OneDrive sync in RDS environment

Technology Microsoft
1

We use Office 365 in an RDS environment on Server 2012 SR2. We are a fully thin client shop. Everything worked well until last summer when Microsoft disabled OneDrive sync for non-persistent profiles. That means none of my ThinClient users can use OneDrive Sync.

We are moving to Server 2019 in May. I’ve been reading that FSlogix which Microsoft just bought can solve that problem.

Is anyone doing RDS in Server 2019 and successfully using OneDrive sync?

2

We are using the stock OneDrive client in a Server 2016 RDS environment. There are a few group policies you can apply to limit the amount of space used per user and system wide. It’s working well for us so far but we less than five users configured with it at this point. The disk on this RDS server is only 160GB and has about 50% free space on any given day.

image
image2176×1004 113 KB

3

RDS or VDI running on/from Server 2019 fully supports the OneDrive client sync, INCLUDING Files OnDemand, for persistent image types.

If I was running an RDS server, in todays world of cheap and fast storage, I’d seriously consider moving to persistence of some type for simplicities sake.

You are also correct that you can use FSLogix to enable non-persistant sessions on Server 2019 for either RDS or VDI which fully support OneDrive+FoD. FSLogix can be licensed a lot of ways, but one of the common ones will be to use Server License + User CALS + RDS CALS.

A few other thoughts:

  • You’ll need to be using ProPlus for your office licensing
  • You’ll want to keep all your MS licensing under SA
    • Regularly keep things updated (I’d patch in real time and do feature updates yearly)
  • I would seriously consider using Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) instead of onprem RDS if your access pattern allows it
    • WVD runs off Windows 10 instead of Windows Server, and gives a much better desktop experience and increased app compatibility
    • M365E3, available inexpensively to NPOs, gives you all the licensing you need for WVD
    • You only pay for the user compute in azure, access to onprem data possible via VPN tunnels in azure

I have pulled a few things together for you to review.

Hopefully this helps.

-Karl P

4

FSLOGIX is now included with RDS licensing microsoft picked them up

Works great

5

The only alternatives at the moment that I am able to find are:

1 - https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/office/OneDriveMapper-automaticall-d7d498b0

Mapping using this script which seems to keep it persistent each time the user logs into their session. Seems to be a popular choice.

2 - Zee Drive Map OneDrive for Business as a Network Drive - Reliably - Another popular choice, but paid for - However, Myles Jeffery who own it is really solid dude and helpful.