Nerdio Manager allows you to manage host pools and session hosts with AVD for Azure Local.
The following procedure allows you to create a new AVD for Azure Local host pool.
To create a new hybrid host pool:
Note
Many fields in this wizard have an info tooltip alongside the field label. Reference these tooltips for more information about each option.
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Navigate to Cloud Desktops > Azure Virtual Desktop > Workspaces.
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Select the workspace you wish to work with.
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On the Hybrid Host Pools tab, select + New Host Pool. Then select Add Azure Local host pool.
Enter the following information:
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Name: Enter the name of the host pool.
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Description: Enter the host pool's description.
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Resource Group: From the drop-down list, select the resource group for the host pool.
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Host type: Should display Azure Local, since that host type was selected when opening the wizard.
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Host pool type: Select Static or Dynamic.
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Desktop Experience: From the drop-down list, select the desktop experience.
Note
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AVD multi-session desktop (pooled): This is the full desktop experience. Users are not assigned to individual session hosts and are placed on a host based on its load. Multiple users are pooled together on a group of hosts.
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AVD multi-session RemoteApp (pooled): This is only published applications, not a full desktop experience. Published RemoteApps are visible to users as native apps running on their local computer. The RemoteApps are provided by a collection (pool) of session hosts.
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AVD single-session desktop (pooled): This is the full desktop experience. Users are placed on individual desktop VMs (one user per session host) and a preconfigured number of spare(available) desktops is maintained.
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AVD single-session desktop (personal): This is a personal (persistent) full desktop experience. A dedicated session host VM is assigned to each user.
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When you select AVD single-session desktop (personal) as the Desktop Experience, you need to configure the following additional features:
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Assignment Type: Select how the desktop is assigned to the user.
Note
Before users can sign into a personal desktop, they need to be pre-assigned to the VM.
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Optionally, select Assign multiple desktops to a single user.
Note
Selecting this option allows multiple desktops to be assigned to a single user for this host pool. This setting CANNOT be disabled after being enabled, and is only available for direct assignments. For more details, see Configure personal desktop assignment.
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App group name: Optionally, enter the app group name of the host pool.
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Validation environment: Select this option to receive service updates at a faster cadence than non-validation host pools, allowing you to test service changes before they are deployed broadly to production.
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Quick Assign: From the drop-down list, select the users or groups to pre-assign to newly created desktops.
Select Next.
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Initial host count: Type the number of session hosts to add to the host pool.
Note
This field is only available when Host pool type is set to Static on the Basics step.
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Name: Type the name for the newly added hosts, or, from the drop-down list, select whether to use an Exact name, a Prefix, or a Pattern.
Note
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Exact applies when adding a single host and specifying an exact name. For example, MYADVHOST.
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Prefix can be used when creating multiple session hosts. The Prefix limit is 10 valid, Windows computer name characters. When using a Prefix, a unique suffix is automatically appended in the format "-xxxx", where xxxx are 4 random alphanumeric characters. For example: AVDHOST-s72h. Do not add a "-" to the Prefix.
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Pattern can be used to specify an advanced naming convention for new hosts. Pattern characters must be enclosed in {} and can be # (for sequential numbers) and/or ? (for random alphanumeric characters). One # implies numbers from 0 to 9, two #s implies numbers of 0 to 99, etc.
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Example 1: AVDHOST{###} (AVDHOST000..AVDHOST999).
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Example 2: AVDHOST-{???} (AVDHOST-d83, AVDHOST-7sl, etc.).
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Azure local network: From the drop-down list, select the network that the VMs are to be connected to.
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Desktop image: From the drop-down list, select the desktop image that is used as the golden image for newly created session hosts.
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Use the "staged" image version: Select the toggle to use the staged version of the selected desktop image instead of the published version.
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Total vCPUs: From the drop-down list, select the number of cores.
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RAM (GB): From the drop-down list, select the amount of RAM in GB.
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RAM type: Select Static or Dynamic.
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Resource group (VMs): From the drop-down list, select the resource group that contains the VMs.
Select Next.
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Directory profile: From the drop-down list, select Default, one of the Predefined global configurations, or Custom.
Note
Default always uses the application's global default AD configuration, so it stays in sync if that default is later changed. Selecting a Predefined configuration locks in that specific saved configuration, even if the global default changes afterward. Select Custom to provide a configuration specific to this host pool.
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Directory type, Domain (FQDN), Service account (UPN), Service account password, and Organization unit: These fields are populated automatically from the selected directory profile and remain read-only unless Custom is selected for Directory profile, in which case they become editable. Specify the Organization unit as a Distinguished Name (DN) path if session hosts should be created in a specific OU; leave it blank to use the Computers container.
Select Next.
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FSLogix: From the drop-down list, select the FSLogix configuration profile to be used when creating or re-imaging hosts in this host pool.
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FSLogix Profiles: Select the toggle to enable FSLogix profiles.
Note
If this option is not enabled, Nerdio Manager does not install the FSLogix profile container application on newly created VMs when they are deployed in this host pool.
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Configuration: From the drop-down list, select an existing profile, or select Custom to configure the settings below yourself.
Note
Selecting an existing profile automatically completes the configuration with that profile's settings, which cannot be edited here. Selecting Custom lets you configure the profile as required.
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Version: From the drop-down list, select the FSLogix version.
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Configure session hosts registry for Entra ID joined storage, Exclude the local admin accounts from FSLogix, and Exclude domain accounts from FSLogix: Select any of these options as needed, and enter applicable domain accounts in the Domain accounts field.
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FSLogix profiles path (VHDLocation): Select Override to specify a custom profile storage location instead of the default.
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Configure Office Container to redirect Microsoft Office user data (ODFC): Select this option to redirect Office container data, and specify the FSLogix Office Container path (VHDLocation) if overriding the default.
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FSLogix cloud cache: Select the toggle to enable FSLogix Cloud Cache, which replicates profiles asynchronously across multiple storage locations for resiliency.
Tip
For performance reasons, it is strongly recommended that you use Premium SSD and Ephemeral OS disks when Cloud Cache is enabled.
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Manage App Service settings and Manage Log settings: Select either option to edit the corresponding FSLogix registry settings.
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FSLogix Registry Options: From the Edit mode drop-down list, select All settings or Advanced, then configure individual registry values across the Profile Settings, ODFC Settings, Cloud Cache Settings, App Service Settings, and Log Settings tabs. Use the Search settings by name box to filter.
Note
See FSLogix per-host pool customization for the full list of configurable registry settings.
Select Next.
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RDP Profile: From the drop-down list, select the RDP profile.
Note
This step also includes RDP Shortpath network settings and, for a Custom profile, individual redirect and session options. See Host Pool Custom RDP Configuration for more information.
Select Next.
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Tag groups: Optionally, from the drop-down list, select an existing tag group. Selecting a tag group auto-populates the Name and Value fields below with its predefined values.
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Apply tags: Optionally, type the Name and Value of the Azure tag to apply to the host pool.
Note
You may specify multiple tags. See this Microsoft article for details about using tags to organize your Azure resources.
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Add "cm-resource-parent" tag: Select this option to add the "cm-resource-parent" tag to the host pool.
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Select Next.
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Application policies: Optionally, select the application policies to assign to the host pool.
Note
This step displays a notice that host pool creation runs as a background task.
Once you have entered all the desired information, select Submit.
The task to add the host pool begins. This may take some time to complete. This creates an "empty" host pool – there are no session hosts in that host pool. An end-user who attempts to connect to the empty host pool is informed that there are no resources (that is, session hosts) to serve up a desktop. You can monitor progress in the Host Pool Tasks window.
Once a hybrid host pool is created, you can manually add session hosts.
To add a session host to a hybrid host pool:
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Navigate to Cloud Desktops > Azure Virtual Desktop > Workspaces.
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Select the workspace you wish to work with.
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Select the Hybrid Host Pools area, and then, from the more actions
menu, select Manage > Hosts. Select + New Host.
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Enter the following information:
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Host count: Enter the number of session hosts to add to the host pool.
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Host name: Enter a name for the newly added host or, from the drop-down list, select whether to use an Exact name, a Prefix, or a Pattern.
Note
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Exact applies when adding a single host and specifying an exact name. For example, MYADVHOST.
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Prefix can be used when creating multiple session hosts. The Prefix limit is 10 valid, Windows computer name characters. When using a Prefix, a unique suffix is automatically appended in the format "-xxxx", where xxxx are 4 random alphanumeric characters. For example: AVDHOST-s72h. Do not add a "-" to the Prefix.
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Pattern can be used to specify an advanced naming convention for new hosts. Pattern characters must be enclosed in {} and can be # (for sequential numbers) and/or ? (for random alphanumeric characters). One # implies numbers from 0 to 9, two #s implies numbers of 0 to 99, etc.
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Example 1: AVDHOST{###} (AVDHOST000..AVDHOST999).
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Example 2: AVDHOST-{???} (AVDHOST-d83, AVDHOST-7sl, etc.).
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Azure local network: From the drop-down list, select the network that the VMs are to be connected to.
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Desktop image: From the drop-down list, select the desktop image to be used as the golden image for newly created session hosts.
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Use the "staged" image version: Select the toggle to use the staged version of the selected desktop image instead of the published version.
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Total vCPUs: From the drop-down list, select the number of cores.
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RAM (GB): From the drop-down list, select the amount of RAM in GB.
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RAM type: Select Static or Dynamic.
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Resource group (VMs): From the drop-down list, select the resource group that contains the VMs.
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Optionally, expand Apply tags to type the Name and Value of the Azure tag to apply to the session host.
Note
You may specify multiple tags. See this Microsoft article for details about using tags to organize your Azure resources.
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Once you have entered all the desired information, select OK.
The task to add the session host to the host pool begins. This may take some time to complete. You can see the task's progress in the Host Pool Tasks window.
Nerdio Manager allows you to perform bulk actions on selected session hosts. For example, you can power on, power off, delete, etc. multiple session hosts.
To perform a bulk action on selected session hosts:
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Locate the hybrid host pool you wish to work with.
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Select the host pool's Name to view all the session hosts in the host pool.
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In the list of session hosts, select the one(s) you want to perform the actions on.
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Once you have selected all the desired session hosts, select Select bulk action, and then select the actions you want execute against the selected session hosts.
Note
For example, you have 5 session hosts in the host pool, with 3 powered on and 2 powered off. The action menu displays (this is a partial list of relevant actions):
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Power off selected (3)
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Power on selected (2)
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Restart selected (3)
That is, only the 3 session hosts that are powered on can be powered off or restarted. Only the 2 session hosts that are powered off can be powered on.
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