1. Configuring Folder Redirection and Offline Files Group Policy Settings

2. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Administration Instant Reference
Presented by:
Matthew Hester
IT Pro Evangelist
Microsoft Corporation
@matthewhester
My Boss Martin Schray
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Administration Instant Reference

3. Group Policy Overview Startup and Shutdown Run in local system context
Formerly part of Intellimirror
Manage app installation, OS updates, patching, and removal through Group Policy
Only at startup or logon
Manage and customize your IE configuration
Enforce settings like default home page, and proxy server settings, etc.
MUCH faster and more network efficient than using .INS and .CAB files!
Account Policy
Password Policy
Account Lockout
Audit Policy
User Rights Assignment Policy
Local computer, domain, and network security settings, user restrictions, etc.
Computer-based scripts
Startup and Shutdown
Run in local system context
Very powerful, flexible
Shutdown - clear all Temp Dirs
User-based scripts
logon and logoff
Run in user context
Map drives
Logoff - clear user Temp Dir
Set environment variables
Provides access to network files and folders from a local disk
This helps handle
Remote office users
Unreliable network connections
Users can continue to operate from cached copies of network-based files on their system
Store user profiles on a server
User data can be redirected to another location, such as a network file server
Must redirect to a UNC path
Roamability
Consistency wherever users log on
Data backup
Control unwanted software on workstations and servers
Default Security Level
Disallowed
Unrestricted
Rules
Certificate Rules
Hash Rules
Internet Zone Rules
Path Rules
Control registry settings on domain computers
Configure settings of policy-aware apps
Configure user settings and enforce consistent UI behavior
Offline Folders
Roaming Profiles, Redirected Folders
Computer and User Scripts
Internet Explorer Maintenance
Software Distribution
Software Restrictions
Security Settings
Registry-based Policy

4. Desktop Virtualization
User State Virtualization
Desktop Virtualization
User Data, Profile,
& Settings
Folder Redirection
Offline Files
Roaming User Profiles
User Data, Profile, & Settings
Applications
Data
Operating System
Hardware
Folder Redirection
Offline Files
Roaming User Profiles
Applications
Application Virtualization
RemoteApp
Operating System
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
Session Virtualization
Enterprise Desktop Virtualization

5. How User State Virtualization Works User settings and data – either together or separately – are dynamically available on any authorized device.
Centralizes Data
Increases Business Agility and Continuity
Works for Connected and Non-Connected Users
Offline Files
User Data
User Settings
User Data
User Settings
Secondary User PCs
(Remote Office, Mobile)
Main User PC
(Main Office)

6. User State Virtualization An Overview
What it is…
A set of Windows-based technologies that enable customers to virtualize the data and user settings within their desktop infrastructure.
How it works…
By synchronizing personal profiles, settings, and data in the datacenter, users can access their data and user settings from any authorized PC, at any time.
Where it helps…
Increases Business Agility and Continuity
Delivers Anywhere Access
Centralizes Data
Microsoft recommends companies new to desktop virtualization segment end users and evaluate User State Virtualization as one of their first steps.

7. Key Elements of User State Virtualization A Technology Summary
Users can access their data and folders from any connected PC.
Users can access files on their PC even with an unavailable or slow connection.
Users can access their unique settings and data from any connected PC.

8. Windows Folder Redirection
Features and Benefits
Enables users to access selected folders from any authorized PC
Allows IT to centralize user data in the datacenter
Key Improvements
Improved first time logon experience
Improved performance over slow links when used with Offline Files
Increased list of folders that can be redirected

9. Windows Folder Redirection Key Feature Comparison and Technical Improvements
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
User Experience
Initial Logon Experience
Client copies local folder data to server then back down prior to first logon
Local folder data cached immediately, allowing user to logon then copy in the background
Number of Redirected Folders
Can redirect up to 5 folders (Application Data, Desktop, My Documents, My Pictures, Start Menu)
Can redirect up to 13 folders (AppData\Roaming, Contacts, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, Pictures, Saved Games, Searches, Start Menu, Videos)
Can redirect up to 13 folders
(AppData\Roaming, Contacts, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, Pictures, Saved Games, Searches, Start Menu, Videos)

10. Windows Offline Files Features and Benefits Key Improvements
Makes network files available to end users when a network connection to the server is unavailable or slow
Maintains a local cached copy of the data on the client computer
Key Improvements
Seamless access to files irrespective of network connectivity
Background file synchronization
Exclusion list
Transparent caching

11. Windows Offline Files Key Feature Comparison and Technical Improvements
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
User Experience
Online <--> Offline Transition
Seamless online to offline transition
Disruptive offline to online transition
Server level network transition
User cannot easily force offline mode to access cache
Seamless online and to offline and offline to online transition
Share level network transition
Interface provided for user to force offline mode and cache specific documents
Seamless online to offline, offline to online, and offline (slow link) to online transition
File Sync Speed & Performance
Modified files copied in entirety from local cache to the server even if only a small part of a file is modified
Manual synchronization of files required when in slow link mode
Non-offline files and folders read from server every time
Faster file sync
Manual sync of files required when in slow link mode
Automatic background sync of files when in slow link mode
Transparent caching feature caches previously read files and folders

12. Windows Offline Files Key Feature Comparison and Technical Improvements
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Manageability
Offline File Exclusion by File Type
Limited ability to exclude specific file types
Not able to exclude certain file types
Can use Group Policy to block selected files types from being created in the cache
Cache Size Management
Can use Group Policy to limit disk space used for automatically cached files
No Group Policy to limit disk space used for manually cached files
Can use Group Policy to limit disk space usage of automatically and manually cached files

13. Roaming User Profiles Features and Benefits Key Improvements
Provides a consistent desktop experience for end users from any authorized PC
Centralizes user data and settings in the datacenter, enabling IT to quickly replace PCs
Key Improvements
Background synchronization of user profile and settings
Simplified folder structure
Improved manageability

14. Windows Roaming User Profiles Key Feature Comparison and Technical Improvements
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
User Experience
Profile Synchronization
User profile settings sync at user logon/logoff
User profile settings synch at user logon/logoff
Can configure user profile settings to synch while user is online or during logon/logoff (default)
Slow Network Detection
User notified during logon
User notified prior to logon
Folder Redirection Integration
Can redirect only 5 folders
Can redirect up to 13 folders, which reduces the amount of data synched over the network and greatly reduces user logon and logoff time

15. Windows Roaming User Profiles Key Feature Comparison and Technical Improvements
Windows XP
Windows Vista & Windows 7
Manageability
Profile Folder Structure
Complex nested structure
Simplified hierarchical profile structure, which enables easier separation of user data from application data
Profile Age Management
No policy to automatically delete dormant profiles
Can set a policy to delete dormant profiles older than a defined value
Error and Event Logging
Very basic event logging
More detailed and granular event logging

16. Customer Scenario – Folder Redirection
The Situation
Dr. Julie Smith of Contoso Health Systems sees patients on different floors of her hospital and in different hospital locations. She needs to be able to easily update and access her patient files from the closest available PC in any Contoso Health Systems location.
The Solution at Work
Benefits
Dr. Smith can now access critical patient data from anywhere within Contoso Health Systems.
Dr. Smith can thus always have up to date information so she can respond to patient needs – faster than before.
At 11:45AM, Dr. Smith records the vital signs of Ms. Jones in the ER on Floor 1.
At 9AM, Dr. Smith enters data on her patient, Mr. Johnson, on Floor 5.
At 3:30PM, Dr. Smith returns to her office in a separate Contoso building to review today’s patient data.
Contoso Health Systems 

17. Customer Scenario – Roaming User Profiles & Folder Redirection
The Situation
Paul Jones, a district manager for Woodgrove Bank, is always working from different bank branches. He needs a PC at each branch that has all of his relevant work and personal data, and he also likes having his personal PC customizations on each PC (he is especially particular about his wallpaper, screensaver, and the placement of his desktop icons!).
The Solution at Work
At a different branch, Paul presents his customers with important information on their retirement savings.
Because his user settings were the same on this PC, he was able to quickly and easily navigate to the taskbar and open his files.
Week 2
Benefits
Paul can now access his data and personalized PC settings from any PC in any Woodgrove Bank branch.
Paul is thus more productive and can meet business and customer needs more easily than before.
Week 1
Week 3
Based on what Paul’s customers said about their savings plan, Paul made some additional updates to their financial spreadsheet from a different computer in another Woodgrove Bank branch.
Paul works on a financial spreadsheet for an upcoming customer meeting , and also re-organizes his desktop taskbar and other settings, as he is very particular about the appearance of his desktop.

18. A Complete User Experience User State Virtualization
For a complete user data virtualization experience, use the following:
Folder Redirection
Offline Files
Roaming User Profiles
User Data, Profile, & Settings
Folder Redirection
Offline Files
User Data
User Profile & Settings
For a complete user profile and settings virtualization experience, use the following:
Roaming User Profiles
Offline Files
Folder Redirection

19. Let’s Take a Look: User State Virtualization