# Overview

## Zoom Workplace VDI App Overview

The Zoom Workplace VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) app and Plug-In helps empower businesses with virtual infrastructure to deliver a high-quality, real-time media experience without significantly impacting virtual server resources. Zoom’s VDI software achieves this by dividing real-time media processing between virtual desktops and remote devices (e.g., thin clients, laptops, desktops, etc.) via the app and Plug-In.

While Zoom **strongly recommends** using both the Zoom Workplace VDI app and Plug-In together, it is not mandatory. Businesses utilizing virtual desktop infrastructure should **always** use the Zoom Workplace VDI app, even if the Plug-In is not used. However, not using the Plug-In increases computational demands within the virtual environment, which can significantly degrade virtual desktop performance for all users.

The following sections detail the components and functions of the VDI app, Plug-In, and media optimization methods that the app supports, explaining how these elements work together to reduce computational demands on virtual servers.

#### <mark style="color:blue;">The Problem: Virtual desktop servers are not designed to support robust real-time media processing for large quantities of users</mark>

A VDI server shares hardware resources and supports multiple user desktops simultaneously; however, when scaled to accommodate a large number of users, VDI hardware often struggles to handle the demands of intensive media processing alongside standard operating tasks.

For example, if a VDI server is supporting 25 concurrent user desktops and all users initiate video conferencing simultaneously, the server is likely to reach its computational limits. This can lead to bottlenecks, reduced performance, and a significantly degraded user experience.

#### <mark style="color:blue;">The Solution: The Zoom Workplace VDI app and Plug-In divide real-time media processing between a user’s virtual desktop and remote device</mark>

The Zoom Workplace VDI app (aka Host Installer) and Plug-In help address the problem of a virtual server’s computational limits for large-scale, real-time media processing by removing *most* media processing demands from the VDI server and redirecting them to the Plug-In installed on the remote device.

In this scenario, real-time media is routed to the Plug-In installed on the user’s remote device and is processed using the remote device’s hardware, saving on computational resources within the VDI server. This process, called **media optimization**, offloads the computational task of processing and rendering real-time media to the user’s remote device, creating an “optimized experience”.

#### <mark style="color:blue;">Understanding Optimization: How media is processed in layers</mark>

The primary objective of the Zoom Workplace VDI app and Plug-In is to deliver high-quality, real-time media to users in a virtual environment while minimizing the impact on virtual desktop performance. To achieve this, when using any optimized configuration, the workload for processing real-time media is split between two points: the virtual desktop and the remote device (e.g., thin client, desktop, laptop, etc.).

In an optimized configuration, the Zoom Workplace VDI app performs significantly less work than it otherwise would. Rather than rendering all components—such as the Zoom Workplace app interface, meeting video, and audio—the virtual desktop primarily renders an empty placeholder of the Zoom Workplace app. This placeholder includes only a blank meeting interface and the meeting toolbar buttons. This creates the **base layer** of the optimized experience.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeINvhAhr7TUy2Z3QWDwVvyuzw_xfG94nXGSnLTOXZpZ0w-tcZUMHI__vDtkkbIb88eijr-Ure176R5y3mhPHLD2dB-PXLSBijV8AIkuewQnKIFc_lfV0r4nnTvgYiQ0blEXEFajQ?key=Y8FtDbpjXDezi-KeGzQVkA)

In coordination with the Zoom Workplace VDI app, the Plug-In adds a **second layer** to the optimized experience by leveraging the computational resources of the remote client (e.g., thin client, desktop, laptop) to process and render real-time media, such as video and audio, on top of the virtual desktop’s base layer.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXc4OZFUPei6X5RxmYs8scWu49hFzQvjrisqoObo6NlHExigwG6tYK9cMquI0yqHgCwtWBOjqsIbJkEZmNz7bLvSrJ7wdbnkmT03gZwEYnqHtZUyXTWGdqBbdRB2rY3a1zs1gTug?key=Y8FtDbpjXDezi-KeGzQVkA)

Together, the Zoom Workplace VDI app and Plug-In communicate across the VDI software provider’s virtual channel and seamlessly integrate the two layers to deliver a consistent, media-optimized user experience. This approach leverages a balanced combination of computational power from both the virtual desktop and remote client, enabling the optimized experience.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf3BOgcGlh4nwWq1zQI2wjlXzTxOFkLgodlf0_E72PUFRntC1aTJATXzNxPgS4K_41PHfdiXCWKyAgsWgZKYzCNulawXfBHlz8LYdLnVd6MslpGlbA1GiSyKF1U-2bN0cCj-nyLug?key=Y8FtDbpjXDezi-KeGzQVkA" alt=""><figcaption><p>Image illustrating how the VDI app renders the user experience in layers.</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Optimization Requirement**

Install the Zoom Workplace VDI app (Host Installer) on the virtual desktop being accessed by a user, and the VDI Plug-In on the remote device or thin client.
{% endhint %}

### Supported Optimization Clients

The following list details the virtual desktop agents and Plug-In operating systems that the Zoom Workplace VDI app supports as of version 6.3.6. Customers using previous Zoom Workplace VDI app versions should reference the [VDI app features comparison matrix](https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb\&sysparm_article=KB0064616) for more information on supported media offloading for specific operating systems.

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th><th width="149.6015625"></th><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td><strong>Citrix</strong></td><td><p><strong>Omnissa Horizon</strong></p><p><strong>(Formerly VMware)</strong></p></td><td><strong>Azure/Windows 365</strong></td><td><strong>HP Anywhere</strong></td><td><strong>Amazon Workspaces</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Windows</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td></tr><tr><td>Mac</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>IGEL</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ubuntu</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>eLux</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>HP ThinPro OS</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CentOS</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dell ThinOS</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td>✔</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>


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