Monday, June 30, 2014
Only five countries escape NSA surveillance: Report
via Latest Topic for ZDNet in Security http://zd.net/1qdIqWO
Learn how to optimize your infrastructure for today, and prepare for tomorrow's...
 | Learn how to optimize your infrastructure for today, and prepare for tomorrow's challenges. Join the discussion on July 8th at our Redefine Possible event. http://emc.im/redepo  |
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Discover how we are teaming up with @charitywater to help solve the global water crisis: http://bit.ly/1mDdjy0 http://bit.ly/1mDdkC7
| | Discover how we are teaming up with @charitywater to help solve the global water crisis: http://bit.ly/1mDdjy0 http://bit.ly/1mDdkC7 |
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Learn how to optimize your infrastructure for today, and prepare for tomorrow's...
| | Learn how to optimize your infrastructure for today, and prepare for tomorrow's challenges. Join the discussion on July 8th at our Redefine Possible event. http://emc.im/redepo |
via EMC Feeds http://bit.ly/1r9PqWr
Discover how we are teaming up with @charitywater to help solve the global water crisis: http://bit.ly/1mDdjy0 http://bit.ly/1mDdkC7
| | Discover how we are teaming up with @charitywater to help solve the global water crisis: http://bit.ly/1mDdjy0 http://bit.ly/1mDdkC7 |
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Journey To A Full Scale Hybrid Architecture with vCloud Hybrid Service – Part 3
In the first postI talked about the basic architecture of a large scale hybrid cloud build out, as well as integrating an on premises view environment into the vCHS hybrid cloud. We extended that Horizon View environment into the vCloud Hybrid Service by adding security servers and global load balancing on the top layer. You may be asking yourself “why” did we do that? Well, the ultimate goal of building this out was to mesh together vCloud Hybrid Service – Disaster Recovery and desktops to access those applications. With the next stage we set out to replicate an internal only application to vCHS-DR and use DaaS on vCHS to give the users access to it once it was failed over.
The Use Case Background
Before we go into the architecture solution we need to understand the problem we are trying to solve. Many times in the past I have shown how you can fail over public facing applications. However, not every application is web-based, public facing, or of a “Next Generation” architecture. In a lot of cases many applications are still internal only and although may be web based, need a desktop on the corporate side to access it. This is also the case for legacy fat client applications. So the goal in this architecture was to show how a user can connect to an application on premises and also connect to that same application once vCHS-DR is invoked to fail it over. The solution will comprise a few components for illustration, refer to the original overview diagram to understand all the connection points.
- On premises Horizon View Desktops previously configured
- On premises “Wiki” based application with a local DNS Entry
- On premises AD/DNS Servers
- vCloud Hybrid Service – Disaster Recovery running on the Wiki server ONLY
- VMware Horizon DaaS on vCHS
- IaaS based AD/DNS with VPN connection to the DR Cloud
- Cloud to Cloud VPN from Horizon DaaS Cloud to vCHS-DR Cloud
- Access to External DNS system
- A Horizon View Desktop Client
For the purposes of continuing we will assume that the VPN’s and networks are already configured and replication is running on the Wiki Server. We will also assume from the previous article that the desktop image used for Horizon View on premises is available and ready to synchronize with the new Horizon DaaS cloud. In order to make this all work we need to first ensure the same desktop image is available in DaaS on vCHS for the customer. We will double click into a few of the virtual data centers above later on.
Synchronizing View and DaaS Images with vCloud Connector
For ease of deployment we created our Horizon View on premises desktop image in vCenter. We set it up the way we wanted and then used vCloud Connector Content Sync to push a copy of that up to our DaaS on vCHS cloud. This way we are able to subscribe the DaaS catalog to the vCenter version of the image. vCloud Connector catalog sync then ensures that the DaaS cloud has the same copy available to use. This is not required and there is other DaaS related things you need to do to utilize the image, but we won’t go into that. The concept is just to build one image and sync to the cloud(s). If you want to learn more about Content Sync with vCloud Connector you can watch this video. Honestly it’s easy to setup and takes care of ensuring the image is always in sync. Once you have the image in cloud you can use the admin tools of Horizon DaaS on vCHS to create and deploy a desktop pool with the exact same image.
The Fail Over Process (Run Book)
In normal running conditions, the user would connect to view.companyname.com with their Horizon View Client, access their corporate desktop and get to the Wiki Application using http://Wiki01/ from a desktop browser. In order to ensure the client can get to the same application during failure we need to invoke a process such as this:
- Failover the Wiki Application to the vCHS-DR cloud
- Re-IP the application in the new cloud and power on
- Update the local DNS Servers in the IaaS cloud for the Wiki Entry
- Re-Direct External DNS for view.companyname.com to point to the DaaS Cloud instead on on Premises View
- Clients can then log in and access the same application, 100% cloud based on desktop and IaaS.
For illustration purposes the logical diagrams below show the on premises environment along with the disaster recovery, and IaaS environments. Remember that the assumption here is all these have the proper cloud to cloud VPN’s and firewall rules setup for network connectivity per the first image.
Below is the On Premises logical architecture. Notice the desktops are are available behind Horizon View and can connect to “WIKI01″
Below is the Dedicated Las Vegas IaaS cloud that is where the AD/DNS is running for access to directory and name services once fail over occurs. Recall that VPN connections here are in place between the DaaS cloud and the vCHS-DR cloud for access to these services.
Below is the Dedicated Las Vegas DaaS tenant logical architecture. You can see the dtRAM gateways in place on the internet passing connection to the DaaS based desktops in vCloud Hybrid Service. Remember this cloud is connected via VPN to the vCHS-DR cloud so it can access the application below upon fail over.
In the Texas Disaster Recovery Cloud shown below, we can do a full fail over or a test fail over. In each case the WIKI01 server will be connected to one of the two networks. Once it is given a new IP address and DNS is updated the DaaS desktops will be able to connect.
Using External DNS To Manage Connectivity
In order to quickly re-direct a user’s View Client from on premises Horizon View to the DaaS desktop and making it transparent to them you need to get creative. In my case I created the following External DNS records to support this use case.
view.dyn.companyname.org = Public IP of View Secure Gateway (A-Record)
daas.dyn.companyname.org = Public IP of Horizon DaaS dtRAM Gateway(A-Record)
view.companyname.org =view.dyn.companyname.org (CNAME 30 Second TTL)
If you are an avid user of DNS for cases like this you should be able to see why I did this. During normal operations the users always connect to view.companyname.com in their client. However, in a disaster event you FLIP the CNAME to use the daas entry on the back end and when the client connects it’s completely transparent to them they are now on a DaaS cloud based desktop. Pretty simply a clean and easy way to manage this step in the run book.
The Role of SSL Certificates For Clients
Something you want to make sure of in this setup so that all clients, both desktop and tablet based work, is that you need to use proper certificates. You have really two options here to maintain the transparency to the user
- Install the SSL certificate for view.comnpanyname.com on all View Security Servers AND all the DaaS gateway servers.
- Use a wildcard certificate on all the servers
In either case the client is always connecting to “view.companyname.com” so when you flip between Horizon View Servers and DaaS gateway servers, you need the client to be able to authenticate the cert with the same name. The goal here is to make it easy for the end user by not requiring them to change URL’s for their client.
Example Fail Over Video
COMING SOON!
Summary and Conclusions
My entire goal in life with this very extensive lab setup is simply to prove that you can use vCloud Hybrid Service not only for IaaS, DaaS, and DR…..but most importantly you can pull all the parts together into one enterprise level architecture. Instead of using vCHS-DR on the desktops themselves save yourself time and effort. Focus on the applications for DR along with the infrastructure and just leverage vCHS based desktops in Horizon DaaS to connect to those applications you have failed over.
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1qM4qay
Counterargument to AWS TCO Comparison Calculator
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1r9Kv7N
Journey To A Full Scale Hybrid Architecture with vCloud Hybrid Service – Part 3
In the first postI talked about the basic architecture of a large scale hybrid cloud build out, as well as integrating an on premises view environment into the vCHS hybrid cloud. We extended that Horizon View environment into the vCloud Hybrid Service by adding security servers and global load balancing on the top layer. You may be asking yourself “why” did we do that? Well, the ultimate goal of building this out was to mesh together vCloud Hybrid Service – Disaster Recovery and desktops to access those applications. With the next stage we set out to replicate an internal only application to vCHS-DR and use DaaS on vCHS to give the users access to it once it was failed over.
The Use Case Background
Before we go into the architecture solution we need to understand the problem we are trying to solve. Many times in the past I have shown how you can fail over public facing applications. However, not every application is web-based, public facing, or of a “Next Generation” architecture. In a lot of cases many applications are still internal only and although may be web based, need a desktop on the corporate side to access it. This is also the case for legacy fat client applications. So the goal in this architecture was to show how a user can connect to an application on premises and also connect to that same application once vCHS-DR is invoked to fail it over. The solution will comprise a few components for illustration, refer to the original overview diagram to understand all the connection points.
- On premises Horizon View Desktops previously configured
- On premises “Wiki” based application with a local DNS Entry
- On premises AD/DNS Servers
- vCloud Hybrid Service – Disaster Recovery running on the Wiki server ONLY
- VMware Horizon DaaS on vCHS
- IaaS based AD/DNS with VPN connection to the DR Cloud
- Cloud to Cloud VPN from Horizon DaaS Cloud to vCHS-DR Cloud
- Access to External DNS system
- A Horizon View Desktop Client
For the purposes of continuing we will assume that the VPN’s and networks are already configured and replication is running on the Wiki Server. We will also assume from the previous article that the desktop image used for Horizon View on premises is available and ready to synchronize with the new Horizon DaaS cloud. In order to make this all work we need to first ensure the same desktop image is available in DaaS on vCHS for the customer. We will double click into a few of the virtual data centers above later on.
Synchronizing View and DaaS Images with vCloud Connector
For ease of deployment we created our Horizon View on premises desktop image in vCenter. We set it up the way we wanted and then used vCloud Connector Content Sync to push a copy of that up to our DaaS on vCHS cloud. This way we are able to subscribe the DaaS catalog to the vCenter version of the image. vCloud Connector catalog sync then ensures that the DaaS cloud has the same copy available to use. This is not required and there is other DaaS related things you need to do to utilize the image, but we won’t go into that. The concept is just to build one image and sync to the cloud(s). If you want to learn more about Content Sync with vCloud Connector you can watch this video. Honestly it’s easy to setup and takes care of ensuring the image is always in sync. Once you have the image in cloud you can use the admin tools of Horizon DaaS on vCHS to create and deploy a desktop pool with the exact same image.
The Fail Over Process (Run Book)
In normal running conditions, the user would connect to view.companyname.com with their Horizon View Client, access their corporate desktop and get to the Wiki Application using http://Wiki01/ from a desktop browser. In order to ensure the client can get to the same application during failure we need to invoke a process such as this:
- Failover the Wiki Application to the vCHS-DR cloud
- Re-IP the application in the new cloud and power on
- Update the local DNS Servers in the IaaS cloud for the Wiki Entry
- Re-Direct External DNS for view.companyname.com to point to the DaaS Cloud instead on on Premises View
- Clients can then log in and access the same application, 100% cloud based on desktop and IaaS.
For illustration purposes the logical diagrams below show the on premises environment along with the disaster recovery, and IaaS environments. Remember that the assumption here is all these have the proper cloud to cloud VPN’s and firewall rules setup for network connectivity per the first image.
Below is the On Premises logical architecture. Notice the desktops are are available behind Horizon View and can connect to “WIKI01″
Below is the Dedicated Las Vegas IaaS cloud that is where the AD/DNS is running for access to directory and name services once fail over occurs. Recall that VPN connections here are in place between the DaaS cloud and the vCHS-DR cloud for access to these services.
Below is the Dedicated Las Vegas DaaS tenant logical architecture. You can see the dtRAM gateways in place on the internet passing connection to the DaaS based desktops in vCloud Hybrid Service. Remember this cloud is connected via VPN to the vCHS-DR cloud so it can access the application below upon fail over.
In the Texas Disaster Recovery Cloud shown below, we can do a full fail over or a test fail over. In each case the WIKI01 server will be connected to one of the two networks. Once it is given a new IP address and DNS is updated the DaaS desktops will be able to connect.
Using External DNS To Manage Connectivity
In order to quickly re-direct a user’s View Client from on premises Horizon View to the DaaS desktop and making it transparent to them you need to get creative. In my case I created the following External DNS records to support this use case.
view.dyn.companyname.org = Public IP of View Secure Gateway (A-Record)
daas.dyn.companyname.org = Public IP of Horizon DaaS dtRAM Gateway(A-Record)
view.companyname.org =view.dyn.companyname.org (CNAME 30 Second TTL)
If you are an avid user of DNS for cases like this you should be able to see why I did this. During normal operations the users always connect to view.companyname.com in their client. However, in a disaster event you FLIP the CNAME to use the daas entry on the back end and when the client connects it’s completely transparent to them they are now on a DaaS cloud based desktop. Pretty simply a clean and easy way to manage this step in the run book.
The Role of SSL Certificates For Clients
Something you want to make sure of in this setup so that all clients, both desktop and tablet based work, is that you need to use proper certificates. You have really two options here to maintain the transparency to the user
- Install the SSL certificate for view.comnpanyname.com on all View Security Servers AND all the DaaS gateway servers.
- Use a wildcard certificate on all the servers
In either case the client is always connecting to “view.companyname.com” so when you flip between Horizon View Servers and DaaS gateway servers, you need the client to be able to authenticate the cert with the same name. The goal here is to make it easy for the end user by not requiring them to change URL’s for their client.
Example Fail Over Video
COMING SOON!
Summary and Conclusions
My entire goal in life with this very extensive lab setup is simply to prove that you can use vCloud Hybrid Service not only for IaaS, DaaS, and DR…..but most importantly you can pull all the parts together into one enterprise level architecture. Instead of using vCHS-DR on the desktops themselves save yourself time and effort. Focus on the applications for DR along with the infrastructure and just leverage vCHS based desktops in Horizon DaaS to connect to those applications you have failed over.
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1qM4qay
Counterargument to AWS TCO Comparison Calculator
Take a moment to read this post; our public response to the recently launched AWS TCO Comparison Calculator. It points out the inaccurate assumptions used by the calculator and a VMware perspective on the true total costs of ownership when comparing a VMware SDDC offering and AWS.
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1r9Kv7N
How to decrypt SSL traffic without access to SSL key
 | describes how to decrypt SSL traffic when the SSL key is not accessible by capturing the SSL session keys from the browser. | Views:0 |
| Length:03:11 |
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The Apple Enterprise Invasion
By Erik Frieberg, VP of Marketing, End-User Computing, VMware
Microsoft Windows has dominated enterprise desktops for close to three decades but it appears its reign is coming to an end. As BYOPC and BYOD continue to transform the enterprise, Macs have become a popular and preferred option compared to Windows PCs. However, complex questions and challenges have risen around the support of these two very different platforms.
Since business computing has very unique requirements with legacy Windows desktop infrastructure and application ecosystem, we decided to dig a little deeper to try and understand what IT administrators think about the growing heterogeneous environment.
As a result, VMware commissioned a survey of 376 IT professionals conducted by Dimensional Research to assess the current state of enterprise desktops and created a report titled �The Apple Enterprise Invasion.� We are releasing the results for the first time today and they clearly show that Windows is losing its grip on the enterprise.
End-User Preferences
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the results is that Windows is no longer the platform of choice in the enterprise with users overwhelmingly preferring Macs. User preference is the top reason given by IT administrators as to why their organization supports Macs with 73 percent of IT administrators identifying it as the main driver.
As a result, it should come as no surprise that the study found that 66 percent of businesses are already using Macs in the workplace today. But as we all know, end-users will work around corporate IT if they don�t get their way but the study found that a large majority of companies – more than 70 percent – officially support Macs as a corporate endpoint.
In addition, Windows PCs clearly have a perception problem with the top three justifications from employees for wanting a Mac being:
- Macs are easier to use (73 percent)
- Macs are cooler (52 percent)
- The Mac display is better than Windows (42 percent)
While employees clearly prefer Macs, there are challenges from an IT perspective that Macs must overcome before they can replace Windows PCs in the enterprise.
IT Perspectives
Although end-users think Macs are easier to use, IT administrators have a different perspective with 75 percent who feel that Macs are not easier to support than Windows PCs. And contrary to popular opinion, 75 percent of IT administrators said that Macs do not offer increased security advantages.
Adding to the challenge, many critical business applications cannot run on Macs today because they were designed for Windows. In fact, 64 percent of IT administrators indicated that none or only some of their enterprise applications run on Macs today.
When considering Macs for use in the enterprise, the top capabilities that are most valuable to IT administrators are all related to productivity and security:
- Ability to run Microsoft Office on a Mac (59 percent)
- Ability to enable secure access to enterprise applications (59 percent)
- Ability to run Windows on a Mac (41 percent)
As you can see, supporting a new OS platform is not as easy as one might think. Application support and compatibility issues are not things that end-users think about but they are critical for IT departments to fully assess and consider.
Bridging the Gap
Fortunately, virtual desktops can serve as a helpful tool to bridge the gap between two disparate operating systems and it�s not just VMware claiming this. The survey found that 89 percent of IT professionals stated that it would be valuable to have a virtual desktop that can run Windows on a Mac and 91 percent of respondents valued the ability to run the same virtual desktop on multiple platforms such as Windows, Mac and Linux.
Virtual desktops allow organizations to standardize on the Windows platform and support legacy business critical applications without any interruption to business while still giving employees the option to select the computer of their choice.
For companies, the choice is very clear – they need to respond to end-user demand for Macs in the enterprise or they will find it difficult to recruit and retain the best talent on the market. They also need to provide IT administrators the tools to support a heterogeneous desktop environment otherwise there will be disruption to the business. Virtual desktops such as Fusion Professional can be a tremendous help for companies in this situation.
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1rRP6Jq
How Colt Technology Services Deployed View Desktops With Ease and Efficiency
Recently, Colt Technology Services, a leading international IT- and telecoms-services company, confronted two crucial challenges: (1) enabling employees to work remotely and (2) reducing costly desktop and laptop replacements.
According to Colt, �We wanted to break the paradigm of a traditional and costly three-year laptop and desktop refresh project. We wanted to release our employees from their reliance on internal IT, and give them the freedom to use any device from any location to access corporate applications.�
Their solution: VMware Horizon with View.
Colt + View
View offers an effective, efficient virtual-desktop solution for enterprises worldwide. At its core, View brings enhanced mobility, security, and productivity to end users everywhere, together with significant financial savings and simplified management to IT organizations of all sizes.
For proof, check out VMware Horizon with View Reference Implementation Case Study for European IT and Network Services Provider, a new technical white paper from VMware. This paper takes a deep dive into the Colt View deployment, with 5,000 end users, multiple data centers, and a network of 62 sites in more than 20 countries. In addition, the paper looks at the considerable business benefits of such a virtual desktop implementation.
But before we get into the details, meet the customer behind our reference implementation case study, Colt Technology Services, and learn exactly what a reference implementation case study is.
Colt Reference Implementation Case Study
Colt Technology Services offers a platform of information-delivery solutions in network, voice, data center, and IT services for major organizations, mid-sized businesses, and network operators. The Colt network spans 22 European countries and 20 data centers, with an expanding presence in the US, Asia, and Africa.
According to a Colt representative:
The Roadmap for development of View, the alignment of VMware as a strategic partner to Colt, and the willingness to provide resources to help adopt the technology, told us that going with VMware was definitely the right decision.
A reference implementation case study gives a detailed description of a real-world project�s approach, architecture, and business benefits, and provides lessons learned during the deployment. The VMware Horizon with View Reference Implementation Case Study for European IT and Network Services Provider is designed to help IT architects, consultants, and administrators who are considering a View deployment or who are involved in the early phases of deploying View.
Profile of the White Paper on Colt and VMware
The newly released VMware Horizon with View Reference Implementation Case Study for European IT and Network Services Provider includes
- Overviews of the implementation, project, and architecture
- Details on the technology evaluation, design, and pilot phases
- A project rollout description
In addition, the paper includes interesting sections on Lessons Learned, Technical Challenges, and Business Drivers.
Figure 1: Project Overview Timeline
The most enlightening section, however, is Business Benefits, which includes the following positive outcomes:
- Over a four-year period, overall savings have been estimated to be 61 percent for hardware costs and 68 percent for maintenance costs
- Colt achieved substantial CapEx avoidance, as over 75 percent of contractors are now mandated to use VDI instead of being supplied a Colt desktop or laptop device
- Colt has achieved a faster time to value by provisioning contractors and new starters with a Colt workspace service
- Significant workplace-technology-support savings have been accrued by taking advantage of VDI and centralizing services
- Deploying View has enabled Colt to implement a Bring Your Own Device policy, which allows employees to use any device to access their desktops
According to one happy Colt employee:
It�s better than working over VPN with my old laptop, and I don�t have to carry my Colt laptop bag to and from my home and office each day. I can work on a document in the office, go home, and work on the same session on my Mac seamlessly.
To illustrate just how effective the solution has been for Colt, Colt now uses this same architecture as the basis for their Workspace-as-a-Service offering. This means Colt customers can now realize the business benefits offered by Horizon with View by employing this new service from Colt. To find out more, see the Colt Workspace-as-a-Service solution.
Want More?
For more on VMware Horizon with View, look at the View product page on VMware.com.
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/V5CDHb
The Apple Enterprise Invasion
By Dean Flaming, Sr. Technical Marketing Manager – Technical Enablement, End-User Computing, VMware
On behalf of the many folks who helped make this happen, I am proud to announce the release of the Horizon 6 with View Introduction Hands On Lab! This lab is a guided tour of Horizon 6 with View specifically focusing on the new features.
Additional Info
This Horizon 6 with View lab is designed to demonstrate and introduce you to the new Horizon 6 features, starting with the ease of installation and configuration of View, RDS-hosted application setup and configuration, RDS-hosted desktop setup and configuration, and Cloud Pod Architecture configurations, including some scenarios.
Technical Details of This Lab
We designed and built this fully functional, self-contained lab within our VMware Hands On Labs environment, where not only is every lab isolated from other labs, but also all are delivered via our VMware OneCloud enterprise architecture and accessible from around the world. For those readers who have attended VMworld, you will be familiar with this environment because this is the same environment used to deliver Hands On Labs for the VMware major worldwide events.
Attendees are allotted four hours for lab completion, but we expect many will be able to complete the lab in a shorter time span.
This lab contains eight top-level virtual machines; one ControlCenter where you drive the lab; one vPod router; a virtual OpenFiler appliance; a vCenter Server virtual appliance, and four virtual ESXi hosts which host additional nested virtual machines for use in completing the lab exercises.
ControlCenter– ControlCenter is the virtual machine where you drive the lab and run the lab exercises. This system also runs the following services for the lab environment:
- Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller
- DNS
- Certificate Authority
- File Sharing
vCenter appliance – The VMware vCenter Server virtual appliance provides the central management and control for the nested vSphere servers.
vCenter Servers – The four VMware vSphere servers work in a clustered configuration and report in to the vCenter Server virtual appliance to run the nested virtual machines needed for this lab to function properly.
OpenFiler appliance – The OpenFiler appliance provides virtual storage to the virtual vSphere servers in order for them to be able to host the nested virtual machines.
vPod Router appliance – The router appliance is a custom-built appliance for our VMware Hands On Labs and other lab environments to route network traffic appropriately, both internal to the vPods as well as externally, when virtually wired for external access.
Nested virtual machines – The virtual machines nested within this vPod architecture are:
- Horizon View Connection Server-1– The first Connection Server to be set up within the lab.
- Horizon View Connection Server-2– The second Connection Server to be set up within the lab.
- RDSH001– The first Remote Desktop Server within the lab. This server already has Microsoft Remote Desktop Services configured.
- RDSH002– The second Remote Desktop Server to be set up within the lab. This server needs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services installed and configured.
- Win7-VDI-1– The first Windows 7 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win7-VDI-2– The second Windows 7 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win8-VDI-1– The first Windows 8 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win8-VDI-2– The second Windows 8 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- EndPoint-01– The virtual machine configured to be a simulated endpoint system for accessing the previous VDI desktops and remote applications.
Lab Modules
The lab takes you through three main modules.
View Install and Configure Module– This module is a prerequisite for both of the other two modules. It walks you through the installation and configuration of a connection server, the installation of the agent on a VDI desktop, and the installation and configuration of the client software on the endpoint.
View App Remoting Configuration– The application remoting module walks you through the initial configuration of Remote Desktop Services within a Microsoft Windows server in order to understand exactly what is needed for Horizon 6 with View application remoting. After you have completed the Remote Desktop Services configuration, this module walks you through installation and configuration of the Horizon 6 agent on the RDS hosts and the configuration and validation of RDS application pools and RDS desktop pools.
Cloud Pod Architecture– This module walks you through the installation, configuration, and validation of the global namespace features of View.
Lab Module Navigation
Many of you may not be aware how easy it is to navigate within the Hands On Labs with some of the various tools and functions available for listing lab topics and rearranging the interface.
Arranging the Console – To move the console around on the screen, you can find a control bar on the upper right side of the Web display. This allows you to use a full-screen display, dock the screen to the right or left side of the browser window, refresh the screen in case of latency, or toggle the screen between floating and docked.
Arranging the Lab Manual/Instructions– In addition to moving the console, you can also move, dock, undock, open the Table of Contents to jump to a specific section, or even split-screen the lab manual between your computer screen and your tablet of choice.
Sending Text to Console– You can also send text from your localsystem to the ControlCenter console by use of the Send Text option beneath the Console display. Just click the SEND TEXT button and the “Send text to console” window appears. Type or paste in what you wish to send to the ControlCenter console and click the SEND button.
How to Access This Lab
To access this lab directly, visit the Lab Registration Form to get started!
Wrap-Up
We are excited to bring you this lab—the first lab released in 2014 and the first to be released in conjunction with a VMware product release! Moving forward, this lab will be updated for VMworld to include other modules such as Virtual SAN integration, troubleshooting, and much more!
For more information on VMware Hands On Labs, visit hol.vmware.com and sign up!
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1rRP6Jq
How Colt Technology Services Deployed View Desktops With Ease and Efficiency
By Dean Flaming, Sr. Technical Marketing Manager – Technical Enablement, End-User Computing, VMware
On behalf of the many folks who helped make this happen, I am proud to announce the release of the Horizon 6 with View Introduction Hands On Lab! This lab is a guided tour of Horizon 6 with View specifically focusing on the new features.
Additional Info
This Horizon 6 with View lab is designed to demonstrate and introduce you to the new Horizon 6 features, starting with the ease of installation and configuration of View, RDS-hosted application setup and configuration, RDS-hosted desktop setup and configuration, and Cloud Pod Architecture configurations, including some scenarios.
Technical Details of This Lab
We designed and built this fully functional, self-contained lab within our VMware Hands On Labs environment, where not only is every lab isolated from other labs, but also all are delivered via our VMware OneCloud enterprise architecture and accessible from around the world. For those readers who have attended VMworld, you will be familiar with this environment because this is the same environment used to deliver Hands On Labs for the VMware major worldwide events.
Attendees are allotted four hours for lab completion, but we expect many will be able to complete the lab in a shorter time span.
This lab contains eight top-level virtual machines; one ControlCenter where you drive the lab; one vPod router; a virtual OpenFiler appliance; a vCenter Server virtual appliance, and four virtual ESXi hosts which host additional nested virtual machines for use in completing the lab exercises.
ControlCenter– ControlCenter is the virtual machine where you drive the lab and run the lab exercises. This system also runs the following services for the lab environment:
- Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller
- DNS
- Certificate Authority
- File Sharing
vCenter appliance – The VMware vCenter Server virtual appliance provides the central management and control for the nested vSphere servers.
vCenter Servers – The four VMware vSphere servers work in a clustered configuration and report in to the vCenter Server virtual appliance to run the nested virtual machines needed for this lab to function properly.
OpenFiler appliance – The OpenFiler appliance provides virtual storage to the virtual vSphere servers in order for them to be able to host the nested virtual machines.
vPod Router appliance – The router appliance is a custom-built appliance for our VMware Hands On Labs and other lab environments to route network traffic appropriately, both internal to the vPods as well as externally, when virtually wired for external access.
Nested virtual machines – The virtual machines nested within this vPod architecture are:
- Horizon View Connection Server-1– The first Connection Server to be set up within the lab.
- Horizon View Connection Server-2– The second Connection Server to be set up within the lab.
- RDSH001– The first Remote Desktop Server within the lab. This server already has Microsoft Remote Desktop Services configured.
- RDSH002– The second Remote Desktop Server to be set up within the lab. This server needs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services installed and configured.
- Win7-VDI-1– The first Windows 7 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win7-VDI-2– The second Windows 7 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win8-VDI-1– The first Windows 8 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win8-VDI-2– The second Windows 8 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- EndPoint-01– The virtual machine configured to be a simulated endpoint system for accessing the previous VDI desktops and remote applications.
Lab Modules
The lab takes you through three main modules.
View Install and Configure Module– This module is a prerequisite for both of the other two modules. It walks you through the installation and configuration of a connection server, the installation of the agent on a VDI desktop, and the installation and configuration of the client software on the endpoint.
View App Remoting Configuration– The application remoting module walks you through the initial configuration of Remote Desktop Services within a Microsoft Windows server in order to understand exactly what is needed for Horizon 6 with View application remoting. After you have completed the Remote Desktop Services configuration, this module walks you through installation and configuration of the Horizon 6 agent on the RDS hosts and the configuration and validation of RDS application pools and RDS desktop pools.
Cloud Pod Architecture– This module walks you through the installation, configuration, and validation of the global namespace features of View.
Lab Module Navigation
Many of you may not be aware how easy it is to navigate within the Hands On Labs with some of the various tools and functions available for listing lab topics and rearranging the interface.
Arranging the Console – To move the console around on the screen, you can find a control bar on the upper right side of the Web display. This allows you to use a full-screen display, dock the screen to the right or left side of the browser window, refresh the screen in case of latency, or toggle the screen between floating and docked.
Arranging the Lab Manual/Instructions– In addition to moving the console, you can also move, dock, undock, open the Table of Contents to jump to a specific section, or even split-screen the lab manual between your computer screen and your tablet of choice.
Sending Text to Console– You can also send text from your localsystem to the ControlCenter console by use of the Send Text option beneath the Console display. Just click the SEND TEXT button and the “Send text to console” window appears. Type or paste in what you wish to send to the ControlCenter console and click the SEND button.
How to Access This Lab
To access this lab directly, visit the Lab Registration Form to get started!
Wrap-Up
We are excited to bring you this lab—the first lab released in 2014 and the first to be released in conjunction with a VMware product release! Moving forward, this lab will be updated for VMworld to include other modules such as Virtual SAN integration, troubleshooting, and much more!
For more information on VMware Hands On Labs, visit hol.vmware.com and sign up!
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/V5CDHb
Bundle and Save on VMware Exam Prep Resources
VCP5-DCV Practice Bundle:
- VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V5.5] – Lab Connect
- OfficialVCP5-DCV Cert Guidefrom VMware Press
- VCP5-DCV Exam Voucher
VCP-Cloud Practice Bundle:
- VMware vCloud Director: Install, Configure, Manage [V5.5] – Lab Connect
- OfficialVCP-Cloud Cert Guidefrom VMware Press
- VCP-Cloud Exam Voucher
VCP5-Desktop Practice Bundle:
- VMware Horizon View: Install, Configure, Manage [V5.2] – Lab Connect
- OfficialVCP5-Desktop Cert Guidefrom VMware Press
- VCP5-Desktop Exam Voucher
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1qLAawz
Bitcoin sorta legal in CA, NSA transparency report, and Internet voting fails in Norway [Government IT Week]
via Latest Topic for ZDNet in Security http://zd.net/1qsAmTL
Vuln: Oracle Java SE CVE-2011-3553 Remote Java Runtime Environment Vulnerability
from SecurityFocus Vulnerabilities http://bit.ly/1x4d4nq
via IFTTT
Vuln: Oracle Java SE CVE-2011-3548 Remote Java Runtime Environment Vulnerability
from SecurityFocus Vulnerabilities http://bit.ly/1qqsYrR
via IFTTT
Luuuk Scam Claims Half-million Euros in 1 Week
via Infosecurity - Latest News http://bit.ly/1qqj09Q
Taco, Inc. Innovation Award video 2014(Korean Subtitled)
 | 본 비디오는 2014년도 이노베이션 어워드 수상작으로 시트릭스의 가상화, 네트워킹 및 협업 솔루션을 사용하여 TACO가 얼마나 기업 혁신을 이루었는지 보여드립니다. | Views:0 |
| Length:03:52 |
from CitrixTV RSS Feed http://bit.ly/1iM9V9j
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Vuln: Oracle Java Applet Clipboard Injection Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
from SecurityFocus Vulnerabilities http://bit.ly/1mcLBhd
via IFTTT
Vuln: Oracle Java SE and Java for Business CVE-2010-4469 Remote Java Runtime Environment Vulnerability
from SecurityFocus Vulnerabilities http://bit.ly/1mcLAtM
via IFTTT
Vuln: Oracle Java SE and Java for Business CVE-2010-4448 Remote Java Runtime Environment Vulnerability
from SecurityFocus Vulnerabilities http://bit.ly/1mcLB0C
via IFTTT
Vuln: OpenJDK 'IcedTea' plugin JNLPSecurityManager Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
from SecurityFocus Vulnerabilities http://bit.ly/1x3E32v
via IFTTT
Fiona Stanley Hospital IT Project to miss deadline: Audit
via Latest Topic for ZDNet in Security http://zd.net/1mM9TgX
Sydney Opal card travel history can be accessed by police
via Latest Topic for ZDNet in Security http://zd.net/1qIXXND
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Cocoon Data signs deal for $57m reverse takeover
via Latest Topic for ZDNet in Security http://zd.net/1rO8nLJ
Optimize latency-sensitive workloads in a hybrid storage array with VMAX Flash PowerPacks! Now up to 55% off: http://bit.ly/1qImvpN
| | Optimize latency-sensitive workloads in a hybrid storage array with VMAX Flash PowerPacks! Now up to 55% off: http://bit.ly/1qImvpN |
via EMC Feeds http://bit.ly/1qplCoz
Optimize latency-sensitive workloads in a hybrid storage array with VMAX Flash PowerPacks! Now up to 55% off: http://bit.ly/1qImvpN
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via EMC Feeds http://bit.ly/1qplCoz
Do the Privacy Commissioner's teeth have any bite?
via Latest Topic for ZDNet in Security http://zd.net/1vlMMdK
Optimize latency-sensitive workloads in a hybrid storage array with VMAX Flash P...
| | Optimize latency-sensitive workloads in a hybrid storage array with VMAX Flash PowerPacks! Now up to 55% off at the EMC Store: http://emc.im/1qjLqCo  |
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Optimize latency-sensitive workloads in a hybrid storage array with VMAX Flash P...
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via EMC Feeds http://bit.ly/1qpjkWo
IBM Security Bulletin: IBM Java Quarterly CPU - Jan 2014 affecting Rational Application Developer (CVE-2014-0411)
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1iJ7W5m
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Security Bulletin: IBM System x Integrated Management Module (IMM) is affected by the following OpenSSL vulnerabilities: CVE-2014-0224, CVE-2014-0076
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1vix1nR
IBM Security Bulletin: IBM Security Proventia Network Active Bypass is affected by vulnerabilities in OpenSSL (CVE-2014-0224)
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1iHd9dY
IBM Security Bulletin: Classloader Manipulation Vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server shipped with IBM Content Collector (CVE-2014-0114)
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1iHd5uM
IBM Security Bulletin: IBM OpenPages GRC Platform Apache Struts V1 ClassLoader vulnerability(CVE-2014-0114)
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1iHd5el
IBM Security Bulletin: IBM Content Collector affected by vulnerability in IBM SDK Java™ Technology Edition, Version 6 (CVE-2014-0460)
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1nS52Zx
IBM Security Bulletin: IBM OpenPages GRC Platform Link Injection (CVE-2014-3011)
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1nS51EU
IBM Security Bulletin: IBM OpenPages GRC Platform Access Control Bypass (CVE-2011-1381)
via IBM Product Security Incident Response Team http://ibm.co/1iHd6PA
Transforming Your Business with End-User Computing
Transforming Your Business with End-User Computing
In my last blog, I talked about the need for a common definition around what constitutes transformation within the IT organisation. In this follow-up post, I�ll discuss the VMware approach to an end-user computing (EUC) transformation.
First a recap, for an initiative to be truly transformational it must satisfy the criteria of change across the elements of people, process, and technology. Additionally, it should be aligned to business objectives and have clear benefits.
If we look at the typical EUC environment today, it�s transitioning from a rigid environment based on a desktop or laptop running a Windows operating system to one that is application and data-centric rather than device-bound. This has some profound transformational impacts for business and IT.
Today�s End-User Computing Environment
Let’s first take a closer look at the EUC environment found in most organisations today.
As shown in the diagram above, staff have historically used either a laptop or desktop as a primary device. This device, running Windows as the operating system, is locked down at the configuration layer with applications installed natively. This stack forms your traditional and very common standard operating environment (SOE) model. Coupled with the SOE, the EUC ecosystem included printers, isolated (not integrated) mobility devices, and finally an identity management authentication and authorisation component.
This model served us well, providing control, standardisation, and management of risk. However, the rise of the consumerization of technology, a modern IT-literate workforce, ubiquitous access to applications, the decreased usage of the Windows operating system, and the always-connected Internet means this model is, at best, inflexible and, at worst, irrevocably broken.
The Transformed End-User Computing Environment
So what does a transformed EUC environment look like? In the diagram below, the focus has been abstracted from the devices to the application and data access layer.
Let�s look at each layer in a bit more detail to better understand the benefits of removing the focus on devices and elevating it to the application and data access layer:
- Business layer
Business is typically not just a single entity: It consists of your internal business and external B2B organisations that collectively form your business ecosystem. While your business will provide a core service, in the future it�s likely that smaller, more nimble organisations like start-ups will utilize your core business services and APIs to provide customers with innovative products. Your applications and data will not just be consumed internally, but also by external organisations as business-to-business transactions.
- Application delivery platform
The application delivery platform is a standardised access point where your consumers will access applications, data, and desktops. The key features of this abstracted application access layer are:- Device independence
- Centralized management via policy
- Auditable access and usage
- Accessed over secure channels
- Simplified ease of use
Where security and control was traditionally applied at the device and operating system level, it is now abstracted to the application and data access layer.
- Lightweight device management
In this context, lightweight management means the minimal IT controls necessary to manage devices, primarily for security reasons. While rigid, locked-down control has historically been the norm, in the transformed environment only lightweight controls are applied. For example, mobility devices use mobile application management (MAM) containerisation to ensure IT can remotely wipe or lock access only to the corporate container. Data, applications, virtual desktop access, and security controls are now applied at the application delivery platform layer via centralized policy controls.
Finally does this constitute a transformation? Let�s review the impact through the lens of people, process, and technology:
- People
A modernised EUC environment is a catalyst to elevate staff from traditional, task-based to knowledge creation activities using the productivity platform that best suits their work style. By unleashing staff from the rigid model of yesterday, staff exercise increased creativity, providing a real point of competitive differentiation through innovation. - Process
The traditional EUC environment is awash with layers of process to manage a monolithic computing stack. From processes to deploy applications and patches to service desk support, they add complexity with many moving parts to manage. Shifting the focus to the application delivery platform with lightweight management of devices introduces policy-controlled automation and simplified management controls. - Technology
Businesses today struggle with BYOD, security, and management. By abstracting the management to the access layer, BYOD becomes a moot point. IT is no longer concerned, apart from connectivity, about what device is being used. Security is applied where it should be, at the application and data layer. Finally, management is focused on controlling access to data and applications via policy, rather than managing a desktop and laptop stack.
I�ve really just scratched the surface of what constitutes an EUC transformation. The role of unified communications, changing work practices such as activity based working, the software-defined enterprise, and the changes to the IT organisational structure to support the transformed environment — can and should be significant components of a transformation program.
I�d be interested in your view from the trenches. What EUC initiatives do you have planned and how are they transforming your business?
—-
Daryl Bishop is a business solutions architect with VMware Accelerate Advisory Services and is based in Melbourne, Australia.
Check out the VMworld 2014 Operations Transformation track for opportunities to hear from experienced VMware experts, practitioners, and the real-world experiences of customers transforming their IT infrastructure and operational processes.
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/TrCkFe
Update! Key Considerations in Choosing a Zero Client Environment for VDI
By Dean Flaming, Sr. Technical Marketing Manager – Technical Enablement, End-User Computing, VMware
On behalf of the many folks who helped make this happen, I am proud to announce the release of the Horizon 6 with View Introduction Hands On Lab! This lab is a guided tour of Horizon 6 with View specifically focusing on the new features.
Additional Info
This Horizon 6 with View lab is designed to demonstrate and introduce you to the new Horizon 6 features, starting with the ease of installation and configuration of View, RDS-hosted application setup and configuration, RDS-hosted desktop setup and configuration, and Cloud Pod Architecture configurations, including some scenarios.
Technical Details of This Lab
We designed and built this fully functional, self-contained lab within our VMware Hands On Labs environment, where not only is every lab isolated from other labs, but also all are delivered via our VMware OneCloud enterprise architecture and accessible from around the world. For those readers who have attended VMworld, you will be familiar with this environment because this is the same environment used to deliver Hands On Labs for the VMware major worldwide events.
Attendees are allotted four hours for lab completion, but we expect many will be able to complete the lab in a shorter time span.
This lab contains eight top-level virtual machines; one ControlCenter where you drive the lab; one vPod router; a virtual OpenFiler appliance; a vCenter Server virtual appliance, and four virtual ESXi hosts which host additional nested virtual machines for use in completing the lab exercises.
ControlCenter– ControlCenter is the virtual machine where you drive the lab and run the lab exercises. This system also runs the following services for the lab environment:
- Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller
- DNS
- Certificate Authority
- File Sharing
vCenter appliance – The VMware vCenter Server virtual appliance provides the central management and control for the nested vSphere servers.
vCenter Servers – The four VMware vSphere servers work in a clustered configuration and report in to the vCenter Server virtual appliance to run the nested virtual machines needed for this lab to function properly.
OpenFiler appliance – The OpenFiler appliance provides virtual storage to the virtual vSphere servers in order for them to be able to host the nested virtual machines.
vPod Router appliance – The router appliance is a custom-built appliance for our VMware Hands On Labs and other lab environments to route network traffic appropriately, both internal to the vPods as well as externally, when virtually wired for external access.
Nested virtual machines – The virtual machines nested within this vPod architecture are:
- Horizon View Connection Server-1– The first Connection Server to be set up within the lab.
- Horizon View Connection Server-2– The second Connection Server to be set up within the lab.
- RDSH001– The first Remote Desktop Server within the lab. This server already has Microsoft Remote Desktop Services configured.
- RDSH002– The second Remote Desktop Server to be set up within the lab. This server needs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services installed and configured.
- Win7-VDI-1– The first Windows 7 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win7-VDI-2– The second Windows 7 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win8-VDI-1– The first Windows 8 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- Win8-VDI-2– The second Windows 8 virtual machine to be used as a VDI desktop.
- EndPoint-01– The virtual machine configured to be a simulated endpoint system for accessing the previous VDI desktops and remote applications.
Lab Modules
The lab takes you through three main modules.
View Install and Configure Module– This module is a prerequisite for both of the other two modules. It walks you through the installation and configuration of a connection server, the installation of the agent on a VDI desktop, and the installation and configuration of the client software on the endpoint.
View App Remoting Configuration– The application remoting module walks you through the initial configuration of Remote Desktop Services within a Microsoft Windows server in order to understand exactly what is needed for Horizon 6 with View application remoting. After you have completed the Remote Desktop Services configuration, this module walks you through installation and configuration of the Horizon 6 agent on the RDS hosts and the configuration and validation of RDS application pools and RDS desktop pools.
Cloud Pod Architecture– This module walks you through the installation, configuration, and validation of the global namespace features of View.
Lab Module Navigation
Many of you may not be aware how easy it is to navigate within the Hands On Labs with some of the various tools and functions available for listing lab topics and rearranging the interface.
Arranging the Console – To move the console around on the screen, you can find a control bar on the upper right side of the Web display. This allows you to use a full-screen display, dock the screen to the right or left side of the browser window, refresh the screen in case of latency, or toggle the screen between floating and docked.
Arranging the Lab Manual/Instructions– In addition to moving the console, you can also move, dock, undock, open the Table of Contents to jump to a specific section, or even split-screen the lab manual between your computer screen and your tablet of choice.
Sending Text to Console– You can also send text from your localsystem to the ControlCenter console by use of the Send Text option beneath the Console display. Just click the SEND TEXT button and the “Send text to console” window appears. Type or paste in what you wish to send to the ControlCenter console and click the SEND button.
How to Access This Lab
To access this lab directly, visit the Lab Registration Form to get started!
Wrap-Up
We are excited to bring you this lab—the first lab released in 2014 and the first to be released in conjunction with a VMware product release! Moving forward, this lab will be updated for VMworld to include other modules such as Virtual SAN integration, troubleshooting, and much more!
For more information on VMware Hands On Labs, visit hol.vmware.com and sign up!
via VMware Blogs http://bit.ly/1jXUzcs