Navigation
This post applies to all Omnissa Horizon versions 2006 (aka 8.0) and newer.
- Change Log
- Upgrade
- Install/Upgrade Connection Server
- Horizon Connection Server Certificate
- Horizon Portal:
- LDAP Edits
- Load Balancing
- Remote Desktop Licensing
- Antivirus
- Help Desk Tool – Timing Profiler
- Logon Monitoring
💡 = Recently Updated
Change Log
- 2025 Jan 29 – updated for Horizon 2412
- 2024 Nov 21 – Windows Server 2025 is not yet supported.
- 2024 July 27 – updated entire article for Omnissa Horizon 2402 (8.13)
- 2023 Jan 20 – added Horizon Console Certificate Management in Horizon 2212.
Upgrade
If you are performing a new install, skip to Install Horizon Connection Server.
Notes regarding upgrades:
- For supported upgrade paths (which version can be upgraded to which other version), see Omnissa Interoperability Matrix.
- Horizon 2412 (8.14) and newer require newer Omnissa license keys.
- Horizon 7 license key does not work in Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer. You’ll need to upgrade your license key to Horizon 8.
- Horizon 8.x no longer supports Horizon Clients 5.x and older.
- According to Omnissa 78445 Update sequence for Horizon 7, Horizon 8, and compatible Omnissa products, App Volumes Managers are upgraded before upgrading Connection Servers.
- Upgrade all Connection Servers during the same maintenance window.
- Horizon Agents cannot be upgraded until the Connection Servers are upgraded.
- Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer do not support Security Servers. The replacement is Unified Access Gateway.
- Composer was removed from Horizon 2012 (8.1) and newer. All editions of Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer support Instant Clones. See Modernizing VDI for a New Horizon at Omnissa Tech Zone for migration instructions.
- Downgrades are not permitted.
- You can snapshot your Connection Servers before beginning the upgrade. To revert, shut down all Connection Servers, then revert to snapshots.
- For Cloud Pod Architecture, you don’t have to upgrade every pod at once. But upgrade all of them as soon as possible.
- All Connection Servers in the pod must be online before starting the upgrade.
- It’s an in-place upgrade. Just run the Connection Server installer and click Next a couple times.
- Once the first Connection Server is upgraded, Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer lets you upgrade the remaining Connection Servers concurrently.
- After upgrading all Connection Servers to Horizon 2012 (8.1) or newer, see Omnissa 80781 Knowledge DML scripts for data population of new columns in view Events Database to backfill the Events Database with column data to improve Events query performance.
- Upgrade the Horizon Group Policy template (.admx) files in sysvol.
- Upgrade the Horizon Agents.
- Persona is no longer supported. The replacement is Omnissa Dynamic Environment Manager. Or Microsoft FSLogix. See Modernizing VDI for a New Horizon at Omnissa Tech Zone for migration instructions.
- If App Volumes Agent is installed, then uninstall it before you upgrade the Horizon Agent. See Omnissa 2118048 Agent installation order for Horizon, Dynamic Environment Manager, and App Volumes.
- Otherwise, Horizon Agent is an in-place upgrade. Just run the installer on your gold images and full clones.
- There’s no hurry. Upgrade the Horizon Agents when time permits.
- DEM Console should not be upgraded until all DEM Agents are upgraded.
- Upgrade the Horizon Clients.
- Horizon Clients can be upgraded any time before the rest of the infrastructure is upgraded.
Install/Upgrade Horizon Connection Server
The first Horizon Connection Server must be a Standard Server. Subsequent Horizon Connection Servers are Replicas. Once Horizon Connection Server is installed, there is no difference between Standard and Replica.
A production Horizon Connection Server should have 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU. Each Horizon Connection Server can handle 4,000 user connections.
Horizon 2412 (8.14) is the latest release.
- Horizon 2312.1 (8.12.1) is also an Extended Service Branch (ESB) release, which is supported for 3 years from the January 2024 release date.
- Horizon 2212.1 (8.8) is also an Extended Service Branch (ESB) release, which is supported for 3 years from the January 2023 release date.
To install the first Horizon Connection Server:
- Ensure the Horizon Connection Server has 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU. Source = Hardware Requirements for Horizon Connection Server at Omnissa Docs.
- Horizon 2111 (8.4) and newer support Windows Server 2022. Windows Server 2025 is not yet supported.
- Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer support Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019. See 78652 Supported Operating Systems and MSFT Active Directory Domain Functional Levels for Omnissa Horizon 8.
- Horizon 2312 and newer no longer support Windows Server 2012 R2.
- Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer no longer need Flash.
- Instant Clones in Horizon 2303 and newer require vSphere 7 or newer. vSphere 6.7 and older will not work.
- Download Horizon 2412 (8.14) Horizon Connection Server.
- Run the downloaded Omnissa-Horizon-Connection-Server-x86_64-2412-8.14.0.exe.
- In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Omnissa Horizon Connection Server page, click Next.
- In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
- In the Installation Options page, select Horizon Standard Server, and click Next.
- In the Data Recovery page, enter a password, and click Next.
- In the Firewall Configuration page, click Next.
- In the Initial Horizon Administrators page, enter an AD group containing your Horizon administrators, and click Next.
- In the User Experience Improvement Program page, uncheck the box, and click Next.
- In the Operational Data Collection page, click Next.
- In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
- In the Installer Completed page, uncheck the box next to Show the readme file, and click Finish.
Install Horizon Connection Server Replica
Additional Horizon Connection Servers are installed as Replicas. After installation, there is no difference between a Replica server and a Standard server.
A production Horizon Connection Server should have at least 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU.
To install Horizon Connection Server Replica:
- Ensure the Horizon Connection Server has at least 10 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU. Source = Hardware Requirements for Horizon Connection Server at Omnissa Docs.
- Horizon 2111 (8.4) and newer support Windows Server 2022. Windows Server 2025 is not yet supported.
- Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer support Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019. See 78652 Supported Operating Systems and MSFT Active Directory Domain Functional Levels for Horizon 8.
- Horizon 2312 and newer no longer support Windows Server 2012 R2.
- Horizon 2006 (8.0) and newer no longer need Flash.
- Download Horizon 2412 (8.14) Horizon Connection Server.
- Run the downloaded Omnissa-Horizon-Connection-Server-x86_64-2412-8.14.0.exe.
- In the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Omnissa Horizon Connection Server page, click Next.
- In the Destination Folder page, click Next.
- In the Installation Options page, select Horizon Replica Server, and click Next.
- In the Source Server page, enter the name of another Horizon Connection Server in the pod. Then click Next.
- In the Firewall Configuration page, click Next.
- In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
- In the Installer Completed page, click Finish.
- Load balance your multiple Horizon Connection Servers.
- Horizon Console > Settings > Servers > Connection Servers tab shows multiple servers in the pod.
Horizon Connection Server Certificate
Horizon Console Certificate Management
Horizon 2212 and newer have a Certificate Management section in the Horizon Console under Settings. Horizon 2312 and newer can manage cluster certificates in addition to machine certificates.
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The Administrators role in Horizon does not include the Certificate Management permission.
- Go to Settings > Administrators. On the right, switch to the tab named Role Privileges. Click Add.
- Name the role CertificateManagement or similar. Select the Manage Certificates privilege, which might be on page 2. Click OK.
- Switch to the tab named Administrators and Groups. Select your Horizon Admins group and click Add Permissions.
- Go to Settings > Administrators. On the right, switch to the tab named Role Privileges. Click Add.