Lowered logon times from 65 sec to 29 sec with FSlogix (and to 21 sec with FSLogix and NVIDIA)

[Lieven]

Due to the fact that we had a lot of problems with App Volumes writeable volumes I started looking at alternatives.

I am now testing FSlogix.

In stead of using writable volumes for Windows search indexing and .ost files, I switched to FSlogix. The full profile is now loaded into FSLogix containers.

I also removed all application personalisations from UEM and only use UEM for ADMX-based settings, folder redirection, drive mappings, printer mappings, shortcuts, registry settings, ...

FSLogix is very easy and fast to implement. The implementation took me less then 30 minutes. There is no specific infrastructure needed, only some GPO settings and file shares to save teh FSlogix containers..

The average logon times improved from 65 seconds to 29 seconds, the search gives better results, teh FSlogix containers are very easy to backup, ...

Is there anybody that is using FSlogix and has some good tips and tricks or caveats I should be aware of?

[sjesse]

I haven't but if you haven't seen it there is a TechZone article around this

Integrating FSLogix Profile Containers with the VMware Horizon Just-in-Time Management Platform (JMP...

[julatoski]

If you are using App Volumes 4, please ensure you have the most recent update.  It solves an issue where in some cases, the login process spans a few minutes until the user is able to utilize the desktop.

See the VMware App Volumes 4 Update 1 Release Notes for more information.

[Lieven]

I now added some NVIDIA GPUs to the image and logon times have decreased to 21 seconds

Below an overview of the environment

• VMware vSphere 6.7 U1
• VMware Horizon View 7.11 - instant clones
• VMware DEM 9.10 (without application personalisation)
• VMware App Volumes 2.18 (used for appstacks only)
• Microsoft FSLogix Apps 2.9
• NVIDIA GRID vGPU 442.06 (grid_m10-1b profile)
• Windows 10 1909

[VirtualSpence]

Thanks for sharing your findings, Lieven. I'm interested in learning more about how you're using the Profile Containers.
1. Are you storing user data locations such as the Documents folder in the container, or are you using Folder Redirection to redirect some parts of the profile to a network share?
2. Can you share any details about your process to backup the Profile Containers? I'm assuming users need to be disconnected to take a backup, and would like to understand how you approach this.
Any info you can share would be greatly appreciated.

[Lieven]

VirtualSpence​

I am still using folder redirections (configured via DEM) and thus storing My documents, My Music, Desktop, Favorites, My Photos, .... outside of the FSLogix containers.

Regarding backups: Since all important data is stored in another location then the FSLogix containers through redirected folders, I am not giving too much attention towards backing up these FSLogix containers. The main data in these FSLogix containers are OST files, Onedrive files, MS Teams files, ... and these can be re-downloaded when needed since we are using Office365.

Most important for us is that since the switch of some test users from App Volumes Writeables towards FSLogix we did not have a single problem, performance is better, we have more functionality, search is better, ...

Next thing to look at is indeed ensuring that we can restore containers if needed.

[JF_ID]

Good work on Update 1, reduce login time by 10 to 20 sec for an optimize golden image.

Windows 10 + DEM 9.10 + AppVol 4.0.1 (No associated app)

Clean logon : 15 sec instead of 35 sec with 4.0.0

Quick questions

1. Does 10 to 15 sec is normal if only 1 app is associated ?

2. When the "immediate" association will be available ?

Thank for your works

[Jubish-Jose]

Hi Lieven​

I am also testing FSLogix with DEM and wanted to understand about folder redirection. When we choose to redirect folders using DEM, shouldn't we exclude these folders from FSLogix? How should we do that? Will it cause any conflicts?

[Lieven]

Hi,

​When you are doing folder redirection you don't have to do anything specific on FSLogix. The folders which are redirected will automatically be excluded from FSLogix.

​Regards,

​Lieven

[Jubish-Jose]

Thanks Lieven, but If we do not exclude the folders in FSLogix, the data will be duplicated, right? I mean, the data  will be available in FSLogix container as well as under redirected folders and eat up double the space actually required. I agree there won't be any functionality impact, though.

[Lieven]

The data wil not be duplicated.

[Jubish-Jose]

Sorry, I am confused. FSLogix will not be aware about the folder redirection configured via DEM if I understand correctly. E. g. if we redirect MyDocments, the data on that location will be present both within the container as well as in the redirected location, right? Could you please elaborate your above answer?

[Lieven]

FSlogix will be aware of the folder redirection. The redirected folders will NOT be present in the FSLogix containers.

[VirtualSpence]

Lieven​ is right. FSLogix is using a filter driver. The filter driver makes it appear to Windows that the Profile Container (attached VHD) is just an extension of the existing C:\. Think of the filter driver as a layer that stitches the drives together, merging their content from the perspective of the Windows OS into a single drive. The filter driver is configured to intercept I/O operations bound for the C:\, and direct those destined for the profile locations to the VHD. The following is an oversimplified means of visualizing how this works.

If you use Windows without a Profile Container, and without Folder Redir, the workflow looks like this:

• User creates a new document and saves it to the Documents folder.
• Windows checks the registry for the location of the Documents folder (in this case, C:\Users\<username>\Documents) and performs a write operation to store the file.

If you introduce FSLogix with a Profile Container but without folder redirection, the workflow looks like this:

• User creates a new document and saves it to the Documents folder.
• Windows checks the registry for the location of the Documents folder (in this case, C:\Users\<username>\Documents) and performs a write operation to store the file.
• The FSLogix filter driver intercepts the write operation, and redirects the write from the actual C:\ to the Profile Container (VHD).
• To Windows, it appears as though the new document is located on the C:\, when in fact it's stored on the VHD.

If you introduce Folder Redirection with the FSLogix Profile Container, the workflow looks like this:

• User creates a new document and saves it to the Documents folder.
• Windows checks the registry for the location of the Documents folder (in this case, folder redirection states this is \\server\share\Users\<username>\Documents) and performs a write operation to store the file.
• The FSLogix filter driver does not need to intercept the write operation, because the write is not destined for C:\.

[Jubish-Jose]

Just to give an update about the DEM and FSLogix as we are running this in production for almost an year now.

We had a setup similar to @Lieven where we had Horizon 7.9 with nVIDIA GPU and Persona. From there we are currently on 7.12 with DEM + FSLogix and persistent linked clones where we get a logon time of ~30 seconds. We are not using App Volumes.

Later I came to know that the image that we were traditionally using was NOT an optimised one. Now I am testing an environment with the following configuration and we have a few pilot users and all are happy. We are getting logon time of 10-15 seconds!

• VMware Horizon 2103 (8.2)
• vSphere 7.0U2
• DEM 2103 (10.2) - no AD
• FSLogix 2.9
• Windows 10 2004 OSOT image, nVIDIA GPU
• Instant Clones with Refresh on Logoff
• Folder redirection for Downloads and Videos
• OneDrive for Documents, Pictures and Desktop
• App Volumes 4.3 Writable on experimental basis, only for users who need extra apps (yet to use it for any users)

With App Volumes, logon time is almost a minute, whereas without it, its 15 seconds.

Happy to help anyone if there are questions.

[AlSyedG]

Hi Lieven,

Can you also help me to lower my login time. right now my login time is 50 seconds with fslogics, instant clone, windows group policies and folder redirection. No app volumes and no DEM.

Thanks

[Lieven]

@AlSyedG 

Did you optimise your golden image and if so how?

[AlSyedG]

Hi Lieven,

Yes I do have optimized the image with vmware optimization tool.

I didn't optimize the login area and left unchecked all those 10 items. Shell Load Time: 21.04 seconds, this is quite high.

any thoughts on this how i can bring it down to 15-20 seconds.

Now time is 33 seconds (still high) as you can see in vmware login monitor logs.

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Logon Time: 33.13 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Logon Start To Hive Loaded Time: 2.27 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Logon Start To Classes Hive Loaded Time: 2.31 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Profile Sync Time: 0.00 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Windows Folder Redirection Apply Time: 0.00 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Shell Load Time: 21.04 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Total Logon Script Time: 0.00 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] User Policy Apply Time: 7 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Machine Policy Apply Time: 0 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Group Policy Software Install Time: 0.36 seconds

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary] Free Disk Space Available To User: 63 GB

2022-02-21T08:28:58.137 INFO (109c-1fb8) [LogonMonitor::LogSummary]

[antonpaloka]

Make sure you remove stubpaths

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2100337 

[antonpaloka]

@Lieven 

Were you using OST prior to FSLogix? I am considering FSLogix but don't see how you could have taken off half of your logon time just with FSLogix added to DEM?