Integrating FSLogix Profile Containers with VMware Horizon

Overview

VMware Horizon® accommodates a number of desktop and application models. One of these models involves assembling disposable virtual machines with attached containerized applications and saved settings in such a way that users think they are using the same machine from one session to the next. These nonpersistent VMs provide significant improvements in speed and efficiency of desktop and application lifecycle management.

An increasing number of infrastructure platforms may be used to implement Horizon. Horizon on vSphere is available anywhere that VMware vSphere is providing the infrastructure, such as on-premises datacenters, VMware Cloud on Amazon Web Services, Azure VMware Solution, or Google Cloud VMware Engine. Horizon is also available on native Azure (non-vSphere) with VMware Horizon® Cloud Service™ on Microsoft Azure.

Horizon uses capabilities of your chosen infrastructure platform to create and manage nonpersistent desktop models. On vSphere, nonpersistent desktop pools are provisioned with instant clone or linked clone provisioning. The guide Managing User Experience with VMware Horizon 7 Enterprise describes the benefits, constraints, and technologies used to build a nonpersistent desktop service with a persistent user experience for Horizon on vSphere implementations. On Azure, floating desktop assignments are created by automating native Azure full clone provisioning.

Microsoft recently acquired FSLogix and has made the software available to many of its customers. FSLogix integrates with VMware technologies to complement Horizon desktop models. FSLogix Profile Containers can persist user data and user configuration data between nonpersistent desktop sessions. See What is FSLogix? for an overview and requirements of the software.

Audience

This tutorial is intended for IT administrators and product evaluators who are familiar with VMware Horizon,

App Volumes, and Dynamic Environment Manager. You should have a working VMware Horizon and supporting JMP components environment running on vSphere or Azure available for testing in order to complete this tutorial.

Purpose of This Tutorial

This tutorial demonstrates a step-by-step method to integrate Microsoft FSLogix with the VMware Horizon® Just-In-Time Management Platform (JMP) to build a nonpersistent desktop service while providing a persistent user experience.

Whether you are deploying Horizon on vSphere or native Azure, the JMP model and integration capabilities apply. The exercises are applicable regardless of infrastructure platform, though there are some nuances that are highlighted as necessary.

Disclaimer

FSLogix is one of many third-party solutions that work with VMware Horizon. While this tutorial shows example models for integration, VMware assumes no responsibility to provide support for the use of FSLogix software with VMware products. As with any profile management technology, proper design, component redundancy, backup, and other management practices are imperative to ensure a good user experience and to prevent loss of user data. VMware provides this tutorial to demonstrate functional compatibility of FSLogix Profile Container with Horizon components.

For design guidance regarding VMware Horizon, see the VMware Workspace ONE and Horizon Reference Architecture. For guidance on sizing, scaling, and maintaining the FSLogix components, consult Microsoft documentation.

Horizon and FSLogix Profile Container

In this tutorial, you will integrate the FSLogix Profile Container with your VMware Horizon implementation using one of the two variables covered in this tutorial: Horizon on vSphere and Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure.

• FSLogix Profile Container is used to persist user data and user configuration data between nonpersistent desktop sessions.
• Horizon delivers a new Windows 10 image with each user session.
  • Horizon on vSphere uses instant clone provisioning technology.
  • Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure automates full clone provisioning.
• VMware App Volumes™ application packages are used to manage and dynamically distribute applications.
• App Volumes user-writable volumes are used to persist user-installed applications.
  • User-writable volumes apply only to Horizon on vSphere implementations.
• VMware Dynamic Environment Manager™ (formerly known as User Environment Manager) provides privilege elevation and other customized user environment settings, along with personalization and predefined settings as needed.

The following diagrams illustrate FSLogix Profile Container with the two variables covered in this tutorial: Horizon on vSphere and Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure.

Horizon on vSphere with FSLogix Profile Container

Figure 1 - Horizon on vSphere with FSLogix Profile Container

Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure with FSLogix Profile Container

Figure 2 - Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure with FSLogix Profile Container

Each exercise in this tutorial addresses one or more components of the model described in the preceding figures. Some exercises include steps that are prerequisites for a later exercise. It is recommended that you complete the exercises in this tutorial in the order in which they are presented.

Not Covered: VMware Horizon and FSLogix Office Container

In addition to the Profile Container, FSLogix also offers an Office Container, which persists only the areas of the profile specific to Microsoft Office, rather than persisting the entire user profile. You should understand the differences and implications of the two FSLogix Container types before choosing which to integrate with Horizon. See the Microsoft document Configure Office Container to redirect Microsoft Office user data for more information.

Note: The FSLogix Office Container is not covered in this tutorial. This section is for informational purposes only.

In this model:

• FSLogix Office Container is used to persist only the portions of the profile specific to Microsoft Office between nonpersistent desktop sessions.
• Horizon delivers a new Windows 10 image with each user session.
• App Volumes application packages are used to manage and dynamically distribute applications.
• App Volumes user-writable volumes are used to persist user-installed applications (requires vSphere).
• Dynamic Environment Manager provides folder redirection for user data, persists user configuration data between sessions, enables IT to distribute customized, predefined application and Windows settings, and provides privilege elevation and other customized user environment settings.

Horizon with FSLogix Profile Container

Figure 3 - Horizon with FSLogix Office Container

Integrating the FSLogix Office Container with your VMware Horizon implementation is outside the scope of this tutorial. See Best Practices for Delivering Microsoft Office 365 in VMware Horizon 7 for detailed information on implementing FSLogix Office Containers with Horizon.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the exercises in this guide, verify that you have the following software and user accounts, and that you have created the necessary golden image, which is used in a later exercise.

VMware Horizon Technologies

The following components of Horizon are used in the exercises in this guide. Links are included to quick-start guides, should you need to add any of these components to your environment before continuing.

• Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure: Quick-Start Tutorial for VMware Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure
• Horizon with instant clone provisioning: Quick-Start Tutorial for VMware Horizon 7
• App Volumes on vSphere: Quick-Start Tutorial for VMware App Volumes
• App Volumes on Azure: App Volumes 4 on Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure
• Dynamic Environment Manager: Quick-Start Tutorial for User Environment Manager

  Note: Although the product name has changed, the quick-start tutorial is still applicable.

Golden Images for Horizon Desktops

The golden images described in this operational tutorial were created according to the following instructions:

• Horizon on vSphere - Create a Windows 10 1903 image, following the guidance in Create an Optimized Windows Image for a VMware Horizon Virtual Desktop

  Important: This includes installing the agents for Horizon, App Volumes, and Dynamic Environment Manager.

• Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure - Import a Windows 10 1903 desktop from the Azure Marketplace, following the guidance in Creating Desktop Images for a Horizon Cloud Pod in Microsoft Azure.

  Important: This includes installing the agents for Horizon, App Volumes, and Dynamic Environment Manager.

• Use the Microsoft Office Deployment Tool to install Office 365 ProPlus in the base image using shared computer licensing. Visit the Office 365 Client Configuration Service to create your own configurations.

User Accounts

The following accounts and their associated roles are used throughout this tutorial. Simply substitute your own accounts from your environment to conduct the exercises in this tutorial.

• Active Directory user account for end-user access: eterple.betavmweuc.com

  Note: eterple has standard account privileges to the Windows 10 desktops.

• Office 365 account: virtualspence@joshspencer.onmicrosoft.com

Administrator Account

For the exercises in this tutorial, make sure to provide the following:

• An account with permissions to create file shares is required.
• An account with the ability to import ADMX templates and configure group policy objects is recommended, though not required.

Microsoft FSLogix

Before you perform the procedures in the next chapter, obtain the FSLogix download bundle from Download and Install FSLogix.

Installing FSLogix

Installing FSLogix involves configuring network shares, creating and configuring a group policy object (GPO) or registry settings, and installing the FSLogix agent.

Configuring Network Shares

Network shares are used to store VHD(X) files and to centralize logging information. For more information, see the Microsoft document Configure storage permissions for use with Profile Containers and Office Containers.

1. Configure the Containers share, which will store the FSLogix Profile Containers:

   Note: This share will be referred to as the Containers share throughout this tutorial.

   1. Create a folder at the following location \\<FileServer>\FSLogix\Containers
   2. Share the folder and configure the following share permissions:

      Authenticated Users – Change and Read
      

   3. Configure the following NTFS permissions:

      - Domain Users – Modify - This folder only

      - CREATOR OWNER – Modify - Subfolders and files only

      - Desktop Admins – Full control - This folder, subfolders, and files

      

2. Configure the Logs share:

   Note: This share will be referred to as the Logs share throughout this tutorial.

   1. Create a folder at the following location: \\<FileServer>\FSLogix\Logs
   2. Share the folder and configure the following share permissions:

      Authenticated Users – Change and Read

      

3. Configure the following NTFS permissions:

   - Domain Computers – Modify - This folder, subfolders, and files

   - Desktop Admins – Full control - This folder, subfolders, and files

   

Now that the network shares are set up, you can configure a GPO so that all clones in a particular organizational unit (OU) will store their profile containers and logs in these shares.

Note: If you prefer not to use GPOs to configure FSLogix, you can modify Windows Registry values directly on the golden image. See the Microsoft document Profile Container registry configuration reference and Logging and diagnostics for registry configuration options.

Configuring a Group Policy Object for FSLogix

FSLogix can be configured using direct Windows Registry key manipulation or group policy. This tutorial uses the ADMX template provided with the FSLogix download bundle to configure a GPO and apply it to many computer objects at once.

This environment uses a Central Store. For more information, see the Microsoft document How to create and manage the Central Store for Group Policy Administrative Templates in Windows.

1. From an administrator's machine, copy the ADMX and ADML files to the PolicyDefinitions folder:
   1. Navigate to the FSLogix download bundle.
   2. Copy fslogix.admx to
      \\DomainController\sysvol\domain\policies\policydefinitions
      
   3. Copy fslogix.adml to
      \\DomainController\sysvol\domain\policies\policydefinitions\en-US
2. Create and configure the GPO:
   1. Open the Group Policy Management console from an administrative PC.
   2. Navigate to the OU where the cloned VMs will reside.
   3. Create and link a GPO: FSLogix.
      
3. Edit the FSLogix GPO:
   1. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > FSLogix > Profile Containers.
      
   2. Configure the following settings:

      - Enabled – Enabled

      - VHD location – Enabled, with the path set to \\<FileServer>\Containers
       

4. Consider enabling and configuring FSLogix logging.
   

Note: See the Microsoft document Profile Container registry configuration reference for a list of default settings to be used for all options left not configured.

Now that the policies have been configured, you can install the agent on the golden image from which your virtual desktops will be created.

Installing the FSLogix Agent

Installing the agent on the golden desktop image is a simple matter of running the

FSLogixAppsSetup.exe file.

Note: Administrative privileges are required to install the agent.

1. Log in to the machine you will use as your Windows 10 golden image.
2. Copy the installer file to the system where it will run or to a location accessible to the system.
3. Navigate to the FSLogix installer package.
   
4. Run FSLogixAppsSetup.exe to install the FSLogix agent.
5. Verify that Microsoft FSLogix Apps appears in the list of installed applications.

   Note: The following screenshots illustrate FSLogix with the two variables covered in this tutorial: Horizon on vSphere and Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure.

Figure 4 - FSLogix with Horizon on vSphere

Figure 5 - FSLogix Agent with Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure

Creating and Using an FSLogix Profile Container

In this exercise, you will verify an FSLogix Profile Container VHD (virtual hard disk) is created and working properly.

Prerequisites

Before you perform the exercises in this chapter, verify that you have performed the following tasks:

• (Required) Create a golden image from which you will create a Horizon on vSphere floating desktop pool or Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure floating desktop assignment. At a minimum, the image should include Windows 10, agents for VMware Horizon, App Volumes, Dynamic Environment Manager, and the FSLogix agent. See Creating and Managing Instant-Clone Desktop Pools for Horizon on vSphere, and Create a Floating VDI Desktop Assignment Provisioned by a Single Pod in Microsoft Azure for Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure.
• (Recommended) Install Microsoft Office or other applications in the golden image.

  Note: Microsoft Office is used in this tutorial to demonstrate how files, activation, and credential data can persist from VM to VM. If Office is not available, you may substitute one or more other applications.

Provisioning Desktops

1. Create a Horizon instant-clone desktop pool or desktop assignment using the following specifications:
   Horizon on vSphere:
   - Type – Automated desktop pool
   - User assignment – Floating assignment
   - Display name – HorizonFSL
   - VM naming pattern – HFSL-
   - AD container – OU=FSLProfile,OU=Horizon,DC=betavmweuc,DC=com
   - Number of machines – 3
   Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure:
   - Assignment – Desktop
   - Type – Floating
   - Display name – HorizonFSL
   - AD container – OU=FSLProfile,OU=Horizon,DC=vmweuctm,DC=com
   - Number of machines – 3
   - Important: These desktops are required for all exercises in this tutorial.
2. Verify the VMs are created in the OU where the FSLogix GPO is applied.
   
    

Verifying Profile Container Creation

Use the VMware Horizon® Client or HTML access to log in to a Horizon desktop.

1. On the Horizon Client, authenticate to Horizon with user eterple (that is, with the end-user account you have set up for this tutorial).
2. Connect to the desktop with the display name HorizonFSL.
   
   During the login process, the FSLogix Profile Container is automatically created on the Containers share.
3. Navigate to the Containers share and verify the virtual hard disk (VHD file) was created.
   
4. Navigate to the Logs share and verify the logs are being written.
   
   If the profile container was created, changes to the user profile on the cloned VM will be written to and persisted in the VHD file.
5. Run CMD.EXE and type hostname. Make note of the VM name you are connected to.
   
   Note: Because you are using floating desktops, the VM you connect to will be random and may have a different name than the name displayed in this screenshot.
6. Modify the user profile:
   1. Open one of the Office 365 applications and sign in to activate Office. In this tutorial, PowerPoint was used to activate Office.
      
   2. Sign in to OneDrive using the same Office 365 credentials.
      
      After signing in, you see the application file (for this example, PowerPoint) appear in the OneDrive folder.
      
   3. Use Excel to create and save a spreadsheet to the Desktop.
      
7. After you finish modifying the user profile, select Sign out to disconnect and log off of the VM so it will be reset.
   
8. On Horizon Client, authenticate to the Horizon server with the end-user account; for our example, eterple.
9. Connect again to the desktop with the display name HorizonFSL.
   
10. Run CMD.EXE and type hostname.

    Note: You are connected to a different VM than the last time you used this command.
    

11. Verify that the changes you made have been persisted to the new desktop.

    - PowerPoint is activated and authenticated.

    - OneDrive is activated and authenticated.

    - The Excel spreadsheet remains on the Desktop.

12. Disconnect and log off the VM.

Integrating App Volumes Packages with FSLogix Profile Container

App Volumes abstracts applications from the golden image, enabling delivery of applications to users or computers. App Volumes also persists applications, while FSLogix Profile Container persists the user configuration for the applications between nonpersistent desktop sessions.

VMware App Volumes 4 is available in Horizon implementations on multiple infrastructure platforms. App Volumes 4 on vSphere currently includes added functionality, so some of the exercises in this tutorial will not be applicable to Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure. A table like the following is included with each exercise to indicate which infrastructure platforms are supported.

App Volumes 4 on vSphere is available anywhere VMware vSphere is providing the infrastructure, such as on-premises datacenters, VMware Cloud on Amazon Web Services, Azure VMware Solution, or Google Cloud VMware Engine. App Volumes 4 is also available on native Azure (non-vSphere) as a feature of VMware Horizon® Cloud Service™ on Microsoft Azure.

App Volumes 2.x is still supported on vSphere implementations. If you are using App Volumes 2.x, the exercises in this tutorial can be easily adapted to work. See Quick-Start Tutorial for VMware App Volumes for 2.x concepts and workflows.

In the following exercises, you will verify that user-based and computer-based application packages work with the Profile Container.

Prerequisites

Before you perform the exercises in this chapter, verify that you have performed the following tasks:

• Create a golden image that meets the requirements described in Golden Image for Horizon Desktops.
• Create Horizon desktops according to the specifications listed in Provisioning Desktops.
• Create one or more application packages.
  • For instructions with App Volumes on vSphere, see Quick-Start Tutorial for VMware App Volumes 4 Simplified Application Management. Consider creating at least one package to validate user-based assignments and a second for computer-based assignments.
  • For instructions with App Volumes with Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure, see DEMO: App Volumes 4 on Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure.
    For the example used in this tutorial, the following application packages were created:
• Application: Notepad++, Package: Notepad++ v7.8.8
• Application: VLC, Package: VLC v3.0.8

Assigning an Application Package to an End User

This table indicates which infrastructure platforms are supported.

It is common practice to create application packages containing programs that you want to make available only to members of a group or to individual users.

For the purposes of this tutorial, the Notepad++ v7.8.8 application package is used. The application package that you create for this exercise should be similar but need not contain the exact same program.

Assign your application (for our example, Notepad++) to the standard user account that you plan to use for this tutorial. For our example, the user account is eterple. The package is attached when the user logs in to a guest VM (instant-clone desktop).

The following screenshots illustrate FSLogix with the two variables covered in this tutorial: App Volumes on vSphere and Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure.

App Volumes on vSphere

Figure 6 - Assignment of the Notepad++ Application Package to an End-User Account on App Volumes on vSphere

App Volumes on Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure

Figure 7 - Assignment of the Notepad++Application Package to and End-User Account in Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure

Assigning an Application Package to an Active Directory OU Containing Computer Objects

This table indicates which infrastructure platforms are supported.

It is a common practice to create application packages containing programs that you want to make available to all users in an organization. While you can use groups containing users, you have the option of assigning packages to computer objects. There is an added benefit in that packages are attached at computer startup rather than user login.

For the purposes of this tutorial, the VLC application package is used. The package that you create for this exercise should be similar, but need not contain the exact same applications.

Assign your application package to the Active Directory OU where the computer objects of the instant-clone desktop pool machines are located. The package are attached to the VMs when they are powered on.

Figure 8: Assignment of the VLC Application Package to an OU Containing Instant-Clone Computer Objects

Recovering Instant-Clone VMs in the Desktop Pool

Initiating a recovery operation on the desktops in the instant-clone desktop pool causes them to be deleted and recreated, enabling the computer-assigned package to be attached.

1. From the Horizon Console, navigate to the Machines tab of the desktop pool, select the machines, and click the Recover button to recover the machines in the desktop pool.
   

Verify Application Package Assignments

This table indicates which infrastructure platforms are supported.

Use the VMware Horizon® Client or HTML access to log in to a Horizon desktop.

1. On the Horizon Client, authenticate to with user eterple (that is, with the end-user account you have set up for this tutorial).
2. Connect to the desktop HorizonFSL.
   
3. Verify that all programs included in the application packages are available.
   

Customizing an Application Delivered with an Application Package

This table indicates which infrastructure platforms are supported.

Application Packages are read-only by design. Customizations to program configuration settings will be stored in the FSLogix Profile Container and persisted between nonpersistent desktop sessions.

1. If you are not still logged in to the virtual desktop, use Horizon Client or HTML Access to log in and access the virtual desktop.
2. Open Notepad++.
3. Navigate to Settings > Preferences and customize the program:

   - Toolbar > Big icons

   - Document List Panel > Show

   

4. Close Notepad++.
5. Select Sign out to disconnect and log off of the VM so it will be reset.
   
6. Use Horizon Client or HTML access to authenticate to Horizon again with the same end-user account; for our example, eterple.
7. Connect to the desktop HorizonFSL again.
   
8. Open Notepad++ and verify that all customizations were persisted to the new session.

Supporting User-Installed Applications with App Volumes User-Writable Volumes

This table indicates which infrastructure platforms are supported.

In the previous exercise, you used App Volumes application packages to deliver IT-managed applications to users and computers. You might also need to provide end users with the capability to install their own applications and have these user-installed applications persist from one nonpersistent desktop session to the next.

Although FSLogix Profile Container can persist the application configuration data in the profile, it cannot persist a user-installed application. App Volumes user-writable volumes are uniquely suited to address this requirement and integrate seamlessly with FSLogix Profile Containers. User-installed applications are persisted on the writable volume, and application customizations are persisted in the FSLogix Profile Container.

In this exercise, you will create and assign an App Volumes user-writable volume to an end user, install an application, and verify that the application and user customizations are persisted between desktop sessions.

Prerequisites

Before you perform the exercises in this chapter, verify that you have performed the following tasks:

• Create a golden image that meets the requirements described in Golden Images for Instant Clone Pool.
• Create Horizon desktops according to the specifications listed in Provisioning Desktops.
• Create an FSLogix Profile Container for a standard end-user account (for our example, eterple) as described in Creating and Using an FSLogix Profile Container.
• Create a file share with FileZilla or another application installer available.

  Note: If you have an existing repository of IT-approved application installers available, you can substitute it.

Creating a User Writable Volume

From the App Volumes Manager console, create a writable volume and assign it to the end user account; for example, eterple.

Note: Be sure to select the UIA Only template. This ensures that only user-installed applications are stored on the volume.

Figure 9 - Writable Volume Assigned to eterple and Created Using UIA Only Template

Configuring Privilege Elevation with Dynamic Environment Manager

Most applications require administrator privileges during installation, and some applications even require administrator privileges to run after installation. Dynamic Environment Manager provides the privilege elevation feature so that IT administrators can remove administrative privileges from standard end users, while still enabling them to install and run approved applications. To learn more about the privilege elevation feature, see the Privilege Elevation Feature Walk-Through video.

The end user account eterple used throughout this tutorial has standard user privileges, preventing the installation of applications to Windows. In this exercise, we configure privilege elevation to enable eterple to install software from an IT-approved software repository.

1. Enable privilege elevation and create a path-based elevation rule to elevate applications installed from a network repository.
2. In this tutorial, the following path is used: \\<FileServer>\desktopapps\*
   
3. Using either a GPO or the NoAD mode feature of Dynamic Environment Manager, apply the Dynamic Environment Manager configuration to the virtual machines and users.
   
   For a step-by-step tutorial on this feature, see the Configure Privilege Elevation for Installing an Application exercise in Quick-Start Tutorial for User Environment Manager.

Updating an Application Package Assignment

In a previous exercise, the VLC application package was assigned to an Active Directory OU containing computer objects. Because writable volumes are not supported for use with a computer- based application assignment, the package should instead be assigned to the end user.

Edit the VLC application package, remove the OU assignment, and assign the application package to the end-user account; for example, eterple.

Figure 10 - Assignment of the VLC Application Package to End User eterple

Recovering Instant Clone VMs in the Desktop Pool

Initiating a recovery operation on the desktops in the instant-clone desktop pool causes them to be deleted and recreated. The VLC application package will be detached from the desktops.

From the Horizon console, navigate to the Machines tab of the desktop pool, select the machines, and click the Recover button to recover the machines in the desktop pool.

Figure 11 - Machines Tab of the HorizonFSL Desktop Pool

Installing an Application

1. Use Horizon Client or HTML access to log in and authenticate to the Horizon server with the end-user account; for our example, eterple.
2. Connect to the desktop HorizonFSL.
   
3. Navigate to the file share \\<FileServer>\DesktopApps and install FileZilla.
   
4. Open the FileZilla application and customize the interface.
   1. Click View and modify some of the settings
      
5. Select Sign out to disconnect and log off of the VM so it will be reset.
   
6. Use Horizon Client or HTML access to authenticate to Horizon again with the same end-user account; for our example, eterple.
7. Connect to the desktop HorizonFSL again.
   
8. Verify that FileZilla was persisted by the App Volumes writable volume.
9. Open FileZilla and verify that all customizations were persisted by the FSLogix Profile Container.

Additional Integrations for Dynamic Environment Manager with FSLogix Profile Containers

This table indicates which infrastructure platforms are supported.

In the exercise Supporting User-Installed Applications with App Volumes User-Writable Volumes, the privilege elevation feature of Dynamic Environment Manager was used to enable a standard user account to install software.

Dynamic Environment Manager provides a variety of capabilities for Windows-based virtual, physical, and cloud-hosted computers. The features provided by the User Environment tab are recommended to simplify desktop administration and provide added functionality when using FSLogix Profile Containers with VMware Horizon on any infrastructure platform.

Figure 12 - Features Listed on the User Environment Tab of the Dynamic Environment Manager Console

As you have seen in this tutorial, FSLogix Profile Containers persist the entire user profile between nonpersistent desktop sessions, ensuring custom application settings are always available to the end user. Dynamic Environment Manager provides this capability through a feature called personalization. Although there is an overlap in capabilities here, enabling personalization for an application with Dynamic Environment Manager introduces additional functionality.

Figure 13 - Predefined Settings for Notepad++ on the Personalization Tab of the Console

Dynamic Environment Manager Self-Support

Self-support enables end users to restore application settings from a backup, or reset them to defaults, without having to contact IT for assistance. See Using VMware Dynamic Environment Manager Self-Support for more information.

Dynamic Environment Manager Predefined Settings

Predefined settings provide IT administrators with the ability to distribute custom application settings based on a variety of conditions. With a single application configuration in the base image or dynamically delivered by an App Volumes application package, predefined settings dynamically evaluate dozens of conditions and apply custom settings for end users. Whether setting app defaults and allowing end users to make changes or enforcing settings so the application works consistently with every use, the predefined settings feature adds a level of control not possible with FSLogix Profile Container alone.

Recommended Practices for Personalization with FSLogix Profile Container

Enable personalization for those applications that would benefit from predefined settings or self- support. Leverage the DirectFlex option so custom settings are read from and written to the network share at application start and stop. Any remaining application customizations will be persisted by the Profile Container.

Figure 14 - DirectFlex Settings for Notepad++ on the Personalization Tab of the Console

Summary and Additional Resources

This tutorial demonstrated just how quickly and easily you can integrate Microsoft FSLogix Profile Container with VMware Horizon, regardless the infrastructure platform you prefer.

• App Volumes persists applications, while FSLogix Profile Container persists user data and configuration data for these applications.
• App Volumes writable volumes allow end users to install and persist their own applications, while FSLogix Profile Container persists configuration data for user-installed applications.
• Dynamic Environment Manager allows end users to install their own applications without requiring those users to have administrator (elevated) privileges.
• Dynamic Environment Manager personalization features can be used in conjunction with FSLogix Profile Container. Use Dynamic Environment Manager when you want to offer self- support to users, or when you need to enforce predefined settings for certain applications, which can be applied either at login or at application launch. Use Profile Container for any remaining application customizations you want to persist.

Additional Resources

Besides the documents previously referenced in this tutorial, be sure to check out these learning paths, available on Digital Workspace Tech Zone:

• Mastering Horizon
• Mastering Horizon Cloud Service on Microsoft Azure
• Mastering Dynamic Environment Manager
• Mastering App Volumes

Author and Contributors

This version of the guide was written and updated by Josh Spencer, EUC Staff Architect in End-User-Computing Technical Marketing, VMware

Contributors

Considerable contributions were provided by the following subject matter experts:

• Jim Yanik, Senior Manager in End-User-Computing Technical Marketing, VMware
• Chris Halstead, EUC Staff Architect, End-User-Computing Technical Marketing, VMware

Reviewers

Assistance in reviewing was provided by the following subject matter experts:

• Jerrid Cunniff, Product Line Manager, Horizon Infrastructure, End-User Computing, VMware
• Rick Terlep, Senior Technical Marketing Architect, End-User-Computing Technical Marketing, VMware
• William Uhlig, EUC Private Sector C1 Solutions Engineer, End-User Computing, VMware
• John Kramer, Senior EUC Architect - Field Engineering (@vJohnKramer on Twitter), End-User Computing, VMware

To comment on this paper, contact VMware End-User-Computing Technical Marketing at euc_tech_ content_feedback@vmware.com.