Horizon Composer requirements

Horizon Composer requires a minimum server configuration to ensure adequate performance and to properly support linked clone provisioning and maintenance operations. In this section we will focus on the hardware requirements, the supported OSs were already listed in Chapter 1, VMware Horizon Infrastructure Overview .

Hardware requirements

The Horizon Composer software has specific requirements with regard to the hardware specifications and host operating system. Horizon Composer may be installed on a dedicated virtual or physical server, or on an existing vCenter virtual or physical server. The vCenter Server Linux-based virtual appliance also supports Horizon Composer but requires that it be installed on a dedicated server.

The following table outlines both the minimum and recommended hardware specifications of a dedicated Horizon Composer server. Additionally, the server hosting Horizon Composer must have a static IP address.

If Horizon Composer is installed on the same host server as vCenter Server, the only requirement is that vCenter meets the established requirements for the number of virtual desktops and ESXi servers that it will manage. The VMware vSphere Installation and Setup Guide (https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-6-pubs.html) provides detailed information about the hardware requirements of vCenter Server; in particular, how those requirements change as the number of virtual machines or ESXi servers changes.

Tip

Due to the critical importance of vCenter Server and Horizon Composer within the Horizon environment, it is recommended that you use a dedicated server for each Horizon Composer rather than installing them on the same server. Separating the two components ensures that the maximum performance will be obtained with regard to linked clone provisioning and maintenance operations. In addition, separating the two components ensures that maintenance operations that involve either Horizon Composer or vCenter Server do not affect the availability of either component, be it owing to downtime or other issues that may occur.

Like most other software platforms, the recommended guidelines should be followed to ensure that the Horizon Composer performs optimally.