Office containers are a crucial aspect of configuring and operating Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop for the AZ-140 exam. In this piece, we will dive deep into understanding how to configure Office Containers. To provide clarity, we will also include a few practical examples and comparison tables.
What is Office Container?
Office Container, a part of FSLogix, focuses primarily on Office 365 data in user profiles. This system effectively captures and merges the entire user profile, including the Windows Registry, into virtual disks. These disks are mounted at login, ensuring seamless user experience, eliminating the need to re-sync or re-index data.
Purpose of Office Container
The core purpose of Office Container is to enhance the user experience by reducing the need to resynchronize or re-index Outlook data, and diminishing search indexing latency. This is achieved by retaining search data, Outlook data, and other Office 365 data in their native formats.
Configuring Office Containers
Let’s move on to configure Office Containers for our Azure Virtual Desktop Environment.
Prerequisites
Before configuring Office Containers, you need:
- Azure Virtual Desktop Environment running Windows 10.
- Office 365 ProPlus installed.
- FSLogix Agent installed.
Steps to Configure Office Containers
- Enable FSLogix: The first step is to enable FSLogix. You need to open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe), path to “HKLM\Software\FSLogix,” and create a new DWORD value called “AppsEnable.”
- Set AppsEnable Value: Set the value of AppsEnable as 1 to enable FSLogix Apps rule processing.
- Configuration of Office Container: Now, go to “HKLM\Software\FSLogix\Profiles.” Create a new DWORD value, “Enabled.” Set its value as 1 to enable profile Container/Office container.
- Configure VHD Locations: Now, set the VHD Locations. So, create a new string value, “VHDLocations,” and provide the network path where Office Container files will be stored.
The following table lists these registry settings for convenience.
| Registry Setting Path | Registry Setting Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| HKLM\Software\FSLogix\Profiles | Enabled | 1 |
| HKLM\Software\FSLogix\Profiles | VHDLocations | Path_to_network_share |
Verifying the Configuration
After completing all the steps mentioned above, FSLogix begins working the next time a user logs on. FSLogix creates a separate disk for Office data on the network share that you provided in the VHDLocations registry setting.
To verify the configuration, navigate to the network share, and you should see Office Container VHD files for the logged-in users. If you observe .vhdx and .vhdx.lck files for every logged in user, then you have successfully configured Office Containers.
Conclusion
Configuring Office Containers can be a technical task that requires a certain level of understanding about FSLogix and Azure Virtual Desktops. However, once set up properly, Office Containers can substantially enhance the user experience. To excel in the AZ-140 exam, ensure you are comfortable configuring and managing Office Containers.
Practice Test
True or False: The name of an Azure Virtual Desktop host pool can be changed after it’s created.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 2)
Explanation: The name of an Azure Virtual Desktop host pool cannot be changed after it has been created.
What are Office Containers?
- A) They are a type of storage container
- B) They store Office 365 data
- C) They are a type of Azure Virtual Network
Answer: B
Explanation: Office Containers are components of FSLogix that store Office 365 data within user profiles.
Which of the following should be considered when configuring FSLogix Profile Containers? (Select all that apply)
- A) User groups
- B) Location of the container
- C) Container size
- D) Disk type
Answer: A, B, C, D
Explanation: All of these factors play a role in the configuration of FSLogix Profile Containers, including user groups, container location and size, and disk type.
True or False: FSLogix Profile Containers are used to store individual’s Windows and Office settings in a cloud-based storage system.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1)
Explanation: FSLogix Profile Containers are designed to virtualize user profiles in a way that users will see all of their data and changes across multiple sessions.
Single sign-on (SSO) is supported by Azure Virtual Desktop for which kinds of apps?
- A) Native apps
- B) Web apps
- C) Mobile apps
- D) All of the above
Answer: D
Explanation: Azure Virtual Desktop supports SSO for all app types as it provides a more seamless user experience.
A key objective of configuring Office Containers involves:
- A) Speeding up logon times
- B) Optimizing network bandwidth
- C) Increasing CPU usage
- D) Both A and B
Answer: D
Explanation: By personalizing Office 365 data and caching it to reduce downloads and uploads, Office Containers can improve both logon times and bandwidth usage.
True or False: Azure Virtual Desktop supports automatic updates and updating in place.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1)
Explanation: Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop supports both automatic updates and updating in place.
Which tool is used to configure FSLogix Office Container?
- A) Azure Kubernetes Service
- B) Azure PowerShell
- C) Azure Policy
- D) Azure File Share
Answer: D
Explanation: FSLogix Office Container can be configured to use an Azure File Share for a centralized management of profiles.
Azure Virtual Desktop requires a premium storage tier for FSLogix Profile Containers and Office Containers.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B
Explanation: It is a common misconception. Azure Virtual Desktop does not inherently require a premium storage tier; the type of storage depends on the requirements for performance and cost.
True or False: Azure AD Domain Services are not required for Azure Virtual Desktop.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 2)
Explanation: Azure AD Domain Services are actually required to set up a domain for Azure Virtual Desktop.
FSLogix Office Containers can cache which of the following?
- A) Search indexes
- B) Onedrive files
- C) Outlook data
- D) All of the above
Answer: D
Explanation: Office Containers cache all of these types of data, creating a seamless user experience across different sessions.
True or False: Azure Virtual Desktop can be deployed into a Virtual Network (VNet) that is peered with another VNet.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1)
Explanation: Azure Virtual Desktop can indeed be deployed into a peered VNet, providing greater flexibility for design and deployment options.
Which service is typically used to create and manage Azure Virtual Machines for Azure Virtual Desktop?
- A) Azure DevOps
- B) Azure Logic Apps
- C) Azure Resource Manager
- D) Azure Batch
Answer: C
Explanation: Azure Resource Manager is the service used to create and manage Azure VMs for Azure Virtual Desktop.
True or False: FSLogix software is available at no additional cost for Microsoft 365 licensed customers.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1)
Explanation: Microsoft provides FSLogix software at no additional cost provided that customers have an eligible Microsoft 365 license.
What type of data does FSLogix Profile Container manage?
- A) Windows Search data
- B) User profiles
- C) Office 365 data
- D) All of the above
Answer: D
Explanation: FSLogix Profile Container manages all of these types of data for a seamless end-user experience.
Interview Questions
What are office containers used for in Azure Virtual Desktop?
Office Containers in Azure Virtual Desktop are used to provide a stateless computing experience to users. They abstract the user profile layers from the Windows operating system, enabling users to easily move from one VM to another while maintaining personal settings and data.
What is FSLogix?
FSLogix is a set of solutions that enhance, enable, and simplify non-persistent Windows computing environments. FSLogix solutions may also be used to create more portable computing sessions when using physical devices.
How does FSLogix work with Office Containers?
FSLogix creates a virtual hard drive (VHD) for each user, called an Office Container. It relies on a filter driver to redirect the user’s profile and Office data to the container, ensuring a consistent user experience across sessions.
What are the benefits of using an Office container?
Office containers offer several benefits including: rapid logon times, a consistent user experience across sessions and devices, reduced load on profile storage, and improved data security.
How do you enable FSLogix Office Containers?
The FSLogix Office Container can be enabled through the registry on the user’s machine by setting the DWORD value for ‘Enabled’ to ‘1’ under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\FSLogix\Profiles key.
Does FSLogix Office Containers support OneDrive files On-Demand?
Yes, FSLogix Office Containers do support OneDrive Files On-Demand. However, to enable this support, OneDrive Files On-Demand must be enabled on the client system as well.
Can you use FSLogix with Azure Files for profile containers?
Yes, it’s possible to use FSLogix profile containers with Azure Files. This allows users to put their profiles on Azure Files which ensures backups are up-to-date and also provides a faster login experience.
How can you migrate user profiles to FSLogix Office Containers in Azure?
The User Profile Disk can be migrated to FSLogix Office Containers in Azure using the provided FSLogix migration script.
What is the recommended size for FSLogix Office Containers?
While the exact size will depend on the user’s needs, Microsoft recommends starting with a disk size of around 30 GB per user and adjust as necessary based on usage.
How do FSLogix Office Containers handle simultaneous logins from the same user on different VMs?
FSLogix Office Containers handle simultaneous logins using a locking mechanism. Only the first VM to which the user logs in can write to the profile, all others are given read-only access.
What are the requirements for a network share for FSLogix Office Containers?
The network share must support SMB, and should be designed for high performance read/write activity. Also, the FSLogix client and the network share must be in the same Active Directory domain.
Are FSLogix Office Containers supported with Remote Desktop Session Hosts (RDSH)?
Yes, FSLogix Office Containers are supported with RDSH. They are commonly used to improve the user experience in RDSH scenarios.
Who can access the FSLogix Office Container for a specific user?
Only the specified user and administrators have access to the FSLogix Office Container for a specific user.
Can the Office Container size be increased after creation?
Yes, the maximum size of the Office Container disk can be increased after creation. However, decreasing the size afterward is not supported.
What are the licensing requirements for FSLogix Office Containers?
As of August 2019, any customer who is licensed for Microsoft 365 Business, Enterprise, Education, or F1, Windows E3 or above, or Windows VDA per user, has rights to FSLogix software.
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