Delete Virtual-Machine Desktops

When you delete a virtual-machine desktop, users can no longer access the desktop. A virtual-machine desktop is either a vCenter Server virtual machine or an unmanaged virtual machine.

Users in currently active sessions can continue to use full virtual-machine desktops if you keep the virtual machines in vCenter Server. After the users log off, they cannot access the deleted virtual-machine desktops.

With instant clones and linked-clone virtual machines, vCenter Server always deletes the virtual machines from disk.

Note: Do not delete the virtual machines in vCenter Server before you delete virtual-machine desktops with Horizon Administrator. This action could put Horizon 7 components into an inconsistent state.

Procedure

In Horizon Administrator, select Resources > Machines.
Select the vCenter VMs tab or the Others tab.
Select one or more machines and click Remove.

Choose how to delete the virtual-machine desktop.

Option	Description
Pool that contains full virtual-machine desktops	Choose whether to keep or delete the virtual machines in vCenter Server. If you delete the virtual machines from disk, users in active sessions are disconnected from their desktops. If you keep the virtual machines in vCenter Server, choose whether to let users in active sessions stay connected to their desktops or disconnect them.
Horizon Composer linked-clone pool with persistent disks	Choose whether to detach or delete the persistent disks when the virtual-machine desktops are deleted. In both cases, vCenter Server deletes the linked-clone virtual machines from disk. Users in currently active sessions are disconnected from their remote desktops. If you detach a persistent disk, the linked-clone virtual machine that contained the persistent disk can be recreated, or the persistent disk can be attached to another virtual machine. You can store detached persistent disks in the same datastore or a different one. If you select a different datastore, you cannot store detached persistent disks on a local datastore. You must use a shared datastore. You can only detach persistent disks that were created in Horizon 7 4.5 or later releases.
Instant-clone pool and Horizon Composer linked-clone pool without persistent disks	vCenter Server deletes the linked-clone virtual machines from disk. Users in currently active sessions are disconnected from their remote desktops.

Option

Description

Pool that contains full virtual-machine desktops

Choose whether to keep or delete the virtual machines in vCenter Server.

If you delete the virtual machines from disk, users in active sessions are disconnected from their desktops.

If you keep the virtual machines in vCenter Server, choose whether to let users in active sessions stay connected to their desktops or disconnect them.

Horizon Composer linked-clone pool with persistent disks

Choose whether to detach or delete the persistent disks when the virtual-machine desktops are deleted.

In both cases, vCenter Server deletes the linked-clone virtual machines from disk. Users in currently active sessions are disconnected from their remote desktops.

If you detach a persistent disk, the linked-clone virtual machine that contained the persistent disk can be recreated, or the persistent disk can be attached to another virtual machine. You can store detached persistent disks in the same datastore or a different one. If you select a different datastore, you cannot store detached persistent disks on a local datastore. You must use a shared datastore.

You can only detach persistent disks that were created in Horizon 7 4.5 or later releases.

Instant-clone pool and Horizon Composer linked-clone pool without persistent disks

vCenter Server deletes the linked-clone virtual machines from disk. Users in currently active sessions are disconnected from their remote desktops.

Results

When you delete virtual-machine desktops, linked-clone virtual machine computer accounts are removed from Active Directory. Full virtual machine accounts remain in Active Directory. To remove these accounts, you must manually delete them from Active Directory.