John provides a complete list of all products impacted by the name change which I have copied here.

VMware vCenter
Brand name for all infrastructure and application management products from VMware

VMware VirtualCenter ? VMware vCenter Server
The central management product for VMware Infrastructure

VMware Lifecycle Manager ? VMware vCenter Lifecycle Manager
Workflow automation product for creation, deployment and decommissioning of virtual machines

VMware Converter ? VMware vCenter Converter (for the version integrated into vCenter)
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone (for the separately downloadable version); comes in two flavors: Enterprise and Starter
Physical to virtual (P2V) conversion product

VMware Lab Manager ? VMware vCenter Lab Manager
Automation product for application development environments

VMware Stage Manager ? VMware vCenter Stage Manager
Automation product for application staging and deployment environments

VMware Update Manager ? VMware vCenter Update Manager
Host and virtual machine patch management product integrated with vCenter Server

VMware Site Recovery Manager ? VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager
Disaster recovery orchestration product

VirtualCenter Foundation ? vCenter Server Foundation
Node limited version of vCenter Server

VMFS ? VMware vStorage VMFS
VMware’s cluster file system

VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure ? VMware View
VMware’s integrated desktop virtualization solution that delivers enterprise-class control and manageability

Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM) ? VMware View Manager
Enterprise
class server which manages connections from end points to virtual
desktops or hosted desktops while helping rapidly provision desktops

VMware Administrator Interface ? VMware View Administrator
Administrator Interface for View Manager

VDM Agent ? VMware View Manager Agent
Agent for View Manager to talk to the virtual desktop

VDM Web Access ? VMware View Portal
Access to virtual desktops through web browser

VDM Client for Windows ? VMware View Client for Windows
Client used to install on Win 32 PC or Win XP embedded thin client to connect to View Manager for virtual desktop access

VDM Client for Linux ? VMware View Client for Linux
Client used to install on Linux thin clients to connect to View Manager for virtual desktop access

I helped implement a VDI solution for a customer that ended up revealing an issue with VMware Desktop Manager (VDM) 2.1 and the resource pools of an ESX Cluster. The explanation of the problem to me was that the VDI desktops auto-deployed via persistent VDM pools were out of sync with the ESX resource pools they were members of, and therefore new VDI desktops could not be cloned by VDM. That’s a little confusing I know, so I’ll try to explain it better by providing the sequence of implementation steps that resulted in the issue.

Here’s how it happened.

• Configured the ESX Cluster that would host the virtual desktops
• Built the internal VDM server to be the connection broker as a VM
• Built the DMZ VDM server to be the security server as a physical server
• Created 4 desktop pools on the connection broker and auto deployed new VMs
• Created ESX Cluster resource pools and moved the auto deployed desktop VMs and VDM server VM into them.
• Due to Active Directory issues, deleted VDM desktop pool number 1 and recreated it with new, auto-deployed VMs as members of the ESX Cluster resource pools.

Later when the customer increased the number of VMs in a few of the desktop pools only the pool number 1 auto-deployed new desktops. New VM clones in the other pools failed with:

“Pool control for desktop [pool name] is unable to create the new VM [vm name] - Cannot clone VM. Invalid folder or resource pool or datastore specified.”

The problem, according to VMware Support, is that VDM is out of sync with the resource pool for the desktop pool. The pool points to the default root resource pool but really should reflect the new ESX resource pool. This can happen when a change occurs such as a resource pool being deleted, renamed, or created. The resource pool information can’t be changed once the desktop pool is created. There was also a mention of some inconsistencies in the ADAM database.

The resolution was to delete the originally created desktop pools and recreate them. When the recreated desktop VMs were cloned they were placed in the now existing ESX Cluster resources pools.

Pool number 1 did not have the issue because it had already been re-created when we experienced AD issues, and although unknowing to us at the time, we actually already fixed the problem via this same process.

As I mentioned at the top of the post, VMware support told my customer they would write up a new KB article for this, and that it would probably be fixed in a future release of VDM. Bottom line is that until a new release with a fix, create your ESX resource pools before you create desktop pools and start cloning VMs. Be sure your resource pool design is final or you will have to delete and recreate the desktop pools and their VMs if you make any changes.

virtualization, vmware, vdi, vdm

More information about these new desktop concepts are found on the new VMware pages linked above.

VMware View

New Desktop Technologies Announced for 2009VMware announced new technologies to be introduced in 2009 – VMware View Composer, VMware Offline Desktop and Client Virtualization to build upon our leadership in virtual desktop infrastructure(VDI). Each technology provides additional functionality to make the universal client a reality – an end-to-end desktop solution that is easy-to-manage and cost effective, with the best end user experience, the strongest security, and the most efficient way to manage all of your desktops and applications.

VMware View Composer – Advanced image management for virtual desktops allows you to:

• Reduce storage cost and management by up to 90 percent
• Reduce desktop provisioning from 15 minutes to just seconds
• Manage hundreds of desktops from a single central image, retaining user settings when updating or patching service packs, application updates or even OS upgrades
• Roll back instantaneously, enabling customers to streamline management and guarantee that all user systems are up to date
• Reduce the number of images to manage

VMware Offline Desktop – Access virtual desktops whether online or offline to:

• Backup critical user data and applications for remote employees
• Create transparent user environments on the road or in the office
• Increase user productivity while decreasing management complexity and risks
• Harness local compute power for a superior PC-like end user experience while maintaining data back ups and settings

VMware Client Virtualization – With virtualization for laptops and desktops PCs you can:

• Reduce the number of PC images with hardware independent virtual desktops that run on each PC
• Provide centralized management of VDI users and virtual client users from the same management console
• Enable users to take advantage of local PC hardware for superior user experience and offline usage

Universal Client

“The desktop of the future will not be a single physical device but a collection of different devices and environments. Applications and data may be located across a combination of locations for example: a virtual desktop running on a server, a home notebook computer and a webmail account. End users want the same view regardless of what device they use to connect to their desktop or where their applications and data are located – the user wants a universal client. IT organizations on the other hand want to simplify management and take control of desktops and applications cost effectively.”

I blogged about some of new VDI features VMware is introducing in my post about the VDI technical deep dive Partner Day session I attended.

vmware, vmworld2008, vdi, universalclient, vmwareview

Here’s my notes from the session:

VDI / VDM version 2.1 priorities at VMware fell under the following 3 categories based on customer requests and feedback.

User Experience

• 2 and 3D graphics improvements
• improve multi monitor abilities
• VOIP
• add multimedia and video playback features

Aquisition cost

• Huge storage costs asscoiated with multiple desktops, backup, and user data
• Improve desktop server density (# of VMs to host)

Management

• Solution for offline mobile workers
• Provide enterprise class desktop management

The following future technologies are being introduced to make these requests features in VMware’s new VDI solution

• SVI – Scalable Virtual Images, similar to the current Lab
  Manager linked clone technology, is the ability to deploy multiple VMs
  from a single VM template. This will work for both Persistent and Non
  Persistent VMs. Upgrading or patching the template VM will
  instantaneously update all of the deployed VMs too. This feature helps
  lower the storage aquisitions costs as less storage will be needed to
  host large numbers of VMs.
• MMR for XP – Multi Media Redirect will enable the smooth
  playback of .mpg, .mp3, .wma, and .wmv files on remote desktops. Flash
  movies still not supported. MMR wil greatly enhance the User Experience
  with multimedia playback capabilities similar to traditional physical
  hardware.
• Pools of VMs will be able to span datastores – eliminate the current limitation today. More VMs per datastore will increase the number of VMs per host server.
• VM Bulk Importer to rapidly import multiple VMs into VI. Rapid migrations to VDI will be possible.
• AD integration will allow end user password changes from the desktop VM client.
• MVDI – Mobile Virtual Desktop Infrastructure will take the
  current VMware Ace features to a new level in VDI. Possibilities
  include relocating a desktop VM to a local physical system temporarily,
  and then back to the data center again, check in and check out of a
  desktop VM with constant heartbeat back to management server, remote
  administration ability to disable VMs, and delta replication changes of
  the remote virtual desktop back to the data center.

Finally, ThinApp completes the future VDI solution by decoupling the applications from the OS.

vmware, vdi, vmwareview, vmworld2008, svi, mmr, mvdi

It is recommended that a VM that has been optimized by performing the steps in this checklist be used as a template or gold image for all other XP VMs.

To view this complete table in this post your desktop resolution will have to be at least 1280 x [any]. Otherwise you can download it as a .pdf

Optimized XP VM for VDI Template Checklist

Subject: VMWare Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Starter Kit Promotion

Customers who purchase a VMware license are entitled to a “free” VDI Starter Kit. Interested? Keep reading…

Summary

This is a promotion for VMware customers to receive the opportunity to try
a small deployment of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), in the format
of a VDI Starter Kit, free of charge, subject to the terms and conditions
below.

The VDI Starter Kit contains everything needed to deploy 10 virtual
desktops, including ESX licensing, VirtualCenter for management and the new
Virtual Desktop Manager 2 for desktop connection brokering. A year of
VMware Gold Support and Subscription will also be included. The total
commercial list price value of the VDI Starter Kit is $1500, plus $315 for
VMware Gold Support and Subscription for one year.

Eligibility Requirements

Customers who purchase any one of the following VMware Infrastructure 3
products in any quantity during the Eligibility Period will qualify for one
VDI Starter Kit free of charge per order.

ELIGIBLE COMMERCIAL SKUs

VMware Infrastructure 3 Standard for 2 processors; additive licenses ———>part # VI-STD-C
VMware Infrastructure 3 Enterprise for 2 processors; additive licenses ———>part # VI-ENT-C
VMware Infrastructure Acceleration Kit for 8 processors ———>part #VI-AK-C
VMware Infrastructure Midsize Acceleration Kit for 6 processor ———>part #VI-MID-AK-C
VMware Infrastructure Standard High Availability Acceleration Kit for 4 processors ———>part #VI-STD-AK-C

Eligibility Period

Customers must purchase an Eligible Product from the SKUs listed above from
December 29, 2007 through Feb 28, 2008 to automatically qualify for a free
VDI Starter Kit. Eligible customers will receive email notification upon
the general availability of Virtual Desktop Manager 2.0, including details
on when and how they will receive the VDI Starter Kit product licensing.

For purchases made through OEM Partners, the activation date of the
redemption of the activation code(s) for VMware Infrastructure 3 product
licenses must be within the Eligibility Period in order to qualify for this
promotion.

Promotion Duration

Subject to the VDI restrictions as outlined by the End User License
Agreements for ESX Server, Virtual Center and Virtual Desktop Manager 2.0,
and the terms and conditions defined below, customers will receive their
VDI Starter Kit license keys via email 2-4 weeks after the release of
Virtual Desktop Manager 2.0 in Q108.

Note: The VMware VDI Starter Kit will be released in Feb 2008 and fulfilled
electronically via email to qualifying customers after the end of the
promotion in March 2008.

VMware VI3.5 is scheduled to be generally available by the end of 2007. Based on a public .pdf released by VMware, this post is my summary of the new features. I’m guessing this .pdf is really a .ppt presentation that VMware is delivering, but I have not attended this presentation myself.

The screen shot is from the document and shows the new features in the defined layers.

After some sales and marketing slides the document classifies the VI3 features today across 3 layers. These layers are then used to group the new features for the rest of the presentation.

The features are divided into 3 layers:

1. Platform – ESX server
2. Virtual Infrastructure – combining multiple ESX servers in farms and resource clusters for VMs
3. Management – automated IT processes for administration

Here’s my feature summary table in .pdf format

Here is the full VMware .pdf – What’s New with VI3.5_public.pdf

Linked to this post are the materials from “Using VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure for Hosted Computing”. This lab walks through installation, administration, creating a desktop, creating desktop pools, and finally connecting to desktops and desktop pools.

The Appendix also goes through a detailed process of getting a WinXP VM ready to become a template. Too many template VMs are created without taking the time to optimize the VM for future cloning. This process can be used to prepare any VM for becoming a template – not just for use in VDI.

Using VDI Vmworld 2007 Lab