Each release of VMware Horizon includes release notes that summarize the differences between the new release and the previous release. New releases are just as likely to include bug fixes as they are new or deprecated features, so it is important to read these notes prior to performing any upgrade.
The release notes are available on the VMware Horizon documentation home page (https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Horizon-7/index.html).
The following are items to look for when reviewing Horizon release notes prior to an upgrade:
- Are features I use being removed?
- One example of this is that Horizon 6 supported Windows XP and Windows Vista if an extended support agreement was purchased, but Horizon 7 does not offer this option.
- Are any other components of my Horizon infrastructure required to be upgraded first?
- One example of this occurred with Horizon 6.2.1, which removed support for certain older cipher suites used by older Horizon client software. In this case, the Horizon client software should be upgraded first to ensure those clients don't experience any errors or other interruption in service.
- Am I required to update the rest of the Horizon components immediately, or are they backward compatible and therefore can wait until another time?
- Examples of this include Horizon Composer, the Horizon Agent, and more.
These are just a sample of the things we need to look for prior to performing an upgrade.