Implement autoscaling in host pools

To implement autoscaling in host pools for Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop, you can follow the steps outlined below. Autoscaling allows you to automatically adjust the number of virtual machines (VMs) in a host pool based on user demand, optimizing resource utilization and cost efficiency.

Step 1: Set up Azure Monitor

1. Create an Azure Log Analytics workspace:

az monitor log-analytics workspace create --resource-group --workspace-name --location


2. Enable Azure Monitor for your host pool:

az monitor diagnostic-settings create --resource-uri --name "AzureMonitor" --workspace --logs '[{"category": "SessionAutoScale", "enabled": true}]'


Step 2: Configure Session Autoscaling

1. Determine the scaling limits and thresholds based on your requirements and user patterns. For example, you may want to scale up when CPU usage exceeds 70% and scale down when CPU usage drops below 30%.
2. Retrieve the session host pool properties:

az desktop virtual-machine list --resource-group --host-pool --query [].{VirtualMachineId:id} --output json


3. Create a session autoscale policy in Azure Monitor, specifying the scaling limit rules and thresholds. Use the following HTML code to create the autoscale policy:


1.0



CpuPercentage
WVDSessionHosts
GreaterThan 70 Average
PT1M
PT15M


Increase
ChangeCount
1
PT10M




CpuPercentage
WVDSessionHosts
LessThan 30 Average
PT1M
PT15M


Decrease
ChangeCount
1
PT10M





4. Create the autoscale policy in Azure Monitor:

az monitor autoscale create --resource-group --enabled true --autoscale-name --target-resource-id --autoscale-profiles "default"="[inline-autoscale-policy]"


Step 3: Verify Autoscaling

1. Monitor and analyze the autoscale events and metrics using Azure Monitor:

az monitor autoscale show --resource-group --autoscale-name


2. Review the session host pool logs to ensure autoscaling is working correctly:

az monitor log-analytics workspace query --workspace --query "WVDSessionHosts | order by TimeGenerated desc | limit 50"


By implementing autoscaling in host pools for Azure Virtual Desktop, you can dynamically adjust resources to meet user demand efficiently. Ensure you fine-tune the autoscale policies based on your specific requirements and load patterns.