Forum Discussion
Remote Desktop Sessions same user multiple sessions
It looks interesting, i'm just not really understanding how it would work in this scenario?
The boss for instance logs into the admin server using his username on 2 different thinclients on his desk, both have the same desktop, etc... (which must be maintained that way), he fires up IE on one, fires up IE on the other, has access to all his favourites on both, but IE sees them internally as 2 separate sessions.
Neither Chrome or Firefox allow more than 1 instance to be running, so once 1 session has fired up the browser, the other session can't fire it up because the profile directory is locked, you can use trickery that they both provide to have 'profiles', but it means the bookmarks, etc... aren't shared between the 2 unless you sign into either a google or firefox account, which we don't use.
How would we simulate what IE does with FSLogix?
I already have FSLogix running so the test was easy.
I have setup Edge with the DiskCacheDir to ${local_app_data}\Microsoft\EdgeCache and the UserDataDir to ${roaming_app_data}\Microsoft\EdgeData. Logged on to server 1, launched Edge and created a Favorite. Logged off to initially save my FSLogix profile (not sure if needed).
Logged on again, launched Edge and Favorite is still available. Started a second session (on another machine because we don't allow double session, but on a single machine I guess it will work the same), launched Edge without a problem.
Adding a new favorite or anything won't instantly synchronize to the other session (in fact, the profile using FSLogix in the secondary session is read only). So I'm guessing that the situation is not ideal for your wishes. But it can facilitate you in launching to instances in separate sessions, using the same UserDataDir.
Maybe you can look into other profile management solutions, some can instant sync certain folders between sessions. Or reconsider the situation that is created, maybe you can provide you boss a dual monitor setup? 😉
- ray73864Aug 23, 2019Copper ContributorThey don't like dual monitors, but it's not just him, everyone in our admin has 2 or 3 thinclients each, and our stores have 5 thin clients each, all logged in with the appropriate username (in the case of our stores, 1 store will have all the thin clients logged in with the same username).
I think this is what irks me the most, this set up works 100% with IE.- rayldOct 02, 2019Copper Contributor
I found this thread because I had a similar issue: was trying to publish the new Edge Beta as a remote app but multiple clients would be trying to use it using the same account. My workaround was similar to what FreekBloemhof suggested which was set the user data directory via the Edge GPO template ("${profile}/Edge/${session_name}").
This works (multiple sessions of the same user can now run Edge) but back to the same end: no new favorites will be saved, and preferences like "last download paths" will never be saved either. The favorites can be worked around (some what) with a managed favorites list but the downloads part needs a bit more finesse. Oh, now you have to worried about those ${session_name} folders as they're a few MB each.ray73864 Just curious what you've done thus far?
- ray73864Oct 02, 2019Copper Contributor
rayld We are still running Server 2008 R2 at present, so not a big issue for us right now, though we are looking at moving to Server 2019 within the next year I believe.
I have a bodged up method working with Firefox, but I prefer the elegance of how IE11 does things.
Would be nice if Edge could go the same way.