[UPDATED]: Leverage start VM on connect for pooled host pools and Azure GOV cloud!

Microsoft

The start VM on connect (preview) feature lets you save costs by allowing end users to turn on their VMs only when they need them. You can then turn off VMs when they're not needed. We have a couple of updates to share:

 

  1. Customers in Azure GOV cloud can now leverage start VM on connect for both host pool types.
  2. You can now enable start VM on connect for pooled host pools through PowerShell or RestAPI. Use Update-AzWvdHostPool Cmdlet to enable the feature. See more details in our documentation. We will update you in this forum when the portal setting becomes available.
  3. [UPDATE] Azure Portal setting now available. After you have set-up the custom RBAC role to allow the service to power manage your VMs navigate to an existing pooled host pool and look for start VM on connect. Here as example screenshots in different languages:

startVMonconnect.JPG

 

 

IMPORTANT: If you haven't started preview yet remember to set-up the custom RBAC role first. Review limitations, pre-requisites and setup guidance in our documentation.

 

You prefer a walk through video? Visit this Azure Academy YouTube video.

 

For feedback and suggestions reply to this post or create a new one. 

8 Replies
A long awaited feature... have shared with my linkedin followers.
Is this only for personal pools or can it also work for pooled pools as well?

If it works for pooled pools, how does it know when to shutdown?
I think this blog post should be pretty clear. If you just read the subject line you can see that the announce is about adding support to pooled host pools. The feature doesn't stop VMs.....more information here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/start-virtual-machine-connect

@Eva Seydl That makes total sense now. 

 

Question:

So if I have a 2 pooled VMs in a host pool. I set it to depth first with max session 5 users.

If the two VMs in the pool are off, when the first user conencts, it would turn one machine on, but as long as they are under 5 users connecting, it would still use that single machine.  If the 6th user connects, then it would turn the second machine on?

 

Sorry just trying to evaluate the best scenario.   Normally we use breadth-first but depth first may be a viable option with this new feature.

 

This is wonderful... Thank you very much. Keep up the great work WVD team :)
Hello everybody :)! I am looking for more feedback on your experience with start VM on connect. I would be happy if you could answer this survey: https://forms.office.com/r/SRHMS8DVWk

How do we limit access to start VM connect to one user only?@Eva Seydl