Webex Teams VDI is a lightweight client for virtual desktops.
Important
Media optimization for Teams is supported for Microsoft 365 Government (GCC) and GCC-High environments. Media optimization for Teams is not supported for Microsoft 365 DoD.
Note
- Cisco Webex Teams. Install and Upgrade Guides. Deployment Guide for Cisco Webex for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) PDF - Complete Book (2.89 MB) View with.
- With per-machine installation, Teams on VDI isn't automatically updated the same way non-VDI Teams clients are. To update the client, you'll need to update the VM image by installing a new MSI. Media optimization for Teams is only supported for the Windows Desktop client on machines running Windows 10.
Media optimization for Microsoft Teams is only available for the Windows Desktop client on Windows 10 machines. Media optimizations require Windows Desktop client version 1.2.1026.0 or later.
Microsoft Teams on Windows Virtual Desktop supports chat and collaboration. With media optimizations, it also supports calling and meeting functionality. To learn more about how to use Microsoft Teams in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments, see Teams for Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure.
With media optimization for Microsoft Teams, the Windows Desktop client handles audio and video locally for Teams calls and meetings. You can still use Microsoft Teams on Windows Virtual Desktop with other clients without optimized calling and meetings. Teams chat and collaboration features are supported on all platforms. To redirect local devices in your remote session, check out Customize Remote Desktop Protocol properties for a host pool.
Prerequisites
Before you can use Microsoft Teams on Windows Virtual Desktop, you'll need to do these things:
- Prepare your network for Microsoft Teams.
- Install the Windows Desktop client on a Windows 10 or Windows 10 IoT Enterprise device that meets the Microsoft Teams hardware requirements for Teams on a Windows PC.
- Connect to a Windows 10 Multi-session or Windows 10 Enterprise virtual machine (VM).
Install the Teams desktop app
This section will show you how to install the Teams desktop app on your Windows 10 Multi-session or Windows 10 Enterprise VM image. To learn more, check out Install or update the Teams desktop app on VDI.
Prepare your image for Teams
To enable media optimization for Teams, set the following registry key on the host:
From the start menu, run RegEdit as an administrator. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftTeams. Create the Teams key if it doesn't already exist.
Create the following value for the Teams key:
| Name | Type | Data/Value |
|---|---|---|
| IsWVDEnvironment | DWORD | 1 |
Install the Teams WebSocket Service
Install the latest Remote Desktop WebRTC Redirector Service on your VM image. If you encounter an installation error, install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable and try again.
Latest WebSocket Service versions
The following table lists the latest versions of the WebSocket Service:
| Version | Release date |
|---|---|
| 1.0.2006.11001 | 07/28/2020 |
| 0.11.0 | 05/29/2020 |
Updates for version 1.0.2006.11001
- Fixed an issue where minimizing the Teams app during a call or meeting caused incoming video to drop.
- Added support for selecting one monitor to share in multi-monitor desktop sessions.
Install Microsoft Teams
You can deploy the Teams desktop app using a per-machine or per-user installation. To install Microsoft Teams in your Windows Virtual Desktop environment:
Download the Teams MSI package that matches your environment. We recommend using the 64-bit installer on a 64-bit operating system.
Important
The latest update of the Teams Desktop client version 1.3.00.21759 fixed an issue where Teams showed UTC time zone in chat, channels, and calendar. The new version of the client will show the remote session time zone.
Run one of the following commands to install the MSI to the host VM:
Per-user installation
This process is the default installation, which installs Teams to the %AppData% user folder. Teams won't work properly with per-user installation on a non-persistent setup.
Per-machine installation
This installs Teams to the Program Files (x86) folder on a 32-bit operating system and to the Program Files folder on a 64-bit operating system. At this point, the golden image setup is complete. Installing Teams per-machine is required for non-persistent setups.
There are two flags that may be set when installing teams, ALLUSER=1 and ALLUSERS=1. It is important to understand the difference between these parameters. The ALLUSER=1 parameter is used only in VDI environments to specify a per-machine installation. The ALLUSERS=1 parameter can be used in non-VDI and VDI environments. When you set this parameter, Teams Machine-Wide Installer appears in Program and Features in Control Panel as well as Apps & features in Windows Settings. All users with admin credentials on the machine can uninstall Teams.
Note
Users and admins can't disable automatic launch for Teams during sign-in at this time.
To uninstall the MSI from the host VM, run this command:
This uninstalls Teams from the Program Files (x86) folder or Program Files folder, depending on the operating system environment.
Note
When you install Teams with the MSI setting ALLUSER=1, automatic updates will be disabled. We recommend you make sure to update Teams at least once a month. To learn more about deploying the Teams desktop app, check out Deploy the Teams desktop app to the VM.
Verify media optimizations loaded
After installing the WebSocket Service and the Teams desktop app, follow these steps to verify that Teams media optimizations loaded:
Quit and restart the Teams application.
Select your user profile image, then select About.
Select Version.
If media optimizations loaded, the banner will show you Windows Virtual Desktop Media optimized. If the banner shows you Windows Virtual Desktop Media not connected, quit the Teams app and try again.
Select your user profile image, then select Settings.
If media optimizations loaded, the audio devices and cameras available locally will be enumerated in the device menu. If the menu shows Remote audio, quit the Teams app and try again. If the devices still don't appear in the menu, check the Privacy settings on your local PC. Ensure the under Settings > Privacy > App permissions the setting Allow apps to access your microphone is toggled On. Disconnect from the remote session, then reconnect and check the audio and video devices again. To join calls and meetings with video, you must also grant permission for apps to access your camera.
If optimizations do not load, uninstall then reinstall Teams and check again.
Known issues and limitations
Using Teams in a virtualized environment is different from using Teams in a non-virtualized environment. For more information about the limitations of Teams in virtualized environments, check out Teams for Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure.
Client deployment, installation, and setup
- With per-machine installation, Teams on VDI isn't automatically updated the same way non-VDI Teams clients are. To update the client, you'll need to update the VM image by installing a new MSI.
- Media optimization for Teams is only supported for the Windows Desktop client on machines running Windows 10.
- Use of explicit HTTP proxies defined on an endpoint is not supported.
Calls and meetings
- The Teams desktop client in Windows Virtual Desktop environments doesn't support creating live events, but you can join live events. For now, we recommend you create live events from the Teams web client in your remote session instead.
- Calls or meetings don't currently support application sharing. Desktop sessions support desktop sharing.
- Give control and take control aren't currently supported.
- Teams on Windows Virtual Desktop only supports one incoming video input at a time. This means that whenever someone tries to share their screen, their screen will appear instead of the meeting leader's screen.
- Due to WebRTC limitations, incoming and outgoing video stream resolution is limited to 720p.
- The Teams app doesn't support HID buttons or LED controls with other devices.
- New Meeting Experience (NME) is not currently supported in VDI environments.
For Teams known issues that aren't related to virtualized environments, see Support Teams in your organization.
Collect Teams logs
If you encounter issues with the Teams desktop app in your Windows Virtual Desktop environment, collect client logs under %appdata%MicrosoftTeamslogs.txt on the host VM.
If you encounter issues with calls and meetings, collect Teams Web client logs with the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 1. Logs will be written to %userprofile%DownloadsMSTeams Diagnostics Log DATE_TIME.txt on the host VM.
Contact Microsoft Teams support
To contact Microsoft Teams support, go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Customize Remote Desktop Protocol properties for a host pool
Customizing a host pool's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) properties, such as multi-monitor experience or enabling microphone and audio redirection, lets you deliver an optimal experience for your users based on their needs.
Enabling device redirections is not required when using Teams with media optimization. If you are using Teams without media optimization, set the following RDP properties to enable microphone and camera redirection:
audiocapturemode:i:1enables audio capture from the local device and redirects audio applications in the remote session.audiomode:i:0plays audio on the local computer.camerastoredirect:s:*redirects all cameras.
To learn more, check out Customize Remote Desktop Protocol properties for a host pool.
One thing we all have in common is – regardless of our job functions – we meet to get work done. I believe meetings can be amazing game-changers. When people can meet and collaborate from anywhere in the world, at any time, we can accomplish so much more. At Webex, we’re laser-focused on delivering the best possible experience so you can be productive in your meetings. We want your video meetings to be intuitive, easy, and smart so we just unveiled a new set of innovative features we’re calling Cognitive Collaboration designed to do just that. Here’s a deeper look at some of the new Webex Meetings features my team and I use every day, to get work done.
People Insights: Know More About Who You are Meeting
Sometimes I get invited to present to customers at a moment’s notice. It can be tough to get up to speed on the company and people I’m meeting with, with only a few minutes to prepare. That’s where our new People Insights feature helps you learn more about the people in the meeting. It works both inside and outside of your organization, just by clicking a button. This is a great feature when you need to get up to speed quickly on a prospective new client, potential new hire, or just meeting someone for the first time.
Webex uses Cognitive Collaboration technology to bring context and intelligence into your meetings. Webex gathers publicly available content and generates structured profile data, merging and updating it on a regular basis. Things like photos, bios, even news articles, social links, and directory data (if you are in the same company) are aggregated on a contact card for fast viewing. This is real-time data, not static, one-dimensional profiles. In today’s age of “information now,” this helps you know who’s-who so you can engage quickly and make the most of your meeting time.
Productive Collaboration: Whiteboarding in Webex Meetings
Recently, we added whiteboarding into Webex Teams to allow for real-time collaboration, but occasionally you may be in online meetings with people who haven’t yet adopted Webex Teams. Now, Webex Meetings users and those on video devices can also join in on the collaboration. I recently shared this technology at Cisco Live Melbourne and it was an “aha” moment for the audience.
The whiteboard in Cisco Webex Meetings acts just like a conventional whiteboard or flip pad, but better and more intuitive. Everyone in the meeting not only sees the drawings and notes but can add their input, too. You can enhance your meeting presentations with visuals you can edit, as well as create drawings to help share your ideas with others. Like many of you, I collaborate with my virtual and remote teams on-the-fly while we are in meetings. We use this feature to capture our notes, collaborate together, and visually convey our ideas. This is a great feature when you are brainstorming together online and need to make smarter, faster decisions.
Improved Video in Webex Meetings and Events
We’ve done a lot of work to bring Webex Meetings and Webex Devices together, so we’ve just doubled our support for the number of video devices supported in a Webex Meetings conference to up to 200.
We also heard your feedback about wanting the same video-centric improvements in Cisco Webex Events as you get with Webex Meetings. While Webex Events once only allowed you to use webcams, we have now extended video support to all video devices and endpoints for panelists. I recently presented in a Webex Event with over 200 participants. All the panelists were in different locations and sharing content from their video devices. The high definition, high quality, video-first experience was awesome. It creates a more impactful, engaging, and seamless experience for participant when they can see the faces of the presenters and panelists.
Smoothly Share Live Motion Video or Other Media
Sharing rich video and media content is a must-have for engaging meetings so we’ve made sure Webex Meetings is optimized to share video content at higher frames per second. Now, you can see video content and animation in high resolution, with 30 frames per second sharing. A higher frame rate gives you smoother motion and more images, so you can focus on what’s happening in real time. Audio and video stays perfectly synchronized so all participants can see and hear at the same time, no matter how you connect – from any platform, mobile device, or room system.
Share Anywhere with Webex Share
Webex Share has become an essential tool for huddle and small spaces. It provides wireless content sharing, without cables, dongles, or tedious adjustments to AV settings. It’s really cool because it fits in to the palm of my hand so I can carry it with me to a customer meeting, hotel conference room, or an ad-hoc huddle space. Now, you can use the Webex Meetings desktop app to pair with a Webex Share device for use in a meeting when you join. When I plug it into any display, it greets me, shows my calendar schedule for the day, and invites me to share content to the screen.
Webex For Vdi
Any content I want to share locally or in a Webex Meeting is automatically shown on the Webex Share device. Just plug it in, sign in to the Webex Meetings desktop application, and you are on your way to seamless, wire-free sharing. Webex Share uses ultrasonic proximity pairing with the Webex apps to enable you to control the in-room collaboration experience through your laptop or mobile device within 3-5 seconds.
Cisco Webex Meetings Virtual Desktop App: New VDI client
Cisco Webex Teams Vdi
We recently improved the Webex Meetings VDI experience by making it even easier to join via a Webex video device or the Webex Teams app. We know virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) are essential and many of you may work in industries such as financial and healthcare where VDI support is a requirement. Meetings are connected as SIP call, delivering both audio and video with single join action – there’s no need for callback or call-in. The new Webex Meetings VDI client expands your personal desktops with all the security and simplicity of centralized management. It keeps media on the edge, eliminating network bandwidth usage, and lowering data center compute costs so you get great real-time audio and video quality with a seamless overall meetings experience.
Cisco Webex Teams Vdi
In today’s work-anywhere, anytime on any device mobile workforce VDI continues to be an important element of your collaboration experience. Customers who are already using it tell us they trust in the Webex backbone managed network, optimized for media and supported by the security and management of Cisco. This powerful combination enables us to deliver the best-in-class media quality and industry-leading collaboration.
These are just a few of the ways we are working to make your meetings experiences more amazing. There’s a lot more in the latest version of Webex Meetings. Take a look – you can find out more here.
Webex Teams Download