Configure Profile Containers

To configure profile containers in Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop, you can follow the steps outlined below. Profile containers allow user profiles to be stored in a separate container, enabling easy management and reducing the size of virtual machine disks.

1. Provision an Azure Storage account:

• Start by creating a storage account in Azure if you don’t already have one. This account will be used to store user profile data.
• Navigate to the Azure portal, click on “Create a resource,” search for “Storage account,” and follow the steps to create it. Make sure to choose the appropriate subscription, resource group, and location.

2. Set up the profile container image:

• Profile containers rely on an image that includes the necessary tools and configurations. You can use a pre-built image or create a custom one.
• If using a pre-built image, search for the appropriate gallery image in the Azure portal, select it, and click on “Create virtual machine.” Follow the prompts to set it up.
• For a custom image, create a virtual machine that matches your desired configuration. Install and configure the necessary tools and settings, such as FSLogix, and generalize the virtual machine using Sysprep.
• Once the virtual machine is generalized, capture it as a managed image or a VHD to use as the profile container image.

3. Create a host pool:

• In the Azure portal, navigate to Azure Virtual Desktop and select the host pool you want to configure.
• Click on “Profile containers” under the “Settings” section.
• Enable profile containers and select the storage account created in step 1.
• Specify the container name format, which determines the naming convention for the profile container in the storage account.
• Provide the location path for the profile container image. This should be the location of the VHD or managed image you created in step 2.

4. Configure user assignments:

• To assign users to profile containers, navigate to the “Assignments” section of the host pool in the Azure portal.
• Select the appropriate user group or individual users.
• Click on “Profile containers” under the “Settings” section.
• Enable profile containers for the selected users and specify the container location. This should match the container name format specified earlier.
• Save the user assignments.

5. Test the profile containers:

• Once the configuration is complete, users assigned to profile containers will have their profiles stored in Azure Storage.
• To test the setup, sign in to an Azure Virtual Desktop session with a user assigned to a profile container.
• Make changes to the user profile, such as desktop wallpaper or application settings.
• Sign out and sign in again to ensure the changes persist across sessions.
• Verify that the profile container is functioning properly by checking the stored data in the configured storage account.

By following these steps, you can successfully configure profile containers in Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop. This allows for efficient profile management and enhances the overall user experience in virtual desktop environments.