Specifications

Pools for Task Workers
You can standardize on stateless desktop images for task workers so that the image is always in a well-known,
easily supportable configuration and so that workers can log in to any available desktop.
Because task workers perform repetitive tasks within a small set of applications, you can create stateless
desktop images, which help conserve storage space and processing requirements. Use the following pool
settings:
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Create an automated pool so that desktops can be created when the pool is created or can be generated
on demand based on pool usage.
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Use floating assignment so that users log in to any available desktop. This setting reduces the number of
desktops required if everyone does not need to be logged in at the same time.
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Create View Composer linked-clone desktops so that desktops share the same base image and use less
storage space in the datacenter than full virtual machines.
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Determine what action, if any, to take when users log off. Disks grow over time. You can conserve disk
space by refreshing the desktop to its original state when users log off. You can also set a schedule for
periodically refreshing desktops. For example, you can schedule desktops to refresh daily, weekly, or
monthly.
Pools for Knowledge Workers and Power Users
Knowledge workers need to be able to create complex documents and have them persist on the desktop. Power
users need to be able to install their own applications and have them persist. Depending on the nature and
amount of personal data that must be retained, the desktop can be stateful or stateless.
Because power users and knowledge workers, such as accountants, sales managers, marketing research
analysts, need to be able to create and retain documents and settings, you create dedicated-assignment
desktops for them. For knowledge workers do not need user-installed applications except for temporary use,
you can create stateless desktop images and save all their personal data outside of the virtual machine, on a
file server or in an application database. For other knowledge workers and for power users, you can create
stateful desktop images. Use the following pool settings:
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Use dedicated assignment so that each knowledge worker or power user logs in to the same desktop every
time.
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Use vStorage thin provisioning so that at first, each desktop uses only as much storage space as the disk
needs for its initial operation.
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If knowledge workers do not need user-installed applications except for temporary use, you can create
View Composer linked-clone desktops. These stateless desktop images share the same base image and
use less storage space than full virtual machines.
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If you use View Composer linked-clone desktops, either implement a roaming or virtual profile based
solution to store user data centrally or configure a persistent disk for the desktop. Keep in mind, however,
that after you refresh or recompose a desktop, the centrally stored data and persistent disk are retained,
but the disk that contains the operating system and applications is not retained.
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For power users and knowledge workers who need to install their own applications, which adds data to
the operating system disk, create full virtual machine desktops. These users need stateful desktop images.
VMware View Architecture Planning
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