# Create an Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Fleet and Stack
<a name="set-up-stacks-fleets"></a>

To stream your applications, Amazon WorkSpaces Applications requires an environment that includes a fleet that is associated with a stack, as well as at least one application image. This tutorial describes the steps to set up a fleet and stack, and how to give users access to the stack. If you haven't already done so, we recommend that you try the procedures in [Get Started with Amazon WorkSpaces Applications: Set Up With Sample Applications](getting-started.md) first.

If you want to create an image to use, see [Tutorial: Create a Custom WorkSpaces Applications Image by Using the WorkSpaces Applications Console](tutorial-image-builder.md).

If you plan to join a fleet to an Active Directory domain, configure your Active Directory domain before completing the following steps. For more information, see [Using Active Directory with WorkSpaces Applications](active-directory.md).

**Topics**
+ [

# Create a Fleet in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
](set-up-stacks-fleets-create.md)
+ [

# Create a Stack in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
](set-up-stacks-fleets-install.md)
+ [

# Provide Access to Users in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
](set-up-stacks-fleets-add.md)
+ [

# Clean Up Resources in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
](set-up-stacks-fleets-finish.md)

# Create a Fleet in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
<a name="set-up-stacks-fleets-create"></a>

Set up and create a fleet from which user applications are launched and streamed.

**Note**  
To create an Always-On or On-Demand fleet, you must have an image that has applications installed to create an Always-On or On-Demand fleet that your users can stream from. To create an image, see [Tutorial: Create a Custom WorkSpaces Applications Image by Using the WorkSpaces Applications Console](tutorial-image-builder.md). To create an Elastic fleet, you must have applications associated to app blocks. To create applications and app blocks for an Elastic fleet, see [Applications Manager](app-blocks-applications.md).

**To set up and create a fleet**

1. Open the WorkSpaces Applications console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/appstream2/home](https://console.aws.amazon.com/appstream2/home).

1. Choose **Get Started** if you are new to the console, or **Fleets** from the left navigation pane. Choose **Create Fleet**.

1. For **Step 1: Select fleet type**, review the details of the fleet types, choose the type of fleet to create based on your use case, and select **Next**.
**Note**  
The fleet type determines its immediate availability and how you pay for it. For more information, see [WorkSpaces Applications Fleet Types](fleet-type.md).

1. If you chose to create an Always-On or On-Demand fleet, for **Step 2: Choose an Image**, choose an image that meets your needs and then choose **Next**.

1. If you chose to create an Elastic fleet, for **Step 2: Assign applications**, choose the applications that users can launch from this fleet.

1. For **Step 3: Configure fleet**, enter the following **details**: 
   + For **Name**, enter a unique name identifier for the fleet. Special characters aren't allowed.
   + For **Display Name**, enter a name to display for the fleet (maximum of 100 characters). Special characters aren't allowed.
   + For **Description**, enter a description for the fleet (maximum of 256 characters).
   + For **Choose instance type**, choose the instance type that meets the performance requirements of your applications. All streaming instances in your fleet launch with the instance type that you select. For more information, see [WorkSpaces Applications Instance Families](instance-types.md).
     + You can use stream.\$1 instance types for images with `type = "native"`. To use any of the following instance type you must [Import Image](import-image.md) and create an image with `type = "custom"`.
       + GeneralPurpose.\$1
       + MemoryOptimized.\$1
       + ComputeOptimized.\$1
       + Accelerated.\$1
   + Configure **storage** volumes for Always-On or On-Demand fleet instances. By default, the storage volume matches your image volume size, with a service default of 200 GB included in the hourly instance rate. You can customize your storage capacity from 200 GB up to 500 GB based on your requirements.
**Note**  
Note: Storage volume size cannot be set below the image volume size. Storage capacity can be increased up to 500 GB, with additional charges applying to any storage beyond the included 200 GB. These charges apply to fleet instances regardless of their running state (both running and stopped instances).
   + For Elastic fleets, for **Choose platform type**, choose the operating system that matches the requirements of your users’ applications.
   + For **Maximum session duration in minutes**, choose the maximum amount of time that a streaming session can remain active. If users are still connected to a streaming instance five minutes before this limit is reached, they are prompted to save any open documents before being disconnected. After this time elapses, the instance is terminated and replaced by a new instance. The maximum session duration that you can set in the WorkSpaces Applications console is 5760 minutes (96 hours). The maximum session duration that you can set using the WorkSpaces Applications API and CLI is 432000 seconds (120 hours).
   + For **Disconnect timeout in minutes**, choose the amount of time that a streaming session remains active after users disconnect. If users try to reconnect to the streaming session after a disconnection or network interruption within this time interval, they are connected to their previous session. Otherwise, they are connected to a new session with a new streaming instance. If you associate a stack with a fleet for which a redirect URL is specified, after users’ streaming sessions end, the users are redirected to that URL.

     If a user ends the session by choosing **End Session** or **Logout** on the WorkSpaces Applications toolbar, the disconnect timeout does not apply. Instead, the user is prompted to save any open documents, and then immediately disconnected from the streaming instance. The instance the user was using is then terminated. 
   + For **Idle disconnect timeout in minutes**, choose the amount of time that users can be idle (inactive) before they are disconnected from their streaming session and the **Disconnect timeout in minutes** time interval begins. Users are notified before they are disconnected due to inactivity. If they try to reconnect to the streaming session before the time interval specified in **Disconnect timeout in minutes** has elapsed, they are connected to their previous session. Otherwise, they are connected to a new session with a new streaming instance. Setting this value to 0 disables it. When this value is disabled, users are not disconnected due to inactivity.
**Note**  
Users are considered idle when they stop providing keyboard or mouse input during their streaming session. For domain-joined fleets, the countdown for the idle disconnect timeout doesn't begin until users log in with their Active Directory domain password or with a smart card. File uploads and downloads, audio in, audio out, and pixels changing do not qualify as user activity. If users continue to be idle after the time interval in **Idle disconnect timeout in minutes** elapses, they are disconnected. 
   + For Elastic fleets, for **Max concurrent sessions**, specify the maximum number of concurrent sessions this fleet should have.
**Note**  
If you get an error message that says “The maximum number of concurrent sessions for your account was exceeded," you can submit a limit increase, through the Service Quotas console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/servicequotas/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/servicequotas/). For more information, see [Requesting a quota increase](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/servicequotas/latest/userguide/request-quota-increase.html) in the *Service Quotas User Guide*.
   + **Multiple user sessions** — Choose this option if you want to provision multiple user sessions on a single instance. By default, every unique user session is served by an instance (single-session). 
**Note**  
Multi-session is available only on Always-on and On-demand fleets powered by a Windows operating system. Multi-session is not available on Elastic fleets or the Linux operating system.  
Only base images and managed image updates released on or after May 15, 2023 support multi-session fleets. For more details, see [WorkSpaces Applications Base Image and Managed Image Update Release Notes](base-image-version-history.md).
   + **Maximum sessions per instance** — Maximum number of user sessions on an instance. You must choose this value based on your end users' application performance needs. You can also adjust the maximum sessions per instance for a fleet after it is provisioned. In that case, the existing user sessions and instances will not be impacted, but the fleet will become consistent with the new value of maximum sessions per instance. The value must be between 2 and 50. Before setting this value for your fleet, see [Multi-Session Recommendations](multi-session-recs.md).
   + For Always-On and On-Demand fleets, for **Minimum capacity**, choose a minimum number of instances (for single-session fleets) or user sessions (for multi-session fleets) for your fleet based on the minimum number of expected concurrent users. 
   + For Always-On and On-Demand fleets, for **Maximum capacity**, choose a maximum number of instances (for single-session fleets) or user sessions (for multi-session fleets) for your fleet based on the maximum number of expected concurrent users. 
**Note**  
For multi-session, you must specify the capacity based on the number of user sessions. The service will calculate the required number of instances to be launched, based on your fleet configuration and the value of maximum sessions per instance. 
   + For **Stream view**, choose the WorkSpaces Applications view that is displayed to your users during their streaming sessions. Choose **Application** to display only the windows of applications opened by users. Choose **Desktop** to display the standard desktop that is provided by the operating system. 
**Note**  
By default, WorkSpaces Applications displays only the windows of applications opened by users during their streaming sessions. To enable **Desktop **view for your users, configure your fleet to use an WorkSpaces Applications image that uses a version of the WorkSpaces Applications agent released on or after February 19, 2020.
   + For **Scaling details (Advanced)**, specify the scaling policies that WorkSpaces Applications uses to increase and decrease the capacity of your fleet. Note that the size of your fleet is limited by the minimum and maximum capacity that you specified. For more information, see [Fleet Auto Scaling for Amazon WorkSpaces Applications](autoscaling.md).
   + For **IAM role (Advanced)**, when you apply an IAM role from your account to an WorkSpaces Applications fleet instance, you can make AWS API requests from the fleet instance without manually managing AWS credentials. To apply an IAM role, do either of the following:
     + To use an existing IAM role in your AWS account, choose the role that you want to use from the **IAM role** list. The role must be accessible from the fleet instance. For more information, see [Configuring an Existing IAM Role to Use With WorkSpaces Applications Streaming Instances](configuring-existing-iam-role-to-use-with-streaming-instances.md).
     + To create a new IAM role, choose **Create new IAM role** and follow the steps in [How to Create an IAM Role to Use With WorkSpaces Applications Streaming Instances](how-to-create-iam-role-to-use-with-streaming-instances.md).
   + For Elastic fleets, for **USB Redirection (advanced)**, you can specify up to 10 strings that specify what types of USB devices that are attached to the local device can be redirected into the streaming session when using the Windows native client. For more information, see [Qualify USB Devices for Use with Streaming Applications](qualify-usb-devices.md).

1. Choose **Next**.

1. If you chose to create an Always-On or On-Demand fleet, for **Step 3: Choose an Image**, choose an image that meets your needs and then choose **Next**.

1. If you chose to create an Elastic fleet, for **Step 3: Assign applications**, choose the applications that users can launch from this fleet.

1. For **Step 4: Configure Network**, do the following:
   + To add internet access for fleet instances in a VPC with a public subnet, choose **Default Internet Access**. If you are providing internet access by using a NAT gateway, leave **Default Internet Access** unselected. For more information, see [Internet Access](internet-access.md).
**Note**  
Your VPC must provide access to Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) if you enable features that rely on saving to an S3 bucket. For more information, see [Using Amazon S3 VPC Endpoints for WorkSpaces Applications Features](managing-network-vpce-iam-policy.md). 
   + For **VPC** and **Subnet 1**, choose a VPC and at least one subnet that has access to the network resources that your application needs. For increased fault tolerance, we recommend that you choose two subnets in different Availability Zones. For more information, see [Configure a VPC with Private Subnets and a NAT Gateway](managing-network-internet-NAT-gateway.md).
**Note**  
Elastic fleets require that you specify at least two subnets that are in different availability zones.

     If you don't have your own VPC and subnet, you can use the [default VPC](default-vpc-with-public-subnet.md) or create your own. To create your own, choose the **Create a new VPC** and **Create new subnet** links to create them. Choosing these links opens the Amazon VPC console. After you create your VPC and subnets, return to the WorkSpaces Applications console and choose the refresh icon to the left of the **Create a new VPC** and **Create new subnet** links to display them in the list. For more information, see [Configure a VPC for WorkSpaces Applications](appstream-vpc.md).
   + For **Security group(s)**, choose up to five security groups to associate with this fleet. If you don't have your own security group and you don't want to use the default security group, choose the **Create new security group** link to create one. After you create your subnets in the Amazon VPC console, return to the WorkSpaces Applications console and choose the refresh icon to the left of the **Create new security group** link to display them in the list. For more information, see [Security Groups in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications](managing-network-security-groups.md).
   + For Always-On and On-Demand fleets, for **Active Directory Domain (Optional)**, choose the Active Directory and organizational unit (OU) for your streaming instance computer objects. Ensure that the network access settings you selected enable DNS resolvability and communication with your directory. For more information, see [Using Active Directory with WorkSpaces Applications](active-directory.md).

1. Choose **Next**.

1. For **Step 5: Review**, confirm the details for the fleet. To change the configuration for any section, choose **Edit **and make the needed changes. After you finish reviewing the configuration details, choose **Create**. 

1. In the pricing acknowledgement dialog box, select the acknowledgement check box, and choose **Create**.
**Note**  
If an error message notifies you that you don't have sufficient limits (quotas) to create the fleet, submit a limit increase request through the Service Quotas console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/servicequotas/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/servicequotas/). For more information, see [Requesting a quota increase](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/servicequotas/latest/userguide/request-quota-increase.html) in the *Service Quotas User Guide*.

1. While your fleet is being created, the status of your fleets displays as **Starting** in the **Fleets** list. Choose the **Refresh** icon periodically to update the fleet status until the status is **Running**. You cannot associate the fleet with a stack and use it for streaming sessions until the status of the fleet is **Running**.

# Create a Stack in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
<a name="set-up-stacks-fleets-install"></a>

Set up and create a stack to control access to your fleet.

**Note**  
You can enable Google Drive, OneDrive, and Application Settings Persistence only for stacks associated with a Windows fleet. Before you associate an existing stack with a Linux fleet, please make sure these settings are disabled.

**To set up and create a stack**

1. In the left navigation pane, choose **Stacks**, and then choose **Create Stack**.

1. For **Step 1: Stack Details**, Under **Stack details**, enter a unique name identifier for the stack. Optionally, you can do the following:
   + **Display name** — Enter a name to display for the stack (maximum of 100 characters).
   + **Description**— Enter a description for the stack (maximum of 256 characters).
   + **Redirect URL** — Specify a URL to which users are redirected after their streaming sessions end.
   + **Feedback URL** — Specify a URL to which users are redirected after they click the **Send Feedback** link to submit feedback about their application streaming experience. If you do not specify a URL, this link is not displayed.
   + **Fleet** — Select an existing fleet or create a new one to associate with your stack.
   + **Streaming Protocol Preference** — Specify the streaming protocol you’d like your stack to prefer, UDP or TCP. UDP is currently only supported in the Windows native client. For more information, see [System Requirements and Feature Support (WorkSpaces Applications Client)](client-system-requirements-feature-support.md).
   + **Tags** — Choose **Add Tag**, and type the key and value for the tag. To add more tags, repeat this step. For more information, see [Tagging Your Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Resources](tagging-basic.md).
   + **VPC Endpoints (Advanced)** — You can create a private link, which is an [interface VPC endpoint](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/vpc/latest/userguide/vpce-interface.html) (interface endpoint), in your virtual private cloud (VPC). To start creating the interface endpoint, select **Create VPC Endpoint**. Selecting this link opens the VPC console. To finish creating the endpoint, follow steps 3 through 6 in *To create an interface endpoint*, in [Tutorial: Creating and Streaming from Interface VPC Endpoints](creating-streaming-from-interface-vpc-endpoints.md). 

     After you create the interface endpoint, you can use it to keep streaming traffic within your VPC.
   + **Embed WorkSpaces Applications (Optional)** — To embed an WorkSpaces Applications streaming session in a webpage, specify the domain to host the embedded streaming session. Embedded streaming sessions are only supported over HTTPS [TCP port 443]. 
**Note**  
You must meet prerequisites and perform additional steps to configure embedded WorkSpaces Applications streaming sessions. For more information, see [Embed Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Streaming Sessions](embed-streaming-sessions.md).

1. Choose **Next.**

1. For **Step 2: Enable Storage**, you can provide persistent storage for your users by choosing one or more of the following: 
   + **Home Folders** — Users can save their files to their home folder and access existing files in their home folder during application streaming sessions. For information about requirements for enabling home folders, see [Enable Home Folders for Your WorkSpaces Applications Users](enable-home-folders.md).
   + **Google Drive for Google Workspace** — Users can link their Google Drive for Google Workspace account to WorkSpaces Applications. During application streaming sessions, they can sign in to their Google Drive account, save files to Google Drive, and access their existing files in Google Drive. You can enable Google Drive for accounts in Google Workspace domains only, not for personal Gmail accounts. 
**Note**  
Enabling Google Drive is not supported for Linux-based stacks or stacks associated with multi-session fleets.
**Note**  
After you select **Enable Google Drive**, type the name of at least one organizational domain that is associated with your Google Workspace account. Access to Google Drive during application streaming sessions is limited to users that are in the domains that you specify. You can specify up to 10 domains. For more information about requirements for enabling Google Drive, see [Enable Google Drive for Your WorkSpaces Applications Users](enable-google-drive.md).
   + **OneDrive for Business** — Users can link their OneDrive for Business account to WorkSpaces Applications. During application streaming sessions, they can sign in to their OneDrive account, save files to OneDrive, and access their existing files in OneDrive. You can enable OneDrive for accounts in OneDrive domains only, not for personal accounts. 
**Note**  
Enabling OneDrive is not supported for Linux-based stacks or stacks associated with multi-session fleets..
**Note**  
After you select **Enable OneDrive**, enter the name of least one organizational domain that is associated with your OneDrive account. Access to OneDrive during application streaming sessions is limited to users that are in the domains that you specify. You can specify up to 10 domains. For more information about requirements for enabling OneDrive, see [Enable OneDrive for Your WorkSpaces Applications Users](enable-onedrive.md).

1. Choose **Next**.

1. For **Step 3: User Settings**, configure the following settings. When you're done, choose **Review**. 

   **Clipboard, file transfer, print to local device, and authentication permissions**:
**Note**  
**Smart card sign in for Active Directory** is currently not available for multi-session fleets.
   + **Clipboard** — By default, users can copy and paste data between their local device and streaming applications. You can limit Clipboard options so that users can paste data to their remote streaming session only or copy data to their local device only. You can also disable Clipboard options entirely. Users can still copy and paste between applications in their streaming session. You can choose **Copy to local device character limit** or **Paste to remote session character limit** or both to limit the amount of data that users can copy or paste when using the clipboard, either in or out of their WorkSpaces Applications streaming session. The value can be between 1 and 20,971,520 (20 MB), and defaults to the maximum value when unspecified.
   + **File transfer** — By default, users can upload and download files between their local device and streaming session. You can limit file transfer options so that users can upload files to their streaming session only or download files to their local device only. You can also disable file transfer entirely. 
**Important**  
If your users require WorkSpaces Applications file system redirection to access local drives and folders during their streaming sessions, you must enable both file upload and download. To use file system redirection, your users must have WorkSpaces Applications client version 1.0.480 or later installed. For more information, see [Enable File System Redirection for Your WorkSpaces Applications Users](enable-file-system-redirection.md).
   + **Print to local device** — By default, users can print to their local device from within a streaming application. When they choose **Print** in the application, they can download a .pdf file that they can print to a local printer. You can disable this option to prevent users from printing to a local device.
   + **Password sign in for Active Directory** — Users can enter their Active Directory domain password to sign in to an WorkSpaces Applications streaming instance that is joined to an Active Directory domain. 

     You can also enable **Smart card sign in for Active Directory**. At least one authentication must be enabled.
   + **Smart card sign in for Active Directory** — Users can use a smart card reader and smart card connected to their local computer to sign in to an WorkSpaces Applications streaming instance that is joined to an Active Directory domain.

     You can also enable** Password sign in for Active Directory**. At least one authentication method must be enabled.
**Note**  
**Clipboard, file transfer, and print to local device settings** — These settings control only whether users can use WorkSpaces Applications data transfer features. If your image provides access to a browser, network printer, or other remote resource, your users might be able to transfer data to or from their streaming session in other ways.  
**Authentication settings** — These settings control only the authentication method that can be used for Windows sign in to an WorkSpaces Applications streaming instance (fleet or image builder). They do not control the authentication method that can be used for in-session authentication, after a user signs in to a streaming instance. For information about configuration requirements for using smart cards for Windows sign in and in-session authentication, see [Smart Cards](feature-support-USB-devices-qualified.md#feature-support-USB-devices-qualified-smart-cards). These settings are not supported for Linux-based stacks.

   **Time zone**:
   + **Set time zone automatically for remote session** — This setting syncs the time zone used for streaming to match the time zone set on the user's device. Users can override this and set their own preferred time zone.

   **Application settings persistence**:
   + **Enable Application Settings Persistence** — Users' application customizations and Windows settings are automatically saved after each streaming session and applied during the next session. These settings are saved to an Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) bucket in your account, within the AWS Region in which application settings persistence is enabled.
   + **Settings Group** — The settings group determines which saved application settings are used for a streaming session from this stack. If the same settings group is applied to another stack, both stacks use the same application settings. By default, the settings group value is the name of the stack.
**Note**  
For information about requirements for enabling and administering application settings persistence, see [Enable Application Settings Persistence for Your WorkSpaces Applications Users](app-settings-persistence.md).

1. For **Step 4: Review**, confirm the details for the stack. To change the configuration for any section, choose **Edit **and make the needed changes. After you finish reviewing the configuration details, choose **Create**. 

After the service sets up resources, the **Stacks** page appears. The status of your new stack appears as **Active** when it is ready to use. 

# Provide Access to Users in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
<a name="set-up-stacks-fleets-add"></a>

After you create a stack with an associated fleet, you can provide access to users through the WorkSpaces Applications user pool, SAML 2.0 [single sign-on (SSO)], or the WorkSpaces Applications API. For more information, see [User Pool Administration in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications](user-pool-admin.md) and [Amazon WorkSpaces Applications Integration with SAML 2.0](external-identity-providers.md). 

**Note**  
Users in the WorkSpaces Applications user pool can't be assigned to stacks with fleets that are joined to an Active Directory domain.

After you provide your users with access to WorkSpaces Applications, they can start WorkSpaces Applications streaming sessions by using a web browser or by using the WorkSpaces Applications client application for a supported device. If you provide access to users through the WorkSpaces Applications user pool, they must use a web browser for streaming sessions. If you use SAML 2.0 or the WorkSpaces Applications API, you can make the WorkSpaces Applications client available to them. The WorkSpaces Applications client is a native application that is designed for users who require additional functionality during their WorkSpaces Applications streaming sessions. For more information, see [Provide Access Through the WorkSpaces Applications Client](client-application.md).

# Clean Up Resources in Amazon WorkSpaces Applications
<a name="set-up-stacks-fleets-finish"></a>

You can stop your running fleet and delete your active stack to free up resources and to avoid unintended charges to your account. We recommend stopping any unused, running fleets.

Note that you cannot delete a stack with an associated fleet.

**To clean up your resources**

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Stacks**.

1. Select the stack and choose **Actions**, **Disassociate Fleet**. In the confirmation dialog box, choose **Disassociate.**

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Fleets**.

1. Select the fleet that you want to stop, choose **Actions**, and then choose **Stop**. It takes about 5 minutes to stop a fleet.

1. When the status of the fleet is **Stopped**, choose **Actions**, **Delete**.

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Stacks**.

1. Select the stack and choose **Actions**, **Delete**.