The following procedure allows you to create a new static host pool.
To create a new static 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 desired workspace.
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Select New host pool.
A dialog opens titled Add Host Pool. It contains the following sections: Basics, VM Template, Active Directory, FSLogix, RDP, Tags, Application policies.
Enter the following information:
Note
For several of the required parameters, you may filter the available choices by using the Resource Selection Rules. For example, you may filter the VM Size or OS Disk choices for Intel RAM-optimized VMs only. See Resource Selection Rules Management for details.
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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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Optionally, select Generate using AI to have AI create the description. See Overview of AI-Powered Description Generation for details.
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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: From the drop-down list, select the host type (Azure Cloud, Azure Local, or Nutanix).
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Host pool type: Select Static.
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Desktop Experience: From the drop-down list, select the desktop experience.
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Multi user 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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Multi user 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: Enter the number of session hosts to add to the host pool during creation.
Note
Static host pools can be created with zero or more session hosts. New session hosts can be added or deleted at any time.
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Name: Enter the name of the newly added hosts for the Exact name, a Prefix, or the Prefix+Pattern.
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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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Network: From the drop-down list, select the network. The network determines the Azure region of the VM.
Note
Nerdio Manager verifies that there is a sufficient number of available IP addresses on the selected network before deploying new host pool VMs. If there are insufficient available IP addresses, an error message is displayed and you may not add the new host pool.
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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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VM Size: From the drop-down, select the VM disk size and type for newly created session hosts.
Note
If any VM size is not available for a subscription or region, it doesn't appear in the list. At times, even if a VM size is available in a specific Azure region, it cannot be used due to the subscription having restrictions on a particular size. In such cases, we show the VM size in the drop-down list, but don't allow users to select it (the size is disabled).
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OS Disk: From the drop-down list, select the OS Disk type and size for newly created session hosts.
Note
This must be equal to or larger than the size of the Desktop Image selected above. Using Standard HDD (S-type) is not recommended. Premium SSD provides best performance.
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Resource Group: From the drop-down list, select the resource group to contain 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.
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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 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.
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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.
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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.
Once you have entered all the desired information, select Submit.
The process of host pool creation begins. First a host pool itself is created, then session host VMs are built out. Session hosts are joined to Active Directory, AVD and FSLogix agents are installed on the session hosts and users/groups are assigned per the configuration you selected.
Note
You can convert a static pool into a dynamic pool. For more information refer to Convert a Static Host Pool to Dynamic.
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