x360Sync (Anchor) Best Practices and Use Cases for Installing Desktop Clients on Terminal Servers

Overview

Anchor does provide support for Windows terminal servers, allowing multiple users to log into one machine. Please note, however, that Anchor only allows one single sync queue; all users will share a unified sync queue. For example, if an end user adds a file and initiates a sync process, other sync processes will need to wait until this first process completes.

This Knowledgebase article will outline best practices and known issues to consider when utilizing a terminal environment.

Note: Terminal farms are not supported at this time. Installing within a terminal farm might lead to data loss.

Use Case 1: Installing and Registering a Desktop Client for Each Profile

As a first option, you can install and register a desktop client for each profile, providing each user with his or her own account.

Benefits

• Users have access to their own accounts, giving them the opportunity to sync and share their own content and manage their own preferences.

Known Issues

• If user accounts are subscribed to the same Team Share, Team Share content will duplicate across the terminal server environment in each registered user profile. As a workaround, you can utilize the Selective Sync feature to turn on and off the syncing of duplicated Team Shares. For more information, please reference the Using the Selective Sync Feature Knowledgebase article.

Use Case 2: Installing and Registering a Desktop Client for the Admin Profile Only

Alternatively, you can install and register a desktop client for the admin profile on the terminal machine.

Benefits

• Team Share content will not duplicated across the terminal server environment.

Known Issues

• Individual users will not be able to see or control the sync process, as the agent_gui service will only run under the administrative user’s account.

Use Case 3: Install and Register a Desktop Client for the Admin Profile and Each Separate User Profile

If you would like to give each user access to their own account, but avoid Team Share duplication, you can utilize a combination of Use Case 1 and Use Case 2 as described above.

1. Install and register a desktop client on the admin profile and on each separate user profile.
2. If needed, you can use the terminal server's admin profile as a source for File Server Enablement, and create appropriate Team Shares.
3. Finally, give each profile access to this shared content on the local server rather than syncing Team Shares onto each profile’s Synced Folder. Please note that user accounts that are not utilizing a profile on the terminal server can still subscribe to Team Shares as needed without worrying about duplications.

Benefits

• Team Share content will not duplicate across user profiles on the terminal server.
• Users still have access to their own accounts, giving them the opportunity to sync and share their own content and manage their own preferences.