Overview of Host Pools

Host pools are groups of Azure VMs that host the Azure Virtual Desktops that end users access. All VMs in the host pool share a set of configuration options, such as VM size, base image, AD domain, user profile storage location, etc.

Desktop Experience

Nerdio Manager supports different types of host pools. The types of host pools vary by the "desktop experience."

• Multi User Desktop (Pooled)

  • Multiple users sign in to shared VMs.

  • Full Desktop Experience.

  • Users are placed on a host based on the current load on the VMs.

• Multi User RemoteApp (Pooled)

  • Published applications (not full desktops).

  • Applications appear to be native apps on the user's local computer.

  • Served by a collection of hosts (i.e., "pooled").

• Single User Desktop (Pooled)

  • Users are placed on individual VMs (one user per host, not shared with other users).

  • User may be assigned to any of the available VMs, but only one user is assigned to each VM at a time.

  • Full Desktop Experience.

  • Can configure the number of spare hosts available to serve user sign ins.

• Single User Desktop (Personal)

  • Persistent individual VM per user. A user always signs in to the same VM.

  • Full Desktop Experience.

  • Can configure the number of spare hosts available to serve new users.

View and Manage Host Pools

The Host Pools page allows you to view and manage host pools.

• At the Account level, navigate to AVD > Host Pools.

• The Status column shows how many users/groups are assigned to the host pool, how many sessions are currently connected to the host pool, how many host VMs are assigned to the pool, and how many of those VMs are currently powered on.

  

Auto-scale Host Pools

Nerdio Manager supports auto-scaling of host pools. This allows for cost savings by ensuring that only the number of VMs required to serve the current demand are running. When not in use, VMs can be stopped or destroyed. When demand rises, or at specific times of the day, additional VMs in the host pool are started or created.

See Auto-scale Settings for Host Pools for details.

Host Pool Image

The image is an OS disk that is copied over to serve as the OS disk for every VM that is created as part of the host pool. Any applications that need to be available on every host should be installed on the image. Configurations and settings that should apply to all hosts can also be made on the image. New images can be created from the default Azure offerings, or from other images.

• To change a host pool's image, on the Host Pools page, from the action menu, select Hosts > Resize/Re-image.

  

Host Pools Settings and Options

The action menu allows you to perform a number of tasks. Some of these tasks are listed below.

• Manage Hosts: This has a variety of available functions.

  

• Manage > Users and Groups: Manage a host pool's users and groups. You can search users by name, username, or filter user records or assign/unassign them to various host pools.

• Manage > Installed Apps: Manage the host pool's installed apps. See Installed Apps Management via FSLogix for details.

• Manage > MSIX App Attach: Assign MSIX apps to the host pool. See Overview of MSIX App Attach for details.

• Manage > App Groups: Assign App Groups to the host pool.

• Manage > Custom Tags: Assign custom tags to the host pool.

• Manage > Deploy Apps: Deploy apps to the host pool.

• Auto-scale > Configure: Configure the host pool's auto-scale settings.

• Auto-scale > History: View auto-scale history for your dynamic host pool over a fixed time period.

• Auto-scale > Force start: Force start the host pool's auto-scale.

• Auto-scale > Pause auto-scale: Pause the host pool's auto-scale.

• Hosts: This has a variety of available functions. See Hosts Settings and Options for details.

• Properties > Active Directory: Manage the host pool's Active Directory settings.

• Properties > AVD: Change the host pool's AVD properties. See Overview of Host Pools AVD Settings for details.

• Properties > VM Deployment: Change the host pool's VM deployment properties. See Overview of Host Pools VM Deployment for details.

• Properties > Azure Capacity Extender: Change the host pool's Azure capacity extender properties. See Overview of Host Pools Azure Capacity Extender for details.

• Properties > Custom RDP: Customize the RDP properties for connecting to your host pool. See Manage RDP Properties of an AVD Host Pool for details.

• Properties > FSLogix: Manage the host pool's FSLogix settings. See FSLogix Settings and Configuration for details.

• Properties > Session time limits: Change the host pool's session time limits properties. See Overview of Host Pools Session Time Limits for details.

• Manage Hosts > Deactivate: Place your host pool in drain mode.

• Clone host pool: Clone the host pool.

• Delete host pool: Delete the host pool.

Manage Schedules for Host Pool Tasks

Nerdio Manager supports the ability to configure schedules for many of the host pool tasks discussed below. The schedule can contain one or multiple entries, as shown in these examples:

• You can create a schedule to power off hosts today at 18:00.

• You can create a schedule to restart hosts Monday and Thursday at 23:00 and have it recur every week.

See Manage Schedules for Tasks for details about creating a schedule.

Hosts Settings and Options

The Hosts option within the action menu allows you to perform a number of host-related tasks. Some of these tasks are listed below.

• Exclude from auto-scale: Exclude all hosts from the selected auto-scale.

  

• Change password: Create a new local user account that is a member of Local Administrator security group. The existing Local Administrator accounts are not changed.