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--- title: Manage Dev Box Pools Effectively titleSuffix: Microsoft Dev Box description: Manage dev box pools in Microsoft Dev Box with step-by-step guidance on creating, configuring, and deleting pools for optimal developer productivity. #customer intent: As an IT admin, I want to configure dev box pools so that developers can access resources securely. services: dev-box ms.service: dev-box author: RoseHJM ms.author: rosemalcolm ms.reviewer: rosemalcolm ms.date: 12/29/2025 ms.topic: how-to ms.custom: - ai-gen-docs-bap - ai-gen-description - ai-seo-date:03/23/2025 - ai-gen-title --- # Manage a dev box pool in Microsoft Dev Box In this article, you learn how to manage a dev box pool in Microsoft Dev Box by using the Azure portal. A dev box pool is a collection of dev boxes that have the same settings, such as the image and network connection. A dev box pool is associated with a Microsoft Dev Box project. Dev box pools define the location of the dev boxes through the network connection. You can choose to deploy dev boxes to a Microsoft-hosted network or to a network that you manage. If you choose to deploy dev boxes to a network that you manage, you must first [configure a network connection](./how-to-configure-network-connections.md). Organizations that support developers in multiple geographical locations can create dev box pools for each location by specifying a nearby region. Select a region close to your developers' physical location to ensure the lowest latency experience with dev box. Developers that have access to the project in the dev center can create a dev box from a dev box pool. ## Permissions To manage a dev box pool, you need the following permissions: | Action | Permissions required | |---|---| | _Create, delete, or update a dev box pool_ | - Owner or Contributor permissions on an Azure subscription or a specific resource group. </br> - DevCenter Owner permissions on the dev center. </br> - DevCenter Project Admin permissions for the project. | ## Create a dev box pool In Microsoft Dev Box, a dev box pool is a collection of dev boxes that you manage together. You must have at least one dev box pool before users can create a dev box. When creating a dev box pool, you can select from several image and definition types. ### Understanding image and definition types | Type | Description | When to use | |------|-------------|-------------| | **Image definition** | YAML-based customization files that define a base image and apply team-specific customizations. Can be built into reusable images. | Team-specific environments with automated installations. For more information, see [Configure team customizations](how-to-configure-team-customizations.md). | | **Custom image** | Your organization's custom images from Azure Compute Gallery. | Organization-specific configurations with independent compute and storage selection. | | **Marketplace image** | Pre-configured images from Azure Marketplace, such as Windows 11 Enterprise or Visual Studio images. | Standard configurations with common tools. Offers independent compute size and storage selection. | | **Dev box definition** | Legacy option bundling a base image with fixed VM size and storage. | Backward compatibility. Consider migrating to marketplace or custom images. | > [!TIP] > We recommend using image definitions, custom images, or marketplace images for more flexibility in selecting compute size and storage. ### Pool properties A dev box pool has the following properties: | Property | Description | |----------|-------------| | **Display name** | The name of the dev box pool. The pool name is visible to developers when they create dev boxes. The name must be unique within a project. | | **Definition** | Select an image for the dev boxes in this pool: </br>- **Image definition**: YAML-based customization files that define a base image and apply team-specific customizations. </br>- **Custom image**: Your organization's custom images from compute galleries attached to the dev center </br>- **Marketplace image**: Pre-configured images from Azure Marketplace </br>- **Dev box definition**: Existing dev box definitions that define the base image and size. | | **Compute** | Select the VM size (SKU) for the dev boxes in this pool. Available when using marketplace or custom images. | | **Storage** | Select the storage size for the dev boxes in this pool. Available when using marketplace or custom images. | | **Hibernation** |Hibernation is supported when the source image and compute size are both compatible. | | **Region** | The region where the dev boxes in the pool are deployed. Choose a region close to your expected dev box users for the optimal user experience. | | **Network connection** | Determines the network that the dev boxes in the pool connect to. </br> - **Microsoft Hosted Network**: You can choose to deploy dev boxes to a Microsoft-hosted network. </br> - **Azure joined network**: You can choose to deploy dev boxes to an Azure joined network that you manage. If you choose to deploy dev boxes to a network that you manage, you must first [configure a network connection](./how-to-configure-network-connections.md). | | **Licensing** | You can apply Azure Hybrid Benefit licenses to the dev boxes in the pool. Select the checkbox to confirm that your organization has Azure Hybrid Benefit licenses that you want to apply to the dev boxes in this pool. | | **Roles** | You can assign users to be either Local Administrators or Standard Users on the dev boxes they create. | | **Access** | Determines how users can access their dev boxes.</br> - **Single Sign-On (SSO)**: Enable single sign-on (SSO) to allow users to sign in to their dev boxes by using their organizational credentials. </br> - **Headless connections**: Enable headless connections to allow developers to open a dev box in Visual Studio Code without a full desktop experience. | | **Cost controls** | You can configure cost controls to help manage the costs of running dev boxes in the pool. </br> - **Auto-stop schedule**: Set an auto-stop schedule to automatically stop or hibernate dev boxes at a specified time. </br> - **Hibernate**: Configure dev boxes to hibernate after a specified grace period when no one is connected or when they have never been connected. | [!INCLUDE [create-dev-box-pool](includes/create-dev-box-pool.md)] ## Manage dev boxes in a pool You can manage existing dev boxes in a dev box pool through the Azure portal. You can start, stop, or delete dev boxes. > [!Important] > You must be a member of the Project Admin role for the project to manage dev boxes in the associated pools. To manage dev boxes in a pool, you must access the pool through the associated project. The following steps show you how to navigate to the pool. 1. Sign in to the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com). 1. In the search box, enter **projects**, in the list of results, select **Projects**. 1. Select the project that contains the dev box pool that you want to manage. 1. Select **Dev box pools**. 1. Select the pool that contains the dev box that you want to manage. The names of pools you can manage display as links. If you don't see the pool name displayed as a link, check that you're a member of the Project Admin role for this project. :::image type="content" source="media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/manage-dev-box-pool.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing a list of dev box pools in Azure portal." lightbox="media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/manage-dev-box-pool.png"::: 1. Select more actions for the dev box that you want to manage. :::image type="content" source="media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/manage-dev-box-in-azure-portal.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the Azure portal, showing dev boxes in a dev box pool." lightbox="media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/manage-dev-box-in-azure-portal.png"::: 1. Depending on the current state of the dev box, you can select **Start**, **Stop**, or **Delete**. :::image type="content" source="media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/dev-box-operations-menu.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the Azure portal, showing the menu for managing a dev box." lightbox="media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/dev-box-operations-menu.png"::: ## Delete a dev box pool You can delete a dev box pool when you're no longer using it. > [!CAUTION] > When you delete a dev box pool, all existing dev boxes within the pool are permanently deleted. Deleting a dev box pool permanently deletes all existing dev boxes within the pool. To delete a dev box pool in the Azure portal: 1. Sign in to the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com). 1. In the search box, enter **projects**. In the list of results, select **Projects**. 1. Open the project from which you want to delete the dev box pool. 1. Select more actions for the dev box pool that you want to delete. 1. Select **Delete**. 1. In the confirmation message, confirm the deletion by entering the name of the dev box pool that you want to delete, and then select **Delete**. Select **Delete** to confirm. :::image type="content" source="./media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/dev-box-pool-delete-confirm.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the confirmation message for deleting a dev box pool." lightbox="./media/how-to-manage-dev-box-pools/dev-box-pool-delete-confirm.png"::: ## Related content - [Provide access to projects for project admins](./how-to-project-admin.md) - [Configure Azure Compute Gallery](./how-to-configure-azure-compute-gallery.md)