Printer redirection - works for some, not for others

[WCHAdmin]

Hi VMWare community,

I've got a weird situation on my VDI setup through VMWare View. I run three seperate connection profiles through one VMWare View 3.0 server. When connecting to profile A, no matter who I connect as, printer redirection works fine. When I connect to profile B, printer redirection works fine.

(What I mean by printer redirection, is when the client is fully logged in, can hit print in applications and it redirects to their remote printer (which the RDP session sees as local)).

BUT... connecting to profile C leads to interesting results.

When I connect without going through the VMWare Security Server, by connecting directly to the View Connection server, printer redirection works fine. When I connect via the Security Server, it does not.. ok, that isn't an absolute... when I connect as some users it works, some it doesn't.

All users are configured identically in Active directory. Users end computers are very similar, both use IE7 and Windows XP to connect...

Somehow there is a difference... any thoughts on where I'm missing the difference?

Thanks in advance,

Ken

[WCHAdmin]

I am still VERY hopeful someone can point me in the right direction. VMWare support has taken multiple days and we haven't gotten anywhere with this issue. When on one computer, I can print with no problems, on another, nothing at all. I cannot find any differences, including signing on with multiple users on both having the same effect. Even signing onto different VDI's and different pools makes no difference... something is weird. The only connection I can come up with is a domain issue. When at a remote site, the computers are not on our domain.... but that shouldn't matter, should it?

Anyone? Beuller?

[mjsvirt]

are you installing the full client or using view portal?

view portal does not support virtual printing

[WCHAdmin]

I have done both. Portal has got to start supporting printing (just an opinion, I know you can't change it) as it is useless without it.

Looks like again, if I can't find an answer, I'll be driven towards Citrix.

[WCHAdmin]

Regretfully, I have to answer my own discussion here. After discussions and struggles with VMWare support, as well as a discussion with my local sales team, I have come to the conclusion that VMWare View Portal access will not provide remote printing capability by any means.

So I am stuck. I have to now see if there is a way to run the full client over a VPN or other connection, hopefully that will allow for some printing. If not, I'll have to go find a Citrix or Terminal Services based solution.

Good Luck all.

[KFM · Accepted solution]

Why don't you just run the full View Client on the PC? No need for VPNs - just connect to the externally resolvable URL of the security server provided you the appropriate ports open on your firewall. No additional ports required (443 and maybe 80) than if you were just using the View Portal.

I have clients running exactly that config and their home users can print to their local desktop from their VM running in the datacenter.

[WCHAdmin]

Thank you for your comments.

While this has finally been proven to be functional with version 3.1 (still can't make 3.0 work) I don't control 90% of the PCs that access this system remotely, and installing the full client is a problem. The fact is, I was sold one way, and it doesn't work. So Yes, I will be able to do it with the full client it appears, after much consternation. BUT... getting the full client installed on client machines where you don't control them (and most of them are locked down against installs as it is) is going to be a problem.

[ucfvmware]

I know this post is old, but it was very helpful. I didn't find it published anywhere that virtual printing only worked through the full client install, but not through the web install. Glad to finally have this issue figured out. The VMWare engineer I have been working with didn't even realize this, so I'm working with him to see if there is a simple solution since I too have no control over the computers being used to access our View environment.