Skip to content

Conversation

Copilot
Copy link

@Copilot Copilot AI commented Oct 16, 2025

Overview

This PR implements the ability for operators to choose the host pool management type during AVD Landing Zone Accelerator deployment, addressing the need to support both manual session host registration and automated session host provisioning (Preview).

Problem

Currently, the AVD Landing Zone Accelerator only creates host pools without session host configuration, which requires manual addition of session hosts using a registration key. Operators who need the new Azure Virtual Desktop session host configuration feature (which enables automated provisioning) must create an additional host pool manually after deployment, leading to:

  • Increased manual steps and complexity
  • Additional time and resources spent on post-deployment configuration
  • Redundant host pools in the environment

Solution

Added a new dropdown control in the deployment wizard's "Host pool settings" section that allows operators to select:

  • Without Session Host Configuration (Default): Creates a host pool that requires manual session host registration using a registration key (current behavior)
  • With Session Host Configuration (Preview): Creates a host pool with Azure's new session host configuration feature enabled, allowing automated session host provisioning

Changes

Portal UI (workload/portal-ui/portal-ui-baseline.json)

  • Added "Host pool management type" dropdown control in the Management Plane step
  • Included descriptive tooltips and an informational message for the preview feature
  • Linked to Azure documentation for guidance
  • Added output parameter mapping

Bicep Templates

  • AVM Host Pool Module (avm/1.0.0/res/desktop-virtualization/host-pool/main.bicep):

    • Added managedBy parameter with allowed values: Unmanaged and AutomaticSessionHostConfiguration
    • Updated API version from 2025-03-01-preview to 2025-04-01-preview to support the managedBy property
    • Added the property to the host pool resource definition
  • Management Plane Module (workload/bicep/modules/avdManagementPlane/deploy.bicep):

    • Added hostPoolManagedBy parameter
    • Passed parameter through to the AVM host pool module
  • Baseline Deployment (workload/bicep/deploy-baseline.bicep):

    • Added avdHostPoolManagedBy parameter with default value Unmanaged
    • Passed parameter to the management plane module

Screenshots

The implementation matches the Azure Portal's native behavior shown in the issue screenshots, where the "Uses Session Host Configuration" field indicates whether a host pool has this capability enabled.

Backward Compatibility

Fully backward compatible

  • Default value is Unmanaged, maintaining current behavior
  • Existing deployments and automation continue to work without modification
  • No breaking changes to existing parameters or resources

Benefits

  • Reduces manual steps: Admins can enable session host configuration from the start
  • Improves deployment efficiency: Aligns with enterprise automation goals
  • Avoids redundant resources: No need to create additional host pools post-deployment
  • Provides flexibility: Operators can choose based on their deployment scenario and automation requirements

Testing

  • ✅ Bicep compilation successful for all modified files
  • ✅ JSON syntax validation passed
  • ✅ Parameter flow verified from UI through all deployment layers
  • ✅ Automated code review completed with no issues

Related Documentation

Closes #[issue-number]

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

  • aka.ms
    • Triggering command: bicep build workload/bicep/modules/avdManagementPlane/deploy.bicep (dns block)
    • Triggering command: bicep build workload/bicep/deploy-baseline.bicep (dns block)
    • Triggering command: bicep build avm/1.0.0/res/desktop-virtualization/host-pool/main.bicep (dns block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

Original prompt

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Option to Select Host Pool Type During Deployment</issue_title>
<issue_description>### Describe the feature end to end, including deployment scenario details under which the feature would occur.

Enhance the AVD Landing Zone Accelerator (LZA) deployment wizard to allow operators to choose the type of host pool to provision.
Currently, the accelerator creates a session host pool without session host configuration, which only supports manual addition of session hosts using a registration key.
Proposed improvement:
Add a dropdown in the “Create Session Hosts” wizard to select the host pool type:

  • With Session Host Configuration (enables automated session host provisioning) [Preview]
  • Without Session Host Configuration (current default behavior)

This ensures flexibility for different deployment scenarios and avoids creating additional host pools post-deployment.

Image Image

Why is this feature important. Describe why this would be important for your organization and others. Would this impact similar orgs in the same way?

  • Reduces manual steps and complexity for admins who need session host configuration enabled from the start.
  • Improves deployment efficiency and aligns with enterprise automation goals. Streamlines AVD deployments for enterprises and partners.
  • Avoids creating redundant host pools, saving time and resources.

Please provide the correlation id associated with your error or bug.

xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

Can you describe any alternatives that you have taken since this feature does not exist?

Teams currently create a separate host pool manually after deployment to enable session host configuration. Or they use the default host pool without session host configuration and manually register hosts.

Feature Implementation

No Feature Implementation Yet.
Requires UI enhancement in the accelerator wizard and backend logic to support host pool type selection.
```</issue_description>

## Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

<comments>
</comments>

Fixes #834


💬 Share your feedback on Copilot coding agent for the chance to win a $200 gift card! Click here to start the survey.

@Copilot Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Enhance deployment wizard to select host pool type Add option to select host pool management type during deployment Oct 16, 2025
@Copilot Copilot AI requested a review from danycontre October 16, 2025 13:16
Copilot finished work on behalf of danycontre October 16, 2025 13:16
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

None yet

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

Option to Select Host Pool Type During Deployment

2 participants