NexentaConnect for Horizon

Transcription

1 NexentaConnect for Horizon Installation Guide 3.0 Date: September, 2014 Subject: NexentaConnect Installation Guide Software: NexentaConnect Software Version: 3.0 Part Number: 2000-nex_con A

2 Copyright 2014 Nexenta Systems TM, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Notice: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or stored in a database or retrieval system for any purpose, without the express written permission of Nexenta Systems (hereinafter referred to as Nexenta ). Nexenta reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time without notice and assumes no responsibility for its use. Nexenta products and services only can be ordered under the terms and conditions of Nexenta Systems applicable agreements. All of the features described in this document may not be available currently. Refer to the latest product announcement or contact your local Nexenta Systems sales office for information on feature and product availability. This document includes the latest information available at the time of publication. Nexenta is a registered trademark of Nexenta Systems in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names in this document are properties of their respective owners. This document applies to the following product versions: Product Versions supported NexentaConnect TM for XenDesktop 3.0 NexentaConnect TM for Horizon 3.0 VMware vcenter Server 5.x VMware vsphere Client 5.x VMware Horizon (with View) (only with NexentaConnect for Horizon) 6.x Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 or later VMware ESXi 5.x CItrix XenDesktop (only with NexentaConnect for XenDesktop) 7.5 or later ii

3 Contents Preface vii 1 Prerequisites About NexentaConnect About NexentaConnect Editions Environment Prerequisites Microsoft Windows Desktop Template Prerequisites NexentaConnect Prerequisites Network Prerequisites Management Network Considerations Preparing the VMware VDI Environment Before You Start Preparing the VDI Environment About the vcenter Configuration Creating a New Datacenter Creating a New ESXi Cluster Adding ESXi hosts to the ESXi Cluster Configuring the time settings on the ESXi hosts Configuring DNS and Routing About Network Configuration Creating a Datastore for the Templates Installing NexentaConnect Before You Start Installing NexentaConnect Downloading the NexentaConnect Software About the NexentaStor VSA Template Deploying NexentaStor VSA as an OVF Template Converting the NexentaStor VSA Virtual Machine to a Virtual Machine Template Activating the View PowerCLI Installing the NexentaConnect Server Agent on the VMware Horizon (with View) About Microsoft Windows Desktop Template iii

4 Creating Microsoft Windows Template or Snapshot Installing the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent About NexentaConnect Management Appliance Deploying the NexentaConnect Management Appliance Running the Post-Install Wizard Configuring a NexentaConnect Management Appliance Network Interface Changing the NexentaConnect Management Appliance TCP Port Selecting the Time Zone Reading the NexentaConnect EULA Running the Initial Configuration Wizard Obtaining a License Key for NexentaConnect Obtaining a Trial License Key Registering and Configuring NexentaConnect Updating NexentaConnect Managing Nexenta NAS VAAI About Nexenta NAS VAAI Installing Nexenta NAS VAAI Enabling Nexenta NAS VAAI Uninstalling Nexenta NAS VAAI Troubleshooting NexentaConnect Unpacking the tar.gz file Mounting the ISO Image and CIFS Share on a Virtual Machine Mounting an ISO Image Mounting a CIFS Share on a Virtual Machine Understanding VMware Tools Statuses Installing the VMware Tools on Microsoft Windows Starting VMware Tools Verifying the IP Address for the NexentaConnect Management Appliance If VMware Tools is not Running Cannot Send the Management Appliance Registration Request using a non-authenticated SMTP server Downloading the Support Files iv

5 ESXi Fails to Create Datastores on Local Drives Pre-installation Checklist Glossary v

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7 Preface This documentation presents information specific to Nexenta products. The information is for reference purposes and is subject to change. Intended Audience This documentation presents information specific to Nexenta products. The information is for reference purposes and is subject to change. Intended Audience This documentation is intended for VDI Administrators and assumes that you have experience with data storage concepts, such as NAS, SAN, NFS, and ZFS; VMware vsphere, VMware Horizon View; SQL database administration; Microsoft Windows Active Directory 2008 R2. Documentation History The following table lists the released revisions of this documentation. Table 1: Documentation Revision History Revision Date Description 2000-nex_con A September, 2014 GA Contacting Support Choose a method for contacting support: Visit the Nexenta customer portal or partner portal. Log in and browse the customers knowledge base. Using the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. Click Help > Support Request and complete the request form. Then click Send Request. Using the NexentaConnect Management Appliance, click Help > Support Request > Download as file. Save the files on your system and attach them to support request . You may want use this option, if you cannot use the NexentaConnect Management Appliance built-in mail notification system. vii

8 Comments Your comments and suggestions to improve this documentation are greatly appreciated. Send any feedback to and include the documentation title, number, and revision. Refer to specific pages, sections, and paragraphs whenever possible. viii

9 1 Prerequisites This section includes the following topics: About NexentaConnect Environment Prerequisites Microsoft Windows Desktop Template Prerequisites NexentaConnect Prerequisites Network Prerequisites About NexentaConnect NexentaConnect is a product of Nexenta that combines together the 3rd generation of NexentaStor TM storage system and leading desktop virtualization platforms. NexentaConnect fully automates the VDI deployments and provides unlimited scalability for the environment of hundreds and thousands of virtual desktops. You can use NexentaConnect to: Deploy a new pool of virtual desktops Reconfigure an existing pool of virtual desktops provisioned by NexentaConnect to enhance the resource utilization Calibrate an existing pool of virtual desktops provisioned by NexentaConnect Run a performance benchmark on an existing pool of virtual desktops provisioned by NexentaConnect Monitor performance of each virtual desktop Monitor CPU and memory resource usage of ESXi hosts Monitor storage performance and usage Backup and restore pools of virtual desktops or individual desktops Take a snapshot of your pool of virtual desktops at any point in time About NexentaConnect Editions Installation requirements depend on the NexentaConnect edition needed for your environment. Nexenta provides the following editions of NexentaConnect: NexentaConnect for Horizon 1

10 Works with the VMware Horizon software products. NexentaConnect for XenDesktop Works with the Citrix XenDesktop and VMware software products. Environment Prerequisites NexentaConnect utilizes an existing VMware VDI infrastructure. Instructions for installing and configuring VMware or Citrix XenDesktop software are not included in this documentation. Consult with your VMware representative for all questions that are related to installing and configuring VMware and Citrix software. The following table describes the components that you must install and configure before you can deploy NexentaConnect. Table 1-1: Network Infrastructure Components Name of component Domain Controller Domain Name Server (DNS) and DHCP server Description Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory. You must configure all organization units, computer groups, administrator groups, user groups, and users. The number of users must equal or exceed the number of desktops that you plan to deploy. Before you start to install NexentaConnect, all the components of the deployment, such as VMware vcenter Server, VMware Horizon (with View) 6.x (only for NexentaConnect for Horizon), Citrix XenDesktop (only for NexentaConnect for XenDesktop) VMware ESXi, Database Servers and Microsoft Windows templates must join Active Directory Server. You must make DNS and DHCP server available to all servers and vlans. NFS vlan does not require DHCP. The following table describes the VMware components that you need to install and configure before you can deploy NexentaConnect for Horizon. Table 1-2: Horizon Edition Components Name of component Description VMware ESXi 5.0 or later A separate ESXi 5 host to run NexentaConnect Management Appliance. VMware vcenter Server 5.0 or later If you plan to use Linked-clones feature, then you need to install View Composer on vcenter Server and enable View Administrator. VMware Horizon (with View) 6.x or later You must add vcenter Server to VMware Horizon View Connection Server in View Administrator. If you plan to use Linked-clone pool, enable the View Composer in VMware Horizon View Administrator settings. 2

11 Name of component VMware ESXi 5.0 or later Description You can use a single or multiple ESXi 5 server(s) for desktop pool deployment. You can deploy multiple desktop pools on the ESXi cluster. Microsoft Windows Desktop Template Prerequisites The Microsoft Windows desktop template is a template of a virtual machine that NexentaConnect uses as a golden image to create a desktop pool. If you use NexentaConnect for Horizon, the Microsoft Windows desktop template must include: Microsoft.NET 3.5 VMware Tools VMware Horizon View Agent NexentaConnect Desktop Agent Note: Install VMware Tools before installing the VDI specific agents. You must take into account the following: Number of vcpu VMware recommends provisioning 16 VDI's per CPU core. The VSA commonly uses about 5CPU cores. RAM For example, a desktop pool of 100 desktops with a template that uses 3GB RAM requires 300GB RAM plus overhead, which does not yet include RAM for Nexenta VSA and VMware ESXi. Template size If the template size exceeds 50 GB, it may result in longer deployment time and requires more storage space. The following versions of Microsoft Windows are supported: Windows 7 Enterprise and Professional Editions (x86 and x64) Windows Vista Business and Enterprise Editions (x86 with SP1 and SP2) Windows XP Professional SP3 (x86) Windows 8 (x86 and x64) For more information, see About Microsoft Windows Desktop Template. 3

12 NexentaConnect Prerequisites NexentaConnect consists of the following components: NexentaConnect Management Appliance NexentaConnect Management Appliance enables you to manage your VDI environment. You must deploy the NexentaConnect Management Appliance as a virtual machine from the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) template that is included in the product package. The NexentaConnect Management Appliance should be located on the management ESXi host. NexentaConnect Management Appliance requires full network access to all components and must have administrative privileges to vcenter and VDI management consoles. The minimum requirements for a virtual machine are: 4GB RAM 1 vcpu 20GB hard drive NexentaStor VSA template The NexentaStor VSA provides the storage for the desktop pool. You must deploy the NexentaStor VSA from the OVF template to the ESXi cluster dedicated for the desktop pool deployment, and then convert it to a virtual machine template. After you create a NexentaStor VSA virtual machine template, the NexentaConnect Management Appliance can use it to automatically create storage for the desktop pool. The NexentaStor VSA virtual machine template requires 8GB of storage space. As a virtual machine template, it does not use any resources. NexentaConnect Server Agent You install NexentaConnect Server Agent on the VMware Horizon View Connection Server or XenDesktop. NexentaConnect requires PowerCLI installed on VMware Horizon View Connection Server to automate its work with VMware Horizon View. NexentaConnect Desktop Agent You need to install the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent on the desktop template. It requires Microsoft.NET 3.5+ or later. Based on a pool size of 100 desktops, the minimum virtual machine requirements for NexentaStor VSA are: 8GB of Memory (16GB recommended) 2vCPU (4vCPU recommended) 8GB hard drive 4

13 Network Prerequisites Nexenta recommends that you configure the following physical networks for NexentaConnect: Management network This network manages the traffic between all VDI components such as VMware Horizon View Connection Server, VMware vcenter server, Microsoft Windows Server Active Directory, VMware Horizon View Composer, VMware ESXi servers, and NexentaConnect components, such as NexentaConnect Management Appliance, NexentaStor VSA(s), virtual desktops. NFS network (dedicated VMKernel port for data traffic) This high-performance high-throughput 10 GbE network that manages the NFS traffic between NexentaStor VSA(s) and VMware ESXi servers. Note: You can configure only management network and use it for management and NFS traffic. However, Nexenta does not recommend it. You should use management network for NFS traffic, only if management network is a 10 GbE network and has jumbo frames enabled. Management Network Considerations The DHCP is required for the desktop pool network and management network for each NexentaStor VSA. You need a sufficient number of IP addresses on your DHCP scope and a subnet to accommodate the VMware VDI environment. You need the following: One IP address for each desktop One IP address for each NexentaConnect One IP address for each NexentaStor VSA (1 for each ESXi host) If you re-deploy desktop pool multiple times, then the number of new IP addresses must equal the number of desktops. It is highly recommended to have a subnet which is 2x or 3x times larger than the number of desktops in a pool. If it is not, all the IP addresses in a subnet might be reserved by the existing desktops until the lease expires. For example, if you have a pool of 40 desktops, then the subnet size should be desktops. It is recommended that you allocate a larger subnet range, rather than set up a shorter DHCP lease period. If a subnet is small and DHCP updates the leases frequently, then the update may fail during a period of heavy I/O loads, as is the case during deployment. If the DHCP server does not update the leases as scheduled, then you may need to clean the DHCP lease table. 5

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15 2 Preparing the VMware VDI Environment This section includes the following topics: Before You Start Preparing the VDI Environment About the vcenter Configuration Adding ESXi hosts to the ESXi Cluster Creating a New ESXi Cluster Adding ESXi hosts to the ESXi Cluster Configuring the time settings on the ESXi hosts Configuring DNS and Routing About Network Configuration Creating a Datastore for the Templates Before You Start Preparing the VDI Environment Before you start to prepare the infrastructure for NexentaConnect, make sure that the environment meets the Prerequisites. The VMware VDI infrastructure must be fully functioning and configured, with all required hardware and software. Instructions for installing and configuring VMware software are not included in this documentation. Consult with your VMware representative for any questions that are related to the installation and configuration of VMware software. About the vcenter Configuration You must configure the VMware vcenter for NexentaConnect environment. Follow the sequence of steps: Create a new Datacenter or use an existing one See Adding ESXi hosts to the ESXi Cluster Create a new ESXi cluster in this Datacenter See Creating a New ESXi Cluster Add the ESXi hosts for desktop pool in ESXi cluster 7

16 See Adding ESXi hosts to the ESXi Cluster Creating a New Datacenter You can create a new datacenter or use the existing. After you create a datacenter, you must create an ESXi cluster inside the datacenter. For complete instructions and recommendation on how to create a datacenter and ESXi cluster, see the VMware documentation. You need the following information before you can start to create a datacenter: The IP address for the vcenter Server To create a new datacenter: 1. In the vsphere client, log in to the VMware vcenter server. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, right-click vcenter and select New Datacenter. 3. Type the name of the new Datacenter. Creating a New ESXi Cluster The NexentaConnect environment requires at least one ESXi cluster that contains one or more ESXi hosts. To create a new ESXi cluster: 1. In the vsphere client, log in to vcenter. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, right-click datacenter that you created in Adding ESXi hosts to the ESXi Cluster, and select New Cluster to start the New Cluster Wizard. 3. Accept the default settings. 8

17 Adding ESXi hosts to the ESXi Cluster You need to add the ESXi hosts that you plan to use for a desktop pool deployment. NexentaConnect supports one desktop pool per ESXi cluster. You need to have the following information about each ESXi host before you can start to add an ESXi hosts to an ESXi cluster: IP address Username Password To add an ESXi host to an ESXi cluster: 1. In the vsphere client, log in to vcenter. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, right-click the cluster, that you created in Creating a New ESXi Cluster and select Add host to start the Add Host Wizard. 3. Use the Add Host Wizard to add the ESXi hosts that you plan to use for VDI desktop pool. Accept the default settings with the following exceptions: Verify that the ESXi hosts are located under the ESXi cluster. If they are not located under the ESXi cluster, move them. Make sure that the Lockdown Mode is Disabled. Configuring the time settings on the ESXi hosts You must adjust the time on all the ESXi hosts to the vcenter time settings. To configure the time settings on the ESXi hosts: 1. In the vsphere Client, log in to vcenter. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, select the ESXi host. 3. In the right-hand panel, click Configuration > Software >Time Configuration. 4. In the Time Configuration pane, click Properties. 5. In the General tab, enter the time and date. You must enter the same time and date that you configure the. 6. In the NTP Configuration, verify the Outgoing Port and Protocols. You must verify that these port and protocol are open in the Firewall in the Software > Security Profile. 7. Select the NTP Client Enabled checkbox. 8. Click OK. 9. Repeat the steps in the task starting from Step 2 to Step 8 on all the ESXi hosts in the VDI infrastructure. 9

18 Configuring DNS and Routing You must configure the DNS settings on all the ESXi hosts according to the vcenter DNS settings. To configure DNS and Routing: 1. In the vsphere Client, log in to vcenter. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, select the ESXi host. 3. In the right-hand panel, click Configuration > Software >DNS and Routing. 4. In the DNS and Routing pane, click Properties. 5. In the DNS Configuration tab, fill all the fields according to the settings on the DNS server. 6. In the Routing tab, enter the default gateway. Consult with your system administrator for the required values. 7. Click OK. 8. Repeat the steps in the task starting from Step 2 to Step 7 on all the ESXi hosts in the VDI infrastructure. About Network Configuration You must configure virtual networks for the following physical networks: Management network VMware vcenter automatically configures management network. NFS network You can create a separate vswitch and port group for NFS traffic using the NexentaConnect Deployment Wizard. For more information, see Assigning Separate vswitch for NFS data traffic in Nexenta VSA for VMware Horizon View User Guide. Note: You can also create a vswitch and a port group for NFS network using vsphere client. For more information, see the VMware documentation. The following illustration represents the network traffic distribution in the VDI environment. 10

19 Figure 2-1: Network traffic distribution in the NexentaConnect environment Creating a Datastore for the Templates You must place the NexentaStor VSA template and Windows Desktop Template in any datastore that belongs to the datacenter that you assign to the desktop pool deployment. Nexenta recommends that you use a datastore that is local or accessible on a fast network, therefore you can clone any template without errors. To create a datastore for the templates: 1. In the vsphere client, log in to VMware vcenter. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, select an ESXi host used for NexentaConnect. 3. In the Hardware panel of the Configuration tab, select Storage. 11

20 4. Click Add Storage to start the Add Storage Wizard. 5. In the Select storage type dialog box, select a storage type. The options are: Disk/LUN to use the VMFS-5 volume as a datastore. Network File System to use the NFS folder as a datastore. Make sure that the NFS you provisioned uses the fast network. 6. If you select Disk/LUN: 1.In the Select Disk/Lun dialog box, select the LUN from the list. If no LUNs are available, attach a new LUN and try again. 2.In the File System Version dialog box, select VMFS-5; then click Next. 3.In the Current Disk Layout dialog box, click Next. 4.In the Properties dialog box, type the name of the datastore. 5.In the Formatting dialog box, select the capacity of the datastore. The options are: Maximum available space. Allocate all available disk space to datastore. Custom space setting. Specify the required part of the available disk space that you need to provision as a datastore. 6.In the Ready to Complete dialog box, check the settings and click Finish. 7. If you select Network File System: 1.In the Locate Network File System dialog box: 1)In the Server field, type the host name, IP address or MAC address of the NAS server. 2)In the Folder field, type the pathname for the folder, in which you want create a datastore. 3)In the Datastore Name field, type the datastore name. 4.In the Ready to Complete dialog box, check the settings and click Finish. 12

21 3 Installing NexentaConnect This section includes the following topics: Before You Start Installing NexentaConnect Downloading the NexentaConnect Software About the NexentaStor VSA Template Deploying NexentaStor VSA as an OVF Template Converting the NexentaStor VSA Virtual Machine to a Virtual Machine Template Installing the NexentaConnect Server Agent on Citrix XenDesktop About Microsoft Windows Desktop Template Creating Microsoft Windows Template or Snapshot Installing the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent About NexentaConnect Management Appliance Deploying the NexentaConnect Management Appliance Running the Post-Install Wizard Configuring a NexentaConnect Management Appliance Network Interface Changing the NexentaConnect Management Appliance TCP Port Selecting the Time Zone Running the Initial Configuration Wizard Obtaining a License Key for NexentaConnect Registering and Configuring NexentaConnect Updating NexentaConnect Before You Start Installing NexentaConnect Before you start installing the NexentaConnect, make sure that your VDI environment meets all requirements described in Prerequisites. Also make sure that you have performed all of the appropriate procedures described in Preparing the VMware VDI Environment. 13

22 Downloading the NexentaConnect Software Before you can prepare the VMware VDI environment for NexentaConnect, you must download and uncompress the NexentaConnect software bundle. The software bundle is compressed into a tar.gz file. To download the NexentaConnect software: 1. In a web browser, go to: 2. Select the NexentaConnect download package. 3. Download the compressed NexentaConnect software to an accessible drive in the VMware VDI network. 4. Use an appropriate utility to uncompress the software into a directory to which the vcenter can have access. For more information, see Unpacking the tar.gz file. About the NexentaStor VSA Template Nexenta provides the NexentaStor VSA in an OVF template format as a part of the NexentaConnect package. NexentaStor VSA provides storage for a desktop pool using the NFS protocol. You must perform the following tasks with the NexentaStor VSA OVF template: 1. Add the uncompressed NexentaStor VSA OVF template to the datastore that is located on the ESXi, which you are going to use for NexentaStor VSA deploy. If you put the NexentaStor VSA OVF template to any network location, make sure that the network is fast. Otherwise, OVF template deployment may take long time. 2. Deploy the NexentaStor VSA template as a virtual machine. See Deploying NexentaStor VSA as an OVF Template. 14

23 3. Convert the NexentaStor VSA virtual machine into a virtual machine template by running the basic wizard in which you select the template for a VM and set its basic parameters, such as name, location, and network. NexentaConnect uses this template to automatically create virtual storage for desktop pool. See Converting the NexentaStor VSA Virtual Machine to a Virtual Machine Template. Deploying NexentaStor VSA as an OVF Template When you uncompress the NexentaConnect installation package, the NexentaStor VSA template file is located in the NexentaStor_Template directory. The file format of the template is VNT- NSnnnnnn.ovf where nnnnnn is the version number. You need the following information to deploy NexentaStor VSA as an OVF Template: Location of the NexentaConnect template directory to which you copied the NexentaConnect installation package. Name of the datacenter, cluster, ESXi server, and destination storage that is allocated for NexentaStor VSA. A management network in the environment that has access to both the NexentaConnect Management Appliance and the VMware Horizon View 5.x. Name of the vswitch that has been created in the preceding task for the NexentaConnect ESXi hosts. For your convenience, we use label NFS Network in this document. To deploy NexentaStor VSA from as an OVF template: 1. In the vsphere client, log in to vcenter. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, click the ESXi cluster and select File > Deploy OVF Template In the Source screen of the Deploy OVF Template wizard, click Browse and navigate to the directory where you uncompressed the NexentaConnect software. 4. Locate the NexentaStor_Template/VNT-NSnnnnnn.ovf file and click Open. 5. In the Source dialog box, click Next. 6. In the OVF Template Details dialog box, click Next. 7. In the Name and Location dialog box, select the appropriate datacenter, and click Next. You can rename the NexentaStor VSA template. 8. In the Storage dialog box, select the destination storage for virtual machine files; then click Next. 9. In the Disk Format dialog box, select Thick Provision Eager Zeroed, then click Next. 10. In the Network Mapping dialog box, map the NFS VSA source network to the NFS network that you created for the NexentaConnect ESXi hosts, then click Next. For your convenience, NFS Network is used as a network label in this document. 15

24 11. In the Ready to Complete dialog box, select the Power on after deployment checkbox, review the configuration settings, and then click Finish. The new NexentaStor VSA virtual machine starts to deploy by using the template that was provided. The time that it takes to install the NexentaStor VSA virtual machine depends on the available network and storage resources. 12. In the Host Recommendations dialog box, accept the default or select a different host, and then click Power on. 13. Verify that the VMware Tools run: 1.In the Inventory select NexentaStor VSA. 2.In the right-hand panel, click the Summary tab. 3.View the VMware Tools status in the General pane. See Understanding VMware Tools Statuses, Starting VMware Tools. 14. Verify that IP address of NexentaStor VSA is displayed in the vsphere: 1.In the Inventory select NexentaStor VSA. 2.In the right-hand panel, click Summary tab. 3.View the IP address in the General pane. Converting the NexentaStor VSA Virtual Machine to a Virtual Machine Template After you deploy the NexentaStor VSA virtual machine from an OVF template, you need to convert it to a virtual machine template. Therefore, you must use the virtual machine template to create a virtual storage appliance for every desktop pool. To convert the NexentaStor VSA virtual machine to a virtual machine template: 1. Log in to vcenter using the vsphere client. 2. In the ESXi Inventory, right-click the NexentaStor VSA virtual machine and select Power > Power off. 16

25 3. In the ESXi Inventory, right-click the NexentaStor VSA virtual machine and select Template > Convert to Template. The NexentaStor VSA no longer appears in the Inventory panel. 4. In the ESXi address bar, switch to the VMs and Templates view to verify that the newlycreated NexentaStor VSA template appears. Activating the View PowerCLI You must activate the View Power CLI on the VMware Horizon View Connection Server before installing the NexentaConnect Server Agent. To activate the View PowerCLI: 1. Log in to VMware Horizon View Connection Server. In the vcenter Inventory panel, select the VMware Horizon View Connection Server virtual machine, and click Console tab, or use Remote Desktop Connection (RDP). 2. In the VMware Horizon View Connection Server, click Start > View PowerCLI > Run as Administrator. A View PowerCLI window opens. 3. In the View PowerCLI window, type: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned 4. Close the View PowerCLI window. 5. Click Start > View PowerCLI > Run as Administrator. 6. Close the View PowerCLI window. Installing the NexentaConnect Server Agent on the VMware Horizon (with View) You must Install the NexentaConnect Server Agent on the VMware Horizon View Connection Server if you use NexentaConnect for Horizon. After you have installed the NexentaConnect Server Agent, it starts automatically when the system starts. Note: Make sure that you have installed the VMware Horizon View PowerCLI on the View Connection Server. To install the NexentaConnect Server Agent: 1. Connect to the VMware Horizon View Connection Server and make the ncserveragent.exe available on the VMware Horizon View Connection Server. 2. On the VMware Horizon View Connection Server, locate and double-click ncserveragent.exe. 17

26 The NexentaConnect Server Agent setup wizard starts. 3. In the Choose install Location screen of the wizard, accept the default location. 4. In the Port number selection screen of the wizard, the listening port 8889 is set by default. Verify that this port is open for outgoing connections, if you use the default settings. Consult with your System Administrator. 5. Click Install to install the NexentaConnect Server Agent 6. After NexentaConnect Server Agent Setup Wizard finishes, click Close. About Microsoft Windows Desktop Template Microsoft Windows desktop template represents a golden image, that you use to clone the desktops. Nexenta does not provide any Microsoft Windows template as a part of the NexentaConnect package. You must create a Microsoft Windows virtual machine and install the following components in the proposed order before you can create a template or a snapshot: 1. VMware Tools The VMware utility, that improves guest operating system performance and manageability. You must install it on a virtual machine in vsphere client. See Installing the VMware Tools on Microsoft Windows. 2. VMware Horizon View Agent The VMware application, that enables communication between the VMware Horizon View Connection server and the desktop virtual machines. 3. Microsoft.Net 3.5 Microsoft.Net 3.5 enables the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent to run. For more information on the installation of the components that are listed above, see the VMware and Microsoft documentation. 4. NexentaConnect Desktop Agent NexentaConnect Desktop Agent is included in the NexentaConnect package which enables communication between NexentaConnect and desktop virtual machines. The NexentaConnect Desktop Agent requires Microsoft.NET 3.5 or later. You must consider the following additional requirements: You must adjust the size of the template storage disk according to the size of the Microsoft Windows template and NexentaStor VSA template. The size of the vcpu on the ESXi must suffice the size of your deployment. If you plan to create Linked clones of Microsoft Windows virtual machine, you must create a snapshot of a virtual machine. The desktops are cloned from a VM snapshot. If you plan to utilize Full clones, you must convert your desktop golden image into a virtual machine template. 18

27 See Also: Creating Microsoft Windows Template or Snapshot Creating Microsoft Windows Template or Snapshot You must create a Microsoft Windows virtual machine on a base of your own Microsoft Windows image, and convert it to a virtual machine template or create a snapshot to use it in your desktop pool deployment. Before you can convert your desktop golden image into a virtual machine template or take a snapshot, you must install the components described in About Microsoft Windows Desktop Template to Microsoft Windows virtual machine. To create a Microsoft Windows virtual machine template or snapshot: 1. In the vsphere client, log in to VMware vcenter. 2. In the vcenter Inventory panel, select the appropriate datacenter and ESXi cluster and then create a virtual machine from a required Microsoft Windows version. 3. Start the Microsoft Windows virtual machine and install the VMware Tools, the VMware Horizon View Agent and the Microsoft.Net 3.5 or later. See the VMware and Microsoft Windows documentation, and Installing the VMware Tools on Microsoft Windows. 4. Install the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent. See Installing the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent. 5. Turn off the Microsoft Windows virtual machine. 6. Convert a virtual machine to a desktop template, if you plan to use Full Clones, or create a snapshot, if you plan to use Linked Clones. If you need to convert a virtual machine into a template: 1.In the vcenter Inventory panel, right-click a Microsoft Windows virtual machine and select Template > Convert to template. A new Microsoft Windows template is created. If you need to create a snapshot: 1.In the vcenter Inventory panel, right-click a Microsoft Windows virtual machine and select Snapshot > Take Snapshot. 2.In the Take Virtual Machine Snapshot dialog box, type the name and description of the snapshot and click OK. For more information about Full Clones and Linked Clones, see the VMware documentation. Warning: If you plan to deploy or recompose linked clone desktop pool, you must turn off the desktop virtual machine, before you take a snapshot. Otherwise, you are not be able to use the snapshot. 19

28 Installing the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent You must install the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent on the Microsoft Windows desktop template. After the NexentaConnect Desktop Agentt is installed, the service starts automatically. Make sure that the components described in About Microsoft Windows Desktop Template were installed on Microsoft Windows virtual machine, before you install the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent. To install the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent: 1. In the directory in which you uncompressed the NexentaConnect software, locate the Agents/ncDesktopAgent or ncdesktopagent.iso. 2. Copy the NexentaConnect/agents/ncdesktopagent.exe file or mount the ncdesktopagent.iso file on the Microsoft Windows virtual machine. 3. In the Windows template Desktop Agent destination, double click ncdesktopagent.exe. The NexentaConnect Desktop Agent Setup wizard starts. 4. In the Choose Install Location screen of the wizard, port 7777 is selected by default. Verify that this port is opened for outgoing connections, in case you use the default settings. Consult with your System Administrator. 5. When prompted, click Install to install the Desktop Agent. 6. Validate the NexentaConnect service status. 1.In the Windows virtual machine, click Start. 2.In the Search field, type services. 3.In the Search results, click services. 4.In the Services window, verify that the NexentaConnect Desktop Agent for Windows service runs. About NexentaConnect Management Appliance The NexentaConnect Management Appliance Management Appliance is a central component of NexentaConnect. Nexenta recommends that you install NexentaConnect Management Appliance on a management ESXi cluster. You can install it on the management ESXi host, on which you installed VMware Horizon View, VMware vcenter, etc., or on a separate ESXi host, with network access to the NexentaConnect infrastructure. The ESXi host must meet the hardware requirements as described in NexentaConnect Prerequisites. You can use the NexentaConnect Management Appliance to: Configure and deploy a desktop pool Reconfigure an existing desktop pool Calibrate an existing desktop pool Run a performance benchmark on a desktop poo 20

29 View statistics for hypervisors, storage, and desktops Note: In the NexentaConnect Management Appliance, you can modify the desktop pools provisioned by NexentaConnect. Deploying the NexentaConnect Management Appliance You need the following information for this procedure: Network settings of an ESXi host on which to deploy the Management Appliance Location of the NexentaConnect OVF template Name of the datacenter, the ESXi cluster, the ESXi host, and the destination storage that is allocated to NexentaConnect A management network in your environment that has access to both VMware Horizon View Connection Server and the ESXi server with the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. Name of the vswitch that you created for the NexentaConnect ESXi hosts and allocated for management traffic. To install the NexentaConnect Management Appliance: 1. In the vsphere client, log in to the vcenter Server. 2. In the vcenter Inventory, click the ESXi on which you want to deploy the NexentaConnect Management Appliance management appliance. 3. In the vcenter upper menu, select File > Deploy OVF Template... to start Deploy OVF Template Wizard. 4. In the Source screen of the Deploy OVF Template wizard, click Browse and navigate to the directory in which you uncompressed the NexentaConnect software. Locate the NexentaConnect.ovf file and click Open. 5. In the Source screen, click Next. 6. In the OVF Template Details window, click Next. 7. In the Name and Location screen, select the datacenter that includes the appropriate ESXi host for the Management Appliance, and then click Next. 8. In the Host/Cluster screen, select the appropriate cluster and destination datastore for the Management Appliance, and then click Next. 9. In the Specify a Specific Host screen, select the appropriate ESXi host for the Management Appliance, then click Next. 10. In the Disk Format screen, select Thick Provision Eager Zeroed, and then click Next. 11. In the Network Mapping screen, map the VM Network source network to the appropriate management network, and then click Next. 21

30 12. In the Ready to Complete screen, click Power on after deployment, review the configuration settings, and click Finish. Deploying time varies from 5 minutes to 1 hour depending on a OVF template location and vcenter resources allocation. Running the Post-Install Wizard You must configure the NexentaConnect Post-Install Wizard after you complete the installation of the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. In the NexentaConnect Post-Install Wizard you can: Configure the NexentaConnect network interface. Change the NexentaConnect TCP port. Select a time zone. Read the NexentaConnect End User License Agreement (EULA). Configuring a NexentaConnect Management Appliance Network Interface You need to create a hostname, assign an IP address and port number to the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. To configure a NexentaConnect Management Appliance network interface: 1. In the vcenter Inventory panel, click the NexentaConnect virtual machine. 2. In the vcenter action pane, click the Console tab. 22

31 The NexentaConnect Post-Install Wizard starts. 3. In the NexentaVSA for View Post-Install Wizard, press Configure Network Interface. 4. In the Setup Hostname dialog box, type the host name of the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. For example, NexentaConnect. 5. Configure the network interface. You can configure the network interface with a static IP address or have the DHCP server assign an IP address dynamically. To configure the network interface using DHCP: 1.In the Configure Network Interface dialog box, click Yes. NexentaConnect configures network interface automatically. To configure a static network interface: 1.In the Configure Network Interface dialog box, click No. 2.In the Configure Network Interface dialog box, type the IP address that you want to assign to the NexentaConnect Management Appliance, a network mask address, a gateway and a domain name server(s). Consult with your network administrator for the required values. 6. In the confirmation dialog box, write down the IP address that you assigned to the NexentaConnect; then click OK. Now you may point your browser to the specified IP address in order to access the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. 23

32 Changing the NexentaConnect Management Appliance TCP Port NexentaConnect Management Appliance uses TCP port 3000 by default. You may want to change this value to another port number. To change the NexentaConnect Management Appliance TCP port: 1. In the NexentaConnect Post-Install Wizard, select Configure Service and press Enter. 2. In the dialog box, type the TCP port and press OK. Make sure that the new port is not already used by NexentaConnect. Selecting the Time Zone You must configure the time zone on the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. Selecting the time zone is required for the data interchange between NexentaConnect and the ESXi server and the creation of charts. To select a time zone using: 1. In the NexentaConnect Post-Install Wizard, select Select Time Zone and press Enter. 2. In the Configuring tzdata panel, choose the zone and press OK. 3. In the next screen, select the city or region and press OK. Reading the NexentaConnect EULA You may read the NexentaConnect End User License Agreement in the NexentaConnect Post-Install Wizard. To read the NexentaConnect EULA using NexentaConnect: 1. In the NexentaConnect Post-Install Wizard, select the corresponding EULA and press Enter. You can use the arrow keys to scroll down the EULA. 2. To exit EULA, press EXIT. Running the Initial Configuration Wizard You need to configure the NexentaConnect Management Appliance basic settings in the Initial Configuration Wizard. You need to perform the following tasks: Configure the SMTP settings Obtain the machine signature and send request to Nexenta for a license key. You may skip this task and click Already have a license key. 24

33 Register the NexentaConnect Management Appliance Protect the NexentaConnect Management Appliance with a password Add the VMware Horizon View Connection Server Add the VMware Horizon View Server You need to know the IP address of the Management Appliance configured in Configuring a NexentaConnect Management Appliance Network Interface. Obtaining a License Key for NexentaConnect After you finish the Post-Install Wizard, use the NexentaConnect Initial Configuration Wizard to request a NexentaConnect license key and register the software. Note: If you already have the NexentaConnect license key, skip this procedure and go to Registering and Configuring NexentaConnect. If you want to register the Trial version of NexentaConnect, go to Obtaining a Trial License Key. You need the following information to obtain the NexentaConnect license key: IP address for NexentaConnect Management Appliance Hostname of the SMTP server that you plan to use for sending messages from NexentaConnect Mail protocol that is used by the SMTP server (Plain, TLS, or SSL) Port that is used by the SMTP server Timeout length for requests User name for the SMTP server Password for the SMTP server login name An existing address to which NexentaConnect Management Appliance will send messages. addresses of all personnel who need to receive informational and statistics s from the NexentaConnect Management Appliance. Note: If you configured the NexentaConnect Management Appliance network interface using DHCP, the IP address can change after you restart the appliance. You can verify the current IP address of the Management Appliance in the Summary tab of the vsphere Client. VMware Tools must be installed. See Installing the VMware Tools on Microsoft Windows To obtain the NexentaConnect license key: 1. In vsphere client log in to vcenter. 2. Verify that the NexentaConnect Management Appliance is powered on. 25

34 3. In a web browser, type the NexentaConnect Management Appliance Management Appliance IP address and port number: The NexentaConnect web interface opens, and the Initial Configuration Wizard automatically starts. 4. Select Register the product and click Next. 5. In the Configure SMTP Settings screen, provide the required information about the SMTP server, that you plan to use to receive the s from NexentaConnect; then click Next. See SMTP and Notification Settings. 6. Click Send test to send a test and verify the SMTP settings. The following table describes the NexentaConnect Management Appliance SMTP and notification settings. Table 3-1: SMTP and Notification Settings Field SMTP Settings Hostname Protocol Port Timeout (in seconds) Username Password Sender Account Description Hostname of the SMTP server Mail protocol that used by this SMTP server (Plain, TLS, or SSL) Port that is used by this SMTP server. The default values for each protocol are Plain: 25, TLS: 25, and SSL: 465. The length of time that a request waits before it times out. Login name for this SMTP server. Password for the SMTP server login. Existing address in the company domain to use for sending all s from NexentaConnect. Notifications Settings addresses for NexentaConnect faults List of the addresses to which NexentaConnect sends fault notifications. 7. In the Send Product Registration Request screen, complete the fields in the form, including your contact information license type, etc.; then click Next. Note: If you cannot automatically send the request to obtain a license when you click Send Request, you need to send an to vdi@nexenta.com. You need to include the appliance signature and all the information that is requested in the Send Product Registration Request screen. The following table describes the NexentaConnect Management Appliance license request parameters. 26

35 Table 3-2: Product Registration Parameters Field First name Last name Contact Contact phone # Company name or homepage Estimated number of virtual desktops Description Your first name Your last name address to which Nexenta will send the NexentaConnect license key. Your phone number Full company name or main URL Estimated number of virtual desktops supported by this NexentaConnect deployment. 8. Click Next to send the request. 9. Click OK. 10. Click Done to close the Configuration Wizard. You can leave browser window with NexentaConnect Management Appliance open or exit until you receive the with license key. Within 24 hours, the NexentaConnect license key is sent to the address listed in the Contact field. When you receive the , you can register NexentaConnect, add the VMware Horizon View and vcenter servers, and begin deploying the desktops. Obtaining a Trial License Key For the purpose of testing, you can request a 60-day trial license key. To request a trial license key: 1. In a web-browser open the NexentaConnect Trial Registration page on the Nexenta website: 2. Submit the registration form. You will receive the license key by Proceed to Registering and Configuring NexentaConnect. Registering and Configuring NexentaConnect You should receive the NexentaConnect license key by within 24 hours at the address that you specified in the Initial Configuration Wizard. 27