Configuring Advanced Settings for Desktop Groups

Configuring Advanced Settings for Desktop Groups

You can configure advanced settings such as access control, idle pool settings, logoff behavior, and client options using the Advanced Settings pages of the Create Desktop Group Wizard.

Configuring Access Control

If Access Gateway Advanced Edition is installed as part of your environment, use the Access Control page of the Create Desktop Group Wizard to specify the typesnof connections that can be used to access desktops. By default, all connections made through the Access Gateway Advanced Edition are allowed.

To configure access controlled by Access Gateway

1. To access desktops using connections made through Access Gateway Advanced Edition, select the Allow connections made through Access Gateway Advanced Edition (version 4.0 or later) check box. Go to Step 3.

2. To access desktops using connections other than those made through Access Gateway Advanced Edition, select the Allow all other connections check box.

3. If you selected Allow connections made through Access Gateway Advanced Edition (version 4.0 or later), choose one of the following:

• To restrict allowed connections to those that meet the criteria of specified filters, select Any connection that meets any of the following filters.

• To allow all connections, select Any connection.

Setting Up an Idle Pool

You can use the Idle Pool Settings page of the Create Desktop Group Wizard to configure how many idle desktops you want in your pool at certain times of the day. You can also configure a peak period to cover the time at which most users will be logging on to their desktops. This period starts at the beginning of your business day.

The desktops in this pool are kept in a powered-on state, ready for users to connect. When a user logs on, they are immediately presented with a desktop. You can modify idle pool settings after creating a desktop group, using the Modify desktop group properties task.

If you used the XenDesktop Setup Wizard to create desktops, the idle pool settings are automatically optimized for the number of desktops you created. To modify the settings, use the Modify desktop group properties task.

To set up an idle pool

1. Select your normal business days.

2. Select your time zone from the Time zone list.

3. Enter a start and end time for your normal business hours in the Start time and End time boxes.

4. Enter a time period to cover the peak period for users logging on, in hours, in the Peak period box. This peak period starts at the time you specify in the Start time box.

5. Enter the number of idle desktops you want available during business hours, in the Business hours box.

6. Enter the number of idle desktops you want available during your peak period, in the Peak time box.

7. Enter the number of idle desktops you want available out of business hours, in the Out of hours box.

To keep the same number of desktops in the pool at all times, enter the same time in both the Start time and End time boxes or an identical value for the number of desktops to keep in the idle pool in the Business hours, Peak time, and Out of hours boxes.

Configuring Logoff Behavior

You can configure what happens to a desktop when a user logs off, using the Logoff Behavior page of the Create Desktop Group Wizard. For assigned desktops, you can also configure what happens if a session is disconnected.

For pooled desktops, by default, the desktop becomes available to other users as soon as the current user logs off. Any change made to the system by the most recent user is retained, so this option is usually appropriate only for desktops that users cannot customize. Alternatively, you can choose to restart the desktop before making it available to other users.

For assigned desktops, by default, when the user logs off, the desktop is left powered-on and ready for the user to reconnect to. Alternatively, you can suspend the desktop until the next time the user tries to reconnect to it or shut down the desktop and restart it the next time the user tries to reconnect to it. If you specify that an assigned desktop should be suspended or shut down when the user logs off, you can also choose to suspend the desktop if the session is disconnected. By default, the desktop is left powered-on if the session is disconnected. You can modify logoff behavior settings after creating a desktop group, using the Modify desktop group properties task.

To configure logoff behavior for pooled desktops

1. If you want to stop and restart the desktop before making it available to other users, select Restart the virtual desktop.

2. If you want to make the desktop available to other users immediately, select Do nothing.

To configure logoff behavior for assigned desktops

1. If you want to leave the desktop powered on and ready for the user to reconnect, select Leave powered on.

2. If you want to suspend the desktop until the next time the user connects, select Suspend.

3. If you want to shutdown the desktop and restart it the next time the user connects. select Shut down.

4. If you selected Suspend or Shut down as the logoff behavior and you want to suspend the desktop when a session disconnects, select the Suspend virtual desktop when session disconnects check box.

Specifying Client Options

You can use the Clients page of the Create Desktop Group Wizard to specify the level of encryption you want a client to use when connecting to desktops in a group. You can also set the color depth used by desktops in a group.

To specify client options

1. Set the color depth for desktops in the group. Choose from 16 colors, 256 colors, High Color (16-bit), or True Color (24- bit). True color (24-bit) is the default and maximum supported color depth.

2. Set the encryption level for client connections. Choose from the following, but note that the first four options have been deprecated and Citrix recommends that you do not use them:

• Basic. Encrypts the ICA connection using a non-RC5 algorithm. It protects the data stream from being read directly, but is susceptible to decryption.

• 128-Bit Login Only (RC5). Encrypts the logon data with RC5 128-bit encryption and the ICA connection using basic encryption.

• 40-Bit (RC5). Encrypts the ICA connection with RC5 40-bit encryption.

• 56-Bit (RC5). Encrypts the ICA connection with RC5 56-bit encryption.

• 128-Bit (RC5). Encrypts the ICA connection with RC5 128-bit encryption. This is the default.