VM hosted apps

May 11, 2018

Use Desktop OS machines to deliver VM hosted applications

Use case:

• You want a client-based application delivery solution that is secure, provides centralized management, and supports a large number of users per host server (or hypervisor), while providing users with applications that display seamlessly in high-definition.
• Your users are internal, external contractors, third-party collaborators, and other provisional team members. Your users do not require offline access to hosted applications.
• Application types: Applications that might not work well with other applications or might interact with the operation system, such as Microsoft .NET framework. These types of applications are ideal for hosting on virtual machines.

Benefits and considerations:

• Applications and desktops on the master image are securely managed, hosted, and run on machines within your datacenter, providing a more cost effective application delivery solution.
• On log on, users can be randomly assigned to a machine within a Delivery Group that is configured to host the same application. You can also statically assign a single machine to deliver an application to a single user each time that user logs on. Statically assigned machines allow users to install and manage their own applications on the virtual machine.
• Running multiple sessions is not supported on desktop OS machines. Therefore, each user consumes a single machine within a Delivery Group when they log on, and users must be online to access their applications.
• This method may increase the amount of server resources for processing applications and increase the amount of storage for users’ personal vDisks.

User experience:

The same seamless application experience as hosting shared applications on Server OS machines.

Process, host, and deliver applications:

The same as server OS machines except they are virtual desktop OS machines. For delivery, desktop OS machines can exist only in a desktop Delivery Group.

Session management and assignment:

• Desktop OS machines run a single desktop session from a single machine. When accessing applications only, a single user can use multiple applications (and is not limited to a single application) because the operating system sees each application as a new session.
• Within a Delivery Group, when users log on they can access either a statically assigned machine (each time the user logs on to the same machine), or a randomly assigned machine that is selected based on session availability.

To deliver VM hosted apps:

1. Install the applications you want to deliver on a master image running a supported Windows desktop OS.
2. Create a machine catalog for this master image or update an existing catalog with the master image.
3. When defining the desktop experience for the catalog, decide whether you want users to connect to a new VM each time they log in or connect to the same machine each time they log in.
4. Create an application Delivery Group to deliver the application to users.
5. From the list of application installed, select the application you want to deliver.