VMware Horizon Cloud Pod Architecture Dedicated Desktops

~ vDelboy

Earlier this week I posted a blog about using Home Sites with in VMware Horizon Cloud Pod Architecture. You can find the blog here. In this blog I want to talk about the effects of using dedicated pools with in Cloud Pod Architecture and how that will affect desktop assignments as this is also something I get asked about on a regular basis.

Just as when creating desktop pools with in Horizon View when you create a Global Pool using Cloud Pod Architecture you have the option to create a Floating or dedicated pool assignment. It should be noted that if the Global Pool is dedicated then on local pools with dedicated assignments can join that Global Pool, this is just the same if the Global Pool has floating assignments then only local pools with floating assignments can be part of that pool.

Now let’s look at how dedicated pools will affect the user in the following scenario’s.

The first time a user logs in to a global pool the user is assigned a desktop. In the picture below on the left as the user first logs in from Site A they are assigned a desktop with in Site A. Even when the user logs in from Site B they still get the same desktop from Site A as you can see from the picture on the right.

Picture1  Picture2

Now let’s see what happens if Site A goes off line. As Site A is off line the user no longer has a dedicated desktop and so the connection broker on Site B thinks this is the first time the user has logged in. At this time the user is assigned a new dedicated desktop as you can see from the picture below.

Picture3

Now what happens when Site A come back on Line. As you can see from the picture below the connection broker has an issue as the user now has 2 desktops assigned to the one user with in a single Global Pool.

Picture4

Instead of getting a desktop the user will see the following message

Picture5

In order to fix this issue, an administrator must log in to the Horizon Console and remove the user entitlement from one of the desktops with in the Global Pool.

I hope this helps explain how dedicated desktops will affect users and your designs when using Cloud Pod Architecture.

 

 

10 thoughts on “VMware Horizon Cloud Pod Architecture Dedicated Desktops”

  1. Thank you Dal for a information,

    I’m building up POC for one of company and following are setup.

    2 site — Site A & B
    Horizon 7.0
    Dedicated desktop pool ( internal connection )
    global pool ( Site A & B)
    global entitlement configured with out site override preferences
    Each user has configure site A as home site
    F5 LTM for internal connection load balancing

    issue:

    – User x access pod first time and he got desktop from site A as home site configured

    – for testing CPA i have disable Nic for Site A pod servers

    – user x trying to access pod again and he received following message instead of getting desktop from site B

    The Desktop is currently not available, please try connecting to this desktop again later or contact your system admin

    seems like global pool still looking for desktop at Site A pool

    Appreciate for any comment here

    Regards,
    Jimish

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      1. No luck i have shutdown all broker node at Site A but still getting same message, however i give a shot to change user home site to site B and it’s work but this will create more complexity with for DR

        Regards,

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  4. yes i have created global entitlement called “test 1″ and add local pools from sita A ” Pool-a” and Site B “pool-B”

    Global entitlement “test 1” configured with uncheck use Home site option for global pool

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    1. Thats interesting. It should work fine I would reach out to VMware Support to see whats happening. Was this an upgrade on new install of 7? have you tried creating a new user to test with?

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      1. original setup was 6.2 and i have upgraded with 7 last night, i am gonna take shot with creation of new user and see what happen

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  5. Hey Dale,

    i was working with VMware engineer for last two day to fix issue but VMware saying at this moment Dedicated desktop assignment are not supported for CPA,however there’s no such document or white paper that can provide Dedicated desktop limitation with CPA,

    Refer the following information with in admin guide for reference, this shows how a desktop search is done on cloud pod for dedicated pool,

    Click to access horizon-view-60-cloud-pod-architecture.pdf

    Page 10 – Configuring Scope Policy to Control Desktop Search

    https://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-27060
    Refer question number 30

    As we know CPA information are replicating over all connection server and saving under Global LDAP, so i take shot to dig into Global LDAP and find where CPA dedicated desktop assignment are saving,

    It was under VdiGlobal ADAM and parent OU= Assignment and Child OU=POD

    Basically whenever user trying assess global pool first time user got desktop assignment from primary site ( Home) and it will create one entry under above OU=POD, this is just desktop assignment entry

    While I was doing testing I have shutdown primary site and deleted above assignment entry connecting throw second site Connection server and I was able to get desktop assignment from second site without getting message desktop not available this time

    Regards,

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