Virtual Desktop Service

Redirecting Storage Platform

Contributors tvanroo
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Overview

Virtual Desktop Service deployment technologies allow for a variety of storage options depending on the underlying infrastructure, this guide addresses how to make a change post-deployment.

Virtual desktop performance depends on a variety of key resources, storage performance is one of the primary variables. As requirements change and workloads evolve, the need to change the storage infrastructure is a common task. In nearly all cases this involves migrating from a file server platform to NetApp storage technology (such as Azure NetApp Files, NetApp Cloud Volumes Service in Google or NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP in AWS) since these technologies typically offer the best performance profile for end user computing environments.

Creating the new storage layer

Due to the wide variety of potential storage services across a wide variety of cloud and HCI infrastructure providers, this guide assumes a new storage service has already been established and with the SMB path(s) known.

Create storage folders

  1. In the new storage service, create three folders:

    • /Data

    • /Home

    • /Pro

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  2. Set Folder Permissions

    1. On Folder Properties, select Security, >Advanced > Disable Inheritance

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    2. Adjust the remaining settings to match the settings on the original storage layer as originally created by the deployment automation.

Moving data

The directories, data, files and security settings can be moved a variety of ways. The following robocopy syntax will achieve the necessary changes. The paths need to be changed to match your environment.

robocopy c:\data\zucd \\uyy-1c37.deskapps.mobi\zucd-data /xd ~snapshot /MIR /CopyAll /R:1 /W:1 /tee /log:C:\temp\roboitD.txt

Redirecting the SMB path at cutover

When the time for cutover comes, a few changes will redirect all the storage functionality across the VDS environment.

Update GPOs

  1. The Users GPO (named <company-code>-users) needs to be updated with the new share path. Select User Configuration > Windows Settings > Preferences > Drive Maps

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  2. Right Click on H:, select Properties > Edit > Action: Replace and enter the new Path

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  3. With Classic or Hybrid AD update the share defined in ADUC in the company OU. This is reflected in VDS folder management.

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Update FSLogix profile paths

  1. Open Regedit on the original file server and any other provisioned Session Hosts.

    Note This can also be set via a GPO policy if desired.

  2. Edit the VHDLocations value with the new value. This should be the new SMB path plus pro/profilecontainers as shown in the screenshot below.

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Update the folder redirection settings for the home directories

  1. Open Group Policy Management, select Users GPO linked to DC=domain,DC=mobi/Cloud Workspace/Cloud Workspace Companies/<company-code>/<company-code>-desktop users.

  2. Edit folder redirection paths under User Configuration>Policies>Windows Settings>Folder Redirection.

  3. Only Desktop and Documents needs updated and the paths should match the new SMB path mount point for Home volume

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Update the VDS SQL database with Command Center

CWMGR1 contains a helper utility applications called Command Center which can bulk update the VDS database.

To make the final database updates:

  1. Connect to CWMGR1, navigate and run CommandCenter.exe

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  2. Navigate to the Operations tab, click Load Data to populate the Company Code drop down, select the company code, and enter the new storage paths(s) for the storage layer then click Execute Command.

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