Quest vWorkspace 7.0 Feature Spotlight: Enhanced Bi-Directional Audio

Today we will be looking into the improvements that were made in vWorkspace with regard to its audio capabilities. With Quest vWorkspace 7.0 the bi-directional audio capabilities have been enhanced to provide for better sound quality while using less bandwidth.

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In this feature spotlight we will have a look at one of the more esthetically pleasing new features of Quest vWorkspace 7.0, in that this version fully supports and extends the RDP7 protocol shipped with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

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In this feature spotlight we will discuss the enhancements to the USB virtualization capabilities of vWorkspace that were introduced in Quest vWorkspace 7.0. USB virtualization was first introduced in vWorkspace 6.0 and allows for the redirection of local USB devices into virtual desktops. This allows customers to, for example, use USB headsets or cameras in their virtual desktop sessions. The enhancements that we made to the USB virtualization in Quest vWorkspace 7.0 allow more control for customers over the virtualized USB devices.

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Today’s post is about a new feature in Quest vWorkspace 7.0 called Flash Acceleration. Flash Acceleration is a part of Quest EOP, a set of technologies built on top of Microsoft RDP aimed at providing a remote user experience that is indistinguishable from a local user experience. Flash Acceleration in Quest vWorkspace 7.0 is actually a double-edged sword: it provides a magnificent user experience whilst improving on scalability of virtual desktop and Terminal Server / RD Session Host environments!

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In today’s feature spotlight we will highlight the support for new platforms in Quest vWorkspace 7.0. With Quest vWorkspace 7.0 the following support, including Microsoft Windows 64-bit versions, has been added to vWorkspace: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, SCVMM 2008 R2.

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In this second Feature Spotlight on Quest vWorkspace 7.0 we will be having a look at a much requested feature of vWorkspace: User Environment Configuration and Lockdown for desktops. As its name suggest, this feature allow customer to configure and secure the user environment for all vWorkspace sessions.

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Quest vWorkspace 7.0 has been officially released and we are extremely excited about it here at Quest. This post is the first in a series of post (called feature spotlights) that will discuss and demonstrate some of the cool new features in detail. This first post is about VMware Linked Clones Integration and the new Reprovisioning Options.

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Yesterday we released Quest vWorkspace 7.0! vWorkspace 7.0 is a milestone release that packs some very cool new features. These are some of the exiting new features:

• Flash Acceleration - Deliver a Flash experience that is indistinguishable from a local experience. Real world usage case example: in YouTube HD audio and video are completely in sync. View (and listen to) a short demo here.
• VMware Linked Clone Support - Create virtual desktops that are provisioned using linked clones. Real world usage case example: create virtual desktops that use up to 90% less storage.
• VMware Reprovision Support -Create and maintain a single desktop image and reprovision virtual desktop automatically based on the changes you make to the image.  Real world usage case example: update the golden desktop image with new updates and patches each month and seamlessly apply them to all your virtual desktops. There’s a brief demonstration here.
• Platform Support - With this release the following support, including Microsoft Windows 64-bit versions, has been added to vWorkspace: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, SCVMM 2008 R2. Real world usage case example: be able to start using Windows Server 2008 R2 as your SBC platform today.
• Powertools for VDI - User Environment Management and Lockdown (what used to be called Manage-IT back in the day) is now available for desktops as well. Real world usage case example: build, manage and secure the user environment for both RD Session hosts and desktops without the need to invest in a third party product to do so.
• New RDP Performance Options - Full RDP7 support. As the only major vendor that truly embraces and extends RDP, Quest fully supports RDP7 including all the exciting new capabilities introduced in RDP7. Real world usage case example: deliver Windows7 virtual desktops to end users or customers with the full Windows7 Aero experience. This is how cool that is.
• New Client CAB File - A new Web Client that can be used without requiring manual installation. Real world usage case example: seamlessly deploy new versions of the vWorkspace client without burdening end users.

A exhaustive listing of all the new features can be found here. Also take a look at this special vWorkspace 7.0 page which provides even more information: http://www.quest.com/vworkspace/new-release.aspx

It is important that customers review the vWorkspace 7.0 documentation and release notes for further information on resolved and known issues.

Quest vWorkspace is available to all existing customers and to anyone that wants to trail vWorkspace. The release and product documentation are available on the vWorkspace web site at http://www.vworkspace.com, as well as the Quest SupportLink web site at http://support.quest.com.

Enabling single sign on (SSO) will allow your users to open Web Access and be automatically logged in without being prompted for their user credentials. Instead their credentials are passed through either by using cached credentials or Kerberos authentication from the client device. Therefore the user is immediately presented with their relevant applications and desktops. The main requirement for SSO is that the client devices whether they are thin clients or fat clients (PC’s) are joined to the domain. Typically this kind of deployment does not work for home users who’s client device is not a member of the domain however it is possible to configure SSO with Web Access in such a way to accommodate devices both in and out of the domain. To enable SSO for your users follow the steps below.

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QShell is a free application to improve the log in experience for vWorkspace users on thin clients and end of life hardware where you want to provide a PC’s like log in experience to a virtual desktop. It can provide a single sign on experience removing the client devices original desktop, start menu, task bar and desktop icons.

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