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JoJoGabor
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Can PCoIP sessions be configured with an idle time?

I am using PCoIP to connect to View 4.6. Is it possible to set a session idle time when using PCoIP, similarly to RDP. So if a user launches their View session, but minimises it, the session is still marked as connected and consumes a session. In this scenario, I want View to detect that the user is not actively using the session and disconnect it, then after a set amount of time, to log the session off.

I cant see any settings in GPO for this, but I havent tested if the Remote Desktop idle session settings work for PCoIP?

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stimmons
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The best method with PCOIP is to create an executable which you can turn into a screensaver SCR file.  The executable can can be setup to logff a user or disconnect them from the virtual desktop.

Set your virtual desktops to utilize this screensaver file and configure the screen saver timeout to be the idle time.  When it launches it runs the script and excecutes the code you put into the executable.

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Linjo
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Here is one way of doing it:

http://myvirtualcloud.net/?p=872

// Linjo

Best regards, Linjo Please follow me on twitter: @viewgeek If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".
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stimmons
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The best method with PCOIP is to create an executable which you can turn into a screensaver SCR file.  The executable can can be setup to logff a user or disconnect them from the virtual desktop.

Set your virtual desktops to utilize this screensaver file and configure the screen saver timeout to be the idle time.  When it launches it runs the script and excecutes the code you put into the executable.

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JoJoGabor
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I have tested this and it works like a dream. I can now configure idle times via GPO. Thanks for the tip. I'm sure the first method would have worked also but I like this method as it uses jsut the native Windows tools.

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JoJoGabor
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I am having trouble with the screensaver method, wondering if you had anything similar?

It works fine when setting the timeout to less than 20 minutes.

Over 20 minutes, PCoIP seems to black out the screen and the screensaver is not invoked.

If I leave it long enough to actually invoke, I am presented with a locked screen meaning the user needs to send ctrl-alt-ins to unlock.

And yes I have trawled through GPOs to ensure they are setup correctly.

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stimmons
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I am using an AutoIT script and it does the following:

$Response = MsgBox(1, "Session Timeout", "Your session has been idle and you will be logged out. Click 'Cancel' to return to your desktop.", 10)

If $Response = 2 Then

Else

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & 'tsdiscon.exe', "", @SW_HIDE)

EndIf

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JoJoGabor
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Why did you move away from the screensaver method? Did you experience some of the issues I am getting?

If you're using the AutoIT script, what determines if the session is idle?

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stimmons
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We didn't move away from this method. I use this script and compile it to an EXE and then rename it to an SCR in order to accomplish this task.

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JoJoGabor
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OK, but did you run into any issues when setting the idle time over 20 minutes? It seems that PCoIP blacks out the screen and prevents the screensaver from running. But over 60 minutes the screen locks.

I am testing but with these timeouts it obvisouly takes hours to get to the bottom of it!! Smiley Happy

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jatika
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2012 and i finally figured this out...

Ok-- so answering a couple questions in this thread- for the guy who had the 60 minute black screen, be sure you have disabled screensavers, and disabled all power options on the vm image. I ran into that issue and disabling power and such fixed everything.

anyway as far as idle logout-- its great the MS has the terminal services area in gpedit where you can specify idle time and logoff... no luck for pcoip as of yet, pcoip adm template didnt help there either, so... heres how i did it:

download psshutdown.exe from pstools... you dont need the whole package just the one...

drop that into your c drive or create a folder off c and drop the exe into that.

Now, create a user account, maybe a service account which is going to run a scheduled task. Needs to be an admin of the machine it will logoff, so I created a group and added that group to local administrators group on the image ... log in as that service account to the image. Create a scheduled task, configure it so the schedule tab shows run when idle- set the time to whatever you want (i started with 1 minute to make testing easier). save the task... i gave everyone control of the task too in security though i dont think i need to do that).

oh, the actual syntax of the command in the 'run' section of the task should be (path to exe)\psshutdown.exe -accepteula -o -f (accept the eula will be transparent, -o is logoff switch, and -f forces apps to close).

the key is the scheduled task MUST be created by the same user that it will run as.

Could be a different way, but just spent past 2 days and came up with this, it works I'm going with it.

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stimmons
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I am out of the office.

If this is a technology support emergency, please contact the VUMC Help Desk at 3-HELP. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Linda Smith or Jeremie Smith at 936-0642.

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