End User Workstations
Hardware
For the best performance and end-user experience, any workstation running Horizon Suite programs should be configured with fast storage and low-latency/high-throughput network hardware. Our general hardware recommendations are as follows:
| Component | Recommendation |
| Processor |
Any modern Intel or AMD x64 processor 2.0 GHz or faster |
| Memory |
8GB minimum 16GB recommended |
| Storage |
At least 250GB SSD recommended |
| Network |
1Gbps NIC required WiFi is not recommended Remote VPN use is not recommended |
WiFi/VPN Use
Due to the nature of Horizon Suite programs and the minimal latency required for database operations, we do not recommend running any Horizon Suite programs over WiFi. Doing so can lead to data corruption issues, and generally causes significant delays during usage of the software.
As with the latency concerns above, Horizon Suite programs should never be used when the Horizon host server is being accessed over a VPN connection. Any workstation running Horizon Suite programs and the server hosting the Horizon data should be on the same physical LAN.
MPLS, SD-WAN, and P2P networks should be avoided as well, unless the connection backbone is fiber-based from end-to-end with <5ms latency and >1Gbps bandwidth.
If any Horizon Suite users require accessing the Horizon data remotely outside of the host server's physical LAN, a Remote Desktop Services deployment should be configured for them to use. Alternatively, Horizon offers Horizon View Hosting, a cloud-based, fully-managed, complete Horizon Suite environment which enables users to securely run the Horizon Suite software in any web browser on any device with an internet connection.
Operating System
The Horizon Suite can be installed and used on any currently-supported Windows operating system as per the Microsoft Modern Lifecycle Policy. Currently-supported versions of Windows are:
Software Considerations
Antivirus/Antimalware/Data Protection Software
Any workstations or Remote Desktop Session Host servers accessing the Horizon Software file share should have the share excluded from scanning to prevent network traffic and disk issues. Ideally, any server-based network share or mapped drive should be excluded as those would be scanned locally on their respective host server, this included the Horizon Software file share.
Windows Defender
In our testing, we have seen Windows Defender cause significant latency issues with Horizon Suite programs. Even when a third-party security suite/software is being used, Windows Defender sometimes remains active and consumes significant resources to scan files and programs both locally and across remote file shares. If Windows Defender cannot be completely disabled, exclusions should be created for Horizon Suite programs and directories on any workstation or client server accessing the Horizon Software file share.
SMB
Horizon Suite programs depend on the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol to operate and access data from the Horizon host server. For best performance, SMBv2/3 should be enabled on your Horizon host server and any workstations or Remote Desktop Session Host servers accessing the Horizon Software file share. You can check the SMB protocols on your device using these instructions.
As per Microsoft's recommendation, the SMBv1 protocol should be disabled on at least all Windows devices as applicable in your environment. Since Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and Windows Server version 1709 (RS3), the SMBv1 protocol is no longer installed by default.
Horizon recommends using the latest version of SMB supported in your environment, though no older than SMBv2.
File-Based Backup Software
Any file-based backup software installed on a workstation should be configured to exclude backing up network shares or mapped drives, including the primary Horizon Software file share. This file share should be backed up using a supported method from the host server.