Several ControlUp community members discussed how to configure a trigger to automatically log off idle users from Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts using the ControlUp Agent for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). One common solution is to leverage existing trigger packs within ControlUp, which include triggers designed to log off a user session after a specified period of inactivity. These triggers can be customized based on time thresholds that fit the organization’s session management policies.
An example script and detailed guidance were shared from ControlUp’s official script library, which provides automation for disconnecting or logging off idle sessions. This script can be adapted and deployed within ControlUp's automation policies to monitor session activity and log off users automatically when idle thresholds are met. The relevant resource is available at https://www.controlup.com/script-library-posts/disconnect-or-log-off-idle-sessions/.
Additional insights were shared from a ControlUp blog post that focuses on session resource optimization through automation. This post outlines best practices and practical examples of using ControlUp automation to manage session states efficiently, including auto-logout for idle sessions. The blog can be found here: https://www.controlup.com/blog/controlup-automation-session-resource-optimization/.
While native solutions like DaaS IQ might offer built-in functionality for auto-logging off idle users, many organizations have adopted ControlUp triggers as a practical workaround until formal approval or integration of native options is completed. The combination of ControlUp’s flexible triggers and scripting capabilities allows administrators to enforce session timeout policies effectively within AVD environments, optimizing resource utilization and enhancing security.
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Logs Related Training & Support Archives
Logs training and support-related archives from inside the ControlUp Community on Slack.
How to Enable File Browsing in ControlUp’s File Browser by Configuring Role Permissions
A common issue encountered with ControlUp's File Browser feature is the inability to see any files within a user's system during a remote session, despite being able to navigate folders. This typically occurs when the appropriate permissions are not enabled for the user role in ControlUp. For example, a user attempting to retrieve log files without interrupting a session might notice that the file list remains empty, even though directories are visible.
The root cause is often related to role permissions. By default, the built-in Admin role in ControlUp does not have the File Browser permission enabled for viewing files. To resolve this, administrators need to create a custom role that explicitly grants this permission. Specifically, under Device Permissions, navigating to Remote Management > Management > File Browser, the administrator must set the scope to allow users assigned this role to view files.
Once the custom role is created with the correct File Browser permissions, it is possible to assign the user both the built-in Admin role and this new custom role simultaneously. ControlUp's role-based access control supports multiple role assignments per user, enabling flexible and granular permission management without removing any existing higher-level roles such as Admin.
In summary, to access files via ControlUp’s File Browser, ensure that the user has a custom role with the "View Files" permission under File Browser enabled. This role can be combined with the default Admin role, allowing complete management capabilities while enabling file browsing. For detailed role creation and permission configuration instructions, refer to ControlUp's official documentation on role management at https://docs.controlup.com.
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Investigating Historical Network Usage Spikes and Setting Alerts with ControlUp for Desktops
A user reported a network performance issue at one of their offices where a single computer had downloaded and uploaded several gigabytes of data within approximately the last four hours. They sought a way to determine exactly what data was downloaded and where it was uploaded to after the fact.
ControlUp experts clarified that while ControlUp for Desktops can provide detailed network usage volume information retrospectively, it does not store historical data about the specific destination addresses or detailed process-level network activity. The device’s Performance tab includes historical charts such as Network Usage (MB/s) and Hourly Network Usage (MB), which show the volume of data sent and received over time. This helps confirm the timing and magnitude of a network spike but only at the overall device level, not by specific process or destination.
For live, real-time network connection details—including which process is communicating with which remote IP address—the Network tab and TCP Connections Map can be used. This tab shows detailed, process-to-destination connections but does not retain historical data, so it only helps monitor ongoing network activity. Consequently, if the large data transfer activity occurred several hours ago and is no longer ongoing, ControlUp itself cannot provide retrospective insights into the process or endpoints involved.
To investigate historical transfers of this nature, network security and monitoring should be supplemented with firewall logs, proxy logs, or netflow data, which retain detailed connection records over time. This approach is recommended for network administrators with access to those tools.
For prevention and proactive detection, users can configure static threshold alerts in ControlUp to notify them immediately if network usage exceeds a predefined value in the future. This allows administrators to catch high-volume transfers as they happen and investigate using real-time detail from ControlUp. The documentation for setting static threshold alerts can be found here: https://support.controlup.com/docs/devices-static-threshold-alerts.
Additional guidance on real-time network analysis is available at https://support.controlup.com/docs/live-network-analysis.
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How to Implement Native macOS and Windows Self-Service Disk Cleanup via ControlUp Edge DX Without External Tools
A ControlUp community member developed a native self-service disk cleanup solution for macOS and Windows users, designed to be triggered via ControlUp Edge DX without requiring IT intervention or external tools. The goal was to allow users to safely free disk space through a simple, native dialog that displays current disk usage and offers a checklist of safe-to-clean areas such as Trash, application caches, container caches, logs, Xcode build cache, and old temporary files. Each item is described in plain language and sorted by the space it occupies, allowing users to select and confirm the cleanup themselves.
On macOS, the dialog is implemented using only built-in osascript capabilities—no additional tools like swiftDialog or extra installations are necessary. For both macOS and Windows, the solution emphasizes safety by running a dry-run by default, excluding critical system folders and personal directories such as Documents, Downloads, Keychains, and SSH keys from cleanup. The cleanup operates within the context of the logged-in user, not root, ensuring user-specific data protection. After cleanup, the system verifies the amount of space reclaimed against the actual free volume.
Triggering this cleanup from an Edge DX alert, either automatically due to disk usage thresholds or on-demand, enables a small dashboard that reports on reclaimable and freed disk space, all without requiring elevated permissions, Intune writes, or admin consent. One of the more challenging technical aspects was delivering the cleanup dialog from a root-level agent into the user’s session, given the restrictions of macOS and Windows environments.
The community member shared that while the script could likely be optimized or shortened by more experienced developers, this version works reliably and safely. Detailed setup documentation is available by request. Additionally, to complement the cleanup tool, the developer created an analytics dashboard to track the cumulative space saved by the script. This solution offers a practical way for organizations using ControlUp Edge DX to empower their end users with safe, controlled disk cleanup capabilities, minimizing helpdesk workload without compromising disk security or user privacy.
For more on creating and managing custom alerts and actions within ControlUp Edge DX, consult the official documentation at https://docs.controlup.com/edge and explore ControlUp Academy at https://cuacademy.controlup.com for training on extending ControlUp functionality.
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Managing Access to Microsoft Teams Meeting Recordings: Insights and Permissions
ControlUp does not currently offer direct insights into Microsoft Teams meeting recordings or their access logs. Meeting recordings in Teams are stored in the organizer's OneDrive or SharePoint, depending on the meeting type. For private meetings, recordings are saved to the organizer's OneDrive, while channel meetings store recordings in the SharePoint site associated with the channel. ([learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/MicrosoftTeams/tmr-meeting-recording-change?utm_source=openai))
To monitor access to these recordings, organizations can utilize Microsoft Purview, which provides auditing capabilities for Teams content. Purview allows administrators to track activities related to meeting recordings, such as who accessed or shared the recordings. This functionality is particularly useful for compliance and security purposes. ([learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/edisc-search-teams?utm_source=openai))
Additionally, meeting organizers can manage access permissions for their recordings directly within Teams. By default, access is set to "Everyone," but organizers can customize this setting to restrict access to specific individuals or groups. This control ensures that only authorized users can view or download the recordings. ([support.microsoft.com](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/meetings/customize-who-can-access-a-recording-or-transcript-in-microsoft-teams?utm_source=openai))
In summary, while ControlUp does not provide direct insights into Teams meeting recordings, organizations can leverage Microsoft Purview for auditing access and utilize Teams' built-in features to manage recording permissions effectively.
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Comprehensive User-Created Training and Operating Manual for ControlUp Real-Time DX Console
A ControlUp community member has created a comprehensive Training and Operating Manual for the ControlUp Real-Time Digital Experience (DX) Console, originally developed as internal training material but now shared publicly to benefit the wider user community. The manual spans roughly 22 pages and includes detailed explanations, diagrams, and knowledge base references, aiming to deepen understanding of ControlUp’s architecture, setup, operations, and troubleshooting.
The manual covers multiple critical areas for both new and experienced users. It begins with an overview of the console architecture and the data collector pattern, supported by detailed diagrams to visualize the system’s workings. Installation topics include the sequence of setup steps, pitfalls like the “shared-credentials trap,” mechanisms for Multi-Site Association, and agent auto-deployment processes. For everyday operations, the manual highlights powerful console features such as column grouping, Branch Mapping, and registry comparison. It also clarifies common confusions around event logs, particularly the differences between LogName and event ID.
Troubleshooting guidance is a key focus, addressing connectivity challenges including those posed by corporate proxy environments, with practical PowerShell snippets included to assist in resolution. Advanced topics such as script actions with argument extraction from column values are also presented. The manual further differentiates ControlUp’s on-premises variants, specifically IOP, COP, and SOP configurations, which is valuable for users managing hybrid or fully on-premises deployments.
This document is an independent user-created resource and is explicitly noted as unofficial; it does not carry warranty, support, or official endorsement from ControlUp. Users are encouraged to use it as a supplement to official resources and to consult ControlUp’s Knowledge Base and ControlUp Academy for formal guidance. The author invites feedback and corrections from the community to improve the manual’s accuracy and usefulness over time. This shared resource represents a valuable starting point and practical reference for ControlUp console users wishing to deepen their operational knowledge and troubleshooting skills.
For official documentation and further training, users can visit the ControlUp Knowledge Base at https://docs.controlup.com and the ControlUp Academy at https://cuacademy.controlup.com.
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How to Diagnose Microsoft Teams SlimCore Optimization in Citrix and Other VDI Environments Using PowerShell Scripts
This discussion highlights two PowerShell scripts developed to aid tracking and diagnosing Microsoft Teams SlimCore Optimization specifically within Citrix environments, with potential applicability to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Windows 365 (W365), and VMware Horizon sessions. SlimCore is an optimized media stack used in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) scenarios to enhance Teams call performance by offloading audio and video processing to the client side.
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Monitoring CPU Thermal, Power, and Frequency Throttling with Custom ControlUp Scripts and Dashboards
A common challenge in monitoring CPU performance is that traditional CPU utilization metrics often fail to reveal the underlying causes of slowdowns, especially in cases related to thermal or power throttling that reduce CPU frequency without triggering high CPU%. To address this, a detailed custom PowerShell script and accompanying dashboard have been developed to report CPU temperature, frequency, and distinct throttling signals in a granular and actionable way. This solution creates a dedicated data index named `custom_cpu_throttle` to track multiple independent throttling signals, enabling more precise diagnostics of CPU performance issues.
The core innovation of this approach lies in splitting CPU throttling indicators into three separate categories: thermal throttling (hardware/BIOS-related issues such as overheating or dust), power throttling (policy-related causes like power plans, Intune profiles, or BIOS max-state configurations), and frequency throttling (cases where the CPU clock speed drops below 85% of the rated max under load, capturing otherwise silent throttling scenarios common on AMD processors or CPUs with boost frequencies). By differentiating these factors, the method captures scenarios where traditional Event ID 37 logs or CPU utilization metrics miss critical performance degradations.
The script captures a range of per-device metrics during each run, including temperature and its source, throttle status types, current and maximum CPU frequency with a ratio percentage, and comprehensive throttling evidence logs that correlate performance drops with frequency and utilization data. This data feeds into a customizable ControlUp dashboard that aggregates key performance indicators, categorizes throttle types, tracks frequency trends, and identifies devices exhibiting the hottest or most throttled behavior. The dashboard also correlates these metrics with user experience signals like application crashes and digital employee experience (DEX) scores, enabling targeted troubleshooting from a single pane of glass.
Technical details specify that the solution runs on Microsoft Windows devices using PowerShell scripts triggered every two minutes (120 seconds) with a 60-second timeout and sends data to the `custom_cpu_throttle` index only when devices are online. The solution supports filtering by device, throttle type, and status for focused analysis. While the script covers many AMD-specific throttling scenarios, some complexities remain given AMD's diverse behaviors, though unrealistic values are filtered out to maintain accuracy. This tool is well-suited for IT administrators and helpdesk teams looking to resolve performance tickets where CPU utilization appears normal but throttling impacts response times, such as in Outlook or other user-facing applications.
For detailed setup or a walkthrough, the script (`SP-CPU-Throttle-v2.ps1`) and ControlUp dashboard configuration (`SP-CPU-Throttle-Dashboard.json`) are available on request. This solution is an example of extending ControlUp’s monitoring capabilities via custom scripts and dashboards to deliver deeper insights into CPU performance issues that go beyond default instrumentation.
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Troubleshooting issues with RemoteDX plugin manager updates
A user asked about issues with the RemoteDX plugin manager updating, and a suggestion was made to open a support ticket. Log paths for troubleshooting were provided. The RemoteDX logs can be found at C:\ProgramData\ControlUp\Remote DX\Logs.
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ControlUp Remote Control Log Out Issues.
Users had been logged out of ControlUp mid-remote control session. A member suspected the issue may have been due to active session time out. ControlUp support suggested checking the Audit logs to see if this was the case. Some users also reported being logged out of other SAML-authenticated apps. A rogue tab or SAML/IDP provider may be the cause of the issue.
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