Workstation Templates

Workstation Templates allow administrators to create a template of workstation settings that users can select from when creating a workstation.

You can choose which options will be available to project creators when creating a workstation, and you can create multiple templates for different types of projects or regions.

How to Create a Workstation Template

The following steps will create a template that can be selected when creating a workstation.

Find workstation templates from the top right menu.

Workstation template

Here you can manage any existing workstation templates.

We’ll create a template using New Workstation Template at the top right corner.

Workstation template

The first step is to provide a name and description that will help you easily identify this template later on.

Then select an agent. It will be used to retrieve available VM sizes and images.

Workstation template

Once you have selected an agent, it will ask you to specify the regional location.

Workstation template

VM Sizes

You can then choose the VM sizes that users who use this template to create a workstation can choose from.

Workstation template

You can filter the sizes and types of virtual machines by typing in a name into the search field at the top of the ‘Available’ section.

Workstation template

Select the VM sizes and types that users can choose from when creating a workstation that uses this template, and your selection will be highlighted.

Workstation template

Click on the button with the right arrow to confirm your selection.

Workstation template

Once selected, it will be in the ‘Selected’ section on the right.

Workstation template

If you decide to change your selection, you can deselect it by moving it back to ‘Available’ using the button with the left arrow.

Workstation template

Public Images

Next, you can select any public images you would like to be available for users when they are creating a workstation.

You can choose more than one image and users will have multiple options to choose from to best suit their requirements when creating a workstation.

Workstation template

Choose the images you would like to select and then click on the right arrow button.

Workstation template

It will display your selected images on the right.

Workstation template

You can deselect an image by selecting it and clicking the left arrow button.

Workstation template

Private Images

Next, you have the option to choose private images. You can follow the same process above to select an image.

If there are no private images or you would not like to choose one, you can skip to the next step.

Workstation template

Shared Image Galleries

If you would like to use Shared Image Galleries for private images, you will need to assign permission for the agent container or the VM system identity to the Shared Access Galleries you would like to read from.

Please note that the region of the images must match the region of the template to be available as a selection.

In order to use images in shared image galleries for workstation templates, all agents used in accounts for a given region must have access to the shared image galleries in that region.

One secure way to give a Loome Assist agent access to a shared image gallery is to give that agent Reader access in Azure to the resource group that contains the image gallery (compared to access to the whole subscription, or a role higher than Reader).

For example, an agent is deployed in a different subscription (i.e., not in “HPC”), but has been granted Reader access to the CentralITImageGalleryRG resource group that contains the image gallery for Central IT’s images. This enables an agent to securely get access to images across subscriptions.

Azure role access

Review your Workstation Template

Review your choices for this template.

You can click ‘Previous’ to change any fields.

Click ‘Create’ and this template can be used to create workstations.

Workstation template

You will find this template on the ‘Workstation Templates’ page if you would like to edit or delete it.

Workstation template

How to use a Workstation Template

When creating a workstation, users, such as a Project Creator, will need to choose a template.

The regional location of your template will need to be the same as the regional location of your project’s account to be able to choose this template when creating a workstation.

For example, in the image below the regional location of the workstation template and the account of my selected project were both Australia Southeast, so when creating a workstation the template was available.

Workstation template

If the workstation template was Australia West, when I tried to add a workstation in a project that uses an Australia Southeast I would not be able to see the workstation template.

Learn more about creating a workstation here.

How to Manage Workstation Templates

You can manage workstation templates on the workstation templates page accessed from the top right menu.

Manage workstation templates

Edit a Workstation Template

You can edit a workstation template using the ‘Edit’ button on the right of a row.

Manage workstation templates

It will display your settings for this template.

You can make your changes to the name, description, VM Sizes, Public Images and Private Images.

You cannot edit the agent and regional location of a template once a workstation template has been created.

Manage workstation templates

Clone a Workstation Template

You can clone a workstation using the ‘Clone’ button on the right of a row. It will copy the workstation template and create a new template with the same configuration. You will then be able to modify this cloned template.

Click on ‘Clone’ on the right of a row, as shown highlighted below.

Manage workstation templates

Provide the name of the newly cloned workstation template.

Then click on Clone.

Manage workstation templates

This will then display your cloned workstation template, and you can make your changes.

You cannot change the agent and regional location of a cloned workstation template.

Manage workstation templates

Once you save your changes, you will see this new template in the list of workstation templates.

Manage workstation templates

Delete a Workstation Template

You can delete a template using ‘Delete’ on the right of the row of a workstation template.

Manage workstation templates

You will be asked to confirm that you would like to delete the workstation template.

Confirm and this workstation template will be deleted.