Unlocking Seamless Access with Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp

[Ramesh V]

In the ever-evolving landscape of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), the need for efficient and secure access to resources has never been more critical. VMware Horizon, a leading VDI solution, offers a feature called Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp, which streamlines the process of accessing both Horizon 8 and Horizon Cloud on Azure desktops. This blog post will delve into the intricacies of the Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp feature, guiding you through its setup and the benefits it brings to your VDI environment.

Understanding Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp

The Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp feature is designed to simplify the user experience by allowing users to access their virtual desktops and applications from a single Horizon Client. This eliminates the need for users to remember multiple URLs, log out, or authenticate separately for cloud resources. The feature leverages an identity provider (IDP) such as Microsoft Entra ID or VMware Workspace ONE Access to synchronise on-premises Active Directory user identities, ensuring consistent authentication across both on-premises and cloud-based resources.

Prerequisites for Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp

Before you can enable the Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp feature, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

• A supported identity provider (IDP) is registered in your VMware Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen tenant.

• Horizon Connection Server version 2312 or later is installed.

• The Horizon 8 Edge is deployed to connect your Horizon 8 pod to the Horizon Cloud Service - next-gen Control Plane.

• Desktop and application pools are created in both Horizon Console and the Horizon Universal Console.

• End users are running Horizon Client for Windows 2312 or later.

Enabling Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp

To enable the Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp feature, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Horizon Universal Console and navigate to the Horizon Edges tab.

2. Click on the name of a Horizon Edge with a Provider Type of Horizon 8 to access its details page.

3. In the Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp tile, click Enable.

4. Proceed to Horizon Console to add user entitlements.

Configuring Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp Entitlements in Horizon Console

After activating the feature in the Horizon Cloud Control Plane, you must configure entitlements in Horizon Console:

1. Log in to the Horizon Console.

2. Verify that the setting Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp is enabled in Global Settings.

3. Navigate to Users and Groups > Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp and click Add.

4. Add the users and groups that require access to Horizon Cloud on Azure desktops.

How Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp Works

The feature uses Connection Server as a brokering mechanism to grant users access to entitled Horizon Cloud on Azure desktops. The chosen IDP facilitates the synchronization of user accounts and group memberships, ensuring consistent authentication experiences.

Feature Limitations

It's important to note that currently, only Horizon Client for Windows 2312 or later is supported for this feature. Support for other Horizon clients is expected in the future.

Conclusion

The Horizon Cloud Entitlement On-Ramp feature is a powerful tool that enhances the user experience by providing a unified access point to virtual desktops and applications, regardless of their location. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can enable this feature in your VMware Horizon environment, ensuring that your users can securely and efficiently access the resources they need. Remember, the key to successful VDI management lies in continuously adapting to the latest technologies and features that enhance security, efficiency, and user satisfaction.