VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (2024)

Welcome to the VMware Horizon documentation! Learn how to deploy, configure, and use products in the VMware Horizon family, which includes VMware Horizon 8 and Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen.

Whether you're deploying Horizon 8 on premises or in a public cloud SDDC, configuring components in Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure, or administrating a hybrid environment spanning both private and public clouds, you get up-to-date documentation with every release.

For architecture diagrams of example VMware Horizon environments, see How the Components Fit Together.

Introducing the VMware Horizon Documentation

For a quick overview of the VMware Horizon documentation, watch this introductory video.

VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (1)

How to Use the Documentation - For Administrators


VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (2)

Use the map above to follow a recommended path through the documentation based on your deployment scenario:

  • Scenario: Horizon 8, Not Cloud-Connected
  • Scenario: Horizon 8, Connected to Horizon Cloud Service
  • Scenario: Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure

VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (3)

How to Use the Documentation - For End Users

To learn how to use Horizon Client, open the client guide for your device:

  • If you have the Horizon Client or browser-based HTML Access app open, click Help in the client user interface.

    VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (4)

  • Or, use the table of contents (TOC) to go to your client guide. On a desktop browser, look for the TOC in the left pane of this page. On a mobile device, click the TOC button ( VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (5) ).

For example, you can open pages in the Windows client guide that explain how to connect to a remote desktop or application and work in a remote session.

VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (6)

Scenario: Horizon 8, Not Cloud-Connected

Just want to deploy Horizon 8 with a perpetual or term license and don't need any cloud-based services? Follow this path through the documentation.


VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (7)

  1. Get started with Horizon Overview and Deployment Planning and understanding Horizon Security.

    These guides show you how the VMware Horizon components fit together, how to create a rich user experience, and how to plan for security features such as security protocols and cipher suites for the Blast Secure Gateway.

  2. Then use Horizon 8 Installation and Upgrade as your guide to install the Horizon 8 server components. To learn about new features, fixed issues, and known problems, see the Horizon 8 Release Notes.
  3. Continue with the relevant guides to learn how to use the administration console for Horizon 8, install Horizon Agent on Windows virtual machines, and create desktop and application pools.
  4. Then follow the relevant guides to optimize the source VM for desktop pools, configure remote desktop features and GPOs, set up the web client for end users, and install Horizon Client for Windows or another client platform.

    The client guides also cover common procedures such as how to configure VMware Blast options, connect to a remote desktop or application, and work in a remote session. To learn about new features, fixed issues, and known problems in Horizon Client, see the release notes for your client platform.

VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (8)

Scenario: Horizon 8, Connected to Horizon Cloud Service

If you're deploying Horizon 8 and also want to take advantage of the cloud-based monitoring and management features offered by Horizon Control Plane services, use this documentation path.


VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (9)

  1. Start with Horizon Overview and Deployment Planning and Horizon Security.
  2. Follow Horizon 8 Installation and Upgrade to install the Horizon 8 server components. To learn about new features, fixed issues, and known problems, see the Horizon 8 Release Notes.
  3. Activate your Horizon Universal Subscription or Horizon Plus Subscription license. Follow the procedures to deploy Horizon Edge and activate the subscription license.
  4. Continue with the relevant guides to learn how to use the administration console for Horizon 8, install Horizon Agent on Windows virtual machines, and create desktop and application pools.
  5. Then follow the relevant guides to optimize the source VM for desktop pools, configure remote desktop features and GPOs, set up the web client for end users, and install Horizon Client for Windows or another client platform.
  6. To explore day-two operations of Horizon Cloud administration and image management from a single console, see Using VMware Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen. Review the VMware Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen Release Notes for information about the current release.

VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (10)

Scenario: Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure

Deploying the next generation of Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure? Follow this documentation path.


VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (11)

  1. Get started with Horizon Overview and Deployment Planning and understanding Horizon Security.
  2. To learn how to deploy the next generation of Horizon Cloud into the latest cloud-first, multi-cloud, pod-less architecture, see Using VMware Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen. Review the VMware Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen Release Notes for information about the current release.
  3. Then follow the relevant guides to optimize the source VM for desktop pools, configure remote desktop features and GPOs, define feature policies using Active Directory group policy objects (GPOs), set up the web client for end users, and install Horizon Client for Windows or another client platform.

    The client guides also cover common procedures such as how to configure VMware Blast options, connect to a remote desktop or application, and work in a remote session. To learn about new features, fixed issues, and known problems in Horizon Client, see the release notes for your client platform.

VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (12)

More Resources

To learn more about Horizon 8 and Horizon Cloud Service, visit the following pages.

Horizon 8 Resources Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen Resources
  • VMware Horizon product page
  • VMware Unified Access Gateway Documentation
  • Network Ports in Horizon
  • VMware Horizon videos
  • VMware Horizon Hands-on Labs
  • VMware Technology Network
  • Digital Workspace Tech Zone gathers videos, guides, tools, and the Reference Architecture together in one place for a fast path to understanding, evaluating, and deploying VMware end-user computing products.
    • Horizon Activity Path
    • Managing User Experience with VMware Horizon Enterprise Edition
    • Latest Horizon Resources
    • VMware Workspace ONE and Horizon Reference Architecture
  • Check out Horizon Cloud in the VMware Technology Network.
  • Digital Workspace Tech Zone gathers videos, guides, tools, and the Reference Architecture in one place for your fastest path to understanding, evaluating, and deploying VMware end-user computer products.
    • What Is VMware Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen?
    • Horizon Services Journey
    • Getting Started with Horizon Pods in Horizon Cloud Service
    • VMware Horizon Cloud Service - next-generation Network Ports Diagrams
  • Read customer success stories, announcements, and blogs at the Horizon Cloud product page, the Horizon Control Plane product page, and latest VMware End-User Computing blogs.
  • Enjoy learning in instructor-led training? VMware Education offers a VMware Horizon Cloud Services Next Gen on Microsoft Azure: Deploy and Manage - BETA course.
VMware Horizon Documentation - Horizon 8, Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen, and Horizon Clients (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arielle Torp

Last Updated:

Views: 6442

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arielle Torp

Birthday: 1997-09-20

Address: 87313 Erdman Vista, North Dustinborough, WA 37563

Phone: +97216742823598

Job: Central Technology Officer

Hobby: Taekwondo, Macrame, Foreign language learning, Kite flying, Cooking, Skiing, Computer programming

Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.