Question/Suggestion : Planned maintenance mode

[Sugarpillar]

Hello.

I use Horizon 7 and I'd like to know if there's a way (or if it would be a good idea to implement it) for a planned maintenance mode.

Ex : I have a pool of VMs and they are occupied most of the time. I can't kick people out for what i have to do (also, rude) but i'd like to plan to put them in maintenance mode, one by one, as soon as someone logs off so i can plan to do what is needed on all of them in the end.

With some extra feature like sending me an email if one of them got freed and switched to MM, that would help a lot.

Thank you.

[agalliasistju]

Sugarpillar​ What is it that you are trying to do?  It might help us brainstorm to figure out your best route.  For example, Recompose, Refresh, options for the VMs are customizable to wait until the user logs off before it proceeds with the task.

[Sugarpillar]

Well if the option exists already somewhere for me to automatically put the VM in maintenance mode on next user logoff, i'd like to know how. And yeah, with an alert email if possible.

[Sugarpillar]

So uh .. no?

[Sugarpillar]

Still asking about this .. in case my request isn't clear, don't hesitate to ask me the details.

[agalliasistju]

Are these linked clone VMs?  Are you trying to do something other than Refresh, Recompose, or Delete the VMs after logoff?

[Sugarpillar]

It's the same account on a serie of 12 VM for general purpose and, as mentionned in the original thread, it is to plan an automatic maintenance mode (exactly that, as in preventing the user to log back in this one in particular) + sending me an email warning me of its availability.

[agalliasistju · Accepted solution]

In Horizon you can put a VM in MM when the user is still connected to it.  It will not disconnect them or log them off.  However, after they disconnect or logoff they will not be able to return to that VM.  Is that sufficient for your needs?  Only thing left to do is monitor the VM for the logoff or disconnect.

If you choose this route we could do a powercli script on your Horizon broker to look for VMs that meet the criteria: In MM and no user connection.

[BenFB]

What you are asking for does not natively exist. Can you help us understand why you want to place VMs in maintenance mode? Is it to push a new image or to limit connections during certain hours of the day?

Another option would be to disable the pool and you could script and automate this. It will allow users to stay connected but any new connections or reconnects to disconnected sessions won't be allowed.

[Sugarpillar]

agalliasistju​ "put a VM in MM when the user is still connected to it.  It will not disconnect them or log them off"

Are you sure about that? I was certain putting a VM in MM would kick a regular user out of session .. i've been mislead if that's the case!

If it is indeed correct, all i would need is to put the VM in question in MM at the end of my shift so next thing in the morning, the VM would be ready for me to do the necessary changes.

.. that, assuming the user properly logs off and not get a session time-out (i guess?). Will they be able to log back from the same terminal but be redirected in another available VM or will it try to reconnect to the same one again?

Edit : I've checked everything and how MM works now and it seems it's exactly how yo usaid.

When the other IT staff used to work in a V5 or V6 of horizon, going into MM would kick the user out so that's why it wasn't the best solution to my problem.

But thanks, now it's gonna be wayyyy easier.

[Sugarpillar]

BenFB​ "Can you help us understand why you want to place VMs in maintenance mode?"

It's basically an operation relative to printers, a verification on a software licence, some other things.

But the terminals are used by medical staff so, sometimes, it can be a 24/7 guard for some specific terminals and no one is around to be .. "accurate" enough to pinpoint on which VM they are.

It's very basic and mundane but i don't enjoy having a problem lingering for weeks, months even.

[BenFB]

Have you looked in to setting the VMs to refresh on log off? If needed you can even set a post-synchronization script to run after the VM is refreshed to do those manual tasks. Virtual desktop management is much easier and it provides a more consistent user experience when your virtual desktops are all non-persistent and reset.