This workflow enables end users to allocate machines to themselves, selecting either Horizon View or vRealize Automation as the machine provider.

This workflow requires a set of configuration steps before using vRealize Automation as a provider. See Creating Machines and Managing Pools in vRealize Automation and Configure a Machine Blueprint Service for Advanced Desktop Allocation.

Inputs/parameters Machine provider (Horizon View or vRealize Automation), pod, pool ID, or vRealize Automation catalog item, if you select vRealize Automation as the machine provider.
Binding requirements The administrator can bind the catalog item to a specific blueprint to avoid giving the end user access to all catalog items in vRealize Automation.
Results

If you select Horizon View as the machine provider, this workflow behaves the same way as the Self-Service Desktop Allocation workflow.

If you select vRealize Automation as the machine provider, the workflow supports only manual pools. The following tasks are performed, in the following order:

  1. A machine is provisioned using vRealize Automation.
  2. The machine is registered in a desktop pool.
  3. For a floating-assignment desktop pool, the end user is entitled to the pool.
  4. For a dedicated-assignment desktop pool, the end user is assigned to the machine and entitled to the pool.
  5. The machine is added to user's vRealize Automation Items tab as a vCAC machine, on the Machines panel.
  6. The machine is added to the user's vRealize Automation Items tab as a desktop, on the Horizon panel.
  7. If the machine was already added to the Items tab, on the Machines panel, and the user runs the workflow again but selects Horizon View as the provider, the machine is also added to the Items tab on the Horizon panel.

For more information, see Advanced Desktop Allocation Scenarios for Delegated Administrators and End Users.

Limitations
  • Horizon Agent must be installed and running in the template that the machine blueprint to provision the machines uses. See Create Templates and Blueprints for Adding Machines to Desktop Pools.
  • VMware Tools must be updated to latest version in the template that the machine blueprint to provision the machines uses. See Create Templates and Blueprints for Adding Machines to Desktop Pools.
  • For unmanaged machines, you must provide valid user credentials that have Administrator access for the guest operating system on the machine.
  • For unmanaged machines, you must provide a vSphere customization specification in the blueprint. This customization specification must include a configuration to change the host name and SID of the machine so that each machine created from the template has a unique host name and SID. See Create Templates and Blueprints for Adding Machines to Desktop Pools.
  • You must add guest credentials by running the Add Guest Credentials workflow.
  • The administrator must provide end users with the permission to use guest credentials by running the Manage Self-Service Configuration for Registration workflow in the Horizon/Configuration/Horizon Registration Configuration folder.
  • If the administrator does not bind a machine blueprint to the catalog item, the end user must select only those catalog items (blueprints) that the administrator specified to provision machines. For information about binding catalog items, see Import the Self-Service Advanced Desktop Allocation Workflow.