Create a VDI desktop pool

Procedure

1. From the left navigation pane, select Desktops.

2. Click Create Desktop Pool, or click a desktop pool group name and then click Create Desktop Pool.

3. Select Create VDI Desktop Pool, and then click Next.

4. Configure basic information about the desktop pool, and then click Next.

5. Configure the desktop login settings, and then click Next.

6. Configure the desktop pool specifications, and then click Next.

7. Verify that the desktop pool configuration is correct, and then click Finish.

Parameters

• Deployment Location: Select a deployment location, cluster or host. If you select Cluster, the desktop pool automatically deploys desktops on optimal hosts.

• Cluster: Select a cluster to deploy the desktop pool.

• Host: Select a host to deploy the desktop pool.

• Architecture: Architecture of the selected cluster or host, x86 or ARM.

• HugePage: Whether HugePage is enabled on the selected cluster or host. For a cluster, the HugePage state is enabled only when HugePage is enabled all its member hosts.

• Desktop Pool Type: Select a desktop pool type. The following are supported VDI desktop pool types:

  • Static: To assign each user a dedicated desktop, select this option. A static desktop is persistent. All data and settings of its user will persist through a reboot.

  • Dynamic: To have a list of users share desktop resources, select this option. The desktops in a dynamic desktop pool are called dynamic desktops. They are dynamically assigned to users in the preauthorization list you configured for the pool. When the system receives a request from a preauthorized user, the system randomly selects a desktop from the dynamic desktop pool for that user. Dynamic desktops are not persistent. If a released dynamic desktop reboots, any data and previous user settings saved on it get lost. Dynamic desktop pools are applicable to public service scenarios such as public training and teaching and reading rooms in libraries.

  • Manual: To have a list of users share desktop resources and enable the desktop administrator to restore the desktops to a previous state, select this option. A manual desktop pool is analogous to a dynamic desktop pool except that the administrator can set restore points for future data and configuration restoration. The system does not clear the user data and configuration saved on a manual desktop after the user session is disconnected. The administrator must restore the desktop to a restore point as needed before assigning the desktop to a new user.

  • Shared: To assign a desktop from a shared desktop pool to multiple users, select this option. Shared desktops are persistent. They save data of multiple users, and their desktop data disks are shared among multiple users. A shared desktop pool is not applicable to endpoint users.

    Local users must access shared desktops via the H3C security gateway, not the Microsoft RD gateway. For more information, See H3C Workspace Cloud Desktop Gateway Access to Virtual Application Configuration Guide (Office Scenario).

  • Application Server: To bulk deploy application servers used for providing virtual applications, select this option. To authorize users to use virtual applications, see H3C Workspace Cloud Desktop Virtual Application Configuration Guide (Office Scenario).

• Max Desktops: Set the maximum number of desktops in the desktop pool.

• Desktop Prefix: Specify the prefix in the names of the desktops that are deployed from desktop images. The deployed desktops will be named in prefix-random_number format.

• Desktop Pool Group: Assign the desktop pool to a desktop pool group.

• Authentication User Type: Select a user type.

  • Local Users: To create desktops for local users and LDAP users, select this option. To authorize desktops in a desktop pool of this user type to LDAP users, you must also select a generic LDAP authentication server as the authentication server.

  • Domain Users: To create desktops for AD users and LDAP users, select this option. For AD users, select a Microsoft Active Directory authentication server. For LDAP users, select a Generic LDAP server as an authentication server, and select a Microsoft Active Directory authentication server as a desktop domain management server.

  • Endpoint Users: To create desktops for users that use endpoint authentication, select this option. Endpoint authenticated users can access their cloud desktops as long as their endpoints pass authentication. They do not need to provide user account information for authentication. This option is suitable for public service scenarios that deploy desktops for guest users. Libraries and reading rooms are typical scenarios for this option. A shared desktop pool is not applicable to endpoint users.

  • UnionTech Domain User: To create desktops for UnionTech native users, AD users, and LDAP users managed by the UnionTech domain central management platform, select this option.

• Authentication Server: Select an authentication server.

  • For local users, if you do not select an authentication server, the desktops in a desktop pool can be authorized to only local users in Space Console. If you select a generic LDAP authentication server, the desktops in a desktop pool can be authorized to only users managed by the specified server.

  • For domain users, select a Microsoft Active Directory authentication server or generic LDAP authentication server. If you select a generic LDAP server as an authentication server, you must select a Microsoft Active Directory authentication server as a desktop domain management server.

  • For UnionTech domain users, select a UnionTech authentication server, generic LDAP authentication server, or Microsoft Active Directory authentication server. Only users on the selected server are authorized to access the desktops.

• Desktop Login Auth Server: Select to use the user authentication server or another server for desktop login authentication. This parameter is required for non-shared desktop pools and domain users.

  • Use Client Authentication Server:

    • OU: Specify the distinguished name (DN) of the organizational unit (OU) to which the domain users belong on the specified user authentication server. When you specify this parameter, use the ou=ou,dc=second-level domain,dc=top-level domain format. For example, to specify the test OU in the example.com domain, enter the ou=test,dc=example,dc=com string. You can select an OU from the list or enter a DN. If you do not enter a DN or select an OU, the desktops will be assigned to the container named Computer on the domain controller. If you enable trust domain configuration for the authentication server and do not enter a DN or select an OU, the desktops will be assigned to the OU of the domain tree.

  • Use Another Server:

    • Domain Controller Server: Specify a domain controller server. A domain user uses its domain username and a randomly generated password to log in to a desktop. A desktop is automatically disconnected when its screen is locked. The user can reconnect to the cloud desktop by double-clicking the desktop icon.

    • OU: Specify the DN of the OU to which the domain users belong on the specified domain controller server. When you specify this parameter, use the ou=ou,dc=second-level domain,dc=top-level domain format. For example, to specify the test OU in the example.com domain, enter the ou=test,dc=example,dc=com string. You can select an OU from the list or enter a DN. If you do not enter a DN or select an OU, the desktops will be assigned to the container named Computer on the domain controller. If you enable trust domain configuration for the authentication server and do not enter a DN or select an OU, the desktops will be assigned to the OU of the domain tree.

• SSO Password Type: Select an SSO password type if the desktop pool type is static, dynamic, or manual.

  • Authorized User: Permit users to access desktops with the account and password used for logging in to the client.

  • Fixed Login Name: Specify an account for desktop login.

    • Local users—When a client connects to a VM, the VM is logged in with the configured account. If the account does not exist on the VM, it will be automatically created with the password being the same as the password used to log in to the cloud desktop client. If the account already exists on the VM, its password will be changed to the password used to log in to the cloud desktop client.

    • Endpoint Users—When a client connects to a desktop, the desktop is logged in with the configured account. To set the desktop login password, configure the login password parameter in cloud desktop parameters as described in "Configure cloud desktop parameters." By default, the desktop login account is defaultuser.

  • Fixed Login Name and Password: When a client connects to a desktop, the desktop is logged in with the configured account and password. If the password is empty, the user can log in to the desktop without a password. For endpoint users, the desktop login account is defaultuser by default. For domain users using the same server for client and desktop login authentication, they must use the configured account and enter the correct password for login.

• Desktop Login Account: Configure the username for logging in to the desktop. This parameter is required for non-shared desktop pools.

  • Local Users: If you do not specify a login account, users log in to their desktops by using their assigned usernames and passwords. If a login account is set, the desktop users log in to their desktops by using the specified login account and passwords of their own accounts.

  • Domain Users:

    • Login Account: Select a login account from the accounts on the client authentication server. This parameter can be configured when you configure Desktop Login Auth Server as Use Client Authentication Server.

    • Login Password: Enter the login password for the login account you select. Make sure that the password you enter is correct.

  • Endpoint Users: If a login account is configured, users log in to their desktops by using the specified login account. If you do not specify a login account, users log in to their desktops by using the default username without entering any password. If an endpoint user fails to log in, you can obtain the login password by examining the Login Password parameter on the System > Advanced Settings > System Parameters > Cloud Desktop Parameters page.

• Desktop Image: Select a desktop image for desktop deployment. The desktop image of a shared desktop pool must be created based on the Windows Server OS.

• Deployment Location: Select the location for desktop deployment.

  • Cluster: To have the system automatically deploy desktops across hosts in a cluster for optimal resource usage, select this option. If you select this option, you must also select a cluster.

  • Host: To deploy desktops on selected hosts, select this option. If you select this option, you must also select hosts for desktop deployment.

• System Disk Storage: Select a storage volume to store the system disks of the desktops. If cluster-based deployment is selected, make sure the cluster has shared storage accessible to all its hosts.

• Initialization Type: Select an initialization method. Options are fast initialization and full initialization.

  • As a best practice, use full initialization only if each user requires a unique security identifier (SID) on a desktop. In any other situations, use fast initialization. For example, use fast initialization for local users, LDAP users, and endpoint users. Select fast initialization or full initialization for domain users depending on the deployment requirements.

  • To use full initialization, make sure the desktop image is encapsulated by using Sysprep. Sysprep encapsulation is not required for fast initialization.

• Reboot After Release: To reboot and initialize a dynamic desktop after it is released back to the desktop pool, select this option. Do not enable shutting down thin clients with desktops in the authorization policy if you enable reboot after release.

• Deploy Now: Select whether to bulk deploy desktops immediately after desktop pool creation is finished.