After you create an automated pool, you can customize particular machines without reassigning ownership. By starting the machines in maintenance mode, you can modify and test the machines before you release them to users.

Note: This feature is not available to an instant-clone desktop pool.

Maintenance mode prevents users from accessing their desktops. If you start machines in maintenance mode, Horizon 7 places each machine in maintenance mode when the machine is created. In a dedicated-assignment pool of full virtual machines, you can use maintenance mode to log in to a machine without having to reassign ownership to your own administrator account. When you finish the customization, you do not have to return ownership to the user assigned to the machine.

To perform the same customization on all machines in an automated pool, customize the virtual machine you prepare as a template or parent. Horizon 7 deploys your customization to all the machines.

Note: You can start machines in maintenance mode if you manually specify machine names for the pool, not if you name machines by providing a naming pattern.