https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/add-session-hosts-host-pool?tabs=portal%2Cgui#register-session-hosts-to-a-host-pool


f you created virtual machines by using an alternative method outside Azure Virtual Desktop, such as an automated pipeline, you need to register them separately as session hosts to a host pool.

To register session hosts to a host pool, you need to install the Azure Virtual Desktop Agent and the Azure Virtual Desktop Agent Bootloader on each virtual machine and use the registration key that you generated. You can register session hosts to a host pool by using the agent installers' graphical user interface (GUI) or by using msiexec from a command line.

After you finish, four applications are listed as installed applications:

  • Remote Desktop Agent Boot Loader
  • Remote Desktop Services Infrastructure Agent
  • Remote Desktop Services Infrastructure Geneva Agent
  • Remote Desktop Services SxS Network Stack

Select the relevant tab for your scenario and follow the steps.

  1. Make sure the virtual machines that you want to use as session hosts are joined to Microsoft Entra ID or an Active Directory domain (Active Directory Domain Services or Microsoft Entra Domain Services).

  2. If your virtual machines are running a Windows Server OS, you need to install the Remote Desktop Session Host role and then restart the virtual machine. For more information, see Install roles, role services, and features by using the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

  3. Sign in to your virtual machine as an administrator.

  4. Download the installation files for the agent and the agent boot loader by using the following links. If you need to unblock them, right-click each file, select Properties, select Unblock, and finally select OK.

  5.  Tip

    The Azure Virtual Desktop Agent download link is for the latest production version in non-validation environments. This download link is updated after the automatic production rollout is complete, so you might see a delay between the release of a production version and the update of the download link. After you install the Azure Virtual Desktop Agent, it's updated automatically. For more information about the rollout of new versions of the agent, see What's new in the Azure Virtual Desktop Agent?.

  6. Run the Microsoft.RDInfra.RDAgent.Installer-x64-<version>.msi file to install the Remote Desktop Services Infrastructure Agent.

  7. Follow the prompts. When the installer prompts you for the registration token, paste it into the text box, which appears on a single line. Select Next, and then complete the installation.

    Screenshot that shows the box for entering a registration token.

  8. Run the Microsoft.RDInfra.RDAgentBootLoader.Installer-x64.msi file to install the remaining components.

  9. Follow the prompts and complete the installation.

  10. After a short time, the virtual machines are listed as session hosts in the host pool. The status of the session hosts might initially appear as Unavailable. If a newer agent version is available, it's upgraded automatically.

  11. After the status of the session hosts is Available, restart the virtual machines.

Post-deployment tasks

After you add session hosts to your host pool, you might need to do some extra configuration, as described in the following sections.

Licensing

To ensure that your session hosts have licenses applied correctly, you need to do the following tasks:

  • If you have the correct licenses to run Azure Virtual Desktop workloads, you can apply a Windows or Windows Server license to your session hosts as part of Azure Virtual Desktop and run them without paying for a separate license. This license is automatically applied when you create session hosts by using the Azure Virtual Desktop service, but you might have to apply the license separately if you create session hosts outside Azure Virtual Desktop. For more information, see Apply a Windows license to session host virtual machines.

  • If your session hosts are running a Windows Server OS, you also need to issue them a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) client access license (CAL) from an RDS license server. For more information, see License your RDS deployment with client access licenses.

  • For session hosts on Azure Stack HCI, you must license and activate the virtual machines before you use them with Azure Virtual Desktop. For activating VMs that use Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session, Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session, and Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition, use Azure verification for VMs. For all other OS images (such as Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 11 Enterprise, and other editions of Windows Server), you should continue to use existing activation methods. For more information, see Activate Windows Server VMs on Azure Stack HCI.

Microsoft Entra joined session hosts

For session hosts on Azure that are joined to Microsoft Entra ID, you also need to enable single sign-on or earlier authentication protocols, assign an RBAC role to users, and review your multifactor authentication policies so that users can sign in to the VMs. For more information, see Microsoft Entra joined session hosts.