Running Published Apps on Demand from a VDI Desktop Pool
In recent times, VMware has introduced the feature of Published Apps on Demand, which can revolutionize your application delivery strategy and take it to the next level. This feature allows users to access applications directly from the App Volumes manager into the Horizon console without requiring an RDSH farm. However, most blog posts and presentations focus on running published apps from an RDSH farm, leaving out the possibility of running them from a VDI desktop pool. In this article, I will explain how to run published apps on demand directly from a VDI desktop pool, and how to build an On-demand package if you don’t have one already.
Requirements:
1. At least one application package in App Volumes with delivery type set to “On-demand”.
2. An Horizon environment with a published VDI desktop & applications pool.
3. The ability to build an On-demand package if you don’t have one already.
Step 1: Creating an On-Demand Package
If you don’t have an On-demand package, you can create one by following these steps:
a. Open the App Volumes manager and select the application you want to create an On-demand package for.
b. Click the “Packages” tab and click “Add Package”.
c. Select “On-Demand” as the delivery type and click “Next”.
d. Follow the wizard to complete the package creation process.
Step 2: Publishing a VDI Desktop Pool
To publish a VDI desktop pool, follow these steps:
a. Open the Horizon management console and select “Desktops & Applications” from the left menu.
b. Click “Publish” and select the VDI desktop pool you want to publish.
c. In the “Session Type” settings, select “Desktop & Applications” or “Applications” depending on your requirements.
Step 3: Adding a Published Application Manually
Once you have published a VDI desktop pool, you can add a published application manually by following these steps:
a. Open the Horizon management console and select “Applications” from the left menu.
b. Click “Add” and select “Add Manually”.
c. Select your VDI pool from the desktop pool radio button.
d. Enter the application ID, display name, and parameters for the application shortcut. The path should be:
e. The parameters will be different for each application, because of its own GUID. But it should look like this:
f. Click “Submit” and confirm with “OK”.
g. Add an entitlement to the published application and click “OK”.
Step 4: Testing Published Apps on Demand
Once you have created an On-demand package, published a VDI desktop pool, and added a published application manually, you can test the Published Apps on Demand feature by doing the following:
a. Login to a desktop with the Horizon Client installed and log in to the Horizon environment.
b. Open the start menu and find the shortcut for the published application.
c. Click the shortcut to open the application, and you should see a message at the bottom right of your screen saying “App delivery in progress”.
d. When the package is mounted to your VDI, the application will be started and streamed to your local desktop as a Published App on Demand!
Conclusion:
Running published apps on demand from a VDI desktop pool can be a game changer for organizations looking to revolutionize their application delivery strategy. With this feature, users can access applications directly from the App Volumes manager into the Horizon console without requiring an RDSH farm. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can start using this feature today and take your application delivery to the next level.