How to add additional hosts in preferences.xml?

[webabc123]

We deploy a preferences.xml to our laptops that sets the preferred vpn host.

Sometimes that host is too busy or unavailable and the users have to call in to get the name of an alternate host.

How can we set the default host, but also have an alternate host in the drop down list?

How would we edit this file to add server2.domain.com as an additional option?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<AnyConnectPreferences>
<DefaultHost>server1.domain.com</DefaultHost>
</AnyConnectPreferences>

[Marvin Rhoads · Accepted solution]

Backup servers would not be in the preferences.xml file, they would be in the profile file. There is a section for them there like so:

<BackupServerList>
 <HostAddress>test1.com</HostAddress>
 <HostAddress>test2.com</HostAddress>
</BackupServerList>

You would edit your profile.xml (or whatever you have named it) to push those backup server definitions to the clients automatically.

Here is how the AnyConnect Admin Guide describes them:

• Backup Server List

You can configure a list of backup servers the client uses in case the user-selected server fails. If the server fails, the client attempts to connect to the server at the top of the list first, and moves down the list, if necessary.

[mamdohmardini]

i think you can create 2 profiles each one for each host. you will find these 2 profiles in the drop down list in the Anyconnect client. This way the user will find the 2 profile and manually select the VPN profile he want.

BR

MTM

[webabc123]

We only deploy the preferences.xml file via AD group policy.  The policy copies the xml file from a network share to the user's appdata folder.

So, to automatically populate the drop down list with a single alternate server, we would have to create a different file and start deploying 2 different xml file to each laptop?

[Marvin Rhoads]

Yes - drop down list entries are based on separate profiles being present on the client computer. In that case, the end user must choose the alternate server.

If you want automatic failover to alternate servers, you have to use the method I described within a single profile.