Can I treat roaming profiles different depending on the connection?

[Hank Arnold]

We are in the process of migrating our users to roaming profiles. We have
two classes of users: those who get their desktop (at a shared workstation)
from a Citrix server (running TS in Application Mode)and those who do a
domain logon at their workstation and use published icons from the Citrix
server.

The first group are just fine. They log onto a workstation with a local
logon of "DEFAULT". This userid has no rights at all on the network. The
logon automatically launches the Citrix ICA client and the user logs onto
the Citrix server with their network userid and password and is load
balanced to one of two servers. Roaming profiles work great here.

The problem is with the second group. They log onto the workstation as a
domain logon with their network userid and password. On their desktop we
install icons that each launch a published application on the Citrix server
(load balanced) as well as some locally installed applications. The problem
is with the fact that desktop changes are copied back to the roaming profile
location whenever changes are made to the Citrix or the local desktop. For
example, when I place icons on the desktop for the locally installed
application, the same icon appears on the user's Citrix desktop. Of course,
the icon doesn't work. If I delete the non-functioning icons from the Citrix
desktop, they are
deleted from the local desktop the next time the user logs onto the domain
at the Workstation. While at work, this isn't a problem. The user never logs
onto the Citrix server directly, so the fact that the Citrix desktop is
getting "messed up" isn't a concern. However, some of these folks will log
in remotely and will get the Citrix full desktop. I'd like to minimize the
confusion that will occur and result in tech support calls.

Ideally, I'd like to have the Citrix user profile and the local workstation
profile treated differently. The Citrix desktop should be synced with the
roaming profile desktop. It's important the user have the same
profile/desktop regardless of which server they are accessing. With the
"published app" user, though, I'd like all the profile (especially the GPO
settings) synced except for the desktop.

Any ideas on how to do this? Can the local GPO settings do it? Can I
accomplish it via AD GPO? Or is there an easier or more elegant way?

TIA

 

[Tomasz Onyszko]

We are in the process of migrating our users to roaming profiles. We have
two classes of users: those who get their desktop (at a shared workstation)
from a Citrix server (running TS in Application Mode)and those who do a
domain logon at their workstation and use published icons from the Citrix
server.

(...)


Did you try to specify different path for the roaming profile path and
terminal profile path ?

 

[Hank Arnold]

Tomasz,

Thanks for the reply. I'm still trying to get my hands around the whole
"roaming" profile issue. I've come to realize that what I want is not
roaming profiles, but TS profiles. Let me clarify a bit:

The way we operate at the Hospice I support, if someone logs on at a
workstation with their domain userid, that is "their" workstation. They will
only do a domain logon at that workstation. If someone else uses that
workstation or they use another workstation, they will do a "local" logon
with "DEFAULT" (which has no network access at all) and access all
applications through Citrix ICA client.

Right now, we are in the process of trying to get roaming profiles in place
and working so we can fully implement load balancing across all our
workstations. Right now, our biggest problem is that there is no
synchronization between the local profiles on our Citrix workstations. If a
user adds some shortcuts to files on the desktop or changes the setup of
their Outlook or default printer, it isn't reflected on the other server.

Thus, our "shared" workstations are currently hard coded to go to "CITRIX1".
In order to be able to use a published desktop, the profiles have to be kept
in sync. On certain days we have a large number of nurses logging in to
enter their activities and this causes overloading of one server.

Once we have full load balancing in place, I'll look at what is needed to
implement roaming profiles on the "Profile" page and manage them and
re-evaluate whether or not we need them.....