Configure Profile Containers – Implement and Manage FSLogix

Configure Profile Containers

First let’s understand what the FSLogix profile container is, and then we will see the steps to configure it. The profile container is a fully remote profile solution for nonpersistent environments like pooled virtual desktops; it allows you to store the user profile on remote storage. The profile container redirects the entire user profile to a remote location like an Azure file share or NetApp. The profile container configuration defines how and where the profile is redirected.

It’s recommended that you use dedicated storage for each host pool, so you must decide if you want to set up this FSLogix container setting in the image or use GPO for it. If you set up the FSLogix profile container setting inside the image, then you need

different images for each host pool as the image will have the storage information in the container registry. You can always also use GPO to deploy the settings after creating the host pool and the session host and use a single image for all host pools.

Additionally, you also must decide if you want to store the user profile to single storage or want multiple copies of the user profile in the case of DR. If you want a user profile copy in a DR region, then you can go with the cloud cache instead of the profile container.

The following are the major differences between the FSLogix VHDLocation and the cloud cache.

VHDLocation vs. the Cloud Cache

There are two ways to define the profile locations in FSLogix for Azure Virtual Desktop. The first is the traditional SMB share path, which allows you to write to effectively any represented SMB share including a Windows file share and Azure storage file share. If you use the VHDLocation setting for the Azure Virtual Desktop pooled user profile, then there will be only one active profile location. FSLogix does not limit you to defining one location in the VHDLocation registry; however, only one location based on the order defined in registry and the location which is reachable and readable will be considered as active.

The second option is the FSLogix cloud cache, which provides the active profile locations. The cloud cache allows you to define multiple profile storage locations including an SMB share and an Azure blob at the same time. All the locations mentioned in the registry will be updated if there are changes in the profile data, and it’s a better option if you want to consider DR for the primary region.

If the profile container is the option you want to go with, then follow the next steps to configure the profile container settings in the image or go to the “Configure the Cloud Cache” section.