Horizon Desktop Pools Test

This test monitors the status and usage of each desktop pool configured on a VMware Horizon Connection Server.

Target of the test : A VMware Horizon Connection server

Agent deploying the test : An internal agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for each desktop pool configured on the VMware Horizon Connection Server being monitored

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameter Description

Test Period

How often should the test be executed

Host

The host for which the test is to be configured

Port

Refers to the port used by VMware Horizon Connection Server. The default port number is NULL.

Connection Server name

Specify the name of the target VMware Horizon Connection Server that is to be monitored.

User name

By default, eG Enterprise uses a dual approach i.e., uses VMware PowerCLI and LDAP queries to collect metrics from the target VMware Horizon Connection Server 7 (or above). This dual approach ensures that the metrics are collected more faster than the LDAP query-only approach used for the prior versions of the VMware Horizon Connection Server. Administrators need to install the VMware PowerCLI on the target VMware Horizon Connection server and configure the eG agent to communicate with that CLI to pull the metrics. PowerCLI is a command-line and scripting tool built on Windows PowerShell, which enables easy management, configuration, and automation of vSphere and vCloud environments. With the help of this CLI, the eG agent collects metrics from the target server more quickly than the LDAP approach that was used to collect metrics from VMware Horizon Connection Server version 6 and below. In order to collect metrics using VMware PowerCLI, administrators need to specify the name of the user possessing read-only administrator role in the VMware Horizon Management Console.

Password

Specify the password corresponding to the user here.

Confirm Password

Confirm the password by retyping it here.

Domain Name

  • Specify the name of the domain to which the VMware Horizon Connection Server belongs to. If the target VMware Horizon Connection Server does not belong to any domain, specify none here.
  • Report Total

    By default, this flag is set to false. In this case therefore, the test will only report metrics for every desktop pool of the VMware Horizon Connection Server. If this flag is set to true, then the test will report metrics for a Total descriptor – the metrics reported by this descriptor will be aggregated across all desktop pools of the target VMware Horizon Connection Server. This way, administrators will receive in-depth insights into the functioning of the desktop pools.

    Show Total Desktop DD

    By default, this flag is set to No, indicating that this test will not report detailed diagnostics for the Total desktops measure. This means that the test, by default, will not capture and store the details of every desktop in a pool, in the eG database. This default setting is ideal for large VDI infrastructures, where a single pool can contain hundreds of desktops, as it can help conserve space in the eG database and reduce the strain on the database. However, if your eG database is well-sized and you want to view the complete list of desktops in a pool, enable the detailed diagnosis capability of the Total desktops measure by setting this flag to Yes.

    Remote Session DD

    By default, this flag is set to No, indicating that this test will not report detailed diagnostics for the Remote Sessions measure. This means that the test, by default, will not capture and store the details of the remote sessions to each desktop in a desktop pool, in the eG database. This default setting is ideal for large VDI infrastructures, where a single pool can contain hundreds of desktops, as it can help conserve space in the eG database and reduce the strain on the database. However, if your eG database is well-sized and you want to view the complete list of remote sessions to the desktops in a pool, enable the detailed diagnosis capability of the Remote Sessions measure by setting this flag to Yes.

    Disconnected Desktop DD

    By default, this flag is set to No, indicating that this test will not report detailed diagnostics for the Disconnected Desktops measure. This means that the test, by default, will not capture and store the details of the desktops that were disconnected from a desktop pool, in the eG database. This default setting is ideal for large VDI infrastructures, where a single pool can contain hundreds of desktops, as it can help conserve space in the eG database and reduce the strain on the database. However, if your eG database is well-sized and you want to view the complete list of desktops that were disconnected from a pool, enable the detailed diagnosis capability of the Disconnected Desktops measure by setting this flag to Yes.

    Disconnected Application DD

    By default, this flag is set to No, indicating that this test will not report detailed diagnostics for the Disconnected Applications measure. This means that the test, by default, will not capture and store the details of the applications (in each desktop pool) that were disconnected from the View Client, in the eG database. This default setting is ideal for large VDI infrastructures, where a single pool can contain hundreds of desktops, as it can help conserve space in the eG database and reduce the strain on the database. However, if your eG database is well-sized and you want to view the complete list of applications that were disconnected from the View Client, enable the detailed diagnosis capability of the Disconnected Applications measure by setting this flag to Yes.

    Maintenance Desktop DD

    By default, this flag is set to No, indicating that this test will not report detailed diagnostics for the Maintenance Desktops measure. This means that the test, by default, will not capture and store the details of the desktops that were in Maintenance mode in a desktop pool, in the eG database. This default setting is ideal for large VDI infrastructures, where a single pool can contain hundreds of desktops, as it can help conserve space in the eG database and reduce the strain on the database. However, if your eG database is well-sized and you want to view the complete list of desktops that were in Maintenance mode in a desktop pool, enable the detailed diagnosis capability of the Maintenance Desktops measure by setting this flag to Yes.

    DD Frequency

    Refers to the frequency with which detailed diagnosis measures are to be generated for this test. The default is 3:1. This indicates that, by default, detailed measures will be generated every third time this test runs, and also every time the test detects a problem. You can modify this frequency, if you so desire. Also, if you intend to disable the detailed diagnosis capability for this test, you can do so by specifying none against DD Frequency.

    Detailed Diagnosis

    To make diagnosis more efficient and accurate, the eG Enterprise embeds an optional detailed diagnostic capability. With this capability, the eG agents can be configured to run detailed, more elaborate tests as and when specific problems are detected. To enable the detailed diagnosis capability of this test for a particular server, choose the On option. To disable the capability, click on the Off option.

    The option to selectively enable/disable the detailed diagnosis capability will be available only if the following conditions are fulfilled:

    • The eG manager license should allow the detailed diagnosis capability
    • Both the normal and abnormal frequencies configured for the detailed diagnosis measures should not be 0.
    Measurements made by the test
    Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

    Desktop source

    Indicates the source of this desktop pool.

     

    The numeric values and their corresponding State values are mentioned in the table below:

    State Numeric Value
    Remote Desktop Services 1
    vCenter (instant clone) 2
    vCenter (linked clone) 3
    vCenter 4
    Others 5

    Note:

    By default, this measure reports the above-mentioned states while indicating the source of this desktop pool. However, the graph of this measure will be represented using the corresponding numeric equivalents of the states as mentioned in the table above.

    Desktops with agent unreachable

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Agent unreachable state.

    Number

    Agent Unreachable status occurs when the View Connection Server is unable to establish communication with the View Agent on a VMware View virtual machine in a pool. The communication failure may occur due to one or more of the following reasons:

    • Virtual desktop computer is unreachable.

    • VDI desktop agent unreachable.

    • Virtual machine (VM) is unresponsive.

    • The operating system freezes or fails.

    • The virtual machine shuts down or boots up, the agent service is not running.

    • Incorrect network configuration or connection issues between View Connection Server and the View Agent.

    • Lookup failure on the machine for the DNS name of the Connection Server host.

    • The ports for JMS, RDP, or AJP13 communication being blocked by firewall rules.

    • The failure of the JMS router on the Connection Server host.

    Is provisioning enabled?

    Indicates whether/not provisioning of new virtual machines is enabled in this desktop pool.

     

    The numeric values that correspond to the above-mentioned states are as follows:

    State Numeric Value
    Enabled 1
    Disabled 0

    Note:

    By default, this measure reports the above-mentioned states while indicating the provisioning status of this desktop pool. However, the graph of this measure will be represented using the corresponding numeric equivalents of the states as mentioned in the table above.

    Provisioned desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Provisioned state.

    Number

    A non-zero value for this measure indicates that one/more desktops in the pool are powered-off or suspended.

    Desktops with agent disabled

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Agent Disabled state.

    Number

     

    Invalid IP desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Invalid IP state.

    Number

     

    Desktops where agent needs reboot

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Agent needs reboot state.

    Number

     

    Desktops with protocol failure

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Protocol failure state.

    Number

     

    Domain failure desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Domain failure state.

    Number

     

    Already used desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Already used state.

    Number

    If a desktop that is set to refresh on log off is reset, the desktop goes into the Already Used state.

    Desktops with configuration errors

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently experiencing configuration errors.

    Number

    A high value for this measure indicates that many errors occurred during desktop configuration. This is worrisome and should be investigated.

    Desktops with provisioning errors

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently experiencing provisioning errors.

    Number

    A high value for this measure indicates that many errors occurred during desktop provisioning. This is worrisome and should be investigated.

    Unassigned user connected desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this desktop pool that are currently in the Unassigned user connected state.

    Number

     

    Unassigned user disconnected desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this desktop pool that are currently in the Unassigned user disconnected state.

    Number

     

    Provisioning desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Provisioning state.

    Number

    A non-zero value for this measure indicates that desktops in the pool are being provisioned.

    Waiting for agent desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in Waiting for agent state.

    Number

     

    Startup desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Startup state.

    Number

     

    Is pool enabled?

    Indicates whether this desktop pool is enabled or not.

     

    This measure reports either Enabled or Disabled as the status of this desktop pool. The numeric values that correspond to the above-mentioned states are as follows:

    State Numeric Value
    Enabled 1
    Disabled 0

    Note:

    By default, this measure reports the above-mentioned states while indicating the status of this desktop pool. However, the graph of this measure will be represented using the corresponding numeric equivalents of the states as mentioned in the table above.

    Pool type

    Indicates the pool type.

     

    The values that this measure can report and their corresponding numeric values are listed in the table below:

    Measure Value Description Numeric Value
    Manual Manual desktop pools are a collection of existing vCenter Server virtual machines, physical computers, or third-party virtual machines. In automated or manual pools, each Windows machine is available for one user to access remotely at a time.  2
    RDS RDS desktop pools are not a collection of Windows machines, but instead, provide users with desktop sessions on RDS hosts. Multiple users can have desktop sessions on an RDS host simultaneously. 1
    Automated Desktop Pool   3

    Note:

    By default, this measure reports the above-mentioned Measure Values while indicating the pool type. However, in the graph of this measure, the same will be represented using the corresponding numeric equivalents only.

    Is pool entitled?

    Indicates whether any users or groups have been entitled to access this pool or not.

     

    This measure reports either Entitled or UnEntitled as the status of the user in this desktop pool. The numeric values that correspond to the above-mentioned states are as follows:

    State Numeric Value
    Entitled 1
    UnEntitled 0

    Note:

    By default, this measure reports the above-mentioned states while indicating the status of the user in this desktop pool. However, the graph of this measure will be represented using the corresponding numeric equivalents of the states as mentioned in the table above.

    Total entitled users in pool

    Indicates the total number of entitled users present in this pool.

    Number

    The detailed diagnosis of this measure displays the details of entitled users present in this desktop pool.

    Local sessions

    Indicates the total number of local sessions to the desktops in this pool.

    Number

    The details of the local sessions can be viewed in the detailed diagnosis.

    Remote sessions

    Indicates the total number of remote sessions to the desktops in this desktop pool.

    Number

    The details of the remote sessions can be viewed in the detailed diagnosis.

    Total desktops

    Indicates the total number of desktops in this pool.

    Number

    Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure, if enabled, to know the desktops in this pool.

    Connected desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are in active sessions and have active remote connections to a View client.

    Number

    The detailed diagnosis of this measure provides the details of the connected desktops.

    Disconnected desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are in active sessions but are disconnected from the View client.

    Number

    The detailed diagnosis of this measure provides the details of disconnected desktops.

    Idle desktops

    Indicates the number of idle desktops in this pool.

    Number

    Identify the idle desktops by viewing the detailed diagnosis of this measure.

    Percentage of disconnected desktops

    Indicates the percentage of disconnected desktops in this pool.

    Percent

    A value close to 100% for this measure could indicate that almost all the desktops in the pool are disconnected from the View client. This is a cause for serious concern and requires immediate attention.

    Desktops utilization

    Indicates the percentage of desktops actively used in this pool.

    Percent

    Ideally, the value of this measure should be high.

    Connected applications

    Indicates the number of applications in this pool that are in active sessions and have active remote connections to a View client.

    Number

     

    Disconnected applications

    Indicates the number of applications in this pool that are in active sessions but are disconnected from the View client.

    Number

     

    Ready desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are in the READY state currently.

    Number

     

    Error desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are in the Error state currently.

    Number

    A non-zero value for this measure is a cause for concern, as it indicates that one/more desktops in the pool have experienced an unknown error.

    Maintenance desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are in the Maintenance mode presently.

    Number

    When a desktop is in the Maintenance mode, users cannot log in or use that desktop.

    Deleting desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Deleting state.

    Number

    A non-zero value for this measure indicates that one/more desktops in the pool have been marked for deletion, and will be deleted soon.

    Customizing desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are presently in the Customizing state.

    Number

    A non-zero value for this measure indicates that one/more desktops in an automated pool are being customized.

    Provisioning desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Provisioning state.

    Number

    A non-zero value for this measure indicates that desktops in the pool are being provisioned.

    Provisioned desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Provisioned state.

    Number

    A non-zero value for this measure indicates that one/more desktops in the pool are powered-off or suspended.

    Desktops with provisioning errors

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently experiencing provisioning errors.

    Number

    A high value for this measure indicates that many errors occurred during desktop provisioning. This is worrisome and should be investigated.

    Unknown desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in an Unknown state.

    Number

    Ideally, the value of this measure should be 0.

    Available desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Available state.

    Number

    This refers to the number of desktops that are powered on and ready for an active connection.

    Already used desktops

    Indicates the number of desktops in this pool that are currently in the Already used state.

    Number

    If a desktop that is set to refresh on log off is reset, the desktop goes into the Already Used state. 

    Active entitled users utilization

    Indicates the percentage of entitled users currently active in this pool, who are accessing View via PCoIP.

    Percent

     

    Spare desktops

    Indicates the number of spare (powered on) desktops that are to be maintained in this pool.

    Number

    Generally, you want the number of spare desktops at least to equal the number of users that log in within a short time span (usually a few minutes). These reserves ensure that users have an available desktop. You should monitor user-login activity and adjust the settings accordingly.

    Maximum desktops

    Indicates the maximum number of desktops that can be accommodated in this pool.

    Number

     

    Minimum desktops

    Indicates the minimum number of desktops to be maintained in this pool.

    Number

     

    PCoIP Sessions

    Indicates the number of PCoIP sessions to the desktops in this desktop pool.

    Number

    The details of the PCoIP sessions can be viewed in the detailed diagnosis.

    Blast Sessions

    Indicates the number of Blast sessions to the desktops in this desktop pool.

    Number

    The details of the Blast sessions can be viewed in the detailed diagnosis.

    RDP sessions

    Indicates the number of RDP sessions to the desktops in this desktop pool.

    Number

    The details of the RDP sessions can be viewed in the detailed diagnosis.