Windows 7 Aero (View 4.5)

[smiler1]

Hi Has anyone managed to get the Aero effects working yet? I have View 4.5 up and running with Windows 7. I think it may be soming to do with the amount of Video RAM as ive been told that it requires 128MB of video RAM. I have tried using the Windows performance rating tool but that fails with a hardware error.

any ideas?

[DuncanArmstrong]

Hey there,

Welcome to the forums.

As a fundamental, you require a hardware 3D accelerator to support Aero effects. With the added complication of virtualization, VMware ESX in its current released incarnations does not offer the capability to expose a graphics accelerator to a virtual machine. The 3D option is there, but as a compatibility option for imported Workstation or Fusion virtual machines (with hardware version 7).

Now, regarding View and remote connectivity, one of the basics I do know about is to ensure is that both the client and server (in your case, the Guest) have Aero enabled.

And I don't think it's supposed to work in ESX/View at all yet, but if the desktop clients are handling window functionality and the server/RDP-side handles the actual window content, it might work.

Aside, and as something that you most likely won't be able to deploy for any sort of production use, you can install a capable graphics adapter to an ESX host and pass it through to a single virtual machine. It will break VMotion capabilities of that VM and may cause other issues (device pass-through is experimental as of ESX 4.0 and is officially supported only for a very limited subset of I/O devices for the time being. With that said, you can pass-through just about anything).

I'm hoping that a View 4.5 expert could chime in and say otherwise, but I'm thinking you could be out of luck enabling Aero for now, unless you're running Workstation 7 or Fusion. Sorry!

[LarryBlanco2]

I was at VMWorld and was able to get a hold of a Teradicci guy there and ask if Aero would work with 4.5 and PCoIP. In short, "NO" it will not work. I got a very long explanation as to why it won't work with PCoIP. Basically it has to do with what Duncan said and Aero relying on the underlying graphics hardware architecture.

Larry.

[jdaconsulting · Accepted solution]

According to the View Architecture Planning Guide, if you are running View 4.5 on vSphere 4.1 you can do Aero and 3D effects using local mode.

[smiler1]

thanks for the responses guys.

JDA - What is local mode?

[gunnarb]

The short version is that it's an ESX issue not a View Issue. VMWare needs to virtualize a GPU and they dont' currently offer this. I think one of the graphic's vendors needs to release a card designed for virtualization, a one to many card. THe problem they are going to have is the same problem the CPU industry has, they both want more sales and virtualization reduces their sales.

[Linjo]

Something like this...

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100831005762/en/Teradici-Announces-PC-over-IP%C2%AE-Server-O...

Best regards,

Linjo

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[gunnarb]

(double post)

[gunnarb]

No that's a graphics offload card, thats the opposite of what we need. I saw this thing at VMWorld in the whisper room and it's pretty cool. However, what it does is offloads the PCoIP service from the CPU. It doesn't add additional graphics to the VM, it just frees up CPU that is being used up by the need to render all the stuff into the PCoIP protocol. Its great but not what we are talking about when we are talking about Aero.

With Areo we need a GPU available within the VM to support the higher end graphics. The offload card would then help push the newly rendered 3d graphics to the client. These combined would allow you to play some high end video game, remotely. That would be cool.

[gunnarb]

Check it out though I'm quoted in the Teradici press release prior to the offload card:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100831005983/en/Teradici-Feature-Broad-Range-PCoIP%C2%AE-Cli...

I'm famous, do you want my autograph.

[smiler1]

thanks guys for all your responses, that answers my question. So i guess the full Windows 7 support that VMware claim to have is not exactly accurate

[gunnarb]

I disagree, VMware's statement that they support Windows 7 on 4.5 is completely accurate. Aero is a feature within Windows 7, not the OS itself. To me this is the same as saying, "I can't play Starcraft 2 on my Windows 7 VM so I don't think Windows 7 is supported". If you don't have a good video card you dont' get Aero regardless, in fact most of my physical desktops are running Dell Optiplex 960s. They run Windows 7 just fine but don't support Aero. Why? Because I didn't spend the extra money to get a decent enough graphic's card to support Aero. My Optiplex's run 7, Dell wouldn't be inaccurate in saying that they support Windows 7 just becuase they don't run Aero.

[tonstad]

I can confirm that Aero including 3D flip works as long as you are running Windows 7 VM with RDP and a client capable of showing Aero. Typically a Windows 7 desktop / laptop or the new Windows 7 embedded clients. Vista with RDP 7 client will also work.

If connecting from an XP/XPe client, Aero does not work as the local OS cannot handle it.

Aero over RDP is a key functionality of RDP 7 and is called directX remoting: http://www.thincomputing.net/blog/windows-7-rdp-improvements-whats-in-your-face.html.

PCOIP does not support Aero due to the problems GunnarB point to.

BTW; Aero also works under View 4.0

Regards,

Asbjorn

[opticentre]

I think the only thing VMWARE View is lacking most is GPU virtualization I just don't know why it is taking them so long as I have been waiting for it for 2 years, any information on when will they release the next update supporting this in ESX or ESXi.

Also I already see NVIDIA has released NVIDIA SLI MULTI-OS, so I don't think it is a vendor issue or driver issue.

I am hoping to get an answer from VMware on this.

I know this subject is about Aero but I think both Aero and GPU virtualization is the same issue.