When you configure Azure Virtual Desktop components and objects in the RAS Console, some of the properties are inherited from Site defaults. When you see the Inherit default settings option in a dialog or tab page, it means that settings can be either inherited from Site defaults or custom values can be specified for a given object.
To view and configure Site defaults for Azure Virtual Desktop, navigate to Farm > Site, click the Tasks menu and choose one of the following:
AVD multi-session hosts: Opens a dialog to configure Azure Virtual Desktop site defaults for multi-session hosts.
AVD single-session hosts: Opens a dialog to configure Azure Virtual Desktop Site defaults for single-session hosts.
Each dialog is described below.
Configure the following settings:
Disconnect active session after: Specifies the amount of time each session remains connected in the background after the user has closed the published application. This option is used to avoid unnecessary reconnections with the server.
Logoff disconnected session after: This setting allows you to control how long it takes for a session to be logged off after it is marked as "disconnected".
Session readiness timeout: The maximum amount of time it should require to establish a session. If the specified timeout is reached, and the session is still not ready, the user will see an error message and will have to try to log in again.
Allow URL/Mail redirection: When a user tries to open a URL or an HTML Mailto link in a remote application, the link can be redirected to the client computer and open in a local default application (a web browser or email client) instead of an application on the remote host. This option allows you to enable or disable the redirection. Click the Configure button to choose from the following options:
Replace registered application — this option uses an alternative method of redirecting a link. It replaces the default web browser and mail client with "dummy" apps on the remote server side. By doing so, it can intercept an attempt to open a link and redirect it to the client computer.
Support Windows Shell URL namespace objects — the Shell URL namespace objects support means that Parallels RAS can intercept actions in published applications that use Shell namespace API to open links, which is a standard behavior in most applications. The ability to disable the support for Shell URL namespace objects is for compatibility with older versions of Parallels RAS.
Enable drag and drop: Allows you to set how the drag and drop functionality works in Parallels Clients. Click Configure and choose from "Disabled" (no drag and drop functionality), "Sever to client only" (drag and drop to a local application only), "Client to server only" (drag and drop to a remote application only), "Bidirectional" (drag and drop in both directions).
Note: At the time of this writing, the drag and drop functionality is only supported on Parallels Client for Windows and Parallels Client for Mac.
Allow 2XRemoteExec to send command to the client: Select this option to allow a process running on the server to instruct the client to deploy an application on the client side.
Manage RDP Shortpath: Configures RDP Shortpath. RDP Shortpath establishes direct UDP-based connection between a remote desktop client and session host. Direct connection reduces the dependency on the Azure Virtual Desktop gateways, improves the connection reliability, and increases the bandwidth available for each user session. This applies to RDP and RAS connections. A session host requires a restart for this setting to become effective. To allow access to the RDP Shortpath listener across network security boundaries, Azure Network Security Group must be configured to allow inbound UDP port 3390. VPN or ExpressRoute is required or each session host should have public IP address.
Click the Configure button to enable and configure RDP Shortpath:
Use RDP Shortpath: Enables RDP Shortpath.
Use a smaller default range of ports: Limits the range of ports that remote desktop client can use to connect to a session host. The default range is 49152-65535.
Enable applications monitoring: Enable or disable monitoring of applications on the server. Disabling application monitoring stops the WMI monitoring to reduce CPU usage on the server and network usage while transferring the information to RAS Connection Broker. If the option is enabled, the collected information will appear in a corresponding RAS report. If the option is disabled, the information from this server will be absent from a report.
Allow file transfer command (Web and Chrome clients): Enables file transfer in a remote session. To enable file transfer, select this option and click the Configure button. For more information, see Configuring remote file transfer.
Enable drive redirection cache: Improves user experience by making file browsing and navigation on redirected drives much faster. For details, see Drive redirection cache explanation.
Use RemoteApp if available: Enable this option to allow use of remote apps for shell-related issues when an app is not displayed correctly. This feature is supported on the Parallels Client for Windows only.
The User profile tab allows you to configure the user profile functionality. You can select from Do not manage by RAS (user profiles will not be managed) or FSlogix. Microsoft FSLogix Profile Container allows to maintain user context in non-persistent environments, minimize sign-in times and provides native profile experience eliminating compatibility issues. For complete instructions, please see User profile.
The Application packages tab allows you to add, remove, or otherwise manage MSIX application packages on multi-session hosts in the Site. For the complete description, please see subsection "Adding a package to Site Defaults" in section Using MSIX application packages.
The Optimization tab allows you to specify settings that will be used to optimize a session host for best performance in a Parallels RAS environment. You can select Windows components, services, and other options that will be disabled, removed, or optimized to ensure a more efficient, streamlined, and improved delivery of virtual apps and desktops. For the complete description, please see Optimization.
The RDP Printer tab allows you to configure the renaming format of redirected printers. The format may vary depending on which version and language of the server you are using.
Set your RDP Printer Name Format specifically for the configured server by choosing any of the below options from the RDP Printer Name Format drop-down list:
Printername (from Computername) in Session no
Session no. (computername from) Printername
Printername (redirected Session no)
The Remove session number from printer name does just that, it removes the session number from the name, so it's not visible.
Configure the following settings:
Disconnect active session after: Specifies the amount of time each session remains connected in the background after the user has closed the published application. This option is used to avoid unnecessary reconnections with the server.
Logoff disconnected session after: This setting allows you to control how long it takes for a session to be logged off after it is marked as "disconnected".
Session readiness timeout: The maximum amount of time it should require to establish a session. If the specified timeout is reached, and the session is still not ready, the user will see an error message and will have to try to log in again.
Allow URL/Mail redirection: When a user tries to open a URL or an HTML Mailto link in a remote application, the link can be redirected to the client computer and open in a local default application (a web browser or email client) instead of an application on the remote host. This option allows you to enable or disable the redirection. Click the Configure button to choose from the following options:
Replace registered application — this option uses an alternative method of redirecting a link. It replaces the default web browser and mail client with "dummy" apps on the remote server side. By doing so, it can intercept an attempt to open a link and redirect it to the client computer.
Support Windows Shell URL namespace objects — the Shell URL namespace objects support means that Parallels RAS can intercept actions in published applications that use Shell namespace API to open links, which is a standard behavior in most applications. The ability to disable the support for Shell URL namespace objects is for compatibility with older versions of Parallels RAS.
Enable drag and drop: Allows you to set how the drag and drop functionality works in Parallels Clients. Click Configure and choose from "Disabled" (no drag and drop functionality), "Sever to client only" (drag and drop to a local application only), "Client to server only" (drag and drop to a remote application only), "Bidirectional" (drag and drop in both directions).
Note: At the time of this writing, the drag and drop functionality is only supported on Parallels Client for Windows and Parallels Client for Mac.
Allow 2XRemoteExec to send command to the client: Select this option to allow a process running on the server to instruct the client to deploy an application on the client side.
Manage RDP Shortpath: Configures RDP Shortpath. RDP Shortpath establishes direct UDP-based connection between a remote desktop client and session host. Direct connection reduces the dependency on the Azure Virtual Desktop gateways, improves the connection reliability, and increases the bandwidth available for each user session. This applies to RDP and RAS connections. A session host requires a restart for this setting to become effective.
RDP Shortpath can be used in two ways:
Managed networks, where direct connectivity is established between the client and the session host when using a private connection, such as a virtual private network (VPN). To allow access to the RDP Shortpath listener across network security boundaries, Azure Network Security Group must be configured to allow inbound UDP port 3390. VPN or ExpressRoute is required or each session host should have public IP address.
Public networks, where direct connectivity is established between the client and the session host when using a public connection. To allow access to the RDP Shortpath listener no inbound ports are required because outbound ports are being used.
When both RDP Shortpath for public networks and managed networks are enabled, a first-found algorithm kicks in, and whichever connection gets established first for that session is used. In most scenarios, when you have configured RDP Shortpath for managed networks you will want to have it take the precedence, and that is usually the case because building the session for RDP Shortpath for public networks takes a little longer.
Click the Configure button to enable and configure RDP Shortpath:
Use RDP Shortpath: Enables RDP Shortpath.
Use a smaller default range of ports: Limits the range of ports that remote desktop client can use to connect to a session host. The default range is 49152-65535. This only applies to RDP Shortpath for public networks.
Enable applications monitoring: Enable or disable monitoring of applications on the server. Disabling application monitoring stops the WMI monitoring to reduce CPU usage on the server and network usage while transferring the information to RAS Connection Broker. If the option is enabled, the collected information will appear in a corresponding RAS report. If the option is disabled, the information from this server will be absent from a report.
Allow file transfer command (Web and Chrome clients): Enables file transfer in a remote session. To enable file transfer, select this option and click the Configure button. For more information, see Configuring remote file transfer.
Enable drive redirection cache: Improves user experience by making file browsing and navigation on redirected drives much faster. For details, see Drive redirection cache explanation.
Use RemoteApp if available: Enable this option to allow use of remote apps for shell-related issues when an app is not displayed correctly. This feature is supported on the Parallels Client for Windows only.
The User profile tab allows you to configure the user profile functionality. You can select from Do not manage by RAS (user profiles will not be managed) or FSlogix. Microsoft FSLogix Profile Container allows to maintain user context in non-persistent environments, minimize sign-in times and provides native profile experience eliminating compatibility issues. For complete instructions, please see User profile.
The Application packages tab allows you to add, remove, or otherwise manage MSIX application packages on single-session hosts in the Site. For the complete description, please see subsection "Adding a package to Site Defaults" in section Using MSIX application packages.
The Optimization tab allows you to specify settings that will be used to optimize a session host for best performance in a Parallels RAS environment. You can select Windows components, services, and other options that will be disabled, removed, or optimized to ensure a more efficient, streamlined, and improved delivery of virtual apps and desktops. For the complete description, please see Optimization.
The RDP Printer tab allows you to configure the renaming format of redirected printers. The format may vary depending on which version and language of the server you are using.
Set your RDP Printer Name Format specifically for the configured server by choosing any of the below options from the RDP Printer Name Format drop-down list:
Printername (from Computername) in Session no
Session no. (computername from) Printername
Printername (redirected Session no)
The Remove session number from printer name does just that, it removes the session number from the name, so it's not visible.