VMware Horizon Adapter

FlexNet Manager Suite 2022 R1 (On-Premises)

The VMware Horizon adapter, provided by Flexera, allows you to collect data from VMware Horizon non-persistent virtual desktop infrastructure(s) (VDIs) and import it into FlexNet Manager Suite.

Imported VDI data and application evidence collected by the FlexNet inventory agent will give you full IT visibility of inventory running on the VMware Horizon platform, and provide licensing capabilities for all applications used by end-users on non-persistent VDIs.

Note: Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a technology that refers to the use of virtual machines to provide and manage virtual desktops. VDI hosts desktop environments on a centralized server and deploys them to end-users on request.

The difference between non-persistent and persistent VDIs

Once a user logs off a virtual machine (VM), that VM and associated data is destroyed. This is referred to as a non-persistent VDI. Any changes made on the VM will not persist when the VM is destroyed. Because of this, non-persistent VMs are very difficult to license. This is the problem that the VMware Horizon adapter solves.

Unlike non-persistent VMs, persistent VMs are not destroyed once a user logs off. Persistent VMs are similar to that of a standard VM, and when set up, administrators can give access to groups/users who can continue to use it until the administrator deletes it.

What will you see in the UI

In FlexNet Manager Suite, you can view a VDI template for each desktop pool (a collection of existing VMs) that has been configured in VMware Horizon. This template allows you to see a list of all the applications installed per desktop pool.

For each user who has access to a desktop pool associated with a VDI template, the application evidence is mapped to any VDI device for which that user is the primary user.

For any end-user who can access a VDI template who is not a primary user of any VDI device, a remote device will be created for them, and the application evidence will be mapped.

Supported versions

• VMware Horizon version 8.0.0 or higher, if you are not using Cloud Pod Architecture
• If you are using Cloud Pod Architecture, version 2012 or higher
• The VMware Horizon adapter is supported by version 2022 R1 of FlexNet Manager Suite onwards.

Note: If you have multiple versions of VMware Horizon in operation (for example in different domains), you can use the same structure outlined in the VMware Horizon adapter online help, to integrate each of them with FlexNet Manager Suite.