VMware Horizon Mirage

VMware Horizon Mirage 4

The VMware Horizon Mirage 4 software product which release it was announced on February 20, 2013 together with VMware Horizon View 5.2 and VMware Horizon Workspace is a part of the complex VMware Horizon Suite platform, providing to IT divisions all advantages of centralized operation by physical jobs, and to end users — all power of local computing resources.

Horizon Mirage 4 opens before IT specialists new ways for accomplishment of critical transactions without physical presence in workplaces and with the minimum downtime of end users. In Horizon Mirage multilevel approach to management of images of Windows is implemented. The computer is separated into several logic levels, some of which the administrator owns and manages, and others — end users.

The product allows system administrators to update the separate levels which are at their disposal, without mentioning those which are selected to end users. It helps to save with inviolability user applications and data even when installing new software, updates and corrections. Horizon Mirage 4 applies all updates directly to Windows, without organizing any hidden and special sections thanks to what computers of end users continue to work as normal Windows PC.

Pictures of the file system of computers of end users (the backup copies which are temporarily stored in data center) together with a multi-tier architecture of Horizon Mirage do by more effective processes of management of images of Windows and their deployment, simplify migration of OS, allow to recover completely jobs in emergencies and to do rollback of a system at emergence of failures in operation of the computer. All this considerably improves IT administration process (both local, and deleted), reduces a downtime and provides the maximum capacity of work of users.

Among new and advanced opportunities of Horizon Mirage 4 it is possible to note the following:

• Multilevel organization of applications. IT specialists can operate in the way, usual for themselves each separate application, without interfering on the system levels and levels selected to end users. It allows to save time and to reduce costs for administration of operating systems and applications.
• Virtualization of applications using ThinApp. VMware ThinApp excludes the conflicts between applications and optimizes the procedure of their packaging performed before creation of separate level for each application.
• Implementation of policy of BYO. An opportunity to start on different devices and platforms, such as Mac, corporate identities of Windows OS in virtual environment. Images of Windows are delivered through Horizon Mirage to VMware Fusion virtual machines that considerably raises degree of compliance of IT infrastructure to regulatory requirements and helps users to try to obtain higher performance.

2014

VMware Mirage 5.0

On April 10, 2014 the VMware company released the new version - Mirage 5.0.

In this version developers placed emphasis is made support of OS Microsoft Windows 8.1. Against former backup in Windows 8.1, full support of OS is declared.

The list of the updated opportunities:

• Windows 8.1 Migration Support – Now devices with Windows 7 can be transferred to the Windows platform 8.1. Before each migration the "picture" of a system meaning a possibility of rollback to an initial status is taken.
• Windows 8.1 Image Management Support – became available breakdown of OS on levels of a system and applications, management of these layers at deployment and service of client devices, installation of updates. When updating a layer of applications it is possible to specify what applications should be saved at the user and what - to delete.
• Technicians of an automatic backup and complete recovery of a system after failure of Windows 8.1 are Windows 8 and 8.1 Disaster Recovery are added to Mirage 4.4, but options of fast recovery, independent recovery with the assistance of the user appeared now. Besides, the possibility of recovery of an image on other device entirely or only data of the user is available.
• Mirage Gateway Enhancements – the Mirage Gateway component appeared in Mirage 4.4. This component helps not to use external VPN at connection with infrastructure of Mirage of the enterprise from the Internet. In Mirage 5.0 performance of this solution, its scalability is improved. And now the component uses less resources.

It is expected that VMware Mirage 5.0 will be available in the nearest future.

VMware Mirage 5.1

On September 14, 2014 the VMware company announced release of upgraded version of the solution for control of physical PCs of the VMware Horizon Mirage 5.1 enterprise.

VMware Mirage in IT infrastructure, in a global and local context of use

The list of the main updated opportunities of VMware Mirage 5.1:

• Bandwidth Control is an ability to manage the channel on delivery of the PCs program components. In the conditions of a distributed infrastructure of the enterprises it is very useful function allowing to control width of the channel for clients of Mirage directly from Mirage management console at distribution of operating systems, applications and these users. Restrictions of the channel can be set on such physical and logical criteria as, for example, a subnet of the PC or the website Active Directory.

• API Extensibility – now using open API administrators and developers can integrate Mirage with third-party IT systems. Also documentation on API was significantly improved.

• Reporting Framework – a framework for creation of the reporting is significantly improved. Reports can be created in the HTML formats and CSV from Mirage Web Manager console, at the same time there are opportunities to create the schedule of reports generation based on a template and to send them e-mail on readiness.

• Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) – an opportunity to send the depersonalized technical data in encrypted form to VMware for improvement of a product.

• Using the master it is possible to deploy the new device of the user and to load a layer of applications.

• Deployment and the Mirage Gateway server setup are available by means of Web configuration portal.

Loading of upgraded version of a product is available according to the link.

2015: VMware Horizon Mirage 5.5

On October 1, 2015 the VMware company announced release of Horizon Mirage of version 5.5^[1].

The product is intended for management of images of corporate PCs of the enterprise within infrastructure of VMware Horizon including the solution for virtualization of desktop PCs VMware Horizon View.

The image of user workstation helps to create the solution VMware Mirage, having separated it into layers (the system, applications, data and settings of the user), and then on a centralized basis to manage such images, developing them on final physical and virtual PCs.

In this release the company placed emphasis on control functions images with the minimum influence on workflows of users. Possibilities of independent deployment of devices without the need for access to Mirage Management Console became available. Now administrators of branches can deploy the new PC from the device by means of the browser.

Scheme of interaction (2014)

Main opportunities of the version of VMware Horizon Mirage 5.5

• The interface of self-service for local administrators of branches for deployment of new laptops and the PC. It becomes via the built-in browser on the basis of WinPE.
• Administrators can define a basic layer of OS and application only for loading (at the level of the branch), and to start updating manually in hours of the smallest loading.
• Administrators can define transmission band width depending on time of day and day (workers/days off). It reduces traffic of loadings of images in peak hours.
• Updating of layers of OS and applications is possible via the Mirage API and Mirage PowerCLI interfaces.
• Deployment on devices without OS supports the POSReady 2009 standard.

Changes in a product

• It is possible to delete Mirage layers, using Mirage Web console even if layers are appointed by active or archive CVD (centralized virtual desktop).
• Possibility of preserving of static IP and DNS configuration at migration of OS, deployment of the new PC or its recovery.
• At validation of a layer of Microsoft Office information on the clashing components is output.
• Control functions by devices on which there is McAfee Data Loss Prevention Endpoint (DLP), including transactions of migration, deployment and recovery.
• Use of MongoDB for storage of system data and small files.
• Files of the MongoDB database can separately be controlled from volumes Mirage.
• If on a disk where there is MongoDB, there was not enough place - the administrator is notified on it.

Changes of Mirage Web Console

• Via the web console it is possible to edit settings:
  • Viewing and management of licenses
  • Import of USMT
  • Settings of the file portal
  • Possibility of autocreation of CVD
  • Authentication of the gateway

• An opportunity "fail" when viewing appointment of CVD which are a part of a collection or a task.
• Control of the Mirage and Mirage Gateway servers.

The version of VMware Horizon Mirage 5.5 is available according to the link.

Notes