Helpdesk Support Tool does not work with Silo configuration

[tschuegy]

We are using silo configuration for our environments. One silo per environment. Unfortunately, the helpdesk tool does not work with the silo configuration(without general configuration).

Example: Working config without silo

Console

Config folder

general folder

User archive folder

working Helpdesk Tool

Example: config with silo --> Not working

Console

config folder

general folder (empty)

Silo APP folder

Silo APP content

Helpdesk Tool not working

Conclusion: The Helpdesk Tool will not work without settings in the general directory.

How can I configure the helpdesk tool to handle silo configurations?

[tschuegy]

@DEMdev Can you please take a look at my problem?

[DEMdev]

Hi @tschuegy,

Sorry, I haven't been active on VMTN for a long time... The Helpdesk Support Tool does indeed not have silo support. I've created an internal write-up quite a while ago describing a kind of workaround. I can try and dig that up in case you're still trying to look for way to make this work?

[tschuegy]

Hi @DEMdev 
I would be very interested in the workaround. can you describe it to me?

[DEMdev]

Hi @tschuegy,

The best workaround I can come up with requires launching the Helpdesk Support Tool twice, once for the “Global” config files, profile archives, and backups, and once for the silo-specific files. That second instance requires the creation of a folder structure (which can live anywhere, outside of the standard configuration folder) containing directory junctions to the “real” silo folders.

Create a folder like C:\Flex\SiloHelpdeskHack\General, and copy the “Global” Helpdesk Support Tool config file that’s currently being used next to that new General folder:

C:\>dir /s C:\Flex\SiloHelpdeskHack
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 4C1E-CE2B

Directory of C:\Flex\SiloHelpdeskHack

10/28/2020  01:21 PM    <DIR>          .
10/28/2020  01:21 PM    <DIR>          ..
10/28/2020  01:17 PM    <DIR>          General
10/28/2020  01:11 PM               388 Immidio Flex+ Helpdesk Support Tool.xml
               1 File(s)            388 bytes

Inside that new General folder, create symlinks to the “real” silos folders, like:

C:\Flex\SiloHelpdeskHack>cd General

C:\Flex\SiloHelpdeskHack\General>mklink /D Silo-A-Test C:\Flex\Configuration\silos\SiloA
symbolic link created for Silo-A-Test <<===>> C:\Flex\Configuration\silos\SiloA

If the Silo-specific suffix policy setting is configured, use that as the name for the symlink; otherwise, just use the silo name. In my experiments I configured my silo-specific GPOs to use suffices Silo-A-Test and Silo-B-Test for silos SiloA and SiloB, respectively. Put differently: make sure the symlink names match the relative subfolder names where the users’ silo-specific archives and backups reside.

After symlinking your silo folders, the new General folder should look something like this:

Directory of C:\Flex\SiloHelpdeskHack\General

10/28/2020  01:17 PM    <DIR>          .
10/28/2020  01:17 PM    <DIR>          ..
10/28/2020  01:10 PM    <SYMLINKD>     Silo-A-Test [C:\Flex\Configuration\silos\SiloA]
10/28/2020  01:10 PM    <SYMLINKD>     Silo-B-Test [C:\Flex\Configuration\silos\SiloB]
               0 File(s)              0 bytes

You can now launch the “Silos” instance of the Helpdesk Support Tool: "C:\Program Files\Immidio\Flex Profiles\Flex+ Helpdesk Support Tool.exe" -FlexConfig C:\Flex\SiloHelpdeskHack, specifying the path of that special folder structure (excluding General.)

So, all in all quite involved...