VMware continues to improve its remote display protocol and will include "Blast Extreme" with Horizon 7.
Note that the first release of Instant Clone only supports VMFS or VSAN, and has a limited number of SVGA options. For more information on AppVolumes, see Keith Ward's article here. When the user logs out, the desktop retains the user's customization, persona, and user-installed apps through the use of App Volumes and User Environment Manager, even though the desktop itself is destroyed. Moreover, by using Instant Clone in conjunction with AppVolumes, persistent applications and data can be attached to this new desktop, which can all happen in a matter of seconds. By using Instant Clones, a new, fresh desktop with all the latest updates and patches can be spun up. One of the problems with desktops, either virtual or physical, is the amount of patching an OS requires and the baggage (e.g., viruses, registry entries) a desktop collects over time. The business case I find most interesting is "just-in-time" and "disposable" virtual desktops. The ability to spin up clones in seconds translates into some interesting business possibilities. In one test, 1,000 Instant Clone VMs were created in under 25 minutes.Ĭreating clones extremely quickly is more than just a "gee-wiz, that's cool" feature. Each VMfork child VM can be created in seconds, and because a child VM was forked from a running VM, there's no boot up time required. Instant Clone, undoubtedly the most important new feature, allows a virtual desktop to be cloned fast really, really fast. Horizon 7 is the first VMware product that uses Instant Cloning (a.k.a. This release centers on the desktop and includes many enhancements, three of which are very important, and one I believe will be a game-changer in the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) market.