. The PCoIP technology has been developed by Teradici and integrated into View by VMware, the result is an enhanced experience for the end user with progressive image building and streaming video support inside a VM.

Below is a quick video of BBC iPlayer inside a View 4 Desktop

Please note I have choose not to record the audio with this clip

VMware View Manager 4.0 includes the following new features:

• VMware View with PCoIP – PCoIP provides an optimized desktop experience for the delivery of the entire desktop environment including applications, images, audio, and video content for a wide range of users on the LAN or across the WAN. PCoIP can compensate for an increase in latency or a reduction in bandwidth, to ensure that end users can remain productive regardless of network conditions.
• PCoIP includes VMware View Display with support for up to four monitors and the ability to deliver the optimal resolution and pivot orientation to each monitor independently.
• VMware vSphere Support – VMware vSphere 4 support enables improved virtual machine scalability, performance, and management, with continued support for VMware Infrastructure 3.x.
• Enhanced single sign-on – The Log in as current user feature is integrated with Active Directory and smart cards to help simplify the process of logging in to a VMware View desktop.
• Restricted entitlements – Administrators can control user access to virtual desktops based on the View Connection Server being used for authentication.
• Smart card policies – Administrators can set group policies to force desktop disconnection and require reconnection when users remove smart cards.
• Domain filtering – You can use vdmadmin.exe to control the accessibility of domains and traverse trust relationships more quickly.
• You can cleanly delete View desktops using scripts.
• You can log in to View desktops using user principal names (UPN).
• You can explicitly configure IP addresses to override those supplied by the View Agent when accessing a desktop.
• Mixed Active Directory and Kerberos authentication is supported

It is definatly worth reading through the release notes below is some of the limitations of PCoIP in the current release, the full release notes can be found here http://www.vmware.com/support/view40/doc/releasenotes_viewmanager40.html

View Client supports connections to View desktops using PCoIP. The following are known limitations when using PCoIP:

• View clients that use PCoIP can connect to View security servers, but PCoIP sessions with the desktop ignore the security server. PCoIP uses UDP for streaming audio and video. Security servers support only TCP.
• Smart cards are not supported.
• Virtual Printing is not supported.
• Audio input works with USB devices only.
• View Portal does not support PCoIP connections.

I have completed the upgrade in our demo environment I did run into a few issues but will blog about these separately. 

Of course with the release of View 4, ThinApp 4 has also been released but I will also leave this for another blog post. I am currently investigating PCoIP capable thin clients and the Wyse P20 seems to be the current favourite with people in the industry at the moment, it is due for immanent release and features a hardware PCoIP chip for enhanced graphic performance. As soon as I get my hands on one I will let you know what I think.