VDI Allocations

Overview

VDI Allocations represent the assignment of a VDI Pool instance to a specific user. When a user requests a virtual desktop session, HPE Morpheus Software creates an allocation that binds an available Instance from the pool to that user for the duration of their session (non-persistent pools) or indefinitely (persistent pools).

Allocations are managed automatically by HPE Morpheus Software but can be monitored and manually managed by administrators.

Allocation Lifecycle

Each allocation progresses through the following statuses:

Status

Description

Next State

preparing

Instance is being provisioned or started for the user

available / failed

available

Instance is ready and waiting for user connection

reserved

reserved

Instance is actively assigned to a user session

releasing / shutdown

starting

Instance is being powered on (persistent pools, returning user)

reserved

releasing

Session has ended; instance is being released back to the pool

(destroyed for non-persistent)

shutdown

Instance has been shut down (persistent pools after timeout)

starting (on next request)

repossess

Allocation is being forcibly reclaimed

(destroyed)

failed

Instance failed to provision or start

(requires admin intervention)

unknown

State cannot be determined

(requires admin intervention)

Allocation Behavior by Pool Type

Non-Persistent Pools

  • When a user requests a desktop, an available allocation is assigned

  • When the lease timeout expires after disconnect, the Instance is destroyed

  • A new Instance is provisioned to maintain the pool’s minimum size

  • User data is not preserved between sessions

Persistent Pools

  • On first request, a new allocation is created and bound to the user permanently

  • When the lease timeout expires, the Instance is shut down (not destroyed)

  • On next request, the same Instance is powered back on

  • User data, installed applications, and customizations are preserved

Viewing Allocations

Administrators can view allocations through:

Via VDI Pool Detail

  1. Navigate to Tools > VDI Pools

  2. Select a pool

  3. View the Allocations tab showing all current allocations for that pool

Via API

GET /api/vdi-allocations returns all allocations with filtering support:

  • Filter by pool: ?vdiPoolId=<id>

  • Filter by user: ?userId=<id>

  • Filter by status: ?status=reserved

Allocation Fields

Each allocation record contains:

  • Pool — The parent VDI Pool

  • Instance — The assigned HPE Morpheus Software Instance

  • User — The assigned user (null if unassigned/available)

  • Status — Current allocation status

  • Persistent — Whether this is a persistent allocation

  • Recyclable — Whether the allocation can be recycled (reused)

  • Release Date — When the allocation will be released (after timeout)

  • Last Reserved — Timestamp of last user assignment

  • Sessions — Active VDI sessions on this allocation

Lease Timeout Behavior

The lease timeout controls when allocations are released after user disconnect:

  • Non-persistent pools: Recommended timeout of ~10 minutes. After expiry, the VM is destroyed.

  • Persistent pools: Recommended timeout of ~1 hour. After expiry, the VM is shut down.

Important

Lease timeouts auto-extend for as long as the user is logged into or browsing any area of the HPE Morpheus Software application. Once the user closes their browser or logs out, timeouts stop auto-extending.

Pool Sizing and Allocations

Allocations interact with pool sizing parameters:

  • Minimum Idle — Minimum number of available (unassigned) allocations to maintain. HPE Morpheus Software proactively provisions instances to meet this threshold.

  • Initial Pool Size — Number of instances provisioned when the pool is created.

  • Maximum Pool Size — Hard cap on total allocations (reserved + available).

When an allocation is released (non-persistent), the pool controller checks if the available count has dropped below the minimum idle threshold and provisions replacements.

Managing Allocations

Releasing an Allocation

Administrators can force-release an allocation:

  • This disconnects any active user session

  • For non-persistent pools: triggers instance destruction

  • For persistent pools: triggers instance shutdown

Viewing Session Details

Each allocation tracks its VDI sessions (VdiSession records) which contain:

  • Session start/end times

  • Connection protocol (RDP, VNC)

  • Client information

  • Session duration

Local User Creation

The localUserCreated field tracks whether HPE Morpheus Software has created the user’s local account on the VDI desktop. This ensures:

  • Windows domain credentials or local accounts are configured on first use

  • Subsequent sessions reuse the existing local account

  • User profiles are available immediately on connection

Troubleshooting

  • Allocation stuck in “preparing”: Check the Instance provisioning status in Provisioning > Instances. The underlying VM may have failed to provision.

  • Allocation stuck in “releasing”: The Instance destruction may be failing. Check cloud connectivity and VM power state.

  • No available allocations: Pool may be at maximum capacity or minimum idle threshold is set too low for demand.

  • User cannot connect: Verify the allocation status is “reserved” and the Instance is powered on. Check Guacamole connectivity.

  • Persistent allocation not preserving data: Ensure the pool type is set to Persistent and the Instance is shutting down (not being destroyed).