Spent some time troubleshooting an issue deploying new VM’s to our Windows Virtual Desktop hostpool today, and since the DSC extension that adds the WVD host to the hostpool completed successfully but the VM’s didn’t join the hostpool, here’s the error for those googling it in the future:

No match for RegistrationKey found in the meta mof file

The reason the RegistrationKey never made it to the extension ended up being an expirationTime set “only” 6 hours in the future. Apparently, one of the steps isn’t actually executed in our target zone (West Europe). Setting the host pool token expiration time to 20 hours resolved above error.

The full DSC extension log in Azure:

[
    {
        "code": "ComponentStatus/DscConfigurationLog/succeeded",
        "level": "Info",
        "displayStatus": "Provisioning succeeded",
        "message": "[2021-06-03 10:37:48Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ Start  Set      ]  [[Script]ExecuteRdAgentInstallClient]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:48Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]:                            [[Script]ExecuteRdAgentInstallClient] Performing the operation \"Set-TargetResource\" on target \"Executing the SetScript with the user supplied credential\".\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:05Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]  [[Script]ExecuteRdAgentInstallClient]  in 16.5940 seconds.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:05Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Resource ]  [[Script]ExecuteRdAgentInstallClient]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:05Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:05Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]    in  17.3440 seconds.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:05Z] [VERBOSE] Operation 'Invoke CimMethod' complete.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:05Z] [VERBOSE] Time taken for configuration job to complete is 17.478 seconds\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] Performing the operation \"Start-DscConfiguration: SendMetaConfigurationApply\" on target \"MSFT_DSCLocalConfigurationManager\".\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] Perform operation 'Invoke CimMethod' with following parameters, ''methodName' = SendMetaConfigurationApply,'className' = MSFT_DSCLocalConfigurationManager,'namespaceName' = root/Microsoft/Windows/DesiredStateConfiguration'.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] An LCM method call arrived from computer REDACTED with user sid S-1-5-18.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ Start  Set      ]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ Start  Resource ]  [MSFT_DSCMetaConfiguration]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ Start  Set      ]  [MSFT_DSCMetaConfiguration]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]  [MSFT_DSCMetaConfiguration]  in 0.0160 seconds.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Resource ]  [MSFT_DSCMetaConfiguration]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] [REDACTED]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]    in  0.0790 seconds.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] Operation 'Invoke CimMethod' complete.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:08Z] [VERBOSE] Set-DscLocalConfigurationManager finished in 0.194 seconds."
    },
    {
        "code": "ComponentStatus/DscExtensionLog/succeeded",
        "level": "Info",
        "displayStatus": "Provisioning succeeded",
        "message": "[2021-06-03 10:37:23Z] Creating Working directory: C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\bin\\..\\DSCWork\\Configuration.0\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:23Z] Downloading configuration package\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:24Z] Downloading https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure/RDS-Templates/master/ARM-wvd-templates/DSC/Configuration.zip to C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\bin\\..\\DSCWork\\Configuration.0\\Configuration.zip\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:41Z] Extracting Configuration.zip\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:41Z] Looking for the definition of the configuration function.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:41Z] Executing C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\bin\\..\\DSCWork\\Configuration.0\\Configuration.ps1\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:41Z] Preparing configuration arguments and configuration data.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:41Z] Creating MOF files.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:41Z] Executing the configuration function to generate the MOF files.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:42Z] Verifying metaconfiguration for reboot information...\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:42Z] Backing up C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\DSCWork\\Configuration.0\\AddSessionHost\\localhost.meta.mof\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:42Z] No match for RegistrationKey found in the meta mof file\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:42Z] WMF 5 or newer, Injecting RebootNodeIfNeeded = False and ActionAfterReboot = \"StopConfiguration\"\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:42Z] Executing Set-DscLocalConfigurationManager...\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:44Z] Settings handler status to 'transitioning' (C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status\\0.status)\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:47Z] Settings handler status to 'transitioning' (C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status\\0.status)\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:47Z] Get-DscLocalConfigurationManager: \r\n\r\nActionAfterReboot              : StopConfiguration\r\nAgentId                        : ADF6E52A-C457-11EB-9BDA-000D3A2633E7\r\nAllowModuleOverWrite           : False\r\nCertificateID                  : \r\nConfigurationDownloadManagers  : {}\r\nConfigurationID                : \r\nConfigurationMode              : ApplyOnly\r\nConfigurationModeFrequencyMins : 15\r\nCredential                     : \r\nDebugMode                      : {NONE}\r\nDownloadManagerCustomData      : \r\nDownloadManagerName            : \r\nLCMCompatibleVersions          : {1.0, 2.0}\r\nLCMState                       : Idle\r\nLCMStateDetail                 : \r\nLCMVersion                     : 2.0\r\nStatusRetentionTimeInDays      : 10\r\nSignatureValidationPolicy      : NONE\r\nSignatureValidations           : {}\r\nMaximumDownloadSizeMB          : 500\r\nPartialConfigurations          : \r\nRebootNodeIfNeeded             : False\r\nRefreshFrequencyMins           : 30\r\nRefreshMode                    : PUSH\r\nReportManagers                 : {}\r\nResourceModuleManagers         : {}\r\nPSComputerName                 : \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:47Z] Executing Start-DscConfiguration...\r\n[2021-06-03 10:37:47Z] Settings handler status to 'transitioning' (C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status\\0.status)\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] Settings handler status to 'transitioning' (C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status\\0.status)\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] Updating execution status (HKLM:\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Azure\\DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status)\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] LCM state is Idle\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] DSC configuration completed.\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] Resetting metaconfiguration...\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] Restoring C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\DSCWork\\Configuration.0\\AddSessionHost\\localhost.meta.mof.bk...\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] Executing Set-DscLocalConfigurationManager...\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:07Z] Settings handler status to 'transitioning' (C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status\\0.status)\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:10Z] Settings handler status to 'transitioning' (C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status\\0.status)\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:10Z] Get-DscLocalConfigurationManager: \r\n\r\nActionAfterReboot              : ContinueConfiguration\r\nAgentId                        : ADF6E52A-C457-11EB-9BDA-000D3A2633E7\r\nAllowModuleOverWrite           : False\r\nCertificateID                  : \r\nConfigurationDownloadManagers  : {}\r\nConfigurationID                : \r\nConfigurationMode              : ApplyOnly\r\nConfigurationModeFrequencyMins : 15\r\nCredential                     : \r\nDebugMode                      : {NONE}\r\nDownloadManagerCustomData      : \r\nDownloadManagerName            : \r\nLCMCompatibleVersions          : {1.0, 2.0}\r\nLCMState                       : Idle\r\nLCMStateDetail                 : \r\nLCMVersion                     : 2.0\r\nStatusRetentionTimeInDays      : 10\r\nSignatureValidationPolicy      : NONE\r\nSignatureValidations           : {}\r\nMaximumDownloadSizeMB          : 500\r\nPartialConfigurations          : \r\nRebootNodeIfNeeded             : True\r\nRefreshFrequencyMins           : 30\r\nRefreshMode                    : PUSH\r\nReportManagers                 : {}\r\nResourceModuleManagers         : {}\r\nPSComputerName                 : \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[2021-06-03 10:38:10Z] Settings handler status to 'success' (C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.Powershell.DSC\\2.83.1.0\\Status\\0.status)"
    },
    {
        "code": "ComponentStatus/Metadata/succeeded",
        "level": "Info",
        "displayStatus": "Provisioning succeeded",
        "message": "VMUUId=6DFC142E-0A63-41D1-BE3E-31F5D0D9D8A3;AgentId=BDF6E52A-C427-12EB-9BDA-001D3A2633E7;"
    }
]

As I couldn’t find anyone who had written about adding a RemoteApp to a Windows Virtual Desktop hostpool (existing) in an existing Workspace, I figured I’d share my template.

• It automatically creates an application group if it doesn’t exist yet
• It takes into account existing applications if the application group already exists
• The group has to be a remoteapp group, not a desktop group
• This template is idempotent
• This template can authorize any existing principal you specify
• It creates 1 or more remoteapps in the group specified
• It automatically manages the link to an existing hostpool/workspace

https://gitlab.com/Lieben/assortedFunctions/-/blob/master/ARM%20templates/add-remoteAppToWVDHostPool.json

When you add hosts to a WVD hostpool, and want to do so programmatically, this can be done by seperately deploying new hosts.

Redeploying an existing host manually is easy if it isn’t persistent, but if the disk should be retained, you’ll want to disconnect and reconnect it. This would require a lot of scripting (or third party tools).

As I wanted to keep our WVD solution contained to a single ARM template, some creativity was needed. For example, when deploying a new host that has a newer version of a gallery image, ARM would normally complain that the existing hosts don’t have the correct image version and it can’t change that for you since it is a read-only property (imageReference). Another example would be to move the VM between availability zones.

Linked WVD ARM template solves all these issues, but has a couple of important parameters to be aware of if you’re going to use it;

1. redeploy: set to true in a scenario where you want to upgrade existing hosts, e.g. from a different VM type, or want to redeploy to another availability Zone. It will use the provided list of disk names to create new VM’s based on these existing disks
2. existingDiskNames: if redeploy = true, supply the list of disk names of the persist VM’s you just deleted.
3. vmNumberOfInstances: the number of VM’s you want to have (including existing VM’s)
4. existingNumberOfInstances: the number of VM’s already present in the hostpool when running this arm template.
   #3 and #4 should be the same if redeploy = true, the template does not support redeploying and expanding the hostpool in the same deployment, this should be done in order.

After redeploying hosts, make sure to reconnect the users as they were assigned before you deleted them.

Download the ARM template here from GIT:

https://gitlab.com/Lieben/assortedFunctions/-/blob/master/ARM%20templates/wvdDynamicHostpool.json