User Assignment in Desktop Pools

For manual desktop pools and automated desktop pools of full virtual machines, View Composer linked clones, or instant clones, you can choose floating or dedicated user assignment for the desktops.

With a dedicated assignment, each desktop is assigned to a specific user. A user logging in for the first time gets a desktop that is not assigned to another user. Thereafter, this user will always get this desktop after logging in, and this desktop is not available to any other user. Between each login and logout, the computer name and MAC address is retained for the same desktop. Any other changes that the user makes to the desktop are not preserved.

With a floating assignment, users get a random desktop every time they log in. When a user logs off, the desktop is returned to the pool.

With floating instant clones, the desktop is always deleted and recreated from the current image when a user logs out. With View Composer linked clones, you can configure floating-assignment machines to be deleted when users log out. Automatic deletion lets you keep only as many virtual machines as you need at one time.

With floating-assignment, you might be able to reduce software licensing costs.