You must upgrade Horizon Agent on the golden image for an instant-clone desktop pool.

This procedure provides an overview of the tasks you must perform to upgrade the agent software in virtual machines used as desktop sources. To complete some of these tasks, you might need the step-by-step instructions found in the vSphere Client online help or in Windows Desktops and Applications in Horizon 8, available by clicking the Help button in Horizon Administrator. To upgrade the agent software on a Terminal Services host or Microsoft RDS host, see Upgrade RDS Hosts That Provide Session-Based Desktops. To upgrade the agent software on a Linux virtual machine, see the Linux Desktops and Applications in Horizon 8 document.

If you plan to deploy instant clones, you can use this procedure to create a golden image for an instant-clone desktop pool. When you upgrade Horizon Agent on a golden image, simply select the appropriate option for an instant-clone desktop pool.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that all Connection Server instances in the replicated group have been upgraded. All Connection Server instances must be upgraded first so that the secure JMS pairing mechanism can work with Horizon Agent.
  • If you are upgrading ESXi hosts and virtual machines, complete the procedure described in Upgrade ESXi Hosts and Their Virtual Machines.
  • Verify that you have a domain user account with administrative privileges on the hosts that you use to run the installer and perform the upgrade.

Procedure

  1. Upgrade the agent software on a golden image or VM template and create an instant-clone desktop pool or full-clone desktop pool, depending on your use case for testing purposes. Or, if you are using a manual desktop pool, test it on one desktop in the pool.
    1. Download and run the new version of the Horizon Agent installer on the golden image or VM template.
      You can download the installer from the VMware website.
    2. Create a small desktop pool from this virtual machine.
    3. Test a virtual machine desktop from the desktop pool to verify that all the use cases function properly.
      For example, create a desktop pool that contains one virtual machine desktop, and verify that you can use Horizon Client to log in to that desktop.
    Step-by-step instructions for running the Horizon Agent installer and creating desktop pools appear in Windows Desktops and Applications in Horizon 8, available by clicking the Help button in Horizon Console.
  2. Repeat Step 1 on all your golden images and virtual machine templates.
  3. If you plan to create instant-clone desktop pools, take a snapshot of each upgraded golden image.
    Go to the pool you want to upgrade and perform a push-image operation. For more information on performing a push image operation, see the Windows Desktops and Applications in Horizon 8 document.

    For instructions on taking snapshots, see the vSphere Client online help.

  4. If you use an automated desktop pool of full clones or a manual desktop pool, upgrade the agent software on each virtual desktop by using whatever third-party tools you usually use for software upgrades.
    If your desktop pool is an automated full-clone desktop pool, take a snapshot of the new VM template. If you later expand your pool, new virtual desktops will be created from the updated VM template or snapshot.
  5. For non-instant-clone pools, to turn on the 3D rendering feature, edit the pool settings.
    1. Configure the following pool settings:
      • For Windows desktop pools, set the pool to use the PCoIP display protocol or the VMware Blast display protocol. For Linux desktop pools, set the pool to use the VMware Blast display protocol.
      • Set Allow users to choose protocol to No.
      • For Windows desktop pools, turn on the 3D Renderer feature. For Linux desktop pools, select NVIDIA GRID vGPU if you have configured that vGPU, or select Manage using vSphere Client.
    2. For Windows desktop pools only, power off each virtual machine and power it on again.
      Restarting a virtual machine, rather than powering off and on, does not cause the setting to take effect.
  6. Download and run the installer for the new version of Horizon Agent on all the machines that you use as RDS hosts. In Windows, RDS hosts can be physical PCs or virtual machines. In Linux, only virtual machines can serve as RDS hosts.
    You can download the installer from the VMware website.
    Important: When you run the installer on a Windows virtual machine RDS host, the View Composer Agent component is deselected. Do not select this component during an upgrade.
  7. For Windows desktop pools, if you use physical PCs as desktop sources, download and run the installer for the new version of Horizon Agent on these physical machines.
    You can download the installer from the VMware website.
    Important: On Windows Server operating systems configured for desktop use, if you do not want to change Horizon Agent installation mode during upgrade, select Desktop Mode in Horizon Agent installer and proceed. If you want to change the mode, select RDS Mode and follow the installer instructions to proceed with upgrade.
  8. Use a Horizon Client that has not been upgraded to verify that you can log in to the upgraded remote desktop sources with your old client software.