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In This Article
The information in this article is meant to be used in the sales process.
Overview
This article provides guidance for running Microsoft Teams in the Evolve IP Cloud Services. Specifically, our Workspaces (Citrix) offerings, and our VMware Horizon Desktop as a Service (DaaS) products.
What's Our Recommendation?
Here's why:
- Running MS Teams on local endpoints (laptops, tablets, mobile devices) eliminates the need to purchase large, more expensive virtual desktops, and it makes for the best end-user experience.
- Troubleshooting issues related to MS Teams audio/video calls is easier on local endpoints. No need to consider the virtual desktop, audio/video redirection issues, local peripherals (headsets & webcams), or the networking between the virtual desktop and the local endpoint.
- Virtual compute resources (CPU & RAM) used by Microsoft Teams can be significant, especially when processing audio/video calls and meetings.
- Installing MS Teams on local endpoints is a simple install-and-go process. Installing MS Teams in a virtual desktop can require a complex optimization process.
Some Possible Feature Limitations
- Depending on the virtual environment, only a single incoming video stream may be supported in meetings or group calls. When there are multiple participants sending their video, only the dominant speaker’s video is shown at any time.
- Users may not be able to enable screen sharing during a chat session. If that's the case, the user has to start an audio/video call before screen sharing will work.
- When doing screen sharing in multi-monitor setups, it's possible the user's main monitor is only shared.
- During screen sharing, give control take control may not be supported.
Important Terminology
Optimized for MS Teams - This means the virtual desktop environment, the endpoint device connecting to the virtual desktop, and MS Teams installed in the virtual desktop has been fully optimized to support real-time audio/video calling and meetings in MS Teams.
Unoptimized for MS Teams - This means MS Teams has been installed in a virtual desktop environment without any optimizations.
Real-Time Audio/Video (RTAV) - A delivery mechanism between the virtual desktop and the endpoint device that facilitates MS Teams audio/video calling and meetings. Each virtual environment vendor (Microsoft, Citrix, & VMware) have developed their own technologies to support RTAV.
Video Resolution - We all know what this is, but it's important to point out that high video resolutions put a load on the virtual desktop's vCPUs. Therefore, clients need to understand that when MS Teams is used in a virtual desktop for audio/video calls and meetings, the virtual desktop's performance will take a major hit when running high video resolutions.
Microsoft's Guidance for MS Teams in Virtual Environments
Microsoft's guide for running MS Teams in a Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environment is very comprehensive, and it should be a client's starting point for understanding the ins and outs of running MS Teams in a virtual environment. The client should pay close attention to the following parts of the guide:
- MS Teams installation and upgrade requirements
- The MS Teams performance considerations
- Known issues and limitations
MS Teams in Workspaces (Citrix)
Some highlights and information about Workspaces as it relates to MS Teams:
- Currently, Citrix is the only virtual environment that is certified by Microsoft for MS Teams. This means Citrix has developed their environment to support the MS Teams "optimized" mode.
- When MS Teams is optimized for a virtual desktop environment, the environment can handle real-time audio/video (RTAV) features, as long as the minimum requirements are met.
- Only the Workspaces Elite desktop can support MS Teams optimized RTAV features.
- The Workspaces Pro desktop is only able to support MS Teams when the RTAV features are disabled. In other words, audio/video calls and meetings are not supported.
- The Citrix Optimization Guide for Microsoft Teams is a public guide that outlines all of the requirements for configuring the virtual desktop environment (EIP responsibility), and the endpoint devices accessing a virtual desktop (client responsibility). The optimization guide includes the following:
- Minimum endpoint requirements (hardware, operating systems, and software)
- Recommended peripherals (headsets & webcams).
- A list of supported thin clients from multiple vendors.
- Network considerations, and call flow information.
- Known limitations, and some troubleshooting information.
Evolve IP Workspaces Products
| Workspaces Desktop | GPU Support | RTAV Support | Microsoft Certified | Optimized for MS Teams | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workspaces Std | NA | NA | NA | NA | Workspaces Standard does not include a desktop for MS Teams, and we do not support wrapping MS Teams as a deliverable app. |
| Workspaces Pro | No | No | Yes | Yes | Workspaces Pro does not meet the minimum requirements to support MS Teams when real-time audio/video calls and meetings are enabled. This desktop can be used for all other features in MS Teams. |
| Workspaces Elite | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Workspaces Elite supports all MS Teams features. |
MS Teams in VMware Horizon DaaS
MS Teams is not supported in our VMware Horizon DaaS desktops when running audio/video calls & meetings. The product, engineering, and proserv teams are currently testing the DaaS Premium & Ultimate seats, and will provide additional guidance in the future.
Some highlights and information about VMware Horizon DaaS as it relates to MS Teams:
- Currently, VMware Horizon DaaS is not certified by Microsoft for MS Teams. This means VMware has not developed their desktop environment to support the MS Teams "optimized" mode. However, VMware has told us that they are working on an optimization pack for MS Teams, which is currently in beta testing.
- VMware's minimum requirements for running an unoptimized MS Teams with real-time audio/video (RTAV) features is 4 vCPU and 4 GB RAM.
- The product, engineering, and proserv teams are currently testing our DaaS Premium & Ultimate Seats to see if they can handle MS Teams with RTAV features enabled.
- Our engineering team is currently looking into the ability to offer virtual desktops with 4 vCPUs. No ETA at this time.
- Minimum requirements and additional information can be found in VMware's public guide: Configuring MS Teams for real-time audio/video.
Evolve IP VMware Horizon DaaS Products
| Desktop | Specs | GPU Support | RTAV Support | Microsoft Certified | Optimized for MS Teams | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DaaS Standard Seat | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM | No | Yes | No | No | The DaaS Standard Seat is only supported with MS Teams when audio/video calls and meetings are disabled. Clients who try to run MS Teams with audio/video calls and meetings will see a significant hit to the desktop's performance. |
| DaaS Premium Seat | 2 vCPU, 8GB RAM | No | Yes | No | No | The DaaS Premium Seat is only supported with MS Teams when audio/video calls and meetings are disabled. We are currently testing the ability of this seat to support all MS Teams features, |
| DaaS Ultimate Seat | 2 vCPU, 16GB RAM | No | Yes | No | No | The DaaS Ultimate Seat is only supported with MS Teams when audio/video calls and meetings are disabled. We are currently testing the ability of this seat to support all MS Teams features, |
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