Turn off idle workstations

Turning off idle workstations is a simple but easy way to save money and resources both in the cloud and on-premise. The Idle workstation shutdown option in the Remote Edit Dashboard is a service that can be configured to monitor and shutdown workstations that have not been connected to by users. It’s configurable and flexible to ensure that you don't shut down workstations that are still in use. The idle workstation shutdown item in the ‘Quick alerts’ section allows users to:

See what workstations are going to be shut down within the next hour
See what workstations are protected from the idle workstation shutdown service
Enable/disable the idle workstation shutdown service
Delay an imminent shutdown on a workstation

Workstations will show up in the Pending shutdowns tab as they are marked for shutdown by the service. Any workstations that have been marked as ‘Protected’ from the service will show up under the Protected workstations tab. For more information on this see the Protect a workstation section.

Configuring the service

To customise the settings for the idle workstation shutdown service:

In the sidebar or navigation bar open the Scheduling drop-down
Select the Workstation option

Available Options

Enabled

If checked, the workstation shutdown tool is enabled and is allowed to run. This does not indicate if the service is active. The difference between these two terms is as follows:

Enabled - Service is permitted to run within the set hours
Active - Service is enabled and is within operating hours

When should the scan run

This option controls the start and stop time for the service. Between the start and stop hours, the service will operate and shut down any inactive workstations. If the start and stop time are set to the same time, the service will be active all the time.

PCoIP last session cool-down

This option controls how long a workstation should be without a PCoIP connection before it is classed as being inactive and is ready for shutdown.

Workstation power on cool-down

This option controls how long to wait after a workstation is turned on before it's allowed to be marked as inactive.

Shutdown delay

This option controls how long to wait before shutting down a workstation that has been flagged as idle.

Protect a workstation

Sometimes there may be a requirement to have the idle workstation running, but certain machines should be exempt from the service. For example, a workstation that is left on to carry out file transfers. In this case, a workstation can be marked as protected, which prevents the idle workstation shutdown service from monitoring or shutting down the system. To mark a workstation as protected:

Navigate to the Dashboard page
Scroll down to the Desktop status section
Select the desktop that should be turned on with the system
Select the Get info option. See the Workstation controls page for more
Scroll down to the Workstation settings section
Under the Inactive shutdown section, enable the Prevent inactive shutdown option