Managing Images for Google Cloud Platform Provider Deployments

To add a GCP image for use with a Horizon Cloud on Google Cloud Platform Edge, you must first prepare a Windows image in your GCP project and import it into the Horizon Cloud Image Management System (IMS).

Note: Horizon Cloud on Google Cloud Platform is currently available in Limited Availability (LA) mode only.

Download the relevant Horizon Agents Installer for your Windows VM from Omnissa Customer Connect.

Preparing a Windows Server Image for a Single-Session Desktop Pool

Reference: Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Desktop Use.

1. Prepare Windows

   1. Deploy Windows Server Datacenter VM in GCP and log in via RDP.
   2. Do not install RDS role from the Server Manager for this image type.

2. Download and Run OSOT to Optimise the image

   1. Download OSOT from Omnissa Customer Connect (check if latest release is available).
   2. Apply Windows updates if needed (with OSOT or from Control Panel).
   3. Run OSOT with Optimise option only (do not generalise or finalise in OSOT).

3. Install Horizon Agent

   1. Run the Omnissa Horizon Agents Installer exe.
   2. Based on your use cases, install the desired features while installing Horizon Agent on the image.

4. Configure Desktop Experience (make server feel like Windows 10)

   1. Enable Themes — run the following commands in PowerShell as Administrator:

   Set-Service Themes -StartupType Automatic
   Start-Service Themes
   

   2. Enable Audio Services (don't skip this) — run the following commands in PowerShell as Administrator:

   Set-Service Audiosrv -StartupType Automatic
   Start-Service Audiosrv
   Set-Service AudioEndpointBuilder -StartupType Automatic
   Start-Service AudioEndpointBuilder
   

   3. Verify all services are running:

   Get-Service Themes,Audiosrv,AudioEndpointBuilder
   

5. Run GCESysprep command in PowerShell of the VM; wait for VM to shut down. Do not restart or log in to the VM.

Preparing a Windows Server Image for a Multi-Session (RDSH) Desktop Pool

Reference: Prepare Windows Server Operating Systems for Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Host Use.

1. Prepare Windows (RDS role + Desktop Experience)

   1. Deploy Windows Server Datacenter VM in GCP and log in via RDP.
   2. Install RDS Role: 1. Open Server Manager. 2. Click Manage > Add Roles and Features > Choose: Role-based or feature-based installation > Select your server > On Server Roles page: Remote Desktop Services. 3. Next > Next > Select Role Services > Remote Desktop Session Host.

2. Download and Run OSOT to Optimise the image

   1. Download OSOT from Omnissa Customer Connect (check if latest release is available).
   2. Apply Windows updates if needed (with OSOT or from Control Panel).
   3. Run OSOT with Optimise option only (do not generalise or finalise in OSOT).

3. Install Horizon Agent

   1. Run the Omnissa Horizon Agents Installer exe.
   2. Based on your use cases, install the desired features while installing Horizon Agent on the image.

4. Run GCESysprep command in PowerShell of the VM; wait for VM to shut down. Do not restart or log in to the VM.

Preparing a Windows 11 Image for a Single-Session Desktop Pool

Follow the link to prepare a Windows 11 image in GCP Console: Creating a Windows OS image.

Once you have prepared the image, follow the steps below to install the Horizon Agent:

1. Download and Run OSOT to Optimise the image

   1. Download OSOT from Omnissa Customer Connect (check if latest release is available).
   2. Apply Windows updates if needed (with OSOT or from Control Panel).
   3. Run OSOT with Optimise option only (do not generalise or finalise in OSOT).

2. Download the Horizon Agents Installer (.exe) from Omnissa Customer Connect. The installer is also available in Omni beta portal tester resources.

3. Copy the installer to the VM via RDP clipboard paste (drag-and-drop to the RDP session window) or by uploading to a GCS bucket and downloading inside the VM.

4. Right-click the installer exe > Run as Administrator.

5. On the Custom Setup screen: Based on your use cases, install the desired features while installing Horizon Agent on the image.

6. Click Install, agree to UAC prompts. Allow the reboot to complete.

7. After reboot, reconnect and verify Omnissa Horizon Agent service is Running with Automatic startup in Services (services.msc).

Warning: After installing the Horizon Agent, do NOT:

• Join the VM to the AD domain — domain join happens automatically at pool provisioning time.
• Configure any Horizon Agent settings — these are managed by the Control Plane.
• Install Windows Updates again — GCESysprep is the next step.

After GCESysprep is completed: Wait until the VM is turned off in the GCP Console (do not restart or log in to the VM), then follow these steps in GCP Console:

1. Go to > Images > Create Image > Source (Disk).
2. Select the disk of the prepared Windows VM.
3. Select the correct region that matches the region of your Google Cloud Platform Provider > click Create (image creation will take some time).

Add an image with Google Cloud Platform

Using Horizon Cloud, you can add a GCP image using the following method: Add an image from a GCP Custom Image.

1. In Horizon Universal Console: navigate to Images > Start > Horizon Cloud > Google Cloud Platform.

2. In General Information Section, enter image name, description, and markers, and click Next.

3. In the Image Source Section, select Google Cloud Platform Custom Image and click Next.

4. In the Destination Section, select site, Horizon Edge and provider from the dropdown.

5. In the Image Details Section:

   1. Select a GCP custom image. All images must be a part of the GCP image catalog.
   2. Select the correct Operating System (OS) of the selected image. Following OS types are supported:
   • Windows 11 Single Session
   • Windows Server Single Session
   • Windows Server Multi-Session
   3. Select the GPU type for the image, if applicable. Ensure that the selected GPU model is supported by your target GCP machine type.

6. Click Add; the image should now be ready.

Warning: If the status of Pools created from this image shows 'Error': verify GCESysprep completed correctly (VM was TERMINATED before capture) and that the Horizon Agent was installed successfully before GCESysprep ran.

Edit an Image Version with Google Cloud Platform

You can edit description and Horizon Agent features for an image version that is in a partially available or available state.

Prerequisites

• The image is available.
• The selected version is in a partially available or available state.

Procedure

1. From the Horizon Universal Console, select Images in the left menu.
2. On the Images page, click an image link in Available state to list the image versions.
3. On the Image Versions page, select an image version and click Edit.
4. The Edit Image Version page opens and displays details such as:
   • Source Image Version
   • Description
   • Customize Horizon Agent Features
5. Add or edit Description.
6. If the Customize Horizon Agent Features toggle is disabled, enable it to configure Horizon Agent features.
7. Select or deselect the required Horizon Agent features.

Note: For custom images, you must enable the App Volumes toggle under Horizon Agent Features when editing the image version if you have selected the App Volumes feature when installing the Horizon Agent on the image. By default, this toggle is turned off. The App Volumes agent must be turned on at this stage for App Volumes applications to function with the image.

8. Click Save.

Horizon Agent Feature Behavior

• If no Horizon Agent features were previously configured for the image version, the Customize Horizon Agent Features toggle is disabled by default and the Horizon Agent features table is hidden.
• If Horizon Agent features were previously configured (either during image publish or through a previous edit operation), the Customize Horizon Agent Features toggle is enabled by default. The Horizon Agent features table is displayed and reflects the current enabled and disabled feature states.

Important: Edit GCP Image Version Restrictions

• For image versions where Horizon Agent features were configured during the initial publish workflow, the Horizon Agent features are displayed in a read-only table and cannot be modified through the Edit action.
• For image versions whose Horizon Agent features were previously updated using the Edit workflow, the Horizon Agent feature configuration remains editable. You can modify the feature selection and save the changes as many times as needed.

Delete an Image with Google Cloud Platform

You can delete an image, if needed, during your image management process.

Prerequisites

• The image is in an available, imported, or failed state.

Procedure

1. From the Horizon Universal Console, select Images in the left menu.
2. Click the link of the image name that you want to delete.
3. Select the version to delete.
4. Click Delete.
5. In Delete Image Version, click Delete to start the deletion process.

This action will delete the image version from all associated sites. If this is the only version for this image, the associated parent image will also be deleted.

Note: This operation only deletes the image version from Horizon Cloud. The actual image is retained on your GCP project.