# Sessions tab

The **Sessions** tab allows you to investigate all active and inactive sessions in your environment.

Use the following filters at the top of the page to view relevant sessions:

* **Username** of the client to focus on a single user
* **Virtual machine name** to which the clients connect
* **Desktop pool name** to which the clients connect
* **Environment name** to which the desktop pools belong

## Gauge chart

The single-metric gauge chart shows the total number of sessions that were live in the selected [timeframe](#timeframe-picker).

#### Example

The following chart shows a simplified timeframe divided into three buckets and five sessions:

{% @mermaid/diagram content="---
config:
logLevel: 'debug'
theme: 'dark'
themeVariables:
cScale0: '#000D29'
cScale1: '#001440'
cScale2: '#001C59'
------------------

timeline
Bucket 1	: Session 1
: Session 2
: Session 3
Bucket 2	: Session 2
: Session 3
Bucket 3	: Session 3
: Session 4
: Session 5" %}

In each bucket, a different combination of sessions is live. However, the total number of sessions in this timeframe is five. As a result, the gauge chart for this timeframe would show **5**.

## Bar chart

The bar chart shows activity across all sessions in the selected [timeframe](#timeframe-picker), broken down into time buckets. Each bucket displays only the sessions that were active in that time slice.

The vertical range of the chart correlates to the bucket with the highest number of live sessions. However, because the gauge chart shows all sessions that were live during the selected timeframe, the number in the gauge chart can be higher than the bar chart's maximum, as shown in the following figure:

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-21028a43dad9075fc32699b55c337dbb23a6d0fb%2Fsessions-overview-gauge-vs-bar-chart.png?alt=media" alt="Gauge and bar chart comparison"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

See the [example in Gauge chart](#example) for a simplified explanation.

Refer to [#zooming-in-on-specific-period](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/vdi-experience/using-sessions-overview/..#zooming-in-on-specific-period "mention") for more information about timeframe selection using Bar chart.

## Sessions chart color codes

Hover over the gauge or chart to see a breakdown of session health percentages as a tooltip. The colors on both the gauge and bar chart indicate the following statuses:

* **Green** indicates periods when the sessions had good health.
* **Yellow** indicates periods when the sessions had average health.
* **Red** indicates periods when the sessions had bad health.

The following sections explain how to use the widgets on this dashboard to narrow down troubleshooting to specific sessions.

## Health groups

Health groups are VDI-specific metrics related to a specific issue type that help you identify which session properties need troubleshooting.

Each health group comprises one or more subgroups, which enable a finer organization of the related VDI metrics.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-cc20f07814612d097d91ef111d0ccf3b484bb1ab%2Fsessions-overview-health-cards.png?alt=media" alt="Health indicator cards"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Select a health subgroup to see the list of connected VDI metrics.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-bb635ea7d0ba85014d44f3d32193a6edbd9cf76e%2Fsessions-overview-healt-subgroup-metrics.png?alt=media" alt="Metrics in a health subgroup"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The evolution of actively selected metrics is shown on the right side, where you can see the correlations between metrics using the timeline graph and breakdowns:

* **Timeline graph**: Use the timeline graph to analyze the metric evolution over time to identify any changes or spikes. The line represents the evolution of metric value for all sessions that fall within the scope of the selected [filters](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/vdi-experience/using-sessions-overview/..#using-filters) and [timeframe](#timeframe-selection).
* **Breakdown**: Use the **By** drop-down list to break down the metrics by specific properties. Select a breakdown to apply it as a filter, which will also be visible in the [filter menu](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/vdi-experience/using-sessions-overview/..#using-filters) at the top of the dashboard. The following breakdown metrics are available:

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th valign="top">Client device</th><th valign="top">Virtual machine</th><th valign="top">VDI session</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><ul><li><strong>Client CPU -> Normalized usage</strong></li><li><strong>Client -> Location -> Country</strong> shows the country where client devices are located.</li><li><strong>Client -> Location -> State</strong> shows the geographical state where client devices are located.</li><li><strong>Client -> Location -> Type</strong> shows whether client devices are on-site or remote.</li><li><strong>Client -> Location -> Entity</strong> shows the name of the entity to which the clients belong.</li><li><strong>Client -> OS name</strong> shows the operating system (OS) name of client devices.</li><li><strong>Client -> Platform</strong> shows the OS platform of client devices.</li></ul></td><td valign="top"><ul><li><strong>Location -> Country</strong> shows the country to which VMs are assigned.</li><li><strong>Location -> State</strong> shows the geographical state to which VMs are assigned.</li><li><strong>Location -> Type</strong> shows whether client devices are on-site or VMs.</li><li><strong>Organization -> Entity</strong> shows the name of the entity to which the VMs belong.</li><li><strong>OS name</strong> shows the operating system (OS) name of client VMs.</li><li><strong>Platform</strong> shows the OS platform of VMs.</li></ul></td><td valign="top"><ul><li><strong>Agent version</strong> shows the version of virtual agent software running on VMs.</li><li><strong>Desktop pool</strong> shows the desktop pools to which the VMs belong.</li><li><strong>Disk image</strong> shows the name of the golden imaged deployed on VMs.</li><li><strong>Environment</strong> shows the environments to which the desktop pools belong.</li><li><strong>Gateway</strong> shows the gateways in connections. This is the last network component before VMs.</li><li><strong>Hypervisor</strong> shows the hypervisors used in the sessions.</li><li><strong>Initial program</strong> shows if published applications are configured for the sessions. Clients see these applications when they connect to the sessions.</li><li><strong>Logon server</strong> shows the authenticating server latency on Windows-based networks.</li><li><strong>Region</strong> shows which data center hosts the VMs. This is applicable only for cloud-based VMs.</li><li><strong>Remote protocol</strong> shows the remoting protocols used by vendors to determine if network issues are related to a specific vendor.</li><li><p><strong>Session type</strong> shows:</p><ul><li><strong>Desktop</strong> when there is no initial program configured in the session.</li><li>The name of the published application when an initial program is configured in the session.</li></ul></li><li><strong>Virtualization hostname</strong> shows the name assigned to the hosting VM.</li><li><p><strong>Virtualization type</strong> shows either empty when the session type is not specified, or one of the following types:</p><ul><li>Personal</li><li>Pooled</li><li>Shared</li></ul></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Filtering

Select the action menu on a health subgroup to enable filtering. The selected filter is visible in the [filter menu](#filters) at the top of the dashboard. The health subgroup filter also affects the [sessions list](#sessions-list), meaning only the sessions that fall within the filter's scope are visible in the list.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e94ef89063432edbcf7a8c8fd49233d1a35fc05d%2Fsessions-overview-health-card_filter.png?alt=media" alt="Opening health card filtering menu"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Median value and percentiles in charts

Metric charts display the median value along with the 5th (p5) and 95th (p95) percentiles. This approach highlights the typical performance experienced by most devices while also showing the range in which the majority of values fall.

By including percentiles, the chart provides a more balanced and accurate view of the data, even when a few devices report unusually high or low values. The result is a clearer understanding of both the central trend and the variability in device performance.

For example, in the following chart, showing the data this way means the spike in the highlighted area does not affect the median value, represented by the purple line, therefore it is likely a low priority event.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7078d330d3708f38842a45c5c6b6481097a3dc6a%2Fsessions-overview-percentiles.png?alt=media" alt="Median value and percentiles example" width="281"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Health subgroups and VDI metrics

The following sections provide high-level details about each [health subgroup](#health-groups) and the connected metrics on a high level. For more details about each metric, hover over the metric name to see a tooltip or see the [nql-data-model](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/understanding-key-data-platform-concepts/nql-data-model "mention").

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-c686e3d4d7bda681591fa96b7dbea2caf7754ec3%2Fsessions-overview-healt-group-tooltip.png?alt=media" alt="Metric tooltip with details" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **Session health group**

It indicates how interactions with the session evolved. It contains the following subgroups and metrics:

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th>Subgroup</th><th>Description</th><th>Metric</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Responsiveness</td><td>It shows how fast applications in sessions respond to user input. A shorter delay means a more seamless experience for clients.</td><td>User Input Delay</td></tr><tr><td>Logon duration</td><td>It indicates the time it takes a client to log in to a session. A shorter duration means users can start using the applications faster.</td><td><ul><li>Time until desktop visible</li><li>Time until desktop ready</li><li>GPO load duration</li><li>Profile load duration</li><li>Logon script duration</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

#### **Client device health group**

It shows the hardware load on physical client devices that access the sessions. It contains the following subgroup and metric:

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th>Subgroup</th><th>Description</th><th>Metric</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Processor</td><td>It indicates the CPU usage on endpoint devices. A lower usage means more CPU resources and a more seamless experience for clients.</td><td>Client CPU -> Normalized usage</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### **Network health group**

It shows the network connection strength between endpoint devices and VMs. A better connection means lower latency and higher bandwidth for a more seamless experience for clients. It contains the following subgroup and metrics:

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th>Subgroup</th><th>Description</th><th>Metric</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Remoting latency</td><td>It indicates how latency round-trip time (RTT) evolved to detect issues like network latency and failed requests.</td><td><ul><li>Network RTT</li><li>ICA -> Latency</li><li>ICA -> Input bandwidth used</li><li>ICA -> Output bandwidth used</li><li>RDP -> TCP bandwidth</li><li>RDP -> UDP bandwidth</li><li>Client network -> WAN latency</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

#### **Virtual machine** health group

It shows the hardware load of VMs. A lower hardware load means more resources and fewer bottlenecks for clients. It contains the following subgroups and metrics:

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th>Subgroup</th><th>Description</th><th>Metric</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Processor</td><td>It indicates the VM CPU usage.</td><td><ul><li>CPU -> Normalized queue length</li><li>CPU -> Normalized usage</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Storage</td><td>It shows the virtual storage usage.</td><td><ul><li>System Disk -> Disk queue length</li><li>System Disk -> Read latency</li><li>System Disk -> Write latency</li><li>System Disk -> Read throughput</li><li>System Disk -> Write throughput</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Memory</td><td>It indicates the VM memory usage.</td><td><ul><li>Memory usage</li><li>Memory available</li><li>Memory cached</li><li>Memory -> Paging file size</li><li>Memory -> Pages output</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

### Additional metrics

Certain metrics are visible by default; you can toggle their visibility by selecting or deselecting them in the **Metrics** list.

Add additional metrics from outside the selected health subgroup by:

1. Opening the **Select metric to add** dropdown
2. Selecting the metric from the list
3. Selecting the **Add** button

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-b7a48846daec9b65c7646e9f3f12e97bc8607dda%2Fsessions-overview-metrics.png?alt=media" alt="Metrics"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Sessions list

The session list tab at the bottom of the page shows all active sessions that fall within the scope of the selected filters.

From the sessions list, select table items to open the action bar to:

* [Filter](#filters) **on selected sessions**—applicable to dashboard widgets.
* **Execute action** directly on the selected sessions, such as a remote action, campaign, or workflow—configured to target VDI sessions.
  * You may also execute actions on VDI sessions from the [Investigations ](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/investigations/analyzing-investigations#visualeditor-actionbar)module.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4e94894aa4ab9214490a900989a6463e5dd54959%2Fimage.png?alt=media" alt="Executing actions from Session list"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The session list shows the following details about each virtual session:

* **Session name** to which the client is connected; select a session name to access [**Session view**](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/vdi-experience/using-session-view).
* **Username** of the client.
* **Client device name** used by the client.
* **Device -> Name** of the device that is hosting the session; select a device name to access **Device view**.
* **Session state** of the session, which is either active or disconnected.
* **Last interaction time** showing the time stamp when the last user interaction was made.

Active metrics in the **Metrics** section are also visible as columns on the right side of the list.

### Accessing Session view and Device view

Select a session name to access the **Session view** dashboard. See the [using-session-view](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/vdi-experience/using-session-view "mention") section to learn how to examine details of a specific session to assist in troubleshooting.

Select **Client device name** or **Device -> Name** to access [**Device view**](https://docs.nexthink.com/platform/user-guide/device-view) for the endpoint device or the VM respectively.

## Sessions map

The **Sessions map** tab gives you a visual representation of the connection between endpoint devices and VMs across all sessions.

Connection issues can occur across different devices, users and destinations. Session map accelerates troubleshooting and helps you identify the appropriate team to fix network-related issues by providing an interactive visualization of `session.vdi_events` data.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-d705bb49a68999b671a60df4cf49fc3a830ba565%2FSessions_map.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Using Sessions map

Session map breaks down the selected metrics for `session.vdi_events` into multiple properties and uses connection paths to display the relationships between properties. Nodes and lines represent these relationships.

The Session map connection paths display four columns by default, allowing you to click on nodes or lines to [drill down](#networkview-drillingdowntospecificfieldsdrilldownclicking) to lower levels of breakdowns.

To switch from the displayed metrics and begin troubleshooting issues:

1. Select the **Display** drop-down above the Session map visualization.
2. Select one of the available metrics for the particular connection data set.

### Line thickness for visual comparison <a href="#networkview-linethicknessforvisualcomparison" id="networkview-linethicknessforvisualcomparison"></a>

The thickness of a line, which connects two nodes, is proportional to the metric value between those respective nodes when compared to the same metric values between different nodes in the same two columns.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7b3f697dd9eeaac8f93657050b6f4626eadc645a%2Fsessions-overview-session-map-lines.png?alt=media" alt="Session map visualization line thickness"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
When viewing issue-related metrics, thick lines help you identify the most problematic areas.
{% endhint %}

### Nodes

The system sorts nodes in descending order within each column. This makes it likely that thicker lines appear towards the top, but this is not always true.

Session map shows the top eight nodes in each column. If a column has more than eight nodes, the values are aggregated into the **Others** node at the bottom of the column:

* Click on **More** to open another eight nodes in a column.
* Click **Less** to hide additional nodes.

{% hint style="info" %}
To facilitate data interpretation, each node is associated with all paths going through it.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-c855792a8f665fb4157fe8c13ab14be5f10c27f1%2Fimage.png?alt=media" alt="Leaf count for nodes and columns"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
The leaf count is also shown for each column next to the column name.
{% endhint %}

### Hovering over a node or line <a href="#networkview-hoveringoveranodeorline" id="networkview-hoveringoveranodeorline"></a>

Hover over a node or a line to highlight the connection metric value that goes through that node or line.

<figure><img src="https://268444917-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FxJSUDk9NTtCHYPG5EWs3%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7b3f697dd9eeaac8f93657050b6f4626eadc645a%2Fsessions-overview-session-map-lines.png?alt=media" alt="Hovering over a line"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Drilling down to specific fields <a href="#networkview-drillingdowntospecificfieldsdrilldownclicking" id="networkview-drillingdowntospecificfieldsdrilldownclicking"></a>

Session map displays four columns by default. Each column is associated with a hierarchy of fields to reduce the number of nodes shown on the screen.

The following table lists the hierarchy of fields for each column, which goes from general to specific:

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th>Column 1: Users</th><th>Column 2: Client devices</th><th>Column 3: Desktop pools</th><th>Column 4: Virtual machines</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>AD -> Department</td><td>Country location</td><td>Virtualization -> Desktop broker</td><td>Virtualization -> Hypervisor name</td></tr><tr><td>Username</td><td>State location</td><td>Virtualization -> Environment name</td><td>Virtualization hostname</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Client device name</td><td>VDI session -> Desktop pool</td><td>Device -> Name</td></tr></tbody></table>

To drill down on a Session map field, you have the following options:

* Click on a [node](#selecting-a-node) in the Session map visualization.
* Click on a [line](#selecting-a-line) between two nodes.

After clicking on a node or line, [navigate back up the hierarchy](#navigating-back-up-the-hierarchy) using the expandable drop-downs in each column heading in Session map.

#### Selecting a node

Select a node to:

* Apply a filter for the selected node.
* Drill down one level in the column hierarchy.

#### Selecting a line

Select a line to:

* Apply a filter for the selected line, which is equivalent to selecting the two nodes it connects.
* Drill down one level in the hierarchy of the connected columns.

{% hint style="info" %}
Filters applied by clicking on nodes or lines within the Sessions tab affect affect all widgets and tabs within the Sessions overview dashboard. They are highlighted in yellow and displayed at the top of the page.
{% endhint %}

#### **Navigating back up the hierarchy**

To navigate back up the hierarchy of the Session map fields after selecting nodes or lines:

1. Select the drop-down in the Session map column heading.
2. Select any field name above the current level in the hierarchy.

This action clears the filters that were applied by selecting nodes or lines.