How to tell who deleted your Horizon View VM

It's happened to all of us - we go to find a particular desktop in the View Inventory only to find it's not there. You didn't delete, so who did?

Luckily we know better than to survey our co-workers - we can confirm from the logs!

On the Connection Server, navigate to C:\ProgramData\VMware\VDM\logs and check out the DEBUG logs.

Typically you will see a line similar to:

2014-09-11T10:45:18.210-07:00 DEBUG (0B1C-0B47) [ws_TomcatService] STDOUT: 2014-08-11 10:45:18 [com.vmware.vdi.desktopcontroller.PendingOperation]-[DEBUG] Pool floating::Stopping & deleting VM /EUC/vm/Floating/Win7-01.

In this example, if you trace the session ID (0B1C-0B47), you'll also find a line earlier in the log such as:

2014-08-11T10:39:23.053-07:00 DEBUG (0B1C-0B38) [ws_TomcatService] STDOUT: 2014-09-11 10:39:23 [com.vmware.vdi.admin.ui.LoginBean]-[INFO] User ryan has successfully authenticated to View Administrator

And voila! User ryan has been busted.

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Running Workspace Portal 2.1 in VMware Workstation 10

With the release of Workspace Portal 2.1, the vApp has been reduced to a single VM providing simpler deployment and administration. [See my post What's New in Workspace Portal 2.1] This also means it's extremely easy to run inside of VMware Workstation or Fusion. In this post, we'll be covering how to import Workspace Portal 2.1 into VMware Workstation.

Why would you want to run Workspace Portal in a desktop solution like Workstation?

Well it's by no means a production solution. It does provide a decent lab environment at best though! This is great for tinkering with the product before implementing in a vSphere environment. You can get a pretty good idea for how the product flows. If you happen to have a more advanced home lab setup in Workstation already (With Active Directory, vCenter Server, etc). If you don't, luckily there is a Demo User Store that can be selected during the Web GUI configuration which will create dummy accounts for you and use an embedded OpenLDAP instance on the VM. Pretty cool!

More info on using the Demo User Store here

To install Workspace Portal 2.1 in Workstation:

1. Download the Workspace Portal 2.1 OVA


2. In Workstation, choose File > Open


3. Configure your desired Name and Location, and choose Import


4. Review the details of the VM
   
   


5. Power on the VM, and you'll run through the Setup Wizard
   
   
   
   1. Choose [1] for a complete installation
   
   
   2. Enter [y] to accept
   
   
   3. Next configure your hostname, DNS, and IP settings
   
   
   4. When done, hit [q] to continue, then [y] to confirm
   
   
   
   


6. After it performs its initial boot and configuration, you'll see the familiar Login screen with an IP address.
   
   NOTE: in this example, we're using a Bridged network connection. This can be verified and configured under VM > Settings > Network Adapter


7. In my setup, I want to be able to access Workspace with the hostname I provided earlier in the setup. In order to do that, I need to modify my computer's /etc/hosts file. My daily OS is Linux Mint, so I will perform this via the command line:
   
   
   
   1. First ensure you can ping the appliance from the IP listed in the console window
      ping 192.168.3.161
   
   
   2. Then add an entry for the appliance in the hosts file
      vi /etc/hostsThe entry should follow this format:
      FQDN shortname
      
      e.g., 192.168.3.161 workspace21.mycomputer.local workspace21
   
   
   
   


8. Once your hosts file is updated, you should be able to ping the appliance by the name you gave it.


9. Final step is to open a browser and login per the console window's instructions!
   
   

Next Steps: Run through the web GUI to further configure the appliance. See my post on Installing/Configuring Workspace Portal

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Installing VMware Workspace Portal 2.1

The Workspace vApp design and deployment has been dramatically simplified in this release. If you've dabbled with Workspace in the past, got frustrated with the vApp complexity, and ended up putting it on the shelf - now's the time to revisit this amazing product.

Some things that make Workspace Portal 2.1 easier to deploy than previous releases:

1. Single VM - Workspace is now a singular VM handling all its services. No more SSHing to other VMs within the vApp and messing with proxy over and over.


2. No more IP Pools - the requirement of IP Pools is a thing of the past. Hooray!


3. No more vCenter dependency - deployment doesn't require vCenter URL and credentials


4. Much faster deployment - the vApp deploys with 4 VMDKs by default and takes much less time than previous instances.

NOTE: Older instances of Workspace cannot be upgraded to Workspace Portal 2.1. Instead, a migration is required. Please see the Migration Guide here: http://pubs.vmware.com/workspace-portal-21/topic/com.vmware.ICbase/PDF/workspace-portal-21-migration.pdf  And see my post covering this process (coming soon)

Installation:

1. Deploy the OVA like normal (In vCenter, File > Deploy OVF Template)
   
   
   
   1. In the Properties section of the deployment, Ensure "Connector Only Install" remains UNchecked.
   
   
   2. Set your correct timezone settings (this will affect vApp time and log times)
   
   
   3. Opt in/out of the Customer Experience Program
   
   
   4. If you don't want to rely on DHCP, enter the FQDN, Default Gateway, DNS, IP, and Netmask for the appliance.
      
   
   
   
   


2. Once the vApp is deployed, power it on. You'll be greeted with familiar instructions to navigate to your Workspace Portal's URL for configuration
   
   


3. Once you're there, you'll see a new configuration wizard


4. Notice you can now configure separate passwords for root, sshuser, and your administrator accounts
   
   


5. 
   
   New in the Map User Attributes page is an attribute for DaaS (Desktone), the distinguishedName
   

   

   
   


6. 
   
   Once setup is complete, it will link you to the Admin Dashboard!
   

   

   
   

Official Workspace Portal 2.1 Installation Guide

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What's New in VMware Workspace Portal 2.1

VMware's Workspace Portal was just brought to version 2.1. This release comes with some exciting changes and new features that make this the best Workspace release yet.

Simplified Deployment - Workspace is now a single VM (still deployed as an OVA). This architectural change makes SO MANY things easier including log locations, configuration changes (like Proxy settings), and much more. The single Connector-va service within the vApp is capable to handle most AD environments. Additional instances can be cloned for high availability and unique domain configurations.

Another handy tidbit is that (finally!) the Bind DN account used during deployment to perform the initial user sync will be added/synced itself by default. Hooray!

AirWatch and Desktone integration - AirWatch 7.3 and Desktone 6.1 can be fully integrated with SSO using Workspace Portal 2.1

All new Dashboard with reporting  - I might be the most excited about this one. Out of the box, the new Admin Dashboard shows incredibly useful reporting data such as user engagement, historical trends, system health, and active users. I'm happy to report that this dashboard also dynamically updates - no need for manual refresh (not pointing fingers... Horizon View...)

Also new is the Administrative Service Links (aka, QuickLinks). Going to https://:8443 will take you to a shortcuts page to perform administrative tasks like configure SSL certificates, administer user entitlements, and manage user authentication.

Check out the official Release Notes for Workspace Portal 2.1

Related Posts:

Installing Workspace Portal 2.1

Upgrading Workspace Portal 2.1 [Coming Soon]

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Plex Server, Virtual Machines, and Google Chromecast

Recently I discovered Plex and its many wonderful capabilities. In looking for an easier way to get my media to my non-smart TV, I found a cheap solution that works extremely well. Now my home setup is not that extravagant. I have a simple Windows 8.1 box. 8GB of RAM, A10 6800k APU, AMD Radeon 7900 series GTX 960 Superclocked GPU and plenty of storage. If you're like me and have a simple setup, all you need are the following components:

• Google Chromecast (or similar)
• VMware Workstation (or similar)
• A library of media
  
  Note: exploring the features/capabilities of Plex is outside the scope of this post.

In VMware Workstation, I use a Linux Mint VM to run my Plex server. Your server doesn't have to be Linux, so simply grab the appropriate install from the Plex Downloads.

All my media is on my host machine (the Windows 8.1 box) in my normal Library locations. What this means is that for the Plex server to be able to serve up media, it needs access to those locations. This is easily done in Workstation by adding shared folders in the VM options.

Another thing to note.. if you want to be able to access your media from outside the VM itself, you'll need the proper networking configuration to do that. With this particular setup, the easiest option is to Bridge your network connection. This simply connects the VM to the same network as your Host machine (more here). No further router configuration should be needed. You shouldn't have to tweak your network much further unless you are using something like double NAT. If you find yourself having issues loading the library later on, check out Plex's Troubleshooting page.

One last setting is needed. On your Plex server, launch the Plex Media Manager (localhost:32400/web/index.html) and go to Settings > Server > Connect and follow the prompts to connect your server to Plex. Once done, you can start adding your media into Plex by having it share your Library locations. If you used shared folders like I did, your Library will be in a location similar to /mnt/hgfs/

You should now be able to access your media from any device, on or off your home network. 

Now to get this media to your non-smart TV. This is where Chromecast comes in. For $35, you can order one of these from Amazon and have easy access to your entire Plex library on your TV (and much more including Netflix, Hulu Plus, etc). The catch is you'll need to 'cast' to it either from your PC, or mobile device. The easiest option is probably a mobile device/tablet.

The Plex app for my iPhone pictured above is, unfortunately, not free. But it's worth the $5! Once your Chromecast is plugged into the TV, and connected to your home network, you'll be able to launch Plex on your mobile device, tap the 'Cast' button, and voila! Your Plex library is now available to your TV.

If you found this post helpful, let me know in the comments!

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Accessing Horizon Workspace Gateway-va URL fails with HTTP 404 Error

Symptoms

• HTTP 404 Error accessing gateway


• Service-va logs show something similar to
  
  com.vmware.horizon.analytics.exception.HorizonException: Setting up Message Broker connection failed: Connection refused


• Running df -h on the service-va shows /db as full

Cause

 

The internal Postgres Database is full and must be expanded. This article does not apply to Workspace implementations that have an external database configured.

 

 

Resolution

 

To resolve this issue, add a new, large VMDK to the service-va and copy the contents from the old disk to the new one. This process works on service-va VMs with and without internet access.

 

1. Take a snapshot of the service-va


2. Power off the Workspace vApp


3. Add a VMDK to the service-va
   
   3a. Right click the service-va and choose Edit Settings > Add > Hard Disk and choose Create new virtual disk
   3b. Ensure the new disk is at least 30GB in size


4. Power on the service-va VM only and login as root


5. Change to run level 1
   
   init 1
   
   5a. Verify you are in Run Level 1 by typing who -r


6. Determine the name of the new disk (e.g., /dev/sdxx)
   
   fdisk -l


7. Format the new disk with default parameters
   
   fdisk /dev/sdxx
   n (for new partition)
   p (for primary partition)
   Press Enter to accept Partition Number Default
   w (to write changes)


8. Unmount /db (first take note of the device name, e.g., /dev/sdb1)
   
   umount /db


9. Copy the contents of /db (in this example, /dev/sdb1) to the new partition
   
   dd if=/dev/sdb1 of=/dev/sdxx bs=1024
   
   NOTE: This copy operation may take a long time


10. Resize the filesystem using resize2fs
    
    e2fsck -f /dev/sdxx
    resize2fs /dev/sdxx


11. Mount /dev/sdb1 to /db
    
    mount /dev/sdb1 /db


12. Update /etc/fstab to reflect the new partition mounted at /db


13. Run this command to shutdown the service-va 
    
    shutdown -h now


14. Power on the Workspace vApp.
    
    NOTE: be sure to commit the snapshot previously taken after verifying the environment is stable

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Working with Horizon Workspace Virtual Users and zmprov

One nifty feature of Horizon Workspace is the ability to share files and folders with external users. An "external user" could mean one of two things:

1. A directory server user not synced to Horizon Workspace


2. Someone outside of the enterprise

An invited user is then created as a virtual user in the Workspace instance. You can find more information about virtual users in the Horizon Workspace Administrator's Guide under User and Group Types: http://hrzn.ws/1nqI0ZS

When a virtual user is created, they are assigned to a hidden Class of Service (COS) called defaultExternal. This class of service comes with its own parameters, notably, all virtual users are defaulted to a file upload size of 2GB. You may notice the following error when a virtual user tries to upload a file larger than 2GB:

exceeds single file maximum upload size 2147483648 bytes

Additionally, the virtual user will share the quota of the internal user that shared the file with them. So if the inviter has an unlimited quota, files the invitee uploads won't have a negative impact. Conversely, if the inviter has a 10GB limit, any file the invitee uploads will go toward that internal user's 10GB quota.

So how can we increase the virtual user's file upload size limit?

Though the defaultExternal COS is hidden in the Administration Console, you can still configure its attributes via the data-va command line.

 

To change the upload file size limit for virtual users:

1. Login to the data-va as root


2. Change to the zimbra user:
   
   sudo su - zimbra


3. Switch to the virtual user tenant and modify the upload attribute to the desired file size limit, in bytes:
   $ zmprov
   prov> st __virtual__
   prov> mc defaultExternal hzndataFileUploadMaxSize filesize-in-bytes
   prov> mc defaultExternal hzndataFileUploadMaxSizePerFile filesize-in-bytes
   prov> quit
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   Increasing virtual user file upload limit to 3GB

   
   


4. Restart the service
   
   zmcontrol restart

Note: to clear the Tenant specifier back to default, use the unsetTenant command:

$ zmprov

prov> ut

To view all COS, you can use 'gac.' Notice my example below doesn't show defaultExternal because I do not have any virtual users:

Additionally you can run "zmprov gac -v" which will show all the configured attributes for each COS. The process outlined above can be used to edit any COS manually. Keep in mind a COS you've created in the Administrator Console GUI will be in the default tentant, not the __virtual__ tenant.

Happy modding!

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