Configuration examples

The example configurations outlined in this article are a progression of complexity based on configuration choices. Each example has an associated configuration focused on redundancy or disaster recovery. We recommend that you select the simplest configuration for your environment. Adding unnecessary complexity leads to incorrect configurations and support cases.

Use these examples as a starting point of your FSLogix configuration. The ideas and concepts in these examples should inform your unique organizational requirements.

Example 1: Standard

The Standard configuration example is the simplest configuration. Most customers should consider it.

Prerequisites (Standard)

Configuration items (Standard)

Registry settings (Standard)

^{1 Recommended to ensure that users don't use local profiles and lose data unexpectedly.
2 Provides an easier way to browse the container directories.
3 Decreases the retry timing to enable a faster fail scenario.
4 Single connections reduce complexity and increase performance.
5 VHDX is preferred over VHD because of its supported size and reduced corruption scenarios.}

Example 2: Standard + High Availability (Cloud Cache)

The Standard + High Availability configuration example enhances the basic Standard example by incorporating Cloud Cache to ensure regional availability for the profile container. This configuration is designed to provide robustness and redundancy. The profile container is accessible even if failures or outages occur in a specific region.

Cloud Cache acts as a resiliency and availability layer and periodically writes profile data upstream to multiple storage providers. By replicating data across unique storage providers, it ensures that the profile container remains available even if one storage provider is unavailable. This approach enhances reliability and minimizes downtime for users.

Key points

• Redundant and robust: Allows the profile container to be accessible even if failures or outages occur, which minimizes downtime for users.
• Resiliency: Cloud Cache acts as an availability layer and periodically writes profile data upstream to multiple storage providers.
• Storage design expertise: Cloud Cache functionality is dependent on the performance of your storage providers.

Summary

The Standard + High Availability configuration combines the benefits of the Standard setup with other measures to maintain availability across regions. The combination makes it suitable for critical applications that require continuous access to profile data.

^{Figure 1: FSLogix High Availability using Cloud Cache}

Prerequisites (Standard + High Availability)

Configuration items (Standard + High Availability)

Registry settings (Standard + High Availability)

^{1 Recommended to save disk space on the local disk and risk of data loss when you use pooled desktops.
2 Recommended to ensure that users don't use local profiles and lose data unexpectedly.
3 Provides an easier way to browse the container directories.
4 Prevents users from creating a local cache if at least one provider isn't healthy.
5 Decreases the retry timing to enable a faster fail scenario.
6 Single connections reduce complexity and increase performance.
7 VHDX is preferred over VHD because of its supported size and reduced corruption scenarios.}

Example 3: Standard + Disaster Recovery (no profile recovery)

The Standard + Disaster Recovery configuration example is an extension of the basic Standard example. In this setup, duplicate infrastructure exists in another region, but it remains powered down until needed. Unlike other recovery scenarios, there's no profile recovery in this approach. Instead, users create new profiles in the alternate ___location. This recovery scenario is the least complex, but it comes with a significant drawback. User experience and training are critical components for success.

Key points

• Duplicate infrastructure: The disaster recovery region mirrors the primary infrastructure but remains inactive until required.
• No profile recovery: Instead of restoring existing profiles, users create new ones in the alternate ___location.
• Simplicity: This approach minimizes complexity but relies heavily on user familiarity and training.
• User experience: Ensuring a smooth transition and user understanding is crucial.

Summary

The Standard + Disaster Recovery configuration balances simplicity with the need for user education and adaptation.

^{Figure 2: No profile recovery | FSLogix standard containers (VHDLocations)}

Prerequisites (Standard + Disaster Recovery)

Configuration items (Standard + Disaster Recovery)

Registry settings (Standard + Disaster Recovery)

^{1 Recommended to ensure that users don't use local profiles and lose data unexpectedly.
2 Provides an easier way to browse the container directories.
3 Decreases the retry timing to enable a faster fail scenario.
4 Single connections reduce complexity and increase performance.
5 VHDX is preferred over VHD because of its supported size and reduced corruption scenarios.}

Example 4: Advanced

The Advanced configuration example builds upon the Standard example by introducing more features to enhance flexibility and customization.

Key points

• Multiple VHDLocations or object-specific settings: You can specify multiple locations for storing user profiles (VHDLocations). Alternatively, you can define object-specific settings to tailor profile behavior for specific users or groups. This flexibility allows you to optimize profile management based on your organization's needs.
• Minimal entries in custom profile redirections: Unlike the Standard setup, where the redirections.xml file isn't used, the Advanced configuration minimizes the number of redirections.xml entries. Each entry in the redirections.xml configuration adds complexity and can cause unknown application behaviors. Minimizing these entries might provide an overall better user experience.

Summary

The Advanced configuration provides granular control over profile storage and redirection, making it suitable for organizations with diverse requirements.

Prerequisites (Advanced)

Configuration items (Advanced)

For more information, see Custom profile redirections.xml.

For information on how to implement this feature for Microsoft Teams, see Tutorial: Create and implement redirections.xml.

Registry settings (Advanced)

Multiple VHDLocations

Object-specific VHDLocations

The default VHDLocations setting is used for any user or group that isn't matched by the object-specific configuration.

Registry path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\FSLogix\Profiles\

Registry path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\FSLogix\Profiles\ObjectSpecific\S-0-0-00-000000000-0000000000-000000000-1234\

Registry path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\FSLogix\Profiles\ObjectSpecific\S-0-0-00-000000000-0000000000-000000000-4321\

^{1 Recommended to ensure that users don't use local profiles and lose data unexpectedly.
2 Provides an easier way to browse the container directories.
3 Decreases the retry timing to enable a faster fail scenario.
4 Single connections reduce complexity and increase performance.
5 VHDX is preferred over VHD because of its supported size and reduced corruption scenarios.}

Example 5: Advanced + Disaster Recovery (primary / failover)

The Advanced + Disaster Recovery configuration example adds complexity through a failover design. This common strategy helps to ensure the availability and reliability of your infrastructure if there's a disaster or a failure. With Cloud Cache, you can configure your devices to use two storage providers that store your profile data in different locations.

Cloud Cache synchronizes your profile data to each of the two storage providers asynchronously so that you always have the latest version of your data. Some of your devices are in the primary ___location and the other devices are in the failover ___location. Cloud Cache prioritizes the first storage provider (closest to your device) and uses the other storage provider as a backup.

For example, if your primary device is in West US and your failover device is in East US, you can configure Cloud Cache in the following way:

• The primary device uses a storage provider in West US as the first option and a storage provider in East US as the second option.
• The failover device uses a storage provider in East US as the first option and a storage provider in West US as the second option.
• If the primary device or the closest storage provider fails, you can switch to the failover device or the backup storage provider and continue your work without losing your profile data.

Key points

• Failover design: This design ensures the availability and reliability of your infrastructure if there's a disaster or a failure.
• Profile storage: Cloud Cache enables you to store your profile data in different locations.
• Extra storage cost: Multiple storage locations increase the overall cost.
• Operational excellence: Manual failover process, which might require the approval of the business stakeholders and process validation.
• User experience: You might experience some latency or inconsistency in your profile data because of the asynchronous synchronization to the two storage providers.

Summary

The Advanced + Disaster Recovery configuration shows how a failover design with Cloud Cache can enhance the reliability and availability of your infrastructure by using two storage providers in different locations. It also highlights the drawbacks of this approach, such as more costs, the need for manual failover initiation, and potential latency or inconsistency in profile data.

^{Figure 3: Cloud Cache (primary/failover) | FSLogix Cloud Cache (CCDLocations)}

Prerequisites (Advanced + Disaster Recovery)

Configuration items (Advanced + Disaster Recovery)

^{1 The storage providers must be in different regions or locations.}

For our recommended exclusions, see Custom profile redirections.

Registry settings (Advanced + Disaster Recovery)

Primary site

Failover site

^{1 Recommended to save disk space on the local disk and risk of data loss when you use pooled desktops.
2 Recommended to ensure that users don't use local profiles and lose data unexpectedly.
3 Provides an easier way to browse the container directories.
4 Prevents users from creating a local cache if at least one provider isn't healthy.
5 Decreases the retry timing to enable a faster fail scenario.
6 Single connections reduce complexity and increase performance.
7 VHDX is preferred over VHD because of its supported size and reduced corruption scenarios.}

Example 6: Complex

The Complex configuration example builds upon the Advanced example by introducing multiple connections. In this setup, user profiles can handle multiple connections. For this reason, a single user can have active sessions across different devices simultaneously.

Despite the increased complexity, the goal remains to provide a seamless experience for users. Properly configured multiple connections enhance productivity and flexibility, which makes this configuration suitable for organizations with diverse needs and high demands.

Azure Virtual Desktop doesn't support multiple connections within the same host pool.

Summary

The Complex configuration balances sophistication with user-centric design, making it ideal for large organizations requiring scalability and robust profile management.

^{Figure 4: Complex example with multiple connections | FSLogix standard containers (VHDLocations)}

Prerequisites (Complex)

Configuration items (Complex)

For more information, see Custom profile redirections.xml.

For information on how to implement this feature for Microsoft Teams, see Tutorial: Create and implement redirections.xml.

Registry settings (Complex)

Multiple VHDLocations

Object-specific VHDLocations

The default VHDLocations setting is used for any user or group that isn't matched by the object-specific configuration.

Registry path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\FSLogix\Profiles\

Registry path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\FSLogix\Profiles\ObjectSpecific\S-0-0-00-000000000-0000000000-000000000-1234\

Registry path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\FSLogix\Profiles\ObjectSpecific\S-0-0-00-000000000-0000000000-000000000-4321\

^{1 Recommended to ensure that users don't use local profiles and lose data unexpectedly.
2 Provides an easier way to browse the container directories.
3 Decreases the retry timing to enable a faster fail scenario.
4 Single connections reduce complexity and increase performance.
5 VHDX is preferred over VHD because of its supported size and reduced corruption scenarios.}

Example 7: Complex + Disaster Recovery (active / active)

The Complex + Disaster Recovery configuration example builds upon the Advanced + Disaster Recovery example by implementing an active/active design. Instead of load balancing between the two sites, this configuration relies on users having access to only one ___location. If there's a drill or business continuity and disaster recovery, users from a failed region are granted access to virtual machines in the functioning region.

Key points

• Failover capability: If a disaster occurs, the surviving regions must have capacity to support all users.
• Profile storage: Cloud Cache enables you to store your profile data in different locations.
• Extra storage cost: Multiple storage locations increase the overall cost.
• Operational excellence: Manual failover process, which might require the approval of the business stakeholders, process validation, and proper user assignments.
• User experience: You might experience some latency or inconsistency in your profile data because of the asynchronous synchronization to the two storage providers.

Summary

The Complex + Disaster Recovery configuration with Cloud Cache provides redundancy and flexibility, but business decisions play a crucial role in initiating failover.

^{Figure 5: Cloud Cache (active/active) | FSLogix Cloud Cache (CCDLocations)}

Prerequisites (Complex + Disaster Recovery)

Configuration items (Complex + Disaster Recovery)

For more information, review Custom profile redirections.xml.

For information on how to implement this feature for Microsoft Teams, see Tutorial: Create and implement redirections.xml.

Registry settings (Complex + Disaster Recovery)

Site A (West US)

Site B (East US)

^{1 Recommended to save disk space on the local disk and risk of data loss when you use pooled desktops.
2 Recommended to ensure that users don't use local profiles and lose data unexpectedly.
3 Provides an easier way to browse the container directories.
4 Prevents users from creating a local cache if at least one provider isn't healthy.
5 Decreases the retry timing to enable a faster fail scenario.
6 Single connections reduce complexity and increase performance.
7 VHDX is preferred over VHD because of its supported size and reduced corruption scenarios.}

Appendix: Multiple VHDLocations logic diagram

When you use multiple values in the VHDLocations setting, it's important to understand how FSLogix determines the ___location to use.

^{Figure 6: VHDLocations logic diagram}

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