FSLogix VHD size dramatically different from actual file content size and will not compress?

[Terry Rebstein]

I know it's not explicitly a Citrix issue, but I am testing FSLogix profile and O365 containers with a 2019 VDA. They work well and are nice and fast. However, I am finding the size of the VHD on the file server may be 4GB yet browsing the contents may only have 400mb of files. If I run the compress tool or run powershell to compress, I may get some initial compression of a couple 100MB but no where near what appears to be the free space of the VHD. I really like this technology but it's not going to work for us if every user has GBs of VHDs for what appears to only be 10% of actual usage.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

 

 

 

[Kasper Johansen1709159522]

Hi,

 

It sounds like you have disabled dynamic VHD(X) allocation. Take a look in registry to see if there is a IsDynamic = 0 in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FSLogix\Profiles

[Terry Rebstein]

Checked and dynamic allocation is enabled. I'm not seeing the 30GB limit either, it's dynamically growing but independently of actual usage it seems.

 

[Koenraad Willems]

Perhaps it is writing a large (amount of) file(s) to the profile container, which at some point gets deleted? Once the VHD(X) has grown, it will not automatically shrink.

That does not explain why you can't get it to shrink more than a couple of 100 MB though. Are you using David Ott's compacting script?

 

Koenraad

[Terry Rebstein]

I've tried a couple approaches for compacting. One is the FSlogix compacting tool and I also tried the David Otts script.

 

Both get roughly the same results - which is to say not much compacting. I've set the following exclusions and still see profiles over 1GB or 2GB. I'm using independent profile and O365 disks to simplify recovery in event of corruption.

 

<Exclude Copy="0">Downloads</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">$Recycle.Bin</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">Tracing</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Apps</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Downloaded Installations</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Assembly</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\CEF</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Deployment</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\GroupPolicy</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft Help</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Sun</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\CrashDumps</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Package Cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\D3DSCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\TokenBroker\Cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Notifications</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStore</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\MSOIdentityCRL\Tracing</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Messenger</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\UEV</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Application Shortcuts</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Mail</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache.old</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AppCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\GameExplorer</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\DNTException</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\IECompatCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\iecompatuaCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Notifications</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\PRICache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\PrivacIE</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\RoamingTiles</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\SchCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\1031</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\BrowserMetrics</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\GoogleChrome\UserData\Default\Code Cache\js</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\CertificateRevocation</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\CertificateTransparency</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\Crashpad</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\FileTypePolicies</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\InterventionPolicyDatabase</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\MEIPreload</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\PepperFlash</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\pnacl</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\Safe Browsing</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\ShaderCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\SSLErrorAssistant</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\Subresource Filter</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\SwReporter</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\Default\JumpListIcons</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\UserData\Default\JumpListIconsOld</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\com.adobe.formscentral.FormsCentralForAcrobat</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\DC</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Adobe\SLData</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Sun\Java\Deployment\log</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Sun\Java\Deployment\tmp</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Citrix\PNAgent\AppCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Citrix\PNAgent\IconCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Citrix\PNAgent\ResourceCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\ICAClient\Cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\sys</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\flashplayer\#SharedObjects</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\ConnectWise\CrashDumps</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\ConnectWise\cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\LocalLow</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\Cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge SxS\User Data\Default\Cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\Roaming\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache</Exclude>
    <Exclude Copy="0">AppData\LocalLow</Exclude>

 

 

 

 

[bustian479]

Did you find a solution for this?  I am having the exact same problem.  The compress tools only give back 300mb.

[Mark Robinson1709151368]

Hi there,

I've getting the exact same issue.  Not bothered trying to shrink at the moment as I want to know why its growing in the first place.  We have some users with the o365 container vhdx file at 10Gb but only 1G of data in there.  I can't figure out why!

 

Did you get any solution?

[Kasper Johansen1709159522]

Do any of you have the per-user edition of Teams installed? I have seen this behavior with the per-user edition of Teams. Apparently the per-user Teams downloads a lot of temp files, which are written to the Profile Container, but are also instantly deleted, which means that the Profile Container is expanded. 

[Mark Robinson1709151368]

Interesting Kasper,

We did have it as per user but switched to machine install not long ago instead on our citrix servers (these are just desktop servers).

However with our internal win10 workstations which links to the same VHDX for office is a per user one as we cant get the per machine one working on there (even hacking the registry to pretend its a VDI).  I mus admit that Teams install is driving us bonkers as we control and lock-down everything within a inch of its life so we like to be in control of all software deployments and versions etc but I go off topic!

 

I get your theory though.  But 9Gb of deleted files seems a bit much.  I guess I could implement the redirections.xml to make sure the teams files go to the local_username directory.  

 

Thanks for the response

[Kasper Johansen1709159522]

Hi Mark,

 

I agree with the 9GB data, I havent seen that much, I have seen around 4-4,5GB though.

I had to use ProcessMonitor to locate which process was writing data and where to, so that might be a way for you to go as well?

If you shrink/compact the Office Container, does it grow to 9GB again?

[Mark Robinson1709151368]

Hi Kasper,

 

I wasn't going to shrink as just to many users and risk of corruption it will be easier just to delete and let it re create.  

Good call on the ProcessMonitor which I will do.  We are still trying to get the Teams Machine wide installer working on the Win10 workstations at the moment as that will be the ideal.  

 

Mark

[eferasi37]

Hi all, 

We are having exactly the same issue, FSLogix container starts with 266 mb and once Teams is installed, the vhdx becomes  4gb larger. 

Using Virtual Apps VDA 1912 .

We did follow the MS best practice installation using the  machine wide installation for  non persistence  vdi  using msiexec.exe /i "Teams_windows_x64.msi" ALLUSER=1 OPTIONS="noAutoStart=true" 

FSLogix Profile Compacting Tool shrikes the vhdx to 1.2 gb .

Anyone with a fix to control this ?

 

 

 

[Kevin den Draijer]

Hi,

 

We're experiencing the same issues without Citrix.

On our environment we're using FSLogix, Teams and OneDrive. I've disabled Teams auto start for a test-user and the FSLogix disk stays around 1 GB, as soon as I start Teams the VDH increases to 4 GB.

When I saw the VHD increasing I made a copy of it and attached it with a drive letter. Unfortunately there is no data visible that is causing this issue.

Even ProcMon is not giving usefull information.

 

[bustian479]

3 hours ago, Kevin den Draijer said:

Hi,

 

We're experiencing the same issues without Citrix.

On our environment we're using FSLogix, Teams and OneDrive. I've disabled Teams auto start for a test-user and the FSLogix disk stays around 1 GB, as soon as I start Teams the VDH increases to 4 GB.

When I saw the VHD increasing I made a copy of it and attached it with a drive letter. Unfortunately there is no data visible that is causing this issue.

Even ProcMon is not giving usefull information.

 

Same thing is happening to me.  went from 700mb to 4gb just from opening teams

[Kevin den Draijer]

9 minutes ago, bustian479 said:

Same thing is happening to me.  went from 700mb to 4gb just from opening teams

 

Have you implemented Teams recently or did this happen after an Teams update?

[bustian479]

 

9 minutes ago, Kevin den Draijer said:

 

Have you implemented Teams recently or did this happen after an Teams update?

From a clean install with the MSI yesterday using Teams_windows_x64.msi" OPTIONS="noAutoStart=true" ALLUSERS=1.  The 4gb VHD is dynamic, and has about 700mb of data (mostly from Teams).  Running the compression tool brings it down to 800gb which is sort of a win.

[Kasper Johansen1709159522]

Hi

 

@bustian479 you are installing Teams as a "per-user" installation, which might explain why you are seeing a lot of data getting written to the profile container.

According to the article below, you have to specify ALLUSER=1 to install Teams as a "per-machine" installation which puts Teams in Program Files, and not the user's profile.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-for-vdi

[bustian479]

42 minutes ago, Kasper Johansen1709159522 said:

Hi

 

@bustian479 you are installing Teams as a "per-user" installation, which might explain why you are seeing a lot of data getting written to the profile container.

According to the article below, you have to specify ALLUSER=1 to install Teams as a "per-machine" installation which puts Teams in Program Files, and not the user's profile.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-for-vdi

Changing it to Alluser instead of Allusers doesnt work.  The installation in the profile is the same size and the noautostart switch does not work.

[eferasi37]

indeed using ALLUSER=1  or ALLUSERS=1  doesn't make any sense for us as well . 

[Robert Pate]

I am having the same issue with either ALLUSER=1 or ALLUSERS=1. Profile Container VHD size seems fine up until Teams is opened, then it jumps almost immediately up to 4+GB. Dynamic VHDX is enabled.

 

FSLogix = 2.9.7237.48865

OS = Windows 10, build 1909

VDA = 1912

[Mike Kauder]

Same issue here. And as others have mentioned, the machine install does not install to program files. It basically adds teams installer to appdata\local which in turn generates the same extra 3.5 GB in the vhd(x) on first run. It's not the setup causing the 3.5 GB - it's the first run. For me, I am unable to compact after this happens. The compact powershell actions run without error but no space is reclaimed. Yet when i mount the vhdx and look at the profile, it's only like 800 MB. The only way to avoid all this is to add the entire appdata\roaming\microsoft\teams folder to the redirections.xml. But that still doesn't help me with the 100 people that ran teams for the first time in the last couple weeks. The storage guy is breathing down my neck. As far as i am concerned this is a Microsoft issue.

[bustian479]

I had better luck compacting with the gui tool than the powershell commands that needed hyperV installed.  

[eferasi37]

I have no clue what going wrong again, the profiles  are getting now 8 gb in size, and compacting them is not making any difference. This is really sad Microsoft ! 

Anyone cares to log a ticket with MS support ? this is not a CTX issue but more a FSLogix one  ! 

[Kasper Johansen1709159522]

10 hours ago, Mike Kauder said:

Same issue here. And as others have mentioned, the machine install does not install to program files. It basically adds teams installer to appdata\local which in turn generates the same extra 3.5 GB in the vhd(x) on first run. It's not the setup causing the 3.5 GB - it's the first run. For me, I am unable to compact after this happens. The compact powershell actions run without error but no space is reclaimed. Yet when i mount the vhdx and look at the profile, it's only like 800 MB. The only way to avoid all this is to add the entire appdata\roaming\microsoft\teams folder to the redirections.xml. But that still doesn't help me with the 100 people that ran teams for the first time in the last couple weeks. The storage guy is breathing down my neck. As far as i am concerned this is a Microsoft issue.

If that is the case it must be something in your environment acting up.

If you follow this guide:
https://deyda.net/index.php/en/2020/02/25/install-teams-onedrive-in-citrix-machine-based/

You should have the latest Teams install go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Teams\current folder, which is also where the users would execute the Teams.exe from. If Teams.exe is running out of AppData\Local\Microsoft\Teams\current you are running a per-user install.

It is important that you install the latest Teams 1.3.0.4461 this support the machine-wide installation and fixes some critical issue with the Teams offloading feature in Workspace App.

[eferasi37]

@kasper, no matter which installation we apply, the vhdx are  growing dramatically, do you happen to get this done successfully in your setup? 

Even using C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Teams\current , Teams supposed to be installed for every user inside the desktop ! 

 

[Pete Liebermann]

Hi all

 

We are also seeing this issue. 
 

I have confirmed that Teams.exe is running from the Programs Files (x86)\microsoft\teams\current folder. 
 

I reset my profile and launched teams and profile jumped straightaway to to 4GB. 
 

Still investigating so will provide an update later.
 

Cheers

 

Pete