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Tip 3 - Make Your User Profiles Portable

by Greg Shields

Let's face facts: Microsoft's implementation of user profiles can be exceptionally painful. As long as those profiles and their user stay on the same computer, they're relatively easy to work with. But when either users or profiles need to move, their management quickly grows complex.

The problem lies endemic to the profiles themselves. Microsoft and installed applications generally store their user-specific settings into subfolders of the location C:Users. As a result, one would think it would be trivial to just copy this location from one computer to another to have the profile follow the user wherever they go. But, as we all know, this ostensibly simple process just doesn't work. At the same time, roaming profiles (which essentially follow this architecture) are painful, confusing to users, and difficult to administer.

One issue with roaming profiles has to do with profile artifact collection. If you bring down a profile to one computer, it will tend to collect artifacts from that computer's applications. Once it leaves the computer on its way to a second, it takes those artifacts with it.

Another problem occurs when users log into multiple locations at once. If a user logs into their primary workstation and subsequently logs into a Terminal Server, their profile now becomes active in two locations, with the winner being the profile that gets written back to the server last. The result is overwritten settings, unhappy users, and administrators who pull their hair out.
The final problem has to do with workstation refreshes. How much time (and, thus, money) are you wasting trying to track down deep-level problems with user desktops that could be easily solved through a refresh? If a fresh-and-clean computer eliminates most problems by overwriting them, why don't we choose this route more often? Once again, user profiles are the problem.

Profiles Cost you Money

It can be argued that the problems of user profiles and user personalization are a cost to the business IT environment. Because businesses are forced to waste time and effort on troubleshooting desktops rather than turning machines into replaceable “appliances,” businesses are losing money on other projects. At the same time, every time a user logs into a new environment (Citrix, Terminal Services / Remote Desktop Services, VPN, conference room computers, kiosks, and so on), they're forced to re-create their user workspace. If you've ever been part of a delayed meeting, waiting for its organizer to self-troubleshoot a conference room computer, you know how this loss of efficiency adds up over time.

Today's smart organizations recognize the need for user workspace management, or essentially, the handing off of user profiles to non-Microsoft solutions. These alternate solutions use techniques to replace the user profile management and deployment solutions native to Windows. In their place is a more-manageable infrastructure that can effortlessly flow user data between any of the previously mentioned points of user connection.

Once this new profile infrastructure is in place by using any of the available solutions, consider how the following activities get much, much easier:

  • Workstations can be simply refreshed rather than diagnosed when problems occur. User profiles with every part of the user's personal settings are seamlessly transferred from the broken computer to the fixed one.
  • Users can log into kiosk, conference room, and loaner computers. With no added effort, users' personal configurations, personality settings, and other profile elements are automatically and seamlessly transferred to that computer at the time of login.
  • Logins from remote access solutions such as Terminal Services Remote Desktop Services or Citrix “feel” the same. When users need to use remote application infrastructures, their same desktop settings are present, along with every setting from their primary workstation.
  • VDI and hosted virtual desktop solutions have the same “look and feel.” Whether you use virtual desktop solutions for emergency services, out-of-the-office solutions, or as replacements for user desktops, all a user needs to do is log out of their primary desktop and into their hosted virtual desktop to get the same experience.
  • OS upgrades to Windows 7 or other OSs become trivial. When your business decides that Windows 7 or any other OS upgrade is in its best interest, you can accomplish the upgrade with zero impact to your users.

Multiple solutions exist to replace Microsoft's native profiles engine. All of these involve cost to your organization but come with the money-saving features associated with better user productivity as well as greater agility for you in IT to serve those users. Take a look through solutions from companies such as AppSense (www.appsense.com), Atlantis Computing (www.atlantiscomputing.com), Tranxition (www.tranxition.com), and RES Software (www.ressoftware.com) for products that accomplish just these goals.

Greg Shields is an independent author, instructor, and IT consultant based in Denver, Colorado, and a co-founder of Concentrated Technology. With nearly 15 years of experience in information technology, Greg has developed extensive experience in systems administration, engineering, and architecture specializing in Microsoft systems management, remote application, and virtualization technologies. Greg is a Contributing Editor and Columnist for TechNet Magazine, and is the author of five books, including Windows Server 2008: What’s New / What’s Changed. Greg is also a highly sought-after instructor and speaker, speaking regularly at conferences like TechMentor Events, and producing computer-based training curriculum for CBT Nuggets.  Greg is a recipient of Microsoft "Most Valuable Professional" award with a specialization in Windows Terminal Services.