About Virtual Desktop Pools
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2
You can group identically configured virtual machines that are hosted on Remote Desktop Virtualization Host (RD Virtualization Host) servers into a virtual desktop pool and make that virtual desktop pool available to users through RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. Because the virtual machines are identically configured, the user sees the same virtual desktop, regardless of which virtual machine in the virtual desktop pool the user connects to.
The following are important considerations about a virtual desktop pool:
- The virtual machines in a virtual desktop pool should be identically configured, including which programs are installed.
- A virtual machine can be a member of only one virtual desktop pool at a time.
Important A virtual machine should not be both a member of a virtual desktop pool and assigned to a user as a personal virtual desktop.
- A virtual desktop pool is not specifically assigned to a user. Multiple users can use the same virtual desktop pool.
- Only one user can use a virtual machine in a virtual desktop pool at a time.
- You can make multiple virtual desktop pools available through RemoteApp and Desktop Connection. The user sees a different icon for each virtual desktop pool.
- Users should not save files on a virtual machine that is in a virtual desktop pool. If a user logs off from a virtual machine in a virtual desktop pool, the next time that the user logs on to the virtual desktop pool, the user might be connected to a different virtual machine in the virtual desktop pool.
Note If a user disconnects from a virtual machine in a virtual desktop pool, when the user reconnects to the virtual desktop pool, the user will be connected to the same virtual machine. A virtual machine in a virtual desktop pool can be configured to be automatically restored to its original state after the user logs off. Any changes that a user made while logged on are undone. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143453.