From architecture to administration—master Horizon 8 end to end.

This fast track course shows how and why we use Horizon 8 Virtual Desktops and Published Applications to solve business challenges across on premises, hybrid, and cloud environments. Delivered by an Omnissa Certified Instructor, it condenses eight days of standard enablement into five, combining theory with hands-on labs, and also introduces App Volumes and Dynamic Environment Manager for application delivery and personalization.

Target audience

• Experienced administrators, systems engineers, consulting architects, Citrix specialists, and Microsoft End-User Computing specialists.

Recommended Prerequisites

• Experienced Horizon or EUC administrator
• Understand fundamental networking, storage, and infrastructure concepts
• Understand TCP/IP and Microsoft Active Directory

Mapped certification

• OmnissaCertified Administrator Horizon

Course objectives

• Understand the role and function of Horizon components and both cloud and on premises deployment architecture options.
• Deploy and configure a Horizon Pod, including standard and replica servers, capacity providers, licensing, and event database configuration.
• Deploy and configure Unified Access Gateway in a clustered infrastructure.
• Explain Horizon Recording Services, including its architecture, components, and administrative functions.
• Explain Horizon Brokering requirements for on-premises and multi-site architectures, including global and local server load balancing.
• Configure Horizon Cloud Pod Architecture to solve high-availability and scalability requirements.
• Configure secure Single Sign-On using Omnissa Access, including federation with Horizon and Unified Access Gateway, Horizon TrueSSO, and Enrollment Services.
• Configure Horizon Graphics for software and hardware 3D rendering.
• Explain Horizon session protocols, including Horizon Blast, PCoIP/PCoIP Ultra, and RDP.
• Administer Horizon desktop pools and RDS server farms, including image management, SysPrep/Clone Prep, persistent and non-persistent pools, Linux desktop pools, and App Volumes integration.
• Monitor and administer Horizon environments using the Horizon Admin Console and the LDS database.
• Explain Horizon Agent and Client configuration options for security and performance.
• Explain App Volumes, its architecture and components, and its role in application lifecycle management.
• Build and deliver App Volumes application packages using Classic and On-Demand delivery models.
• Configure App Volumes Storage Groups for multi-site scenarios and administer Writable Volumes.
• Use App Volumes command-line tools to package and deliver applications.
• Explain Dynamic Environment Manager architecture and components, including Group Policy–based and NOAD-mode configuration.
• Configure Dynamic Environment Manager synchronization, replication, and Conditional elements.
• Configure Dynamic Environment Manager advanced features, including Smart Policies, Triggered Tasks, and optional components such as the Self Support Tool, Help Desk Support Tool, Application Profiler, and Sync Tool.
• Explain ThinApp's role in modern application lifecycle management, including capture, isolation modes, and the Sandbox.

Course Modules

1 Omnissa Reference Architecture Overview

• Omnissa best practices for designing Horizon

2 Horizon 8 Architecture Overview

• Primary components that make up Horizon 8
• Architectural options and deployment terminology for on-premises, hybrid, and cloud deployments

3 Horizon Connection Server Overview

• Primary requirements and install options for the Connection Server

4 Horizon Recording Services Overview

• Business challenges addressed by Horizon Recording Services
• Architecture, components, and administrative functions

5 Securing the Horizon Transport

• When to enable and disable tunneling of sessions

6 Workspace ONE Integration with Horizon

• Omnissa Intelligence, Hub Services, and Workspace ONE UEM and their role with Horizon

7 Unified Access Gateway Overview

• Architecture, deployment, and configuration options for Unified Access Gateway

8 Horizon Brokering

• Horizon Transport and local/global server load balancing requirements

9 Horizon Desktop Pool Administration

• Image creation best practices through deployment and maintenance of Windows desktop pools

10 Horizon Linux Desktop Deployment

• Traditional and Easy Setup image creation for Linux-based desktop pools

11 Horizon Authentication and Single Sign-On Requirements

• Authentication options and integration with 3rd party and Omnissa Access identity providers
• Enrollment services and Single Sign-On configuration

12 Cloud Pod Architecture

• Challenges solved by Cloud Pod Architecture and how to enable and configure it

13 Horizon RDS Published Applications

• Deploying and configuring an RDS Server Farm and Application Pools
• App Volumes integration with Horizon

14 Horizon Agent and Client Options

• Key security and performance settings via the agent, client, Admin Console, and Group Policy

15 Horizon Protocols

• Horizon Blast codecs, PCoIP, and RDP protocol overview

16 Horizon Graphics

• Software and hardware 3D rendering options and configuration

17 Horizon Administrative Tasks

• Horizon Admin Console elements for supporting and troubleshooting sessions
• Horizon Performance Tracker, real-time monitoring, and delegated administration

18 ThinApp Overview

• Why ThinApp remains relevant with modern lifecycle management
• Components, capture cycle, isolation modes, and the Sandbox function

19 Introduction & Architecture of App Volumes

• Business challenges App Volumes solves, its components, and its architecture

20 Working with Application Packages

• App Volumes provisioning process and application lifecycle management integration
• Classic vs. On-Demand delivery strategies

21 App Volumes On-Demand Delivery

• Configuration options for on-demand delivery to Desktop and RDS Farm published applications

22 App Volumes Advanced Configurations

• Storage Groups setup and the Snapvol.cfg configuration file
• App Volumes command-line packaging using appcapture.exe

23 Dynamic Environment Manager Architecture and Console Overview

• Profile management concepts, DEM architecture, components, and how it works

24 Dynamic Environment Manager Advanced Configurations

• Environments in DEM and why they're needed across environments
• DEM integration with ThinApp and Workspace ONE UEM
• Configuring Smart Policies and Triggered Tasks

25 Dynamic Environment Manager Optional Components

• Self Support Tool, Help Desk Support Tool, Application Profiler, and DEM Sync Tool