Quotas and Limits¶

To manage quotas and limits you have to go to the administration panel and press the button

Quotas / Limits Configuration¶

This section shows a box that may or may not be activated:

The operation of this option is as follows:

When this option is enabled, during a user account migration, the system takes the user's quotas into account. Therefore, if there’s an issue -- for example, the new quota is smaller than the previous one and gets exceeded -- an error will occur during the migration.
When this option is disabled, quotas are not taken into account.

Quotas¶

Quotas define the amount of resources that can be used individually (by each user), based on the category and group to which the user belongs to.

Quotas restrictions are divided as follows:

Creation Quota

Persistent: Amount of persistent desktops that the user is allowed to create.
Temporal: Amount of temporal desktops that the user is allowed to create.
Templates: Amount of templates that the user is allowed to create.
Media: Amount of media that the user is allowed to create.
Deployments: Amount of deployments that the user is allowed to create.
Deploy desktops: Amount of desktops that the user is allowed to create in each deployment.

Warning

Shared resources with the user are not computed in the user quota.
Desktops created through deployments are not computed in the user quota.

Running desktops Quota

Concurrent: Total amount of desktops that can be started at the same time.
vCPUs: Total amount of vCPUS of started desktops that can be used at the same time.
Memory (GB): Total amount of vRAM memory of started desktops that can be used at the same time.
Deployments: Total amount of desktops from a deployment that can be started as the owner of a deployment.

Warning

When a desktop from a deployment is started by an owner or co-owner of the deployment its computed in the Deployments quota of the user that started it. If the user starts their desktop from the deployment, the Concurrent quota of the user will be applied. If an admin or manager starts a desktop from a deployment they don't own, no quota will be applied.

Size Quota

Disk size: Maximum size allowed when creating a desktop from a media.
Total size: Total size that can be used considering desktops, templates and media.
Soft size: Once reached this size the user will be warned.

Quotas can be set by user, group or category. They're applied by levels, starting from the bottom to the top (the lower level quota will be applied). For instance, considering the following structure:

flowchart TD
    Category --> Group1[Group 1]
    Category --> Group2[Group 2]
    Category --> Group3[Group 3]
    Group1 --> User1[User 1]
    Group1 --> User2[User 2]
    Group1 --> User3[User 3]
    Group2 --> User4[User 4]
    Group2 --> User5[User 5]
    Group2 --> User6[User 6]
    Group3 --> User7[User 7]
    Group3 --> User8[User 8]
    Group3 --> User9[User 9]

If the users have a user quota set it will be applied. Its group and category quota will be ignored.
If the users haven't got a user quota set and a group quota is set, its group quota will be applied. Its category quota will be ignored.
If neither of the users or groups quotas are set, its category quota will be applied. The category quota can only set by an administrator role.
If no quota is applied all users will have access to create unlimited desktops, templates, and isos with unlimited vCPU, memory vRAM and disk size.

Tip

The applied restriction (user, group or category quota) and the resources usage can be consulted through the users profile page.

User Quota AppliedGroup Quota AppliedCategory Quota Applied

User Quota¶

Users quota parameters can be edited by pressing the icon next to the user we want to update, and then pressing .

The following dialog box will pop up:

Important notes about the form fields

If the "Apply group quota" checkbox is selected the form values will be ignored and the user will be applied its group quota.
When unchecking the "Apply group quota" checkbox the form input boxes will be enabled and the quota will be applied to the user individually. Refer to quotas to view each fields purpose.

Group Quota¶

Group quota parameters can be edited by pressing the icon next to the group we want to update, and then pressing .

The following dialog box will pop up:

Important notes about the form fields

If the "Apply category quota" checkbox is selected the form values will be ignored and the group will be applied its category quota.
When unchecking the "Apply category quota" checkbox the form input boxes will be enabled. Refer to quotas to view each fields purpose.
Override group users current quota checkbox will apply the form quota to each user individually. Hence, each of the users quota will be overriden. Note that admins can set higher quotas to users than managers, thus, when overriding the users quota these exceptions would be also overriden.
Apply current changes will apply the form quota only to the users with the selected role.

Limits¶

Limits define the amount of resources that can be used globally in a category or a group.

For instance, considering a Group 1 with a limit of 10 desktops without any quota applied:

flowchart TD
    Category --> Group1[Group 1]
    Group1 --> User1[User 1]
    Group1 --> User2[User 2]
    Group1 --> User3[User 3]

The total amount of desktops that can be created is 10 and since there's no quota applied, when an user creates a desktop, the system checks if the stablished limit is surpassed. Hence, there's no control over the amount of desktops each user has (that would be controlled through quotas) and greater flexibility is offered, since many combinations could be given:

User 1 could have 6 desktops, User 2 could have 3 desktops and User 3 could have 1 desktop.
User 1 could have 9 desktops, User 2 could have 1 desktop.
User 1 could have 2 desktops, User 2 could have 7 desktops and User 3 could have 1 desktop.
User 1 could have 10 desktops, therefore no more desktops could be created.
Etc

Group Limits¶

Group limits parameters can be edited by pressing the icon next to the group we want to update, and then pressing .

The following dialog box will pop up:

Important notes about the form fields

If the "Apply category limits" checkbox is selected the form values will be ignored and the group will be applied its category limits.
The Concurrent limit takes into account all started desktops, regardless of the user that started them.
Refer to limits for further information about the limits functionality.

When Quotas and Limits Are Enforced¶

Understanding when the system checks quotas and limits helps you plan resource usage and troubleshoot quota-related issues.

Quota Checks During Desktop Creation¶

When a user attempts to create a new desktop (persistent or temporal), the system checks:

User's desktop quota - Compares current desktop count against the user's allowed quota
Group's desktop limit - Sums all desktops in the group and checks against the group limit
Category's desktop limit - Sums all desktops in the category and checks against the category limit

If any of these checks fail, the desktop creation is blocked before it starts.

Quota Checks During Desktop Start¶

When a user attempts to start a desktop, the system performs additional checks:

Concurrent quota - Checks if the user has reached their maximum running desktops
vCPUs quota - Sums the vCPUs of all user's running desktops and adds the new desktop's vCPUs
Memory quota - Sums the memory of all user's running desktops and adds the new desktop's memory
Storage quota - Checks total storage usage plus a +1GB safety buffer for temporary disk growth
Group limits - Performs the same checks at the group aggregate level
Category limits - Performs the same checks at the category aggregate level

Admin Exemption

Users with the administrator role bypass all quota checks when starting desktops. This allows admins to manage the system even when quotas are tight.

Quota Checks for Other Resources¶

Templates: Checked when creating a new template from a desktop
Media/ISOs: Checked when uploading new media files
Deployments: Checked when creating a new deployment
Storage increases: Checked when increasing a desktop's disk size

What Happens When Quotas Are Exceeded¶

When a user exceeds a quota or limit, the operation is blocked and an error message is displayed. The specific error depends on which quota was exceeded:

Common Quota Error Messages¶

"Desktop creation user quota exceeded" - User has reached their maximum desktop count
"Desktop creation group limit exceeded" - The group has reached its total desktop limit
"Desktop creation category limit exceeded" - The category has reached its total desktop limit
"Desktop start user quota exceeded" - User has too many concurrent desktops running
"Memory quota exceeded" - Total memory of running desktops exceeds the quota
"vCPU quota exceeded" - Total vCPUs of running desktops exceeds the quota
"Total size quota exceeded" - User's total storage consumption exceeds their quota
"Template creation user quota exceeded" - User has reached their maximum template count
"Media creation user quota exceeded" - User has reached their maximum media count
"Deployment creation user quota exceeded" - User has reached their maximum deployment count

How to Resolve Quota Issues¶

For users:

Delete unused desktops, templates, or media
Stop running desktops to free up concurrent/vCPU/memory quotas
Permanently delete items from the recycle bin (they still count toward quotas until permanently deleted)
Contact your administrator to request a quota increase

For managers and administrators:

Review user resource usage in their profile page
Adjust individual user quotas if needed
Adjust group or category quotas/limits if usage patterns have changed
Identify users with excessive resource consumption

Storage Size Calculations¶

Understanding how storage is calculated is critical for managing size quotas effectively.

What Counts Toward Storage Quota¶

The Total size quota includes:

Desktops: The actual disk space used (not the allocated virtual size)
Templates: The actual disk space used
Media/ISOs: The actual size of uploaded media files
Items in recycle bin: Resources in the recycle bin still count toward your quota until permanently deleted

Actual vs Virtual Size

IsardVDI tracks actual disk usage, not virtual allocated size. For example, a desktop with a 100GB virtual disk that only uses 25GB of actual data will count as 25GB toward your quota.

Soft Size vs Total Size¶

Soft size: A warning threshold. When reached, users receive notifications but can continue working
Total size: A hard limit. When reached, users cannot create new resources or increase disk sizes

Desktop Start Storage Buffer¶

When starting a desktop, the system adds a +1GB safety buffer to the storage check. This accounts for temporary disk growth during desktop operation (logs, temp files, etc.).

Real-World Configuration Examples¶

Example 1: Small Team (5-10 users)¶

Typical use case: Development team with moderate resource needs

User Quota: - Persistent desktops: 3 - Temporal desktops: 2 - Concurrent: 2 - vCPUs: 8 - Memory: 16 GB - Templates: 2 - Media: 2 - Total size: 100 GB - Soft size: 80 GB

Group Limit: - Desktops: 30 - Concurrent: 15 - vCPUs: 80 - Memory: 160 GB - Total size: 1000 GB

Example 2: Medium Organization (50-100 users)¶

Typical use case: Office workers with basic desktop needs

User Quota: - Persistent desktops: 2 - Temporal desktops: 1 - Concurrent: 1 - vCPUs: 4 - Memory: 8 GB - Templates: 1 - Media: 1 - Total size: 50 GB - Soft size: 40 GB

Group Limit: - Desktops: 150 - Concurrent: 100 - vCPUs: 400 - Memory: 800 GB - Total size: 5000 GB

Example 3: Large Deployment (200+ users, Lab Environment)¶

Typical use case: Educational institution with shared resources

User Quota: - Persistent desktops: 1 - Temporal desktops: 0 - Concurrent: 1 - vCPUs: 2 - Memory: 4 GB - Templates: 0 - Media: 0 - Total size: 30 GB - Soft size: 25 GB

Category Limit: - Desktops: 250 - Concurrent: 200 - vCPUs: 400 - Memory: 800 GB - Users: 250 - Total size: 7500 GB

Deployment-Specific Quotas

For environments using deployments heavily, configure deployment_desktops and deployments_total quotas separately. Remember that deployment desktops don't count toward regular desktop quotas.

Troubleshooting Common Issues¶

Issue: User reports they can't create a desktop but have quota available¶

Possible causes:

Group or category limit reached - Check aggregate limits, not just user quota
Recycle bin items - Items in recycle bin still count toward quotas
Shared resources confusion - Shared desktops don't count, but user might be counting them

Solution: Check the group/category limits in addition to user quotas. Have the user permanently delete items from their recycle bin.

Issue: User can create desktops but can't start them¶

Possible causes:

Concurrent quota reached - User has too many running desktops already
vCPU or memory quota exceeded - The sum of running desktop resources exceeds quota
Storage quota near limit - The +1GB buffer check fails even if total size appears under quota

Solution: Have user stop other running desktops, or increase their concurrent/vCPU/memory quotas.

Issue: Storage quota shows as exceeded but user deleted resources¶

Possible cause:

Items in recycle bin - Deleted items still count until permanently deleted
Template dependencies - Templates created from desktops consume additional storage

Solution: Permanently delete items from recycle bin. Wait a few seconds for storage recalculation.

Issue: Deployment owner can't start deployment desktops¶

Possible causes:

Deployment quota (started_deployment_desktops) reached - Not the regular concurrent quota
Deployment desktop quota (deployment_desktops) exceeded - Too many desktops in all deployments

Solution: Check the deployment-specific quotas: Deployments (running quota) and Deploy desktops (creation quota). These are separate from regular desktop quotas.

Issue: Quotas don't seem to apply to certain users¶

Possible cause:

User has administrator role - Admins bypass quota checks when starting desktops
User quota set to False/unlimited - No quota applied at any level

Solution: Verify user role and check if quotas are actually configured at user/group/category levels.

Quick Reference: Quota Types¶

Quota Field	What It Controls	When Checked	Units
Persistent desktops	Maximum persistent desktops	Creation	Count
Temporal desktops	Maximum temporal (non-persistent) desktops	Creation	Count
Templates	Maximum templates	Template creation	Count
Media	Maximum ISOs/media files	Media upload	Count
Deployments	Maximum deployments owned	Deployment creation	Count
Deploy desktops	Maximum desktops per deployment	Desktop creation in deployment	Count
Concurrent	Maximum running desktops simultaneously	Desktop start	Count
vCPUs	Total vCPUs of running desktops	Desktop start	Count
Memory	Total memory of running desktops	Desktop start	GB
Disk size	Maximum disk size when creating from media	Desktop creation from media	GB
Total size	Total storage used (desktops + templates + media)	Creation, disk increase	GB
Soft size	Warning threshold for storage	Continuous	GB

Quick Reference: Hierarchy¶

The quota hierarchy determines which quota applies to a user:

flowchart TD
    A[User attempts operation] --> B{User quota set?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Apply User Quota]
    B -->|No| D{Group quota set?}
    D -->|Yes| E[Apply Group Quota]
    D -->|No| F{Category quota set?}
    F -->|Yes| G[Apply Category Quota]
    F -->|No| H[No Quota - Unlimited]
    C --> I{Check Group Limits}
    E --> I
    G --> I
    H --> I
    I --> J{Check Category Limits}
    J -->|Pass all checks| K[Operation Allowed]
    J -->|Fail any check| L[Operation Blocked]
    I -->|Fail| L

Role-Based Actions¶

Role	Can View Quotas	Can Edit User Quotas	Can Edit Group Quotas	Can Edit Category Quotas	Can Edit Limits
User	Own only	No	No	No	No
Advanced	Own only	No	No	No	No
Manager	Own category users	Yes (own category)	Yes (own category)	No	Yes (own category)
Administrator	All users	Yes (all)	Yes (all)	Yes (all)	Yes (all)