Top 5 tips for Profile management

Profile Management is a vital component of all deployments not just for VDI.  I have put together the top five things that you should consider:

1. File Share Permissions – If using any sort of central repository or share ensure that the file and share permissions are correct before much (or any) data is written.  VMware have a fling to check persona share here.  Microsoft recommended permissions for profile shares are here.  Get these right at the beginning as it is a big pain to correct them later!
2. Size – Put measures in place for managing the size of the profile.  Profile bloat is still a problem and can impact performance.
3. 3rd Party solutions – Windows profiles have limitations, consider a 3rd party tool to manage the solution.  VMware have persona and User Environment Manager (with Enterprise licensing or standalone which are both excellent products).
4. Recovery/Backup – Ensure that you have the ability to backup and restore user profile data and settings easily.  Often settings are configured over a period of time and recreating the same experience manually is a big admin overhead and not always possible to achieve.
5. User Experience – A user might well be accessing applications and desktops from multiple locations and devices and the profile delivered must be repeatable and provide the same experience.  This can be achieved but requires good planning and the right tools.