Profile Management 2103

Access multiple resources

Profiles become more complex as users access multiple resources. With profiles stored on a network, Microsoft Windows uses the registry to store user settings. Profiles are copied from the network to the local device at logon, and copied back to the network at logoff. On a daily basis, users access multiple computers, switch between desktops and laptops, and access virtual resources created with Citrix Virtual Apps and Citrix Virtual Desktops.

This diagram illustrates how a single Citrix user profile follows a user who logs on to multiple resources.

The following graphic illustrates users logging on to multiple Citrix resources and their Citrix user profiles following them from computer to computer.

For example, a user has a local, physical desktop and from it accesses applications published with Citrix Virtual Apps. They also access a virtual desktop created with Citrix Virtual Desktops. The user’s settings are not uniform across all of these resources unless the settings are appropriately configured.

In addition, when they access a shared resource, the behavior of roaming profiles means that the “last write wins.” For example, an administrator enables a roaming profile and a user changes the background color of the local desktop. The user then logs on to a Citrix virtual desktop, logs off the local desktop, and logs off the virtual desktop. Both the local and virtual desktops were open at the same time and the last logoff was from the virtual desktop. Therefore, the settings from the virtual desktop session were the last written to the profile, and the change to the background color is lost.

Access multiple resources