Migrate to Nerdio Manager via automations

To migrate to Nerdio Manager via automations, complete the following steps:

• Step 1: Connect Nerdio for Azure to Nerdio Manager

• Step 2: Start the migration

• Step 3: Add a desktop image

• Step 4: Import existing images (optional)

• Step 5: Clean up remaining NFA resources

Step 1: Connect Nerdio for Azure to Nerdio Manager

The first step is to indicate to the Nerdio for Azure (NFA) portal how to connect to your Nerdio Manager install.

Companion video

To connect the NFA portal to Nerdio Manager:

1. Enable API in your Nerdio Manager install. For details, see Nerdio Manager Partner API - Getting Started.

2. At the MSP level, navigate to Settings > Integrations.

3. Scroll down to and expand the Rest API section.

4. Next to Credentials, select View credentials.

   

5. In the new dialog box, select the copy  icon to copy the credentials.

6. Sign in to the NFA portal and navigate to Settings > NMM API settings.

   

7. Paste the credentials you previously copied from Nerdio Manager.

8. Once you've entered all the credentials, select Save.

Step 2: Start the migration

The next step is to start the migration.

Companion video

To start the migration:

1. Sign in to the NFA portal and locate the account you wish to migrate.

2. From the action menu, select Migrate to NMM.

   A confirmation dialog box is displayed, and Nerdio Manager checks whether you have provided Nerdio Manager API credential information.

   

3. Enter MIGRATE, and then select Confirm.

   The migration task starts. It usually takes a few minutes.

4. Once the migration is complete, in NFA, navigate to Accounts.

5. View the account status.

   

Migration results

During the migration, a new Nerdio Manager account is created. It is tied to the Azure tenant and subscription of the NFA account, with this setup:

• The name of the account is the same as the account name in NFA.

• Linked networks are created for the LAN and DMZ networks that were in NFA.

• A linked resource group is created for the resource group that was in NFA.

• A directory entry is created for the nerdio.int domain (or your allowlisted domain) with the administrator@<domain> username.

• An FSLogix profile named Default profile is created in the Nerdio Manager account, with the FSLogix profile path pointing to \\fs01.<domain>\profiles.

• The desktop deployment model is set to Azure Virtual Desktop. Windows 365 Business and Enterprise are left turned off.

• Intune is left disabled.

• Azure Monitor Insights is enabled.

• Backups are left disabled. Navigate to the Settings > Integrations page to link a backup vault and policy.

• No host pools are created. You must recreate host pools and assign users.

• On the Desktop Images page, in the new NFA Desktop Images section, WVDSH00 Golden image and template images of all desktop pools in NFA are listed. Select Migrate to NMM to bring each NFA image into Nerdio Manager.

• Any NFA personal desktops are listed on the Servers page. Select Migrate to NMM to bring NFA personal desktops into Nerdio Manager as single user personal host pools.

Step 3: Add a desktop image

For details about adding images in Nerdio Manager, see Overview of desktop images.

Step 4: Import existing images (optional)

Once you have imported your NFA account to Nerdio Manager, you can import the account's existing AVD images to be used in Nerdio Manager.

To import existing images:

1. Navigate to Settings > Portal.

2. In the NFA migration mode tile, ensure the migration mode is enabled.

   

3. Navigate to Desktop Images.

4. Scroll down to the NFA Desktop Images section and locate the NFA desktop image you wish to migrate.

5. Select Migrate to NMM.

   

   The image is migrated and is now displayed in the Desktop Images section in Nerdio Manager.

   Note: If you used the Import NFA Image feature in Nerdio Manager, the AVD agent and the FSLogix agent are automatically uninstalled. Please review the import logs to confirm these actions completed successfully.

   

Step 5: Clean up remaining NFA resources

Complete the following steps to remove any remaining NFA assets, hosts, and the account in the NFA portal:

• 5.1 Remove SafeDNS

• 5.2 Disable Auto-scaling on NFA host pools

• 5.3 Remove demo users and groups

• 5.4 Remove federated domains and PRX01

• 5.5 Delete session hosts and host pools

• 5.6 Delete a golden image

• 5.7 Destroy your NFA account

• 5.8 Configure Microsoft Entra Connect on DC01

5.1 Remove SafeDNS

To remove SafeDNS:

1. From firewall:

   1. From DC01, open the DNS Manager, and then right-click DC01 and select Properties.

   2. On the Forwarders tab, select Edit and add an IP address to a public DNS server, such as Google (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or CloudFlare (1.1.1.1).

   3. In NFA, navigate to Network > Firewall.

   4. Select Add Rule.

   5. Allow outbound traffic on port 53 from any source to the IP address of the new forwarder. Specify the protocol as ANY or UDP.

      Note:

      • The default SafeDNS rule provisioned by NFA selects ANY for the protocol.

      • Don't select the TCP protocol, as it will not work.

   6. Ensure that priority is above the existing system rule titled Allow DNS to SafeDNS (use a number lower than 501).

   7. Save the rule and confirm that DNS is functioning as expected.

2. From image(s):

   Note: The standard uninstall process requires the SafeDNS username and password.

   1. Obtain or set your SafeDNS password:

      1. In NFA, go to Settings > Security > SafeDNS.

      2. Next to Password, select Reset.

      3. In the new dialog box, copy your existing password or set a new one.

      4. Select Confirm.

         

   2. Uninstall SafeDNS from your image after import.

5.2 Disable Auto-scaling on NFA host pools

Complete the following steps to disable Auto-scaling on an NFA host pool.

To disable Auto-scaling on a host pool:

1. In NFA, navigate to Servers.

2. Locate your host pool and from the action menu next to it, select Manage auto-scale.

   

3. Shut down all old host pools in the NFA portal.

4. In NFA, disable Auto-scaling on all servers / personal desktops.

5. In Nerdio Manager, configure Auto-scaling on servers. For details, see Auto-scale Settings for Servers.

New to Nerdio Manager?

If you are new to Nerdio Manager, review the following articles that may help you support this new environment:

• Troubleshoot Active Directory Domain Join Errors

• Troubleshoot desktop image Sysprep errors

• Troubleshoot FSLogix profile mount errors

5.3 Remove demo users and groups

Remove any unused NFA demo users and groups via the NFA portal.

• Example of security groups:

  • Accounting department group

  • AVD users

  • Executive group

  • Finance department group

  • HR department group

  • IT department group

  • Legal department group

  • Marketing department group

  • Sales department group

    

• Example of users:

• • Andy IT Admin

  • Angie Accounting

  • Chad CEO

  • Sally Sales

    

5.4 Remove federated domains and PRX01

Watch the video below to learn what federation is or how to remove it.

5.5 Delete session hosts and host pools

If you did not migrate your host pool's image, delete the remaining hosts and host pools via the NFA portal. This ensures the removal of Azure Virtual Machine Scale Set(s) and Load Balancer.

To delete a pool and its hosts:

1. In NFA, navigate to Host Pools.

2. From the action menu next to the host pool you wish to delete, select Delete.

   

3. In the confirmation dialog box, select Confirm.

   

5.6 Delete a golden image

You can delete the WVDSH00 golden image directly from Azure or from the Servers blade in Nerdio Manager.

5.7 Destroy your NFA account

For details about destroying an NFA account, see Destroy an NFA account.

5.8 Configure Microsoft Entra Connect on DC01

During the initial provisioning process, Nerdio configured Microsoft Entra Connecton DC01 and used the Express Settings option.

During the destroy process, Nerdio removes all default users created during provisioning. This removal includes the Sync_DC01 directory sync account used with Microsoft Entra Connect.

Best practice after destroying the NFA account is to reinstall Microsoft Entra Connect on DC01 and configure a new sync account.

Nerdio recommends using the Express Settings option, unless you have already customized Microsoft Entra Connect. Examples of customization include enabling password writeback.