Product:NComputing vSpace 6 for L-Series devices

Version:L-6.1.3.10 for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and Microsoft Windows 7* SP1 (64-bit).Note that this release does NOT support any other earlier 32-bit or 64-bit Windows operating systems (e.g. it does NOT support Server 2008 64-bit)

This new vSpace software can be configured to deliver a Windows 7 end-user experience through vSpace virtual desktops running on Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Multipoint Server 2011, and single user instances of 64-bit Windows 7*.(For licensing details, see www.ncomputing.com/mslicensing )

Supported Hardware:NComputing L300, L230 and L130.

What’s New – Summary:

This is a maintenance release that replaces the previous vSpace L-6.1.2.5 release.The following is a summary of the key changes, please read the rest of these Release Notes for more details on additional items that have changed and known errata:

• Improvements to USB support for the L300 that increase USB transfer speeds by 3-4X and improve overall performance and stability.
• New firmware version 1.4.1 for the L300 access device with improvements to USB support, to network packet handling, and to the device’s user interface (required update to work with this software release).
• Updated NComputing Management Console:including ability to view a remote user session, access system settings and session information on other vSpace servers, and other user interface improvements.
• Added:Service Pack 1 (SP1) support for 64-bit Windows 7*
• Overall performance and stability improvements

Important notes and tips on this release:

• Upgrading an existing L-series vSpace host:to upgrade from the previous vSpace L-6.1.2.5 release, run the new L-6.1.3.10 msi installer over the existing installation.Note however, that if you are using ANY beta version of software (e.g. L-6.1.3.5) you must first uninstall the beta before running the new L-6.1.3.10 msi installer.The vSpace L-6.1.3.10 installer will notify you of the uninstall requirement if you try to install it over a beta vSpace version.In addition, if you are updating from beta software, you will need to run the registration wizard again.
• Registration Required:All vSpace releases include a trial license and must be registered to allow L-series device operation beyond 1 hour of session time.If you are updating from a previous registered vSpace version and chose to uninstall its license information during the update, you must run the Registration Wizard and register this version before your L-series devices will be able to connect to this host.
• Update of L300 Firmware Required:This release includes new firmware for the L300 access device (firmware version 1.4.1). You need to update the firmware on your L300 devices to benefit from all the improvements in this version of vSpace. (Once you update your firmware, you must use this latest vSpace release, otherwise USB will not function).Note that if your L300s have a very old version of firmware, you may need to perform the update process twice in order to get to firmware version 1.4.1 (you can check the firmware version from the NComputing Management Console or by viewing the “Device information” screen in the L300 firmware interface).If after your first firmware update you see that the device has not updated to 1.4.1, simply repeat the firmware update process (either manually from the L300 device or “pushed” from the NComputing management console).
• Do not install on a system previously used as a U-series or X-series host:This release is only intended to be installed on a clean OS or to upgrade a current L-series vSpace host.Do not install it on an OS where vSpace for the U- or X-series was previously installed.
• Escaping out of Autoconnect:When autoconnect is enabled and you wish to access the L300 setup screens, use the "Esc" key during the L300 boot cycle to exit the autoconnect process and reach the device setup screens.
• OS Performance Settings:The operating system Power Options setting should be configured to “High Performance” (under Control Panel > Hardware > Power options).Microsoft’s default power setting gives a false impression that vSpace CPU utilization is much higher than on previous 32-bit operating systems.Also, for best user performance, make the following two modifications under the performance section of the operating system’s “Computer System Properties” Advanced tab:
  • Increase virtual memory settings to prevent users from experiencing sluggish performance and/or running low on available memory.
  • Select the “Adjust for Best Performance” option or deselect unneeded options under Visual effects to remove superfluous desktop visual effects that can negatively impact performance.
• Windows 7 Desktop Theme:If you install the Windows Server 2008 R2 “Desktop Experience” feature, start the “Themes” system service and set it to autostart, then each individual can “personalize” their virtual desktop to use a Windows 7- themed interface.However, remote sessions do not support the Aero “window transparency” feature for overlapping windows.
• Windows 7* Installation:You must have administrative rights to install vSpace L-6.1.3.10 onto Windows 7*.However, unlike in Server 2008 R2, the actual “Administrator” account is not enabled by default in Windows 7.So, even though you may be logged-in as a Windows 7 user that’s a member of the Administrators group, you still won’t have sufficient “administrative rights” to install vSpace 6, and the MSI installer will generate an error message saying:“You need administrative rights to install this software.Installation Failed.”You need to launch the “Administrative Command Prompt” by going to All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and then right-click and select “Run as administrator.”Once the “Administrative Command Prompt” console pops up, launch the installer using the following command:
  • > msiexec /i install-filename.msi
• SP1 update process:When updating from SP0 to SP1, the best approach is to uninstall vSpace, then apply SP1 and then run the vSpace installer.If vSpace was in place during the SP1 install, re-run the vSpace .msi installer and select the “Repair” option.
• MSI Installer and Uninstaller Options:The MSI installer has "ADDUSERS=0" available as a command line option to enable silent installs while suppressing the popup window asking if you want to add new users.
• A MessageBox is added to the uninstaller to provide options for handling an existing vSpace host license during a silent uninstall.The available options when running from the Command Line are:
  • "DELETELICENSE=0" – do NOT remove vSpace license
  • "DELETELICENSE=1" – popup box will appear
  • "DELETELICENSE=2" – remove vSpace license without popup
• Browsers:Google Chrome has been found to use less system resources than Internet Explorer (IE) and is recommended for virtual desktop environments when many instances of the browser are launched.If you do use Internet Explorer for browsing:
  • We STRONGLY recommend turning ON Internet Explorer’s option to "Force offscreen compositing even under Terminal Services."This will prevent screen flickering that can occur with some web applications when using Internet Explorer in a vSpace virtual desktop.
  • The IE Enhanced Security feature can slow down internet traffic, prevent the browser from working efficiently, and may degrade the performance of videos played through the browser.We recommend either uninstalling the feature or using a different web browser.
• Optional Performance Tuning Parameters (Advanced Users):The following registry settings can be adjusted for performance tuning:
  • If a program’s user interface appears to be getting accelerated when not desired you can disable video streaming for that specific application (applies to L300 only).To do so, simply add the application’s executable to the following registry key:
    • [HKEY Local Machine > System > CurrentControlSet >Control > Multiuser > ExcludeVideoPlayerNameList]
    • Each program in the list must be separated by a semicolon.For example:
      • explorer.exe;firefox.exe
    • With these applications in the excluded list, video acceleration will not attempt to stream graphical elements in the application(s).
  • If certain applications appear to be getting accelerated when scrolling a page’s screen up and down and this is not desired, you can instruct vSpace to specially process scrolling in such applications to prevent streaming in this situation.Simply add the executable to this registry setting (as above):
    • [HKEY Local Machine > System > CurrentControlSet >Control > Multiuser > ScrollProtectNameList

Changes from prior release:

• L300 Firmware Update:The firmware for the L300 has been updated from version 1.3.5 to 1.4.1 in this release.You must perform the firmware update to take advantage of the improvements that include:
  • Improvements to USB device support for faster transfers (e.g. 3-4X faster file transfers from USB flash disks)
  • Faster enumeration of USB devices
  • Improved the graphical user interface on the Group Management screen – makes organizing hosts into groups much easier and intuitive.
  • Reduced the number of mouse events sent to the host to optimize network traffic and minimize host memory queuing.
  • Improved network performance with better packet handling and sizing.
• Updated NComputing Management Console:
  • Remote View:New ability to view a remote user session has been added.
    • From the left-hand pane in the console, expand the “Sessions” tree and click on any session – the top menu bar will show additional icons such as “stop” a session (log-off) or “disconnect,” and now including a remote view icon (looks like a monitor).
    • Clicking on the icon will bring up a window showing the selected session’s desktop.
    • The user will be notified by a system tray message to tell them that their desktop is being viewed.
    • The remote view function can be configured to require a user’s permission as may be stipulated by local policies or regulations.In the console, under “System Settings>>Common” select the check box titled “Ask user’s permission to view session” to enable this feature.When an administrator attempts to initiate the remote view feature, the user will see a pop-up window asking to grant permission.If granted, the administrator can see the user’s screen.If denied, the administrator will not be able to view the screen.
    • If no notification whatsoever is desired on the user’s screen when being monitored, the administrator must disable the NCtray function for users.See our Knowledge Base for details on how:http://www.ncomputing.com/kb/How-to-remove-the-L-series-vSpace-6-NCtray-icon-from-the-Windows-System-Tray_305.html
  • Remote vSpace Servers:
    • This new feature allows access from one console to the system settings and session information on other vSpace servers on the same subnet.
    • The “Remote vSpace Servers” item is shown in the left-hand pane of the console.Servers will only appear to other consoles if configured to do so via the “Enable remote console on this server” setting found under “NComputing vSpace>>System Settings>>L-series.”After configuring this setting the host must be re-booted for it to be visible to other consoles.
    • If the target console has a password, then changes to settings will require the password to be entered by a prompt. (Note that the “Remote Console Password” in the L-series settings does not apply in this version).
  • Autologin for the L130 and L230 is now supported (username and password settings must be entered via the NComputing management console)
  • Custom column configuration in Terminal view:When clicking in the console on “Terminals>>L-series,” the view of the devices can be customized by clicking on the “Columns” button.You can select which columns are visible and which are not.Also, you can drag and drop the columns by clicking on the column header and rearrange the order of the columns to your preference.
• Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 – specific changes:
  • A new tab with a link to the NComputing Management Console has been added to the MultiPoint Manager console.
  • Registry changes have been made to support the MultiPoint Configuration Wizard that enables repairs of the MultiPoint installation and enables use of sysprep.
    • To accommodate this, the LogonTimeout registry setting needed to be removed.As a result for WMS 2011, sessions left at the logon prompt will cycle about every 30-60 seconds.
    • If you wish to prevent the logon screen from cycling, you can manually add the LogonTimeout setting in WMS by creating the following key:HKLM/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/TerminalServer/WinStations/RDP-Tcp/LogonTimeout (Type = REG_DWORD, Value = 0x00000708 (1800))
  • Microsoft has issued two patches to MultiPoint Server 2011 that should be applied when used with NComputing systems:
    • Patch for not displaying new station information:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2542222
    • Patch resolving incorrect audio issues when using PS/2 on host station:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2556903
• Resolved issue where first L-series device login after host reboot required an additional ~30 seconds, where screen would remain black with 1-2 cursors shown.
• Memory leaks and instability of the NCWTService observed under certain conditions have been addressed
• This vSpace release generates a unique ClientName environment variable for each user session that is equal to the device serial number. (Example result when accessed from a session command (via echo %ClientName%) = NCC-12001161-0).This variable is useful for 3rd party software applications that need a way to determine unique sessions.
• Truncation of the right-hand edge of the L300 mouse pointer has been resolved (mouse shadow removed by default).
• The Autologin menu item in the NCtray has been removed as it does not apply to L-series products (auto-login settings for L-series devices are set in either the NComputing management console or within the device’s firmware user interface).
• Japanese keyboards are now supported.
• Removed the "Cancel" button from the uninstaller to prevent a possible system instability if the cancel was attempted during the uninstall.
• The WMI provider now furnishes a correct MAC address for the L-series device.
• MSI installer improvements for Windows 7* 1-to-1 VDI configurations (when installed within a virtual machine).
• Changes to default settings:
  • DirectX is enabled by default (setting for HKLM/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Multiuser/Disable DirectX is now set to 0, in L-6.1.2.5 it was set to 1.Note that with this setting if an Administrator attempts to connect to a disconnected L300 session from the host machine, the system could become unstable.Also, you may encounter problems with Windows Media Player.If you do, you should either:1) not have a user logged into the host session, 2) turn off the Aero interface on the host session, or 3) uninstall the native video card driver on the host and install the default Windows VGA driver.
  • Disconnected session clean up time is now set to 5 minutes instead of 0 (no session cleanup).This setting is in the NComputing Management Console under Systems Settings/Common

Errata Items

• USB storage devices plugged into L300 access devices are visible but not accessible by all users.A user can only access the removable device connected to their L300.If they try to access other users’ removable USB storage devices, they will get an “access denied” message.However, Windows will enumerate some portable USB devices (e.g. USB hard drive or USB CD-ROM) connected to an L300 as “non-removable” and Windows makes these devices visible and accessible by all users of the same host.
• If a USB storage device is plugged into an L-series device during an active session, and the session is disconnected (powered off or disconnected by going to START > DISCONNECT) and then reconnected to the same session, the USB storage device may not be recognized.If you encounter this situation, log-off the station and log back in.
• Disabling vSpace remote USB support in the NCconsole requires a system reboot before taking effect.
• Host connected USB device assignment from the NCconsole may require a system reboot to take effect.
• Video Streaming:If you overlay other windows on top of a video that is streaming, the information (text) in the window on top may become distorted.This depends on the original resolution of the video source and whether the video is being scaled up on the desktop.
• Under some circumstances the Windows 7 Basic theme may not persist after a reboot on Windows 7 or WMS 2011.
• Windows Messenger is not supported and can cause system instability.
• Some movies in Windows Media Player may speed up if muted.
• Kiosk mode is currently not supported with SP1 on Server 2008R2/WMS/W7.
• Skype microphone does not work with this vSpace release.
• The monitor frequency displayed by NCTray when showing the display resolution, incorrectly shows 0 Hz.
• Station to station projection on WMS 2011 using the MultiPoint Manager is not supported.
• “Safely remove hardware” or “Eject” do not apply to USB devices plugged into an L300 and are not necessary to use when removing a device.
• Apple USB devices (e.g. iPod, iPhone) are not supported.If you plug an Apple device into an L-series access device, all other USB devices plugged into the same L-series device afterwards will not enumerate.Unplug the Apple device, log-off and log back in, and then other devices (e.g. USB storage device) will function again.
• If using autologin and a large number of users log on at the same time, the audio system may become unresponsive.Staged logins can avoid this issue if encountered.
• WMP Video performance:Under certain conditions where CPU utilization is very high, and certain types of streaming media are being played in Windows Media Player, you may encounter that the update rate of video frames will not keep up with the audio being played or the frame rate may slow down.In these circumstances, you can either increase the available host performance or try another type of media player such as VLC or Media Player Classic (in non-EVR mode).

*Windows Server and appropriate client access licenses are required for multiuser environments using NComputing products.Client operating systems such as Windows 7 are appropriate for single user applications such as 1:1 VDI, display systems and remote access. Additional information on licensing is available at www.ncomputing.com/mslicensing including frequently asked questions.