Alibaba Cloud Elastic Desktop Service (EDS) provides a secure, scalable virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables remote access to cloud-hosted desktops. This guide walks you through configuring EDS to deploy virtual desktops for your organization.

What is Elastic Desktop Service?

EDS is Alibaba Cloud’s Desktop as a Service (DaaS) offering that provides:

• Cloud-Hosted Desktops: Virtual desktops running in the cloud
• Secure Remote Access: Secure access from any device
• Scalable Infrastructure: Auto-scaling desktop pools
• Cost Optimization: Pay-per-use pricing model

Prerequisites

• Alibaba Cloud account with EDS service enabled
• VPC and VSwitch configured
• Security group rules configured
• Custom images prepared (optional)

Step 1: Create Desktop Pool

Via Console

1. Navigate to Elastic Desktop Service → Desktop Pools
2. Click Create Desktop Pool
3. Configure pool settings:
   • Pool Name: Descriptive name for the pool
   • Region: Select target region
   • VPC: Choose VPC for desktop deployment
   • VSwitch: Select subnet for desktops
   • Security Group: Choose security group

Via CLI

# Create desktop pool
aliyun eds CreateDesktopPool \
  --PoolName "development-pool" \
  --RegionId cn-hangzhou \
  --VpcId vpc-xxxxx \
  --VSwitchId vsw-xxxxx \
  --SecurityGroupId sg-xxxxx \
  --DesktopType "ecs.g6.large" \
  --ImageId "m-xxxxx" \
  --SystemDiskSize 40 \
  --DataDiskSize 100

Step 2: Configure Desktop Specifications

Instance Types

Choose appropriate instance types:

• ecs.t5-lc1m1.small: Basic office applications
• ecs.g6.large: Standard office and development
• ecs.g6.xlarge: High-performance workloads
• ecs.g6.2xlarge: Graphics-intensive applications

Storage Configuration

# Configure system disk (40-500 GB)
--SystemDiskSize 80

# Configure data disk (optional, 20-32768 GB)
--DataDiskSize 200

Image Selection

• Public Images: Alibaba Cloud provided images
• Custom Images: Your own customized images
• Shared Images: Images shared from other accounts

Step 3: Network Configuration

VPC Setup

# Ensure VPC has internet access
# Configure NAT Gateway or EIP for outbound access

# Create VSwitch in appropriate zone
aliyun vpc CreateVSwitch \
  --VpcId vpc-xxxxx \
  --CidrBlock "172.16.1.0/24" \
  --ZoneId cn-hangzhou-a

Security Group Rules

Configure security group to allow:

• RDP (3389): For Windows desktops
• VNC/SSH (22): For Linux desktops
• HTTPS (443): For EDS client connections
• Outbound Internet: For updates and applications

# Allow RDP access
aliyun ecs AuthorizeSecurityGroup \
  --SecurityGroupId sg-xxxxx \
  --IpProtocol tcp \
  --PortRange "3389/3389" \
  --SourceCidrIp "0.0.0.0/0"

Step 4: User and Access Management

Create Users

# Create EDS user
aliyun eds CreateUser \
  --EndUserId "developer1" \
  --Email "[email protected]" \
  --Phone "13800138000"

Assign Desktops to Users

# Assign desktop to user
aliyun eds AssignDesktops \
  --EndUserIds '["developer1"]' \
  --DesktopIds '["d-xxxxx"]'

Configure User Groups

# Create user group
aliyun eds CreateUserGroup \
  --GroupName "developers" \
  --Description "Development team"

# Add users to group
aliyun eds AddUsersToGroup \
  --GroupId ug-xxxxx \
  --EndUserIds '["developer1", "developer2"]'

Step 5: Desktop Pool Policies

Auto-Scaling Configuration

# Configure auto-scaling
aliyun eds ModifyDesktopPool \
  --PoolId dp-xxxxx \
  --AutoScalingEnabled true \
  --MinDesktops 5 \
  --MaxDesktops 50 \
  --IdleDisconnectDuration 30

Connection Policies

• Idle Disconnect: Auto-disconnect idle sessions
• Session Timeout: Maximum session duration
• Concurrent Sessions: Limit concurrent sessions per user

Backup Configuration

# Enable automatic snapshots
aliyun eds ModifyDesktopPool \
  --PoolId dp-xxxxx \
  --SnapshotPolicyId sp-xxxxx

Step 6: Application Configuration

Install Applications

1. Create Custom Image: Install applications on template desktop
2. Create Snapshot: Save desktop state
3. Create Custom Image: Convert snapshot to custom image
4. Update Pool: Use custom image for new desktops

Software Distribution

• Group Policy: Use AD Group Policy for Windows
• Package Managers: Use package managers for Linux
• Configuration Management: Use Ansible, Puppet, or Chef

Step 7: Client Configuration

Download EDS Client

• Windows Client: Download from Alibaba Cloud Console
• macOS Client: Available for macOS
• Web Client: Browser-based access
• Mobile Apps: iOS and Android clients

Client Configuration

1. Server Address: Enter EDS endpoint URL
2. Authentication: Configure authentication method
3. Connection Settings: Configure connection preferences
4. Display Settings: Adjust resolution and quality

Monitoring and Management

Desktop Monitoring

# List desktops in pool
aliyun eds DescribeDesktops \
  --PoolId dp-xxxxx

# View desktop status
aliyun eds DescribeDesktopStatus \
  --DesktopId d-xxxxx

Usage Statistics

• Active Sessions: Monitor active desktop sessions
• Resource Utilization: Track CPU, memory, disk usage
• Connection Metrics: Monitor connection quality
• Cost Tracking: Track desktop usage costs

Log Management

• Connection Logs: View user connection logs
• Operation Logs: Track desktop operations
• Error Logs: Monitor errors and issues

Best Practices

Security

1. Enable MFA: Require multi-factor authentication
2. Network Isolation: Use VPC for network isolation
3. Encryption: Enable encryption at rest and in transit
4. Access Control: Implement least privilege access
5. Audit Logging: Enable comprehensive logging

Performance

1. Right-Size Instances: Choose appropriate instance types
2. Optimize Images: Use optimized custom images
3. Network Optimization: Optimize network configuration
4. Resource Monitoring: Monitor and optimize resources

Cost Optimization

1. Auto-Scaling: Use auto-scaling to reduce costs
2. Scheduled Scaling: Scale down during off-hours
3. Instance Types: Choose cost-effective instance types
4. Storage Optimization: Optimize disk sizes

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Connection Failures: Check security group rules and network
• Performance Issues: Verify instance types and resources
• Authentication Problems: Check user configuration
• Image Issues: Verify image compatibility

Diagnostic Commands

# Check desktop status
aliyun eds DescribeDesktopStatus --DesktopId d-xxxxx

# View connection logs
aliyun eds DescribeConnectionLogs --DesktopId d-xxxxx

# Check pool configuration
aliyun eds DescribeDesktopPool --PoolId dp-xxxxx

Conclusion

Configuring Alibaba Cloud Elastic Desktop Service enables organizations to deploy secure, scalable virtual desktop infrastructure. By following this guide, you can set up desktop pools, configure users and access, implement policies, and manage your EDS deployment effectively.

Proper configuration of EDS provides organizations with flexible, secure remote desktop access while maintaining cost efficiency and operational simplicity.