Eric Sloof

This course consists of the following modules:

• vCloud Networking and Security Vision describes the challenges that vCloud Networking and Security addresses, its key concepts, and the customer benefits.
• vCloud Networking and Security Overview explains workload networking and security requirements, describes vCloud Networking and Security components, and explains vCloud Networking and Security purchasing options.
• vCloud Networking and Security Customer Use Cases examines how customers implemented vCloud Networking and Security into their environments.

The purpose of this document is to explain the various types of virtual machine graphics acceleration available, how to implement and troubleshoot them, and to provide knowledge around the benefits offered by each technology.

This guide provides guidelines for configuring a standard Windows image for use in a VMware Horizon View infrastructure. It gives administrators the information necessary to create a standard Windows image, whether by leveraging the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) or by utilizing a script-based approach to optimize traditionally installed Windows virtual machines.

The recommended configuration settings optimize the operating system to enhance overall scalability and performance in a Horizon View implementation. The procedures described in this guide apply to the Windows 7 andWindows 8 operating systems. Scripts and task sequences to optimize both operating systems are included. 

Horizon View 5.2 supports Microsoft Windows 8 and the Metro style user interface. Windows 8 offers more options for security and personalization as well as new built-in desktop virtualization capabilities. The new Group Policy templates for Windows 8 enable more control and consistency for desktop users and greatly enhance the Horizon View virtual desktop experience. Horizon View also supports basic gestures in a View Client running on Intel-based Surface tablets.

In Windows 8 there is now a services state change where only the necessary services are running at system startup, with most services marked as Manual (Triggered Start). In this scenario, services are started only when the user accesses a component that requires the triggered service to be started. This improves Windows performance

Windows 7 and Windows 8 Optimization Guide for Horizon View Virtual Desktops

I had an interview earlier today with Raymon Epping about his jump to Nutanix - He will be the first SE in the Netherlands and is very exited about his new job.

> Hi Raymon, when you're were working at VMware, you started out as a senior consultant and later switched to Technical Account Management. What's the big difference between those roles?

PSO consulting is a pure technical position, hence the number of VCDX's coming out of VMware PSO, where Technical Account Management is more focussed on account management and customer relationships. My primary focus was to guide our enterprise customers on their journey to the cloud by introducing aspects like automation, orchestration, self-services, chargeback, configuration management and virtual infrastructure management. On top of this the TAM is the logical bridge between the customer and VMware for everything related to support, product features, engineering and account management.

> Once you were working as a Technical Account Manager, you've earned a reward for your outstanding work. Isn't it hard to quit a role that really fits you?

I got this award based on two of the enterprise customers that I was responsible for where we successfully introduced our cloud vision. Our vision, as you know, is based on increasing agility by introducing simplification through automation and orchestration and that was the link for me with Nutanix. At Nutanix we introduce a radically simple solution compared to traditional data centers that easily scales and at the same time will reduce cost and complexity by introducing a "pay as you grow" model.

> Your new job at Nutanix involves a lot of pioneering since you're the first SE in the Netherlands. Do you enjoy exploring new challenges and territories?

As you know I'm always in for a challenge. When I joined VMware almost 4 years ago I came from Oracle with an Identity and Access management background, within 6 months I was VCAP-DCA + VCAP-DCD certified. So jumping into something completely different is not new to me. That said, I strongly believe in the value that we as Nutanix can bring to the market by offering rapid deployment, highly scalable architecture, enterprise-class hyper converged storage and compute capabilities and a modular scale-out approach.

> If I want to capture the philosophy behind Nutanix in one sentence and say "As many virtual machine per cubic centimetre as possible" am I on the right track?

No, unfortunately not. Nutanix provides a datacenter infrastructure which is indeed 2 to 5 times smaller in space and power but Nutanix is not only about the number of VM's per host / node / block. It's much more than that. What you could say is the following:

Nutanix offers a linear infinite scale-out architecture that enables a cost-effective and seamless growth path for organizations that need to scale their compute and storage infrastructure. 

The Nutanix virtual computing platform converges all compute and storage resources into a single, integrated system. Multiple sever nodes and Nutanix blocks can be seamlessly clustered to achieve massive scale. Each Nutanix solution is delivered in easy-to-deploy 2U appliances, with virtualization software pre-installed and ready to run out of the box.

> What's, in your experience, the real wow factor when people are starting out with the solutions Nutanix is offering?

The real wow factor is a combination of how simple it is to set it up plus the ease of maintenance and at the same time delivering a next generation infrastructure for your virtual landscape. A Nutanix cluster can be setup within 30 minutes, we offer 1 intuitive user interface for management and we deliver Google-like datacenter capabilities. For more information see our video Nutanix in 2 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xORDdqOKOSA

> Last but not least, I've heard you're throwing a party in a cinema and everyone is invited, can you tell me more about it.

6th of june we are throwing a big party to introduce Nutanix to the Netherlands and everyone is invited. We are hosting the premiere of Star Trek into darkness. Star Trek is well known for it's influence on the world outside of science fiction, it was an inspiration for several technological inventions such as the cell phone. In other words it connected the future with today, the same as we are now doing at Nutanix.

Registration for this event is open: http://go.nutanix.com/Movie_Register.html and we are looking forward to seeing you there!

Prepare to succeed at your VCDX panel defense and gain world-class knowledge for designing complex VMware environments. VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) is the highest level of VMware certification, achieved by dedicated  professionals who have demonstrated exceptional skill in VMware enterprise deployments.

To earn a VCDX, professionals must create a complete enterprise VMware design and undergo an arduous defense at the hands of some of the world’s most sophisticated VMware experts.

Now, for the first time, there’s a comprehensive guide to VCDX defense: VCDX Boot Camp. Based on the legendary standing-room-only boot camps led by VCDX co-creator John Arrasjid, this guide captures the unsurpassed personal experience of three pioneering VCDX certification holders, program developers, and defense panelists.

John Arrasjid, Ben Lin, and Mostafa Khalil cover everything you need to know to prepare for certification. They demystify the entire VCDX defense process, clearly explain its format and prerequisites, and offer indispensable tips for maximizing your likelihood of success.

Detailed chapters on both design and troubleshooting offer four complete scenarios explaining exactly what VCDX panelists will expect from your defense. Learn how to think like a VCDX, discovering powerful insights and best practices for designing your own world-class virtualized environment.

Coverage includes:

• Authoritative preparation guidance (including expert insights into scheduling your preparation and defense)
• Tips for conducting mock defenses, boot camps, and study sessions with your colleagues
• How to select, create, and document a superior, defensible design
• How to make design choices and incorporate design patterns that support the VCDX blueprint
• How to confidently defend your skills in architecture, designing new solutions, and troubleshooting design or implementation flaws
• Proven tips for responding to tough questions from panelists
• Detailed example defenses of designs incorporating VCDX-DCV, VCDX-Cloud, and  VCDX-DT

This paper presents best practices and performance data for VMware Horizon View 5.2 and also highlighted some of the new features. With optimized PCoIP image caching, a bandwidth improvement of up to 10% is seen across different network conditions. The other PCoIP improvements included dynamic GPO settings and the support of relative mouse.

Windows 8 optimizations are also presented which can provide up to 60% bandwidth savings. There were also performance improvements in the View management side where up to 2x improvement is seen for various administrative operations such as provisioning, recompose, and rebalancing.

Furthermore, with new SESparse disk, administrator can minimize storage overhead by efficiently using and reclaiming storage-space to minimize the storage capacity requirements for persistent desktops and decreases the need to continuously recompose and restore images. 


For the vSGA feature, the results illustrated the ability of VMware’s hardware-backed 3D support to scale efficiently and it was illustrated that for light 3D workloads, a 2-socket x86 server with 2 GPUs can support over 100 3D desktops.

This clearly showed the benefits of GPU virtualization and the strength of VMware’s 3D strategy where VMs over-and-above those that can be supported by the GPUs seamlessly use VMware’s software renderer. Finally, best practices for optimizing the parent template, for optimizing PCoIP for different network conditions, and for the vSGA feature were presented.

Technical White Paper - VMware Horizon View 5.2 Performance and Best Practices