user initiated desktop refresh

[tfapps]

I'm looking for a way to have users initiate a refresh of their own systems if possible. Has anyone found a way to do this?  Maybe a script?

TIA

Tony

[tacticsbaby]

One thing you could try would be to enable 'refresh an logoff' option in View manager for your pool.

[tfapps]

I knew of the option to refresh on logoff but wanted to find a way to have a user 'revert the vm'  when they are done with a particular task.

[tacticsbaby]

How about a web application of some kind that allows the user to kick off a Power Shell script? Have a look at this: http://blog.vhowto.info/2011/01/06/vmware-view-4-5-powercli/

[tfapps]

I was thinking that would have to be the way to go.  I just wanted to see what other out there had for ideas and if anyone has run across this scenario before.

Thanks for your help.

Tony

[tacticsbaby]

Thanks. A nice update to View added a more robust structure for applying permissions to objects in View. If you get your permissions tight then maybe you can provide access to the View manager to your users. This may be overkill but perhaps with groups and good permissions it would make sense as well.

[tfapps]

I defiitely wanted to avoid having them do anything with the View Admin portal.

[mittim12]

Instead of going through the script why not just give them the permission in the admin interface of View?   I'm sure you could lock it down where they could only manipulate their VM.  

[tacticsbaby]

Isn't that why folders have been implemented in View 4.6? You put your VM(s) into the folder and set the permissions specifically on those objects contained therein.

[mittim12]

oops sorry I guess I was late to the party with my suggestion      Good luck

[tacticsbaby]

NP Mittim.

[tfapps]

I just tried testing folders out and it looks as if you can only add entire pools to folders and not desktops individually.  Anyone know if this is the case.  Obviously we would not want to give someone access to refresh someone elses VM in the same pool.

[admin]

You are right in that currently you can only group Pools into folders, you couldn't put desktops

of a Pool into different folders.

The request for having a refresh option available to the end user has been put into our feature

backlog for future development. We also need to make sure we probably schedule these

refresh request to avoid a refresh storm on the backend storage, which make supporting such

feature a bit more tricky than it appeared.

May I confirm that this option is needed only to dedicated pools?

[tacticsbaby]

With the general question of allowing users the ability to refresh their own desktops I was wondering if VMware has any plans for some type of user self service portal? Users could perform varing 'admin' type operations on their VMs, thus reducing calls to helpdesk. So instead of going to https:myconnectionserver/admin the end users could go to https:myconnectionserver/useradmin or something like that. Is this realistic? Thoughts?

[tfapps]

I cant see this option needed on anything but dedicated pools.  In my opinion it seems like it would be a good option to have users to revert their own desktops if needed.

[mittim12]

I've always looked at a refresh your desktop as a admin feature.   I think having user's refresh their own desktops could potentially lead to some helpdesk calls.   I could easily see a user doing a refresh and then trying to figure out why certian changes are no longer present.  

I'm not saying that some user's couldn't handle the responsibility but I bet they are in the miniority.

[tacticsbaby]

In general I think you are correct mittim12. Giving too much power to the average user is not a good idea. A feature like this may be better suited to power users or department admins that do this sort of thing over and over again.

[tfapps]

I agree with both of you, but I do like the idea of giving a power user a higher level of control over there desktop though. Sort of a VMware Workstation experience. I would like to see this added to the View client in some sort of admin menu.