• Article

Example Scenario for User Data and Profiles Management in Configuration Manager

 

Updated: May 14, 2015

Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1

Note

The information in this topic applies to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 or later, and System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager or later.

Note

This topic appears in the Assets and Compliance in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager guide and in the Scenarios and Solutions Using System Center 2012 Configuration Manager guide.

This topic provides an example scenario of how user data and profiles configuration items in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager can be used to solve a number of typical business requirements.

Important

User data and profiles configuration items can only be deployed to users of Windows 8 computers.

John is the Configuration Manager administrator at Woodgrove Bank. To improve the efficiency of their IT infrastructure, he wants to make the following changes to the bank’s network:

  • To ensure that important documents that are stored on user’s computers get archived, the Documents folder on each user’s primary computer must be stored on a share on one of the company’s servers named \\Woodgrove\UserData. John learns that the folder redirection settings in a user data and profiles configuration item can be used to accomplish this.

    For information about how to define a computer as a user’s primary device, see the How to Manage User Device Affinity in Configuration Manager topic.

  • John’s manager has asked that an important spreadsheet be made available on his computer even when he is not on the network. When he reconnects to the network, the file must be synchronized with the copy on the company server. John learns that the offline files settings in a user data and profiles configuration item can be used to accomplish this.

  • It is typical for users at Woodgrove Bank to move around the office and use different computers. Users would like their own settings and desktop layouts to be available to them no matter which computer they log on to. John learns that user data and profiles configuration items can be used to control roaming profiles settings on client computers.

The following sections in this topic provide example steps that can help you to create, deploy, and manage System Center 2012 Configuration Manager user data and profiles configuration items in your organization:

  • Preparation

  • Step 1: Start the create user data and profiles configuration item wizard and specify general information about the configuration item

  • Step 2: Specify folder redirection information for the user data and profiles configuration item

  • Step 3: Specify offline files information for the user data and profiles configuration item

  • Step 4: Specify roaming profiles information for the user data and profiles configuration item

  • Step 5: Complete the wizard to create the configuration item

  • Step 6: Deploy the user data and profiles configuration item

  • Step 7: Monitor the compliance of the user data and profiles configuration item

Preparation

Before John can begin to create and deploy a user data and profiles configuration item, he takes the actions outlined in the following table.

Process

Reference

John reviews the available information about the basic concepts for compliance settings in Configuration Manager.

For overview information about compliance settings, see Introduction to Compliance Settings in Configuration Manager.

John reviews and implements the required prerequisites for compliance settings.

For information about the prerequisites for compliance settings, see Prerequisites for Compliance Settings in Configuration Manager.

John enables the client setting for user data and profiles configuration items.

For more information about how to enable user data and profiles configuration items, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

Step 1: Start the create user data and profiles configuration item wizard and specify general information about the configuration item

John takes the actions outlined in the following table to open the Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Item Wizard and to supply general information about the configuration item.

Process

Reference

John starts the Create User Data and Profiles Configuration item Wizard and specifies general information about the configuration item. He names the configuration item Woodgrove Bank user data and profiles configuration and supplies a description. Under Select user data and profiles to configure, he checks the following boxes:

  • Folder redirection

  • Offline files

  • Roaming user profiles

For more information about how to start the wizard and specify general information, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

Step 2: Specify folder redirection information for the user data and profiles configuration item

John takes the actions outlined in the following table to configure folder redirection settings for the configuration item.

Note

Configuring a user’s home folder in Active Directory as a local profile is not supported by user data and profiles configuration items in Configuration Manager.

Process

Reference

On the Folder Redirection page of the Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Item Wizard, John selects the option Only on primary devices from the Folder redirection applicability drop-down list. This ensures that only the user’s primary device will redirect the contents of the Documents folder to the network share.

For more information about the folder redirection page of the wizard, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

In the Folders to redirect list, John selects Documents and then, from the drop-down list, he selects Redirect to remote.

For more information about the folder redirection page of the wizard, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

Under Configure folder redirection path, John selects Redirect to the specified folder. He then specifies the folder as \\Woodgrove\UserData.

For more information about the folder redirection page of the wizard, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

Step 3: Specify offline files information for the user data and profiles configuration item

John takes the actions outlined in the following table to configure offline files settings for the configuration item.

Process

Reference

On the Offline Files page of the Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Item Wizard, John selects the option Enable offline files.

For more information about the offline files page of the wizard, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

John instructs his manager to use the Windows Make Available Offline command on the spreadsheet he wants to use when he is not connected to the network.

See your Windows 8 documentation for more information about how to use offline files.

Step 4: Specify roaming profiles information for the user data and profiles configuration item

John takes the actions outlined in the following table to configure roaming profiles settings for the configuration item.

Process

Reference

On the Roaming Profiles page of the Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Item Wizard, John selects the option Allow roaming profiles on any device.

For more information about the roaming profiles page of the wizard, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

Step 5: Complete the wizard to create the configuration item

John takes the actions outlined in the following table to complete the Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Item Wizard and to create the configuration item.

Process

Reference

On the Summary page of the Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Item Wizard, John reviews the actions that will be taken and then completes the Wizard.

The new configuration item is displayed in the User Data and Profiles node of the Assets and Compliance workspace.

For more information about the wizard, see How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager.

Step 6: Deploy the user data and profiles configuration item

John takes the actions outlined in the following table to deploy the configuration item to Windows 8 computers at Woodgrove Bank.

Process

Reference

John deploys the new configuration item to users of Windows 8 computers at Woodgrove Bank.

For more information about how to deploy user data and profiles configuration items, see the How to Create User Data and Profiles Configuration Items in Configuration Manager topic.

Step 7: Monitor the compliance of the user data and profiles configuration item

John takes the actions outlined in the following table to monitor and report on the compliance of the configuration item he deployed.

Process

Reference

John monitors the deployment and verifies that the folder redirection, offline files and roaming profile configurations are working correctly.

For more information about how to monitor the deployment, see How to Monitor for Compliance Settings in Configuration Manager.