Configure User Session Time Limits

Warning: Nerdio Manager does not install the BgInfo Azure extension during any automation or management process. However, the BgInfo extension may be installed either through a scripted action directly, or unintentionally, as stated in the Azure PowerShell module issues report.

Nerdio Manager allows you to apply host session limits to individual host pools at the host pool level. This enables you to:

  • Optimize your AVD deployment and auto-scaling.

  • Conserve resources by signing out users who leave their sessions open or leave themselves in a disconnected state.

Note:

  • By default, the session time limits option is disabled. Session time limits do not apply, and the system accepts any changes that users make to a single image or through the group policy.

  • Nerdio Manager applies session time limits through local policy changes on the session host VM. Session states are managed by the Windows OS rather than Nerdio Manager.

To set the user session time limits for full desktops:

  1. Locate the host pool you want to work with.

  2. From the action menu, select Properties > Session time limits.

  3. Enter the following information:

    • Enable user session time limits: Toggle this option On.

    • Log off Disconnected sessions after: From the drop-down list, select the time to sign out disconnected users.

      Note: By default, users can disconnect from an AVD session without signing out and ending the session. When a session is in a disconnected state, running programs are kept active even though the user is no longer actively connected. By default, these disconnected sessions are maintained for an unlimited time on the server.

      If you enable this policy setting, disconnected sessions are deleted from the server after the specified amount of time. To enforce the default behavior that disconnected sessions are maintained for an unlimited time, select Never. If you have a console session, disconnected session time limits do not apply.

    • Disconnect Idle Session After:: From the drop-down list, select the maximum amount of time that an active session can be idle (without user input) before it is automatically disconnected.

      Note: If you enable this policy setting, the idle session is disconnected after the specified amount of time. The user receives a warning two minutes before the session disconnects, which allows the user to press a key or move the mouse to keep the session active. If you have a console session, idle session time limits do not apply.

    • Disconnect Active session after: From the drop-down list, select the maximum amount of time that a session can be active before it is automatically disconnected. The recommended setting: Not configured.

      Note: If you enable this policy setting, active sessions are automatically disconnected after the specified amount of time. The user receives a warning two minutes before the session disconnects, which allows the user to save open files and close programs. If you have a console session, active session time limits do not apply.

    • Log off Empty RemoteApp sessions after: From the drop-down list, select the amount of time a user's RemoteApp session remains in a disconnected state after closing all RemoteApp programs before the session is signed out.

      Note: By default, if a user closes a RemoteApp program, the session is disconnected but it is not signed out. If you enable this policy setting, when a user closes the last running RemoteApp program associated with a session, the RemoteApp session remains in a disconnected state until the time limit that you specify is reached. When the time limit specified is reached, the RemoteApp session is signed out. If the user starts a RemoteApp program before the time limit is reached, the user reconnects to the disconnected session on the AVD session host VM.

      If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, when a user closes the last RemoteApp program, the session is disconnected but it is not signed out.

    • Log off, instead of disconnecting, idle and active sessions: From the drop-down list, select the option to specify whether to end an active or idle session that has timed out instead of disconnecting it.

      Note: You can use this setting to sign out a session after time limits for active or idle sessions are reached. By default, sessions are disconnected (not signed out) when they reach their time limits.

      If you disable this policy setting, idle and active sessions that reach their time limit are disconnected even if specified otherwise by the server administrator.

      This policy setting only applies to time-out limits that are explicitly set by the administrator. This policy setting does not apply to time-out events that occur due to connectivity or network conditions.

    • Apply to existing hosts: Select this option to apply the modified session time limits to existing hosts.

      • Restart VMs: Select this option to restart session host VMs after updating session timeouts.

      • Process Host in Groups Of: Type the number of concurrent operations when applying the change.

      • Number of failures before aborting: Type the number of failed tasks before the process stops.

      • Schedule: Toggle on the Schedule to apply the changes at a selected time.

        • Start Date: Type the date to start.

        • Time Zone: From the drop-down list, select the time zone for the Start time.

        • Start Time: From the drop-down lists, select the time to start.

        • Repeat: From the drop-down list, select the recurring schedule, if desired.

          Note: The drop-down has the option After Patch Tuesday. This allows you to create a recurring schedule based on Patch Tuesday.

          • Days After: If you selected After Patch Tuesday, type the number of days after Patch Tuesday to run the scheduled task.

  4. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Save or Save & close.