Desktop Images Set as Image

Nerdio Manager provides a powerful tool that performs an extensive automation process to commit the Desktop Image changes to an image object. This includes many tasks you would have had to do manually like Sysprep and sealing the image. This would normally be done after you have made the updates to your image. Once you perform Set as image, the image object is created and is ready to be used either to build new host pools or to re-image existing host pools.

To set a desktop image:

  1. Navigate to Desktop Images.

  2. Locate the desktop image you wish to work with.

  3. From the action menu, select Power off & set as image or Set as image (according to the power state of this desktop image).

  4. Enter the following information:

    • Run the following scripted actions before set as image: Toggle on this option to run scripted action(s) before the set as image.

      Note: For example, you can run scripts to optimize the image, install software, or install updates.

      • From the drop-down menu, select the scripted action(s) you wish to run.

      • Pass AD credentials: Select this option if you want to use them to run the scripted actions.

    • Applications Management: Toggle this option on to specify the applications to deploy during creation.

      • Applications: In the applications list, select Add new application, and then from the drop-down list, select the application to include in this policy.

        Notes:

        • You may add as many applications as desired.

        • Drag and drop an application in the list to change its order on the list.

        • Select the "X" next to an application to remove it from the list.

      • Install/Uninstall: Select whether the deployment policy should install or uninstall the selected applications.

      • Reboot after installation: Select this option to place the host in drain mode and restart it when no sessions are present.

      • Show favorites only: Select this option to only display applications marked as favorites. Otherwise, you may search the list of applications.

    • Schedule: Toggle on the Schedule to perform the operations at a selected time(s). See Manage Schedules for Tasks for details about creating a schedule.

    • Security type: From the drop-down list, select the security option that best suits your desktop image VM.

      Note:

      • Standard is set by default. Additional security options are only available for generation 2 VMs with the Geographic distribution & Azure compute gallery option enabled.

      • The Trusted launch and Confidential virtual machines security options help improve the security of Azure generation 2 virtual machines. However, additional security features they provide also have some limitations, such as the lack of support for backup, managed disks, and ephemeral OS disks. To learn more, see:

    • OS State: From the drop-down list, select the OS state.

      Note:

      • Generalized images have had the machine and user-specific information removed by running a command on the VM.

      • Specialized images have not been through the process to remove machine and user-specific information.

    • Geographic distribution & Azure compute gallery: Select this option to store the image in Azure Compute Gallery and automatically distribute it to the selected Azure regions.

      • Azure Compute Gallery: From the drop-down list, select an existing Azure Compute Gallery or create a new one.

        Note: Only one Azure Computer Gallery can be selected. The existing Azure Compute Gallery must be in a linked resource group in the same Azure subscription as the image VM.

      • Azure Regions: From the drop-down list, select Azure regions where the Desktop Image version should be replicated.

        Note: The current Azure region must be part of the selection.

      • Custom (Stack HCI) Locations: From the drop-down list, select custom locations where the desktop image should be replicated.

    • Stage new image as inactive: Select this option to create the new image version without setting it as active.

      Note: Any existing configurations continue to use the current version of the image. See Stage Desktop Images for details about activating staged desktop images.

    • Save current image as a backup: Select this image to retain the existing image as a standalone object and not overwrite it with the new one.

    • Note: This image is not visible or manageable via Nerdio Manager, so be sure to delete it manually when it is no longer needed to avoid unnecessary Azure storage costs.

      If the current image is stored in Azure Compute Gallery, it is retained with an older version number. If the image is not stored in Azure Compute Gallery, you can find it in Azure portal>Images. It is listed under "Custom images" in the Nerdio Manager image selector drop-down list.

    • Install MSIX app attach certificates: Select this option to install all stored certificates on the image VM, if any.

    • Skip removal of local profiles: Select this option to bypass removing all local user profiles.

      Note: During the image creation process, Nerdio Manager removes all local user profiles. This increases the likelihood of Sysprep success. Selecting this option bypasses this step. If there are any partially installed APPX apps on the image VM, Sysprep does to remove them.

    • Leave desktop image VM running: Select this option to leave the VM running after the Set as image task completes.

      Note: This is useful if you want to push OS and application updates to the running VM.

    • Change log: Type the list of changes made to the image.

  5. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Run now (not scheduled) or Save & close (scheduled).

    You can see the job's progress in the logs. See Desktop Images Change Log Feature for details about the logs.