Cloud-Connected Horizon Pods - Create an Automated Farm from a Managed Image

This documentation topic is specific to desktop pools for Horizon pods — the pod type that is based on Horizon Connection Server software. You can create an automated instant-clone farm that contains RDS hosts based on a managed image in the image catalog template. Markers allow you to associate the farm with a specific version of the image.

You create an automated instant-clone farm as part of the process to give users access to published applications or published desktops.

Prerequisites

• Prepare the managed image that Horizon will use to create the machines. The image must be available in the image catalog in the Horizon Universal Console. Perform the following procedures:
  • Import the image. See Import an Image from vCenter into the Image Catalog.
  • Publish at least one version of the image. See Publish an Image Version.
• Gather the configuration information you must provide to create the farm. For the specific instructions, refer to the information according to the pod's Connection Server software version:
  • Version 7.13 - Setting Up Virtual Desktops in Horizon, available at Horizon 7 Documentation.
  • VMware Horizon 8 versions 2006 or later - Windows Desktops and Applications in Horizon, available at Horizon Documentation.

Procedure

1. In Horizon Console, select Inventory > Farms.
2. Click Add.
3. Select Automated Farm and click Next.
4. Select Instant clone and click Next.
5. Follow the prompts to proceed through the wizard until you reach the vCenter Settings page.
   
   
   
6. Select Image Catalog as the image source.
7. Under Stream, click Browse.
   The Select Stream dialog box appears.

   Note: Horizon Console uses the term "stream" to refer to images.

   
   
   
8. Select the image that you want to use for the farm.
   1. To display all the images from the image catalog, regardless of the images' status, select Show all streams.
      Note: Selecting this option displays all images from the image catalog, including images that are not yet ready or available for use with a farm.
   2. To search for a specific image in the catalog, start typing the name of the image in the filter text box.
   3. To update the display list with the latest images from the image catalog, click the refresh () icon.
   4. In the display list, select the image to serve as the basis for the farm.
   5. Click Submit.
9. On the vCenter Settings page, select an option from the Marker drop-down menu.
   The marker that you select determines the specific version of the image that is used to create the farm. For more information, see Working with Markers.
10. To complete the farm creation, continue to follow the prompts through the remaining options and pages of the wizard.
    You can go directly back to any wizard page by clicking the page name in the navigation pane.
11. To verify the association between the farm and the image version, go to the Horizon Universal Console and click Inventory > Images - Multi-Pod. From there, click the name of the associated image to open the image details page. Then click the version number of the version tagged with the same marker that you associated with the farm.
    On the version details page, verify that the newly created farm appears under the Pools list.
    
    
    

What to do next

Create a published application pool or a published desktop pool. For the specific instructions, refer to the information according to the pod's Connection Server software version:

• Version 7.13 - Setting Up Virtual Desktops in Horizon, available at Horizon 7 Documentation.
• VMware Horizon 8 versions - Windows Desktops and Applications in Horizon, available at Horizon Documentation.