Platforms - VMware View/vSphere

Pano System supports both the general VMware vSphere/vCenter virtualization platform and the more comprehensive VMware View suites intended solely for VDI.  Pano System was certified VMware Ready™ as of View 4.5 and supports both View 5.0 and vSphere 5.0 as of the Pano System 5.0 release.

VMware View is a comprehensive suite of VMware software products and technologies that provide excellent and highly scalable support for Pano System deployments. Only two of the products included in View are required for a Pano System deployment but several others and be used to improve performance and efficiency.

Key benefits of reply the Pano System on the VMware vSphere and View platform include:
  • Simplicity: smaller Pano deployments can leverage cost-effective server-based vSphere and vCenter Server licenses.
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  • Scale: scaling of large Pano deployments with View Connection Server as a primary connection broker.
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  • Efficiency: reduced desktop image storage needs by 50-70% and easier patch management via linked clones managed by View Composer.
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  • Flexibility: support for hybrid endpoint deployments that mix Pano Zero Clients with thin clients, and even repurposed PCs.
Pano stack on View

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Details on VMware vSphere/View Support

For very simple single-server Pano System deployments, the only required VMware components is the vSphere ESX or ESXi hypervisor. Larger or more complex Pano deployments can take advantage of VMware View components like View Connection Server, View Administrator, and View Composer. 

vCenter Server, VMware's virtual machine provisioning and management tool, is optional for Pano deployments but highly recommended. Running without vCenter will limit you to one hypervisor server and one DVM collection, and it prevents the use of many of the automatic provisioning capabilities in Pano System.  vCenter Server is included in all editions of VMware View.

View Connection Server can optionally act as both an alternate primary connection broker and as the management and provisioning front-end for DVMs. VMware View can provide management and connection brokering for hybrid client populations that include Pano Zero Clients, thin clients, and repurposed PCs running View Client, with roaming supported between Pano clients and other View clients.

View Composer, included in the View Premier Edition, uses VMware's linked clones technology to reduce storage used by desktop virtual machine images by 50-70%.  It lets you create multiple desktops from a single master image, relocating them to different storage units or tiers as needed. And it enables updates or patching of linked clones without affecting user data or settings.  View Composer is recommended for Pano deployments in excess of 1,000 seats.

The VMware View suites include other VMware products and technologies, like the ThinApp application deployment toolset, that can greatly enhance the provisioning and management of Pano virtual desktops.

Pano Zero Clients don’t use View's RDP or PC-over-IP protocol but instead use the Pano Direct Protocol which was designed specifically for zero client virtual desktops. Both sets of protocols can be used on the same network without conflicts.

More Information

More information on View can be found on the VMware website at www.vmware.com/products/view/