I’ve been struggling for a few months to find the answers to all of life’s questions… err.. I mean how to integrate an RSA SecurID soft-token with the VMware View iPad Client.

Why?

• PCI Compliance requires multi-factor authentication for remote access to your cardholder data environment.  It’s also a good security practice if you use remote access.
• RSA SecurID is the most widely used form of multi-factor authentication, but there are certainly other options (Note: View only supports integration with RSA or RADIUS at this time).
• Users do not have to carry around a physical RSA keyfob.
• Users do not have to pull up the RSA app on their mobile device and remember the 8-digit token then fly over to the vmware view app and type in that code all within the 60- (or 30-) second window.  That’s a little much for some folks to handle.

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Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) is part of Beaufort Memorial Hospital drive toward Meaningful Use of certified Electronic Health Records (EHR) technology, as defined by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. BMH’s CIO, Ed Ricks, worked with eGroup to realize his ultimate vision to drive user engagement—to make BMH’s electronic systems easier, faster and more portable for clinicians.

Imprivata recently produced this excellent video highlighting the VMware View implementation in conjunction with Imprivata’s Single Sign-On and zero clients. Check it out: Beaufort Memorial Hospital enhances care delivery.

You can also download the Beaufort Memorial Hospital case study.

I’ve had some issues with the transition to VMware View 5.1 in regards to performance and display problems.  Through KB Articles and the VMware support engineer, I’ve learned some valuable information about the VMware View Agent.

• Install the View Agent LAST after you setup your vm, install applications, do windows updates, and get the VM the way you want it.
• If you are running Windows Updates on your View desktop, you should make it a habit to reinstall the View Agent each time — you never know what the updates might have screwed up.  And NEVER have Windows Updates set to automatic on View!
• Need to clone your parent VM for some reason?  Uninstall the View Agent before making the clone.
• If you’re uninstalling the View Agent, check the registry after you reboot to make sure it is completely gone before you reinstall the View Agent:  HKLM\Software\VMware Inc.  You should not have a View Composer or VMware VDM folder anymore. *BE CAREFUL!*

**These are just my own personal suggestions.  Be very careful and make sure you have backups before editing the registry!  YMMV (Your mileage may vary!)**

Stay tuned to more posts in this series about VMware View 5.1 “Lessons Learned” by following along with the tag: VMware View 5.1

Phillip Reynolds is a guest blogger.  You can also follow him on twitter: @philvirtual

Having strange issues with your Win 7 linked clones or manual desktops?  I was!  Apparently there is a small bug in the VMXNET3 setup with Windows 7 and Windows 2008.

According to VMware, “This issue occurs due to the way the VMXNET 3 adapter is added. The Windows 7 guest operating system identifies the adapter as a new device and does not properly install the driver during the cloning process.”

#Fail

There is a special patch available for download directly from Microsoft and the full links to the information are available on this VMware KB article from April 25, 2012: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2007319

Stay tuned to more posts in this series about VMware View 5.1 “Lessons Learned” by following along with the tag: VMware View 5.1

Phillip Reynolds is a guest blogger.  You can also follow him on twitter: @philvirtual

Join us for a complimentary webcast series with live Q&A.  Click on a title for more details and to register!

May 23: Best Practices for Virtualizing Oracle Database and Applications

Virtualization can improve IT efficiency, flexibility and availability, transforming service delivery while reducing costs. The inclusion of business-critical applications (BCA) such as Oracle Database and applications can deliver the most significant value to your business. However, many companies are cautious about including Oracle software in their virtualization roadmap because they lack specific in-house expertise to virtualize the infrastructure for Oracle or because of the perception of risk associated with these projects.

May 24: Introduction to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure with VMware View

Although the capital expenditures for traditional computers have decreased over time, the operational costs of managing these desktops have increased significantly because of the escalating complexity of tasks, labor costs and security concerns. End users are also tied to a single piece of hardware to access all their data and applications, which limits mobility and causes frustration. Learn how virtual desktops using VMware View™ can meet these challenges by providing end-user freedom while maintaining IT control.

May 30: Best Practices for Virtualizing Microsoft Exchange

Virtualization can improve IT efficiency, flexibility and availability, transforming service delivery while reducing costs. The inclusion of business-critical applications (BCA) such as Microsoft Exchange can deliver the most significant value to your business. However, many companies are cautious about including Microsoft Exchange in their virtualization roadmap because they lack specific in-house expertise to virtualize the infrastructure for Microsoft Exchange or because of the perception of risk associated with these projects.

May 31: Technical Deep Dive: Capacity Management with VMware vCenter Operations Management Suite 5.0

VMware has introduced new capabilities to allow VMware vSphere® administrators to proactively manage virtual infrastructure resources. When you right-size and optimize your infrastructure capacity you can increase virtual machine density and consolidation ratios by up to 30 percent, defer hardware and software purchases, and plan for upcoming virtualization projects more easily.

Learn from technical experts how you can take advantage of these new capacity management capabilities to ensure best performance and quality of service in a more cost-effective manner.