Parallels RAS 20 Administrator's Guide
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  • Parallels RAS 20 Administrator’s Guide
    • Introduction
      • Parallels RAS release history
      • About Parallels RAS
      • About this guide
      • What's new
      • Terms and abbreviations used in this guide
    • Installing Parallels RAS
      • System requirements
        • Hardware requirements
        • Software requirements
        • Microsoft license requirements
      • Install Parallels RAS
      • Log in and activate Parallels RAS
    • Getting Started with Parallels RAS
      • The Parallels RAS Console
      • Set up a basic Parallels RAS Farm
        • Add an RD Session Host
        • Publish applications
        • Invite users
        • Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Conclusion
    • Farm and Sites
      • Connecting to a Parallels RAS Farm
      • About Sites
      • Sites in the RAS Console
      • Adding a Site to the Farm
      • Replicating Site settings
      • Managing Licensing Site
      • Managing administrator accounts
        • Adding an administrator account
        • Administrator account permissions
        • Managing administrator accounts
        • Configure RAS Console idle sessions
        • Using instant messaging
        • Joining Customer Experience Program
    • RAS Connection Broker
      • Configuring RAS Connection Brokers
      • Secondary Connection Brokers
      • Managing Secondary Connection Brokers
      • Using computer management tools
    • RAS Secure Gateway
      • Overview
      • Adding a RAS Secure Gateway
      • Manually adding a RAS Secure Gateway
      • Checking the RAS Secure Gateway status
      • Configuring a RAS Secure Gateway
        • Enable or disable a Secure Gateway
        • Set public address
        • Set IP addresses for client connections
        • Site defaults (Secure Gateways)
        • Gateway mode and forwarding settings
        • Gateway network options
        • SSL/TLS encryption
          • SSL server configuration
        • Configure User Portal
          • Using Site defaults
          • Enable or disable User Portal
          • Client settings
          • Network load balancers access
        • Wyse ThinOS support
        • Secure Gateway security
        • Web request load balancing
      • Secure Gateway tunneling policies
      • Configure logging
      • Viewing Secure Gateway summary and metrics
      • Using computer management tools
    • RD Session Hosts
      • RD Session Host types
      • Add an RD Session Host
        • Installing the agent manually
      • Add a template-based RD Session Host
      • Manage RD Session Hosts
        • Manage host pools (RD Session Hosts)
          • Add host pools (RD Session Hosts)
          • Upgrading Agents (RD Session Hosts)
        • Manage templates (RD Session Hosts)
          • Creating an RD Session Host template
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (RD Session Host)
          • Managing RD Session Hosts based on a template
        • Manage hosts (RD Session Hosts)
          • Viewing RD Session Hosts
          • Check an RD Session Host Agent status
          • Change RD Session Host Site assignment
          • View and modify RD Session Host properties
            • Using default settings
            • General
            • Agent settings
            • User profile
            • Application Packages
            • Optimization
            • Desktop access
            • RDP printer
          • User profile
            • User Profile Disks
            • FSLogix
              • Configure managing existing profiles by Parallels RAS
              • FSLogix antivirus exclusions
          • Optimization
          • Drive redirection cache
          • Configure logging
        • Manage sessions (RD Session Host)
        • Using scheduler (RD Session Hosts)
      • Planning for high availability
      • Managing logons
      • Using computer management tools
      • Publishing from an RD Session Host
      • Viewing published resources
    • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
      • Supported providers
      • Add a provider
        • RAS Provider Agent information
          • RAS Provider Agent installation options
        • Add a hypervisor provider
        • Add a cloud Provider
          • Microsoft Azure
            • Introduction and prerequisites
            • Create Microsoft Entra ID application
            • Add Microsoft Azure as a Provider
            • Microsoft Azure and templates
          • Amazon Web Services
            • Introduction and prerequisites
            • Design considerations
            • Step 1. Creating an IAM user for programmatic access
            • Step 2. Adding AWS as a Provider
      • Manage VDI
        • Manage providers (VDI)
          • Installing RAS Provider Agent using the installer
          • Checking the RAS Provider Agent status
          • Using a Provider in multiple farms
        • Manage host pools (VDI)
          • Add host pools (VDI)
          • Delete host pools (VDI)
          • Add and delete host pool members
          • Using a wildcard to filter VMs
          • Managing hosts in pools
          • Upgrading Agents (VDI)
        • Manage templates (VDI)
          • Virtual desktop templates
          • Multi-provider template distribution
          • Creating a VM template
            • Step 1: Check and install the Agent
            • Step 2: Configure the template
              • Properties
              • Distribution
              • Advanced
              • Preparation
              • Optimization
              • License keys
              • Summary
              • Host naming
            • Parallels Test Template Wizard
            • Modifying template properties
          • How hosts are created from a template
          • Manually adding a host
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (VDI)
          • Template maintenance
          • Template status
          • Managing multi-provider template distribution
          • Managing template-based hosts
        • Manage hosts (VDI)
          • Persistent hosts
          • Configuring hosts to interact with RAS Provider Agent in a different subnet
        • Manage sessions (VDI)
        • Using scheduler (VDI)
      • Configure logging
      • Enabling high availability for VDI
      • Site defaults (VDI)
      • Using computer management tools
      • Viewing Provider summary
      • Remote PC pools in VDI
        • Adding a Provider
        • Adding Remote PCs to a Provider
        • Adding Remote PCs to a pool
        • Managing Remote PCs in a pool
        • Persistent Remote PCs
        • RAS Guest Agent installation options
    • Azure Virtual Desktop
      • Introduction
      • Prerequisites
      • Deploy Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Enable Azure Virtual Desktop and add a provider
        • Add workspaces
        • Add host pools (Azure Virtual Desktop)
      • Manage Azure Virtual Desktop
        • Manage providers (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage workspaces (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage host pools (Azure Virtual Desktop)
          • Upgrading Agents (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage templates (Azure Virtual Desktop)
          • Create a template
          • Manage existing templates
          • Assigning a template to a host pool (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage hosts (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Manage sessions (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Using scheduler (Azure Virtual Desktop)
      • Site defaults (Azure Virtual Desktop)
        • Site defaults for single-session hosts
        • Site defaults for multi-session hosts
      • Using Parallels Client with Azure Virtual Desktop
      • Verify the deployment
    • Remote PCs
      • Overview
      • Manage host pools (Remote PC)
      • Manage hosts (Remote PC)
        • Adding a Remote PC to a Farm
          • Admin-initiated Remote PC enrollment
          • Self-service Remote PC enrollment
        • Configuring a Remote PC
      • Viewing Remote PC summary
      • Using computer management tools
    • Publishing
      • Overview
      • Publishing a desktop
      • Publishing an application
      • Publishing local applications
      • Publishing an application with MSIX app attach
      • Publishing a web application
      • Publishing a network folder
      • Publishing a document
      • General management tasks
      • Manage published applications
      • Manage published desktops
      • Manage published documents
      • Manage folders
      • Site defaults (Publishing)
      • Using filtering rules
      • Configuring preferred routing
      • Understanding session prelaunch
      • Checking effective access
      • Specifying client settings
      • Quick keypad
    • Session Management
      • Overview
      • Session information
      • Monitoring settings
      • Managing sessions
      • The Resources tab
    • SSL Certificate Management
      • Generating a self-signed certificate
      • Generating a certificate signing request (CSR)
      • Let's Encrypt certificates
        • Requesting a Let's Encrypt Certificate
        • How Parallels RAS requests certificates from Let's Encrypt
      • Importing a certificate
      • Exporting a certificate
      • Assigning a certificate to Secure Gateways and HALBs
      • Auditing certificates
      • Permissions to manage certificates
      • Upgrading from an older RAS version
    • Connection and Authentication Settings
      • RAS Connection Broker connection settings
      • Remote session settings
      • Logon hours settings
      • Restricting access by Parallels Client type and build number
      • Multi-factor authentication
        • Adding an MFA provider
        • Using RADIUS
          • Connection
          • Attributes
          • Automation
          • Advanced
          • Configuring Azure MFA
          • Configuring Duo
        • Using TOTP
          • Configuring TOTP
          • Configuring Google Authenticator
          • Configuring Microsoft Authenticator
        • Configuring email OTP
        • Using Deepnet DualShield
          • Supported tokens
          • Configuring DualShield 5.6+ Authentication Platform
          • Configuring Parallels RAS to use the DualShield Authentication Platform
          • Connect to a RAS Farm
        • Using SafeNet
          • Configuring SafeNet
        • Configuring MFA rules
      • Allowing users to change domain password
      • Allowing users to discover RAS connections via email address
    • Load Balancing and HALB
      • Resource based & round robin load balancing
        • Configure CPU optimization
      • High availability load balancing (HALB)
        • Prerequisites
        • Deploying a Parallels HALB appliance
        • Adding a HALB virtual server
        • HALB Device status and version number
        • HALB maintenance
        • HALB connection and session information
        • Changing the HALB appliance password
    • RAS Multi-Tenant Architecture
      • Overview
      • Architecture description
        • Implementation overview
        • User connection flow
      • Deploying Tenant Broker and Tenants
        • Deploying Tenant Broker
        • Deploying a Tenant
          • Join a Tenant to Tenant Broker
          • Joining with a secret key
          • Verify join status
          • Configure network
          • Assign a public domain address
          • Configure an SSL certificate
          • Set up routing for incoming traffic
        • User authentication
        • Unjoining from Tenant Broker
      • Managing Tenants
        • Tenant configuration
        • Deleting a Tenant object
        • Opening a Tenant console
      • Shared Gateways
      • Third-party network load balancers
      • Web Client and Themes
      • Monitoring Tenants
      • Tenant Broker compatibility and updates
      • Upgrading from an older RAS version
      • Configuring notifications
      • Communication ports
    • SAML SSO Authentication
      • Introduction
      • System requirements
      • SAML basics
      • SAML configuration
        • Prerequisites
        • IdP side configuration
        • SP side configuration (RAS side)
        • Active Directory user account configuration
        • Configure certificate authority templates
          • Create an Enrollment Agent template
          • Create a smartcard logon certificate template
        • RAS Enrollment Server configuration
        • RAS Enrollment Server high availability
        • SAML integration examples and tips
          • User account attributes
          • Security tip
      • Parallels Client configuration
      • Parallels client policy configuration
      • Test the SAML SSO deployment
      • Error messages
    • Parallels Web Client and User Portal
      • Configure Web Client
      • Configure Themes
        • General settings
        • Access settings
        • Message settings
        • Web Client settings
          • URLs
          • Branding
          • Colors
          • Language bar
          • Messages
          • Input prompt
          • Gateway
          • Legal policies
        • Parallels Client for Windows settings
        • General Theme tasks
        • Delegating session management permissions
      • Open Parallels Web Client
      • Main menu options
      • Running remote applications and desktops
        • Using drag and drop functionality
        • Native clipboard experience
        • Other useful features
      • Auto login
      • Direct App access
      • Using the toolbar
        • Using the toolbar on desktop computers
        • Using the Toolbar on Mobile Devices
        • Using the remote clipboard
        • Hiding toolbar items
    • Universal Printing
      • Managing Universal Printing Settings
      • Universal Printing drivers
      • Font management
    • Universal Scanning
      • Managing Universal Scanning
      • Adding scanning applications
    • User Device Management and Client Policies
      • Inviting users to connect to Parallels RAS
      • Mass configuring user devices
      • Enabling Help Desk support for users
      • Enabling Help Desk support for custom administrators
      • Monitoring devices
        • Getting additional device information
      • Windows device groups
      • Managing Widows devices
        • Windows desktop replacement
      • Scheduling Windows devices & groups power cycles
      • Client policies
        • Add a new client policy
        • Configure session settings
          • Appearance
          • Connection
          • Display
          • Printing
          • Scanning
          • Audio
          • Keyboard
          • Local devices and resources
          • Experience
          • Network
          • Server authentication
          • Advanced settings
        • Configure client policy options
        • Configure control settings
        • Configure Gateway redirection
        • Client policy backward compatibility
        • Policy information in Parallels Client
      • Configuring remote file transfer
        • Configure file transfer to a server
        • Configure file transfer in User Portal
        • Configure file transfer for a client policy
    • Reporting
      • System requirements
      • Install Microsoft SQL Server
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2016 or earlier
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2017 or 2019
        • Install Microsoft SQL Server 2022
      • Install Parallels RAS Reporting
      • Running Parallels RAS Reports
      • GDPR compliance
    • Performance monitor
      • Overview
      • Install RAS Performance Monitor
      • Using Parallels RAS Performance Monitor
      • Configure RAS Performance Monitor security
      • Updating RAS Performance Monitor
    • Common Management Tasks
      • Recovery – add a root administrator
      • Host name resolution
      • Computer management tools
      • Site information
      • Site settings
      • Using MSIX application packages
      • Using template versions
      • Settings audit
      • Upgrading RAS agents
      • Licensing
      • Configure HTTP proxy settings
      • System event notifications
        • Configuring notification handlers
        • Configuring notification scripts
        • Configuring SMTP server connection for event notifications
      • RAS session variables
      • Resolving z-order issues
      • Maintenance and backup
        • Importing and exporting Farm settings from the command line
      • Problem reporting and troubleshooting
      • Logging
      • Suggest a feature
    • Parallels RAS Management Portal
      • Overview
      • Prerequisites
      • Installation
      • Log in to RAS Management Portal
      • Configure RAS Web Administration Service
      • RAS Management Portal user interface
    • Parallels RAS APIs
      • RAS PowerShell API
      • RAS REST API
        • Installation
        • Permissions
        • Getting started
        • Logging in and sending requests
        • More information
      • RAS Web Client API and Parallels Client URL scheme
    • Appendix
      • Microsoft license requirements in Parallels RAS
      • Port reference
        • Parallels Client
        • Web browsers
        • HALB
        • RAS Secure Gateway
        • RAS Connection Broker
        • RAS Console
        • SSRS
        • RAS Reporting
        • RAS Web Administration Service (REST/Management Portal)
        • RAS PowerShell
        • RAS Provider Agent
        • RAS Enrollment Server
        • RAS RD Session Host Agent
        • RAS Guest Agent
        • RAS Remote PC Agent
        • Tenant Broker
        • Active Directory and Domain Services ports
        • Azure Virtual Desktop
      • RAS performance counters
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On this page
  • Configure optimization
  • Using custom script
  • Applying optimization
  • Upgrade
  • Inheritance
  • Additional information

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  1. Parallels RAS 20 Administrator’s Guide
  2. RD Session Hosts
  3. Manage RD Session Hosts
  4. Manage hosts (RD Session Hosts)

Optimization

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Beginning with version 18, Parallels RAS includes built-in automated optimization capabilities for RD Session Hosts, VDI, and Azure Virtual Desktop workloads. Different preconfigured optimizations for multi-session (such as RD Session Hosts) or single-session (such as VDI) hosts are available for administrators to choose from manually or automatically to ensure a more efficient, streamlined and improved delivery of virtual apps and desktops.

Preconfigured optimizations were designed to be easily updated to support future releases of Microsoft Windows. Moreover, custom scripts may also be used within the tool to make use of already available optimizations to be deployed on Parallels RAS workload machines.

Over 130 image optimizations are available out-of-the-box and divided into the following main categories:

  • UWP application packages (removal; available for VDI only)

  • Windows Defender ATP (turn ON or OFF, disable real-time scan, exclude files, folder, processes, and extensions)

  • Windows components (removal)

  • Windows services (disable)

  • Windows scheduled tasks (disable)

  • Windows advanced options (Cortana, system restore, telemetry, custom layout)

  • Network performance (disable task offload, ipv6, etc.)

  • Registry (service startup timeout, disk I/O timeout, custom, etc.)

  • Visual effects (best appearance, best performance, custom)

  • Disk cleanup (delete user profiles, image cleanup, etc.)

  • Custom scripts (.ps1, .exe, .cmd, and other extensions/formats)

For the complete list of optimization categories and components, please see .

Optimizations are applicable to RD Session Hosts, VDI desktops, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Remote PC pools (through VDI) based on:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 and later

  • Windows 7 SP1

  • Windows 10

  • Windows 11

Configure optimization

Optimization can be configured for the following:

  • RD Session Hosts

  • VDI

  • Azure Virtual Desktop

Optimization settings are configured for the above on the Site level (Site defaults) and can also be configured for individual components if the RAS administrator decides to use custom settings for a given component.

To configure optimizations on the Site level, navigate to Farm > Site, click the Tasks > Site defaults menu and choose one of the following:

  • RD Session Host

  • VDI

  • AVD multi-session hosts

  • AVD single-session hosts

In a Site defaults dialog that opens, select the Optimization tab. The user interface for configuring optimization is the same for all of the above.

Note: Before applying optimization, make sure you have a saved state of session hosts as you will not be able to revert changes after they are applied.

To configure optimization:

  1. If you are in the host Properties dialog or in a wizard, clear the Inherit default settings options if you want to modify them for this host.

  2. Select the Enable optimization option.

  3. Choose optimization type from the following:

    • Automatic: Predefined and preconfigured optimization will be used automatically.

    • Manual: Gives you full control over which optimization options to use and allows you to configure each one. This option also gives you an option to use a custom optimization script that will be executed on the host.

  4. If you selected Manual in the previous step, configure optimization categories and components according to your requirements. See Configure optimization below.

  5. Force optimization on all enabled categories: This is a special option that should only be used in situations when some parts of optimization failed to apply to a host for some unforeseen reason (e.g. the host went offline unexpectedly). When you select this option, then click OK and then Apply in the RAS Console, the entire optimization configuration will be applied to the host. This way you can make sure that changes that you made to optimization components last time, and that were not applied to the host, will be applied again. The state of the Force optimization on all enabled categories option (selected or cleared) is not saved because this is a one-time action, so the next time you open the dialog, the option will be cleared again. Note that in a standard scenario, when you make changes and then apply them to a host, you don't need to select this option, because normally you want to apply just the changes that you made, not the entire optimization configuration.

  6. The Category list contains optimization categories that can be configured. To include a category in optimization, select the corresponding checkbox. Some categories contain multiple components, which can be configured individually, some have settings that can be customized. To configure category settings or components, highlight the category and click the gear icon (or click Tasks > Properties, or simply double-click a category). Depending on the category selected, you can do the following:

    • Configure category settings (choose from available options, select or clear individual settings, specify values, add or remove entries).

    • Add or remove underlying components to include or exclude them from optimization (use the plus- and minus-sign icons). When adding a component (where available), you can select from a predefined list or you can specify a custom component.

    • In some cases (specifically registry entries) you can double-click an entry and specify multiple values for it.

    • If you remove a predefined component, you can always get it back in the list by clicking Tasks > Reset to default. You can also use this menu to reset category settings to default values if they were modified.

    • The last optimization category in the list is Custom script. You can use it to execute an optimization script that you may have available. Read the Using custom script subsection below for details.

  7. When done, click OK to close the dialog.

Using custom script

The Custom script optimization category is used to execute an optimization script on a target host. Before configuring this category, make sure that the script exists on target hosts and that the path and file name are the same on each host.

To configure the Custom script optimization:

  1. Enable the Custom script category in the list (select the checkbox), then highlight it and click Tasks > Properties.

  2. In the dialog that opens, specify the command to execute, arguments (if required), the initial directory, and credentials that will be used to execute the script.

  3. Click OK.

When you apply the optimization to a host, the script will be executed as part of applying other optimization parameters.

Applying optimization

After you enable optimization for a host and then click Apply in the RAS Console, the following will happen the next time the host communicates with Parallels RAS:

  1. The host status changes to Optimization pending and the host enters the drain mode. At this stage, you can stop optimization by selecting a host in the list and clicking Tasks > Stop optimization.

  2. Once all users are logged off, the host status changes to Optimization in progress.

  3. After all optimization settings are applied, the host will reboot.

  4. After the reboot, the host returns to operation and its status changes to OK.

Note: By design, the host will be rebooted after optimization completion even if it is failed.

Optimization results are logged on a host at the following location: %ProgramData%\Parallels\RASLogs\ImageOptimizer.log. Open the file and search for entries similar to the following:

  • [I 78/00000009/T10C4/P0FD4] 11-30-20 10:09:19 - Image Optimization completed with 98 successful and 0 unsuccessful optimizations.

Note: By design, Optimization has less priority than Reboot/Disable schedule. For example, it is expected if a host changes the status from "Optimization pending" to Disabled/Reboot when schedule starts.

Upgrade

When Parallels RAS is upgraded from an older version:

  • The optimization feature is disabled.

  • The inheritance is off.

To use optimization after the upgrade, the administrator needs to enable it manually either in Site defaults or in the host pool/host pool settings.

Inheritance

Component
Optimization
Inherits from

RDSH Site defaults

Yes

None

RDSH Host pool

No

None

RDSH standalone

Yes

RDSH Site defaults

RDSH template

Yes

RDSH Site defaults

RDSH from template

No

None

VDI Site defaults

Yes

None

VDI Desktop standalone

Yes

VDI Site defaults

VDI Desktop template

Yes

VDI Site defaults

VDI Desktop from template

No

None

Azure Virtual Desktop Site defaults

Yes

None

Azure Virtual Desktop host pool - hosts from a template

No

None

Azure Virtual Desktop host pool - standalone hosts

Yes

AVD multi-session hosts Site defaults or AVD single-session hosts Site defaults.

Azure Virtual Desktop template

Yes

AVD multi-session hosts Site defaults or AVD single-session hosts Site defaults.

Azure Virtual Desktop hosts from template

No

None

Additional information

Please note the following:

  • Some optimizations may fail and generate warnings if they had been already applied.

  • Some optimizations may fail and generate warnings depending on OS specifics. For example, removal of UWP apps may fail because apps are already absent.

https://kb.parallels.com/125222