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Standard and extended VDI desktops

The Standard and extended VDI desktops module manages the virtual desktops published by the associated Systancia Workplace server. It tells two natures of desktop apart: standard VDI desktops, served by an application server, and extended VDI desktops, cloned from a reference machine and possibly dedicated to one user.

Prerequisite: Workplace association

This module only appears when the Workplace association is active and console merging is active too. The desktops managed here are the same as those of Workplace: a change made in either product shows in the other — the screens themselves may differ slightly from one product to the other.

The functional side is documented on the Workplace side

The desktop life cycle, the localizations, the customisation scripts and the clone naming rules are shared between both products: their reference documentation is the Workplace one. This page describes the screen as it appears in the Bastion console.

Desktop list

Column Description
Name Label of the desktop, preceded by an icon telling a standard desktop from an extended one. When a task is running on its clones, progress appears in red, preceded by Creating: or Removal:.
(operating system) Name and icon of the system. For a standard desktop it is shown in greyed italics.
Referencing date Date on which the desktop was referenced.
Static VDI Marks an extended desktop dedicated to a user. Not applicable to a standard desktop.

As long as no desktop exists, the grid shows No VDI Desktop. The search field, whose placeholder is Search, filters 700 ms after the last keystroke or immediately with Enter. The grid footer offers an Items per page: selector set to 15, 25 or 50.

An unexpected pagination label

The footer counter reads Filter n - n of n: the product uses the word "filter" there, where it does mean the desktops.

Filters

A collapsible band offers two checkboxes:

Checkbox Effect
Display only desktops that are being created Keeps only the desktops whose clones are being created.
Hide standard VDI desktops Keeps only the extended desktops.

Add a desktop

The + button opens a two-entry submenu: New extended VDI desktop and New standard VDI desktop.

Message Case
You must enable the VDI service to add a new desktop. The Workplace publication service is not active.
No applications server available. You should first configure a server. Adding a standard desktop with no application server declared.
No virtual machine host installed Adding an extended desktop with no virtual machine host. Declare a host first in Virtual machines hosts.

Extended VDI desktop

The form unfolds across several sections, walked through with Previous and Next:

Section Content
Desktop type Nature of the desktop. Present when editing only.
General Information Identity of the desktop.
Display settings How the desktop is presented to the user.
Machine setup Parameters of the cloned machine.
Localization Clone pools of the desktop. A static localization dedicates a clone to a user.
Scripts Customisation scripts applied to the clones.
Settings Parameters passed to those scripts.
Naming Naming rules of the clones in the directory.
Summary The choices, recalled before saving.

Standard VDI desktop

The form is markedly shorter: it only carries the identity of the desktop and its presentation, with no localization, script or naming.

Edit a desktop

Select a desktop then click the Properties icon (or double-click). The form that opens is the one of the desktop type.

A desktop being created cannot be edited

While a clone creation or removal task is running, the console answers This desktop is in creation. Therefore, you can't edit it. — and the desktop can neither be deleted nor cleared.

Act on the clones

These three toolbar buttons only concern extended, non-static desktops.

Button Effect
Clear desktop Destroys every clone of the desktop, after the confirmation All the clones in the desktop will be destroyed. Are you sure you want to empty this desktop? The operation carries on in the background.
Deploy Opens the deployment wizard, which produces new clones from the reference machine.
Update Opens the wizard that regenerates the existing clones from the current reference.

The Other actions menu

The Other actions button gathers the actions requiring a selected desktop:

Action Description
New subscription Opens the Workplace contract form, pre-filled with the retained desktop — see Access to Workplace contracts.
Clones list Opens the detailed view of the desktop clones. Not applicable to a standard desktop.
Report Opens the deployment report of the desktop. Not applicable to a standard or static desktop.

Delete a desktop

Select the desktop then click ×. The confirmation is Are you sure you want to delete this Desktop?, preceded for a desktop with clones by WARNING: All clones associated with this desktop will be destroyed. With no selection, the console answers You need to select a desktop to delete.

Two desktops cannot be deleted

The original desktop of the product — the one that exists before any creation — cannot be deleted, and some of its options are not offered. A desktop whose clones are being created cannot be deleted either.

See also