We are in the middle of automating the VMware Horizon Agent 8.x installer for the golden images. To undertake such a task, it’s essential to understand all the MSI Switches that come along with the installer. If you had already automated the Horizon Agent 7.x install it’s also important to check which MSI switches have been removed in Horizon Agent 8.x/YYMM. The below details will show you the switches and highlight the removed/deltas MSI Switches and Properties.
I use a tool called lessmsi – GitHub – activescott/lessmsi: A tool to view and extract the contents of an Windows Installer (.msi) file. which essentially extracts the MSI contents and provides a detailed table view of the feature components and properties.
Horizon Agent 8.x\YYMM version (Features available within the agent)
| Feature (s38) | Feature_Parent (S38) | Title (L64) | Description (L255) | Directory_ (S72) |
| URLRedirection | Core | URL Content Redirection | Redirects URL content from a server session to a client device and vice versa. | |
| PSG | Core | |||
| VmVideo | Core | |||
| VmwVdisplay | Core | |||
| VmwVidd | Core | |||
| SmartCardSingleUserTS | Core | |||
| RDSH3D | 3D RDSH | This feature enables hardware 3D acceleration in RDSH sessions. | ||
| NGVC | VMware Horizon Instant Clone Agent | Horizon Instant Clone Agent should only be installed on a virtual machine running on VMware vSphere 6.0/2015 U1 or later. | ||
| ScannerRedirection | Scanner Redirection | Enables the Scanner Redirection feature. | ||
| SerialPortRedirection | Serial Port Redirection | Enables the Serial Port Redirection feature. | ||
| SmartCard | Smartcard Redirection | Enables the Smartcard Redirection feature. | ||
| TSMMR | TSMMR | Terminal Services Multimedia Redirection. | ||
| PrintRedir | VMware Integrated Printing | VMware Integrated Printing Redirection. | ||
| USB | USB Redirection | USB Redirection. Refer to the VMware Horizon Security document for guidance on using USB redirection securely. | ||
| V4V | Horizon Monitoring Service Agent | Horizon Monitoring Service Agent. | ||
| VmwVaudio | VMware Audio | VMware virtual Audio driver | ||
| SdoSensor | SDO Sensor Redirection | Enables Simple Device Orientation(SDO) Sensor Redirection feature, reports device orientation changes to remote desktop. | ||
| HybridLogon | Hybrid Logon | Enables Hybrid logon which allows an unauthenticated user access to network resources without the need to enter credentials. | ||
| HelpDesk | Help Desk Plugin for Horizon Agent | Help Desk Plugin for Horizon Agent. | ||
| RDP | Enable RDP (hidden) | |||
| BlastUDP | Core | |||
| Core | Core | [ProductName] core functionality | INSTALLDIR | |
| VMWMediaProviderProxy | VMware Virtualization Pack for Skype for Business | This feature will enable optimization for Skype for Business in remote desktop | ||
| ClientDriveRedirection | Client Drive Redirection | Allow Horizon Clients to share local drives with remote desktops and applications. If not installed, copy/paste and drag and drop files and folders features will be disabled. | ||
| RTAV | Real-Time Audio-Video | Real-Time Audio-Video enables users to redirect locally connected audio and video peripherals back to the remote desktop for use. | ||
| GEOREDIR | Geolocation Redirection | Enables redirection of client’s geolocation to the remote desktop | ||
| PerfTracker | Horizon Performance Tracker | Enables Horizon Performance Tracker |
Horizon Agent 7.x version (Features available within the agent)
| Feature (s38) | Feature_Parent (S38) | Title (L64) | Description (L255) | Directory_ (S72) |
| URLRedirection | Core | URL Content Redirection | Redirects URL content from a server session to a client device and vice versa. | |
| PSG | Core | |||
| VmVideo | Core | |||
| VmwVdisplay | Core | |||
| VmwVidd | Core | |||
| SmartCardSingleUserTS | Core | |||
| FlashURLRedirection | Flash URL Redirection | Enables Flash URL Redirection for internal company controlled web pages. | ||
| RDSH3D | 3D RDSH | This feature enables hardware 3D acceleration in RDSH sessions. | ||
| SVIAgent | VMware Horizon View Composer Agent | VMware Horizon View Composer Agent RDSH installs: This machine can be used as the parent image for provisioning Automated Farms | ||
| NGVC | VMware Horizon Instant Clone Agent | Horizon Instant Clone Agent should only be installed on a virtual machine running on VMware vSphere 6.0/2015 U1 or later. It cannot be co-installed with Horizon View Composer Agent. | ||
| ScannerRedirection | Scanner Redirection | Enables the Scanner Redirection feature. | ||
| SerialPortRedirection | Serial Port Redirection | Enables the Serial Port Redirection feature. | ||
| SmartCard | Smartcard Redirection | Enables the Smartcard Redirection feature. | ||
| TSMMR | TSMMR | Terminal Services Multimedia Redirection. Does not support IPv6 configuration. | ||
| ThinPrint | Virtual Printing | Virtual Printer Support | ||
| PrintRedir | VMware Integrated Printing | VMware Integrated Printing Redirection. | ||
| USB | USB Redirection | USB Redirection. Refer to the VMware Horizon 7 Security document for guidance on using USB redirection securely. | ||
| V4V | vRealize Operations Desktop Agent | vRealize Operations Desktop Agent. Does not support IPv6 configuration. | ||
| VPA | VMware Horizon 7 Persona Management | VMware Horizon 7 Persona Management | ||
| VmwVaudio | VMware Audio | VMware virtual Audio driver | ||
| DeviceBridgeBAS | Device Bridge BAS Plugin | Enables finger scanners supported by BAS system | ||
| SdoSensor | SDO Sensor Redirection | Enables Simple Device Orientation(SDO) Sensor Redirection feature, reports device orientation changes to remote desktop. | ||
| CIT | VMware Client IP Transparency | This feature allows remote connections to Internet Explorer to use the Client’s IP address instead of this machine’s. Does not support IPv6 configuration. | ||
| HybridLogon | Hybrid Logon | Enables Hybrid logon which allows an unauthenticated user access to network resources without the need to enter credentials. | ||
| HelpDesk | Help Desk Plugin for Horizon Agent | Help Desk Plugin for Horizon Agent. | ||
| RDP | Enable RDP (hidden) | |||
| BlastUDP | Core | |||
| Core | Core | [ProductName] core functionality | INSTALLDIR | |
| VMWMediaProviderProxy | VMware Virtualization Pack for Skype for Business | This feature will enable optimization for Skype for Business in remote desktop | ||
| ClientDriveRedirection | Client Drive Redirection | Allow Horizon View Clients to share local drives with their remote desktops and applications. Does not support IPv6 configuration. | ||
| RTAV | Real-Time Audio-Video | Real-Time Audio-Video enables users to redirect locally connected audio and video peripherals back to the remote desktop for use. | ||
| FLASHMMR | Flash Redirection | Flash Redirection | ||
| GEOREDIR | Geolocation Redirection | Enables redirection of client’s geolocation to the remote desktop | ||
| PerfTracker | Horizon Performance Tracker | Enables Horizon Performance Tracker |
If you want to download the spreadsheet version of the table above/below you can find it below. Note there is a bonus within the spreadsheet: MSI Property comparision between Horizon Agent 7.x and Horizon Agent 8.x and two MSI Properties have been removed VDM_FLASH_URL_REDIRECTION and INSTALL_VDIDISPLAY_DRIVER (Part of the Core in 8.x).
Deprecated/Delta Features between 7.x and 8.x/YYMM release
From the table above, we know all the switches of the Horizon Agent 7.x and 8.x versions. Once we compare the above two tables, we are left with the following delta, and I have commented on whether each feature exists or is removed. Please make sure to remove them from your existing scripts or silent installers if you had added them during your Horizon 7.x installs.
| Feature (s38) | Title (L64) | Description (L255) | Additional Comments |
| FlashURLRedirection | Flash URL Redirection | Enables Flash URL Redirection for internal company controlled web pages. | Flash come to EOL in 2020. Feature has been deprecated |
| SVIAgent | VMware Horizon View Composer Agent | VMware Horizon View Composer Agent RDSH installs: This machine can be used as the parent image for provisioning Automated Farms | VMware Compose was replaced by Instant Clones |
| ThinPrint | Virtual Printing | Virtual Printer Support | ThinPrint is replaced by VMware Integrated Printing |
| VPA | VMware Horizon 7 Persona Management | VMware Horizon 7 Persona Management | Persona is replaced by App Volumes or DEM or FSLogic |
| DeviceBridgeBAS | Device Bridge BAS Plugin | Enables finger scanners supported by BAS system | Feature has been deprecated |
| CIT | VMware Client IP Transparency | This feature allows remote connections to Internet Explorer to use the Client’s IP address instead of this machine’s. Does not support IPv6 configuration. | Feature has been deprecated |
| FLASHMMR | Flash Redirection | Flash Redirection | Flash come to EOL in 2020. Feature has been deprecated |
I hope you will find this post useful to perform silent installs on Horizon Agent. My request is if you find any additional delta or enhancements, please make sure to share it back with me.
Thanks,
Aresh Sarkari
Reference – Check out the VMware documentation on Silent Installation Properties for Horizon Agent (vmware.com)