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This article describes how to migrate from VMware Persona Management (PM) to VMware Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM), formerly known as User Environment Manager.Note: The migration is done by running the two solutions side-by-side. Schedule a time frame to migrate the PM profiles to DEM. During that time frame, all PM users need to log in and log off at least once.Note: Please see the following whitepaper for a more detailed breakdown and migration walkthrough:https://techzone.vmware.com/resource/modernizing-vdi-new-horizon
Below steps describe how to migrate Persona Management to Dynamic Environment Manager: Step 1: Install and configure DEM To setup DEM, see the Quick-Start Tutorial for Dynamic Environment Manager . In short, installation of DEM is done through the following actions: Install the FlexEngine on all machines.Create two file shares.Configure the DEM GPO and link it to all users, or use the ‘DEM NoAD mode’ if the use of GPO’s is unwanted. Create DEM Config files for all applications that are used in the environment. For more information, see the Application Profiler - Admin Guide.Use the 2118056_VMware_DEM_FlexEngine_Advanced_DirectFlex_Settings_(ADMX) template to configure the setting: “DirectFlex, disable, and process the DirectFlex Config Files at log on and log off”. Note: DirectFlex needs to be disabled only during the migration timeframe to ensure all application settings are saved at log off. For more information, see VMware DEM Flex Engine Advanced Settings (ADMX template) (2145286) to obtain or download the 2118056_VMware_DEM_FlexEngine_Advanced_DirectFlex_Settings_(ADMX) template attached to this article. Image 1. Advanced policy setting to disable DirectFlex. Step 2: Folder Redirection Before continuing, it is important to understand the difference between ‘User Data’ and ‘User Settings’. ‘User Data’ are all the documents, pictures, etc. created by users. They are typically stored in the Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos folders of the user profile.‘User Settings’ are all the personal settings for applications and the Windows user profile. For instance the wallpaper, the Outlook signature and internet browsers favorites. They are typically stored in the registry and the (Local)AppData folder of the user profile.Folder Redirection should only be enabled for locations that contain ‘User Data’ (Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos). This step is necessary, because DEM does not manage ‘User Data’, DEM only manages ‘User Settings’.From the 3 scenario’s below, choose which applies to your environment, and follow only those steps. Scenario 1: Folder Redirection is configured through the standard Windows GPO policy settings If Folder Redirection is only enabled for locations that contain ‘User Data’, do not change anything. Folder Redirection for all other folders like AppData should be disabled because DEM is managing those folders. See image 2 for an example of this policy. Image 2. Standard Windows Folder Redirection policy settings. Scenario 2: Folder Redirection is not enabled In this scenario, all folders that contain ‘User Data’ (Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos) are in the Persona Management profile folder on the network.Use DEM to enable Folder Redirection only for locations that contain ‘User Data’ (Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos). This is to make sure that the ‘User Data’ is still available after Persona Management gets disabled. Create a DEM Folder Redirection setting using the DEM Management Console available in the User Environment tab. Select Folder Redirection in the left pane and create a new setting as shown in image 3. Image 3. DEM Folder Redirection Setting Scenario 3: Folder Redirection is configured in the Persona Management GPO In this scenario, move the PM GPO Folder Redirection settings to a DEM Folder Redirection setting using the DEM Management Console settings as shown in image 3. This allows the PM GPO to be removed completely after migration.To do this, create a new DEM Folder Redirection setting that contains Folder Redirection settings for all ‘User Data’ folders that are currently redirected with the PM GPO, see image 3 for an example.Note: Only the folders that contain ‘User Data’ (Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos) should be redirected. All the other folders (like AppData) should NOT be redirected, because DEM manages those folders.Image 4 shows an example of folder redirection for the My Documents folder using the PM GPO. The My Documents folder is redirected to file://server/share/%username%/Documents. Image 4. Persona Management Folder Redirection policy setting for My Documents.In the new scenario, this should be changed to a DEM Folder Redirection setting as shown in image 3. The path for the redirected folder should be: \\server\share\%username%\ because DEM will automatically create subfolders for each redirected folder.Make sure to enable DEM Folder Redirection for all ‘User Data’ folders that are currently redirected with the PM GPO. Step 3: Run PM and DEM side-by-side to migrate the user profile Log in and log off with a test user to make sure the settings are migrated successfully.Run PM and DEM side by side during a specific time frame to allow all users to log in/log off at least once.After all the PM profiles are successfully migrated to DEM, continue with step 4 and disable PM. Step 4: Switch to VMware DEM Disable PM by changing the PM GPO. Change the Manage user persona policy setting to Disabled. Image 5. Policy setting to disable Persona Management Enable DirectFlex again to speed up the log in time. To do this, change the Disable DirectFlex policy setting to Disabled. See image 1 for illustration. Step 5: Profile Path in Active Directory (only if applicable) Optional: If users have a User Profile Path configured on their Active Directory user account, remove that path when switching to DEM. This applies to User Profile Path and Remote Desktop Services User Profile Path. DEM provides users with one profile that can roam between any Windows version.
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