Create a Manual Desktop Pool

You can create a manual desktop pool that provisions desktops from existing virtual machines or physical computers. You must select the machines that will be included in the desktop pool.

For manual pools with virtual machines that are managed by vCenter Server, Horizon ensures that a spare machine is powered on so that users can connect to it. The spare machine is powered on no matter which power policy is in effect.

Prerequisites

• Prepare the machines to deliver remote desktop access. In a manual pool, you must prepare each machine individually. Horizon Agent must be installed and running on each machine.

  To prepare virtual machines managed by vCenter Server, see Creating and Preparing a Virtual Machine for Cloning.

  To prepare unmanaged virtual machines and physical computers, see Preparing Unmanaged Machines.

• Gather the configuration information that you must provide to create the pool. See Worksheet for Creating a Manual Desktop Pool.
• Decide how to configure power settings, display protocol, and other settings. See Desktop Pool Settings for All Desktop Pool Types.

Procedure

1. In Horizon Administrator, select Catalog > Desktop Pools.
2. Click Add.
3. Select Manual Desktop Pool.
4. Follow the prompts in the wizard to create the pool.
   Use the configuration information that you gathered in the worksheet. You can go directly back to any wizard page that you completed by clicking the page name in the navigation panel.

Results

In Horizon Administrator, you can see the machines as they are added to the pool by selecting Catalog > Desktop Pools.

What to do next

Entitle users to access the pool. See Add Entitlements to a Desktop or Application Pool.