Overview
Softdrive Fleets allow administrators to configure inactivity timers that automatically disconnect inactive sessions or power off idle virtual machines.
These timers help optimize compute usage and improve efficiency in shared, non-persistent virtual desktop environments.
Two inactivity timers are available:
- Idle Disconnect Timer – Determines how long a user can remain inactive before the session disconnects
- Idle Power-Off Timer – Determines how long the VM can remain idle before it shuts down automatically
Applies To
- Softdrive Fleets
- Softnet Dashboard
- Non-persistent virtual desktops
- Shared or shift-based environments
Prerequisites
- Access to the Softnet Dashboard
- Administrator permissions for the fleet
- An existing Softdrive Fleet
Procedure
1. Access Your Fleet
- Log in to the Softdrive Dashboard
- Navigate to:
More → Fleets - Select the fleet you want to configure
The fleet overview displays:
- Template
- Performance Tier
- Users
- Computers
- Configuration
2. Open Fleet Configuration
- Click the Configuration section in the fleet overview
- The fleet configuration window will open
3. Configure the Idle Disconnect Timer
The Idle Disconnect Timer determines how long a session can remain inactive before the user is disconnected while keeping the VM powered on.
This is useful in shared environments where inactive sessions should be released quickly without shutting down the VM.
Select a value from the dropdown menu:
4. Configure the Idle Power-Off Timer
The Idle Power-Off Timer determines how long the VM can remain idle before it automatically powers off.
- The session must already be disconnected before this timer begins
- Powering off the VM resets it back to the original fleet template state
Select a value from the dropdown menu:
5. Apply the Configuration
- Select the desired values for both timers
- Click:
Update configuration - Close the configuration window
Softdrive will apply the inactivity timer settings to all virtual machines inside the fleet.
Behavior Summary
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| User idle exceeds Idle Disconnect Timer | Session disconnects, VM remains powered on |
| User idle exceeds Idle Power-Off Timer | VM powers off and resets to original template state |
| User reconnects after VM powers off | A new fleet session is created |
| VM rebooted from Windows OS | Current VM state is maintained |
| VM powered off manually | VM resets to original templated state on next power on |
Expected Result
Fleet virtual machines automatically disconnect inactive sessions and power off idle VMs according to the configured inactivity timers.
Troubleshooting
- Changes affect all VMs inside the fleet
- Ensure timer values are configured correctly before applying
- Idle power-off behavior only begins after the user session disconnects
- Verify the fleet configuration was updated successfully
- If issues persist, contact support@softdrive.co