You can create an instant-clone floating desktop pool from a Windows or Linux virtual machine (VM) using the desktop pool wizard in Horizon Console. VMware Horizon 8 creates the instant-clone desktop VMs based on the settings that you specify when you create the pool.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that the virtual switch that the instant-clone VMs connect to has enough ports to support the expected number of VMs. Each network card on a VM requires one port.
  • Verify that the vCenter Server instance is added to Horizon Connection Server.
  • Verify that you have the golden image ready. For more information, see Preparing a Windows Golden Image Virtual Machine for Instant Clones or Configure a Golden Image Linux VM for Instant Clones.
    Note: You cannot create an instant-clone desktop pool from a VM template. You must first convert the VM template to a VM.
  • Gather the configuration information for the pool. See Worksheet for Creating an Instant-Clone Desktop Pool.
  • Verify that you have added an instant-clone domain administrator in Horizon Console. See Horizon 8 Installation and Upgrade on the VMware Horizon Documentation portal.
  • Before creating an instant-clone desktop pool, take a snapshot of the golden image. You must shut down the golden image in vCenter Server before taking the snapshot. See "Take a Snapshot in the VMware Host Client" in vSphere Single Host Management - VMware Host Client on the VMware vSphere Documentation portal.

Procedure

  1. In Horizon Console, select Inventory > Desktops.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Select Automated Desktop Pool and click Next.
  4. Select Instant Clones, select the vCenter Server instance, and click Next.
  5. Follow the prompts to create the pool.
    Use the configuration information you gathered in the worksheet. You can go directly back to any wizard page by clicking the page name in the navigation pane.
    Note: If you are a VMware Carbon Black customer and select a golden image configured with Carbon Black, then the screen displays information from the Carbon Black Scan for each snapshot listed.
    • If you select the Show All Images check box, the list might include snapshots that are not compatible and cannot be selected.
    • If no value appears in the Carbon Black Scan (% Complete) column, that indicates that the Carbon Black sensor was not enabled in the Instant Clone golden image when the snapshot was taken.

    For more information, see the VMware Carbon Black Cloud Documentation. For best practices on using Carbon Black with VMware Horizon 8, see VMware Knowledge Base (KB) article 95512.

Results

In Horizon Console, you can view the desktop VMs as they are added to the pool by selecting Inventory > Desktops.

After you create the pool, do not delete the golden image or remove it from the vCenter Server inventory if the pool exists. If you remove the golden image VM from the vCenter Server inventory by mistake, you must add it back and then do a push image using the current image.

What to do next

Entitle users to access the pool. See "Entitling Users and Groups" in Horizon 8 Administration on the VMware Horizon Documentation portal.