Release Notes

This update of Anyware Manager Enterprise contains bug fixes and stability enhancements. Additionally, the following changes are introduced:

Telemetry for Analysis of User Sessions

The May update of Anyware Manager Enterprise introduces support for user session telemetry that enables the collection and analysis of session data. Anyware agents on onboarded machines collect session metrics such as CPU usage, latency, packet loss, and bandwidth. These metrics are sent to Anyware Manager Enterprise, where they are collected and analyzed for troubleshooting and monitoring purposes. The analytics data collected facilitates the diagnosis of issues, influencing the formulation of effective troubleshooting strategies.

As a result, businesses are empowered to make data-informed decisions about machine health and resource management. Analyzing session trends and anomalies also supports predictive issue diagnosis, optimal workload management, and maximized performance. For more information, see Session telemetry.

Automated Monitor & Agent Updates for Simplified Machine Management

In the May update, support for scheduling automatic updates to monitor and agents has been added. If enabled, Anyware Monitor and Anyware agents installed on onboarded machines are updated in the Opportunistic mode. 

In this mode, Anyware Manager Enterprise manages automatic updates at the configured time, provided that machines are idle. If machines are busy at the scheduled time, update are deferred until the next day.

If the opportunistic mode is not enabled, agent and monitor updates are managed manually. Updates will not be controlled by Anyware Manager Enterprise. 

The ability to automate agent updates reduces the effort required for keeping agents up-to-date, while ensuring minimal downtime and reduced IT dependency. For more information, see Automating Agent Updates.

Support for Additional Regions

In the May update, several new regions have been added, making support for Anyware Manager Enterprise available across more geographies. For more information, see Supported Regions.

This update of Anyware Manager Enterprise contains bug fixes and stability enhancements. Additionally, the following change is introduced:

New User Account Type for Enhanced Access Control

The April 2025 update introduces a new user account type called "Support User", with limited access and operational scope. Support users can perform the following specific tasks:

• Start, stop, and restart workstations
• Remotely control sessions
• View session history
• View logs

The ability to define scope allows organization users to perform self-service support tasks, without the need for full administrative rights. This results in improved efficiency and accelerated response times, while maintaining necessary administrative control. For more information, see User Accounts.

Enhanced Control for Updating VMware Pools

The April 2025 update introduces the ability to dynamically resize VMware pools. By matching pool size and capacity to workload demands, you can scale up and scale down your resources as needed. The ability to update pools facilitates optimal resource allocation, and reduces operational costs. For more information, see Editing VMware pools.

Documentation Updates

In addition to documentation supported features and capabilities, the following new reference topics have been added to the Anyware Manager Enterprise documentation:

• Entra ID Directory Permissions
• Allowed IP Addresses and FQDNs

This update of Anyware Manager Enterprise contains bug fixes and stability enhancements. Additionally, the following change is introduced:

Port Requirements

Previously, Anyware Connector and Anyware Orchestrator communicated over ports 5671 and 5672 respectively. Going ahead, Anyware Connector and Anyware Orchestrator will communicate only via outbound port 443.

This update of Anyware Manager Enterprise contains bug fixes and stability enhancements. Additionally, the following new features are supported: 

Streamlined Workstation Management 

In the February 2025 update, the ability to move machines between registered device pools has been added. Administrators can seamlessly change workstations—user assignment, simplifying resource allocation and workstation management. This facilitates dynamic responses to changing operational needs. 

For more information, see Moving Machines Between Pools. 

Support for Assigning Entra Groups to Pools 

The February 2025 update introduces the ability to assign Entra groups to VMware pools and registered device pools at the time of their creation and subsequently after. This enhancement enables granular access management and streamlines user management. 

For more information, see the following topics: 

• Adding a VMware Pool
• Adding a Registered Device Pool
• Manage Entra Groups

Other Updates

• Tenants can now include all types of sites. Previously only limited tenant-site combinations were permitted. This restriction has now been removed, and all tenant-site configurations are supported.
• Agent type can now be selected at the time of creating a VMware pool. Depending on your workload, you can select Anyware standard agents or Anyware graphics agents. Standard agents are recommended for standard workloads, while Graphics agents are suitable for graphic-intensive workloads.

This update of Anyware Manager Enterprise contains bug fixes and stability enhancements. Additionally, the following new features are supported: 

Support for User Assignment Policies & Pool Holding Time 

The January 2025 update of Anyware Manager Enterprise introduces the ability to specify user assignment policies as well as pool holding time for VMware pools and Registered Device pools. The following types of policies are available: 

• Persistent - Automated
  Users are assigned to workstations automatically at first login.
• Persistent - Manual 
  Users are manually assigned to workstations (from the pool) by administrators.
• Floating 
  Users are dynamically allocated to workstations based on availability.

Additionally, pool holding time, which represents the duration for which a workstation will remain assigned to a user after they log out, can be specified for floating pools. 

Assignment policies automate user provisioning, streamline pool management, thereby reducing administrative overhead. The ability to set a pool holding time ensures efficient utilization of compute resources, and provides administrators with greater control over resource management. Instructions on defining assignment policies and pool holding time are available in the following topics

• VMware Pools
• Registered Device Pools

Enhanced User Session History 

In the January 2025 update, a new, improved user session history visualization has been introduced. The User Sessions tab will now display the following additional metrics related to active sessions: 

• Remote user
• Local user
• Duration
• Start time
• End time 

The additional metrics offer deeper insights into active sessions, leading to enhanced security, improved performance, and data-driven decision-making. For more information, see User Sessions. 

Controlled Session Duration with Scheduled Termination 

The January 2025 update introduces the capability of scheduling the termination of active user sessions. Administrators can now define the duration for which user sessions will remain active before automatic logout. Scheduled termination enabled centralized control of user sessions, minimizing idle time, and optimizing resource allocation. For more information, see Terminating User Sessions.

Introducing HP Anyware Manager Enterprise!

HP Anyware Manager Enterprise is an end-to-end SaaS solution for efficient, secure, and streamlined management of HP Anyware deployments. Anyware Manager Enterprise can rapidly deploy virtual desktops, provide remote access to digital workspaces, and provide visibility into the state of digital workspaces. 

As a unified platform, it enables organizations to manage complex, distributed infrastructures, regardless of deployment model (cloud, on-premises, or hybrid). Anyware Manager Enterprise comes with a full suite of capabilities for end-to-end IT management, such as automation of repetitive tasks, centralized dashboard for instant troubleshooting and resolution of issues, and multi-tenancy support for securely managing multiple customer environments. 

Anyware Manager Enterprise offers a streamlined onboarding experience, making use of HP’s cloud-based gateway services for routing of remote connections, thereby eliminating the need for connectors, gateways, or VPNs in the customer’s environment. This reduces IT networking demands, alleviates security concerns, and lowers infrastructure costs. Provisioning is controlled from a menu-driven user interface that is intuitive, ensuring your IT teams become productive quickly, without minimal training.

The following diagram is a high-level representation of Anyware Manager Enterprise: 

Benefits

For Organizations

Anyware Manager Enterprise supports the goals of delivering digital workspaces in the following ways:

• Flexibility for managing diverse IT environments. Currently, VMware VSphere, and Windows 365 deployments are supported.
• Management of remote workloads for frontline and knowledge workers as well the most graphics-intensive workloads.
• Rapid delivery of digital workspaces by leveraging HP’s cloud-hosted gateways that eliminate the need for an on-premises installation of connectors and gateways in customer environments.
•  Provision for security and data protection of sensitive data with support for zero trust principles. Additional layers of security include multi-tenancy capabilities and role-based access control (RBAC).

For Partners

Anyware Manager Enterprise enables MSPs and GSIs to offer highly secure, performant and differentiated end user computing solutions to their customers:

• Robust multi-tenancy capabilities and role-based access control (RBAC) allow for securely managing multiple pools, groups, or organizations.
• Support for deployment flexibility and data residency requirements that enables organizations to stay compliant with local data privacy and retention laws.
• End-to-end orchestration of infrastructure results in operational cost savings.

For IT Admins

Anyware Manager Enterprise enables IT admins to provision digital workspaces cost-effectively without added operational burden:

• Straightforward and streamlined onboarding that requires minimal configuration, thus reducing dependency on admins.
• Full suite of features for end-to-end lifecycle management of digital workspaces increases admin productivity.
• Repetitive, high-value tasks such as provisioning, brokering, user assignment, and pool management can be automated, and require minimal admin intervention.
• Unified admin console provides cross tenant observability for instantaneous troubleshooting and resolution of identified issues.
• Support for popular identity providers such as Entra ID ensures a smooth initial onboarding experience, much like subscribing to online services.  

Note: This is the initial release of Anyware Manager Enterprise. All documentation, including requirements and procedures, can be found in the Anyware Manager Enterprise Administrators' Guide.