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• Change Log
• Health Check Overview
• StoreFront Load Balancing
  • StoreFront Servers
  • StoreFront Configuration
• Delivery Controllers
• Citrix Studio
• Citrix License Server
• Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Licensing
• Citrix Director
• VDAs
  • VDAs – Hypervisor Hardware Clusters
  • VDAs – Virtual Machine Hardware (vSphere)
  • VDAs – Master Image Build
• Citrix App Layering
• Citrix Provisioning
• Group Policies and Active Directory
• Citrix Policies
• Citrix Workspace Environment Management (WEM)
• Citrix Profile Management and Folder Redirection
• Endpoint Devices
• Citrix ADC
  • ADC High Availability Pair
  • ADC SDX
  • ADC Load Balancing and SSL
  • Citrix ADM
• Citrix Gateway ICA Proxy
• Citrix ADC GSLB

💡 = Recently Modified

Change Log

• 2021 Nov 9 – VDA Master Image – FSLogix version 2.9.7979.62170 resolves a security vulnerability in Cloud Cache.
• 2021 Nov 9 – Citrix ADC – security vulnerability
• 2021 Sep 21 – Hypervisor – added vCenter critical vulnerability with CVSSv3 base score of 9.8.
• 2021 July 13 – Profile Management is patched to resolve Local privilege escalation vulnerability
  • If vSphere 7 Update 2, Citrix ADC is 13.0 build 82 or newer or 12.1 build 62 or newer
• 2021 June 18 – VMware Tools 11.3 fix Denial-of-service bug (source = VMware Security Advisory)
• 2021 June 8 – relaystateRule configured in SAML Action to prevent session hijack (source = https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX316577)
• 2021 Jun 8 – Citrix ADC security vulnerabilities
• 2021 May 11 – Workspace app 1912 CU4 and Workspace app 2105 and newer fix security vulnerabilities
• 2021 Apr 2 – LTSR Receiver 4.9 is End-of-life as of 31-Dec-20. All clients should be Citrix Workspace app.
• 2021 Feb 25 – Citrix ADC – Policies are Advanced Expressions instead of Classic Expressions. (source = CTX296948)
• 2021 Feb 25 – Citrix ADC – vSphere 7.0 Update 1 requires 13.0 build 76 or newer
• 2021 Jan 7 – Citrix ADC > Dashboard page does not show excessive outbound bandwidth. If so, then it might be DTLS Amplification Distributed Denial of Service Attack.
• 2020 Dec 15 – Citrix Policies – disable drag and drop in CVAD 2012+
• 2020 Nov 10 – Security Updates for VDA
• 2020 Sep 17 – CTX281474 Citrix ADC vulnerabilities
• 2020 Sep 9 – VDA Master Image – upgrade Teams periodically (no auto-update)
• 2020 Sep 8 – StoreFront servers – added info from CTX277455 Citrix StoreFront Security Update
• 2020 July 21 – CTX277662 Citrix Workspace app vulnerabilities
• 2020 July 7 – CTX276688 Citrix ADC vulnerabilities
• 2020 Jun 22 – If LTSR Receiver 4.9, then version is 4.9.9002 or newer to resolve security vulnerabilities.
• 2020 Apr 10 – Hypervisor – added vCenter 6.7 critical vulnerability with CVSSv3 base score of 10.0
• 2020 Apr 1 – Delivery Controllers – upgrade LHC LocalDB to version 2017
• 2020 Jan 24 – added link to Indicator of Compromise Scanner for CVE-2019-19781
• 2019 Dec 12 – prefer multiple master images instead of one master image
• 2019 Dec 12 – added Chrome detection of Workspace app
• 2019 Dec 4 – added info from Citrix Blog Post Upgrade your ADC from 10.5 to 11.x/12.x — Lessons from the field
• 2019 Nov 23 – Offload Compositing for App Layering
• 2019 Oct 8 – ADM Security Vulnerability
• 2019 Sep 26 – external beacons should not use citrix.com.
• 2019 Sep 25 – added License Server vulnerability
• 2019 Sep 22 – added new items from CVAD 1909
• 2019 Sep 17 – added assertions from citrixguyblog in the comments.
• 2019 Sep 15 – added WEM assertions from CTP James Kindon.

Health Check Overview

Health Checks review an environment for configurations that might cause future problems, not necessarily existing problems. Health Checks tend to focus on non-functional qualities like the following:

• Availability
• Security
• Manageability
• User Experience
• Performance
• Reliability

The rest of this article is an incomplete list of health check assertions for Citrix environments.

StoreFront Load Balancing

• Citrix connectivity infrastructure design is documented: StoreFront, Gateways, ADCs, multiple datacenters, Delivery Controllers, SQL, etc.
  • Separate test Citrix environment has identical architecture as production: multiple data centers, high availability for all components, etc. – enables testing changes, including HA/DR changes, before performing those changes in production. Some upgrades are performed differently for HA/DR than for single components.
• The FQDN that users use to access Citrix (e.g. https://citrix.company.com) resolves to a Load Balancing VIP, not a single server.
  • The FQDN automatically fails over (e.g. GSLB) to a VIP in a different data center if the primary data center is down.
• The certificate for the SSL Load Balancing VIP is valid: trusted, not expired, matches FQDN, no errors in Chrome, etc.
  • Someone is responsible for ensuring the certificate is not expired and receives pending certificate expiration notifications.
• The Load Balancing VIP sends SSL traffic to two or more StoreFront servers in the local data center – for redundancy.
  • The ADC-to-StoreFront server communication is SSL/TLS encrypted, not HTTP – this traffic contains user credentials.
• The ADC monitor for the StoreFront servers is type STOREFRONT, or does a GET request to /Citrix/Store/discovery – other monitors might not detect stopped services.
• X-Forwarded-For is configured in the Load Balancing Services (or Service Group) for Client IP header insertion.
• Load balancing persistence is SOURCEIP with a timeout that is as long as the Receiver for Web timeout – COOKIEINSERT doesn't work on all client devices.

StoreFront Servers

• If the StoreFront servers are on the same hypervisor cluster, then anti-affinity is configured to keep them on separate hypervisor hosts.
• StoreFront server VMs do no have any old snapshots – slows down performance, and consumes disk space.
• StoreFront version is an LTSR Cumulative Update version (e.g. 3.12.7000), or the latest Current Release version (e.g. 1912 CU3) – No other versions are supported. 1912 with latest cumulative update is the final version of StoreFront. Security vulnerability fixed in 1912.1000, 3.12.5001, 3.0.8001.
  • Upgrades are performed in a separate test environment that has identical architecture as production before the updates are performed in production.
• StoreFront configuration is propagated to other servers in the StoreFront Server Group.
• No recent unknown errors in Event Viewer at Applications and Services -> Citrix Delivery Services.
• StoreFront Base URL is an https URL, not http. The FQDN resolves to the Load Balancing VIP, not a single server.
• SSL certificates are installed on each StoreFront server and bound to IIS Default Web site. The SSL certificates are not expired.
• C:\Users does not contain a bunch of user profiles. Delprof2.exe should be scheduled to delete these profiles – caused by users changing expired passwords.
• If HTML5 Workspace app is enabled, then HTML5 Receiver is up to date – New versions are released at least monthly.
• If Workspace app is stored on StoreFront servers, then the local Workspace apps in C:\Program Files\Citrix\Receiver StoreFront\Receiver Clients is current.
• If Favorites are enabled, then Favorites (aka Subscriptions) are replicated to a StoreFront Server Group in a different data center.
• If Federated Authentication Service (FAS), then multiple FAS servers configured through Group Policy.
  • FAS Servers are the same version as StoreFront.
  • If the FAS servers are on the same hypervisor cluster, then anti-affinity is configured to keep them on separate hypervisor hosts.
  • FAS Get-FasAuthorizationCertificate shows registration certificate is OK and not MaintenanceDue.
  • FAS group policy .admx template is up to date in SYSVOL.
  • FAS User Rules restricts usage to just some StoreFront servers, some VDAs, and some users – not all
  • Auto-enrollment is not enabled on the FAS certificate templates..
  • The Certificate Authority database is not excessively large.
  • For CA that is dedicated to only FAS, only Citrix templates. Other templates (e.g. Domain Controller) removed.
• Task Manager shows sufficient CPU and Memory for each StoreFront server.
• There's sufficient free disk space – check C:\inetpub\logs
• A monitoring tool alerts administrators of any StoreFront performance metric issue, availability issue (e.g. service stopped), and Event Log errors.
• Logon Simulator runs periodically to verify that StoreFront is functional.
• StoreFront Disaster Recovery procedure is documented and tested.

StoreFront Configuration

• Only one store. Or every store but one is hidden – if multiple stores are advertised, then Workspace app will prompt the user to select a store.
• Each Delivery Controller farm is configured with two or more Delivery Controllers – for redundancy.
  • Or Delivery Controller XML can be load balanced. If load balanced, then ADC monitor is of type CITRIX-XD-DDC – so ADC can detect Local Host Cache outages.
  • Prefer separate farms per data center instead of stretched single farms (with zones) across multiple data centers.
• Transport Type for Delivery Controllers is https, not http – this traffic includes user credentials.
• Receiver for Web Session Timeout is not too short for user experience or too long for security.
• Citrix Gateway configuration in StoreFront console:
  • The STAs in StoreFront match the STAs configured on the Citrix Gateway Virtual Server on the ADC appliances.
  • Session Reliability is enabled.
  • Callback URL is only needed for SmartAccess and Citrix FAS – Callback URL should be removed if it's not needed.
  • Internal Beacon is only reachable internally.
  • External Beacon does not include citrix.com – ping.citrix.com is OK
• HDX Optimal Routing can send ICA traffic through the Citrix Gateway that is closest to the VDA (i.e. farm).

Delivery Controllers

• In CVAD 1906+, Citrix Scout Health Check does not show any errors or warnings.
• If the Delivery Controller servers are on the same hypervisor cluster, then ensure anti-affinity is configured to keep them on separate hypervisor hosts.
• Delivery Controller VMs do not have any old snapshots.
• Delivery Controller version is an LTSR Cumulative Update version (e.g. 1912 CU3), or the two latest Current Release versions (e.g. 2103). No other versions are supported – Citrix Product Matrix shows support dates.
  • Delivery Controller Upgrades are performed in a separate test environment before performed in production.
  • Citrix upgrades or updates are performed around twice per year.
• Run Get-BrokerDBConnection to see the SQL connection string. No SQL Express. For AlwaysOn Availability Group (AAG):
  • SQL String points to AAG Listener, not single node.
  • All AAG SQL nodes in one data center. For multiple data centers, prefer separate farms in each data center with local SQL.
  • SQL String contains MultiSubnetFailover.
  • Each SQL server has SQL Logins for all Delivery Controllers – SQL Logins usually don't replicate between SQL nodes.
  • Prefer Synchronous Commit with Automatic Failover over Asynchronous replication.
  • AAG Dashboard in SQL Studio does not show any issues.
• SQL databases for Site, Monitoring, and Log are separate, not combined.
• SQL databases for Citrix are not excessively large. Database Backup tool is truncating the database logs.
• SQL Servers have sufficient CPU/Memory to handle the Citrix SQL traffic. Monitoring tool alerts SQL DBAs of any performance or availability issues.
• SQL Server version is supported by Citrix. https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX114501
• Local Host Cache is enabled on the Delivery Controllers. Run Get-BrokerSite to confirm.
  • Delivery Controller virtual CPU allocation is 1 CPU socket with multiple cores – SQL Express LocalDB for Local Host Cache only runs on a single socket (up to four cores).
  • How are non-persistent virtual desktops handled during SQL outage?
  • In CVAD 1912 and newer, LocalDB is upgraded to SQL Server Express LocalDB 2017
• SQL Disaster Recovery plan is documented and tested.
• SSL Certificates are installed on Delivery Controllers to encrypt XML traffic from StoreFront.
  • SSL certificates are bound to IIS Default Web Site, or netsh http sslcert to perform binding. IIS Binding does not include hostname.
  • SSL certificate not expired.
• Trust XML Requests is enabled for pass-through authentication, SmartAccess, FAS, etc. Run Get-BrokerSite to confirm.
• Task Manager shows sufficient CPU and Memory for each Delivery Controller server.
• A monitoring tool alerts administrators of any Delivery Controller performance metric issue, availability issue (e.g. service stopped), and Event Log errors.

Citrix Studio

• Citrix Studio consoles installed on administrator machines are the same version as the Delivery Controllers.
• Customer Experience Improvement Program is disabled in Citrix Studio > Configuration node > Product Support tab.
• Licensing Model/Edition matches what you actually own.
• Citrix Studio Administrators are periodically audited to ensure only authorized users are granted Studio access.
  • Administrators are added as Active Directory Groups, not individual users.
• Applications are published to Active Directory Groups, not individual users.
• If App Groups, applications are published to only App Groups. Applications are not published to both App Groups and Delivery Groups.
• Hypervisor connection uses a service account, not an admin account.
  • Hypervisor permissions for the service account are the minimum permissions required (custom role), not full hypervisor administrator.
• Each Hosting Resource only has one datastore selected, not multiple datastores – Citrix MCS does not have a datastore "Rebalance" option. More datastores means more copies of master image snapshots, which means longer time to push out an updated Master image.
• MCS Memory Caching Option is not enabled unless VDA 1903 or newer – older VDA, including 7.15 VDA, has poor performing MCSIO driver.
• If MCS, VDA restarts are not performed in hypervisor since hypervisor does not cause MCS reset like Studio restart does.
• StoreFront URLs are not assigned to Delivery Groups using Studio – instead use Workspace app group policy to assign StoreFront URL.

Citrix License Server

• Citrix License Server is version 11.16.3.0 build 28000 or newer to resolve a security vulnerability.
• The licenses installed on Citrix License Server match the purchased licenses at https://citrix.com/account – some Citrix License Servers have too many licenses installed.
• If multiple Citrix License Servers, installed license count across all License Servers does not exceed the purchased licenses shown at https://citrix.com/account
• Administrators are not frequently clearing named user license assignments to simulate concurrent licensing – license assignments should only be cleared when the user permanently no longer uses Citrix.
• Subscription Advantage dates are not expired – if expired, download new license files and install them.
• Usage and Statistics tab is configured as intended in the Citrix Licensing Manager gear icon.
• Citrix License Server Disaster Recovery procedure is documented and tested.

Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Licensing

• If RDSH VDAs, two or more activated RDS Licensing servers.
• RDS Licensing Server operating system version matches (or newer) the RDSH VDA operating system version – e.g. Windows 2019 RDS Licensing for Windows 2019 RDSH servers. Windows 2019 RDS Licensing also works with Windows 2016 RDSH servers.
• In RD Licensing Manager, right-click server -> Review Configuration shows green checkmarks.
• The combined licenses installed on all RDS license servers do not exceed the purchased licenses.
• On RDSH VDAs, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\LicenseServers shows two servers.
  • LicensingMode = 4, which is Per User mode, which is not enforced.

Citrix Director

• Director version matches the Delivery Controller version.
• If multiple Director servers:
  • Hypervisor Anti-affinity is configured.
  • Director Saved Filters are relocated to a UNC path instead of local C: drive.
• Director server VMs do not have old snapshots – slows down servers, and increases disk space.
• SSL certificate is installed on Director servers.
  • Admins and Support teams always use https to access Director. IIS or load balancer redirects from http to https.
• Director website is SSL load balanced.
  • SSL protocol, not http, between load balancer and Director servers – this traffic contains user credentials.
• Director logon page auto-populates the domain name – for user convenience. Might have to reconfigure the domain name after every Director upgrade.
• Citrix Policy Settings for Director:
  • Enable Process monitoring is enabled.
  • Enable monitoring of application failures is enabled.
• If Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) is Premium Edition:
  • Director Alerts are configured to email CVAD administrators.
  • Citrix ADM HDX Insight is integrated with Director. HTTPS protocol, not HTTP.
  • Probes are configured – Probe Agent version matches the Director version.
• Help Desk knows how to use Citrix Director to support users.
• Average logon durations are not excessive.
• Repetitive issues (e.g. profile resets) are analyzed for root cause analysis and future prevention.

VDAs

• Catalog design is documented – storage design, network design, multiple datacenters design, recovery design, etc.
• VDA version matches the Delivery Controller version.
  • CVAD Current Release is 2009 or newer (2103) for Security Updates.
  • CVAD 1912 is CU2 or newer (CU3), which has Security Updates.
  • XA/XD 7.15 is CU6 with Security Updates, or newer (CU7).
• VDA Subnets are added to Active Directory Sites & Services.
  • Check LOGONSERVER variable after logon to confirm correct Domain Controller.
• DHCP is highly available. VDA IP Subnet router forwards DHCP requests to more than one DHCP server. DHCP scope is replicated to more than one DHCP server.
  • DHCP Scope has sufficient address availability for VDAs.
• DNS Reverse Lookup Zone with PTR records for the Virtual Apps and Desktops machines.
• If KMS, slmgr.vbs /dlv shows a unique KMS CMID for each VDA machine – another option is Active Directory-based activation.
• If persistent (dedicated) Catalogs:
  • The VDA version matches the Delivery Controller version – VDA updates should be automated (e.g. SCCM).
  • Dedicated Catalogs are created as Full Clones – Fast Clones cannot be moved to different storage or different hypervisor cluster.
  • Persistent desktops are backed up, replicated, etc. Recovery process is documented and tested.
  • Persistent desktop provisioning process is automated, preferably from a self-service portal.
• No Personal vDisk – User Layers instead
• No User Layers – slows down logons, and not all apps work – prefer Persistent Desktops instead.
  • User Layers are backed up, and restore process is documented and tested.
  • User Layers are stored on a clustered file server that can handle failover of always-open VHD files (e.g. Windows File Share with Continuous Availability) – Replication won't help with file server outage and already open User Layers
• Multiple department-specific master images instead of a single monolithic image – during user logon, monolithic images need to be dynamically customized for user requirements, which slows down logons.
  • No double-hop – slows down logons and increases complexity since double hop requires Workspace app and icon management on the first-hop VDA machine – prefer master images with every application installed locally instead of double-hop to published applications.
  • No Shortcut visibility management – slows down logons
  • No Elastic Layering – slows down logons
  • No App-V – slows down logons, and slows down machine performance
  • Master Image update process is automated – e.g. SCCM can push updates to master images
• Catalogs are upgraded to latest Catalog version available.
• VDA registrations are somewhat evenly distributed across the Delivery Controllers.
• ListOfDDCs registry value on VDAs has two or more Delivery Controllers.
• Daily Health Check report shows registration status and maintenance mode status of every VDA machine.
• RDSH Load Index Policy has not been modified from the default. CPU Metric is too volatile, and can cause a Denial of Service and uneven distribution of sessions. Current Load Index values should be almost the same on every RDSH VDA and not be anywhere near 10000.
• In-guest monitoring agent shows VDA memory usage. Allocated VM Memory matches or exceeds memory Committed Bytes – Hypervisor monitoring can't show actual VM memory usage.
• RDSH VDAs are periodically restarted – net statistics workstation or net server statistics shows uptime.
  • In CVAD 1909+, MaxDelayMins is configured in Get-BrokerRebootScheduleV2.
• For EDT protocol, MtuDiscovery is enabled on the VDAs. MtuDiscovery requires VDAs version 1912 and newer.
• If Cloud-hosting of VDAs, PowerScale controls VDA power management.

VDAs – Hypervisor Hardware Clusters

• Desktop VDAs are in their own hypervisor cluster that does not contain any Server virtual machines – avoids Windows Server licensing.
  • Hypervisor clusters with Windows Servers have proper Windows Server licensing.
• Hypervisor admins don't perform any hypervisor updates without first reviewing Citrix's Supported Hypervisors article.
  • Hypervisor software is recently patched, especially to resolve security vulnerabilities (e.g. VMware Security Advisories).
  • vCenter 7.0 is build 18455184 or newer to resolve critical vulnerability with CVSSv3 base score of 9.8.
  • vCenter 6.7 is build 18485166 or newer to resolve critical vulnerability with CVSSv3 base score of 9.8.
• VDA vCenter is separate from non-VDA vCenter – allows non-VDA vCenter to be upgraded without affecting Citrix.
• Hypervisor performance is monitored and alerted: CPU contention (aka CPU Ready Percentage), disk latency, CPU Usage, etc.
• Capacity planning tool warns admins when more hypervisor hardware is needed.
• vSphere clusters have N+1 or N+2 extra capacity for redundancy.
• HA and DRS are enabled on vSphere cluster according to design – not all designs use these features
• CPU and Memory consumption are evenly distributed across the hypervisor cluster
• If VMFS6 datastores, vSphere 6.7 Update 3 is installed – see release notes
• NTP is configured and running on hypervisor hosts.
• Hypervisor hosts have High performance BIOS settings.
• In larger environments, dedicated VLAN(s) for VDAs – not shared with non-Citrix workloads
  • MCS and PVS require DHCP
• Network Uplinks are redundant and have sufficient capacity
  • ESXi Management/Vmotion/Storage traffic are separate VLANs from the VDA VLANs
  • Storage multipathing is functioning
• NVIDIA vGPU software is current on hypervisor host and virtual machines. – vGPU Manager 11.0+ supports guest driver version one major version back (e.g. 10.0)
  • The newest hypervisors can vMotion GPU-configured virtual machines – vgpu.hotmigrate configured in vCenter Advanced Settings. DRS set to Manual or Partially Automated.
  • NVIDIA in-guest vGPU Driver is installed before the VDA is installed – otherwise HDX 3D Pro will not work.
  • ESXi Host Graphics Settings set to Shared Direct and spread across GPUs – Host GPUs set to Shared Direct.
  • NVIDIA license servers are redundant (failover support).

VDAs – Virtual Machine Hardware (vSphere)

• Network Interface type is VMXNET3, not E1000.
• devices.hotplug=false is configured in Virtual Machine Configuration Settings.
• If disk space is a concern, virtual machine memory is reserved to reduce .vswp file size.
• If Citrix App Layering:
  • Paravirtual controller is not added.
  • Boot firmware is BIOS, not EFI.
• Windows 10 version is supported by Citrix VDA version, and supported by App Layering version.
  • Windows 11 is supported with VDA 2109 and newer. It is not supported by VDA 1912.
• VMware Tools version is current.
  • VMware Tools 11.3.0 and newer fix a PANIC in the VM3DMP driver leading to a denial-of-service condition in the Windows guest operating system. See VMware Security Advisory

VDAs – Master Image Build

• Master Image build process is documented.
• Master Image virtual machine was built from scratch – not converted from a physical machine.
• Security scan of the VDA Master Images shows compliance with enterprise security requirements.
• Master Image updates:
  • Master Image maintenance is automated – e.g. SCCM can push updates to Master Images. A script can push Master Images to Catalogs.
  • Software Deployment team notifies the Master Image maintainers when applications or Windows require an update.
  • Master Image is sealed before shutdown – e.g. antivirus is generalized, SCCM Client is generalized – sealing should be scripted – Base Image Script Framework (BIS-F) can automate this
  • Master Image updates are tested before deployed to production. QA testing. Canary testing.
  • Master Image snapshots are deleted after a period of time.
• Profile Management is patched to resolve Local privilege escalation vulnerability – 2106 Hotfix 1, 1912 CU3 Hotfix 1, or 7.15 CU7 Hotfix 1. 1912 CU4 includes the fix.
• Antivirus is installed. Antivirus is optimized for non-persistent machines (aka VDI).
• Other IT agents (e.g. software auditing, SCCM Agent) are optimized for non-persistent machines.
• Local Groups:
  • Administrators group does not contain any non-administrators.
  • Direct Access Users group only contains authorized RDP users.
• Citrix Optimizer or similar has removed Windows 10 Store Apps.
• Windows Default profile was not modified – instead use group policy to control Windows appearance.
• Windows Updates are current (i.e. last install date is within the last 60 days).
• C: drive permissions are changed so Users can't create folders on root of C: drive.
• Power management is set to High Performance with no sleep timers.
• If Citrix Provisioning:
  • Pagefile is shrunk so it fits on PVS cache disk – there's no need to move the pagefile since PVS will move it for you. Just make sure it's small.
  • Event Logs are moved to PVS cache disk.
• Customer Experience Improvement Program is disabled in VDA registry.
• FSLogix is a recent version – FSLogix version 2.9.7979.62170 resolves a security vulnerability in Cloud Cache. 💡
• Office 365 Shared Computer Activation is enabled.
  • FSLogix is implemented for Outlook search roaming.
• Microsoft Teams is installed using machine-wide installer.
  • Microsoft Teams machine-wide installation is periodically manually updated – there's no auto-update.
  • Teams cache folders excluded from roaming profiles.
• For OneDrive Files On-demand, is only installed on Windows Server 2019 and newer, or Windows 10 1709 and newer
  • OneDrive is installed using machine-wide installer – check C:\Program Files (x86)\OneDrive
  • FSLogix saves OneDrive cache.

Citrix App Layering

• Prefer automated (e.g. SCCM) Master Image updates over manual App Layering layer updates – if SCCM is mature, then there's no need for App Layering.
• Prefer SCCM-managed dedicated desktops over User Layers – SCCM is a known technology. User Layers are proprietary to Citrix and might not support every application.
• Enterprise Layer Manager (ELM) version is current – ELM updates are required to support newer Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) and newer Windows 10. There's no LTSR version of ELM.
• Citrix Provisioning Agent version matches the ELM version.
• Directory Junction Bind account is a service account, not a regular user whose password expires.
  • LDAP is Secure (Use SSL).
• Administrator role membership is periodically audited to ensure only authorized users are granted access.
• ELM is backed up. Or layers are periodically exported from ELM.
• Group Policy controls membership of local groups in VDA machines – e.g. add Domain Admins to local Administrators group.
• Antivirus is configured properly for Layering.
• Hypervisor Connector uses a service account with limited permissions.
• Connector cache is enabled to speed up layering operations.
• Offload Compositing is enabled in the Connectors.
• File servers hosting Elastic Layers and User Layers are monitored for performance issues and capacity planning.
• User Layers are backed up, replicated, etc.

Citrix Provisioning

Provisioning Servers:

• Provisioning Servers version matches the Delivery Controller version.
• Multiple Provisioning Servers for High Availability.
  • Hypervisor Anti-affinity is configured.
• Sufficient RAM for vDisk caching in memory – around 2-3 GB of memory per active vDisk.
• Only one NIC per Provisioning Server – simplifies the configuration.
• Server Bootstrap has multiple Provisioning Servers listed.
• Threads times Ports are sufficient for the number of target devices.
• vDisk Boot Menu is disabled in the registry – enables maintenance mode Target Devices to automatically boot from maintenance mode vDisks.
• Antivirus has exclusions for Citrix Provisioning.
• Provisioning Server performance metrics are monitored and alerted.
  • NIC throughput is not saturated.

Provisioning Farm Properties:

• Offline database is enabled.
• Auditing is enabled.
• Administrators list only contains authorized administrators, preferably from an Active Directory Group.
• Customer Experience Improvement Program is disabled.
• For AlwaysOn Availability Group, MultiSubnetFailover is configured in the database connection string.

vDisks:

• If local storage, vDisk files are identical on all Provisioning Servers.
• vDisk files are VHDX, not VHD – faster version merging.
• vDisks are sized dynamic, not fixed – Saves disk space. Standard Mode vDisks don't grow so no performance impact.
• vDisk files are defragmented.
• vDisk files are backed up.
• vDisk updates are automated.

Target Devices:

• Target Device Boot Method is highly available – Target Devices on same subnet Provisioning Servers. Or DHCP Option 66 with TFTP Load Balancing. Or Boot ISO/Boot Partition has multiple Provisioning Server addresses.
  • DHCP is highly available. Subnet's router forwards DHCP requests to multiple DHCP servers. Replicated DHCP scope.
  • Use PXEChecker to verify multiple TFTP responses.
• vDisk Write cache is configured for Target Device RAM with overflow to disk – health check script should periodically verify this.
• WriteCache folders on Provisioning Servers are empty – no server-side caching.
• If KMS, slmgr.vbs /dlv shows a unique KMS CMID for each Target Device machine – another option is Active Directory-based activation.
• Target Devices are evenly distributed across multiple Provisioning servers – ensures that High Availability is working correctly – stop Stream Service to confirm HA
• System Reserved Partition is removed from inside vDisk.
• VMware Tools in Target Devices (vDisks) is up to date.
• Target Device Software version matches the Citrix Provisioning version.
• Target Device status shows low number of retries.

Group Policies and Active Directory

• VDAs are placed in VDA-only OUs, no users – group policies apply to VDAs without affecting physical endpoints.
  • Separate OUs per Delivery Group – different group policies apply to different Delivery Groups.
• Master Images are located in VDA OUs – computer-level GPO settings apply to the Master Images to avoid GPO timing issues on linked clones.
• Block Inheritance OUs and Enforced GPOs are minimized.
• .admx templates in SYSVOL > PolicyDefinitions are current – Windows 10 templates, Office templates, Citrix templates, etc.
• Group Policy Loopback Processing Mode is enabled.
• Duplicate, conflicting GPO settings are minimized – e.g. Group Policy Loopback Processing Mode is sometimes enabled in several GPOs.
  • Run Group Policy Results to show the actual GPO settings that applied to a specific session – compare with design
• Lockdown GPO applies to non-administrators that log into VDA machines. Lockdown GPO doesn't apply to administrators.
• Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) session timeouts (idle, disconnect) are configured in a Microsoft GPO.
• AppLocker or similar prevents users from running unauthorized executables (e.g. ransomware).
• Initial application configuration is automated using group policy – e.g. auto configure application database connections, remove first time usage prompts.
• Group Policy changes are tested in separate Test GPOs and separate Test VDAs before applying to production.
• Monitoring tool shows group policy processing duration during logon.

Citrix Policies

• Citrix Policies are configured in a Group Policy Object, not in Citrix Studio – a GPO can apply to multiple Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) farms in multiple datacenters. Citrix Studio is single farm only.
  • Citrix Policies are not configured in both Citrix Studio and Group Policy – avoids confusion over which setting wins
  • If configured in Citrix Studio, and if multiple farms/sites, then Citrix Policy settings are identical in all farms/sites.
• Citrix Group Policy Management plug-in on GPMC machines is same version included with CVAD ISO.
• Unfiltered policy is on the bottom of the list (lowest priority) – most specific filters on top, least specific filters on bottom.
• Client drive mapping, client clipboard, client printing, drag and drop, and client USB are disabled when connecting from external (e.g. SmartAccess) – only enabled by exception.
  • If client clipboard is enabled, then file copy/paste is disabled. (CTX_File clipboard format)
• Client printing is set to Use Universal Print Driver only – avoids installing print drivers on VDA machines.
• Audio is set to Medium quality – High Quality uses more bandwidth than Medium Quality.
• Time zone redirection is configured in both Citrix Policy and RDSH Microsoft Group Policy.
• For HDX Insight, ICA Round-Trip Time policy is enabled.
• Visual quality and video codec settings are not modified from the defaults.
  • Legacy Graphics Mode is disabled.
• Adaptive Transport (EDT) is enabled – it's default disabled in 7.15. MTU might need to be decreased.
  • MtuDiscovery is enabled on the VDAs. MtuDiscovery requires VDAs version 1912 and newer.
• Session Reliability is not disabled.
• RDSH Session Timers are configured in Microsoft GPO, not Citrix Policy – Citrix Policy setting description shows if setting applies to Server OS or not.

Citrix Workspace Environment Management (WEM)

• Prefer Group Policies over WEM – WEM requires extra infrastructure, extra learning, extra administration, and extra support. Some WEM user settings are per-machine (per configuration set) only. WEM can't replace group policies since there's currently no .admx support.
  • Citrix Profile Management and Microsoft Folder Redirection are configured using Microsoft Group Policy, not WEM – Group Policies are well known. WEM is proprietary to Citrix and requires WEM skills to troubleshoot.
• WEM is within two versions of the latest – there's no LTSR version of WEM.
  • WEM Consoles and WEM Agents match WEM Server version.
• Multiple load balanced WEM Servers for High Availability.
  • If multiple WEM servers are on the same hypervisor cluster, then Hypervisor anti-affinity is configured for the multiple WEM servers.
  • WEM Agents point to WEM Server load balanced FQDN, not individual server.
  • WEM Console points to single WEM Server, not load balanced FQDN.
• WEM Brokers are close the VDAs – WEM configuration can be exported/imported into WEM implementations in multiple data centers.
• WEM Database is hosted on an AlwaysOn Availability Group or other Highly Available SQL solution.
  • SQL database is backed up. SQL database recovery is documented and tested.
• In WEM 1909+, Infrastructure Service Enable performance tuning for Windows Communication Framework is enabled and set to the number of concurrent WEM Agents that will be connected to this one WEM server. Maximum value is 3000.
• Antivirus exclusions are configured for Citrix WEM.
• WEM .admx group policy template in SYSVOL > PolicyDefinitions is updated whenever WEM Servers are updated.
• Settings are in WEM, or Group Policy, but not both – helps troubleshooting. Reduces confusion.
• Bypass ie4uinit Check is enabled (Advanced Settings > Service Options) – for faster logons.
• Drive mappings and printer mappings are moved to WEM and processed asynchronously (Advanced Settings > Agent Options).
• Check Application Existence is enabled (Advanced Settings > Agent Options) – doesn't create shortcut unless application exists
• CPU Optimization is enabled – Memory management trades memory for disk; which is cheaper? Process exclusions might be needed.
  • In WEM 1909 and newer, CPU Spike Protection = Auto instead of Customize.
• Fast logoff is enabled.
• Unused action types are disabled from processing (Advanced Settings > Main Configuration) – speeds up logons.
• Run Once enabled for Actions and scenarios that support it – speeds up logons.
• WEM Agent Offline mode is enabled.
• Computer startup script refreshes WEM Agent cache on each VDA reboot.
  • Script has correct Agent installation path and correct service name since they changed in 1909 and newer.
• WEM Logs are reviewed for problems – enable debug logging. Look for Active Directory timeouts.
• WEM Server performance is monitored for metric thresholds and future capacity issues.
• WEM Server recovery is documented and tested.

Citrix Profile Management and Folder Redirection

• No mandatory profiles on Windows 10 – benchmarks show slower performance.
• Profile Management is configured in Group Policy, not Citrix Policy or Citrix WEM – Group Policy is the most reliable and most well-known option.
• Profile file share:
  • File server is close to the VDAs – users log into VDAs that are closest to the file server (aka home site).
  • File share is highly available.
  • Caching is disabled on the file share.
  • No DFS multi-master replication. Single target only – neither Citrix nor Microsoft support merge replication.
  • Profiles are backed up and/or replicated. Recovery process is documented and tested.
  • Different profile folders for different operating system versions and/or different Delivery Groups.
  • NTFS permissions of individual user folders in the file share only grant access to the one user – no Users, no Domain Users, and no Authenticated Users.
  • Use TreeSize or similar to see profile size – adjust profile exclusions if too big.
  • Antivirus is not slowing down profile file transfer performance – time how long it takes to copy a profile folder to the local machine.
  • File servers are monitored for performance issues, including disk latency and free disk space.
• Profile Management .admx file in SYSVOL > PolicyDefinitions matches the VDA version (or date).
• Profile Management logs are stored on UNC share instead of local C: drive, especially if the VDAs are non-persistent.
  • Only Domain Computers have Modify permission to the Logs share – Users don't need any permission.
• Profile Management logs contain at least a few days of logons – if only a few minutes, then too much information is being logged and Log Settings GPO setting should be modified.
• Profile streaming is enabled – speeds up logons.
• Active Write Back is disabled – places extra load on file servers for not much benefit.
• Customer Experience Improvement Program is disabled.
• Locally cached profiles are deleted at logoff from RDSH machines that don't reboot often.
• No Start Menu roaming issues – might need ResetCache registry value.
• Microsoft FSLogix is implemented for Outlook Search roaming – better than UPM's Outlook search roaming.

Folder Redirection:

• Folder Redirection is configured in Microsoft GPO settings, not in Citrix Profile Management settings – Microsoft GPO configuration is most reliable, most known, and can migrate existing files.
• No AppData redirection – slows down applications.
• "Grant the user exclusive rights" option is unchecked – allows administrators to access redirected profile folders.
• Folder Redirection file share:
  • File share is highly available.
  • No DFS multi-master replication. Single target only – neither Citrix nor Microsoft support merge replication.
  • Redirected Folders are backed up and/or replicated. Recovery process is documented and tested.
  • NTFS permissions of individual user folders in the file share only grant access to the one user – no Users, no Domain Users, and no Authenticated Users.
  • Antivirus is not slowing down folder redirection performance.
  • File servers are monitored for performance issues, including disk latency and free disk space.

Home Directories:

• File server is close to the VDAs – users log into VDAs that are closest to the file server (aka home site).
• File share is highly available.
• No DFS multi-master replication. Single target only – neither Citrix nor Microsoft support merge replication.
• Home Directories are backed up and/or replicated. Recovery process is documented and tested.
• NTFS permissions of individual user folders in the file share only grant access to the one user – no Users, no Domain Users, and no Authenticated Users.
• Antivirus is not slowing down file transfer performance – time how long it takes to copy a Home Directory folder to the local machine.
• File servers are monitored for performance issues, including disk latency and free disk space.

Endpoint Devices

• Prefer Windows 10 endpoints over thin clients – thin clients don't support all Citrix functionality (e.g. local printing, browser content redirection). ThinKiosk can lock down Windows 10 endpoints.
• Newest VDAs and newest Workspace apps have better WAN performance than LTSR 7.15.
• Browser Content Redirection offloads video (e.g. YouTube) from VDAs to endpoint – reduces CPU consumption in the data center.
• Workspace app is periodically (e.g. twice per year) updated by endpoint management team. Workspace app 1912 CU4 and Workspace app 2105 and newer fix security vulnerabilities.
  • Newer versions of Windows 10 require newer versions of Workspace app.
  • LTSR Receiver 4.9 is End-of-life as of 31-Dec-20. All clients should be Citrix Workspace app.
  • If LTSR Receiver 4.9, then version is 4.9.9002 or newer to resolve security vulnerabilities.
  • Newer versions on Windows 10 require newer versions of Workspace app. E.g., Win10 2004 requires Workspace app 2006.
• Workspace app (aka Receiver) ADMX templates in SYSVOL > PolicyDefinitions are current.
• Group Policy adds StoreFront URL to Local Intranet zone.
• Group Policy pushes StoreFront URL to Workspace app – so users don't have to enter the URL.
• Pass-through authentication is enabled for internal PCs – SSON Configuration Checker can verify proper configuration.
• HKCU\Software\Citrix\Dazzle\Sites\store\type shows DS, not PNA – store added as Delivery Services (StoreFront), not PNAgent (legacy).
• Internal Beacon at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Receiver\SR\Store\#\Beacons\Internal\Addr0 is internally reachable only – not reachable externally.
• External Beacon at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Receiver\SR\Store\#\Beacons\External does not include citrix.com or ping.citrix.com.
• EDT protocol (aka Adaptive Transport) is enabled. Director shows HDX protocol as UDP – Remote Display Analyzer can analyze problems with the graphics/codec.
• HDX Insight: Newest VDAs and newest Workspace app have less AppFlow CPU impact on ADC than LTSR 7.15 VDAs.
• Google Chrome detects Workspace app properly, especially through Gateway – requires Gateway ADC to able to resolve StoreFront Base URL to StoreFront IP
  • Chrome 77+ has receiver://* added to URL whitelist so the user isn't prompted to open Workspace app

Citrix ADC

• ADC Admins have subscribed to Citrix Security Bulletins at https://support.citrix.com/user/alerts
• ADC firmware build is patched for latest vulnerabilities as of November 9, 2021. 💡
  • /nsconfig/rc.netscaler contains remediation 💡
  • Indicator of Compromise Scanner for CVE-2019-19781 does not show any compromise.
  • ADC > Dashboard page does not show excessive outbound bandwidth. If so, then it might be DTLS Amplification Distributed Denial of Service Attack.
• ADC firmware updates are tested on separate test ADC appliances before performed in production. Test ADC appliances have test VIPs – application owners can test their VIPs on test ADC before firmware is upgraded in production.
• ADC VPX on vSphere:
  • ADC NICs are VMXNET3, not E1000.
  • If vSphere 7 Update 2, Citrix ADC is 13.0 build 82 or newer or 12.1 build 62 or newer
  • If ADC 12.0 or older, no vMotion/DRS (not supported).
  • In 12.1 and newer, DRS Cluster Anti-affinity is configured for the VPX appliances in the same HA pair.
  • CPU/Memory are reserved at hypervisor. If not reserved at hypervisor, then Yield CPU is not enabled so that VPX can reserve CPU itself.
• ADC license does not expire any time soon.
• Physical ADC:
  • LOM port is connected and configured.
  • LOM nsroot password is changed from the default.
  • No VLAN is connected to multiple active interfaces unless those interfaces are in a port channel.
• ADC nsroot password is not nsroot. nsroot password is managed by Privileged Identity Management tool. Admins don't use nsroot to login.
• Policies are Advanced Expressions instead of Classic Expressions. (source = CTX296948)
• Management authentication is configured for external authentication server, typically LDAP.
  • LDAP is load balanced instead of multiple LDAP Policies to individual LDAP servers – avoids premature account lockout.
  • LDAP is encrypted: LDAPS on port 636.
  • LDAP Bind account is a service account – not a regular user whose password expires.
  • LDAP Search Filter only allows ADC Admins Active Directory Group to authenticate.
• If TACACS, firmware is 12.0 build 57 or newer to prevent TACACS Accounting from blocking AAA.
• nsroot account has external authentication disabled.
• No local ADC accounts except nsroot.
• NTP and Time Zone are configured.
• Syslog is configured to send logs to external SIEM, especially if ADC is performing authentication.
• SNMP Traps are sent to Citrix ADM appliance.
  • Thresholds are configured for CPU and Memory alarms.
• Customer Experience Improvement Program (CUXIP) is disabled.
• Recommended TCP Profile Settings are configured.
• Drop Invalid HTTP requests is enabled in HTTP global settings.
• Secure Access Only is enabled on all NSIPs and all management-enabled SNIPs – check both nodes of High Availability pair.
  • Management certificate has no certificate errors.
• Networking:
  • ADC VLANs only have one interface (or one channel) – Best Practices at Citrix Docs.
  • If Dedicated Management Network, Policy Based Routes (PBR) are configured for NSIP reply traffic and NSIP-initiated traffic.
  • Unused network interfaces are disabled.
  • ADC instance is connected to only one security zone – if connected to multiple security zones, then a firewall is bypassed.
  • Default route should be Internet facing, or a data VLAN – not NSIP VLAN.
  • Only one default route – extra default routes can come from HA pairing or hardware migration.
• Root DNS server address "h.root-servers.net" is set to 198.97.190.53 – might be old address due to older firmware
• Unused ADC configurations are removed – unused server objects, unused policies, etc.
• Citrix ADM monitors and backs up the ADC appliances.
• ADC Dashboard shows that CPU, Memory, and Throughput have not exceeded appliance capacity or appliance licensing.
• /var/core and /var/crash do not have recent crash dumps.

ADC High Availability Pair

• Firmware build is identical on both nodes.
• Installed Licenses are identical on both nodes.
• NTP and time zones are configured on both appliances – Configuration node shows System Time.
• Unused interfaces are disabled.
• HA is synchronizing without error.
• Both HA nodes are set to ENABLED – not STAYPRIMARY and/or STAYSECONDARY.
• Fail-safe mode is enabled.
• "show ha node" shows heartbeats across all interfaces – no "interfaces on which heartbeats are not seen".
• High Availability failover has been tested, including RADIUS authentication, which might come from a different source IP.
• Sync VLAN configured to enable ISSU on ADC 13.0+

ADC SDX

• LOM port is connected and configured.
  • LOM nsroot password is not nsroot.
• No hardware problems shown on SDX SVM dashboard page.
• SDX firmware is current – should be same or newer than the VPX firmware.
• SDX SVM nsroot password is not nsroot. nsroot password is complex. Admins don't use nsroot to login.
• Management authentication is configured for external authentication server, typically LDAP.
  • LDAP is load balanced instead of multiple LDAP Policies to individual LDAP servers – avoids premature account lockout.
  • LDAP is encrypted: LDAPS on port 636.
  • LDAP Bind account is a service account – not a regular user whose password expires
    • LDAP Bind account should be a regular domain account, not a Domain Admin.
    • LDAP Bind account should be dedicated to LDAP Bind and not used for anything else.
  • LDAP Search Filter only allows ADC SDX Admins Active Directory Group to authenticate.
• No local accounts except nsroot.
• No certificate errors when accessing SVM management using htttps.
  • HTTPS is forced in System Settings – HTTP is not allowed.
• Multiple DNS servers are configured in Networking Configuration – initial setup only asks for one DNS server.
• Channels are created at SDX SVM instead of inside VPX instances.
• NTP is configured and enabled.
• Syslog is configured.
• SNMP traps are sent to Citrix ADM.
• The number of SDX instance licenses installed matches what's owned at https://citrix.com/account
• SDX SVM Backups are configured with External Transfer – or download periodically – or ADM.
• VPX Instances:
  • Platinum Edition license is assigned to instances.
  • SSL Chips are assigned to VPX instances.
  • All SDX hardware is allocated to VPX instances – If not, why not?
  • Production instances typically have Dedicated CPU cores. Test/Dev instances typically have Shared CPU.
  • VLANs are specified inside VPX instances instead of at instance properties on SDX Management Service – avoids reboot if you need to change the VLAN configuration.
  • No VMACs in instance interface settings.

ADC Load Balancing and SSL

• Load Balancing configurations are documented.
• Monitors do more than just telnet – e.g. LDAP monitor performs LDAP query.
  • LDAP monitor bind account uses service account, not domain admin.
  • LDAP monitor is filtered to cn=builtin – to reduce result size.
  • RADIUS monitor looks for response code 2 or 3.
• If multiple Virtual Servers for multiple ports on the same VIP, configure Persistency Group – e.g. Horizon Load Balancing.
• Rewrite policies remove web server header information (Server, X-Powered-By, etc.)
• SSL Labs SSL Server Test shows A or A+ grade for all Internet-facing SSL vServers.
• Redirect Virtual Servers are UP (Responder method) instead of DOWN (Backup URL method).
• Custom (non-default) ciphers are bound to every SSL Virtual Server – see Citrix Networking SSL / TLS Best Practices.
• SSL v3 and TLS v1.0 are disabled on every SSL Virtual Server.
• SSL Renegotiation is set to NONSECURE: configured globally, or in SSL Profiles (including default profile).
• Root certificate is not linked to intermediate certificate.
• Certificates are not expired.
• SSL Services do not have "-TLS11 disabled" or "-TLS12 disabled" – might be disabled from older firmware.
• ADM alerts ADC administrators when certificates are soon to expire.
• ADM Analytics is enabled for the HTTP Virtual Servers.
  • ADM Web Insight is viewed.
• Bot Management (13.0 build 41+) and/or Web App Firewall are configured if ADC Premium Edition.
  • ADM Security Insight is enabled and viewed.

Citrix ADM

• ADM exists and manages all ADC appliances.
  • Prompt credentials for instance login is enabled in ADM System Settings – if ADM does Single Sign-on to instances, then all instance changes are logged as nsroot instead of ADM user.
• ADM firmware version is 12.1 build 54.13 and later or 13.0 build 41.20 and later – security vulnerability – many bugs are fixed in ADM 12.1 build 53 and newer.
  • ADM Agents and DR nodes have same firmware version as ADM – check /var/mps/log/install_state
• Two DNS servers are configured in ADM Network Configuration – initial setup only asks for one DNS server.
• Two ADM appliances in High Availability mode with Floating IP – provides redundancy.
• Every High Availability node and DR node has same disk size.
• ADM nsroot password is not nsroot. nsroot password is complex. Admins don't use nsroot to login.
• ADM Agent nsrecover password has been changed from the default.
• Management authentication is configured for external authentication server, typically LDAP.
  • LDAP is load balanced instead of multiple LDAP Policies to individual LDAP servers – avoids premature account lockout.
  • LDAP is encrypted: LDAPS on port 636.
  • LDAP Bind account is a service account – not a regular user whose password expires.
  • LDAP Search Filter only allows ADM Admins Active Directory Group to authenticate.
• No local accounts except nsroot.
• No certificate errors when accessing ADM management using htttps.
  • HTTPS is forced in System Settings – HTTP is not allowed
• Time zone is configured.
• NTP is configured and enabled.
• ADM Database is not full. Sufficient disk space.
• Sufficient ADM CPU/Memory – verify at System > Statistics or System > Deployment.
• All features enabled – verify at System > Administration > Disable or enable features
• SSL Dashboard alert notifications are enabled to warn of upcoming certificate expiration.
• Event Rules are configured to email ADC administrators of Critical or Major ADC alarms.
• ADC Instance Backup settings on ADM:
  • Number of ADC instance backups retained is sufficient for restoring from history.
  • ADC Backups are transferred to external SFTP, SCP, or FTP server.
  • ADC Restore process is documented and tested.
• VIP Licensing:
  • Installed license count on ADM matches the licenses owned at https://citrix.com/account.
  • Licenses are assigned to Virtual Servers that need Analytics (e.g. HDX Insight) or Applications tab.
  • AppFlow/Insight is enabled on Gateway and HTTP Virtual Servers.
  • TCP 5563 opened from SNIP to ADM for Metrics Collector.
  • License expiration notifications are enabled.
• Private IP Blocks are configured for geo mapping of ADC instances and Analytics sessions.
• Analytics Thresholds are configured – e.g. ICA Latency threshold.
• Session Reliability on HA Failover is enabled on ADC instances in ICA Parameters – if not enabled, then sessions drop on failover.
• ADM HDX Insight is linked to Director Premium Edition using https protocol, not http protocol.

Citrix Gateway ICA Proxy

Gateway Virtual Server:

• SSL Labs SSL Server Test shows A or A+ when it scans the Gateway external FQDN.
• If ICA Only is unchecked on the Gateway Virtual Server, then System > Licenses shows sufficient Maximum Citrix Gateway Users Allowed.
• Gateway Virtual Server Maximum Users is 0, which means unlimited.
• TCP Profile is configured with Recommended TCP Profile Settings.
• DTLS is enabled on the Virtual Server for EDT protocol.
  • UDP ports are open on firewall from Internet and to VDAs.
  • Director Session Details shows HDX protocol as UDP.
• ICA Connections shows port 2598 (Session Reliability enabled), not 1494.
• Gateway communication to StoreFront is https protocol, not http.
• Gateway communication to StoreFront is load balanced to multiple StoreFront servers – not a single StoreFront server.
• STAs on Citrix Gateway matches StoreFront configuration.
• Policies are Advanced Expressions instead of Classic Expressions. (source = CTX296948)
• If EPA is used for SmartAccess, then Endpoint Analysis Libraries are updated.

Gateway Authentication:

• Encrypted LDAP:
  • LDAP is load balanced instead of multiple LDAP Policies to individual LDAP servers – avoids premature account lockout.
  • LDAP is encrypted: LDAPS on port 636.
  • LDAP Bind account is a service account – not a regular user whose password expires.
  • LDAP Search Filter only allows authorized remote users in an Active Directory group to authenticate.
• Two-factor authentication – RADIUS:
  • For Workspace app, password fields are swapped.
  • Both factors are required to login. Can't bypass second factor.
  • RADIUS tested from both High Availability nodes (perform failover).
• SAML Authentication:
  • Prefer RADIUS over SAML so that ADC will have access to the user's password to facilitate Single Sign-on to the VDA machines.
  • If SAML response does not provide user's password, then Federated Authentication Service (FAS) is deployed .
  • For Workspace app support of SAML, SAML is configured in nFactor (AAA), not Gateway – requires ADC 12.1 and newest Workspace app.
  • SAML iDP Signing certificate is not expired. ADC administrators know how to update the Signing certificate.
  • relaystateRule configured in SAML Action to prevent session hijack – see https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX316577
• Native OTP:
  • OTP Active Directory attribute is encrypted

Citrix ADC GSLB

• If a DNS name resolves to multiple IP addresses, then the DNS name should be GSLB-enabled for automatic failover.
• DNS Records are delegated to two or more ADC ADNS services, usually in separate data centers.
  • NS records and SOA records are added to ADC for delegated domain names and/or delegated sub zones.
• All ADC nodes that have ADNS listeners for the same DNS name have identical GSLB configuration.
• Public GSLB Services have monitors that verify remote Internet connectivity – don't give out IP if users can't reach it.
• Separate ADC appliances for public DNS and internal DNS – If both are on one appliance, then how are the DNS configurations separated?
• RPC nodes for Metric Exchange Protocol (MEP) should have Secure enabled.
• Firewall should only allow the MEP endpoints to communicate over 3009 – don't open to whole Internet.
• If Static Proximity:
  • Static Proximity database is current.
  • GSLB Services show correct geo location.
  • Custom Entries are added for internal subnets.
• If DNS Views, DNS Views are configured on all GSLB Services – if GSLB Service doesn't have a DNS View, then that GSLB Service might not function correctly.
• If Active/Active GSLB load balancing, then site persistence is functioning correctly.
• DNS security options are configured to prevent ADNS Denial of Service.

Navigation

• Change Log
• Director Licensing – Platinum Edition
• Install/Upgrade Director 7.18 on Standalone Server
• Director Default Webpage
• Director Spinning Circle
• Domain Field on Director Logon Page
• Director Tweaks
  • Director Configuration Script
• Director – Saved Filters
• Director and HDX Insight
• Director and Self-Service Password Reset
• Monitoring Database Grooming
• Director Single Sign On
• Director – Multiple XenDesktop Sites
• Director Process Monitoring
• Director Alerts and Notifications
• Director – StoreFront Probes
• Director – SCOM Integration
• Director – Custom Reports
• Use Director 7.18

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 July 13 – Install Probe Agent – added link to CTA Dennis Span Citrix Application Probe Agent unattended installation
• 2018 June 15 – Install – added link to CTX224433 Error: "Cannot Retrieve Data" on Citrix Director Dashboard After Securing OData Interface Through TLS
• 2018 June 5 – Updated Install section for version 7.18
  • Director Alerts – 7.18 has built-in Alert Policies
  • StoreFront Probes – new feature in 7.18 – requires Platinum Edition

Director Licensing – Platinum Edition

See the XenApp and XenDesktop Feature Matrix. Scroll down toDirector Platinum Edition for the list of Director features that require Platinum Edition licensing.

• Up to a year's worth of performance data that provides a comprehensive view of capacity trends
• Proactive notification and alerting including SNMP integration
• SCOM alerts
• Desktop and server OS usage reporting
• Create customized reports
• Reboot warnings
• NetScaler MAS integration – HDX Insight
• Override control over roaming sessions

See Citrix Docs Feature compatibility matrix for a list of which Director feature came with each version, and the licensing Edition needed for each feature.

Install/Upgrade Director 7.18 on Standalone Server

Current Release vs LTSR – Director 7.18 is a Current Release, which is only supported for 6 months from the release date, and you are expected to upgrade it every 3-6 months. If you prefer a release with a longer support cycle, see Director 7.15 LTSR.

Install on Delivery Controller? – The XenDesktop Delivery Controller metainstaller has an option to install Director on the Delivery Controller machine. Or you can install Director on separate, dedicated machines.

• If Director will connect to multiple sites/farms, then install Director on its own servers.
• For small environments, it might be OK to install Director on the Delivery Controller machines. Otherwise, Director is usually installed on separate machines.

Director and Delivery Controller versions – There's no point in upgrading to Director 7.18 if your Delivery Controllers are not also 7.18. Director will inform you if your Delivery Controllers are not the same version as Director.

Installation guidance – For Director installation guidance, see the following:

• Citrix CTX222476 Install or Upgrade to Citrix Director 7.x Using Director .msi file
• Citrix CTX142260 Installing or Upgrading to Citrix Director 7.6.200.

Scripted install – To install and configure Director using a script, see Dennis Span Citrix Director unattended installation with PowerShell.

Manual installation – To install Director manually:

1. Start with runningAutoSelect.exe from the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.18 ISO.
   
2. In the Extend Deployment section, on the bottom left, clickCitrix Director.
   
3. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and click Next.
   
4. In theCore Components page, clickNext.
   
5. In the Delivery Controller page, it will ask you for the location of one Controller in the farm. Only enter one Controller per farm. If you have multiple Director servers, each Director server can point to a different Controller in the farm. From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails. ClickTest Connection, and then clickAdd.
6. You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Data Access Security at Citrix Developer Documentation. Also see CTX224433 Error: "Cannot Retrieve Data" on Citrix Director Dashboard After Securing OData Interface Through TLS.  💡
   
7. In theFeatures page, clickNext.
   
8. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
   
9. In theSummary page, clickInstall.
   
10. A machine restart will probably be needed.
    
11. After the restart, login.
    1. If you see aLocate 'XenDesktop' installation media window, don't click anything.
       
    2. Mount theXenApp_and_XenDesktop_718.iso.
       
    3. Go back to theLocate media window. On the left, expandThis PC and clickDVD Drive. Then clickSelect Folder.
       
    4. Installation will resume.
       
12. In theFinish page, clickFinish.
    
13. In IIS Manager, go to Default Web Site > Director > Application Settings, findService.AutoDiscoveryAddresses, and make sure it points to one Controller in the farm, and not tolocalhost. From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails.
14. If you built multiple Director servers, use NetScaler to load balance them.
15. If you are upgrading Director, runC:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /upgrade to complete the upgrade process.
    
16. For info on the new monitoring features in Director 7.18 and older, see Use Director below.

Director Default Webpage

From CTX223907 How to Make Director the Default Page within IIS: If Director is installed on a standalone server, do the following to set /Director as the default path.

1. Open Notepad elevated (as administrator) and paste the following text:

   <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- window.location="https://director.corp.com/Director"; // --> </script>

2. Adjust the window.location line to match your FQDN.
3. SelectFile >SaveAs and browse to the IIS folder, by defaultC:\inetpub\wwwroot is the IIS folder.
4. Select the Save as type toAlltypes.
5. Type a file name with an html extension, and selectSave.
   
6. Open IIS Manager.
7. Select the SERVERNAME node (top-level), and double-click Default Document, as shown in the following screen shot:
   
8. On the right, clickAdd…,
   
9. Enter the file name of the .html file provided in Step 5.
   
10. Ensure the .html file is located at the top of the list, as shown in the following screen shot:
    

Director Spinning Circle

If after login to Director the spinning circle doesn't go away…

Do the following to fix it:

1. Edit the file C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\web.config using an elevated text editor.
2. Search for<serviceHostingEnvironment (line 273).
3. Add the following attribute:

   multipleSiteBindingsEnabled="true"

   

Also see CTX202564 Citrix Director Becomes Unresponsive after Submitting the Credentials when IIS X-Frame-Options is enabled

Director Domain Field

On the Director servers, locate and edit the 'LogOn.aspx' file. By default you can find it at C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\Logon.aspx

In line 450 you will have the following. To find the line, search forID="Domain".

<asp:TextBox ID="Domain" runat="server" CssClass="text-box" onfocus="showIndicator(this);" onblur="hideIndicator(this);"></asp:TextBox>

In the ID="Domain" element, insert a Text attribute and set it to your domain name. Don't change or add any other attributes. Save the file.

<asp:TextBox ID="Domain" runat="server" Text="Corp" CssClass="text-box" onfocus="showIndicator(this);" onblur="hideIndicator(this);"></asp:TextBox>

This will prepopulate the domain field text box with your domain name and still allow the user to change it, if that should be required. Note: this only seems to work if Single Sign-on is disabled.

Citrix CTX227936 How to hide the domain from Director Logon Page:  💡

1. Edit the fileC:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\LogOn.aspx using an elevated text editor.
2. Locate the tag which starts with: <asp:Label ID="DomainLabel"
3. Immediately prior to that label, locate the tag: <div class='label eight'>
4. Add the following before <div class='label eight'>: <div style='display:none'>
5. In between "</asp:Textbox> <br />" add the following: </div>
   
   

Director Tweaks

Session timeout

By default the idle time session limit of the Director is 245 min. If you wish to change the timeout, here is how to do it.

1. Log on to the Director Server as an administrator
2. Open the 'IIS Manager'
3. Browse to 'SitesDefault Web SiteDirector' in the left hand pane.
4. Open 'Session State' in the right hand pane
5. Change the 'Time-out (in minutes)' value under 'Cookie Settings'
6. Click 'Apply' in the Actions list

SSL Check

If you are not securing Director with an SSL certificate you will get this error at the logon screen.

To stop this:

1. Log on to the Director Server as an administrator
2. Open the 'IIS Manager'
3. Browse to 'SitesDefault Web SiteDirector' in the left hand pane.
4. Open 'Application Settings' in the right hand pane
5. Set UI.EnableSslCheck to false.
   

Disable Activity Manager

From Disable the visibility of running applications in the Activity Manager in Advanced Configuration at Citrix Docs: By default, the Activity Manager in Director displays a list of all the running applications and the Windows description in the title bars of any open applications for the user's session. This information can be viewed by all administrators that have access to the Activity Manager feature in Director. For Delegated Administrator roles, this includes Full administrator, Delivery Group administrator, and Help Desk Administrator.

To protect the privacy of users and the applications they are running, you can disable the Applications tab from listing running applications.

• On the VDA, modify the registry key located atHKLM\Software\Citrix\Director\TaskManagerDataDisplayed. By default, the key is set to 1. Change the value to 0, which means the information will not be displayed in the Activity Manager.
• On the server with Director installed, modify the setting that controls the visibility of running applications. By default, the value is true, which allows visibility of running applications in theApplications Change the value to false, which disables visibility. This option affects only the Activity Manager in Director, not the VDA. Modify the value of the following setting:

  UI.TaskManager.EnableApplications = false

Large Active Directory / Multiple Forests

From CTX133013 Desktop Director User Account Search Process is Slow or Fails: By default, all the Global Catalogs for the Active Directory Forest are searched using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). In a large Active Directory environment, this query can take some time or even time out.

If multiple forests, see Citrix Blog Post Using Citrix Director in a MultiForest Environment.

1. In Information Server (IIS) Management, under the Desktop Director site, select Application Settings and add a new value called Connector.ActiveDirectory.ForestSearch. Set it to False. This disables searching any domain except the user's domain and the server's domain.
2. To search more domains, add the searchable domain or domains in the Connector.ActiveDirectory.Domains field.
   

Site Groups

From Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director 7.6 Deep-Dive Part 4: Troubleshooting Machines:

If there are a large number of machines, the Director administrator can now configure site groups to perform machine search so that they can narrow down searching for the machine inside a site group. The site groups can be created on the Director server by running the configuration tool via command line by running the command:

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /createsitegroups

Then provide a site group name and IP address of the delivery controller of the site to create the site group.

Director Configuration Script

Johan Greefkes at Script for configuring Director at Citrix Discussions was kind enough to provide a script that does the following:

• Sets the XenDesktop Controllers that Director communicates with
• Disables SSL Check
• Sets Logon.aspx file to default to a domain name
• Adds a footer that displays the name of the Director server

Director – Saved Filters

From Scott Osborne and Jarian Gibson at Citrix Discussions: In Director, you can create a filter and save it.

The saved filter is then accessible from the Filters menu structure.

The saved filters are stored on each Director server at C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\Director\UserData. Each user has their own saved filters. The saved filters are not replicated across Director servers.

You can instead configure multiple Director servers to store the filters on a shared UNC path: (h/t CTP Jarian Gibson)

1. Create and share a folder (e.g. DirectorData).
   
2. The Director server computer accounts need Modify permission to the share.
   
3. On each Director server, run IIS Manager.
4. Go toSites > Default Web Site > Director. In the middle, double-clickApplication Settings.
   
5. Change theService.UserSettingsPath setting to the UNC path of the new share.
   
6. Repeat this on other load balanced Director servers.

Director and HDX Insight

You can connect Director to NetScaler Management & Analytics System (NetScaler MAS) or Citrix Insight Center to add Network tabs to Director's Trends and Machine Details views. Citrix Blog Post Configure Director with NetScaler Management & Analytics System (MAS).

Director and Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR)

If you have XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition, it's possible to install SSPR on the Director server. See George Spiers Citrix Self-Service Password Reset for a detailed implementation guide.

However this might break Director, and all you will see is a spinning circle.

To fix it, in IIS Manager (inetmgr), edit the bindings of the Default Web Site, and Removethe HTTP 8080 binding. Or implement the multisitebinding fix.

More info at Citrix Discussions Installing SSPR 1.0 appears to have broken Director 7.11 on same server.

Director Grooming

If XenDesktop is not Platinum Edition, then all historical Director data is groomed at 30 days.

For XenDesktop/XenApp Platinum Edition, by default, most of the historical Director data is groomed at 90 days. This can be adjusted up to 367 days by running a PowerShell cmdlet.

1. On a XenDesktop Delivery Controller, run PowerShell and run asnp Citrix.*
   
   
2. Run Get-MonitorConfiguration to see the current grooming settings.
   
3. Run Set-MonitorConfiguration to change the grooming settings.
   

More details on Monitor Service data aggregation and retention can be found at Data granularity and retention at Citrix Docs.  💡

You can configure Director to support Integrated Windows Authentication (Single Sign-on). Note: there seem to be issues when not connecting from the local machine or when connecting through a load balancer.

1. Run IIS Manager. You can launch it from Server Manager (Tools menu), or from the Start Menu, or by running inetmgr.
   
2. On the left, expand Sites, expand Default Web Site, and click Director.
   
3. In the middle, double-click Authentication in the IISsection.
   
4. Right-click Windows Authentication, and Enable it.
   
5. Right-click Anonymous Authentication, and Disable it.
   
6. Pass-through auth won't work from another computer until you set the http SPN for the Director server. See Director 7.7 Windows Authentication not working with NS LB at Citrix Discussions.
   
7. If Director is not installed on a Controller, then you'll need to configure Kerberos delegation.
   
8. If you are load balancing Director then additional config is required. See Director 7.7 Windows Authentication not working with NS LB at Citrix Discussions for more info.
   1. The FQDN for Director load balancing should be different than the FQDN for StoreFront load balancing.
   2. Create an AD service account that will be used as the Director's ApplicationPoolIdentity.
   3. Create SPN and link it to the service account.

      setspn -S http/loadbalanced_URL domain\user

   4. Trust the user account for delegation to any service (Kerberos only) (trust the Director servers for delegation is not necessary in this case). You have to create the SPN before you can do this step.
      
   5. In IIS manager, on the Application Pools (Director), specify the Identity as user we have created in step 1.
      
   6. In IIS manager, expandDefault Web Site, select Director, and open the Configuration Editor (bottom of the middle pane).
      
   7. Use the drop-down to navigate to the following section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
      
   8. Set useAppPoolCredentials = True, and useKernelMode = False. Click Apply on the top right.
      
      
9. When you connect to Director you will be automatically logged in. You can change the login account by first logging off.
   
10. Then change the drop-down to User credentials.
    

Director – Multiple XenDesktop Sites

1. Run IIS Manager. You can launch it from Server Manager (Tools menu) or from the Start Menu, or by running inetmgr.
   
2. On the left, expand Sites, expand Default Web Site, and click Director.
   
3. In the middle pane, double-click Application Settings.
   
4. Find the entry for Service. AutoDiscoveryAddresses, and double-click it.
   
5. If Director is installed on a Controller, localhost should already be entered.
6. Add a comma, and the NetBIOS name of one of the controllers in the 2nd XenDesktop Site (farm). Only enter one Controller name. If you have multiple Director servers, you can point each Director server to a different Controller in the 2^nd XenDesktop Site (farm). From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails.
   • You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Data Access Security at Citrix Developer Documentation. Also see CTX224433 Error: "Cannot Retrieve Data" on Citrix Director Dashboard After Securing OData Interface Through TLS.  💡

Director Process Monitoring

Director 7.11 and newer have Process Monitoring, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director: CPU, Memory Usage and Process Information.

Process Monitoring is disabled by default. To enable it, configure the Enable process monitoring setting in a Citrix Policy. For Citrix Policies in a GPO, find this setting in the computer half of the GPO. Note: this setting could significantly increase the size of the Monitoring database.

Director Alerts and Notifications

Director supports alert conditions and email notifications. This feature requires XenApp/XenDesktop to be licensed with Platinum Edition. See Citrix Blog Post Configuring & Managing Alerts and Notifications Using Director for more information.

Director 7.11 and newer have CPU, Memory, and ICT RTT alerts. Citrix Blog Post 7 New Categories in Director for Proactive Notifications & Alerts

To configure alerts:

1. While logged into Director, at the top of the page, click the Alerts button.
   
2. Switch to the Email Server Configuration tab.
   
3. Enter your SMTP information, and click Send Test Message. Then click Save.
   
   
   
4. Switch to the Citrix Alerts Policy tab.
5. There are four high-level categories of alerts: Site Policy, Delivery Group Policy, Server OS Policy, andUser Policy. Click whichever one you want to configure.
   
6. Director 7.18 comes with Built-in alert Policies. For example, on theDelivery Group Policy tab, find the Smart Alert, and expand it. Then click Edit. Note: this Smart Alert might not appear until you create a Delivery Group in Citrix Studio.
   
7. Notice the Conditions that are already enabled. You can change them or add more.
8. On the bottom right, in theNotification preferences section, clickAdd.
   
9. Enter an email address, and clickDone.
   
10. On the bottom, clickSave.
    
11. You can create custom Alert Policies by clicking the Create button on any of these tabs.
    
12. For Server OS and User Policy, there are new ICA RTT alerts. See Citrix Blog Post 7 New Categories in Director for Proactive Notifications & Alerts for details on the new alerts in 7.11 and newer.
    
13. In Director 7.12 and newer, you can configure alerts to generate an SNMP trap. This is configured in PowerShell as described at Configure alerts policies with SNMP traps at Citrix Docs.

    Set-MonitorNotificationSnmpServerConfiguration        #see Docs for parameter details Set-MonitorNotificationPolicy -IsSnmpEnabled $true -Uid <Policy ID>

14. Citrix has an experimental Desktop Notification Tool. See Citrix Blog Post Desktop Notification Tool For Citrix XenDesktop.
    
    

Director – StoreFront Probes

If you are licensed for Platinum Edition, then you can install probe agents on remote machines, and use the probe agents to periodically check if an application can be launched through StoreFront. Applications only – Desktops are not an option.

Custom Studio Role for Probe Administrator

1. Create a new user account just for probe administration (e.g CORP\ProbeAdmin).
2. In Citrix Studio, at Configuration > Administrators, on the Roles tab, create a new Role with the permissions shown below.
   
   • Delivery Groups > Read-only
     
   • Director > Create\Edit\Remove Alert Email Server Configuration
   • Director > Create\Edit\Remove Probe Configurations
   • Director > View Applications page
   • Director > View Configurations page
   • Director > View Trends page
3. On theAdministrators tab, add an administrator, select your ProbeAdmin account, and assign it the custom Probe Administrator role that you just created.
   

StoreFront HTTP Basic Authentication

1. In StoreFront Console, right-click your Store, and click Manage Authentication Methods.
   
2. Check the box next toHTTP Basic, and clickOK.
   

Install Probe Agent

To automate the installation and configuration of the Probe Agent, see CTA Dennis Span Citrix Application Probe Agent unattended installation.

On one or more remote machines, download and install the Probe Agent.

1. Download theCitrix Application Probe Agent 1.0 from https://www.citrix.com/downloads/xenapp-and-xendesktop/components/app-probe-agent.html.
   
2. On the remote desktop machine, install Receiver if it isn't installed already.
   
3. Run the downloadedCitrixAppProbeAgent.msi.
   
4. In theWelcome to the Citrix Probe Agent Setup Wizard page, clickNext.
   
5. In theEnd-User License Agreement page, check the box next toI accept the terms, and clickNext.
   
6. In theDestination Folder page, clickNext.
   
7. In theReady to install Citrix Probe Agent page, clickInstall.
   
8. In theCompleted the Citrix Probe Agent Setup Wizard page, clickFinish.
   

Configure Probe Agent

1. Every Probe Agent machine should have unique StoreFront test user credentials. Create unique accounts for each machine.
2. From the Start Menu of the remote machine, launchCitrix Probe Agent.
   
3. ClickStart.
   
4. In theConfigure Storefront Credentials page, enter the StoreFront Receiver for Web URL.
5. Enter the username and password for the probe user for this machine.
6. ClickNext.
   
7. In theConfigure to Display Probe Result page, enter the URL to Director.
8. Enter the Probe Admin credentials, and clickValidate.
9. Select a Site (farm) if there's more than one.
10. ClickNext.
    
11. In theView Summary page, you may close the window.
    
12. Login to Director as the Probe Admin account.
13. On the top middle, click theConfiguration button.
    
14. ClickCreate Probe.
    
15. In theApplication Probe Configuration page:
    1. Give the probe configuration a name.
    2. Select one or more applications to test.
    3. Select the registered Probe Agent machine(s) to run the probe from.
    4. Enter an email address for probe result notifications.
    5. Select one time per day to run the probe. You can create multiple probe configurations to run the probe multiple times per day.
16. Click Save.
    
17. If you go back to the Configuration page, to edit a probe configuration, select one, and then click the Edit link.
    
18. The probe configurations are stored in the Monitoring database, so there shouldn't be any concerns with load balancing of Director.
    
19. To view the probe results, on the top, click Trends. Then switch to the Application Probe Results tab. This page seems to not tell you anything more than if the probe was successful or not.
    

Director – SCOM Integration

Director 7.8 and newer can display alerts from System Center Operations Manager 2012 R2. This feature requires XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition.

1. See Configure SCOM integration at Citrix Docs for detailed configuration instructions. Also see Marius Sandbu Integrating Citrix XenDesktop 7.7 and System Center Operations Manager.
2. If Director server or System Center Operations Manager server is 2008 R2, then login to the 2008 R2 server, open PowerShell and run Enable-PSRemoting. Yes to everything. This is not needed on Windows Server 2012 R2 servers.
3. On Director server, run C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /configscom
   
4. FYI, the DirectorConfig.exe /configscom command enables the following features on the Director server: /FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility45 /FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET45 /FeatureName:WCF-HTTP-Activation45
5. FYI, the System Center Operations Manager server is listed in IIS Manager at Default Web Site > Director > Application Settings (middle pane) > Connector. SCOM.ManagementServer.
   
6. On the System Center Operations Manager server, edit Remote Management Users local group, and add Citrix Admins, and other Director users.
7. In System Center Operations Manager Console, go to Administration > User Roles, and edit Operations Manager Operators. Add the Citrix Admins, and other Director users.
8. See Citrix Blog Post SCOM Alerts in Citrix Director for information on how to view System Center Operations Manager alerts in Director.

Director – Custom Reports

In Director 7.12 and newer, in the Trends view, there's a Custom Reports tab that guides you through creating a custom OData Query. This tab only appears if you have XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition.

The Monitoring database contains more data than is exposed in Director. To view this data, the Monitoring service has an OData Data Feed that can be queried.

• You can use Excel to pull data from the OData Data feed. See Citrix Blog Post – Citrix Director – Analyzing the Monitoring Data by Means of Custom Reports. This particular blog post shows how to use an Excel PivotChart to display the connected Receiver versions.
  • Also see Alexander Ollischer Citrix XenDesktop 7.x – Query Citrix Receiver Versions connecting to your environment – XLS Report
• Citrix CTX211428 Using Excel to Report on Desktop Director Data uses Power Pivot.
• Or for Linqpad, see Citrix Blog Post – Creating Director Custom reports for Monitoring XenDesktop using Linqpad
• CTA David Ott XenDesktop Usage Report shows that querying OData can be slow and it's sometimes faster to query the actual Monitoring database. Updated Report.

Use Director

The newer Director features usually require Delivery Controllers and VDAs to be at the same version or newer than Director. Director depends on the Monitoring Service that is built into the Delivery Controller. The Monitoring Service gathers data from the VDAs.

See Monitor deployments at Citrix Docs.

See the various Troubleshoot topics at Citrix Docs.

New features in Director 7.18 and newer:

• In Director, you can view the details of a VDA machine (instead of a user session). If the machine is unregistered, then there's a link to Health Assistant, which opens Troubleshoot machines  at Citrix Docs.
  

New features in Director 7.16 and newer:

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223927 How to use Director to troubleshoot application launch errors. This feature is configured in Citrix Policy Settings located in the Computer half atVirtual Delivery Agent Settings > Monitoring. Also see Citrix Blog Post Application Related Session Failure Reporting in Citrix Director 7.15.

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223928 How to use Director to monitor storage performance.

Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director Now Provides Disk Usage Information!:

• IOPS and disk latency data is enabled by default.
• IOPS and disk latency is pushed to the database from each VDA at 1 hour interval.
• Approximately 276 KB of disk space is required to store the CPU, memory, IOPS and disk latency data for one VDA over a period of one year.

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223925 How to use Director to monitor NVIDIA GPU usage.

Citrix Director 7.13 and newer have an Application Instances tab on the Filters page that lets you filter published application sessions based on Session Idle Time (RDS sessions only), Application Name, and all other existing fields, like machine name, and so on. Requires Director 7.13, Controller 7.13, VDA 7.13, and Platinum Edition licensing. See Citrix Blog Post Monitoring Idle Applications and Sessions in Citrix Director. See Troubleshoot applications at Citrix Docs.

If idle time column showsn/a, then you need to wait 10-15 minutes.

In Director 7.13 and newer, the Session Details panel can show if Enlightened Data Transport (EDT, aka HDX on UDP) is enabled in the user's session. See Citrix Blog Post HDX Adaptive Transport Protocol Monitoring via Director.

George Spiers has a comprehensive guide of all Director 7.12 features at http://www.jgspiers.com/citrix-director/.

Director 7.12 and newer have Connection Failure Details, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Director 7.12: Easier Troubleshooting of Machine & Connection Failures. Also see CTX223812 Citrix Director Failure Codes.

Director 7.11 and newer have Process Monitoring, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director: CPU, Memory Usage and Process Information.

Director 7.9 and newer have Logon Duration improvements.

Citrix Blog Post Interactive Session of Logon Duration in Citrix Director – Explained: Interactive Session Duration = Desktop Ready Event Timestamp (EventId 1000 on VDA) – User Profile Loaded Event Timestamp (EventId 2 on VDA). More details in the Blog Post.

Citrix Blog Post Director 7.6 Failure Reasons Demystified lists possible failure reasons behind an Unregistered alert, and the true meaning of failure reasons such as Connection Refused andCommunication Error. It details each failure reason, defines the meanings of these failures, and lists action items that serve as a starting point for troubleshooting the specific scenario. The list is based on Director 7.6.300.

Navigation

• Change Log
• VDA Virtual Machine Hardware
• Windows Configuration
• Install Virtual Delivery Agent 7.18
  • Citrix Desktop Helper Service
  • Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
  • Connection Quality Indicator
  • Adaptive Transport
  • Slow Logons
  • Change Controller VDA Registration Port to something other than port 80
  • Verify VDA Registration with Controller
•  Receivers:
  • Citrix File Access 2.0.3 for Receiver for Chrome
• Framehawk Configuration
• Remote Desktop Licensing Configuration
• Reduce C: Drive Permissions
• Configure Pagefile for Provisioning Services
• Direct Access Users Group – allow non-administrators to RDP to the VDA
• Enable Windows Profiles v3/v4 – Windows 2012 R2 only
• Registry Settings – black screen, published Explorer, Screen Saver, Smart Card, HTML5 Clipboard, HTML5 Upload Folder, 4K Monitors, COM Ports
• Restore Legacy Client Drive Mapping
• Print Driver for Mac and Linux Clients
• HTML5 Receiver – SSL for VDA
• Anonymous Accounts
• Antivirus
• Optimize Performance
• Seal and Shut Down
• Troubleshooting – Graphics
• Uninstall VDA

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 Aug 3 – Connection Quality Indicator – updated for version 1.4
• 2018 July 13 – Optimize Performance – added link to CTP James Rankin Removing UWP apps on Windows 10 1803 – the easy way!
• 2018 June 15 – Antivirus – added Cylance info from CTX232722 Unable to launch application with Cylance Memory Protection Enabled
• 2018 June 12 – VDA Hardware – added link to Microsoft TechNet Blog – Say No to Windows 10 Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)
• Updated VDA Install for VDA 7.18

Hardware

Hypervisor Host Hardware

• Citrix Blog Post Citrix Scalability — The Rule of 5 and 10: Simply take the number of physical cores in a hypervisor host, multiply it by 5 or 10, and the result will be your Single Server Scalability. Use 5 if you're looking for the number of XenDesktop VMs you can host on a box, and use 10 if you're looking for the number of XenApp user sessions you can host on a box.

Virtual Machine Hardware

1. Operating system version support: VDA 7.18 supports Windows 10 (1607 and newer), Windows Server 2012 R2 (RDSH only), and Windows Server 2016 (RDSH or Server VDI).
   1. For older operating systems (e.g Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2), install VDA 7.15 with the latest Cumulative Update. VDA 7.15 will work with newer Delivery Controllers (e.g. Delivery Controller 7.18).
2. Microsoft TechNet Blog – Say No to Windows 10 Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)  💡
   • No Edge
   • From January 2020, Microsoft Office 365 will not be supported on LTSC
   • Non-security operating system fixes and enhancements may not get back-ported to LTSC
3. CTX224843 Windows 10 compatibility with Citrix XenDesktop
   • Citrix provides partial support for Semi-Annual Channel Targeted (aka Current Branch) versions of Windows 10
   • Citrix provides full support for Semi-Annual Channel Broad (aka Current Branch for Business) versions of Windows 10, starting with the VDA version released after a Windows 10 version is designated as Broad (typically 4 months [4 patches] after initial release).
     • CTX229052 Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (v1709) – Citrix Known Issues.
     • CTX231942 Windows 10 April 2018 Update (v1803) – Citrix Known Issues.
     • CTX234973 Windows 10 Redstone 5 (Insider Preview Builds) – Citrix Known Issues
4. Firewall – VDA 7.18 enables the UDP-based EDT protocol by default. Make sure the UDP ports are open for ICA/HDX:
   1. UDP 1494
   2. UDP 2598
   3. UDP 443 – from Internet to NetScaler Gateway.
   4. UDP 443 can also be used by internal ICA connections if VDA SSL is configured.
   5. For EDT through NetScaler Gateway, make sure your NetScaler firmware is up to date, preferably 11.1 build 56 or newer.
5. VDA virtual machine sizing:
   1. For Windows 10 virtual desktops, give the virtual machine: 2+ vCPU and 2+ GB of RAM
   2. For Windows 2012 R2 RDSH, give the virtual machine 8 vCPU, and 24-48 GB of RAM
   3. See Daniel Feller Sizing Windows 2016, Windows 2012 And Windows 10 Virtual Machines
      
6. If using RAM caching (MCSIO or PvS), add more RAM for the cache
7. Remove the floppy drive
8. Remove any serial or LPT ports
9. If vSphere:
   1. To reduce disk space, reserve memory. Memory reservations reduce or eliminate the virtual machine .vswp file.
   2. The NIC should be VMXNET3.
10. If this VDA will boot from Provisioning Services:
    1. For vSphere, the NIC must be VMXNET3.
       
    2. For vSphere, configure the CD-ROM to boot from IDE instead of SATA. SATA comes with VM hardware version 10. SATA won't work with PvS.
       
11. Install the latest version of hypervisor drivers (e.g. VMware Tools).
12. The vSphere Activity Monitoring Feature with NSX Guest Introspection feature uses a TDI driver (vnetflt.sys), which might cause a "Connection Interrupted" message when users log off of Citrix. See CTX221206 "Connection Interrupted" error message displayed while logging off ICA session.

If vSphere, disable NIC Hotplug

1. Users could use the systray icon to Eject the Ethernet Controller. Obviously this is bad.
   
2. To disable this functionality, power off the virtual machine.
   
3. Once powered off, right-click the virtual machine, and click Edit Settings.
   
4. On the VM Options tab, expand Advanced, and then click Edit Configuration.
   
5. On the bottom left, enter devices. hotplug. On the right, enter false. Then clickAdd.
   
6. Then click OK a couple times to close the windows.
7. The VM can then be powered on.
   

Windows Preparation

1. Computer Group Policy – Make sure the Master VM is in the same OU as the Linked Clones so the Master VM will get the computer-level GPO settings in its registry. Run gpupdate on the master after moving the VM to the correct OU. When Clones are created from the Master, the computer-level GPO settings will already be applied, thus eliminating a timing issue.
   
2. If Server OS, disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration in Server Manager > Local Server.
   
3. Optionally, go to Action Center (Windows 2012 R2) or Control Panel >Security and Maintenance (Windows 10/2016) to disable User Account Control, and enable SmartScreen.
   
   1. In Windows 10 1703 and newer, search the Settings app forChange User Account Control settings.
      
   2. SmartScreen is configured in Windows Defender Security Center > App & browser control.
      
4. Run Windows Update. Do not skip this step. Many VDA installation problems are fixed by simply updating Windows.
   
   
   
   1. Defer Feature Updates – For Windows 10, since Citrix VDA does not immediately support new Windows 10 versions, configure Windows Update to defer feature updates.
      
      
      
5. Add your Citrix Administrators group to the local Administrators group on the VDA. Computer Management.
   
6. The Remote Desktop Services "Prompt for Password" policy prevents Single Sign-on to the Virtual Delivery Agent. Check registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services. If fPromptForPassword = 1 then you need to fix group policy. The following GPO setting will prevent Single Sign-on from working.

   Computer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Remote Desktop Services | Remote Desktop Session Host | Security | Always prompt for password upon connection

   Or set the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ Portica\AutoLogon (DWORD) = 0x1. This registry value only applies to Desktop OS, not Server OS. (source = comments)

7. To remove the built-in apps in Windows 10, see Robin Hobo How to remove built-in apps in Windows 10 Enterprise.
8. For Remote Assistance in Citrix Director, configure the GPO settingComputer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | System | Remote Assistance | Offer Remote Assistance. See Jason Samuel – How to setup Citrix Director Shadowing with Remote Assistance using Group Policy for more details.
   
9. If you intend to use Citrix's SCOM Management Packs for XenApp/XenDesktop, make sure WinRM is enabled on the VDA by runningwinrm quickconfig. Or you can enable WinRM using Group Policy.
   

Install Virtual Delivery Agent 7.18

1. For virtual desktops, make sure you are logged into the console. The VDA won't install if you are connected using RDP.
2. Make sure .NET Framework 4.5.2 or newer is installed.

CLI Install:

Command Line Install Options are detailed at Install using the command line at Citrix Docs.

The Citrix Telemetry Service seems to cause problems. You can use the Command Line Installer to exclude Telemetry Service as detailed at VDA upgrade cmdlet at Citrix Discussions.

XenDesktopVDASetup.exe /quiet /noreboot /masterimage /Enable_HDX_PORTS /enable_framehawk_port /Enable_REAL_TIME_TRANSPORT /optimize /controllers "xdc01.corp.local xdc02.corp.local" /Exclude "Citrix Telemetry Service"

Citrix Blog Post Citrix VDA Commandline Helper Tool: a GUI to configure the VDA installation options.

GUI Install:

1. Mount the downloaded XenDesktop 7.18 ISO, and and run AutoSelect.exe.
   
   • Alternatively, you can download the standalone VDA package and run that instead. Go the main XenDesktop 7.18 download page. Expand the section labelledComponents that are on the product ISO but also packaged separately. There is a VDA installer calledDesktop OS Core Services that is designed for Remote PC deployments.
     
2. Click Start next to either XenApp or XenDesktop. The only difference is the product name displayed in the installation wizard.
   
3. On the top right, click Virtual Delivery Agent for Windows Desktop OS, orWindows Server OS, depending on which type of VDA you are building.
   
   
4. In the Environment page, select Create a Master Image, and click Next.
   
   
5. In the Core Components page, if you don't need Citrix Receiver installed on your VDA, then uncheck the box. Receiver is usually only needed for double-hop connections (connect to first VDA, and then from there, connect to second VDA). Click Next.
   
6. In theAdditional Components page, uncheckCitrix AppDisk/Personal vDisk. This feature has been deprecated and is being replaced by Citrix App Layering (Unidesk). If you are installing VDA on Windows 10 1709 or newer, then it is critical that you uncheck this. Note: in Desktop, the option is on a later page. ClickNext.
   
   
7. In the Delivery Controller page, select Do it manually. Enter the FQDN of each Controller. Click Test connection. And then make sure you click Add. Click Next when done.
   
8. In the Features page, check boxes. Only the top box is checked by default. If you want to use the other features, check the boxes.
9. For Desktop OS, this is where you deselect AppDisk / Personal vDisk.
10. Then click Next.
    
    
11. In the Firewall page, click Next.
    
12. In the Summary page, click Install.
    
    
13. If RDSH, click Close when you are prompted to restart.
    
14. After the machine reboots twice, login and installation should continue.
    1. If you see aLocate 'XenDesktop' installation media window, don't click anything.
       
    2. Mount theXenApp_and_XenDesktop_7_18.iso.
       
    3. Go back to theLocate media window. On the left, expand This PC, and click the DVD Drive. Then click Select Folder.
       
    4. Repeat these instructions every time you're prompted to restart.
15. Installation will continue automatically.
    
16. Note:NT SERVICE\CitrixTelemetryService needs permission to login as a service.
17. In the Smart Tools page, clickConnect, enter your MyCitrix.com credentials, and then clickNext.
    
    
18. In theFinish page, click Finish to restart the machine again.
    
    
19. According to CTX225819 When Launching an Application Published from Windows Server 2016, a Black Screen Appears for Several Seconds Before Application is Visible, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent\DisableLogonUISuppression (DWORD) should be set to 0.
20. If you upgraded an existing VDA, then rungpupdate /force. Source = CTX233580 Citrix policy settings configured using Administrative Template Policy Settings deleted from Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) after upgrade to latest version of VDA
    

Citrix Desktop Helper Service

Citrix Blog Post Augment Your XenDesktop Deployment with the Desktop Helper Service: this installable service adds the following functionality to your VDAs:

• The "Shutdown Inactive Desktops" feature allows Citrix administrators to enable a timer that shuts down a virtual desktop after it has been registered for a configured amount of minutes without a user connection.
• Delaying the Citrix Desktop Service start by a configurable amount of time allows the desktop to finish performing on-boot tasks before a user is brokered to it.
• The "Force Group Policy Update" feature give administrators the ability to force a group policy update after a configured amount of time.

If these features are desirable, download the tool from the blog post and install it.

Configurable Registry keys are located atHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\DesktopHelper. Each value is detailed in the accompanying Word document.

Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)

Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) is enabled by default. To disable it, create the registry valueHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Telemetry\CEIP\Enabled (DWORD), and set it to 0 (zero). Also see CEIP at Citrix Insight Services at Citrix Docs.

See https://www.carlstalhood.com/delivery-controller-7-18-and-licensing/#ceip for additional places where CEIP is enabled.

Connection Quality Indicator

The Connection Quality Indicator tells the user the quality of the connection. Position of the indicator is configurable by the user. Thresholds are configurable through group policy.

Download it from CTX220774 Connection Quality Indicator and install it. The article is very detailed.  💡

Group Policy templates are located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\Connection Quality Indicator\Configuration. Copy the files and folder to <Sysvol>\Policies\PolicyDefinitions, or C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.

Find the settings under Computer Config | Policies | Administrative Templates | Citrix Components | Virtual Desktop Agent | CQI

Version 1.2 adds the GPO settings to the user half of a GPO, which lets you disable CQI for some users and enable it for others.

Notification display settings lets you customize the user notifications, or disable them.

Connection Threshold Settings lets you set the notification thresholds.

Adaptive Transport

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.18 includes Adaptive Transport, which uses EDT protocol, which uses UDP Ports 1494/2598 for HDX connections to the VDA. The UDP ports should already be open in the Windows Firewall.

For EDT through NetScaler Gateway, make sure your NetScaler firmware is up to date, preferably 11.1 build 56 or newer.

In 7.18, Adaptive Transport defaults to Preferred, which means it's enabled by default. It can be configured in the Citrix Policy settingHDX Adaptive Transport.

Slow Logons

If logging in to a VDA from Citrix ICA, RDP, and Console results in a permanent black screen, then you might have to disable theApp Readiness service. Source = CTX216590 Logon Delay and Black screen on logon for up to 10 seconds after upgrading from XA 7.5 to XA 7.6.

Citrix Discussions Xenapp 7.9: Wait for local session manager: "I have a Xenapp 7.9 environment on Windows 2012 R2. When logging in through Citrix I got message "Wait for local session manager" for 20-30 seconds. When logging in to the server with RDS, I do not have to wait for this."

"Add the following 2 registry keys to your 7.9 VDA server – then try connecting to it using ICA to see if the issue still occurs:

Add reg keys in "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\GroupPolicy"
Dword: "CacheGpoExpireInHours" – Value = 5-24 (# of Hours) ***start with value of 5***
Dword: "GpoCacheEnabled" – Value = 1

Restart the machine after adding these registry keys and attempt an ICA connection (at least twice) to see if that helps the Login delay."

Mark DePalma at XenApp slow logon times, user get black screen for 20 seconds at Citrix Discussions says that pushing Tile Refresh to a background task speeds up logons.

1. Regedit:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\DisableUPMResetCache] @="DisableUPMResetCache" "Version"="1,1,1,1" "StubPath"="REG ADD HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\ImmersiveShell\\StateStore /v ResetCache /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f" "Locale"="*"

2. UPM Exclusions:

   Directory - '!ctx_localappdata!\Microsoft\Windows\Caches' Registry - 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\DisableUPMResetCache'

Marvin Neys at XenApp slow logon times, user get black screen for 20 seconds at Citrix Discussions says that deletingHKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UFH\SHC at logoff reduces logon times from 40 seconds to 6 seconds.

Remove-Item HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UFH\SHC

For additional logon delay troubleshooting, see Alexander Ollischer XenApp/XenDesktop – "Please Wait For Local Session Manager" message when logging into RDS. He found some Windows Updates that caused a logon delay.

XenApp recalculates WMI filters on every reconnect. CTX212610 Session Reconnect 30 sec Delay – DisableGPCalculation – WMI Filters indicates that recalculation can be disabled by setting HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Reconnect\DisableGPCalculation (DWORD) to 1.

CTX212439 Desktop Session Stuck in Pre-Logon State with Message "Please wait for the Local Session Manager":

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\Kerberos\Parameters\MaxTokenSize (DWORD) = 48000
• Delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\GracePeriod\L$RTMTIMEBOMB

Controller Registration Port

Some environments will not accept the default port 80 for Virtual Delivery Agent registration, even though registration is authenticated and encrypted on port 80. To change the port, do the following on the Virtual Delivery Agent:

1. Open Programs and Features. If Windows 10 1703 or newer, openApps and Features.
   
2. Find Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent, and click Change orModify (Windows 10 1703 and newer).
   
   
3. Click Customize Virtual Delivery Agent Settings.
   
4. Edit the Delivery Controllers, and click Next.
   
5. On the Protocol and Port page, change the port number, and click Next.
   
6. In the Summary page, click Reconfigure.
   
7. If you see aSmart Tools page, make a selection for Call Home, and clickNext.
8. In the Finish Reconfiguration page, click Finish.
9. Restart the VDA machine.
10. You must also change the VDA registration port on the Delivery Controllers by running BrokerService.exe /VDAPort.
11. For Local Host Cache, on the Delivery Controller, run C:\Program Files\Citrix\Broker\Service\HighAvailabilityService.exe –VdaPort <CORRECT PORT #> . Source = CTX229493 VDAs Do Not Register in LHC Mode When Registration Port is Not Set To Default.

Verify that VDA registered with a Controller

1. If you restart the Virtual Delivery Agent machine, or restart the Citrix Desktop Service…
   
2. In Windows Logs > Application log, you should see an event 1012 from Citrix Desktop Service saying that it successfully registered with a controller.
   
3. If you don't see successful registration, then you'll need to fix the ListOfDDCs registry key.
   1. See VDA registration with Controllers at Citrix Docs.
   2. See The Most Common VDA Registration Issues & Troubleshooting Steps at Citrix Blogs.
4. You can also run Citrix's Health Assistant on the VDA.
   
5. See CTX220772 Technical Primer: VDA Registration for a very detailed explanation of the VDA Registration process.

Citrix PDF Printer  for Receiver for HTML5/Chrome

1. VDA 7.18 installs the PDF Printer automatically so there's no need for a separate installation.
2. To enable the PDF printer for HTML5 connections, configure the Citrix Policy setting called Auto-create PDF Universal Printer in the user half of a Citrix Policy GPO.
   

Citrix File Access 2.0.3 for Receiver for Chrome

1. If you support Receiver for Chrome (Chromebook) and want published applicatons to open files on Google Drive, install Citrix File Access on the VDAs. Get it from the Receiver for Chrome download page, in the Additional Components section.
   
2. Go to the extractedCitrix_File_Access_2.0.3, and runFileAccess.msi.
   
3. In thePlease read the File Access License Agreement page, check the box next toI accept the terms, and clickInstall.
   
4. In the Completed the File Access Setup Wizard page, click Finish.
   
5. File Access is listed in Programs and Features (or Apps & Features) as version 2.0.3.33.
   
   
6. File Access has a default list of supported file extensions. The list can be expanded by editing the registry on the VDA. See CTX219983 Receiver for Chrome Error: Invalid command line arguments: Unable to open the file as it has an unsupported extension.
   
7. To open a file from Google Drive, right-click and and open the file using Citrix Receiver.

Framehawk Configuration

To enable Framehawk, see https://www.carlstalhood.com/citrix-policy-settings/#framehawkconfig

Remote Desktop Licensing Configuration

On 2012 R2 and newer RDSH, the only way to configure Remote Desktop Licensing is using group policy (local or domain). This procedure is not needed on virtual desktops.

1. For local group policy, run gpedit. msc. Alternatively, you can configure this in a domain GPO.
   
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Licensing.
   
3. Double-click Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers. Change it to Enabled, and enter the names of the RDS Licensing Servers (typically installed on XenDesktop Delivery Controllers). Click OK.
   
4. Double-click Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode. Change it to Enabled and select Per User. Click OK.
   
5. Optionally, you can install theRemote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser Tool. In the Server Manager > Add Roles and Features Wizard, on the Features page, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, expand Role Administration Tools, expand Remote Desktop Services Tools, and select Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser Tool. Then Finish the wizard.
   
6. If it won't install from Server Manager, you can install it from PowerShell by runningInstall-WindowsFeature rsat-rds-licensing-diagnosis-ui.
   
7. In Server Manager, open the Tools menu, expand Remote Desktop Services (or Terminal Services), and click Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser.
   
   
8. The Diagnoser should find the license server, and indicate the licensing mode. If you're configured for Per User licenses, then it's OK if there are no licenses installed on the Remote Desktop License Server.
   

Several people in Citrix Discussions reported the following issue: If you see a message about RD Licensing Grace Period has expired even though RD Licensing is properly configured, see Eric Verdumen No remote Desktop Licence Server availible on RD Session Host server 2012. The solution was to delete the REG_BINARY in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\GracePeriod only leaving the default. You must take ownership and give admin users full control to be able to delete this value.

C: Drive Permissions

This section is more important for shared VDAs like RDSH (Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016).

The default permissions allow users to store files on the C: drive in places other than their profile.

1. Open the Properties dialog box for C:.
   
2. On the Security tab, click Advanced.
   
3. If UAC is enabled, clickChange permissions.
   
4. Highlight the line containing Users and Create Folders, and clickRemove.
   
5. Highlight the line containing Users and Create files (orSpecial), and click Remove. Click OK.
   
6. Click Yes to confirm the permissions change.
   
7. If you see any of these Error Applying Security windows, click Continue. This window should appear multiple times.
   
8. Click OK to close the C: drive properties.

Pagefile

If this image will be converted to a Provisioning Services vDisk, then you must ensure the pagefile is smaller than the cache disk. For example, if you allocate 20 GB of RAM to your Remote Desktop Session Host, and if the cache disk is only 15 GB, then Windows will have a default pagefile size of 20 GB, and Provisioning Services will be unable to move it to the cache disk. This causes Provisioning Services to cache to server instead of caching to your local cache disk (or RAM).

1. Open System. In 2012 R2 and newer, you can right-click the Start button, and click System. Note: in Windows 10 1703 and newer, this method no longer opens the correct tool.
   
2. Another option is to open File Explorer, right-clickThis PC, and clickProperties. This works in Windows 10 1703.
   
3. Click Advanced system settings.
   
4. On the Advanced tab, click the top Settings button.
   
5. On the Advanced tab, click Change.
   
6. Uncheck the box next to Automatically manage paging file size for all drives. Then either turn off the pagefile, or set the pagefile to be smaller than the cache disk. Don't leave it set to System managed size. Click OK several times.
   

Direct Access Users

When Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent is installed on a machine, non-administrators can no longer RDP to the machine. A new local group called Direct Access Users is created on each Virtual Delivery Agent. Add your non-administrator RDP users to this local group so they can RDP directly to the machine.

From CTX228128 What is the HKLM\Software\Citrix\PortICA\DirectAccessUsers registry function: TheHKLM\Software\Citrix\PortICA\DirectAccessUsers registry key determines which Local group the VDA references to determine if a user should be allowed Unbrokered RDP access. Members of the Local Administrators group will always be granted access. If the Registry Key does not exist, or gets deleted, VDA will always allow the Unbrokered RDP Connection. The Registry key and local group are created as part of the VDA installation process.

Windows Profiles v3/v4/v5/v6

Roaming Profiles are compatible only between the following client and server operating system pairs. The profile version is also listed.

• v6 = Windows 10 (1607 and 1703) and Windows Server 2016
• v5 = Windows 10 (1511 and older)
• v4 = Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
• v3 = Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• v2 = Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
• v2 = Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

For Windows 2012 R2, install Microsoft hotfix 2890783, and set the UseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry value to 1.

CTX230343 Reset Profile Options Is Greyed Out In Citrix Director states that theUseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry value is required on Windows 2012 R2 to enable Director users to reset profiles.

Registry

Black Screen when launch Published Apps on Windows Server 2016

From CTX225819 When Launching an Application Published from Windows Server 2016, a Black Screen Appears for Several Seconds Before Application is Visible: Citrix and Microsoft have worked together together to deliver code fixes for both Windows Server 2016 and XenApp. Microsoft is targeting their KB4034661 patch for the third week of August 2017. This fix requires a registry edit to enable.

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent
  • Value (DWORD) = DisableLogonUISuppression = 0

Published Explorer

From Citrix CTX128009 Explorer.exe Fails to Launch: When publishing the seamless explorer.exe application, the session initially begins to connect as expected. After the loading, the dialog box disappears, and the Explorer application fails to appear. On the VDA, use the following registry change to set the length of time a client session waits before disconnecting the session:

• Key = HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
  • Value (DWORD) = LogoffCheckerStartupDelayInSeconds = 10 (Hexadecimal)

Screen Saver

From Citrix CTX205214 Screensaver Not Working in XenDesktop: By default, Screen Saver doesn't work on Desktop OS. To enable it, on the VDA, configure the following registry value:

• Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Graphics
  • Value (DWORD) =SetDisplayRequiredMode = 0

Smart Cards

From CTX231942 Windows 10 April 2018 Update (v1803) – Citrix Known Issues – Smart Card Service (SCardSvr) will run only if a Smart Card reader is connected. As ICA sessions redirect the Smart Card, it finds the service not to be running and fails.

• Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Calais
  • Value (DWORD) =AllowServiceAccessWithNoReaders = 1

Logon Disclaimer Window Size

From XenApp 7.8 – Session Launch Security/Warning Login Banner at Citrix Discussions: If your logon disclaimer window has scroll bars, set the following registry values:

• Key = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432node\Citrix\CtxHook\AppInit_DLLS\Multiple Monitor Hook
  • Value (DWORD) = LogonUIWidth = 300
  • Value (DWORD) = LogonUIHeight = 200

Login Timeout

From Citrix CTX203760 VDI Session Launches Then Disappears: XenDesktop, by default, only allows 180 seconds to complete a logon operation. The timeout can be increased by setting the following:

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\PortICA
  • Value (DWORD) = AutoLogonTimeout = decimal 240 or higher (up to 3599).

Also see Citrix Discussions Machines in "Registered" State, but VM closes after "Welcome" screen.

From Citrix CTX138404 Application Connection Starts but Disappears after Timeout: after loading the application, the dialog box disappears and the application fails to appear.

•  Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
  • Value (DWORD) =ApplicationLaunchWaitTimeoutMS = decimal 60000

HDX Flash

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX139939 – Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 – Citrix Known Issues: The registry key value IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion is queried by the HDX Flash service to check for maximum Internet Explorer version that HDX Flash supports. For Flash Redirection to work with Internet Explorer 11 set the registry key value IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion to 11 on the machine where HDX flash service is running. In case of XenDesktop it would be the machine where VDA is installed.

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer
  • Value (DWORD) =IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion = 11 (Decimal)

From Citrix Discussions: Add the DWORD FlashPlayerVersionComparisonMask=0 on the VDA under HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer.  This disables the Flash major version checking between the VDA and Client Device.

Receiver for HTML5/Chrome Enhanced Clipboard

From About Citrix Receiver for Chrome 1.9 at Citrix Docs: To enable enhanced clipboard support, create a REG_SZ registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\Virtual Clipboard\Additional Formats\HTML Format\Name="HTML Format". Create any missing registry keys. This applies to both virtual desktops and Remote Desktop Session Hosts.

Receiver for HTML5/Chrome Upload Folder

The Receiver for HTML5 (or Chrome) lets upload files.

By default, the user is prompted to select a upload location. If you use the Upload feature multiple times, the last selected folder is not remembered.

Citrix CTX217351 How to Customize File Upload and Download Using Receiver for HTML5 and Receiver for Chrome. You can specify a default uploads location by editingHKLM\Software\Citrix\FileTransfer\UploadFolderLocation on the VDA. Environment variables are supported. When this value is configured, users are no longer prompted to select an upload location. The change takes effect at next logon.

Note: HTML5/Chrome Receiver also adds aSave to My Device location to facilitate downloads.

4K Monitors

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX218217 Unable to span across multiple monitors after upgrade to 7.11 VDA, Black/Blank screen appears on the monitors while connecting to ICA session:

1. For VDA 7.11 and newer, calculate the video memory that is required for monitors using the following formula:

   SumOfAllMons (Width * Height) * 4 / 0.3, where width and height are resolution of the monitor. Note: There is no hard and fast rule that will work for all cases.

   Example: Consider the resolution of monitor 1 is 1920*1200 and monitor 2 is 1366*768. Then SumOfAllMons will be (1920*1200 + 1366*768)

2. CTX115637 Citrix Session Graphics Memory Reference describes how multi-monitor resolution is determined.
3. Open the registry (regedit) and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\vbdenum
4. Increase the value of "MaxVideoMemoryBytes" REG_DWORD value to the above calculated memory.
5. Reboot the VDA.

Citrix Policies also control graphics performance.

COM Port Threads

CTX212090 COM Port Intermittently Inaccessible During ICA Sessions: increase the default value of "MaxThreads" under the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\picaser\Parameters from 20 to a value greater than the number of COM port connections you want to support. For example, if a XenApp server supports 100 sessions and each session opens two COM ports, the value of "MaxThreads" should be greater than 200.

NVIDIA GRID License

Allow NVIDIA GRID License to apply after the session is started. (Source = Jan Hendrik Meier NVIDIA GRID license not applied before the user connects – License Restriction will not be removed until the user reconnects)

• Key =HKLM\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\GridLicensing
  • Value (DWORD) =IgnoreSP = 1

Legacy Client Drive Mapping

Citrix CTX127968 How to Enable Legacy Client Drive Mapping Format on XenApp: Citrix Client Drive Mapping no longer uses drive letters and instead they appear as local disks. This is similar to RDP drive mapping.

The old drive letter method can be enabled by setting the registry value:

• Key = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\UncLinks (create the key)
  • Value (DWORD) = UNCEnabled = 0
    

When you reconnect, the client drives will be mapped as drive letters (starts with V: and goes backwards).

Print Driver for Non-Windows Clients

From CTX140208 Client printing from Mac and Linux clients on Windows 10, Server 2012 R2, and Server 2016. By default, Non-Windows clients cannot map printers due to a missing print driver on the VDA machine.

1. Requirements:
   • Internet Access
   • Windows Update service enabled
2. Click Start, and run Devices and Printers.
   
   1. In Windows 10 1703, openPrinters & scanners, then scroll down, and clickDevices and printers.
      
      
3. In the Printers section, highlight a local printer (e.g. Microsoft XPS Document Writer). Then in the toolbar, click Print server properties.
   
   
4. Switch to the Drivers tab. Click Change Driver Settings.
   
5. Then clickAdd.
   
6. In the Welcome to the Add Printer Driver Wizard page, click Next.
   
7. In the Processor Selection page, click Next.
   
8. In the Printer Driver Selection page, click Windows Update. The driver we need won't be in the list until you click this button. Internet access is required.
   
9. Once Windows Update is complete, highlight HP on the left, and then select HP Color LaserJet 2800 Series PS (Microsoft) on the right. Click Next.
   
10. In the Completing the Add Printer Driver Wizard page, click Finish.
    
11. Repeat these instructions to install the following additional drivers:
    • HP LaserJet Series II
    • HP Color LaserJet 4500 PCL 5

SSL for VDA

If you intend to use HTML5 Receiver internally, install certificates on the VDAs so the WebSockets (and ICA) connection will be encrypted. Internal HTML5 Receivers will not accept clear text WebSockets. External users don't have this problem since they are SSL-proxied through NetScaler Gateway.

Notes:

• Each Virtual Delivery Agent needs a machine certificate that matches the machine name. This is feasible for a small number of persistent VDAs. For non-persistent VDAs, you'll need some automatic means for creating machine certificates every time they reboot.
• As detailed in the following procedure, use PowerShell on the Controller to enable SSL for the Delivery Group. This forces SSL for every VDA in the Delivery Group, which means every VDA in the Delivery Group must have SSL certificates installed.

The following instructions for manually enabling SSL on VDA can be found at Configure TLS on a VDA using the PowerShell script at Citrix Docs.

1. On the VDA machine, run certlm.msc.
2. Right-click Personal, expandAll Tasks, and clickRequest New Certificate to request a certificate from your internal Certificate Authority. You can use either the Computer template or the Web Server template.
   
   • You can also use group policy to enable Certificate Auto-Enrollment for the VDA computers.
     
3. Browse to the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.18 ISO. In the Support\Tools\SslSupport folder, shift+right-click the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script, and click Copy as path.
   
4. Run PowerShell as administrator (elevated).
   
5. Run the command Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted. Enter Y to approve.
   
6. In the PowerShell prompt, type in an ampersand (&), and a space.
7. Right-click the PowerShell prompt to paste in the path copied earlier.
8. At the end of the path, type in -Enable
9. If there's only one certificate on this machine, press Enter.
   
10. If there are multiple certificates, then you'll need to specify the thumbprint of the certificate you want to use. Open the Certificates snap-in, open the properties of the machine certificate you want to use, and copy the Thumbprint from the Details tab.
    

    In the PowerShell prompt, at the end of the command, enter ‑CertificateThumbPrint, add a space, and type quotes (").

    Right-click the PowerShell prompt to paste the thumbprint.

    Type quotes (") at the end of the thumbprint. Then remove all spaces from the thumbprint. The thumbprint needs to be wrapped in quotes.
    

11. There are additional switches to specify minimum SSL Version and Cipher Suites. Also see Citrix CTX226049 Disabling Triple DES on the VDA breaks the VDA SSL connection.
    
12. Press <Enter> to run the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script.
13. Press <Y> twice to configure the ACLs and Firewall.
14. You might have to reboot before the settings take effect.
    
15. Login to a Controller, and run PowerShell as Administrator (elevated).
16. Run the command asnp Citrix.*
    
17. Enter the command:

    Get-BrokerAccessPolicyRule -DesktopGroupName '<delivery-group-name>' | Set-BrokerAccessPolicyRule ‑HdxSslEnabled $true

    where <delivery-group-name> is the name of the Delivery Group containing the VDAs.
    

18. You can run Get-BrokerAccessPolicyRule -DesktopGroupName '<delivery-group-name>' to verify that HDX SSL is enabled.
    
19. Also run the following command to enable DNS resolution.

    Set-BrokerSite –DnsResolutionEnabled $true

    

20. Since VDA 7.18 defaults to enabling the UDP-based EDT protocol, open port UDP 443 to the VDAs.

You should now be able to connect to the VDA using the HTML5 Receiver from internal machines.

The Citrix blog post How To Secure ICA Connections in XenApp and XenDesktop 7.6 using SSL has a method for automatically provisioning certificates for pooled virtual desktops by enabling certificate auto-enrollment and setting up a task that runs after the certificate has been enrolled.

• From Russ Hargrove at A note on VDA certificates in 7.14 at Citrix Discussions: Citrix installs a new "Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop HDX Service" certificate in the Personal store which breaks the automation of the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script. To fix the problem, modify the task scheduler powershell script to:

  Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 -Enable -CertificateThumbPrint (Get-ChildItem -path cert:\LocalMachine\My | Where-Object -FilterScript {$_.Subject -eq ""} | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Thumbprint) -Confirm:$False

• For certificate auto-enrollment on non-persistent Remote Desktop Session Hosts (aka Server OS VDAs), see Non-Persistent Server SSL to VDA by Alfredo Magallon Arbizu at CUGC.

Anonymous Accounts

If you intend to publish apps anonymously then follow this section.

1. Anonymous accounts are created locally on the VDAs. When XenDesktop creates Anon accounts, it gives them an idle time as specified at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\AnonymousUserIdleTime. The default is 10 minutes. Adjust as desired.
   
2. Pre-create the Anon accounts on the VDA by running "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICAConfigTool\CreateAnonymousUsersApp.exe" . If you don't run this tool, then anonymous users can't login.
   
3. You can see the local Anon accounts by opening Computer Management, expanding System Tools, expandingLocal Users and Groups and clicking Users.
   
4. If you want profiles for anonymous users to delete at logoff, then you'll need to add the local Anon users to the local Guests group.
   
5. If you open one of the accounts, on the Sessions tab, notice that idle timeout defaults to 10 minutes. Feel free to change it.
   

Group Policy for Anonymous Users

Since Anonymous users are local accounts on each Virtual Delivery Agent, domain-based GPOs will not apply. To work around this limitation, you'll need to edit the local group policy on each Virtual Delivery Agent.

1. On the Virtual Delivery Agent, run mmc.exe.
2. Open the File menu, and click Add/Remove Snap-in.
   
3. Highlight Group Policy Object Editor, and click Add to move it to the right.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Group Policy Wizard page, click Browse.
   
5. On the Users tab, select Non-Administrators.
   
6. Click Finish.
   
7. Now you can configure group policy to lockdown sessions for anonymous users. Since this is a local group policy, you'll need to repeat the group policy configuration on every Virtual Delivery Agent image. Also, Group Policy Preferences is not available in local group policy.

Antivirus

Install antivirus using your normal procedure. Instructions vary for each Antivirus product.

Microsoft's virus scanning recommendations (e.g. exclude group policy files) – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822158.

Citrix's Recommended Antivirus Exclusions

Citrix Blog Post Citrix Recommended Antivirus Exclusions: the goal here is to provide you with a consolidated list of recommended antivirus exclusions for your Citrix virtualization environment focused on the key processes, folders, and files that we have seen cause issues in the field:

• Set real-time scanning to scan local drives only and not network drives
• Disable scan on boot
• Remove any unnecessary antivirus related entries from the Run key
• Exclude the pagefile(s) from being scanned
• Exclude Windows event logs from being scanned
• Exclude IIS log files from being scanned

See the Blog Post for exclusions for each Citrix component/product including: StoreFront, VDA, Controller, and Provisioning Services. The Blog Post also has links to additional KB articles on antivirus.

Symantec

Symantec links:

• Symantec TECH91070 Citrix and terminal server best practices for Endpoint Protection.
• Symantec TECH197344 Best practices for virtualization with Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.2 and later
• Symantec TECH180229 Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 – Non-persistent Virtualization Best Practices
• Symantec TECH123419 How to prepare Symantec Endpoint Protection clients on virtual disks for use with Citrix Provisioning Server has a script that automates changing the MAC address registered with Symantec.
• Citrix Blog Post How to prepare a Citrix Provisioning Services Target Device for Symantec Endpoint Protection
• If profiles are deleted on logoff, set Symantec registry valueCloseUserLogFile to 1. Symantec TECH210170 Citrix user sessions are held open by ccSvcHst.exe during log off

Trend Micro

Trend Micro Slow login on Citrix environment after installing OfficeScan (OSCE): The following registries can be used to troubleshoot the issue. These registries will allow a delay on the startup procedure of OSCE until the system has launched successfully. This avoids deadlock situations during login.

Citrix CTX136680 – Slow Server Performance After Trend Micro Installation. Citrix session hosts experience slow response and performance more noticeable while users try to log in to the servers. At some point the performance of the servers is affected, resulting in issues with users logging on and requiring the server to be restarted. This issue is more noticeable on mid to large session host infrastructures.

Trend Micro has provided a registry fix for this type of issue. Create the following registry on all the affected servers. Add new DWORD Value as:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TmFilterParameters] "DisableCtProcCheck"=dword:00000001

Trend Micro Links:

• Trend Micro Docs – Trend Micro Virtual Desktop Support
• Trend Micro Docs – VDI Pre-Scan Template Generation Tool
• Trend Micro 1055260 – Best practice for setting up Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in OfficeScan
• Trend Micro 1056376 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Virtual Desktop Infrastructure/Support In OfficeScan

Sophos

Best Practice for running Sophos on virtual systems: we've amassed the following practical information about how you can optimize our software to work with this technology.

Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows XP+: Installation and configuration considerations for Sophos Anti-Virus on a Remote Desktop Services server: It maybe desirable to disable the Sophos AutoUpdate shield icon

Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows 2000+: incorporating current versions in a disk image, including for use with cloned virtual machines: This procedure will make sure that the produced target/cloned computers:

• Get their distinct identity with Enterprise Console, under which they can be subsequently managed.
• Have the desired version of Sophos Anti-Virus already installed and configured on the created image.

Windows Defender Antivirus

Deployment guide for Windows Defender Antivirus in a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment

Cylance

CTX232722 Unable to launch application with Cylance Memory Protection Enabled. Cylance must be run in compatibility mode in order to the VDA and Cylance to run on the same machine. See the article for detailed instructions.

Optimize Performance

VDA Optimizer

Installation of the VDA might have already done this, but there's no harm in doing it again. This tool is only available if you installed VDA in Master Image mode.

1. On the master VDA, go to C:\Program Files\Citrix\PvsVm\TargetOSOptimizer, and runTargetOSOptimizer.exe.
   
2. Then click OK. Notice that it disables Windows Update.
   
3. See CTX125874 How to Optimize XenDesktop Machines for the list of registry values changed by the TargetOSOptimizer tool. You can use Group Policy Preferences to set these values.

Windows 10 / Windows 2012 R2 / Windows 2016 and newer

Optimization Notes:

• If this machine is provisioned using Provisioning Services, do not disable the Shadow Copy services.
• Citrix CTX213540 Unable To View Printers In Devices And Printers Win 2012 R2 – don't disable the Device Setup Manager Service
• Citrix CTX131995 User Cannot Launch Application in Seamless Mode in a Provisioning Services Server when XenApp Optimization Best Practices are Applied. Do not enable NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation.

Seal and Shut Down

If this VDA will be a master image in a Machine Creation Services or Provisioning Services catalog, after the master is fully prepared (including applications), do the following:

1. Go to the properties of the C: drive, and run Disk Cleanup.
   
2. If Disk Cleanup is missing, you can runcleanmgr.exe instead.
   
3. Windows 10 1703 and newer has a new method for cleaning up temporary files.
   1. Right-click the Start button, and clickSystem.
   2. ClickStorage on the left, and clickThis PC (C:) on the right.
      
   3. ClickTemporary Files.
      
   4. Check boxes, and clickRemove files.
      
4. On the Tools tab, click Optimize to defrag the drive.
   `
5. Run slmgr. vbs /dlv and make sure it is licensed with KMS and has at least one rearm remaining. It is not necessary to manually rearm licensing since MCS will do it automatically.
   
6. Run Delprof2 to clean up local profiles. Get it from http://helgeklein.com/download/.
   
7. Machine Creation Services and Provisioning Services require DHCP.
   
8. Session hosts (RDSH) commonly have DHCP reservations.
   
9. Base Image Script Framework (BIS-F) automates many sealing tasks. The script is configurable using Group Policy.
   
10. Shut down the master image. You can now use Studio (Machine Creation Services) or Provisioning Services to create a catalog of linked clones.
    

Troubleshooting – Graphics

For Citrix Policies that control graphics codecs, see https://www.carlstalhood.com/citrix-policy-settings/#graphics

Citrix Blog post – Optimising the performance of HDX 3D Pro – Lessons from the field

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX218217 Unable to span across multiple monitors after upgrade to 7.11 VDA, Black/Blank screen appears on the monitors while connecting to ICA session:

1. For VDA 7.11 and newer, calculate the video memory that is required for monitors using the following formula :

   SumOfAllMons (Width * Height) * 4 / 0.3, where width and height are resolution of the monitor. Note: There is no hard and fast rule that will work for all cases.

   Example: Consider the resolution of monitor 1 is 1920*1200 and monitor 2 is 1366*768. Then SumOfAllMons will be (1920*1200 + 1366*768)

2. CTX115637 Citrix Session Graphics Memory Reference describes how multi-monitor resolution is determined.
3. Open the registry (regedit) and navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\vbdenum
4. Increase the value of "MaxVideoMemoryBytes" REG_DWORD value to the above calculated memory.
5. Reboot the VDA

From Citrix Discussions: To exclude applications from Citrix 3D rendering, create a REG_DWORD registry value "app.exe" with value 0 or a registry value "*" with value 0.

• Both x86 and x64:
  • reg add hklm\software\citrix\vd3d\compatibility /v * /t REG_DWORD /f /d 0

Wildcards are not supported. The asterisk * here has a special meaning "all apps" but is not a traditional wildcard. To blacklist multiple apps e.g. both appa.exe and appb.exe must be done by creating a registry value for each app individually.

This is most problematic in Remote PC since most physical PCs have GPUs. I recently had to blacklist Internet Explorer to prevent lockup issues when switching back to physical.

Uninstall VDA

Uninstall the VDA from Programs and Features.

Then see CTX209255 VDA Cleanup Utility.

To run the VDA Cleanup Tool silently:

1. Execute VDACleanupUtility.exe /silent /noreboot to suppress reboot.
2. Once the VDACleanupUtility has finished executing, setup Auto logon for the current user.
3. Reboot.
4. After reboot, tool will launch automatically to continue Cleanup.

Another option is to delete CitrixVdaCleanup value under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce. Then after reboot, runVDACleanupUtility.exe /silent /reboot to indicate that it's running after the reboot.

Related Pages

• Provisioning Services Master Device Preparation
• Catalogs / Delivery Groups
• Citrix Policy Settings

Navigation

• Change Log
• Upgrade to 7.18
• New Install Preparation
• Delivery Controller 7.18 Install
  • Create Site / Databases
  • Second Controller
• Studio – Slow Launch
• Concurrent Logon Hard Limit
• Local Host Cache
• Database Maintenance – Change Database connection strings, read-committed snapshot, Director grooming, Logging Database operations, etc.
• Export/Import Configuration
• Studio Administrators
• Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
• vCenter Connection – vCenter certificate, Hosting Resources
• Citrix Licensing Server
  • Upgrade Licensing Server to 11.15.0.0 build 24100
  • Citrix Licensing Manager
  • Activate Citrix License
  • License Server CEIP
  • Citrix License Management Service
  • Citrix License Server Monitoring
• Remote Desktop Licensing Server
  • Install Remote Desktop Licensing Server
  • Active Remote Desktop Licensing Server
• Smart Check
  • Additional Custom Smart Checks
  • Citrix Scout
• Health Check

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 June 25 – Upgrades – added CTX235820 with updated installer that fixes SQL 2008 R2 incompatibility
• 2018 June 7 – Upgrades – added Known Issue about failed upgrades if Monitoring database is on SQL 2008 R2
• 2018 June 5 – updated Install and Upgrade sections for version 7.18
  • No more support for 2008 R2
  • Updated Citrix License Server to 11.15.0.0 build 24100
  • Added Citrix Licensing Manager section – for SSON, add to Local Intranet zone

Upgrade

If you are performing a new install of XenApp/XenDesktop Controller, then skip to the next section.

You can in-place upgrade directly from any Delivery Controller version 7.0 or newer. Citrix recommends upgrading Delivery Controller 5.6 to 7.6 LTSR Cumulative Update 5 before upgrading to 7.18.

During the upgrade of Delivery Controller, be aware that a database upgrade is required. Either get a DBA to grant you temporary sysadmin permission, or use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts that a DBA must then run in SQL Studio.

1. SQL Server 2008 R2 – if your XenDesktop databases are on SQL 2008 R2, then you'll need to upgrade SQL to 2012 or the 7.18 upgrade will fail. Known Issue.
   
   • CTX235820 has an updated installer for the Monitor Service to correct the SQL 2008 R2 incompatibility.
     
2. License Server Upgrade – Before upgrading to Delivery Controller 7.18, if you have a standalone Citrix Licensing Server, upgrade it to 11.15.0.0 build 24100. The Delivery Controllers will be non-functional until you upgrade the License Server.
   
3. Frequent updates/upgrades– XenApp and XenDesktop 7.18 is a Current Release.
   • With Current Release (CR), you're expected to upgrade to the future 7.19 (and 7.20, and 7.21, etc.) to receive bug fixes. Newer Current Releases come with new features, which might include new bugs. Current Releases are only supported for six months from the release date. That means you should plan to perform these upgrades at least twice a year.
   • If you don't want to continuously upgrade to the latest Current Release, then you can stay on LTSR 7.15, which receivesCumulative Updates with bug fixes, but no new features. See Lifecycle Milestones for Citrix Virtual Apps & Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
4. Delivery Controller OS Compatibility – XenDesktop 7.18 Delivery Controller is supported on Windows 2012 R2 and newer. Windows Server 2008 R2 is no longer supported.
5. VDA OS Compatibility – Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) 7.18 is only supported on a limited number of Windows operating system versions, specifically, Windows 10 (1607+), Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016.
   • If you have older VDA machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you can leave their VDA software at version 7.15 (with latest Cumulative Update). It is supported for VDA 7.15 to communicate with Delivery Controllers 7.18.
6. SCOM Agent – If StoreFront is installed on the Controller, and if the Citrix SCOM Agent for StoreFront is installed, stop theCitrix MPSF Agent service. See CTX220935 Cannot Perform a StoreFront Upgrade if Citrix SCOM Management Pack Agent Service is Running.
   
7. Close PowerShell and Consoles. Make sure all Citrix Consoles and PowerShell consoles are closed. StoreFront won't upgrade if any are running. If StoreFront fails, then the StoreFront configuration is wiped out.
8. Other Users – Use Task Manager > Users tab to logoff any other user currently logged into the machine.
   
9. Snapshot. If StoreFront is installed on the Controller, take a snapshot before attempting the upgrade.
   • Another option is to export the StoreFront configuration so you can restore it later if something goes wrong.
10. Download the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.18 ISO.
    
11. Before upgrading, open PowerShell and run the following.

    asnp citrix* Get-TrustDBConnection

    

    • If you don't see a returned value, then you'll need to run additional commands to fix the Trust Database Connection as detailed at Known Issues at Citrix Docs

      $cs = Get-ConfigDBConnection Set-TrustDBConnection –DBConnection $cs

12. RunAutoSelect.exe from the 7.18 ISO.
    
13. On the top left, clickStudio and Server Components.
    
14. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and clickNext.
15. In the Ensure Successful Upgrade page, read the steps, check the box next toI'm ready to continue, and clickNext.
    
16. If you see aLicense Errors page, then you need to upgrade your License Server.
    
17. In thePreliminary Site Tests page, clickStart Preliminary Tests. This is a new page in XenDesktop 7.18.
    
18. The tests will take a few minutes. ClickNext when done.
    
19. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
    
20. In theSummary page, clickUpgrade.
    
21. If you see a Running Processes window, close the listed programs, and click Continue.
    
22. Click OK when asked to start the upgrade.
    
23. The machine will probably reboot a couple times.
    
    1. After the reboot, and after logging in again, you might see aLocate 'XenApp' installation media window. Don't click anything yet.
       
    2. Go to the XenApp_and_XenDesktop_7_18.iso file and mount it.
       
    3. Go back to theLocate 'XenApp' window.
    4. On the left, expand This PC, and click the DVD Drive.
    5. Click Select Folder.
       
    6. Installation will resume. Repeat these instructions after each reboot.
       
24. If the upgrade fails:
    1. Look for MetaInstaller log files under %localappdata%\Temp\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer\MSI Log Files.
       
    2. Look for StoreFront log files underC:\Program Files\Citrix\Receiver StoreFront\Admin\logs.
       
    3. Citrix has a MSI Log Analyzer.
       
25. In the Smart Tools page, make a selection. If participating, clickConnect, login with Citrix Cloud or mycitrix.com credentials, and then clickNext. See Citrix Insight Services at Citrix Docs for more information on these options.
    
    
26. In theFinish page, check the box next to Launch Studio, and clickFinish.
    

Studio – Upgrade Database, Catalogs, and Delivery Groups

1. After Citrix Studio launches, if you havesysadmin permissions on SQL, then clickStart the automatic Site upgrade. If you don't have full permission, then get a DBA to help you, clickManually upgrade this site, and follow the instructions.
   
   
2. If you choose toManually upgrade this site, then note that there might not be an upgrade for the Logging Database schema, depending on what version you are upgrading from.
   
   
3. After all Controllers and VDAs are upgraded, right-click the Catalogs, and clickUpgrade Catalog. Note: 7.9 is the newest minimum functional level. You won't see an option for 7.18. If your Catalogs are already set to VDA version 7.9, then there's no need to upgrade the Catalogs or Delivery Groups.
   
   
   
4. Then do the same for the Delivery Groups. Note: 7.9 is the newest minimum functional level. You won't see an option for 7.18. If your Delivery Groups are already set to VDA version 7.9, then no upgrade is needed.
   
   
   

Other XenApp/XenDesktop components can also be in-place upgraded:

• StoreFront
• Director
  • Upgrading Director overrides modifications to LogOn.aspx (e.g. default domain name), so you'll have to reapply them.
• VDAs
• Citrix Policy Management Plug-in
• Profile Management Group Policy Templates
• Receiver Group Policy Templates
• Workspace Environment Management
• AppDNA
• Provisioning Services
• SCOM Management Packs
• Session Recording
• Federated Authentication Service

New Install Preparation

Frequent updates/upgrades

XenApp and XenDesktop 7.18 is a Current Release.

• With Current Release (CR), you're expected to upgrade to the future 7.18 (and 7.19, and 7.20, etc.) to receive bug fixes. Current Releases also come with new features, which might include new bugs. Current Releases are only supported for six months from the release date. That means you should plan to perform these upgrades at least twice a year.
• If you don't want to continuously upgrade to the latest Current Release, then you can stay on LTSR 7.15, which receivesCumulative Updates with bug fixes, but no new features. See Lifecycle Milestones for Citrix Virtual Apps & Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

VDA OS Compatibility

XenDesktop 7.18 Delivery Controller is supported on Windows 2012 R2 and newer. Windows Server 2008 R2 is no longer supported.

Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) 7.18 is only supported on a limited number of Windows operating system versions, specifically, Windows 10 (1607+), Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016.

• If you have older VDA machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you can install VDA software version 7.15. It is supported for VDA 7.15 to communicate with Delivery Controllers 7.18.

Installation Automation

If you want to automate the install of Delivery Controllers, see Dennis Span Citrix Delivery Controller unattended installation with PowerShell and SCCM.

Citrix Licensing

If you are going to use an existing Citrix Licensing Server, upgrade it to 11.15.0.0 build 24100.

Multiple License Types – Multiple license types (but not multiple editions) are supported in a single farm. See CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.

SQL Databases for XenDesktop

• Citrix CTX209080 Database Sizing Tool for XenDesktop 7
• Citrix article CTX114501 – Supported Databases for XenApp and XenDesktop Components
• Three databases – There are typically three databases: one for the Site (aka farm), one for Logging (audit log) and one for Monitoring (Director).
  • The name of the monitoring database must not have any spaces in it. See CTX200325 Database Naming Limitation when Citrix Director Accesses Monitoring Data Using OData APIs
  • If you want Citrix Studio to create the SQL databases automatically, then the person running Studio must be a sysadmin on the SQL instances. No lesser SQL role will work.sysadmin permissions can be granted temporarily and revoked after installation.
  • As an alternative, you can use Citrix Studio to create SQL scripts, and then run those scripts on the SQL server. In that case, the person running the scripts only needs the dbcreator and securityadmin roles.
  • It is possible to create the three databases in advance. However, you must use the non-defaultLatin1_General_100_CI_AS_KS collation.
• SQL High Availability Options:
  • Basic Availability Groups – Build two SQL 2016 (or newer) Standard Edition servers, and create three Basic Availability Groups, one for each database. Each Basic Availability Group has its own Listener.
    • SQL Standard Edition is much cheaper than SQL Enterprise Edition.
    • See Patrick van den Born How to: Configure Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop to use Microsoft SQL multi-subnet (Basic) Availability Groups.  💡
  • Database Mirroring – Build two SQL 2014 or older Standard Edition servers, and configure Database Mirroring.
  • AlwaysOn Availability Group – Build two SQL Enterprise Edition servers, and create one AlwaysOn Availability Group with one Listener.
  • Failover Clustering – Build two SQL Enterprise Edition servers, and configure SQL Database Failover Clustering.
• Cloud – Azure SQL and AWS RDS are not supported. You'll need to build your own SQL Servers on IaaS VMs.

Windows Feature

InstallingGroup Policy Management on the Delivery Controllers lets you edit Citrix-targeted Group Policy Objects (GPOs) directly from the Controllers. Controllers already have Studio and Citrix Group Policy Management installed, so if GPMC runs from a Controller, then the GPO Editor will automatically have access to the Citrix Policies node. Or you can install Citrix Group Policy Management Plug-in on a different machine that has GPMC installed.

vCenter Service Account

Create a role in vSphere Client. Assign a service account to the role at the Datacenter or higher level. Delivery Controller will use this service account to login to vCenter.

Delivery Controller Install

1. A typical size for the Controller VMs is 2-4 vCPU and 8+ GB of RAM. If all components (Delivery Controller, StoreFront, Licensing, Director, SQL Express) are installed on one server, then you might want to bump up memory to 10 GB or 12 GB.
2. From Local Host Cache sizing and scaling at Citrix Docs:
   1. For LHC LocalDB, assign the Controller VMs a single socket with multiple cores.
   2. Add two cores for LHC.
   3. Add at least three more Gigs of RAM and watch the memory consumption.
   4. Since there's no control over LHC election, ensure all Controllers have the same specs.
3. Make sure the User RightLog on as a service includesNT SERVICE\ALL SERVICES, or addNT SERVICE\CitrixTelemetryService to the User Right.
   
4. Download the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.18 ISO.
   
5. On two Delivery Controllers, to install the Delivery Controller software, runAutoSelect.exe from the 7.18 ISO.
   
6. Click Start next to either XenApp or XenDesktop. The only difference is the product name displayed in the installation wizard.
   
7. On the top left, click Delivery Controller.
   
8. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and clickNext.
   
9. In the Core Components page, you can install all components on one server, or on separate servers. Splitting them out is only necessary in large environments, or if you have multiple farms, and want to share the Licensing, StoreFront, and Director components across those farms. ClickNext.
   
10. In the Features page, uncheck the box next to Install Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP2 Express, and click Next.
    
11. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
    
12. In the Summary page, click Install.
    
13. The machine will probably reboot a couple times.
    
    1. After the reboot, and after logging in again, you might see aLocate 'XenApp' installation media window. Don't click anything yet.
       
    2. Go to the XenApp_and_XenDesktop_7_18.iso file and mount it.
       
    3. Go back to theLocate 'XenApp' window.
    4. On the left, expand This PC, and click the DVD Drive.
    5. Click Select Folder.
       
    6. Installation will resume. Repeat these instructions after each reboot.
       
14. In the Smart Tools page, make a selection. If you choose Smart Tools and Call Home, then click Connect, and enter your Citrix Cloud or MyCitrix.com credentials. Click Next.
    
    
    
15. In the Finish page, click Finish. Studio will automatically launch.
    
16. Ensure the two Controller VMs do not run on the same hypervisor host. Create an anti-affinity rule at vSphere Cluster > Manage > Settings > DRS Rules > Add. Set the Type toSeparate Virtual Machines.
    

Create Site – Create Database

There are several methods of creating the databases for XenApp/XenDesktop:

• If you have sysadmin permissions to SQL, let Citrix Studio create the databases automatically.
• If you don't have sysadmin permissions to SQL, then use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts, and send the scripts to a DBA.

Use Studio to Create Database Automatically

1. Launch Citrix Studio. After it loads, click Deliver applications and desktops to your users.
   
2. In the Introduction page, select An empty, unconfigured site. This reduces the number of pages in this Setup wizard. The other pages will be configured later.
3. Enter a Site Name (aka farm name), and click Next. Only administrators see the farm name.
   
4. In the Databases page, if you are building two Controllers, click Select near the bottom of the same page.
   
   1. Click Add.
   2. Enter the FQDN of the second Controller, and click OK. Note: the Delivery Controller software must already be installed on that second machine.
   3. Then click Save.
      
5. If the person running Citrix Studio hassysadmin permissions to the SQL Server, then enter the SQL server name/instance in the threeLocation fields, and clickNext.
6. If you don't havesysadmin permission, the jump to the SQL Scripts section below.
   
7. On the Licensing page, enter the name of the Citrix License Server, and click Connect. If you installed Licensing with your Delivery Controller, then simply enter localhost.
8. If the Certificate Authentication appears, select Connect me, and click Confirm.T
9. Select your license type, and click Next. If you see both User/Device and Concurrent, then you usually must select User/Device licenses. Also see CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.
   
10. In the Summary page, if your databases are mirrored or in an Availability Group, each database will show high availability servers, and the name of the Mirror server. Click Finish.
    
    
11. It will take some time for the site to be created.
12. Once done, skip to the Second Controller section.

Use Studio to create SQL scripts

1. If you don't have SQLsysadmin permissions, then change the selection to Generate scripts to manually set up databases on the database server. Change the database names if desired, and clickNext.
   
2. In the Summary page, clickGenerate scripts.
   
3. A folder will open with six scripts. Edit each of the scripts.
   
4. Near the top of each script are two lines to create the database. Uncomment both lines (including the go line). Then save and close the file.
   
   
5. Once all of the scripts are edited, you can send them to your DBA.
   1. On the Principal SQL Server, open the fileSite_Principal.sql.
      
      
   2. Open the Query menu, and click SQLCMD Mode to enable it.
      
   3. Then execute the script.
      
   4. If SQLCMD mode was enabled properly, then the output should look something like this:
      
   5. If you have a mirrored database, run the second script on the mirror SQL instance. Make sure SQLCMD mode is enabled.
      
   6. Repeat for the Logging_Principal. sql script.
      
   7. You'll have to enable SQLCMD Mode for each script you open.
      
      
      
   8. Repeat for the Monitoring_Principal. sql script.
      
   9. Once again enable SQLCMD Mode.
      
      
      
   10. The person running Citrix Studio must be added to the SQL Server as a SQL Login, and granted the public server role, so that account can enumerate the databases.
       
       
6. Back in Citrix Studio, click the Continue database configuration and Site setup button.
   
7. In the Databases page, enter the SQL server name, and instance name, and click Next.
   
   
8. On the Licensing page, enter the name of the Citrix License Server, and click Connect. If you installed Licensing with your Delivery Controller, then simply enter localhost.
9. If the Certificate Authentication appears, select Connect me, and click Confirm.
   
10. Then select your license, and click Next. See CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.
    
11. In the Summary page, if your databases are mirrored, each database will show high availability servers, and the name of the Mirror server. Click Finish.
    
    
12. It will take some time for the site to be created.
    

Second Controller

When building the first Delivery Controller, the SQL scripts might have already included the second Delivery Controller, and thus no special SQL permissions are needed. If the second Delivery Controller has not already been added to the SQL databases, then there are several methods of adding a second Controller to the databases for XenApp/XenDesktop:

• If you have sysadmin permissions to SQL, let Citrix Studio modify the databases automatically.
• If you don't have sysadmin permissions to SQL then use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts and send them to a DBA.

To use Citrix Studio to create the SQL Scripts:

1. On the first Delivery Controller, if StoreFront is installed on the Controller, then delete the default StoreFront store (/Citrix/Store), and recreate it with your desired Store name (e.g. /Citrix/CompanyStore).
   
2. On the second Delivery Controller machine, install Delivery Controller as detailed earlier.
3. After installation, launch Studio on the second controller, and click Connect this Delivery Controller to an existing Site.
   
4. Enter the name of the first Delivery Controller, and click OK.
   
5. If you don't have full SQL permissions (sysadmin), click No when asked if you want to update the database automatically.
   
6. Click Generate scripts.
   
7. A folder will open with six scripts. If not mirroring, then the top three scripts need to be sent to a DBA. If mirroring, send all six.
   
8. On the SQL Server, open one of the .sql files.
   
   
9. Open the Query menu, and click SQLCMD Mode.
   
10. Then execute the XenDesktop script.
    
11. If SQLCMD mode was enabled properly, then the output should look something like this:
    
12. Repeat for the remaining script files.
13. Back in Citrix Studio, click OK.
    
14. In Citrix Studio, under Configuration > Controllers, you should see both controllers.
    

Studio – Slow Launch

From B.J.M. Groenhout at Citrix Discussions: The following adjustments can be made if Desktop Studio (and other Citrix management Consoles) will start slowly:

• Within Internet Explorer, go to Tools – Internet Options – Tab Advanced – Section Security, and uncheck the option Check for publisher's certificate revocation

After adjustment Desktop Studio (MMC) will be started immediately. Without adjustment it may take some time before Desktop Studio (MMC) is started.

Registry setting (can be deployed using Group Policy Preferences):

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing
  • "State"=dword:00023e00

Concurrent Logon Hard Limit

From Samuel Legrand XenApp 7.14 – (Really) Manage a DR! – Citrix Policies has a setting calledConcurrent Logon Tolerance. However, it is not a hard limit, meaning once the limits are reached, it continues to let users connect. You can configure the Controllers to make it a hard limit by setting the following registry value:

• HKLM\Software\Policies\Citrix\DesktopServer
  • LogonToleranceIsHardLimit (DWORD) = 1

Local Host Cache

If you have 10,000 or fewer VDAs per zone (up to 40,000 VDAs per multi-zone site/farm), you can enable Local Host Cache (LHC) instead of Connection Leasing. LHC allows new sessions to be started even if SQL database is unavailable. VDA limits for LHC are higher in 7.16 than previous versions of XenApp/XenDesktop.

From Local Host Cache sizing and scaling at Citrix Docs:

1. For LHC LocalDB, assign the Controller VMs a single socket with multiple cores.
2. Add two cores for LHC.
3. Add at least three more Gigs of RAM and watch the memory consumption.
4. Since there's no control over LHC election, ensure all Controllers have the same specs.
5. The Docs article has scripts for monitoring LHC performance.

From XenApp 7.12, LHC and a reboot at Citrix Discussions:

• If the rebooted DDC is the elected one, a different DDC will take over (causing registration storm) and when the DDC gets back, it will take over brokering causing second registration storm. Site will sort itself out and all will work.
• If the rebooted DDC is not the elected one, it will not impact any functionality.
• If you turn the DDC down when site is working, and start it during outage, LHC will not trigger on that machine. This DDC will not impact the LHC unless it would become the elected one. In that scenario it will take control, however not start LHC and resources would not be available.

Trentent Tye at Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp 7.15 – The local host cache in action has a video showing LHC in action.  💡

As mentioned by Citrix Docs, make sure PowerShell Execution Policy is set to RemoteSigned, Unrestricted, or Bypass.

If you did a fresh install of 7.17, then Local Host Cache should be enabled by default. You can run Get-BrokerSite to confirm. (run asnp citrix.* first).

If not enabled, you can run some PowerShell commands to enable Local Host Cache:

asnp citrix.* Set-BrokerSite -ConnectionLeasingEnabled $false Set-BrokerSite -LocalHostCacheEnabled $true

George Spiers Local Host Cache XenApp & XenDesktop 7.12 shows the Event Log entries when LHC is enabled.

Database Maintenance

Enable Read-Committed Snapshot

The XenDesktop Database can become heavily utilized under load in a large environment. Therefore Citrix recommends enabling the Read_Committed_Snapshot option on the XenDesktop databases to remove contention on the database from read queries. This can improve the interactivity of Studio and Director. It should be noted that this option may increase the load on the tempdb files. See Citrix article CTX137161 How to Enable Read-Committed Snapshot in XenDesktop for configuration instructions.

Change Database Connection Strings

Sometimes the database connection strings need to be modified:

• When moving the SQL databases to a different SQL server
• For AlwaysOn Availability Groups, to add MultiSubnetFailover to the SQL connection strings
• For SQL mirroring, to add Failover Partner to the SQL connection strings

From Citrix Docs Update database connection strings when using SQL Server high availability solutions: Citrix offers several PowerShell scripts that update XenApp and XenDesktop database connection strings when you are using SQL Server high availability database solutions such as AlwaysOn and mirroring. The scripts, which use the XenApp and XenDesktop PowerShell API, are:

• DBConnectionStringFuncs.ps1: The core script that does the actual work. This script contains common functions that the other scripts use.
• Change_XD_Failover_Partner_v1.ps1: Updates (adds, changes, or removes) the failover partner. This script prompts for the failover partner location (FQDN) for each database. (Providing a blank failover partner removes the failover partner. You can also use the ClearPartner option to remove a partner.) Do not set the failover partner to the same location as the principal database server.
• Change_XD_To_ConnectionString.ps1: Uses the provided connection strings to update the connection strings to the databases. This script ensures that certain Citrix services are up and running, and then updates those services in the correct order on all Controllers in the site. Enclose connection string information for each database in quotes.
• Change_XD_To_MultiSubnetFailover.ps1: Toggles the addition and removal of MultiSubnetFailover=true. If you use AlwaysOn Availability Groups, Microsoft recommends that the connection string include MultiSubnetFailover=true. This option speeds up recovery when a high availability event occurs, and is recommended for both single and multi-subnet environments. Run this script once to add the option. Run the script again to remove it.
• Change_XD_To_Null.ps1: Resets all the connection strings on the localhost because something has gone wrong. By resetting the connection strings to null, this script places the Controller into an "initial" state. If you run Studio after running this script, you'll be asked if you want to create a site or join an existing site. This is useful if something has gone wrong and a reset is needed. After the reset, you can try again to set the connection strings.

CTX140319 How to Migrate XenDesktop Database to New SQL Server has the correctly ordered list of PowerShell commands to change the database connection strings. Make sure PowerShell is running as administrator before running these commands.

Here are the DB Connections that must be changed. This list might be longer than the article. When using the article, make sure you include all of the DB Connections shown below. You can get the full list of database commands by runningGet-Command Set-*DBConnection. When changing the DB connections, AdminDBConnection must be the last to be set to NULL, and the first to be configured with the new connection string.

Set-ConfigDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-AppLibDBConnection –DBConnection $null    #7.8 and newer Set-OrchDBConnection –DBConnection $null      #7.11 and newer Set-TrustDBConnection –DBConnection $null     #7.11 and newer Set-AcctDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-AnalyticsDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-HypDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-ProvDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-BrokerDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-EnvTestDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-SfDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-MonitorDBConnection -DataStore Monitor -DBConnection $null   #Monitoring Database Set-MonitorDBConnection -DBConnection $null                      #Site Database Set-LogDBConnection -DataStore Logging -DBConnection $null       #Logging Database Set-LogDBConnection -DBConnection $null                          #Site Database Set-AdminDBConnection -DBConnection $null -force

Director Grooming

If XenDesktop is not Platinum Edition, then all historical Director data is groomed at 30 days.

For XenDesktop/XenApp Platinum Edition, by default, most of the historical Director data is groomed at 90 days. This can be adjusted up to 367 days by running a PowerShell cmdlet.

1. On a Delivery Controller, run PowerShell elevated (as administrator), and run asnp Citrix.*
   
2. Run Get-MonitorConfiguration to see the current grooming settings.
   
3. Run Set-MonitorConfiguration to change the grooming settings.
   

View Logging Database

To view the contents of the Logging Database, in Studio, click the Logging node. On the right isCreate Custom Report. See Citrix article CTX138132 Viewing Configuration Logging Data Not Shown for more info.

The Logging Database can be queried usingGet-LogLowLevelOperation. See Stefan Beckmann Get user who set maintenance mode for a server or client for an example script that uses this PowerShell cmdlet.

Maintain Logging Database

Citrix CTX215069 Troubleshooting and managing Oversized Configuration Logging database: The article's queries can be used to determine the number of configuration operation types performed by XenDesktop Administrator, and to analyze the content of the Configuration Logging database when it is considered oversized. A grooming query is also provided to delete data older than a specified date.

Export/Import Configuration

Ryan Butler has a PowerShell script that can export configuration from one XenDesktop farm and import it to another.

Kaspars Vilde at XenDesktop/XenApp 7.X Applications – Exporting / Importing at Citrix Discussions has scripts to export published apps from one farm and import to another farm.

Studio Administrators

Full Administrators

1. In the Studio, under Configuration, click the Administrators node. The first time you access the node you'll see a Welcome page. Feel free to check the box to Don't show this again, and then click Close.
2. On the Administrators tab, right-click, and click Create Administrator.
   
3. In the Administrator and Scope page, Browse to a group (e.g. Citrix Admins) that will have permissions to Studio and Director. These groups typically have access to all objects, so select the All scope. Alternatively, you can create a Scope to limit the objects. Click Next.
   
4. On the Role page, select a role, and then click Next. For example:
   • Full Administrator for the Citrix Admins group
   • Help Desk Administrator for the Help Desk group
   • Machine Catalog Administrator for the desktop team
     
5. In the Summary page, click Finish.

Help Desk

1. In the Studio, under Configuration, click the Administrators node. On the Administrators tab, right-click, and click Create Administrator.
   
2. In the Administrator and Scope page, Browse to a Help Desk group that will have permissions to Studio and Director. Select the All scope. And click Next.
   
3. On the Role page, select the Help Desk Administrator role, and then click Next.
   
4. In the Summary page, click Finish.
5. When administrators in the Help Desk role log into Director, all they see is this.
   
   To jazz it up a little, add the Help Desk group to the read-only role.
6. Right-click the Help Desk Administrator, and click Edit Administrator.
   
7. Click Add.
   
8. In the Scope page, select a scope, and click Next.
   
9. In the Role page, select Read Only Administrator, and click Next.
   
10. In the Summary page, click Finish.
11. Then click OK. Now Director will display the dashboard.
    

Customer Experience Improvement Program

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 enables CEIP by default. If desired, you can disable it in Citrix Studio:

1. On the left, go to theConfiguration node.
2. On the right, switch to theProduct Support tab.
   
3. ClickEnd.
   
4. Click Yes.
   

Citrix Studio 7.17 collects data for Google Analytics. You can disable this in the registry at HKLM\Software\Citrix\DesktopStudio\GAEnabled = 0.

Each XenApp/XenDesktop component has a separate configuration for disabling Customer Experience Improvement Program:

• License Server CEIP
• Virtual Delivery Agent CEIP
• Profile Management CEIP
• StoreFront CEIP
• Provisioning Services CEIP
• Receiver CEIP
• Receiver for HTML5 CEIP
• Session Recording CEIP
• AppDNA CEIP
• NetScaler CEIP

vCenter Connection

XenDesktop uses an Active Directory service account to log into vCenter. This account needs specific permissions in vCenter. To facilitate assigning these permissions, create a new vCenter role and assign it to the XenDesktop service account. The permissions should be applied at the datacenter or higher level.

Import vCenter Root Certificate

If the vCenter certificate is valid and trusted, then you can skip to the Hosting Resource section.

For newer versions of vCenter, you can import the root certificate that signed the vCenter Server/Appliance certificate.

1. Point your browser to the root path of the vCenter Server URL.
2. On the bottom right, clickDownload trusted root CA certificates.
   
3. Extract the downloaded files.
4. Go to\certs\win.
5. Sort the files by date, and double-click the newest.crt file.
   
6. On theGeneral tab, clickInstall Certificate.
   
7. In the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, change theStore Location selection toLocal Machine, and clickNext.
   
8. In theCertificate Store page, clickBrowse.
   
9. SelectTrust Root Certification Authorities, and clickOK.
   
10. In theCompleting the Certificate Import Wizard page, clickFinish.
    
11. If you close your browser and reopen it, and then go to the vCenter URL, there should no longer be any certificate errors.
12. Skip to the Hosting Resource section.

Import vCenter Certificate

If the vCenter certificate is valid and trusted, then you can skip to the Hosting Resource section.

Alternatively, you can import the actual vCenter Server certificate (instead of the root). This is the only option for older self-signed vCenter certificates.

Newer versions of XenDesktop have the ability to import the vCenter certificate thumbprint into the database so every Controller trusts it. However, it is difficult to update the thumbprint whenever the vCenter certificate changes. It might instead be more reliable to use the older method of configuring theTrusted People store on the Delivery Controllers. Whenever the vCenter certificate is changed, you'll need to repeat these steps.

1. Get the vCenter certificate.
   1. Open a browser and point it to the vCenter URL. Note: this procedure to get the certificate won't work in Internet Explorer.
      
   2. If Google Chrome, press <F12> to open the Developer Tools.
      
   3. On the top right, click the two right arrows to show more tabs, and clickSecurity.
      
   4. On theSecurity tab, clickView certificate.
      
   5. On theDetails tab, clickCopy to File.
      
   6. In theWelcome to the Certificate Export Wizard page, clickNext.
      
   7. In theExport File Format page, either format will work. ClickNext.
      
   8. In theFile to Export page, browse to a new file, and clickNext.
      
   9. In theCompleting the Certificate Export Wizard page, clickFinish.
      
2. Simply runcertlm.msc. This opens the MMC console with theCertificates snap-in already added and pointing to Local computer.
3. On the left, right-click the Trusted People node, expand All Tasks, and click Import.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Next.
   
5. In the File to Import page, browse to the certificate you saved earlier, and click Next.
   
6. In the Certificate Store page, click Next.
   
7. In the Completing the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Finish.
   
8. Click OK to acknowledge that the import was successful.
9. Repeat these steps on the second Controller. It is important that you import the certificate on both Controllers before adding the Hosting Resource.
10. If you open Internet Explorer and browse to the vCenter Server, there should be no certificate errors.
    

Hosting Resources

A Hosting Resource = vCenter + Cluster (Resource Pool) + Storage + Network. When you create a machine catalog, you select a previously defined Hosting Resource, and the Cluster, Storage, and Network defined in the Hosting Resource object are automatically selected. If you need some desktops on a different Cluster+Storage+Network, then you'll need to define more Hosting Resources in Studio.

1. In Studio, expand Configuration and click Hosting. Right-click it, and click Add Connection and Resources.
   
2. In the Connection page, for Connection type, select VMware vSphere.
3. Notice there's a Learn about user permissions blue link to an article that describes the necessary permissions.
4. Enter https://vcenter01.corp.local/sdk as the vCenter URL. The URL must contain the FQDN of the vCenter server.
5. Enter credentials of a service account that can log into vCenter.
6. In the Connection name field, give the connection a name. Typically, this matches the name of the vCenter server.
7. If you are not using Machine Creation Services, and instead only need the vCenter connection for machine power management, change the Create virtual machines using selection to Other Tools. If you intend to use MCS, leave it set toStudio Tools.
8. Click Next.
   
9. In the Storage Management page, clickBrowse, and select a vSphere cluster.
   • Note: as detailed at CTX223662, make sure there's no comma in the datacenter name.
10. SelectUse storage shared by hypervisors.
11. If you have sufficient disk space on each ESXi host, also selectOptimize temporary data on available local storage. From Mark Syms at XA 7.9 MCS with RAM Caching at Citrix Discussions: "If you use just MCS caching to local storage then the VM is not agile at all and cannot be moved even when powered off as it has a virtual disk permanently associated with a single host."
12. From Martin Rowan at XA 7.9 MCS with RAM Caching at Citrix Discussions: for the temporary cache disk, "Don't format it, the raw disk is what MCS caching uses."
13. Click Next.
    
14. In theStorage Selection page, OS and Personal vDisk must be selected on at least one datastore. For maximum flexibility, only select one datastore. To select additional datastores, run this wizard again to create a separate Hosting Resource.
15. If you selected the temporary data on local storage option, on the bottom, clickSelect, and choose the datastores you want to use for disk caching. By default, all local datastores are selected. Click Next when done.
    
16. In the Network page, enter a name for the hosting resource. Since each hosting resource is a combination of vCenter, Cluster, Network, and Datastores, include those names in this field (e.g. vCenter01-Cluster01-Network01-Datastore01).
17. Select a network and click Next.
    
18. In the Summary page, click Finish.
    
19. If you have multiple datastores for your VDAs, run the wizard again.
    
20. You can use the existing vCenter connection.
    
21. This time, select a different datastore.
    
22. Give it a name that indicates the chosen datastore.
    
23. When you create a Catalog, select the Hosting Resource for the datastore where you want the VDAs to be placed. Create additional Catalogs for each datastore. You can then combine the Catalogs into a single Delivery Group.
    
24. Later in the Catalog wizard, you're given an option to enable caching and select a cache size. This is similar to Provisioning Services option "Cache in RAM with overflow to disk".
    
25. If you rename Storage, Network, or Datacenters, see Citrix CTX225019 XA/XD 7.13: Renaming Storage, Network or Datacenters When Used With MCS or PVS. Either run Update-HypHypervisorConnection -LiteralPath "XDHyp:\Connections\MyConnection" , or right-click the Hosting Resource and click Edit Storage. You can cancel the wizard.
    

Citrix License Server

Upgrade License Server

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.18 comes with 11.15.0.0 build 24100.

If you have a standalone Licensing Server, upgrade it to Citrix Licensing 11.15.0.0 build 24100, if it isn't already.

1. Go to the downloaded Citrix Licensing 11.15.0.0 build 24100, and run CitrixLicensing. exe.
   
   
2. If you see theSubscription Advantage Renewal page, make a selection, and click Next.
   
3. In the Upgrade page, click Upgrade.
   
4. Click Finish.
   
5. If you go to Programs and Features, it should now show version 11.15.0.1 build 24100.
   
6. If you login to the license server web console, on the Administration tab…
   
7. It shows it as version 11.15.0.1 build 24100.
   
8. You can also view the version in the registry at HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\LicenseServer\Install.
   

Citrix Licensing Manager

Newer versions of License Server come with a new management web site. Citrix seems to be slowly moving all functionality to the new web site.

1. From the Start Menu, runCitrix Licensing Manager. Or go to https://<My_Licensing_Server>:8083
   
2. You might be prompted to login.
   
   • To eliminate this login, add the License Server URL to the Local Intranet zone.
     
3. This web site will be used for some of the following procedures.
4. If you click the gear icon on the top right…
   
5. You can add License Server Administrators.
   

Activate Citrix License

The easy way to install and activate a Citrix license is through Citrix Studio:

1. In Citrix Studio, expandConfiguration, right-clickLicensing, and clickAllocate Licenses.
   
2. Enter the LA- license code, and clickShow.
   • You can find your LA- code at http://mycitrix.com, clickAll Licensing Tools, and clickView Licenses.
     
3. Then click theAllocate licenses button.
   
   • Another method of allocating licenses is in the new Licensing Manager at https://MyLicenseServer:8083.
     
4. After licenses are installed, right-click theLicensing node, and clickEdit Product Edition
   
5. Change the edition to match your licenses. If you see both XenDesktop and XenApp licenses, you must select XenDesktop. If you see both Concurrent and User/Device, then you must select User/Device. Click OK when done.
   
6. XenDesktop 7.14 and newer support mixed licensing in a single site/farm. See the following:
   • Citrix Blog Post Introducing Multi-Type Licensing in XenApp & XenDesktop 7.14.
   • Multi-type licensing at Citrix Docs.

License Server CEIP

11.14.1.1 build 19005 and newer enables CEIP by default. This can be disabled in the Citrix Licensing Manager (https://MyLicenseServer:8083) by clicking the gear icon.

Switch to the Usage and Statistics tab, and make a selection in theShare usage statistics with Citrix section.

Citrix License Management Service

Version 11.14.0.1 and newer include the Citrix License Management Service. This service helps you avoid prohibited practices:

• Duplication of licenses outside a Disaster Recovery (DR) environment
• Use of legacy licenses for new product versions
• Use of rescinded licenses

Citrix License Server Monitoring

Citrix Licensing 11.13.1 and newer has historical usage reporting:

1. RunCitrix Licensing Manager from the Start Menu. Or use a browser to connect to https://MyLicenseServer:8083
   
2. On the Historical Use tab, use the drop-down menus to select a license type, select dates, and export to a .csv file.
   
3. TheUpdate Licenses tab lets you check for renewals and download them.
   
4. On the top right is a gear icon where you can set the historical retention period.
   
   1. On theUsage and Statistics tab…
      
   2. Scroll down and find theHistorical Use section.
      

Jonathan Medd Monitor Citrix License Usage With PowerShell.

Lal Mohan – Citrix License Usage Monitoring Using Powershell

Jaroslaw Sobel – Monitoring Citrix Licenses usage – Graphs using WMI, Powershell and RRDtool. This script generates a graph similar to the following:

Remote Desktop Licensing Server

Install Remote Desktop Licensing Server

Do the following on your XenDesktop Controllers:

1. In Server Manager, open the Manage menu, and click Add Roles and Features.
   
2. In theInstallation Type page, selectRole-based or feature-based installation.
   
3. Click Next until you get to the Server Roles page. Check the box next to Remote Desktop Services, and click Next.
   
4. Click Next until you get to the Role Services page. Check the box next to Remote Desktop Licensing, and click Next.
   
5. Click Add Features if prompted.
   
6. Then finish the wizard to install the role service.
   

Activate Remote Desktop Licensing

1. After RD Licensing is installed, in Server Manager, open the Tool menu, expand Terminal Services (or Remote Desktop Services), and click Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
   
2. The tool should find the local server. If it does not, right-click All servers, click Connect, and type in the name of the local server.
3. Once the local server can be seen in the list, right-click the server and click Activate Server.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Activate Server Wizard page, click Next.
   
5. In the Connection Method page, click Next.
   
6. In the Company Information page, enter the required information, and click Next.
   
7. All of the fields on the Company Information page are optional, so you do not have to enter anything. Click Next.
   
8. In the Completing the Activate Server Wizard page, uncheck the box next to Start Install Licenses Wizard now, and click Finish. Since the session hosts will be configured to pull Per User licenses, there is no need to install licenses on the RD Licensing Server.
   
9. In RD Licensing Manager, right-click the server, and click Review Configuration.
   
10. Ensure you have green check marks. If the person installing Remote Desktop Licensing does not have permissions to add the server to the Terminal Server License Servers group in Active Directory, ask a domain admin to do it manually. If you have the proper permissions, click Add to Group.
    
11. Click Continue when prompted that you must have Domain Admins privileges.
    
12. Click OK when prompted that the computer account has been added.
    
13. Click OK to close the window.
    

Smart Check

Citrix Cloud offers a Smart Check service that can scan your XenApp/XenDesktop infrastructure for known issues.

• For a list of checks, see About health checks at Citrix Docs.
• See What's new for Citrix Smart Tools at Citrix Docs
• For a comparison of Smart Check and Citrix Insight Services, see Citrix Blog Post What Data is Smart Check Collecting?

To run Smart Check:

1. Go to https://citrix.cloud.com, and login.
2. After logging in, under My Services, findSmart Tools, and clickManage.
   
3. ClickSmart Check.
   
4. If you enabled Smart Tools during the installation of XenDesktop 7.18, then the site should already be there. ClickComplete Setup.
   
5. If you didn't enable Smart Check during XenDesktop installation, then clickAdd Site.
   
   1. In step 1, clickDownload Agent.
      
   2. Step 2 indicates it is waiting for you to install the Agent.
      
   3. On a Delivery Controller, run the downloadedCitrixLifecycleManagementAgent.exe.
      
   4. Check the box next toI accept the terms in the License Agreement, and clickInstall.
      
   5. In theCompleted the Citrix Smart Tools Agent Setup Wizard page, clickFinish.
      
   6. Step 2 now shows that the Agent was installed successfully. ClickNext.
      
6. Enter credentials for your XenDesktop farm, and clickAdd Site, or clickDone.
   
7. Eventually you'll see aGet Started link.
   
8. Or, if the site is already added to your list of sites, clickView Report next to the site.
   
9. Some of the Checks need to be configured. On the top right, clickConfigure.
   
10. You can schedule the checks to automatically run periodically.
    
11. Select one of the checks. Some of the checks require you toSelect Machines.
    
12. To view the alerts, click one of the alert badges in the component category. Also see Smart Check alerts reference at Citrix Docs.
    
13. Expand a component, and click an alert.
    
14. On the right, there's an option toHide Alert.
    
    
15. To view the hidden alerts, at the top right, click the menu icon, and clickShow Hidden Alerts.
    
16. The hidden alert is grayed out. If you click the alert, you can restore it.
    
    

Additional Smart Checks

The Blueprint Catalog has additional checks that you can add to Smart Check. Click Blueprint Catalog in the menu bar. Scroll down to the Citrix Checks section, and click the plus icon next to one of them.

When you go back to Smart Check, open a site (View Report), and click Perform Check, you'll see the Custom Check that you added from the Blueprint Catalog.

See Citrix Blog Post VDA Health Check Now Available on Smart Check.

Citrix Scout

XenDesktop 7.18 includes Citrix Scout that can be launched from the Start Menu.

The tool can run a manual collection, run a trace, or schedule periodic collection. The results are uploaded to Citrix Smart Tools.

Links with more information:

• Bas van Kaam With XenDesktop & XenApp 7.14 comes Scout 3.0 – some big changes, read what's new – compares old Scout with new Scout
• Citrix Docs Citrix Scout

XenApp/XenDesktop Health Check

Sacha Tomet Finally 1.0 – but never finalized!: XenApp & XenDesktop 7.x Health Check script has now Version 1.0.

Andrew Morgan – New Free Tool: Citrix Director Notification Service: The Citrix Director Notification service sits on an edge server as a service (or local to the delivery controller) and periodically checks the health of:

• Citrix Licensing.
• Database Connections.
• Broker Service.
• Core Services.
• Hypervisor Connections.

And if any of these items fall out of bounds, an SMTP alert is sent to the mailbox of your choice for action. The tool will also send "All Clear" emails when these items are resolved, ensuring you are aware when the service has resumed a healthy state.

Matt Bodholdt XenDesktop 7.x Controller Service Status Script at CUGC – PowerShell script that checks the following:

• Lists Controllers with boot time
• Licensing status
• Service status on each Controller
• DB Connections
• Controller Available Memory
• Hypervisor Connections Status

Related Pages

• Configure RDSH VDAs to use Remote Desktop Licensing Server
• Back to XenApp/XenDesktop 7.18

Navigation

• Change Log
• Director Licensing – Platinum Edition
• Install/Upgrade Director 7.17 on Standalone Server
• Director Default Webpage
• Director Spinning Circle
• Director Domain Field on Logon Page
• Director Tweaks
  • Director Configuration Script
• Director – Saved Filters
• Director and HDX Insight
• Director and Self-Service Password Reset
• Director Monitoring Database Grooming
• Director Single Sign On
• Director – Multiple XenDesktop Sites
• Director Process Monitoring
• Director Alerts and Notifications
• Director – SCOM Integration
• Director – Custom Reports
• Use Director 7.17

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 Feb 26 – Updated Install section for version 7.17
• 2018 Feb 3 – in Grooming section, added link to Data granularity and retention at Citrix Docs
• 2017 Dec 14 – in Use Director section, added XenServer 7.3 VDA console access
• 2017 Dec 6 – in Use Director section, added link to Citrix Blog Post Application Analytics in Citrix Director
• 2017 Dec 2:
  • Updated Use Director section for new features in Director 7.16
  • Split Director domain field into its own section

Director Licensing – Platinum Edition

See the XenApp and XenDesktop Feature Matrix. Scroll down toDirector Platinum Edition for the list of Director features that require Platinum Edition licensing.

• Up to a year's worth of performance data that provides a comprehensive view of capacity trends
• Proactive notification and alerting including SNMP integration
• SCOM alerts
• Desktop and server OS usage reporting
• Create customized reports
• Reboot warnings
• NetScaler MAS integration – HDX Insight
• Override control over roaming sessions

See Citrix Docs Feature compatibility matrix for a list of which Director feature came with each version, and the licensing Edition needed for each feature.

Install/Upgrade Director 7.17 on Standalone Server

Current Release vs LTSR – Director 7.17 is a Current Release, which is only supported for 6 months from the release date, and you are expected to upgrade it every 3-6 months. If you prefer a release with a longer support cycle, see Director 7.15 LTSR.

Install on Delivery Controller? – The XenDesktop Delivery Controller metainstaller has an option to install Director on the Delivery Controller machine. Or you can install Director on separate, dedicated machines.

• If Director will connect to multiple sites/farms, then install Director on its own servers.
• For small environments, it might be OK to install Director on the Delivery Controller machines. Otherwise, Director is usually installed on separate machines.

Director and Delivery Controller versions – There's no point in upgrading to Director 7.17 if your Delivery Controllers are not also 7.17. Director will inform you if your Delivery Controllers are not the same version as Director.

Installation guidance – For Director installation guidance, see the following:

• Citrix CTX222476 Install or Upgrade to Citrix Director 7.x Using Director .msi file
• Citrix CTX142260 Installing or Upgrading to Citrix Director 7.6.200.

Scripted install – To install and configure Director using a script, see Dennis Span Citrix Director unattended installation with PowerShell.

Manual installation – To install Director manually:

1. Start with runningAutoSelect.exe from the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 ISO.
   
2. In the Extend Deployment section, on the bottom left, clickCitrix Director.
   
3. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and click Next.
   
4. In theCore Components page, clickNext.
   
5. In the Delivery Controller page, it will ask you for the location of one Controller in the farm. Only enter one Controller per farm. If you have multiple Director servers, each Director server can point to a different Controller in the farm. From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails. ClickTest Connection, and then clickAdd.
6. You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Securing endpoints using TLS at Citrix Docs.
   
7. In theFeatures page, clickNext.
   
8. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
   
9. In theSummary page, clickInstall.
   
10. In theFinish page, clickFinish.
    
11. In IIS Manager, go to Default Web Site > Director > Application Settings, findService.AutoDiscoveryAddresses, and make sure it points to one Controller in the farm, and not tolocalhost. From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails.
12. You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Securing endpoints using TLS at Citrix Docs.
    
    
13. If you built multiple Director servers, use NetScaler to load balance them.
14. If you are upgrading Director, runC:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /upgrade to complete the upgrade process.
    
15. For info on the new monitoring features in Director 7.17 and older, see Use Director below.

Director Default Webpage

From CTX223907 How to Make Director the Default Page within IIS: If Director is installed on a standalone server, do the following to set /Director as the default path.

1. Open Notepad elevated (as administrator) and paste the following text:

   <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- window.location="https://director.corp.com/Director"; // --> </script>

2. Adjust the window.location line to match your FQDN.
3. SelectFile >SaveAs and browse to the IIS folder, by defaultC:\inetpub\wwwroot is the IIS folder.
4. Select the Save as type toAlltypes.
5. Type a file name with an html extension, and selectSave.
   
6. Open IIS Manager.
7. Select the SERVERNAME node (top-level), and double-click Default Document, as shown in the following screen shot:
   
8. On the right, clickAdd…,
   
9. Enter the file name of the .html file provided in Step 5.
   
10. Ensure the .html file is located at the top of the list, as shown in the following screen shot:
    

Director Spinning Circle

If after login to Director the spinning circle doesn't go away…

Do the following to fix it:

1. Edit the file C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\web.config using an elevated text editor.
2. Search for<serviceHostingEnvironment (line 273).
3. Add the following attribute:

   multipleSiteBindingsEnabled="true"

   

Also see CTX202564 Citrix Director Becomes Unresponsive after Submitting the Credentials when IIS X-Frame-Options is enabled

Director Domain Field

On the Director servers, locate and edit the 'LogOn.aspx' file. By default you can find it at C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\Logon.aspx

In line 450 you will have the following. To find the line, search forID="Domain".

<asp:TextBox ID="Domain" runat="server" CssClass="text-box" onfocus="showIndicator(this);" onblur="hideIndicator(this);"></asp:TextBox>

In the ID="Domain" element, insert a Text attribute and set it to your domain name. Don't change or add any other attributes. Save the file.

<asp:TextBox ID="Domain" runat="server" Text="Corp" CssClass="text-box" onfocus="showIndicator(this);" onblur="hideIndicator(this);"></asp:TextBox>

This will prepopulate the domain field text box with your domain name and still allow the user to change it, if that should be required. Note: this only seems to work if Single Sign-on is disabled.

Citrix CTX227936 How to hide the domain from Director Logon Page:  💡

1. Edit the fileC:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\LogOn.aspx using an elevated text editor.
2. Locate the tag which starts with: <asp:Label ID="DomainLabel"
3. Immediately prior to that label, locate the tag: <div class='label eight'>
4. Add the following before <div class='label eight'>: <div style='display:none'>
5. In between "</asp:Textbox> <br />" add the following: </div>
   
   

Director Tweaks

Session timeout

By default the idle time session limit of the Director is 245 min. If you wish to change the timeout, here is how to do it.

1. Log on to the Director Server as an administrator
2. Open the 'IIS Manager'
3. Browse to 'SitesDefault Web SiteDirector' in the left hand pane.
4. Open 'Session State' in the right hand pane
5. Change the 'Time-out (in minutes)' value under 'Cookie Settings'
6. Click 'Apply' in the Actions list

SSL Check

From http://euc.consulting/blog/citrix-desktop-director-2-1: If you are not securing Director with an SSL certificate you will get this error at the logon screen.

To stop this:

1. Log on to the Director Server as an administrator
2. Open the 'IIS Manager'
3. Browse to 'SitesDefault Web SiteDirector' in the left hand pane.
4. Open 'Application Settings' in the right hand pane
5. Set UI.EnableSslCheck to false.
   

Disable Activity Manager

From Disable the visibility of running applications in the Activity Manager in Advanced Configuration at Citrix Docs: By default, the Activity Manager in Director displays a list of all the running applications and the Windows description in the title bars of any open applications for the user's session. This information can be viewed by all administrators that have access to the Activity Manager feature in Director. For Delegated Administrator roles, this includes Full administrator, Delivery Group administrator, and Help Desk Administrator.

To protect the privacy of users and the applications they are running, you can disable the Applications tab from listing running applications.

• On the VDA, modify the registry key located atHKLM\Software\Citrix\Director\TaskManagerDataDisplayed. By default, the key is set to 1. Change the value to 0, which means the information will not be displayed in the Activity Manager.
• On the server with Director installed, modify the setting that controls the visibility of running applications. By default, the value is true, which allows visibility of running applications in theApplications Change the value to false, which disables visibility. This option affects only the Activity Manager in Director, not the VDA. Modify the value of the following setting:

  UI.TaskManager.EnableApplications = false

Large Active Directory / Multiple Forests

From CTX133013 Desktop Director User Account Search Process is Slow or Fails: By default, all the Global Catalogs for the Active Directory Forest are searched using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). In a large Active Directory environment, this query can take some time or even time out.

If multiple forests, see Citrix Blog Post Using Citrix Director in a MultiForest Environment.

1. In Information Server (IIS) Management, under the Desktop Director site, select Application Settings and add a new value called Connector.ActiveDirectory.ForestSearch. Set it to False. This disables searching any domain except the user's domain and the server's domain.
2. To search more domains, add the searchable domain or domains in the Connector.ActiveDirectory.Domains field.
   

Site Groups

From Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director 7.6 Deep-Dive Part 4: Troubleshooting Machines:

If there are a large number of machines, the Director administrator can now configure site groups to perform machine search so that they can narrow down searching for the machine inside a site group. The site groups can be created on the Director server by running the configuration tool via command line by running the command:

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /createsitegroups

Then provide a site group name and IP address of the delivery controller of the site to create the site group.

Director Configuration Script

Johan Greefkes at Script for configuring Director at Citrix Discussions was kind enough to provide a script that does the following:

• Sets the XenDesktop Controllers that Director communicates with
• Disables SSL Check
• Sets Logon.aspx file to default to a domain name
• Adds a footer that displays the name of the Director server

Director – Saved Filters

From Scott Osborne and Jarian Gibson at Citrix Discussions: In Director, you can create a filter and save it.

The saved filter is then accessible from the Filters menu structure.

The saved filters are stored on each Director server at C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\Director\UserData. Each user has their own saved filters. The saved filters are not replicated across Director servers.

You can instead configure multiple Director servers to store the filters on a shared UNC path: (h/t CTP Jarian Gibson)

1. Create and share a folder (e.g. DirectorData).
   
2. The Director server computer accounts need Modify permission to the share.
   
3. On each Director server, run IIS Manager.
4. Go toSites > Default Web Site > Director. In the middle, double-clickApplication Settings.
   
5. Change theService.UserSettingsPath setting to the UNC path of the new share.
   
6. Repeat this on other load balanced Director servers.

Director and HDX Insight

You can connect Director to NetScaler Management & Analytics System (NetScaler MAS) or Citrix Insight Center to add Network tabs to Director's Trends and Machine Details views. Citrix Blog Post Configure Director with NetScaler Management & Analytics System (MAS).

Director and Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR)

If you have XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition, it's possible to install SSPR on the Director server. See George Spiers Citrix Self-Service Password Reset for a detailed implementation guide.

However this might break Director, and all you will see is a spinning circle.

To fix it, in IIS Manager (inetmgr), edit the bindings of the Default Web Site, and Removethe HTTP 8080 binding. Or implement the multisitebinding fix.

More info at Citrix Discussions Installing SSPR 1.0 appears to have broken Director 7.11 on same server.

Director Grooming

If XenDesktop is not Platinum Edition, then all historical Director data is groomed at 30 days.

For XenDesktop/XenApp Platinum Edition, by default, most of the historical Director data is groomed at 90 days. This can be adjusted up to 367 days by running a PowerShell cmdlet.

1. On a XenDesktop Delivery Controller, run PowerShell and run asnp Citrix.*
   
   
2. Run Get-MonitorConfiguration to see the current grooming settings.
   
3. Run Set-MonitorConfiguration to change the grooming settings.
   

More details on Monitor Service data aggregation and retention can be found at Data granularity and retention at Citrix Docs.  💡

You can configure Director to support Integrated Windows Authentication (Single Sign-on). Note: there seem to be issues when not connecting from the local machine or when connecting through a load balancer.

1. Run IIS Manager. You can launch it from Server Manager (Tools menu), or from the Start Menu, or by running inetmgr.
   
2. On the left, expand Sites, expand Default Web Site, and click Director.
   
3. In the middle, double-click Authentication in the IISsection.
   
4. Right-click Windows Authentication, and Enable it.
   
5. Right-click Anonymous Authentication, and Disable it.
   
6. Pass-through auth won't work from another computer until you set the http SPN for the Director server. See Director 7.7 Windows Authentication not working with NS LB at Citrix Discussions.
   
7. If Director is not installed on a Controller, then you'll need to configure Kerberos delegation.
   
8. If you are load balancing Director then additional config is required. See Director 7.7 Windows Authentication not working with NS LB at Citrix Discussions for more info.
   1. The FQDN for Director load balancing should be different than the FQDN for StoreFront load balancing.
   2. Create an AD service account that will be used as the Director's ApplicationPoolIdentity.
   3. Create SPN and link it to the service account.

      setspn -S http/loadbalanced_URL domain\user

   4. Trust the user account for delegation to any service (Kerberos only) (trust the Director servers for delegation is not necessary in this case). You have to create the SPN before you can do this step.
      
   5. In IIS manager, on the Application Pools (Director), specify the Identity as user we have created in step 1.
      
   6. In IIS manager, expandDefault Web Site, select Director, and open the Configuration Editor (bottom of the middle pane).
      
   7. Use the drop-down to navigate to the following section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
      
   8. Set useAppPoolCredentials = True, and useKernelMode = False. Click Apply on the top right.
      
      
9. When you connect to Director you will be automatically logged in. You can change the login account by first logging off.
   
10. Then change the drop-down to User credentials.
    

Director – Multiple XenDesktop Sites

1. Run IIS Manager. You can launch it from Server Manager (Tools menu) or from the Start Menu, or by running inetmgr.
   
2. On the left, expand Sites, expand Default Web Site, and click Director.
   
3. In the middle pane, double-click Application Settings.
   
4. Find the entry for Service. AutoDiscoveryAddresses, and double-click it.
   
5. If Director is installed on a Controller, localhost should already be entered.
6. Add a comma, and the NetBIOS name of one of the controllers in the 2nd XenDesktop Site (farm). Only enter one Controller name. If you have multiple Director servers, you can point each Director server to a different Controller in the 2^nd XenDesktop Site (farm). From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails.
   1. You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Securing endpoints using TLS at Citrix Docs.  💡

Director Process Monitoring

Director 7.11 and newer have Process Monitoring, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director: CPU, Memory Usage and Process Information.

Process Monitoring is disabled by default. To enable it, configure the Enable process monitoring setting in a Citrix Policy. For Citrix Policies in a GPO, find this setting in the computer half of the GPO. Note: this setting could significantly increase the size of the Monitoring database.

Director Alerts and Notifications

Director supports alert conditions and email notifications. This feature requires XenApp/XenDesktop to be licensed with Platinum Edition. See Citrix Blog Post Configuring & Managing Alerts and Notifications Using Director for more information.

Director 7.11 and newer have CPU, Memory, and ICT RTT alerts. Citrix Blog Post 7 New Categories in Director for Proactive Notifications & Alerts

To configure alerts:

1. While logged into Director, at the top of the page, click the Alerts button.
   
2. Switch to the Email Server Configuration tab.
   
3. Enter your SMTP information, and click Send Test Message. Then click Save.
   
   
4. Switch to the Citrix Alerts Policy tab.
5. There are four high-level categories of alerts: Site Policy, Delivery Group Policy, Server OS Policy, andUser Policy. Click whichever one you want to configure.
   
6. Then click Create.
   
7. Give the alert a name.
8. On the bottom left, select a condition, and enter thresholds.
   
9. On the bottom right, in the Notifications preferences section, click Add.
   
10. Enter an email address, and click Add.
    
11. Click Save when done. Feel free to create more alerts and notifications.
    
12. For Server OS and User Policy, there are new ICA RTT alerts. See Citrix Blog Post 7 New Categories in Director for Proactive Notifications & Alerts for details on the new alerts in 7.11 and newer.
    
13. In Director 7.12 and newer, you can configure alerts to generate an SNMP trap. This is configured in PowerShell as described at Configure alerts policies with SNMP traps at Citrix Docs.

    Set-MonitorNotificationSnmpServerConfiguration        #see Docs for parameter details Set-MonitorNotificationPolicy -IsSnmpEnabled $true -Uid <Policy ID>

14. Citrix has an experimental Desktop Notification Tool. See Citrix Blog Post Desktop Notification Tool For Citrix XenDesktop.
    
    

Director Alerts can be configured with a WebHook that allows Octoblu to perform actions when a Director Alert occurs. See Configure alerts policies with Octoblu webhooks at Citrix Docs for details.

Set-MonitorNotificationPolicy –Uid 5 –Webhook <Webhook URL>

Director – SCOM Integration

Director 7.8 and newer can display alerts from System Center Operations Manager 2012 R2. This feature requires XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition.

1. See Configure SCOM integration at Citrix Docs for detailed configuration instructions. Also see Marius Sandbu Integrating Citrix XenDesktop 7.7 and System Center Operations Manager.
2. If Director server or System Center Operations Manager server is 2008 R2, then login to the 2008 R2 server, open PowerShell and run Enable-PSRemoting. Yes to everything. This is not needed on Windows Server 2012 R2 servers.
3. On Director server, run C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /configscom
   
4. FYI, the DirectorConfig.exe /configscom command enables the following features on the Director server: /FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility45 /FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET45 /FeatureName:WCF-HTTP-Activation45
5. FYI, the System Center Operations Manager server is listed in IIS Manager at Default Web Site > Director > Application Settings (middle pane) > Connector. SCOM.ManagementServer.
   
6. On the System Center Operations Manager server, edit Remote Management Users local group, and add Citrix Admins, and other Director users.
7. In System Center Operations Manager Console, go to Administration > User Roles, and edit Operations Manager Operators. Add the Citrix Admins, and other Director users.
8. See Citrix Blog Post SCOM Alerts in Citrix Director for information on how to view System Center Operations Manager alerts in Director.

Director – Custom Reports

In Director 7.12 and newer, in the Trends view, there's a Custom Reports tab that guides you through creating a custom OData Query. This tab only appears if you have XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition.

The Monitoring database contains more data than is exposed in Director. To view this data, the Monitoring service has an OData Data Feed that can be queried.

• You can use Excel to pull data from the OData Data feed. See Citrix Blog Post – Citrix Director – Analyzing the Monitoring Data by Means of Custom Reports. This particular blog post shows how to use an Excel PivotChart to display the connected Receiver versions.
  • Also see Alexander Ollischer Citrix XenDesktop 7.x – Query Citrix Receiver Versions connecting to your environment – XLS Report
• Citrix CTX211428 Using Excel to Report on Desktop Director Data uses Power Pivot.
• Or for Linqpad, see Citrix Blog Post – Creating Director Custom reports for Monitoring XenDesktop using Linqpad
• CTA David Ott XenDesktop Usage Report shows that querying OData can be slow and it's sometimes faster to query the actual Monitoring database. Updated Report.

Use Director

The newer Director features usually require Delivery Controllers and VDAs to be at the same version or newer than Director. Director depends on the Monitoring Service that is built into the Delivery Controller. The Monitoring Service gathers data from the VDAs.

See Monitor deployments at Citrix Docs.

See the various Troubleshoot topics at Citrix Docs.

New features in Director 7.16 and newer:

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223927 How to use Director to troubleshoot application launch errors. This feature is configured in Citrix Policy Settings located in the Computer half atVirtual Delivery Agent Settings > Monitoring. Also see Citrix Blog Post Application Related Session Failure Reporting in Citrix Director 7.15.

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223928 How to use Director to monitor storage performance.

Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director Now Provides Disk Usage Information!:

• IOPS and disk latency data is enabled by default.
• IOPS and disk latency is pushed to the database from each VDA at 1 hour interval.
• Approximately 276 KB of disk space is required to store the CPU, memory, IOPS and disk latency data for one VDA over a period of one year.

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223925 How to use Director to monitor NVIDIA GPU usage.

Citrix Director 7.13 and newer have an Application Instances tab on the Filters page that lets you filter published application sessions based on Session Idle Time (RDS sessions only), Application Name, and all other existing fields, like machine name, and so on. Requires Director 7.13, Controller 7.13, VDA 7.13, and Platinum Edition licensing. See Citrix Blog Post Monitoring Idle Applications and Sessions in Citrix Director. See Troubleshoot applications at Citrix Docs.

If idle time column showsn/a, then you need to wait 10-15 minutes.

In Director 7.13 and newer, the Session Details panel can show if Enlightened Data Transport (EDT, aka HDX on UDP) is enabled in the user's session. See Citrix Blog Post HDX Adaptive Transport Protocol Monitoring via Director.

George Spiers has a comprehensive guide of all Director 7.12 features at http://www.jgspiers.com/citrix-director/.

Director 7.12 and newer have Connection Failure Details, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Director 7.12: Easier Troubleshooting of Machine & Connection Failures. Also see CTX223812 Citrix Director Failure Codes.

Director 7.11 and newer have Process Monitoring, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director: CPU, Memory Usage and Process Information.

Director 7.9 and newer have Logon Duration improvements.

Citrix Blog Post Interactive Session of Logon Duration in Citrix Director – Explained: Interactive Session Duration = Desktop Ready Event Timestamp (EventId 1000 on VDA) – User Profile Loaded Event Timestamp (EventId 2 on VDA). More details in the Blog Post.

Citrix Blog Post Director 7.6 Failure Reasons Demystified lists possible failure reasons behind an Unregistered alert, and the true meaning of failure reasons such as Connection Refused andCommunication Error. It details each failure reason, defines the meanings of these failures, and lists action items that serve as a starting point for troubleshooting the specific scenario. The list is based on Director 7.6.300.

Navigation

• Change Log
• VDA Virtual Machine Hardware
• Windows Configuration
• Install Virtual Delivery Agent 7.17
  • Citrix Desktop Helper Service
  • Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
  • Connection Quality Indicator
  • Adaptive Transport
  • Slow Logons
  • Change Controller VDA Registration Port to something other than port 80
  • Verify VDA Registration with Controller
•  Receivers:
  • Citrix File Access 2.0.3 for Receiver for Chrome
• Framehawk Configuration
• Remote Desktop Licensing Configuration
• Reduce C: Drive Permissions
• Configure Pagefile for Provisioning Services
• Direct Access Users Group – allow non-administrators to RDP to the VDA
• Enable Windows Profiles v3/v4 – Windows 2012 R2 only
• Registry Settings – black screen, published Explorer, Screen Saver, Smart Card, HTML5 Clipboard, HTML5 Upload Folder, 4K Monitors, COM Ports
• Restore Legacy Client Drive Mapping
• Print Driver for Mac and Linux Clients
• HTML5 Receiver – SSL for VDA
• Anonymous Accounts
• Antivirus
• Optimize Performance
• Seal and Shut Down
• Troubleshooting – Graphics
• Uninstall VDA

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 May 20 – OS Optimization – added Windows Search fix from CTA Saadallah Chebaros Windows 10 Search Indexing Not Working After VMware OS Optimization tool for a fix.
• 2018 May 19 – Registry Values – added info from Jan Hendrik Meier NVIDIA GRID license not applied before the user connects – License Restriction will not be removed until the user reconnects
• 2018 May 1 – Registry Values – added Smart Card enabling registry value from CTX231942 Windows 10 April 2018 Update (v1803) – Citrix Known Issues
• 2018 Apr 30 – Connection Quality Indicator updated to version 1.3
• 2018 Apr 6 – in Slow Logins section, added disabling App Readiness service from CTX216590 Logon Delay and Black screen on logon for up to 10 seconds after upgrading from XA 7.5 to XA 7.6
• 2018 Apr 3 – in Install VDA section, added gpupdate info from CTX233580 Citrix policy settings configured using Administrative Template Policy Settings deleted from Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) after upgrade to latest version of VDA
• 2018 Feb 26 – updated Install VDA section for version 7.17
• 2018 Feb 17 – in the Verify VDA Registration section, added link to The Most Common VDA Registration Issues & Troubleshooting Steps at Citrix Blogs
• 2018 Feb 8 – in Optimize Performance > Citrix Links section, added info from CTX232313 Citrix Provisioning Services: Slow Login Performance with Windows 10 VDA Machines
• 2018 Jan 13 – in Change VDA Port section, added link to CTX229493 VDAs Do Not Register in LHC Mode When Registration Port is Not Set To Default
• 2018 Jan 10 – in Install VDA section, added link to Citrix Blog Post Citrix VDA Commandline Helper Tool
• 2018 Jan 5 – added VDA 7.16 Hotfix 1 for RDSH VDAs
• 2018 Jan 2 – in Profiles v4 section, added link to CTX230343 Reset Profile Options Is Greyed Out In Citrix Director
• 2017 Dec 8 – in Registry > Login Timeout section, added link to Citrix CTX138404 Application Connection Starts but Disappears after Timeout

Hardware

Hypervisor Host Hardware

• Citrix Blog Post Citrix Scalability — The Rule of 5 and 10: Simply take the number of physical cores in a hypervisor host, multiply it by 5 or 10, and the result will be your Single Server Scalability. Use 5 if you're looking for the number of XenDesktop VMs you can host on a box, and use 10 if you're looking for the number of XenApp user sessions you can host on a box.

Virtual Machine Hardware

1. Operating system version support: VDA 7.17 supports Windows 10 (1607 and newer), Windows Server 2012 R2 (RDSH only), and Windows Server 2016 (RDSH or Server VDI).
   1. For older operating systems (e.g Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2), install VDA 7.15 with the latest Cumulative Update. VDA 7.15 will work with newer Delivery Controllers (e.g. Delivery Controller 7.17).
2. CTX224843 Windows 10 compatibility with Citrix XenDesktop
   • Citrix provides partial support for Semi-Annual Channel Targeted (aka Current Branch) versions of Windows 10
   • Citrix provides full support for Semi-Annual Channel Broad (aka Current Branch for Business) versions of Windows 10, starting with the VDA version released after a Windows 10 version is designated as Broad (typically 4 months [4 patches] after initial release).
     • CTX229052 Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (v1709) – Citrix Known Issues.
     • CTX231942 Windows 10 Redstone 4 (Insider Preview builds) – Citrix Known Issues.
3. Firewall – VDA 7.17 enables the UDP-based EDT protocol by default. Make sure the UDP ports are open for ICA/HDX:
   1. UDP 1494
   2. UDP 2598
   3. UDP 443 – from Internet to NetScaler Gateway.
   4. UDP 443 can also be used by internal ICA connections if VDA SSL is configured.
   5. For EDT through NetScaler Gateway, make sure your NetScaler firmware is up to date, preferably 11.1 build 56 or newer.
4. VDA virtual machine sizing:
   1. For Windows 10 virtual desktops, give the virtual machine: 2+ vCPU and 2+ GB of RAM
   2. For Windows 2012 R2 RDSH, give the virtual machine 8 vCPU, and 24-48 GB of RAM
   3. See Daniel Feller Sizing Windows 2016, Windows 2012 And Windows 10 Virtual Machines
      
5. If using RAM caching (MCSIO or PvS), add more RAM for the cache
6. Remove the floppy drive
7. Remove any serial or LPT ports
8. If vSphere:
   1. To reduce disk space, reserve memory. Memory reservations reduce or eliminate the virtual machine .vswp file.
   2. The NIC should be VMXNET3.
9. If this VDA will boot from Provisioning Services:
   1. For vSphere, the NIC must be VMXNET3.
      
   2. For vSphere, configure the CD-ROM to boot from IDE instead of SATA. SATA comes with VM hardware version 10. SATA won't work with PvS.
      
10. Install the latest version of hypervisor drivers (e.g. VMware Tools).
11. The vSphere Activity Monitoring Feature with NSX Guest Introspection feature uses a TDI driver (vnetflt.sys), which might cause a "Connection Interrupted" message when users log off of Citrix. See CTX221206 "Connection Interrupted" error message displayed while logging off ICA session.

If vSphere, disable NIC Hotplug

1. Users could use the systray icon to Eject the Ethernet Controller. Obviously this is bad.
   
2. To disable this functionality, power off the virtual machine.
   
3. Once powered off, right-click the virtual machine, and click Edit Settings.
   
4. On the VM Options tab, expand Advanced, and then click Edit Configuration.
   
5. On the bottom left, enter devices. hotplug. On the right, enter false. Then clickAdd.
   
6. Then click OK a couple times to close the windows.
7. The VM can then be powered on.
   

Windows Preparation

1. Computer Group Policy – Make sure the Master VM is in the same OU as the Linked Clones so the Master VM will get the computer-level GPO settings in its registry. Run gpupdate on the master after moving the VM to the correct OU. When Clones are created from the Master, the computer-level GPO settings will already be applied, thus eliminating a timing issue.
   
2. If Server OS, disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration in Server Manager > Local Server.
   
3. Optionally, go to Action Center (Windows 2012 R2) or Control Panel >Security and Maintenance (Windows 10/2016) to disable User Account Control, and enable SmartScreen.
   
   1. In Windows 10 1703 and newer, search the Settings app forChange User Account Control settings.
      
   2. SmartScreen is configured in Windows Defender Security Center > App & browser control.
      
4. Run Windows Update. Do not skip this step. Many VDA installation problems are fixed by simply updating Windows.
   
   
   
   1. Defer Feature Updates – For Windows 10, since Citrix VDA does not immediately support new Windows 10 versions, configure Windows Update to defer feature updates.
      
      
      
5. Add your Citrix Administrators group to the local Administrators group on the VDA. Computer Management.
   
6. The Remote Desktop Services "Prompt for Password" policy prevents Single Sign-on to the Virtual Delivery Agent. Check registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services. If fPromptForPassword = 1 then you need to fix group policy. The following GPO setting will prevent Single Sign-on from working.

   Computer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Remote Desktop Services | Remote Desktop Session Host | Security | Always prompt for password upon connection

   Or set the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ PorticaAutoLogon (DWORD) = 0x10.

7. To remove the built-in apps in Windows 10, see Robin Hobo How to remove built-in apps in Windows 10 Enterprise.
8. For Remote Assistance in Citrix Director, configure the GPO settingComputer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | System | Remote Assistance | Offer Remote Assistance. See Jason Samuel – How to setup Citrix Director Shadowing with Remote Assistance using Group Policy for more details.
   
9. If you intend to use Citrix's SCOM Management Packs for XenApp/XenDesktop, make sure WinRM is enabled on the VDA by runningwinrm quickconfig. Or you can enable WinRM using Group Policy.
   

Install Virtual Delivery Agent 7.17

1. For virtual desktops, make sure you are logged into the console. The VDA won't install if you are connected using RDP.
2. Make sure .NET Framework 4.5.2 or newer is installed.

CLI Install:

Command Line Install Options are detailed at Install using the command line at Citrix Docs.

The Citrix Telemetry Service seems to cause problems. You can use the Command Line Installer to exclude Telemetry Service as detailed at VDA upgrade cmdlet at Citrix Discussions.

XenDesktopVDASetup.exe /quiet /noreboot /masterimage /Enable_HDX_PORTS /enable_framehawk_port /Enable_REAL_TIME_TRANSPORT /optimize /controllers "xdc01.corp.local xdc02.corp.local" /Exclude "Citrix Telemetry Service"

Citrix Blog Post Citrix VDA Commandline Helper Tool: a GUI to configure the VDA installation options.

GUI Install:

1. Mount the downloaded XenDesktop 7.17 ISO, and and run AutoSelect.exe.
   
   1. Alternatively, you can download the standalone VDA package and run that instead. Go the main XenDesktop 7.17 download page. Expand the section labelledComponents that are on the product ISO but also packaged separately. There is a VDA installer calledDesktop OS Core Services that is designed for Remote PC deployments.
      
2. Click Start next to either XenApp or XenDesktop. The only difference is the product name displayed in the installation wizard.
   
3. On the top right, click Virtual Delivery Agent for Windows Desktop OS, orWindows Server OS, depending on which type of VDA you are building.
   
   
4. In the Environment page, select Create a Master Image, and click Next.
   
   
5. In the Core Components page, if you don't need Citrix Receiver installed on your VDA, then uncheck the box. Receiver is usually only needed for double-hop connections (connect to first VDA, and then from there, connect to second VDA). Click Next.
   
6. In theAdditional Components page, uncheckCitrix AppDisk/Personal vDisk. This feature has been deprecated and is being replaced by Citrix App Layering (Unidesk). If you are installing VDA on Windows 10 1709 or newer, then it is critical that you uncheck this. ClickNext.
   
   
7. In the Delivery Controller page, select Do it manually. Enter the FQDN of each Controller. Click Test connection. And then make sure you click Add. Click Next when done.
   
8. In the Features page, check boxes. Only the top box is checked by default. If you want to use the other features, check the boxes. If this is a virtual desktop, you can leave Personal vDisk unchecked now and enable it later. Then click Next.
   
9. In the Firewall page, click Next.
   
10. In the Summary page, click Install.
    
    
11. If RDSH, click Close when you are prompted to restart.
    
12. After the machine reboots twice, login and installation should continue.
13. If you see aLocate 'XenDesktop' installation media window, clickCancel.
    
    1. Mount theXenApp_and_XenDesktop_7_17.iso.
       
    2. RunAutoSelect.exe.
       
    3. Click theVirtual Desktop Agent box to resume installation.
       
14. Installation will continue automatically.
    
15. Note:NT SERVICE\CitrixTelemetryService needs permission to login as a service.
16. In the Smart Tools page, clickConnect, enter your MyCitrix.com credentials, and then clickNext.
    
    
17. In theFinish page, click Finish to restart the machine again.
    
    
18. According to CTX225819 When Launching an Application Published from Windows Server 2016, a Black Screen Appears for Several Seconds Before Application is Visible, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent\DisableLogonUISuppression (DWORD) should be set to 0.
19. If you upgraded an existing VDA, then rungpupdate /force. Source = CTX233580 Citrix policy settings configured using Administrative Template Policy Settings deleted from Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) after upgrade to latest version of VDA  💡
    

Citrix Desktop Helper Service

Citrix Blog Post Augment Your XenDesktop Deployment with the Desktop Helper Service: this installable service adds the following functionality to your VDAs:

• The "Shutdown Inactive Desktops" feature allows Citrix administrators to enable a timer that shuts down a virtual desktop after it has been registered for a configured amount of minutes without a user connection.
• Delaying the Citrix Desktop Service start by a configurable amount of time allows the desktop to finish performing on-boot tasks before a user is brokered to it.
• The "Force Group Policy Update" feature give administrators the ability to force a group policy update after a configured amount of time.

If these features are desirable, download the tool from the blog post and install it.

Configurable Registry keys are located atHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\DesktopHelper. Each value is detailed in the accompanying Word document.

Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)

Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) is enabled by default. To disable it, create the registry valueHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Telemetry\CEIP\Enabled (DWORD), and set it to 0 (zero). Also see CEIP at Citrix Insight Services at Citrix Docs.

See https://www.carlstalhood.com/delivery-controller-7-17-and-licensing/#ceip for additional places where CEIP is enabled.

Connection Quality Indicator

The Connection Quality Indicator tells the user the quality of the connection. For example:

Position of the indicator is configurable by the user. Thresholds are configurable through group policy.

Download it from CTX220774 Connection Quality Indicator and install it. The article is very detailed.

Group Policy templates are located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\Connection Quality Indicator\Configuration. Copy the files and folder to <Sysvol>\Policies\PolicyDefinitions, or C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.

Find the settings under Computer Config | Policies | Administrative Templates | Citrix Components | Virtual Desktop Agent | CQI

Version 1.2 adds the GPO settings to the user half of a GPO.

Notification display settings lets you customize the user notifications, or disable them.

Connection Threshold Settings lets you set the notification thresholds.

Adaptive Transport

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 includes Adaptive Transport, which uses EDT protocol, which uses UDP Ports 1494/2598 for HDX connections to the VDA. The UDP ports should already be open in the Windows Firewall.

For EDT through NetScaler Gateway, make sure your NetScaler firmware is up to date, preferably 11.1 build 56 or newer.

In 7.17, Adaptive Transport defaults to Preferred, which means it's enabled by default. It can be configured in the Citrix Policy settingHDX Adaptive Transport.

Slow Logons

If logging in to a VDA from Citrix ICA, RDP, and Console results in a permanent black screen, then you might have to disable theApp Readiness service. Source = CTX216590 Logon Delay and Black screen on logon for up to 10 seconds after upgrading from XA 7.5 to XA 7.6.  💡

Citrix Discussions Xenapp 7.9: Wait for local session manager: "I have a Xenapp 7.9 environment on Windows 2012 R2. When logging in through Citrix I got message "Wait for local session manager" for 20-30 seconds. When logging in to the server with RDS, I do not have to wait for this."

"Add the following 2 registry keys to your 7.9 VDA server – then try connecting to it using ICA to see if the issue still occurs:

Add reg keys in "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\GroupPolicy"
Dword: "CacheGpoExpireInHours" – Value = 5-24 (# of Hours) ***start with value of 5***
Dword: "GpoCacheEnabled" – Value = 1

Restart the machine after adding these registry keys and attempt an ICA connection (at least twice) to see if that helps the Login delay."

Mark DePalma at XenApp slow logon times, user get black screen for 20 seconds at Citrix Discussions says that pushing Tile Refresh to a background task speeds up logons.

1. Regedit:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\DisableUPMResetCache] @="DisableUPMResetCache" "Version"="1,1,1,1" "StubPath"="REG ADD HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\ImmersiveShell\\StateStore /v ResetCache /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f" "Locale"="*"

2. UPM Exclusions:

   Directory - '!ctx_localappdata!\Microsoft\Windows\Caches' Registry - 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\DisableUPMResetCache'

Marvin Neys at XenApp slow logon times, user get black screen for 20 seconds at Citrix Discussions says that deletingHKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UFH\SHC at logoff reduces logon times from 40 seconds to 6 seconds.

Remove-Item HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UFH\SHC

For additional logon delay troubleshooting, see Alexander Ollischer XenApp/XenDesktop – "Please Wait For Local Session Manager" message when logging into RDS. He found some Windows Updates that caused a logon delay.

XenApp recalculates WMI filters on every reconnect. CTX212610 Session Reconnect 30 sec Delay – DisableGPCalculation – WMI Filters indicates that recalculation can be disabled by setting HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Reconnect\DisableGPCalculation (DWORD) to 1.

CTX212439 Desktop Session Stuck in Pre-Logon State with Message "Please wait for the Local Session Manager":

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\Kerberos\Parameters\MaxTokenSize (DWORD) = 48000
• Delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\GracePeriod\L$RTMTIMEBOMB

Controller Registration Port

Some environments will not accept the default port 80 for Virtual Delivery Agent registration, even though registration is authenticated and encrypted on port 80. To change the port, do the following on the Virtual Delivery Agent:

1. Open Programs and Features. If Windows 10 1703 or newer, openApps and Features.
   
2. Find Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent, and click Change orModify (Windows 10 1703 and newer).
   
   
3. Click Customize Virtual Delivery Agent Settings.
   
4. Edit the Delivery Controllers, and click Next.
   
5. On the Protocol and Port page, change the port number, and click Next.
   
6. In the Summary page, click Reconfigure.
   
7. If you see aSmart Tools page, make a selection for Call Home, and clickNext.
8. In the Finish Reconfiguration page, click Finish.
9. Restart the VDA machine.
10. You must also change the VDA registration port on the Delivery Controllers by running BrokerService.exe /VDAPort.
11. For Local Host Cache, on the Delivery Controller, run C:\Program Files\Citrix\Broker\Service\HighAvailabilityService.exe –VdaPort <CORRECT PORT #> . Source = CTX229493 VDAs Do Not Register in LHC Mode When Registration Port is Not Set To Default.

Verify that VDA registered with a Controller

1. If you restart the Virtual Delivery Agent machine, or restart the Citrix Desktop Service…
   
2. In Windows Logs > Application log, you should see an event 1012 from Citrix Desktop Service saying that it successfully registered with a controller.
   
3. If you don't see successful registration, then you'll need to fix the ListOfDDCs registry key.
   1. See VDA registration with Controllers at Citrix Docs.
   2. See The Most Common VDA Registration Issues & Troubleshooting Steps at Citrix Blogs.
4. You can also run Citrix's Health Assistant on the VDA.
   
5. See CTX220772 Technical Primer: VDA Registration for a very detailed explanation of the VDA Registration process.

Citrix PDF Printer  for Receiver for HTML5/Chrome

1. VDA 7.17 installs the PDF Printer automatically so there's no need for a separate installation.
2. To enable the PDF printer for HTML5 connections, configure the Citrix Policy setting called Auto-create PDF Universal Printer in the user half of a Citrix Policy GPO.
   

Citrix File Access 2.0.3 for Receiver for Chrome

1. If you support Receiver for Chrome (Chromebook) and want published applicatons to open files on Google Drive, install Citrix File Access on the VDAs. Get it from the Receiver for Chrome download page, in the Additional Components section.
   
2. Go to the extractedCitrix_File_Access_2.0.3, and runFileAccess.msi.
   
3. In thePlease read the File Access License Agreement page, check the box next toI accept the terms, and clickInstall.
   
4. In the Completed the File Access Setup Wizard page, click Finish.
   
5. File Access is listed in Programs and Features (or Apps & Features) as version 2.0.3.33.
   
   
6. File Access has a default list of supported file extensions. The list can be expanded by editing the registry on the VDA. See CTX219983 Receiver for Chrome Error: Invalid command line arguments: Unable to open the file as it has an unsupported extension.
   
7. To open a file from Google Drive, right-click and and open the file using Citrix Receiver.

Framehawk Configuration

To enable Framehawk, see https://www.carlstalhood.com/citrix-policy-settings/#framehawkconfig

Remote Desktop Licensing Configuration

On 2012 R2 and newer RDSH, the only way to configure Remote Desktop Licensing is using group policy (local or domain). This procedure is not needed on virtual desktops.

1. For local group policy, run gpedit. msc. Alternatively, you can configure this in a domain GPO.
   
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Licensing.
   
3. Double-click Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers. Change it to Enabled, and enter the names of the RDS Licensing Servers (typically installed on XenDesktop Delivery Controllers). Click OK.
   
4. Double-click Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode. Change it to Enabled and select Per User. Click OK.
   
5. Optionally, you can install theRemote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser Tool. In the Server Manager > Add Roles and Features Wizard, on the Features page, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, expand Role Administration Tools, expand Remote Desktop Services Tools, and select Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser Tool. Then Finish the wizard.
   
6. If it won't install from Server Manager, you can install it from PowerShell by runningInstall-WindowsFeature rsat-rds-licensing-diagnosis-ui.
   
7. In Server Manager, open the Tools menu, expand Remote Desktop Services (or Terminal Services), and click Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser.
   
   
8. The Diagnoser should find the license server, and indicate the licensing mode. If you're configured for Per User licenses, then it's OK if there are no licenses installed on the Remote Desktop License Server.
   

Several people in Citrix Discussions reported the following issue: If you see a message about RD Licensing Grace Period has expired even though RD Licensing is properly configured, see Eric Verdumen No remote Desktop Licence Server availible on RD Session Host server 2012. The solution was to delete the REG_BINARY in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\GracePeriod only leaving the default. You must take ownership and give admin users full control to be able to delete this value.

C: Drive Permissions

This section is more important for shared VDAs like RDSH (Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016).

The default permissions allow users to store files on the C: drive in places other than their profile.

1. Open the Properties dialog box for C:.
   
2. On the Security tab, click Advanced.
   
3. If UAC is enabled, clickChange permissions.
   
4. Highlight the line containing Users and Create Folders, and clickRemove.
   
5. Highlight the line containing Users and Create files (orSpecial), and click Remove. Click OK.
   
6. Click Yes to confirm the permissions change.
   
7. If you see any of these Error Applying Security windows, click Continue. This window should appear multiple times.
   
8. Click OK to close the C: drive properties.

Pagefile

If this image will be converted to a Provisioning Services vDisk, then you must ensure the pagefile is smaller than the cache disk. For example, if you allocate 20 GB of RAM to your Remote Desktop Session Host, and if the cache disk is only 15 GB, then Windows will have a default pagefile size of 20 GB, and Provisioning Services will be unable to move it to the cache disk. This causes Provisioning Services to cache to server instead of caching to your local cache disk (or RAM).

1. Open System. In 2012 R2 and newer, you can right-click the Start button, and click System. Note: in Windows 10 1703 and newer, this method no longer opens the correct tool.
   
2. Another option is to open File Explorer, right-clickThis PC, and clickProperties. This works in Windows 10 1703.
   
3. Click Advanced system settings.
   
4. On the Advanced tab, click the top Settings button.
   
5. On the Advanced tab, click Change.
   
6. Uncheck the box next to Automatically manage paging file size for all drives. Then either turn off the pagefile, or set the pagefile to be smaller than the cache disk. Don't leave it set to System managed size. Click OK several times.
   

Direct Access Users

When Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent is installed on a machine, non-administrators can no longer RDP to the machine. A new local group called Direct Access Users is created on each Virtual Delivery Agent. Add your non-administrator RDP users to this local group so they can RDP directly to the machine.

From CTX228128 What is the HKLM\Software\Citrix\PortICA\DirectAccessUsers registry function: TheHKLM\Software\Citrix\PortICA\DirectAccessUsers registry key determines which Local group the VDA references to determine if a user should be allowed Unbrokered RDP access. Members of the Local Administrators group will always be granted access. If the Registry Key does not exist, or gets deleted, VDA will always allow the Unbrokered RDP Connection. The Registry key and local group are created as part of the VDA installation process.

Windows Profiles v3/v4/v5/v6

Roaming Profiles are compatible only between the following client and server operating system pairs. The profile version is also listed.

• v6 = Windows 10 (1607 and 1703) and Windows Server 2016
• v5 = Windows 10 (1511 and older)
• v4 = Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
• v3 = Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• v2 = Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
• v2 = Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

For Windows 2012 R2, install Microsoft hotfix 2890783, and set the UseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry value to 1.

CTX230343 Reset Profile Options Is Greyed Out In Citrix Director states that theUseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry value is required on Windows 2012 R2 to enable Director users to reset profiles.

Registry

Black Screen when launch Published Apps on Windows Server 2016

From CTX225819 When Launching an Application Published from Windows Server 2016, a Black Screen Appears for Several Seconds Before Application is Visible: Citrix and Microsoft have worked together together to deliver code fixes for both Windows Server 2016 and XenApp. Microsoft is targeting their KB4034661 patch for the third week of August 2017. This fix requires a registry edit to enable.

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent
  • Value = DisableLogonUISuppression (DWORD) = 0

Published Explorer

From Citrix CTX128009 Explorer.exe Fails to Launch: When publishing the seamless explorer.exe application, the session initially begins to connect as expected. After the loading, the dialog box disappears, and the Explorer application fails to appear. On the VDA, use the following registry change to set the length of time a client session waits before disconnecting the session:

• Key = HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
  • Value = LogoffCheckerStartupDelayInSeconds (DWORD) = 10 (Hexadecimal)

Screen Saver

From Citrix CTX205214 Screensaver Not Working in XenDesktop: By default, Screen Saver doesn't work on Desktop OS. To enable it, on the VDA, configure the following registry value:

• Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Graphics
  • Value =SetDisplayRequiredMode (DWORD) = 0

Smart Cards

From CTX231942 Windows 10 April 2018 Update (v1803) – Citrix Known Issues – Smart Card Service (SCardSvr) will run only if a Smart Card reader is connected. As ICA sessions redirect the Smart Card, it finds the service not to be running and fails.

• Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Calais
  • Value =AllowServiceAccessWithNoReaders (DWORD) = 1

Logon Disclaimer Window Size

From XenApp 7.8 – Session Launch Security/Warning Login Banner at Citrix Discussions: If your logon disclaimer window has scroll bars, set the following registry values:

• Key = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432node\Citrix\CtxHook\AppInit_DLLS\Multiple Monitor Hook
  • Value = LogonUIWidth (DWORD) = 300
  • Value = LogonUIHeight (DWORD) = 200

Login Timeout

From Citrix CTX203760 VDI Session Launches Then Disappears: XenDesktop, by default, only allows 180 seconds to complete a logon operation. The timeout can be increased by setting the following:

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\PortICA
  • Value = AutoLogonTimeout ( DWORD) = decimal 240 or higher (up to 3599).

Also see Citrix Discussions Machines in "Registered" State, but VM closes after "Welcome" screen.

From Citrix CTX138404 Application Connection Starts but Disappears after Timeout: after loading the application, the dialog box disappears and the application fails to appear.

•  Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
  • Value =ApplicationLaunchWaitTimeoutMS (DWORD) = decimal 60000

HDX Flash

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX139939 – Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 – Citrix Known Issues: The registry key value IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion is queried by the HDX Flash service to check for maximum Internet Explorer version that HDX Flash supports. For Flash Redirection to work with Internet Explorer 11 set the registry key value IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion to 11 on the machine where HDX flash service is running. In case of XenDesktop it would be the machine where VDA is installed.

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer
  • Value =IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion (DWORD) = 11 (Decimal)

From Citrix Discussions: Add the DWORD FlashPlayerVersionComparisonMask=0 on the VDA under HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer.  This disables the Flash major version checking between the VDA and Client Device.

Receiver for HTML5/Chrome Enhanced Clipboard

From About Citrix Receiver for Chrome 1.9 at Citrix Docs: To enable enhanced clipboard support, create a REG_SZ registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\Virtual Clipboard\Additional Formats\HTML Format\Name="HTML Format". Create any missing registry keys. This applies to both virtual desktops and Remote Desktop Session Hosts.

Receiver for HTML5/Chrome Upload Folder

The Receiver for HTML5 (or Chrome) lets upload files.

By default, the user is prompted to select a upload location. If you use the Upload feature multiple times, the last selected folder is not remembered.

Citrix CTX217351 How to Customize File Upload and Download Using Receiver for HTML5 and Receiver for Chrome. You can specify a default uploads location by editingHKLM\Software\Citrix\FileTransfer\UploadFolderLocation on the VDA. Environment variables are supported. When this value is configured, users are no longer prompted to select an upload location. The change takes effect at next logon.

Note: HTML5/Chrome Receiver also adds aSave to My Device location to facilitate downloads.

4K Monitors

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX218217 Unable to span across multiple monitors after upgrade to 7.11 VDA, Black/Blank screen appears on the monitors while connecting to ICA session: .

1. For VDA 7.11 and newer, calculate the video memory that is required for monitors using the following formula:

   SumOfAllMons (Width * Height) * 4 / 0.3, where width and height are resolution of the monitor. Note: There is no hard and fast rule that will work for all cases.

   Example: Consider the resolution of monitor 1 is 1920*1200 and monitor 2 is 1366*768. Then SumOfAllMons will be (1920*1200 + 1366*768)

2. CTX115637 Citrix Session Graphics Memory Reference describes how multi-monitor resolution is determined.
3. Open the registry (regedit) and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\vbdenum
4. Increase the value of "MaxVideoMemoryBytes" REG_DWORD value to the above calculated memory.
5. Reboot the VDA.

Citrix Policies also control graphics performance.

COM Port Threads

CTX212090 COM Port Intermittently Inaccessible During ICA Sessions: increase the default value of "MaxThreads" under the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\picaser\Parameters from 20 to a value greater than the number of COM port connections you want to support. For example, if a XenApp server supports 100 sessions and each session opens two COM ports, the value of "MaxThreads" should be greater than 200.

NVIDIA GRID License

Allow NVIDIA GRID License to apply after the session is started. (Source = Jan Hendrik Meier NVIDIA GRID license not applied before the user connects – License Restriction will not be removed until the user reconnects)  💡

• Key =HKLM\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\GridLicensing
  • Value =IgnoreSP (DWORD) = 1

Legacy Client Drive Mapping

Citrix CTX127968 How to Enable Legacy Client Drive Mapping Format on XenApp: Citrix Client Drive Mapping no longer uses drive letters and instead they appear as local disks. This is similar to RDP drive mapping.

The old drive letter method can be enabled by setting the registry value:

• Key = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\UncLinks (create the key)
  • Value = UNCEnabled (DWORD) = 0
    

When you reconnect, the client drives will be mapped as drive letters (starts with V: and goes backwards).

Print Driver for Non-Windows Clients

From CTX139020 Configuring Virtual Machines for Mac Client Printer Mapping with Windows 8.x. By default, Non-Windows clients cannot map printers due to a missing print driver on the VDA machine.

1. Requirements:
   • Internet Access
   • Windows Update service enabled
2. Click Start, and run Devices and Printers.
   
   1. In Windows 10 1703, openPrinters & scanners, then scroll down, and clickDevices and printers.
      
      
3. In the Printers section, highlight a local printer (e.g. Microsoft XPS Document Writer). Then in the toolbar, click Print server properties.
   
   
4. Switch to the Drivers tab. Click Change Driver Settings.
   
5. Then clickAdd.
   
6. In the Welcome to the Add Printer Driver Wizard page, click Next.
   
7. In the Processor Selection page, click Next.
   
8. In the Printer Driver Selection page, click Windows Update. The driver we need won't be in the list until you click this button. Internet access is required.
   
9. Once Windows Update is complete, highlight HP on the left, and then select HP Color LaserJet 2800 Series PS (Microsoft) on the right. Click Next.
   
10. In the Completing the Add Printer Driver Wizard page, click Finish.
    
11. Repeat these instructions to install the following additional drivers:
    • HP LaserJet Series II
    • HP Color LaserJet 4500 PCL 5

SSL for VDA

If you intend to use HTML5 Receiver internally, install certificates on the VDAs so the WebSockets (and ICA) connection will be encrypted. Internal HTML5 Receivers will not accept clear text WebSockets. External users don't have this problem since they are SSL-proxied through NetScaler Gateway.

Notes:

• Each Virtual Delivery Agent needs a machine certificate that matches the machine name. This is feasible for a small number of persistent VDAs. For non-persistent VDAs, you'll need some automatic means for creating machine certificates every time they reboot.
• As detailed in the following procedure, use PowerShell on the Controller to enable SSL for the Delivery Group. This forces SSL for every VDA in the Delivery Group, which means every VDA in the Delivery Group must have SSL certificates installed.

The following instructions for manually enabling SSL on VDA can be found at Configure TLS on a VDA using the PowerShell script at Citrix Docs.

1. On the VDA machine, run certlm.msc.
2. Right-click Personal, expandAll Tasks, and clickRequest New Certificate to request a certificate from your internal Certificate Authority. You can use either the Computer template or the Web Server template.
   
   1. You can also use group policy to enable Certificate Auto-Enrollment for the VDA computers.
      
3. Browse to the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 ISO. In the Support\Tools\SslSupport folder, shift+right-click the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script, and click Copy as path.
   
4. Run PowerShell as administrator (elevated).
   
5. Run the command Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted. Enter Y to approve.
   
6. In the PowerShell prompt, type in an ampersand (&), and a space.
7. Right-click the PowerShell prompt to paste in the path copied earlier.
8. At the end of the path, type in -Enable
9. If there's only one certificate on this machine, press Enter.
   
10. If there are multiple certificates, then you'll need to specify the thumbprint of the certificate you want to use. Open the Certificates snap-in, open the properties of the machine certificate you want to use, and copy the Thumbprint from the Details tab.
    

    In the PowerShell prompt, at the end of the command, enter ‑CertificateThumbPrint, add a space, and type quotes (").

    Right-click the PowerShell prompt to paste the thumbprint.

    Type quotes (") at the end of the thumbprint. Then remove all spaces from the thumbprint. The thumbprint needs to be wrapped in quotes.
    

11. There are additional switches to specify minimum SSL Version and Cipher Suites. Also see Citrix CTX226049 Disabling Triple DES on the VDA breaks the VDA SSL connection.
    
12. Press <Enter> to run the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script.
13. Press <Y> twice to configure the ACLs and Firewall.
14. You might have to reboot before the settings take effect.
    
15. Login to a Controller, and run PowerShell as Administrator (elevated).
16. Run the command asnp Citrix.*
    
17. Enter the command:

    Get-BrokerAccessPolicyRule -DesktopGroupName '<delivery-group-name>' | Set-BrokerAccessPolicyRule ‑HdxSslEnabled $true

    where <delivery-group-name> is the name of the Delivery Group containing the VDAs.
    

18. You can run Get-BrokerAccessPolicyRule -DesktopGroupName '<delivery-group-name>' to verify that HDX SSL is enabled.
    
19. Also run the following command to enable DNS resolution.

    Set-BrokerSite –DnsResolutionEnabled $true

    

20. Since VDA 7.17 defaults to enabling the UDP-based EDT protocol, open port UDP 443 to the VDAs.

You should now be able to connect to the VDA using the HTML5 Receiver from internal machines.

The Citrix blog post How To Secure ICA Connections in XenApp and XenDesktop 7.6 using SSL has a method for automatically provisioning certificates for pooled virtual desktops by enabling certificate auto-enrollment and setting up a task that runs after the certificate has been enrolled.

• From Russ Hargrove at A note on VDA certificates in 7.14 at Citrix Discussions: Citrix installs a new "Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop HDX Service" certificate in the Personal store which breaks the automation of the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script. To fix the problem, modify the task scheduler powershell script to:

  Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 -Enable -CertificateThumbPrint (Get-ChildItem -path cert:\LocalMachine\My | Where-Object -FilterScript {$_.Subject -eq ""} | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Thumbprint) -Confirm:$False

• For certificate auto-enrollment on non-persistent Remote Desktop Session Hosts (aka Server OS VDAs), see Non-Persistent Server SSL to VDA by Alfredo Magallon Arbizu at CUGC.

Anonymous Accounts

If you intend to publish apps anonymously then follow this section.

1. Anonymous accounts are created locally on the VDAs. When XenDesktop creates Anon accounts, it gives them an idle time as specified at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\AnonymousUserIdleTime. The default is 10 minutes. Adjust as desired.
   
2. Pre-create the Anon accounts on the VDA by running "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICAConfigTool\CreateAnonymousUsersApp.exe" . If you don't run this tool, then anonymous users can't login.
   
3. You can see the local Anon accounts by opening Computer Management, expanding System Tools, expandingLocal Users and Groups and clicking Users.
   
4. If you want profiles for anonymous users to delete at logoff, then you'll need to add the local Anon users to the local Guests group.
   
5. If you open one of the accounts, on the Sessions tab, notice that idle timeout defaults to 10 minutes. Feel free to change it.
   

Group Policy for Anonymous Users

Since Anonymous users are local accounts on each Virtual Delivery Agent, domain-based GPOs will not apply. To work around this limitation, you'll need to edit the local group policy on each Virtual Delivery Agent.

1. On the Virtual Delivery Agent, run mmc.exe.
2. Open the File menu, and click Add/Remove Snap-in.
   
3. Highlight Group Policy Object Editor, and click Add to move it to the right.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Group Policy Wizard page, click Browse.
   
5. On the Users tab, select Non-Administrators.
   
6. Click Finish.
   
7. Now you can configure group policy to lockdown sessions for anonymous users. Since this is a local group policy, you'll need to repeat the group policy configuration on every Virtual Delivery Agent image. Also, Group Policy Preferences is not available in local group policy.

Antivirus

Install antivirus using your normal procedure. Instructions vary for each Antivirus product.

Microsoft's virus scanning recommendations (e.g. exclude group policy files) – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822158.

Citrix's Recommended Antivirus Exclusions

Citrix Blog Post Citrix Recommended Antivirus Exclusions: the goal here is to provide you with a consolidated list of recommended antivirus exclusions for your Citrix virtualization environment focused on the key processes, folders, and files that we have seen cause issues in the field:

• Set real-time scanning to scan local drives only and not network drives
• Disable scan on boot
• Remove any unnecessary antivirus related entries from the Run key
• Exclude the pagefile(s) from being scanned
• Exclude Windows event logs from being scanned
• Exclude IIS log files from being scanned

See the Blog Post for exclusions for each Citrix component/product including: StoreFront, VDA, Controller, and Provisioning Services. The Blog Post also has links to additional KB articles on antivirus.

Symantec

Symantec links:

• Symantec TECH91070 Citrix and terminal server best practices for Endpoint Protection.
• Symantec TECH197344 Best practices for virtualization with Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.2 and later
• Symantec TECH180229 Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 – Non-persistent Virtualization Best Practices
• Symantec TECH123419 How to prepare Symantec Endpoint Protection clients on virtual disks for use with Citrix Provisioning Server has a script that automates changing the MAC address registered with Symantec.
• Citrix Blog Post How to prepare a Citrix Provisioning Services Target Device for Symantec Endpoint Protection
• If profiles are deleted on logoff, set Symantec registry valueCloseUserLogFile to 1. Symantec TECH210170 Citrix user sessions are held open by ccSvcHst.exe during log off

Trend Micro

Trend Micro Slow login on Citrix environment after installing OfficeScan (OSCE): The following registries can be used to troubleshoot the issue. These registries will allow a delay on the startup procedure of OSCE until the system has launched successfully. This avoids deadlock situations during login.

Citrix CTX136680 – Slow Server Performance After Trend Micro Installation. Citrix session hosts experience slow response and performance more noticeable while users try to log in to the servers. At some point the performance of the servers is affected, resulting in issues with users logging on and requiring the server to be restarted. This issue is more noticeable on mid to large session host infrastructures.

Trend Micro has provided a registry fix for this type of issue. Create the following registry on all the affected servers. Add new DWORD Value as:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TmFilterParameters] "DisableCtProcCheck"=dword:00000001

Trend Micro Links:

• Trend Micro Docs – Trend Micro Virtual Desktop Support
• Trend Micro Docs – VDI Pre-Scan Template Generation Tool
• Trend Micro 1055260 – Best practice for setting up Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in OfficeScan
• Trend Micro 1056376 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Virtual Desktop Infrastructure/Support In OfficeScan

Sophos

Best Practice for running Sophos on virtual systems: we've amassed the following practical information about how you can optimize our software to work with this technology.

Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows XP+: Installation and configuration considerations for Sophos Anti-Virus on a Remote Desktop Services server: It maybe desirable to disable the Sophos AutoUpdate shield icon

Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows 2000+: incorporating current versions in a disk image, including for use with cloned virtual machines: This procedure will make sure that the produced target/cloned computers:

• Get their distinct identity with Enterprise Console, under which they can be subsequently managed.
• Have the desired version of Sophos Anti-Virus already installed and configured on the created image.

Windows Defender Antivirus

Deployment guide for Windows Defender Antivirus in a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment

Optimize Performance

VDA Optimizer

Installation of the VDA might have already done this, but there's no harm in doing it again. This tool is only available if you installed VDA in Master Image mode.

1. On the master VDA, go to C:\Program Files\Citrix\PvsVm\TargetOSOptimizer, and runTargetOSOptimizer.exe.
   
2. Then click OK. Notice that it disables Windows Update.
   
3. See CTX125874 How to Optimize XenDesktop Machines for the list of registry values changed by the TargetOSOptimizer tool. You can use Group Policy Preferences to set these values.

Windows 10 / Windows 2012 R2 / Windows 2016 and newer

Optimization Notes:

• If this machine is provisioned using Provisioning Services, do not disable the Shadow Copy services.
• Citrix CTX213540 Unable To View Printers In Devices And Printers Win 2012 R2 – don't disable the Device Setup Manager Service
• Citrix CTX131995 User Cannot Launch Application in Seamless Mode in a Provisioning Services Server when XenApp Optimization Best Practices are Applied. Do not enable NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation.

Seal and Shut Down

If this VDA will be a master image in a Machine Creation Services or Provisioning Services catalog, after the master is fully prepared (including applications), do the following:

1. Go to the properties of the C: drive, and run Disk Cleanup.
   
2. If Disk Cleanup is missing, you can runcleanmgr.exe instead.
   
3. Windows 10 1703 and newer has a new method for cleaning up temporary files.
   1. Right-click the Start button, and clickSystem.
   2. ClickStorage on the left, and clickThis PC (C:) on the right.
      
   3. ClickTemporary Files.
      
   4. Check boxes, and clickRemove files.
      
4. On the Tools tab, click Optimize to defrag the drive.
   `
5. Run slmgr. vbs /dlv and make sure it is licensed with KMS and has at least one rearm remaining. It is not necessary to manually rearm licensing since MCS will do it automatically.
   
6. Run Delprof2 to clean up local profiles. Get it from http://helgeklein.com/download/.
   
7. Machine Creation Services and Provisioning Services require DHCP.
   
8. Session hosts (RDSH) commonly have DHCP reservations.
   
9. Base Image Script Framework (BIS-F) automates many sealing tasks. The script is configurable using Group Policy.
   
10. Shut down the master image. You can now use Studio (Machine Creation Services) or Provisioning Services to create a catalog of linked clones.
    

Troubleshooting – Graphics

For Citrix Policies that control graphics codecs, see https://www.carlstalhood.com/citrix-policy-settings/#graphics

Citrix Blog post – Optimising the performance of HDX 3D Pro – Lessons from the field

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX218217 Unable to span across multiple monitors after upgrade to 7.11 VDA, Black/Blank screen appears on the monitors while connecting to ICA session:

1. For VDA 7.11 and newer, calculate the video memory that is required for monitors using the following formula :

   SumOfAllMons (Width * Height) * 4 / 0.3, where width and height are resolution of the monitor. Note: There is no hard and fast rule that will work for all cases.

   Example: Consider the resolution of monitor 1 is 1920*1200 and monitor 2 is 1366*768. Then SumOfAllMons will be (1920*1200 + 1366*768)

2. CTX115637 Citrix Session Graphics Memory Reference describes how multi-monitor resolution is determined.
3. Open the registry (regedit) and navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\vbdenum
4. Increase the value of "MaxVideoMemoryBytes" REG_DWORD value to the above calculated memory.
5. Reboot the VDA

From Citrix Discussions: To exclude applications from Citrix 3D rendering, create a REG_DWORD registry value "app.exe" with value 0 or a registry value "*" with value 0.

• Both x86 and x64:
  • reg add hklm\software\citrix\vd3d\compatibility /v * /t REG_DWORD /f /d 0

Wildcards are not supported. The asterisk * here has a special meaning "all apps" but is not a traditional wildcard. To blacklist multiple apps e.g. both appa.exe and appb.exe must be done by creating a registry value for each app individually.

This is most problematic in Remote PC since most physical PCs have GPUs. I recently had to blacklist Internet Explorer to prevent lockup issues when switching back to physical.

Uninstall VDA

Uninstall the VDA from Programs and Features.

Then see CTX209255 VDA Cleanup Utility.

To run the VDA Cleanup Tool silently:

1. Execute VDACleanupUtility.exe /silent /noreboot to suppress reboot.
2. Once the VDACleanupUtility has finished executing, setup Auto logon for the current user.
3. Reboot.
4. After reboot, tool will launch automatically to continue Cleanup.

Another option is to delete CitrixVdaCleanup value under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce. Then after reboot, runVDACleanupUtility.exe /silent /reboot to indicate that it's running after the reboot.

Related Pages

• Provisioning Services Master Device Preparation
• Catalogs / Delivery Groups
• Citrix Policy Settings

Navigation

• Change Log
• Upgrade to 7.17
• New Install Preparation
• Delivery Controller 7.17 Install
  • Create Site / Databases
  • Second Controller
• Studio – Slow Launch
• Concurrent Logon Hard Limit
• Local Host Cache
• Database Maintenance – Change Database connection strings, read-committed snapshot, Director grooming, Logging Database operations, etc.
• Export/Import Configuration
• Studio Administrators
• Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
• vCenter Connection – vCenter certificate, Hosting Resources
• Citrix Licensing Server
  • Upgrade Licensing Server to 11.14.0.1 build 23101
  • Activate Citrix License
  • License Server CEIP
  • Citrix License Management Service
  • Citrix License Server Monitoring
• Remote Desktop Licensing Server
  • Install Remote Desktop Licensing Server
  • Active Remote Desktop Licensing Server
• Smart Check
  • Additional Custom Smart Checks
  • Citrix Scout
• Health Check

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 Mar 8 – in New Install Preparation section, added link to Patrick van den Born How to: Configure Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop to use Microsoft SQL multi-subnet (Basic) Availability Groups
• 2018 Feb 26 – updated Install and Upgrade sections for version 7.17
  • Updated License Server upgrade section for build 23101
• 2018 Jan 4 – in Local Host Cache section, added note about PowerShell Execution Policy.
• 2017 Dec 3:
  • Added vCenter Root CA Certificate section as alternative to importing actual vCenter certificate.
  • In LHC section, added link to Trentent Tye Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp 7.15 – The local host cache in action

Upgrade

If you are performing a new install of XenApp/XenDesktop Controller, then skip to the next section.

You can in-place upgrade directly from any Delivery Controller version 7.0 or newer. Citrix recommends upgrading Delivery Controller 5.6 to 7.6 LTSR Cumulative Update 5 before upgrading to 7.17.

During the upgrade of Delivery Controller, be aware that a database upgrade is required. Either get a DBA to grant you temporary sysadmin permission, or use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts that a DBA must then run in SQL Studio.

1. License Server Upgrade – Before upgrading to Delivery Controller 7.17, if you have a standalone Citrix Licensing Server, upgrade it to 11.14.0.1 build 23101.
   
2. Frequent updates/upgrades– XenApp and XenDesktop 7.17 is a Current Release.
   • With Current Release (CR), you're expected to upgrade to the future 7.18 (and 7.19, and 7.20, etc.) to receive bug fixes. Newer Current Releases come with new features, which might include new bugs. Current Releases are only supported for six months from the release date. That means you should plan to perform these upgrades at least twice a year.
   • If you don't want to continuously upgrade to the latest Current Release, then you can stay on LTSR 7.15, which receivesCumulative Updates with bug fixes, but no new features. See Lifecycle Milestones for Citrix Virtual Apps & Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
3. VDA OS Compatibility – XenDesktop 7.17 Delivery Controller is supported on Windows 2008 R2 and newer. However, Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) 7.17 is only supported on a limited number of Windows operating system versions, specifically, Windows 10 (1607+), Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016.
   • If you have older VDA machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you can leave their VDA software at version 7.15. It is supported for VDA 7.15 to communicate with Delivery Controllers 7.17.
4. SCOM Agent – If StoreFront is installed on the Controller, and if the Citrix SCOM Agent for StoreFront is installed, stop theCitrix MPSF Agent service. See CTX220935 Cannot Perform a StoreFront Upgrade if Citrix SCOM Management Pack Agent Service is Running.
   
5. Close PowerShell and Consoles. Make sure all Citrix Consoles and PowerShell consoles are closed. StoreFront won't upgrade if any are running. If StoreFront fails, then the StoreFront configuration is wiped out.
6. Other Users – Use Task Manager > Users tab to logoff any other user currently logged into the machine.
   
7. Snapshot. If StoreFront is installed on the Controller, take a snapshot before attempting the upgrade.
   • Another option is to export the StoreFront configuration so you can restore it later if something goes wrong.
8. Download the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 ISO.
   
9. Before upgrading, open PowerShell and run the following.

   asnp citrix* Get-TrustDBConnection

   

   1. If you don't see a returned value, then you'll need to run additional commands to fix the Trust Database Connection as detailed at Known Issues at Citrix Docs

      $cs = Get-ConfigDBConnection Set-TrustDBConnection –DBConnection $cs

10. RunAutoSelect.exe from the 7.17 ISO.
    
11. On the top left, clickStudio and Server Components.
    
12. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and clickNext.
    
13. In the Ensure Successful Upgrade page, read the steps, check the box next toI'm ready to continue, and clickNext.
    
14. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
    
15. In theSummary page, clickUpgrade.
    
16. If you see a Running Processes window, close the listed programs, and click Continue.
    
17. Click OK when asked to start the upgrade.
    
18. If the upgrade fails:
    1. Look for MetaInstaller log files under %localappdata%\Temp\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer\MSI Log Files.
       
    2. Look for StoreFront log files underC:\Program Files\Citrix\Receiver StoreFront\Admin\logs.
       
    3. Citrix has a MSI Log Analyzer.
       
19. In the Smart Tools page, make a selection. If participating, clickConnect, login with Citrix Cloud or mycitrix.com credentials, and then clickNext. See Citrix Insight Services at Citrix Docs for more information on these options.
    
    
20. If the install fails:
    1. Look for MetaInstaller log files under %localappdata%\Temp\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer\MSI Log Files.
       
    2. Look for StoreFront log files underC:\Program Files\Citrix\Receiver StoreFront\Admin\logs.
       
    3. Citrix has a MSI Log Analyzer.
       
21. In theFinish page, check the box next to Launch Studio, and clickFinish.
    

Studio – Upgrade Database, Catalogs, and Delivery Groups

1. After Citrix Studio launches, if you havesysadmin permissions on SQL, then clickStart the automatic Site upgrade. If you don't have full permission, then get a DBA to help you, clickManually upgrade this site, and follow the instructions.
   
   
2. If you choose toManually upgrade this site, then note that there might not be an upgrade for the Logging Database schema, depending on what version you are upgrading from.
   
   
3. After all Controllers and VDAs are upgraded, right-click the Catalogs, and clickUpgrade Catalog. Note: 7.9 is the newest minimum functional level. You won't see an option for 7.17. If your Catalogs are already set to VDA version 7.9, then there's no need to upgrade the Catalogs or Delivery Groups.
   
   
   
4. Then do the same for the Delivery Groups. Note: 7.9 is the newest minimum functional level. You won't see an option for 7.17. If your Delivery Groups are already set to VDA version 7.9, then no upgrade is needed.
   
   
   

Other XenApp/XenDesktop components can also be in-place upgraded:

• StoreFront
• Director
  • Upgrading Director overrides modifications to LogOn.aspx (e.g. default domain name), so you'll have to reapply them.
• VDAs
• Citrix Policy Management Plug-in
• Profile Management Group Policy Templates
• Receiver Group Policy Templates
• Workspace Environment Management
• AppDNA
• Provisioning Services
• SCOM Management Packs
• Session Recording
• Federated Authentication Service

New Install Preparation

Frequent updates/upgrades

XenApp and XenDesktop 7.17 is a Current Release.

• With Current Release (CR), you're expected to upgrade to the future 7.18 (and 7.19, and 7.20, etc.) to receive bug fixes. Current Releases also come with new features, which might include new bugs. Current Releases are only supported for six months from the release date. That means you should plan to perform these upgrades at least twice a year.
• If you don't want to continuously upgrade to the latest Current Release, then you can stay on LTSR 7.15, which receivesCumulative Updates with bug fixes, but no new features. See Lifecycle Milestones for Citrix Virtual Apps & Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

VDA OS Compatibility

XenDesktop 7.17 Delivery Controller is supported on Windows 2008 R2 and newer. However, Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) 7.17 is only supported on a limited number of Windows operating system versions, specifically, Windows 10 (1607+), Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016.

• If you have older VDA machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you can install VDA software version 7.15. It is supported for VDA 7.15 to communicate with Delivery Controllers 7.17.

Installation Automation

If you want to automate the install of Delivery Controllers, see Dennis Span Citrix Delivery Controller unattended installation with PowerShell and SCCM.

Citrix Licensing

If you are going to use an existing Citrix Licensing Server, upgrade it to 11.14.0.1 build 23101.

Multiple License Types – Multiple license types (but not multiple editions) are supported in a single farm. See CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.

SQL Databases for XenDesktop

• Citrix CTX209080 Database Sizing Tool for XenDesktop 7
• Citrix article CTX114501 – Supported Databases for XenApp and XenDesktop Components
• Three databases – There are typically three databases: one for the Site (aka farm), one for Logging (audit log) and one for Monitoring (Director).
  • The name of the monitoring database must not have any spaces in it. See CTX200325 Database Naming Limitation when Citrix Director Accesses Monitoring Data Using OData APIs
  • If you want Citrix Studio to create the SQL databases automatically, then the person running Studio must be a sysadmin on the SQL instances. No lesser SQL role will work.sysadmin permissions can be granted temporarily and revoked after installation.
  • As an alternative, you can use Citrix Studio to create SQL scripts, and then run those scripts on the SQL server. In that case, the person running the scripts only needs the dbcreator and securityadmin roles.
  • It is possible to create the three databases in advance. However, you must use the non-defaultLatin1_General_100_CI_AS_KS collation.
• SQL High Availability Options:
  • Basic Availability Groups – Build two SQL 2016 (or newer) Standard Edition servers and create three Basic Availability Groups, one for each database. Each Basic Availability Group has its own Listener.
    • SQL Standard Edition is much cheaper than SQL Enterprise Edition.
    • See Patrick van den Born How to: Configure Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop to use Microsoft SQL multi-subnet (Basic) Availability Groups.  💡
  • Database Mirroring – Build two SQL 2014 or older Standard Edition servers and configure Database Mirroring.
  • AlwaysOn Availability Group – Build two SQL Enterprise Edition servers and create one AlwaysOn Availability Group with one Listener.
  • Failover Clustering – Build two SQL Enterprise Edition servers and configure SQL Database Failover Clustering.
• Cloud – Azure SQL and AWS RDS are not supported. You'll need to build your own SQL Servers on IaaS VMs.

Windows Feature

InstallingGroup Policy Management on the Delivery Controllers lets you edit Citrix-targeted Group Policy Objects (GPOs) directly from the Controllers. Controllers already have Studio and Citrix Group Policy Management installed, so if GPMC runs from a Controller, then the GPO Editor will automatically have access to the Citrix Policies node. Or you can install Citrix Group Policy Management Plug-in on a different machine that has GPMC installed.

vCenter Service Account

Create a role in vSphere Client. Assign a service account to the role at the Datacenter or higher level. Delivery Controller will use this service account to login to vCenter.

Delivery Controller Install

1. A typical size for the Controller VMs is 2-4 vCPU and 8+ GB of RAM. If all components (Delivery Controller, StoreFront, Licensing, Director, SQL Express) are installed on one server, then you might want to bump up memory to 10 GB or 12 GB.
2. From Local Host Cache sizing and scaling at Citrix Docs:
   1. For LHC LocalDB, assign the Controller VMs a single socket with multiple cores.
   2. Add two cores for LHC.
   3. Add at least three more Gigs of RAM and watch the memory consumption.
   4. Since there's no control over LHC election, ensure all Controllers have the same specs.
3. Make sure the User RightLog on as a service includesNT SERVICE\ALL SERVICES, or addNT SERVICE\CitrixTelemetryService to the User Right.
   
4. Download the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 ISO.
   
5. On two Delivery Controllers, to install the Delivery Controller software, runAutoSelect.exe from the 7.17 ISO.
   
6. Click Start next to either XenApp or XenDesktop. The only difference is the product name displayed in the installation wizard.
   
7. On the top left, click Delivery Controller.
   
8. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and clickNext.
   
9. In the Core Components page, you can install all components on one server, or on separate servers. Splitting them out is only necessary in large environments, or if you have multiple farms, and want to share the Licensing, StoreFront, and Director components across those farms. ClickNext.
   
10. In the Features page, uncheck the box next to Install Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP2 Express, and click Next.
    
11. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
    
12. In the Summary page, click Install.
    
13. In the Smart Tools page, make a selection. If you choose Smart Tools and Call Home, then click Connect, and enter your Citrix Cloud or MyCitrix.com credentials. Click Next.
    
    
    
14. In the Finish page, click Finish. Studio will automatically launch.
    
15. Ensure the two Controller VMs do not run on the same hypervisor host. Create an anti-affinity rule at vSphere Cluster > Manage > Settings > DRS Rules > Add. Set the Type toSeparate Virtual Machines.
    

Create Site – Create Database

There are several methods of creating the databases for XenApp/XenDesktop:

• If you have sysadmin permissions to SQL, let Citrix Studio create the databases automatically.
• If you don't have sysadmin permissions to SQL, then use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts, and send the scripts to a DBA.

Use Studio to Create Database Automatically

1. Launch Citrix Studio. After it loads, click Deliver applications and desktops to your users.
   
2. In the Introduction page, select An empty, unconfigured site. This reduces the number of pages in this Setup wizard. The other pages will be configured later.
3. Enter a Site Name (aka farm name), and click Next. Only administrators see the farm name.
   
4. In the Databases page, if you are building two Controllers, click Select near the bottom of the same page.
   
   1. Click Add.
   2. Enter the FQDN of the second Controller, and click OK. Note: the Delivery Controller software must already be installed on that second machine.
   3. Then click Save.
      
5. If the person running Citrix Studio hassysadmin permissions to the SQL Server, then enter the SQL server name/instance in the threeLocation fields, and clickNext.
6. If you don't havesysadmin permission, the jump to the SQL Scripts section below.
   
7. On the Licensing page, enter the name of the Citrix License Server, and click Connect. If you installed Licensing with your Delivery Controller, then simply enter localhost.
8. If the Certificate Authentication appears, select Connect me, and click Confirm.T
9. Select your license type, and click Next. If you see both User/Device and Concurrent, then you usually must select User/Device licenses. Also see CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.
   
10. In the Summary page, if your databases are mirrored or in an Availability Group, each database will show high availability servers, and the name of the Mirror server. Click Finish.
    
    
11. It will take some time for the site to be created.
12. Once done, skip to the Second Controller section.

Use Studio to create SQL scripts

1. If you don't have SQLsysadmin permissions, then change the selection to Generate scripts to manually set up databases on the database server. Change the database names if desired, and clickNext.
   
2. In the Summary page, clickGenerate scripts.
   
3. A folder will open with six scripts. Edit each of the scripts.
   
4. Near the top of each script are two lines to create the database. Uncomment both lines (including the go line). Then save and close the file.
   
   
5. Once all of the scripts are edited, you can send them to your DBA.
   1. On the Principal SQL Server, open the fileSite_Principal.sql.
      
      
   2. Open the Query menu, and click SQLCMD Mode to enable it.
      
   3. Then execute the script.
      
   4. If SQLCMD mode was enabled properly, then the output should look something like this:
      
   5. If you have a mirrored database, run the second script on the mirror SQL instance. Make sure SQLCMD mode is enabled.
      
   6. Repeat for the Logging_Principal. sql script.
      
   7. You'll have to enable SQLCMD Mode for each script you open.
      
      
      
   8. Repeat for the Monitoring_Principal. sql script.
      
   9. Once again enable SQLCMD Mode.
      
      
      
   10. The person running Citrix Studio must be added to the SQL Server as a SQL Login, and granted the public server role, so that account can enumerate the databases.
       
       
6. Back in Citrix Studio, click the Continue database configuration and Site setup button.
   
7. In the Databases page, enter the SQL server name, and instance name, and click Next.
   
   
8. On the Licensing page, enter the name of the Citrix License Server, and click Connect. If you installed Licensing with your Delivery Controller, then simply enter localhost.
9. If the Certificate Authentication appears, select Connect me, and click Confirm.
   
10. Then select your license, and click Next. See CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.
    
11. In the Summary page, if your databases are mirrored, each database will show high availability servers, and the name of the Mirror server. Click Finish.
    
    
12. It will take some time for the site to be created.
    

Second Controller

When building the first Delivery Controller, the SQL scripts might have already included the second Delivery Controller, and thus no special SQL permissions are needed. If the second Delivery Controller has not already been added to the SQL databases, then there are several methods of adding a second Controller to the databases for XenApp/XenDesktop:

• If you have sysadmin permissions to SQL, let Citrix Studio modify the databases automatically.
• If you don't have sysadmin permissions to SQL then use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts and send them to a DBA.

To use Citrix Studio to create the SQL Scripts:

1. On the first Delivery Controller, if StoreFront is installed on the Controller, then delete the default StoreFront store (/Citrix/Store), and recreate it with your desired Store name (e.g. /Citrix/CompanyStore).
   
2. On the second Delivery Controller machine, install Delivery Controller as detailed earlier.
3. After installation, launch Studio on the second controller, and click Connect this Delivery Controller to an existing Site.
   
4. Enter the name of the first Delivery Controller, and click OK.
   
5. If you don't have full SQL permissions (sysadmin), click No when asked if you want to update the database automatically.
   
6. Click Generate scripts.
   
7. A folder will open with six scripts. If not mirroring, then the top three scripts need to be sent to a DBA. If mirroring, send all six.
   
8. On the SQL Server, open one of the .sql files.
   
   
9. Open the Query menu, and click SQLCMD Mode.
   
10. Then execute the XenDesktop script.
    
11. If SQLCMD mode was enabled properly, then the output should look something like this:
    
12. Repeat for the remaining script files.
13. Back in Citrix Studio, click OK.
    
14. In Citrix Studio, under Configuration > Controllers, you should see both controllers.
    

Studio – Slow Launch

From B.J.M. Groenhout at Citrix Discussions: The following adjustments can be made if Desktop Studio (and other Citrix management Consoles) will start slowly:

• Within Internet Explorer, go to Tools – Internet Options – Tab Advanced – Section Security, and uncheck the option Check for publisher's certificate revocation

After adjustment Desktop Studio (MMC) will be started immediately. Without adjustment it may take some time before Desktop Studio (MMC) is started.

Registry setting (can be deployed using Group Policy Preferences):

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing
  • "State"=dword:00023e00

Concurrent Logon Hard Limit

From Samuel Legrand XenApp 7.14 – (Really) Manage a DR! – Citrix Policies has a setting calledConcurrent Logon Tolerance. However, it is not a hard limit, meaning once the limits are reached, it continues to let users connect. You can configure the Controllers to make it a hard limit by setting the following registry value:

• HKLM\Software\Policies\Citrix\DesktopServer
  • LogonToleranceIsHardLimit (DWORD) = 1

Local Host Cache

If you have 10,000 or fewer VDAs per zone (up to 40,000 VDAs per multi-zone site/farm), you can enable Local Host Cache (LHC) instead of Connection Leasing. LHC allows new sessions to be started even if SQL database is unavailable. VDA limits for LHC are higher in 7.16 than previous versions of XenApp/XenDesktop.

From Local Host Cache sizing and scaling at Citrix Docs:

1. For LHC LocalDB, assign the Controller VMs a single socket with multiple cores.
2. Add two cores for LHC.
3. Add at least three more Gigs of RAM and watch the memory consumption.
4. Since there's no control over LHC election, ensure all Controllers have the same specs.
5. The Docs article has scripts for monitoring LHC performance.

From XenApp 7.12, LHC and a reboot at Citrix Discussions:

• If the rebooted DDC is the elected one, a different DDC will take over (causing registration storm) and when the DDC gets back, it will take over brokering causing second registration storm. Site will sort itself out and all will work.
• If the rebooted DDC is not the elected one, it will not impact any functionality.
• If you turn the DDC down when site is working, and start it during outage, LHC will not trigger on that machine. This DDC will not impact the LHC unless it would become the elected one. In that scenario it will take control, however not start LHC and resources would not be available.

Trentent Tye at Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp 7.15 – The local host cache in action has a video showing LHC in action.  💡

For Windows Server 2008 R2 Delivery Controllers, PowerShell 3, or newer, is required. See LHC XD 7.12 and W2K8SR2 SP1 at Citrix Discussions.

As mentioned by Citrix Docs, make sure PowerShell Execution Policy is set to RemoteSigned, Unrestricted, or Bypass.

If you did a fresh install of 7.17, then Local Host Cache should be enabled by default. You can run Get-BrokerSite to confirm. (run asnp citrix.* first).

If not enabled, you can run some PowerShell commands to enable Local Host Cache:

asnp citrix.* Set-BrokerSite -ConnectionLeasingEnabled $false Set-BrokerSite -LocalHostCacheEnabled $true

George Spiers Local Host Cache XenApp & XenDesktop 7.12 shows the Event Log entries when LHC is enabled.

Database Maintenance

Enable Read-Committed Snapshot

The XenDesktop Database can become heavily utilized under load in a large environment. Therefore Citrix recommends enabling the Read_Committed_Snapshot option on the XenDesktop databases to remove contention on the database from read queries. This can improve the interactivity of Studio and Director. It should be noted that this option may increase the load on the tempdb files. See Citrix article CTX137161 How to Enable Read-Committed Snapshot in XenDesktop for configuration instructions.

Change Database Connection Strings

Sometimes the database connection strings need to be modified:

• When moving the SQL databases to a different SQL server
• For AlwaysOn Availability Groups, to add MultiSubnetFailover to the SQL connection strings
• For SQL mirroring, to add Failover Partner to the SQL connection strings

From Citrix Docs Update database connection strings when using SQL Server high availability solutions: Citrix offers several PowerShell scripts that update XenApp and XenDesktop database connection strings when you are using SQL Server high availability database solutions such as AlwaysOn and mirroring. The scripts, which use the XenApp and XenDesktop PowerShell API, are:

• DBConnectionStringFuncs.ps1: The core script that does the actual work. This script contains common functions that the other scripts use.
• Change_XD_Failover_Partner_v1.ps1: Updates (adds, changes, or removes) the failover partner. This script prompts for the failover partner location (FQDN) for each database. (Providing a blank failover partner removes the failover partner. You can also use the ClearPartner option to remove a partner.) Do not set the failover partner to the same location as the principal database server.
• Change_XD_To_ConnectionString.ps1: Uses the provided connection strings to update the connection strings to the databases. This script ensures that certain Citrix services are up and running, and then updates those services in the correct order on all Controllers in the site. Enclose connection string information for each database in quotes.
• Change_XD_To_MultiSubnetFailover.ps1: Toggles the addition and removal of MultiSubnetFailover=true. If you use AlwaysOn Availability Groups, Microsoft recommends that the connection string include MultiSubnetFailover=true. This option speeds up recovery when a high availability event occurs, and is recommended for both single and multi-subnet environments. Run this script once to add the option. Run the script again to remove it.
• Change_XD_To_Null.ps1: Resets all the connection strings on the localhost because something has gone wrong. By resetting the connection strings to null, this script places the Controller into an "initial" state. If you run Studio after running this script, you'll be asked if you want to create a site or join an existing site. This is useful if something has gone wrong and a reset is needed. After the reset, you can try again to set the connection strings.

CTX140319 How to Migrate XenDesktop Database to New SQL Server has the correctly ordered list of PowerShell commands to change the database connection strings. Make sure PowerShell is running as administrator before running these commands.

Here are the DB Connections that must be changed. This list might be longer than the article. When using the article, make sure you include all of the DB Connections shown below. You can get the full list of database commands by runningGet-Command Set-*DBConnection. When changing the DB connections, AdminDBConnection must be the last to be set to NULL, and the first to be configured with the new connection string.

Set-ConfigDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-AppLibDBConnection –DBConnection $null    #7.8 and newer Set-OrchDBConnection –DBConnection $null      #7.11 and newer Set-TrustDBConnection –DBConnection $null     #7.11 and newer Set-AcctDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-AnalyticsDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-HypDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-ProvDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-BrokerDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-EnvTestDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-SfDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-MonitorDBConnection -DataStore Monitor -DBConnection $null   #Monitoring Database Set-MonitorDBConnection -DBConnection $null                      #Site Database Set-LogDBConnection -DataStore Logging -DBConnection $null       #Logging Database Set-LogDBConnection -DBConnection $null                          #Site Database Set-AdminDBConnection -DBConnection $null -force

Director Grooming

If XenDesktop is not Platinum Edition, then all historical Director data is groomed at 30 days.

For XenDesktop/XenApp Platinum Edition, by default, most of the historical Director data is groomed at 90 days. This can be adjusted up to 367 days by running a PowerShell cmdlet.

1. On a Delivery Controller, run PowerShell elevated (as administrator), and run asnp Citrix.*
   
2. Run Get-MonitorConfiguration to see the current grooming settings.
   
3. Run Set-MonitorConfiguration to change the grooming settings.
   

View Logging Database

To view the contents of the Logging Database, in Studio, click the Logging node. On the right isCreate Custom Report. See Citrix article CTX138132 Viewing Configuration Logging Data Not Shown for more info.

The Logging Database can be queried usingGet-LogLowLevelOperation. See Stefan Beckmann Get user who set maintenance mode for a server or client for an example script that uses this PowerShell cmdlet.

Maintain Logging Database

Citrix CTX215069 Troubleshooting and managing Oversized Configuration Logging database: The article's queries can be used to determine the number of configuration operation types performed by XenDesktop Administrator, and to analyze the content of the Configuration Logging database when it is considered oversized. A grooming query is also provided to delete data older than a specified date.

Export/Import Configuration

Ryan Butler has a PowerShell script that can export configuration from one XenDesktop farm and import it to another.

Studio Administrators

Full Administrators

1. In the Studio, under Configuration, click the Administrators node. The first time you access the node you'll see a Welcome page. Feel free to check the box to Don't show this again, and then click Close.
2. On the Administrators tab, right-click, and click Create Administrator.
   
3. In the Administrator and Scope page, Browse to a group (e.g. Citrix Admins) that will have permissions to Studio and Director. These groups typically have access to all objects, so select the All scope. Alternatively, you can create a Scope to limit the objects. Click Next.
   
4. On the Role page, select a role, and then click Next. For example:
   • Full Administrator for the Citrix Admins group
   • Help Desk Administrator for the Help Desk group
   • Machine Catalog Administrator for the desktop team
     
5. In the Summary page, click Finish.

Help Desk

1. In the Studio, under Configuration, click the Administrators node. On the Administrators tab, right-click, and click Create Administrator.
   
2. In the Administrator and Scope page, Browse to a Help Desk group that will have permissions to Studio and Director. Select the All scope. And click Next.
   
3. On the Role page, select the Help Desk Administrator role, and then click Next.
   
4. In the Summary page, click Finish.
5. When administrators in the Help Desk role log into Director, all they see is this.
   
   To jazz it up a little, add the Help Desk group to the read-only role.
6. Right-click the Help Desk Administrator, and click Edit Administrator.
   
7. Click Add.
   
8. In the Scope page, select a scope, and click Next.
   
9. In the Role page, select Read Only Administrator, and click Next.
   
10. In the Summary page, click Finish.
11. Then click OK. Now Director will display the dashboard.
    

Customer Experience Improvement Program

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 enables CEIP by default. If desired, you can disable it in Citrix Studio:

1. On the left, go to theConfiguration node.
2. On the right, switch to theProduct Support tab.
   
3. ClickEnd.
   
4. Click Yes.
   

Citrix Studio 7.17 collects data for Google Analytics. You can disable this in the registry at HKLM\Software\Citrix\DesktopStudio\GAEnabled = 0.

Each XenApp/XenDesktop component has a separate configuration for disabling Customer Experience Improvement Program:

• License Server CEIP
• Virtual Delivery Agent CEIP
• Profile Management CEIP
• StoreFront CEIP
• Provisioning Services CEIP
• Receiver CEIP
• Receiver for HTML5 CEIP
• Session Recording CEIP
• AppDNA CEIP
• NetScaler CEIP

vCenter Connection

XenDesktop uses an Active Directory service account to log into vCenter. This account needs specific permissions in vCenter. To facilitate assigning these permissions, create a new vCenter role and assign it to the XenDesktop service account. The permissions should be applied at the datacenter or higher level.

Import vCenter Root Certificate

If the vCenter certificate is valid and trusted, then you can skip to the Hosting Resource section.

For newer versions of vCenter, you can import the root certificate that signed the vCenter Server/Appliance certificate.

1. Point your browser to the root path of the vCenter Server URL.
2. On the bottom right, clickDownload trusted root CA certificates.
   
3. Extract the downloaded files.
4. Go to\certs\win.
5. Sort the files by date, and double-click the newest.crt file.
   
6. On theGeneral tab, clickInstall Certificate.
   
7. In the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, change theStore Location selection toLocal Machine, and clickNext.
   
8. In theCertificate Store page, clickBrowse.
   
9. SelectTrust Root Certification Authorities, and clickOK.
   
10. In theCompleting the Certificate Import Wizard page, clickFinish.
    
11. If you close your browser and reopen it, and then go to the vCenter URL, there should no longer be any certificate errors.
12. Skip to the Hosting Resource section.

Import vCenter Certificate

If the vCenter certificate is valid and trusted, then you can skip to the Hosting Resource section.

Alternatively, you can import the actual vCenter Server certificate (instead of the root). This is the only option for older self-signed vCenter certificates.

Newer versions of XenDesktop have the ability to import the vCenter certificate thumbprint into the database so every Controller trusts it. However, it is difficult to update the thumbprint whenever the vCenter certificate changes. It might instead be more reliable to use the older method of configuring theTrusted People store on the Delivery Controllers. Whenever the vCenter certificate is changed, you'll need to repeat these steps.

1. Get the vCenter certificate.
   1. Open a browser and point it to the vCenter URL. Note: this procedure to get the certificate won't work in Internet Explorer.
      
   2. If Google Chrome, press <F12> to open the Developer Tools.
      
   3. On the top right, click the two right arrows to show more tabs, and clickSecurity.
      
   4. On theSecurity tab, clickView certificate.
      
   5. On theDetails tab, clickCopy to File.
      
   6. In theWelcome to the Certificate Export Wizard page, clickNext.
      
   7. In theExport File Format page, either format will work. ClickNext.
      
   8. In theFile to Export page, browse to a new file, and clickNext.
      
   9. In theCompleting the Certificate Export Wizard page, clickFinish.
      
2. If your Delivery Controller is Windows 2012 R2 or newer, then simply runcertlm.msc. This opens the MMC console with theCertificates snap-in already added and pointing to Local computer.
   1. For Windows 2008 R2, run mmc.exe, open the File menu, and click Add/Remove Snap-in.
      
   2. Move the Certificates snap-in to the right by highlighting it, and clicking Add.
      
   3. Select Computer account, and click Next.
      
   4. Select Local computer, and click Finish.
      
   5. Click OK.
3. On the left, right-click the Trusted People node, expand All Tasks, and click Import.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Next.
   
5. In the File to Import page, browse to the certificate you saved earlier, and click Next.
   
6. In the Certificate Store page, click Next.
   
7. In the Completing the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Finish.
   
8. Click OK to acknowledge that the import was successful.
9. Repeat these steps on the second Controller. It is important that you import the certificate on both Controllers before adding the Hosting Resource.
10. If you open Internet Explorer and browse to the vCenter Server, there should be no certificate errors.
    

Hosting Resources

A Hosting Resource = vCenter + Cluster (Resource Pool) + Storage + Network. When you create a machine catalog, you select a previously defined Hosting Resource, and the Cluster, Storage, and Network defined in the Hosting Resource object are automatically selected. If you need some desktops on a different Cluster+Storage+Network, then you'll need to define more Hosting Resources in Studio.

1. In Studio, expand Configuration and click Hosting. Right-click it, and click Add Connection and Resources.
   
2. In the Connection page, for Connection type, select VMware vSphere.
3. Notice there's a Learn about user permissions blue link to an article that describes the necessary permissions.
4. Enter https://vcenter01.corp.local/sdk as the vCenter URL. The URL must contain the FQDN of the vCenter server.
5. Enter credentials of a service account that can log into vCenter.
6. In the Connection name field, give the connection a name. Typically, this matches the name of the vCenter server.
7. If you are not using Machine Creation Services, and instead only need the vCenter connection for machine power management, change the Create virtual machines using selection to Other Tools. If you intend to use MCS, leave it set toStudio Tools.
8. Click Next.
   
9. In the Storage Management page, clickBrowse, and select a vSphere cluster.
   • Note: as detailed at CTX223662, make sure there's no comma in the datacenter name.
10. SelectUse storage shared by hypervisors.
11. If you have sufficient disk space on each ESXi host, also selectOptimize temporary data on available local storage. From Mark Syms at XA 7.9 MCS with RAM Caching at Citrix Discussions: "If you use just MCS caching to local storage then the VM is not agile at all and cannot be moved even when powered off as it has a virtual disk permanently associated with a single host."
12. From Martin Rowan at XA 7.9 MCS with RAM Caching at Citrix Discussions: for the temporary cache disk, "Don't format it, the raw disk is what MCS caching uses."
13. Click Next.
    
14. In theStorage Selection page, OS and Personal vDisk must be selected on at least one datastore. For maximum flexibility, only select one datastore. To select additional datastores, run this wizard again to create a separate Hosting Resource.
15. If you selected the temporary data on local storage option, on the bottom, clickSelect, and choose the datastores you want to use for disk caching. By default, all local datastores are selected. Click Next when done.
    
16. In the Network page, enter a name for the hosting resource. Since each hosting resource is a combination of vCenter, Cluster, Network, and Datastores, include those names in this field (e.g. vCenter01-Cluster01-Network01-Datastore01).
17. Select a network and click Next.
    
18. In the Summary page, click Finish.
    
19. If you have multiple datastores for your VDAs, run the wizard again.
    
20. You can use the existing vCenter connection.
    
21. This time, select a different datastore.
    
22. Give it a name that indicates the chosen datastore.
    
23. When you create a Catalog, select the Hosting Resource for the datastore where you want the VDAs to be placed. Create additional Catalogs for each datastore. You can then combine the Catalogs into a single Delivery Group.
    
24. Later in the Catalog wizard, you're given an option to enable caching and select a cache size. This is similar to Provisioning Services option "Cache in RAM with overflow to disk".
    
25. If you rename Storage, Network, or Datacenters, see Citrix CTX225019 XA/XD 7.13: Renaming Storage, Network or Datacenters When Used With MCS or PVS. Either run Update-HypHypervisorConnection -LiteralPath "XDHyp:\Connections\MyConnection" , or right-click the Hosting Resource and click Edit Storage. You can cancel the wizard.
    

Citrix Licensing Server

Upgrade

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17 comes with 11.14.1.1 build 23101.

If you have a standalone Licensing Server, upgrade it to Citrix Licensing 11.14.1.1 build 23101, if it isn't already.

1. Go to the downloaded Citrix Licensing 11.14.1.1 build 23101, and run CitrixLicensing. exe.
   
   
2. If you see theSubscription Advantage Renewal page, make a selection, and click Next.
   
3. In the Upgrade page, click Upgrade.
   
4. Click Finish.
   
5. If you go to Programs and Features, it should now show version 11.14.0.1 build 23101.
   
6. If you login to the license server web console, on the Administration tab…
   
7. It shows it as version 11.14.0.1 build 23101.
   
8. You can also view the version in the registry at HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\LicenseServer\Install.
   

Activate Citrix License

The easy way to install and activate a Citrix license is through Citrix Studio:

1. In Citrix Studio, expandConfiguration, right-clickLicensing, and clickAllocate Licenses.
   
2. Enter the LA- license code, and clickShow.
   • You can find your LA- code at http://mycitrix.com, clickAll Licensing Tools, and clickView Licenses.
     
3. Then click theAllocate licenses button.
   
   • Another method of allocating licenses is in the new Licensing Manager at https://MyLicenseServer:8083.
     
4. After licenses are installed, right-click theLicensing node, and clickEdit Product Edition
   
5. Change the edition to match your licenses. If you see both XenDesktop and XenApp licenses, you must select XenDesktop. If you see both Concurrent and User/Device, then you must select User/Device. Click OK when done.
   
6. XenDesktop 7.14 and newer support mixed licensing in a single site/farm. See the following:
   • Citrix Blog Post Introducing Multi-Type Licensing in XenApp & XenDesktop 7.14.
   • Multi-type licensing at Citrix Docs.

License Server CEIP

11.14.1.1 build 19005 and newer enables CEIP by default. This can be disabled in the Citrix Licensing Manager (https://MyLicenseServer:8083) by clicking the gear icon.

Switch to the Usage and Statistics tab, and make a selection in theShare usage statistics with Citrix section.

Citrix License Management Service

Version 11.14.0.1 and newer include the Citrix License Management Service. This service helps you avoid prohibited practices:

• Duplication of licenses outside a Disaster Recovery (DR) environment
• Use of legacy licenses for new product versions
• Use of rescinded licenses

Citrix License Server Monitoring

Citrix Licensing 11.13.1 and newer has historical usage reporting:

1. RunCitrix Licensing Manager from the Start Menu. Or use a browser to connect to https://MyLicenseServer:8083
   
2. On the Historical Use tab, use the drop-down menus to select a license type, select dates, and export to a .csv file.
   
3. TheUpdate Licenses tab lets you check for renewals and download them.
   
4. On the top right is a gear icon where you can set the historical retention period.
   
   1. On theUsage and Statistics tab…
      
   2. Scroll down and find theHistorical Use section.
      

Jonathan Medd Monitor Citrix License Usage With PowerShell.

Lal Mohan – Citrix License Usage Monitoring Using Powershell

Jaroslaw Sobel – Monitoring Citrix Licenses usage – Graphs using WMI, Powershell and RRDtool. This script generates a graph similar to the following:

Remote Desktop Licensing Server

Install Remote Desktop Licensing Server

Do the following on your XenDesktop Controllers:

1. In Server Manager, open the Manage menu, and click Add Roles and Features.
   
2. In theInstallation Type page, selectRole-based or feature-based installation.
   
3. Click Next until you get to the Server Roles page. Check the box next to Remote Desktop Services, and click Next.
   
4. Click Next until you get to the Role Services page. Check the box next to Remote Desktop Licensing, and click Next.
   
5. Click Add Features if prompted.
   
6. Then finish the wizard to install the role service.
   

Activate Remote Desktop Licensing

1. After RD Licensing is installed, in Server Manager, open the Tool menu, expand Terminal Services (or Remote Desktop Services), and click Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
   
2. The tool should find the local server. If it does not, right-click All servers, click Connect, and type in the name of the local server.
3. Once the local server can be seen in the list, right-click the server and click Activate Server.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Activate Server Wizard page, click Next.
   
5. In the Connection Method page, click Next.
   
6. In the Company Information page, enter the required information, and click Next.
   
7. All of the fields on the Company Information page are optional, so you do not have to enter anything. Click Next.
   
8. In the Completing the Activate Server Wizard page, uncheck the box next to Start Install Licenses Wizard now, and click Finish. Since the session hosts will be configured to pull Per User licenses, there is no need to install licenses on the RD Licensing Server.
   
9. In RD Licensing Manager, right-click the server, and click Review Configuration.
   
10. Ensure you have green check marks. If the person installing Remote Desktop Licensing does not have permissions to add the server to the Terminal Server License Servers group in Active Directory, ask a domain admin to do it manually. If you have the proper permissions, click Add to Group.
    
11. Click Continue when prompted that you must have Domain Admins privileges.
    
12. Click OK when prompted that the computer account has been added.
    
13. Click OK to close the window.
    

Smart Check

Citrix Cloud offers a Smart Check service that can scan your XenApp/XenDesktop infrastructure for known issues.

• For a list of checks, see About health checks at Citrix Docs.
• See What's new for Citrix Smart Tools at Citrix Docs
• For a comparison of Smart Check and Citrix Insight Services, see Citrix Blog Post What Data is Smart Check Collecting?

To run Smart Check:

1. Go to https://citrix.cloud.com, and login.
2. After logging in, under My Services, findSmart Tools, and clickManage.
   
3. ClickSmart Check.
   
4. If you enabled Smart Tools during the installation of XenDesktop 7.17, then the site should already be there. ClickComplete Setup.
   
5. If you didn't enable Smart Check during XenDesktop installation, then on the top right, clickAdd Site.
   
   1. In step 1, clickDownload Agent.
      
   2. Step 2 indicates it is waiting for you to install the Agent.
      
   3. On a Delivery Controller, run the downloadedCitrixLifecycleManagementAgent.exe.
      
   4. Check the box next toI accept the terms in the License Agreement, and clickInstall.
      
   5. In theCompleted the Citrix Smart Tools Agent Setup Wizard page, clickFinish.
      
   6. Step 2 now shows that the Agent was installed successfully. ClickNext.
      
6. Enter credentials for your XenDesktop farm, and clickAdd Site, or clickDone.
   
7. Eventually you'll see aGet Started link.
   
8. Or, if the site is already added to your list of sites, clickView Report next to the site.
   
9. StoreFront, Provisioning Services, and Licensing Server cannot be automatically detected. You can add a Custom Check that targets those machines. See Perform health checks on Storefront, Licensing, and Provisioning Servers at Citrix Docs.
   
10. At the top right, if you clickPerform Check, you can run one of the checks.
    
11. If you clickConfigure.
    
12. You can schedule the checks to automatically run periodically.
    
13. To view the alerts, click one of the alert badges in the component category. Also see Smart Check alerts reference at Citrix Docs.
    
14. Expand a component, and click an alert.
    
15. On the right, there's an option toHide Alert.
    
    
16. To view the hidden alerts, at the top right, click the menu icon, and clickShow Hidden Alerts.
    
17. The hidden alert is grayed out. If you click the alert, you can restore it.
    
    

Additional Smart Checks

The Blueprint Catalog has additional checks that you can add to Smart Check. Click Blueprint Catalog in the menu bar. Scroll down to the Citrix Checks section, and click the plus icon next to one of them.

When you go back to Smart Check, open a site (View Report), and click Perform Check, you'll see the Custom Check that you added from the Blueprint Catalog.

See Citrix Blog Post VDA Health Check Now Available on Smart Check.

Citrix Scout

XenDesktop 7.17 includes Citrix Scout that can be launched from the Start Menu.

The tool can run a manual collection, run a trace, or schedule periodic collection. The results are uploaded to Citrix Smart Tools.

Links with more information:

• Bas van Kaam With XenDesktop & XenApp 7.14 comes Scout 3.0 – some big changes, read what's new – compares old Scout with new Scout
• Citrix Docs Citrix Scout

XenApp/XenDesktop Health Check

Sacha Tomet Finally 1.0 – but never finalized!: XenApp & XenDesktop 7.x Health Check script has now Version 1.0.

Andrew Morgan – New Free Tool: Citrix Director Notification Service: The Citrix Director Notification service sits on an edge server as a service (or local to the delivery controller) and periodically checks the health of:

• Citrix Licensing.
• Database Connections.
• Broker Service.
• Core Services.
• Hypervisor Connections.

And if any of these items fall out of bounds, an SMTP alert is sent to the mailbox of your choice for action. The tool will also send "All Clear" emails when these items are resolved, ensuring you are aware when the service has resumed a healthy state.

Matt Bodholdt XenDesktop 7.x Controller Service Status Script at CUGC – PowerShell script that checks the following:

• Lists Controllers with boot time
• Licensing status
• Service status on each Controller
• DB Connections
• Controller Available Memory
• Hypervisor Connections Status

Related Pages

• Configure RDSH VDAs to use Remote Desktop Licensing Server
• Back to XenApp/XenDesktop 7.17

Navigation

• Change Log
• Director Licensing – Platinum Edition
• Install/Upgrade Director 7.16 on Standalone Server
• Director Default Webpage
• Director Spinning Circle
• Director Domain Field on Logon Page
• Director Tweaks
  • Director Configuration Script
• Director – Saved Filters
• Director and HDX Insight
• Director and Self-Service Password Reset
• Director Monitoring Database Grooming
• Director Single Sign On
• Director – Multiple XenDesktop Sites
• Director Process Monitoring
• Director Alerts and Notifications
• Director – SCOM Integration
• Director – Custom Reports
• Use Director 7.16

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 Feb 3 – in Grooming section, added link to Data granularity and retention at Citrix Docs
• 2017 Dec 14 – in Use Director section, added XenServer 7.3 VDA console access
• 2017 Dec 6 – in Use Director section, added link to Citrix Blog Post Application Analytics in Citrix Director
• 2017 Dec 2:
  • Updated Install section for Director 7.16
  • Updated Use Director section for new features in Director 7.16
  • Split Director domain field into its own section

Director Licensing – Platinum Edition

See the XenApp and XenDesktop Feature Matrix. Scroll down toDirector Platinum Edition for the list of Director features that require Platinum Edition licensing.

• Up to a year's worth of performance data that provides a comprehensive view of capacity trends
• Proactive notification and alerting including SNMP integration
• SCOM alerts
• Desktop and server OS usage reporting
• Create customized reports
• Reboot warnings
• NetScaler MAS integration – HDX Insight
• Override control over roaming sessions

See Citrix Docs Feature compatibility matrix for a list of which Director feature came with each version, and the licensing Edition needed for each feature.

Install/Upgrade Director 7.16 on Standalone Server

Current Release vs LTSR – Director 7.16 is a Current Release, which is only supported for 6 months from the release date, and you are expected to upgrade it every 3-6 months. If you prefer a release with a longer support cycle, see Director 7.15 LTSR.

Install on Delivery Controller? – The XenDesktop Delivery Controller metainstaller has an option to install Director on the Delivery Controller machine. Or you can install Director on separate, dedicated machines.

• If Director will connect to multiple sites/farms, then install Director on its own servers.
• For small environments, it might be OK to install Director on the Delivery Controller machines. Otherwise, Director is usually installed on separate machines.

Director and Delivery Controller versions – There's no point in upgrading to Director 7.16 if your Delivery Controllers are not also 7.16. Director will inform you if your Delivery Controllers are not the same version as Director.

Installation guidance – For Director installation guidance, see the following:

• Citrix CTX222476 Install or Upgrade to Citrix Director 7.x Using Director .msi file
• Citrix CTX142260 Installing or Upgrading to Citrix Director 7.6.200.

Scripted install – To install and configure Director using a script, see Dennis Span Citrix Director unattended installation with PowerShell.

Manual installation – To install Director manually:

1. Start with runningAutoSelect.exe from the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16 ISO.
   
2. In the Extend Deployment section, on the bottom left, clickCitrix Director.
   
3. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and click Next.
   
4. In theCore Components page, clickNext.
   
5. In the Delivery Controller page, it will ask you for the location of one Controller in the farm. Only enter one Controller per farm. If you have multiple Director servers, each Director server can point to a different Controller in the farm. From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails. ClickTest Connection, and then clickAdd.
6. You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Securing endpoints using TLS at Citrix Docs.
   
7. In theFeatures page, clickNext.
   
8. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
   
9. In theSummary page, clickInstall.
   
10. In theFinish page, clickFinish.
    
11. In IIS Manager, go to Default Web Site > Director > Application Settings, findService.AutoDiscoveryAddresses, and make sure it points to one Controller in the farm, and not tolocalhost. From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails.
12. You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Securing endpoints using TLS at Citrix Docs.
    
    
13. If you built multiple Director servers, use NetScaler to load balance them.
14. If you are upgrading Director, runC:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /upgrade to complete the upgrade process.
    
15. For info on the new monitoring features in Director 7.16 and older, see Use Director below.

Director Default Webpage

From CTX223907 How to Make Director the Default Page within IIS: If Director is installed on a standalone server, do the following to set /Director as the default path.

1. Open Notepad elevated (as administrator) and paste the following text:

   <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- window.location="https://director.corp.com/Director"; // --> </script>

2. Adjust the window.location line to match your FQDN.
3. SelectFile >SaveAs and browse to the IIS folder, by defaultC:\inetpub\wwwroot is the IIS folder.
4. Select the Save as type toAlltypes.
5. Type a file name with an html extension, and selectSave.
   
6. Open IIS Manager.
7. Select the SERVERNAME node (top-level), and double-click Default Document, as shown in the following screen shot:
   
8. On the right, clickAdd…,
   
9. Enter the file name of the .html file provided in Step 5.
   
10. Ensure the .html file is located at the top of the list, as shown in the following screen shot:
    

Director Spinning Circle

If after login to Director the spinning circle doesn't go away…

Do the following to fix it:

1. Edit the file C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\web.config using an elevated text editor.
2. Search for<serviceHostingEnvironment (line 273).
3. Add the following attribute:

   multipleSiteBindingsEnabled="true"

   

Also see CTX202564 Citrix Director Becomes Unresponsive after Submitting the Credentials when IIS X-Frame-Options is enabled

Director Domain Field

On the Director servers, locate and edit the 'LogOn.aspx' file. By default you can find it at C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\Logon.aspx

In line 450 you will have the following. To find the line, search forID="Domain".

<asp:TextBox ID="Domain" runat="server" CssClass="text-box" onfocus="showIndicator(this);" onblur="hideIndicator(this);"></asp:TextBox>

In the ID="Domain" element, insert a Text attribute and set it to your domain name. Don't change or add any other attributes. Save the file.

<asp:TextBox ID="Domain" runat="server" Text="Corp" CssClass="text-box" onfocus="showIndicator(this);" onblur="hideIndicator(this);"></asp:TextBox>

This will prepopulate the domain field text box with your domain name and still allow the user to change it, if that should be required. Note: this only seems to work if Single Sign-on is disabled.

Citrix CTX227936 How to hide the domain from Director Logon Page:  💡

1. Edit the fileC:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\LogOn.aspx using an elevated text editor.
2. Locate the tag which starts with: <asp:Label ID="DomainLabel"
3. Immediately prior to that label, locate the tag: <div class='label eight'>
4. Add the following before <div class='label eight'>: <div style='display:none'>
5. In between "</asp:Textbox> <br />" add the following: </div>
   
   

Director Tweaks

Session timeout

By default the idle time session limit of the Director is 245 min. If you wish to change the timeout, here is how to do it.

1. Log on to the Director Server as an administrator
2. Open the 'IIS Manager'
3. Browse to 'SitesDefault Web SiteDirector' in the left hand pane.
4. Open 'Session State' in the right hand pane
5. Change the 'Time-out (in minutes)' value under 'Cookie Settings'
6. Click 'Apply' in the Actions list

SSL Check

From http://euc.consulting/blog/citrix-desktop-director-2-1: If you are not securing Director with an SSL certificate you will get this error at the logon screen.

To stop this:

1. Log on to the Director Server as an administrator
2. Open the 'IIS Manager'
3. Browse to 'SitesDefault Web SiteDirector' in the left hand pane.
4. Open 'Application Settings' in the right hand pane
5. Set UI.EnableSslCheck to false.
   

Disable Activity Manager

From Disable the visibility of running applications in the Activity Manager in Advanced Configuration at Citrix Docs: By default, the Activity Manager in Director displays a list of all the running applications and the Windows description in the title bars of any open applications for the user's session. This information can be viewed by all administrators that have access to the Activity Manager feature in Director. For Delegated Administrator roles, this includes Full administrator, Delivery Group administrator, and Help Desk Administrator.

To protect the privacy of users and the applications they are running, you can disable the Applications tab from listing running applications.

• On the VDA, modify the registry key located atHKLM\Software\Citrix\Director\TaskManagerDataDisplayed. By default, the key is set to 1. Change the value to 0, which means the information will not be displayed in the Activity Manager.
• On the server with Director installed, modify the setting that controls the visibility of running applications. By default, the value is true, which allows visibility of running applications in theApplications Change the value to false, which disables visibility. This option affects only the Activity Manager in Director, not the VDA. Modify the value of the following setting:

  UI.TaskManager.EnableApplications = false

Large Active Directory / Multiple Forests

From CTX133013 Desktop Director User Account Search Process is Slow or Fails: By default, all the Global Catalogs for the Active Directory Forest are searched using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). In a large Active Directory environment, this query can take some time or even time out.

If multiple forests, see Citrix Blog Post Using Citrix Director in a MultiForest Environment.

1. In Information Server (IIS) Management, under the Desktop Director site, select Application Settings and add a new value called Connector.ActiveDirectory.ForestSearch. Set it to False. This disables searching any domain except the user's domain and the server's domain.
2. To search more domains, add the searchable domain or domains in the Connector.ActiveDirectory.Domains field.
   

Site Groups

From Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director 7.6 Deep-Dive Part 4: Troubleshooting Machines:

If there are a large number of machines, the Director administrator can now configure site groups to perform machine search so that they can narrow down searching for the machine inside a site group. The site groups can be created on the Director server by running the configuration tool via command line by running the command:

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /createsitegroups

Then provide a site group name and IP address of the delivery controller of the site to create the site group.

Director Configuration Script

Johan Greefkes at Script for configuring Director at Citrix Discussions was kind enough to provide a script that does the following:

• Sets the XenDesktop Controllers that Director communicates with
• Disables SSL Check
• Sets Logon.aspx file to default to a domain name
• Adds a footer that displays the name of the Director server

Director – Saved Filters

From Scott Osborne and Jarian Gibson at Citrix Discussions: In Director, you can create a filter and save it.

The saved filter is then accessible from the Filters menu structure.

The saved filters are stored on each Director server at C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\Director\UserData. Each user has their own saved filters. The saved filters are not replicated across Director servers.

You can instead configure multiple Director servers to store the filters on a shared UNC path: (h/t CTP Jarian Gibson)

1. Create and share a folder (e.g. DirectorData).
   
2. The Director server computer accounts need Modify permission to the share.
   
3. On each Director server, run IIS Manager.
4. Go toSites > Default Web Site > Director. In the middle, double-clickApplication Settings.
   
5. Change theService.UserSettingsPath setting to the UNC path of the new share.
   
6. Repeat this on other load balanced Director servers.

Director and HDX Insight

You can connect Director to NetScaler Management & Analytics System (NetScaler MAS) or Citrix Insight Center to add Network tabs to Director's Trends and Machine Details views. Citrix Blog Post Configure Director with NetScaler Management & Analytics System (MAS).

Director and Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR)

If you have XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition, it's possible to install SSPR on the Director server. See George Spiers Citrix Self-Service Password Reset for a detailed implementation guide.

However this might break Director, and all you will see is a spinning circle.

To fix it, in IIS Manager (inetmgr), edit the bindings of the Default Web Site, and Removethe HTTP 8080 binding. Or implement the multisitebinding fix.

More info at Citrix Discussions Installing SSPR 1.0 appears to have broken Director 7.11 on same server.

Director Grooming

If XenDesktop is not Platinum Edition, then all historical Director data is groomed at 30 days.

For XenDesktop/XenApp Platinum Edition, by default, most of the historical Director data is groomed at 90 days. This can be adjusted up to 367 days by running a PowerShell cmdlet.

1. On a XenDesktop Delivery Controller, run PowerShell and run asnp Citrix.*
   
   
2. Run Get-MonitorConfiguration to see the current grooming settings.
   
3. Run Set-MonitorConfiguration to change the grooming settings.
   

More details on Monitor Service data aggregation and retention can be found at Data granularity and retention at Citrix Docs.  💡

You can configure Director to support Integrated Windows Authentication (Single Sign-on). Note: there seem to be issues when not connecting from the local machine or when connecting through a load balancer.

1. Run IIS Manager. You can launch it from Server Manager (Tools menu), or from the Start Menu, or by running inetmgr.
   
2. On the left, expand Sites, expand Default Web Site, and click Director.
   
3. In the middle, double-click Authentication in the IISsection.
   
4. Right-click Windows Authentication, and Enable it.
   
5. Right-click Anonymous Authentication, and Disable it.
   
6. Pass-through auth won't work from another computer until you set the http SPN for the Director server. See Director 7.7 Windows Authentication not working with NS LB at Citrix Discussions.
   
7. If Director is not installed on a Controller, then you'll need to configure Kerberos delegation.
   
8. If you are load balancing Director then additional config is required. See Director 7.7 Windows Authentication not working with NS LB at Citrix Discussions for more info.
   1. The FQDN for Director load balancing should be different than the FQDN for StoreFront load balancing.
   2. Create an AD service account that will be used as the Director's ApplicationPoolIdentity.
   3. Create SPN and link it to the service account.

      setspn -S http/loadbalanced_URL domain\user

   4. Trust the user account for delegation to any service (Kerberos only) (trust the Director servers for delegation is not necessary in this case). You have to create the SPN before you can do this step.
      
   5. In IIS manager, on the Application Pools (Director), specify the Identity as user we have created in step 1.
      
   6. In IIS manager, expandDefault Web Site, select Director, and open the Configuration Editor (bottom of the middle pane).
      
   7. Use the drop-down to navigate to the following section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
      
   8. Set useAppPoolCredentials = True, and useKernelMode = False. Click Apply on the top right.
      
      
9. When you connect to Director you will be automatically logged in. You can change the login account by first logging off.
   
10. Then change the drop-down to User credentials.
    

Director – Multiple XenDesktop Sites

1. Run IIS Manager. You can launch it from Server Manager (Tools menu) or from the Start Menu, or by running inetmgr.
   
2. On the left, expand Sites, expand Default Web Site, and click Director.
   
3. In the middle pane, double-click Application Settings.
   
4. Find the entry for Service. AutoDiscoveryAddresses, and double-click it.
   
5. If Director is installed on a Controller, localhost should already be entered.
6. Add a comma, and the NetBIOS name of one of the controllers in the 2nd XenDesktop Site (farm). Only enter one Controller name. If you have multiple Director servers, you can point each Director server to a different Controller in the 2^nd XenDesktop Site (farm). From Citrix Docs: Director automatically discovers all other Controllers in the same Site and falls back to those other Controllers if the Controller you specified fails.
   1. You can optionally force SSL/TLS for the Monitoring service by following the instructions at Securing endpoints using TLS at Citrix Docs.  💡

Director Process Monitoring

Director 7.11 and newer have Process Monitoring, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director: CPU, Memory Usage and Process Information.

Process Monitoring is disabled by default. To enable it, configure the Enable process monitoring setting in a Citrix Policy. For Citrix Policies in a GPO, find this setting in the computer half of the GPO. Note: this setting could significantly increase the size of the Monitoring database.

Director Alerts and Notifications

Director supports alert conditions and email notifications. This feature requires XenApp/XenDesktop to be licensed with Platinum Edition. See Citrix Blog Post Configuring & Managing Alerts and Notifications Using Director for more information.

Director 7.11 and newer have CPU, Memory, and ICT RTT alerts. Citrix Blog Post 7 New Categories in Director for Proactive Notifications & Alerts

To configure alerts:

1. While logged into Director, at the top of the page, click the Alerts button.
   
2. Switch to the Email Server Configuration tab.
   
3. Enter your SMTP information, and click Send Test Message. Then click Save.
   
   
4. Switch to the Citrix Alerts Policy tab.
5. There are four high-level categories of alerts: Site Policy, Delivery Group Policy, Server OS Policy, andUser Policy. Click whichever one you want to configure.
   
6. Then click Create.
   
7. Give the alert a name.
8. On the bottom left, select a condition, and enter thresholds.
   
9. On the bottom right, in the Notifications preferences section, click Add.
   
10. Enter an email address, and click Add.
    
11. Click Save when done. Feel free to create more alerts and notifications.
    
12. For Server OS and User Policy, there are new ICA RTT alerts. See Citrix Blog Post 7 New Categories in Director for Proactive Notifications & Alerts for details on the new alerts in 7.11 and newer.
    
13. In Director 7.12 and newer, you can configure alerts to generate an SNMP trap. This is configured in PowerShell as described at Configure alerts policies with SNMP traps at Citrix Docs.

    Set-MonitorNotificationSnmpServerConfiguration        #see Docs for parameter details Set-MonitorNotificationPolicy -IsSnmpEnabled $true -Uid <Policy ID>

14. Citrix has an experimental Desktop Notification Tool. See Citrix Blog Post Desktop Notification Tool For Citrix XenDesktop.
    
    

Director Alerts can be configured with a WebHook that allows Octoblu to perform actions when a Director Alert occurs. See Configure alerts policies with Octoblu webhooks at Citrix Docs for details.

Set-MonitorNotificationPolicy –Uid 5 –Webhook <Webhook URL>

Director – SCOM Integration

Director 7.8 and newer can display alerts from System Center Operations Manager 2012 R2. This feature requires XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition.

1. See Configure SCOM integration at Citrix Docs for detailed configuration instructions. Also see Marius Sandbu Integrating Citrix XenDesktop 7.7 and System Center Operations Manager.
2. If Director server or System Center Operations Manager server is 2008 R2, then login to the 2008 R2 server, open PowerShell and run Enable-PSRemoting. Yes to everything. This is not needed on Windows Server 2012 R2 servers.
3. On Director server, run C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Director\tools\DirectorConfig.exe /configscom
   
4. FYI, the DirectorConfig.exe /configscom command enables the following features on the Director server: /FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility45 /FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET45 /FeatureName:WCF-HTTP-Activation45
5. FYI, the System Center Operations Manager server is listed in IIS Manager at Default Web Site > Director > Application Settings (middle pane) > Connector. SCOM.ManagementServer.
   
6. On the System Center Operations Manager server, edit Remote Management Users local group, and add Citrix Admins, and other Director users.
7. In System Center Operations Manager Console, go to Administration > User Roles, and edit Operations Manager Operators. Add the Citrix Admins, and other Director users.
8. See Citrix Blog Post SCOM Alerts in Citrix Director for information on how to view System Center Operations Manager alerts in Director.

Director – Custom Reports

In Director 7.12 and newer, in the Trends view, there's a Custom Reports tab that guides you through creating a custom OData Query. This tab only appears if you have XenApp/XenDesktop Platinum Edition.

The Monitoring database contains more data than is exposed in Director. To view this data, the Monitoring service has an OData Data Feed that can be queried.

• You can use Excel to pull data from the OData Data feed. See Citrix Blog Post – Citrix Director – Analyzing the Monitoring Data by Means of Custom Reports. This particular blog post shows how to use an Excel PivotChart to display the connected Receiver versions.
  • Also see Alexander Ollischer Citrix XenDesktop 7.x – Query Citrix Receiver Versions connecting to your environment – XLS Report
• Citrix CTX211428 Using Excel to Report on Desktop Director Data uses Power Pivot.
• Or for Linqpad, see Citrix Blog Post – Creating Director Custom reports for Monitoring XenDesktop using Linqpad
• CTA David Ott XenDesktop Usage Report shows that querying OData can be slow and it's sometimes faster to query the actual Monitoring database. Updated Report.

Use Director

The newer Director features usually require Delivery Controllers and VDAs to be at the same version or newer than Director. Director depends on the Monitoring Service that is built into the Delivery Controller. The Monitoring Service gathers data from the VDAs.

See Monitor deployments at Citrix Docs.

See the various Troubleshoot topics at Citrix Docs.

New features in Director 7.16 and newer:

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223927 How to use Director to troubleshoot application launch errors. This feature is configured in Citrix Policy Settings located in the Computer half atVirtual Delivery Agent Settings > Monitoring. Also see Citrix Blog Post Application Related Session Failure Reporting in Citrix Director 7.15.

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223928 How to use Director to monitor storage performance.

Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director Now Provides Disk Usage Information!:

• IOPS and disk latency data is enabled by default.
• IOPS and disk latency is pushed to the database from each VDA at 1 hour interval.
• Approximately 276 KB of disk space is required to store the CPU, memory, IOPS and disk latency data for one VDA over a period of one year.

In Director 7.14 and newer, see CTX223925 How to use Director to monitor NVIDIA GPU usage.

Citrix Director 7.13 and newer have an Application Instances tab on the Filters page that lets you filter published application sessions based on Session Idle Time (RDS sessions only), Application Name, and all other existing fields, like machine name, and so on. Requires Director 7.13, Controller 7.13, VDA 7.13, and Platinum Edition licensing. See Citrix Blog Post Monitoring Idle Applications and Sessions in Citrix Director. See Troubleshoot applications at Citrix Docs.

If idle time column showsn/a, then you need to wait 10-15 minutes.

In Director 7.13 and newer, the Session Details panel can show if Enlightened Data Transport (EDT, aka HDX on UDP) is enabled in the user's session. See Citrix Blog Post HDX Adaptive Transport Protocol Monitoring via Director.

George Spiers has a comprehensive guide of all Director 7.12 features at http://www.jgspiers.com/citrix-director/.

Director 7.12 and newer have Connection Failure Details, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Director 7.12: Easier Troubleshooting of Machine & Connection Failures. Also see CTX223812 Citrix Director Failure Codes.

Director 7.11 and newer have Process Monitoring, which is detailed in Citrix Blog Post Citrix Director: CPU, Memory Usage and Process Information.

Director 7.9 and newer have Logon Duration improvements.

Citrix Blog Post Interactive Session of Logon Duration in Citrix Director – Explained: Interactive Session Duration = Desktop Ready Event Timestamp (EventId 1000 on VDA) – User Profile Loaded Event Timestamp (EventId 2 on VDA). More details in the Blog Post.

Citrix Blog Post Director 7.6 Failure Reasons Demystified lists possible failure reasons behind an Unregistered alert, and the true meaning of failure reasons such as Connection Refused andCommunication Error. It details each failure reason, defines the meanings of these failures, and lists action items that serve as a starting point for troubleshooting the specific scenario. The list is based on Director 7.6.300.

Navigation

• Change Log
• VDA Virtual Machine Hardware
• Windows Configuration
• Install Virtual Delivery Agent 7.16
  • VDA 7.16 Hotfix 1 for RDSH
  • Citrix Desktop Helper Service
  • Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
  • Connection Quality Indicator
  • Adaptive Transport
  • Slow Logons
  • Change Controller VDA Registration Port to something other than port 80
  • Verify VDA Registration with Controller
•  Receivers:
  • Citrix File Access 2.0.3 for Receiver for Chrome
• Framehawk Configuration
• Remote Desktop Licensing Configuration
• Reduce C: Drive Permissions
• Configure Pagefile for Provisioning Services
• Direct Access Users Group – allow non-administrators to RDP to the VDA
• Enable Windows Profiles v3/v4 – Windows 2012 R2 only
• Registry Settings – black screen, published Explorer, Screen Saver, HTML5 Clipboard, HTML5 Upload Folder, 4K Monitors, COM Ports
• Restore Legacy Client Drive Mapping
• Print Driver for Mac and Linux Clients
• HTML5 Receiver – SSL for VDA
• Anonymous Accounts
• Antivirus
• Optimize Performance
• Seal and Shut Down
• Troubleshooting – Graphics
• Uninstall VDA

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 Feb 17 – in the Verify VDA Registration section, added link to The Most Common VDA Registration Issues & Troubleshooting Steps at Citrix Blogs
• 2018 Feb 8 – in Optimize Performance > Citrix Links section, added info from CTX232313 Citrix Provisioning Services: Slow Login Performance with Windows 10 VDA Machines
• 2018 Jan 13 – in Change VDA Port section, added link to CTX229493 VDAs Do Not Register in LHC Mode When Registration Port is Not Set To Default
• 2018 Jan 10 – in Install VDA section, added link to Citrix Blog Post Citrix VDA Commandline Helper Tool
• 2018 Jan 5 – added VDA 7.16 Hotfix 1 for RDSH VDAs
• 2018 Jan 2 – in Profiles v4 section, added link to CTX230343 Reset Profile Options Is Greyed Out In Citrix Director
• 2017 Dec 8 – in Registry > Login Timeout section, added link to Citrix CTX138404 Application Connection Starts but Disappears after Timeout

Hardware

Hypervisor Host Hardware

• Citrix Blog Post Citrix Scalability — The Rule of 5 and 10: Simply take the number of physical cores in a hypervisor host, multiply it by 5 or 10, and the result will be your Single Server Scalability. Use 5 if you're looking for the number of XenDesktop VMs you can host on a box, and use 10 if you're looking for the number of XenApp user sessions you can host on a box.

Virtual Machine Hardware

1. Operating system version support: VDA 7.16 supports Windows 10 (1607 and newer), Windows Server 2012 R2 (RDSH only), and Windows Server 2016 (RDSH or Server VDI).
   1. For older operating systems (e.g Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2), install VDA 7.15 with the latest Cumulative Update. VDA 7.15 will work with newer Delivery Controllers (e.g. Delivery Controller 7.16).
2. CTX224843 Windows 10 compatibility with Citrix XenDesktop
   • Citrix provides partial support for Semi-Annual Channel Targeted (aka Current Branch) versions of Windows 10
   • Citrix provides full support for Semi-Annual Channel Broad (aka Current Branch for Business) versions of Windows 10, starting with the VDA version released after a Windows 10 version is designated as Broad (typically 4 months and 4 patches after initial release).
     • Windows 10 1709 Targeted: Citrix has a live article about this: CTX229052. The Microsoft patches required for 1709 will come out in 2 dates:
       • Nov 14th (Patch Tuesday KB4051314) will allow you to upgrade from 1703 and older with a VDA already installed, to 1709.
       • '11D' patch (last week of November via Microsoft Update Catalogue) will allow you to do a fresh new VDA install on top of 1709.
3. Firewall – VDA 7.16 enables the UDP-based EDT protocol by default. Make sure the UDP ports are open for ICA/HDX:
   1. UDP 1494
   2. UDP 2598
   3. UDP 443 – from Internet to NetScaler Gateway.
   4. UDP 443 can also be used by internal ICA connections if VDA SSL is configured.
   5. For EDT through NetScaler Gateway, make sure your NetScaler firmware is up to date, preferably 11.1 build 56 or newer.
4. VDA virtual machine sizing:
   1. For Windows 10 virtual desktops, give the virtual machine: 2+ vCPU and 2+ GB of RAM
   2. For Windows 2012 R2 RDSH, give the virtual machine 8 vCPU, and 24-48 GB of RAM
   3. See Daniel Feller Sizing Windows 2016, Windows 2012 And Windows 10 Virtual Machines
      
5. If using RAM caching (MCSIO or PvS), add more RAM for the cache
6. Remove the floppy drive
7. Remove any serial or LPT ports
8. If vSphere:
   1. To reduce disk space, reserve memory. Memory reservations reduce or eliminate the virtual machine .vswp file.
   2. The NIC should be VMXNET3.
9. If this VDA will boot from Provisioning Services:
   1. For vSphere, the NIC must be VMXNET3.
      
   2. For vSphere, configure the CD-ROM to boot from IDE instead of SATA. SATA comes with VM hardware version 10. SATA won't work with PvS.
      
10. Install the latest version of hypervisor drivers (e.g. VMware Tools).
11. The vSphere Activity Monitoring Feature with NSX Guest Introspection feature uses a TDI driver (vnetflt.sys), which might cause a "Connection Interrupted" message when users log off of Citrix. See CTX221206 "Connection Interrupted" error message displayed while logging off ICA session.

If vSphere, disable NIC Hotplug

1. Users could use the systray icon to Eject the Ethernet Controller. Obviously this is bad.
   
2. To disable this functionality, power off the virtual machine.
   
3. Once powered off, right-click the virtual machine, and click Edit Settings.
   
4. On the VM Options tab, expand Advanced, and then click Edit Configuration.
   
5. On the bottom left, enter devices. hotplug. On the right, enter false. Then clickAdd.
   
6. Then click OK a couple times to close the windows.
7. The VM can then be powered on.
   

Windows Preparation

1. Computer Group Policy – Make sure the Master VM is in the same OU as the Linked Clones so the Master VM will get the computer-level GPO settings in its registry. Run gpupdate on the master after moving the VM to the correct OU. When Clones are created from the Master, the computer-level GPO settings will already be applied, thus eliminating a timing issue.
   
2. If Server OS, disable IE Enhanced Security Configuration in Server Manager > Local Server.
   
3. Optionally, go to Action Center (Windows 2012 R2) or Control Panel >Security and Maintenance (Windows 10/2016) to disable User Account Control, and enable SmartScreen.
   
   1. In Windows 10 1703 and newer, search the Settings app forChange User Account Control settings.
      
   2. SmartScreen is configured in Windows Defender Security Center > App & browser control.
      
4. Run Windows Update. Do not skip this step. Many VDA installation problems are fixed by simply updating Windows.
   
   
   
   1. Defer Feature Updates – For Windows 10, since Citrix VDA does not immediately support new Windows 10 versions, configure Windows Update to defer feature updates.
      
      
      
5. Add your Citrix Administrators group to the local Administrators group on the VDA. Computer Management.
   
6. The Remote Desktop Services "Prompt for Password" policy prevents Single Sign-on to the Virtual Delivery Agent. Check registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services. If fPromptForPassword = 1 then you need to fix group policy. The following GPO setting will prevent Single Sign-on from working.

   Computer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Remote Desktop Services | Remote Desktop Session Host | Security | Always prompt for password upon connection

   Or set the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ PorticaAutoLogon (DWORD) = 0x10.

7. To remove the built-in apps in Windows 10, see Robin Hobo How to remove built-in apps in Windows 10 Enterprise.
8. For Remote Assistance in Citrix Director, configure the GPO settingComputer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | System | Remote Assistance | Offer Remote Assistance. See Jason Samuel – How to setup Citrix Director Shadowing with Remote Assistance using Group Policy for more details.
   
9. If you intend to use Citrix's SCOM Management Packs for XenApp/XenDesktop, make sure WinRM is enabled on the VDA by runningwinrm quickconfig. Or you can enable WinRM using Group Policy.
   

Install Virtual Delivery Agent 7.16

1. For virtual desktops, make sure you are logged into the console. The VDA won't install if you are connected using RDP.
2. Make sure .NET Framework 4.5.2 or newer is installed.

CLI Install:

Command Line Install Options are detailed at Install using the command line at Citrix Docs.

The Citrix Telemetry Service seems to cause problems. You can use the Command Line Installer to exclude Telemetry Service as detailed at VDA upgrade cmdlet at Citrix Discussions.

XenDesktopVDASetup.exe /quiet /noreboot /masterimage /Enable_HDX_PORTS /enable_framehawk_port /Enable_REAL_TIME_TRANSPORT /optimize /controllers "xdc01.corp.local xdc02.corp.local" /Exclude "Citrix Telemetry Service"

Citrix Blog Post Citrix VDA Commandline Helper Tool: a GUI to configure the VDA installation options.

GUI Install:

1. Mount the downloaded XenDesktop 7.16 ISO, and and run AutoSelect.exe.
   
   1. Alternatively, you can download the standalone VDA package and run that instead. Go the main XenDesktop 7.16 download page. Expand the section labelledComponents that are on the product ISO but also packaged separately. There is a VDA installer calledDesktop OS Core Services that is designed for Remote PC deployments.
      
2. Click Start next to either XenApp or XenDesktop. The only difference is the product name displayed in the installation wizard.
   
3. On the top right, click Virtual Delivery Agent for Windows Desktop OS, orWindows Server OS, depending on which type of VDA you are building.
   
   
4. In the Environment page, select Create a Master Image, and click Next.
   
   
5. In the Core Components page, if you don't need Citrix Receiver installed on your VDA, then uncheck the box. Receiver is usually only needed for double-hop connections (connect to first VDA, and then from there, connect to second VDA). Click Next.
   
6. In theAdditional Components page, uncheckCitrix AppDisk/Personal vDisk. This feature has been deprecated and is being replaced by Citrix App Layering (Unidesk). ClickNext.
   
   
7. In the Delivery Controller page, select Do it manually. Enter the FQDN of each Controller. Click Test connection. And then make sure you click Add. Click Next when done.
   
   
8. In the Features page, check boxes. Only the top box is checked by default. If you want to use the other features, check the boxes. If this is a virtual desktop, you can leave Personal vDisk unchecked now and enable it later. Then click Next.
   
9. In the Firewall page, click Next.
   
10. In the Summary page, click Install.
    
    
11. If RDSH, click Close when you are prompted to restart.
    
12. After the machine reboots twice, login and installation should continue.
13. If you see aLocate 'XenDesktop' installation media window, clickCancel.
    
    1. Mount theXenApp_and_XenDesktop_7_16.iso.
       
    2. RunAutoSelect.exe.
       
    3. Click theVirtual Desktop Agent box to resume installation.
       
14. Installation will continue automatically.
    
15. Note:NT SERVICE\CitrixTelemetryService needs permission to login as a service.
16. In the Smart Tools page, clickConnect, enter your MyCitrix.com credentials, and then clickNext.
    
    
17. In theFinish page, click Finish to restart the machine again.
    
    
18. According to CTX225819 When Launching an Application Published from Windows Server 2016, a Black Screen Appears for Several Seconds Before Application is Visible, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent\DisableLogonUISuppression (DWORD) should be set to 0.

RDSH – VDA 7.16 Hotfix 1

1. For RDSH (multi-user Sever OS) VDAs, download VDA 7.16 Hotfix 1 from CTX231127.
   
2. Run the downloadedServerVDACoreX64_7_16_001.msp.
   
3. In theWelcome to the Citrix HDX TS (retail) Setup Wizard page, clickNext.
   
4. In theReady to update page, clickUpdate.
   
5. In theCompleted the Citrix HDX TS (retail) Setup Wizard page, clickFinish.
   
6. ClickYes to restart your computer.
   
7. Programs and Features > Installed Updates shows the installed hotfix.
   

Citrix Desktop Helper Service

Citrix Blog Post Augment Your XenDesktop Deployment with the Desktop Helper Service: this installable service adds the following functionality to your VDAs:

• The "Shutdown Inactive Desktops" feature allows Citrix administrators to enable a timer that shuts down a virtual desktop after it has been registered for a configured amount of minutes without a user connection.
• Delaying the Citrix Desktop Service start by a configurable amount of time allows the desktop to finish performing on-boot tasks before a user is brokered to it.
• The "Force Group Policy Update" feature give administrators the ability to force a group policy update after a configured amount of time.

If these features are desirable, download the tool from the blog post and install it.

Configurable Registry keys are located atHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\DesktopHelper. Each value is detailed in the accompanying Word document.

Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)

Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) is enabled by default. To disable it, create the registry valueHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Telemetry\CEIP\Enabled (DWORD), and set it to 0 (zero). Also see CEIP at Citrix Insight Services at Citrix Docs.

See https://www.carlstalhood.com/delivery-controller-7-16-and-licensing/#ceip for additional places where CEIP is enabled.

Connection Quality Indicator

The Connection Quality Indicator tells the user the quality of the connection. For example:

Position of the indicator is configurable by the user. Thresholds are configurable through group policy.

Download it from CTX220774 Connection Quality Indicator and install it. The article is very detailed.

Group Policy templates are located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\Connection Quality Indicator\Configuration. Copy the files and folder to <Sysvol>\Policies\PolicyDefinitions, or C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.

Find the settings under Computer Config | Policies | Administrative Templates | Citrix Components | Virtual Desktop Agent | CQI

Version 1.2 adds the GPO settings to the user half of a GPO.

Notification display settings lets you customize the user notifications, or disable them.

Connection Threshold Settings lets you set the notification thresholds.

Adaptive Transport

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16 includes Adaptive Transport, which uses EDT protocol, which uses UDP Ports 1494/2598 for HDX connections to the VDA. The UDP ports should already be open in the Windows Firewall.

For EDT through NetScaler Gateway, make sure your NetScaler firmware is up to date, preferably 11.1 build 56 or newer.

In 7.16, Adaptive Transport is defaults to Preferred, which means it's enabled by default. It can be configured in the Citrix Policy settingHDX Adaptive Transport.

Slow Logons

Citrix Discussions Xenapp 7.9: Wait for local session manager: "I have a Xenapp 7.9 environment on Windows 2012 R2. When logging in through Citrix I got message "Wait for local session manager" for 20-30 seconds. When logging in to the server with RDS, I do not have to wait for this."

"Add the following 2 registry keys to your 7.9 VDA server – then try connecting to it using ICA to see if the issue still occurs:

Add reg keys in "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\GroupPolicy"
Dword: "CacheGpoExpireInHours" – Value = 5-24 (# of Hours) ***start with value of 5***
Dword: "GpoCacheEnabled" – Value = 1

Restart the machine after adding these registry keys and attempt an ICA connection (at least twice) to see if that helps the Login delay."

Mark DePalma at XenApp slow logon times, user get black screen for 20 seconds at Citrix Discussions says that pushing Tile Refresh to a background task speeds up logons.

1. Regedit:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\DisableUPMResetCache] @="DisableUPMResetCache" "Version"="1,1,1,1" "StubPath"="REG ADD HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\ImmersiveShell\\StateStore /v ResetCache /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f" "Locale"="*"

2. UPM Exclusions:

   Directory - '!ctx_localappdata!\Microsoft\Windows\Caches' Registry - 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\DisableUPMResetCache'

Marvin Neys at XenApp slow logon times, user get black screen for 20 seconds at Citrix Discussions says that deletingHKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UFH\SHC at logoff reduces logon times from 40 seconds to 6 seconds.

Remove-Item HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UFH\SHC

For additional logon delay troubleshooting, see Alexander Ollischer XenApp/XenDesktop – "Please Wait For Local Session Manager" message when logging into RDS. He found some Windows Updates that caused a logon delay.

XenApp recalculates WMI filters on every reconnect. CTX212610 Session Reconnect 30 sec Delay – DisableGPCalculation – WMI Filters indicates that recalculation can be disabled by setting HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Reconnect\DisableGPCalculation (DWORD) to 1.

CTX212439 Desktop Session Stuck in Pre-Logon State with Message "Please wait for the Local Session Manager":

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\Kerberos\Parameters\MaxTokenSize (DWORD) = 48000
• Delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\GracePeriod\L$RTMTIMEBOMB

Controller Registration Port

Some environments will not accept the default port 80 for Virtual Delivery Agent registration, even though registration is authenticated and encrypted on port 80. To change the port, do the following on the Virtual Delivery Agent:

1. Open Programs and Features. If Windows 10 1703 or newer, openApps and Features.
   
2. Find Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent, and click Change orModify (Windows 10 1703 and newer).
   
   
3. Click Customize Virtual Delivery Agent Settings.
   
4. Edit the Delivery Controllers, and click Next.
   
5. On the Protocol and Port page, change the port number, and click Next.
   
6. In the Summary page, click Reconfigure.
   
7. If you see aSmart Tools page, make a selection for Call Home, and clickNext.
8. In the Finish Reconfiguration page, click Finish.
9. Restart the VDA machine.
10. You must also change the VDA registration port on the Delivery Controllers by running BrokerService.exe /VDAPort.
11. For Local Host Cache, on the Delivery Controller, run C:\Program Files\Citrix\Broker\Service\HighAvailabilityService.exe –VdaPort <CORRECT PORT #> . Source = CTX229493 VDAs Do Not Register in LHC Mode When Registration Port is Not Set To Default.

Verify that VDA registered with a Controller

1. If you restart the Virtual Delivery Agent machine, or restart the Citrix Desktop Service…
   
2. In Windows Logs > Application log, you should see an event 1012 from Citrix Desktop Service saying that it successfully registered with a controller.
   
3. If you don't see successful registration, then you'll need to fix the ListOfDDCs registry key.
   1. See VDA registration with Controllers at Citrix Docs.
   2. See The Most Common VDA Registration Issues & Troubleshooting Steps at Citrix Blogs.
4. You can also run Citrix's Health Assistant on the VDA.
   
5. See CTX220772 Technical Primer: VDA Registration for a very detailed explanation of the VDA Registration process.

Citrix PDF Printer  for Receiver for HTML5/Chrome

1. VDA 7.16 installs the PDF Printer automatically so there's no need for a separate installation.
2. To enable the PDF printer for HTML5 connections, configure the Citrix Policy setting called Auto-create PDF Universal Printer in the user half of a Citrix Policy GPO.
   

Citrix File Access 2.0.3 for Receiver for Chrome

1. If you support Receiver for Chrome (Chromebook) and want published applicatons to open files on Google Drive, install Citrix File Access on the VDAs. Get it from the Receiver for Chrome download page, in the Additional Components section.
   
2. Go to the extractedCitrix_File_Access_2.0.3, and runFileAccess.msi.
   
3. In thePlease read the File Access License Agreement page, check the box next toI accept the terms, and clickInstall.
   
4. In the Completed the File Access Setup Wizard page, click Finish.
   
5. File Access is listed in Programs and Features (or Apps & Features) as version 2.0.3.33.
   
   
6. File Access has a default list of supported file extensions. The list can be expanded by editing the registry on the VDA. See CTX219983 Receiver for Chrome Error: Invalid command line arguments: Unable to open the file as it has an unsupported extension.
   
7. To open a file from Google Drive, right-click and and open the file using Citrix Receiver.

Framehawk Configuration

To enable Framehawk, see https://www.carlstalhood.com/citrix-policy-settings/#framehawkconfig

Remote Desktop Licensing Configuration

On 2012 R2 and newer RDSH, the only way to configure Remote Desktop Licensing is using group policy (local or domain). This procedure is not needed on virtual desktops.

1. For local group policy, run gpedit. msc. Alternatively, you can configure this in a domain GPO.
   
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Licensing.
   
3. Double-click Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers. Change it to Enabled, and enter the names of the RDS Licensing Servers (typically installed on XenDesktop Delivery Controllers). Click OK.
   
4. Double-click Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode. Change it to Enabled and select Per User. Click OK.
   
5. Optionally, you can install theRemote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser Tool. In the Server Manager > Add Roles and Features Wizard, on the Features page, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, expand Role Administration Tools, expand Remote Desktop Services Tools, and select Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser Tool. Then Finish the wizard.
   
6. If it won't install from Server Manager, you can install it from PowerShell by runningInstall-WindowsFeature rsat-rds-licensing-diagnosis-ui.
   
7. In Server Manager, open the Tools menu, expand Remote Desktop Services (or Terminal Services), and click Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser.
   
   
8. The Diagnoser should find the license server, and indicate the licensing mode. If you're configured for Per User licenses, then it's OK if there are no licenses installed on the Remote Desktop License Server.
   

Several people in Citrix Discussions reported the following issue: If you see a message about RD Licensing Grace Period has expired even though RD Licensing is properly configured, see Eric Verdumen No remote Desktop Licence Server availible on RD Session Host server 2012. The solution was to delete the REG_BINARY in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\GracePeriod only leaving the default. You must take ownership and give admin users full control to be able to delete this value.

C: Drive Permissions

This section is more important for shared VDAs like RDSH (Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016).

The default permissions allow users to store files on the C: drive in places other than their profile.

1. Open the Properties dialog box for C:.
   
2. On the Security tab, click Advanced.
   
3. If UAC is enabled, clickChange permissions.
   
4. Highlight the line containing Users and Create Folders, and clickRemove.
   
5. Highlight the line containing Users and Create files (orSpecial), and click Remove. Click OK.
   
6. Click Yes to confirm the permissions change.
   
7. If you see any of these Error Applying Security windows, click Continue. This window should appear multiple times.
   
8. Click OK to close the C: drive properties.

Pagefile

If this image will be converted to a Provisioning Services vDisk, then you must ensure the pagefile is smaller than the cache disk. For example, if you allocate 20 GB of RAM to your Remote Desktop Session Host, and if the cache disk is only 15 GB, then Windows will have a default pagefile size of 20 GB, and Provisioning Services will be unable to move it to the cache disk. This causes Provisioning Services to cache to server instead of caching to your local cache disk (or RAM).

1. Open System. In 2012 R2 and newer, you can right-click the Start button, and click System. Note: in Windows 10 1703 and newer, this method no longer opens the correct tool.
   
2. Another option is to open File Explorer, right-clickThis PC, and clickProperties. This works in Windows 10 1703.
   
3. Click Advanced system settings.
   
4. On the Advanced tab, click the top Settings button.
   
5. On the Advanced tab, click Change.
   
6. Uncheck the box next to Automatically manage paging file size for all drives. Then either turn off the pagefile, or set the pagefile to be smaller than the cache disk. Don't leave it set to System managed size. Click OK several times.
   

Direct Access Users

When Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent is installed on a machine, non-administrators can no longer RDP to the machine. A new local group called Direct Access Users is created on each Virtual Delivery Agent. Add your non-administrator RDP users to this local group so they can RDP directly to the machine.

From CTX228128 What is the HKLM\Software\Citrix\PortICA\DirectAccessUsers registry function: TheHKLM\Software\Citrix\PortICA\DirectAccessUsers registry key determines which Local group the VDA references to determine if a user should be allowed Unbrokered RDP access. Members of the Local Administrators group will always be granted access. If the Registry Key does not exist, or gets deleted, VDA will always allow the Unbrokered RDP Connection. The Registry key and local group are created as part of the VDA installation process.

Windows Profiles v3/v4/v5/v6

Roaming Profiles are compatible only between the following client and server operating system pairs. The profile version is also listed.

• v6 = Windows 10 (1607 and 1703) and Windows Server 2016
• v5 = Windows 10 (1511 and older)
• v4 = Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
• v3 = Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• v2 = Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
• v2 = Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

For Windows 2012 R2, install Microsoft hotfix 2890783, and set the UseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry value to 1.

CTX230343 Reset Profile Options Is Greyed Out In Citrix Director states that theUseProfilePathExtensionVersion registry value is required on Windows 2012 R2 to enable Director users to reset profiles.

Registry

Black Screen when launch Published Apps on Windows Server 2016

From CTX225819 When Launching an Application Published from Windows Server 2016, a Black Screen Appears for Several Seconds Before Application is Visible: Citrix and Microsoft have worked together together to deliver code fixes for both Windows Server 2016 and XenApp. Microsoft is targeting their KB4034661 patch for the third week of August 2017. This fix requires a registry edit to enable.

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent
  • Value = DisableLogonUISuppression (DWORD) = 0

Published Explorer

From Citrix CTX128009 Explorer.exe Fails to Launch: When publishing the seamless explorer.exe application, the session initially begins to connect as expected. After the loading, the dialog box disappears, and the Explorer application fails to appear. On the VDA, use the following registry change to set the length of time a client session waits before disconnecting the session:

• Key = HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
  • Value = LogoffCheckerStartupDelayInSeconds (DWORD) = 10 (Hexadecimal)

Screen Saver

From Citrix CTX205214 Screensaver Not Working in XenDesktop: By default, Screen Saver doesn't work on Desktop OS. To enable it, on the VDA, configure the following registry value:

• Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Graphics
  • Value =SetDisplayRequiredMode (DWORD) = 0

Logon Disclaimer Window Size

From XenApp 7.8 – Session Launch Security/Warning Login Banner at Citrix Discussions: If your logon disclaimer window has scroll bars, set the following registry values:

• Key = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432node\Citrix\CtxHook\AppInit_DLLS\Multiple Monitor Hook
  • Value = LogonUIWidth (DWORD) = 300
  • Value = LogonUIHeight (DWORD) = 200

Login Timeout

From Citrix CTX203760 VDI Session Launches Then Disappears: XenDesktop, by default, only allows 180 seconds to complete a logon operation. The timeout can be increased by setting the following:

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\PortICA
  • Value = AutoLogonTimeout ( DWORD) = decimal 240 or higher (up to 3599).

Also see Citrix Discussions Machines in "Registered" State, but VM closes after "Welcome" screen.

From Citrix CTX138404 Application Connection Starts but Disappears after Timeout: after loading the application, the dialog box disappears and the application fails to appear.

•  Key =HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
  • Value =ApplicationLaunchWaitTimeoutMS (DWORD) = decimal 60000

HDX Flash

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX139939 – Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 – Citrix Known Issues: The registry key value IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion is queried by the HDX Flash service to check for maximum Internet Explorer version that HDX Flash supports. For Flash Redirection to work with Internet Explorer 11 set the registry key value IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion to 11 on the machine where HDX flash service is running. In case of XenDesktop it would be the machine where VDA is installed.

• Key = HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer
  • Value =IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion (DWORD) = 11 (Decimal)

From Citrix Discussions: Add the DWORD FlashPlayerVersionComparisonMask=0 on the VDA under HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer.  This disables the Flash major version checking between the VDA and Client Device.

Receiver for HTML5/Chrome Enhanced Clipboard

From About Citrix Receiver for Chrome 1.9 at Citrix Docs: To enable enhanced clipboard support, create a REG_SZ registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\Virtual Clipboard\Additional Formats\HTML Format\Name="HTML Format". Create any missing registry keys. This applies to both virtual desktops and Remote Desktop Session Hosts.

Receiver for HTML5/Chrome Upload Folder

The Receiver for HTML5 (or Chrome) lets upload files.

By default, the user is prompted to select a upload location. If you use the Upload feature multiple times, the last selected folder is not remembered.

Citrix CTX217351 How to Customize File Upload and Download Using Receiver for HTML5 and Receiver for Chrome. You can specify a default uploads location by editingHKLM\Software\Citrix\FileTransfer\UploadFolderLocation on the VDA. Environment variables are supported. When this value is configured, users are no longer prompted to select an upload location. The change takes effect at next logon.

Note: HTML5/Chrome Receiver also adds aSave to My Device location to facilitate downloads.

4K Monitors

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX218217 Unable to span across multiple monitors after upgrade to 7.11 VDA, Black/Blank screen appears on the monitors while connecting to ICA session: .

1. For VDA 7.11 and newer, calculate the video memory that is required for monitors using the following formula:

   SumOfAllMons (Width * Height) * 4 / 0.3, where width and height are resolution of the monitor. Note: There is no hard and fast rule that will work for all cases.

   Example: Consider the resolution of monitor 1 is 1920*1200 and monitor 2 is 1366*768. Then SumOfAllMons will be (1920*1200 + 1366*768)

2. CTX115637 Citrix Session Graphics Memory Reference describes how multi-monitor resolution is determined.
3. Open the registry (regedit) and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\vbdenum
4. Increase the value of "MaxVideoMemoryBytes" REG_DWORD value to the above calculated memory.
5. Reboot the VDA.

Citrix Policies also control graphics performance.

COM Port Threads

CTX212090 COM Port Intermittently Inaccessible During ICA Sessions: increase the default value of "MaxThreads" under the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\picaser\Parameters from 20 to a value greater than the number of COM port connections you want to support. For example, if a XenApp server supports 100 sessions and each session opens two COM ports, the value of "MaxThreads" should be greater than 200.

Legacy Client Drive Mapping

Citrix CTX127968 How to Enable Legacy Client Drive Mapping Format on XenApp: Citrix Client Drive Mapping no longer uses drive letters and instead they appear as local disks. This is similar to RDP drive mapping.

The old drive letter method can be enabled by setting the registry value:

• Key = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\UncLinks (create the key)
  • Value = UNCEnabled (DWORD) = 0
    

When you reconnect, the client drives will be mapped as drive letters (starts with V: and goes backwards).

Print Driver for Non-Windows Clients

From CTX139020 Configuring Virtual Machines for Mac Client Printer Mapping with Windows 8.x. By default, Non-Windows clients cannot map printers due to a missing print driver on the VDA machine.

1. Requirements:
   • Internet Access
   • Windows Update service enabled
2. Click Start, and run Devices and Printers.
   
   1. In Windows 10 1703, openPrinters & scanners, then scroll down, and clickDevices and printers.
      
      
3. In the Printers section, highlight a local printer (e.g. Microsoft XPS Document Writer). Then in the toolbar, click Print server properties.
   
   
4. Switch to the Drivers tab. Click Change Driver Settings.
   
5. Then clickAdd.
   
6. In the Welcome to the Add Printer Driver Wizard page, click Next.
   
7. In the Processor Selection page, click Next.
   
8. In the Printer Driver Selection page, click Windows Update. The driver we need won't be in the list until you click this button. Internet access is required.
   
9. Once Windows Update is complete, highlight HP on the left, and then select HP Color LaserJet 2800 Series PS (Microsoft) on the right. Click Next.
   
10. In the Completing the Add Printer Driver Wizard page, click Finish.
    
11. Repeat these instructions to install the following additional drivers:
    • HP LaserJet Series II
    • HP Color LaserJet 4500 PCL 5

SSL for VDA

If you intend to use HTML5 Receiver internally, install certificates on the VDAs so the WebSockets (and ICA) connection will be encrypted. Internal HTML5 Receivers will not accept clear text WebSockets. External users don't have this problem since they are SSL-proxied through NetScaler Gateway.

Notes:

• Each Virtual Delivery Agent needs a machine certificate that matches the machine name. This is feasible for a small number of persistent VDAs. For non-persistent VDAs, you'll need some automatic means for creating machine certificates every time they reboot.
• As detailed in the following procedure, use PowerShell on the Controller to enable SSL for the Delivery Group. This forces SSL for every VDA in the Delivery Group, which means every VDA in the Delivery Group must have SSL certificates installed.

The following instructions for manually enabling SSL on VDA can be found at Configure TLS on a VDA using the PowerShell script at Citrix Docs.

1. On the VDA machine, run certlm.msc.
2. Right-click Personal, expandAll Tasks, and clickRequest New Certificate to request a certificate from your internal Certificate Authority. You can use either the Computer template or the Web Server template.
   
   1. You can also use group policy to enable Certificate Auto-Enrollment for the VDA computers.
      
3. Browse to the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16 ISO. In the Support\Tools\SslSupport folder, shift+right-click the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script, and click Copy as path.
   
4. Run PowerShell as administrator (elevated).
   
5. Run the command Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted. Enter Y to approve.
   
6. In the PowerShell prompt, type in an ampersand (&), and a space.
7. Right-click the PowerShell prompt to paste in the path copied earlier.
8. At the end of the path, type in -Enable
9. If there's only one certificate on this machine, press Enter.
   
10. If there are multiple certificates, then you'll need to specify the thumbprint of the certificate you want to use. Open the Certificates snap-in, open the properties of the machine certificate you want to use, and copy the Thumbprint from the Details tab.
    

    In the PowerShell prompt, at the end of the command, enter ‑CertificateThumbPrint, add a space, and type quotes (").

    Right-click the PowerShell prompt to paste the thumbprint.

    Type quotes (") at the end of the thumbprint. Then remove all spaces from the thumbprint. The thumbprint needs to be wrapped in quotes.
    

11. There are additional switches to specify minimum SSL Version and Cipher Suites. Also see Citrix CTX226049 Disabling Triple DES on the VDA breaks the VDA SSL connection.
    
12. Press <Enter> to run the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script.
13. Press <Y> twice to configure the ACLs and Firewall.
14. You might have to reboot before the settings take effect.
    
15. Login to a Controller, and run PowerShell as Administrator (elevated).
16. Run the command asnp Citrix.*
    
17. Enter the command:

    Get-BrokerAccessPolicyRule -DesktopGroupName '<delivery-group-name>' | Set-BrokerAccessPolicyRule ‑HdxSslEnabled $true

    where <delivery-group-name> is the name of the Delivery Group containing the VDAs.
    

18. You can run Get-BrokerAccessPolicyRule -DesktopGroupName '<delivery-group-name>' to verify that HDX SSL is enabled.
    
19. Also run the following command to enable DNS resolution.

    Set-BrokerSite –DnsResolutionEnabled $true

    

20. Since VDA 7.16 defaults to enabling the UDP-based EDT protocol, open port UDP 443 to the VDAs.

You should now be able to connect to the VDA using the HTML5 Receiver from internal machines.

The Citrix blog post How To Secure ICA Connections in XenApp and XenDesktop 7.6 using SSL has a method for automatically provisioning certificates for pooled virtual desktops by enabling certificate auto-enrollment and setting up a task that runs after the certificate has been enrolled.

• From Russ Hargrove at A note on VDA certificates in 7.14 at Citrix Discussions: Citrix installs a new "Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop HDX Service" certificate in the Personal store which breaks the automation of the Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 script. To fix the problem, modify the task scheduler powershell script to:

  Enable-VdaSSL.ps1 -Enable -CertificateThumbPrint (Get-ChildItem -path cert:\LocalMachine\My | Where-Object -FilterScript {$_.Subject -eq ""} | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Thumbprint) -Confirm:$False

• For certificate auto-enrollment on non-persistent Remote Desktop Session Hosts (aka Server OS VDAs), see Non-Persistent Server SSL to VDA by Alfredo Magallon Arbizu at CUGC.

Anonymous Accounts

If you intend to publish apps anonymously then follow this section.

1. Anonymous accounts are created locally on the VDAs. When XenDesktop creates Anon accounts, it gives them an idle time as specified at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\AnonymousUserIdleTime. The default is 10 minutes. Adjust as desired.
   
2. Pre-create the Anon accounts on the VDA by running "C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICAConfigTool\CreateAnonymousUsersApp.exe" . If you don't run this tool, then anonymous users can't login.
   
3. You can see the local Anon accounts by opening Computer Management, expanding System Tools, expandingLocal Users and Groups and clicking Users.
   
4. If you want profiles for anonymous users to delete at logoff, then you'll need to add the local Anon users to the local Guests group.
   
5. If you open one of the accounts, on the Sessions tab, notice that idle timeout defaults to 10 minutes. Feel free to change it.
   

Group Policy for Anonymous Users

Since Anonymous users are local accounts on each Virtual Delivery Agent, domain-based GPOs will not apply. To work around this limitation, you'll need to edit the local group policy on each Virtual Delivery Agent.

1. On the Virtual Delivery Agent, run mmc.exe.
2. Open the File menu, and click Add/Remove Snap-in.
   
3. Highlight Group Policy Object Editor, and click Add to move it to the right.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Group Policy Wizard page, click Browse.
   
5. On the Users tab, select Non-Administrators.
   
6. Click Finish.
   
7. Now you can configure group policy to lockdown sessions for anonymous users. Since this is a local group policy, you'll need to repeat the group policy configuration on every Virtual Delivery Agent image. Also, Group Policy Preferences is not available in local group policy.

Antivirus

Install antivirus using your normal procedure. Instructions vary for each Antivirus product.

Microsoft's virus scanning recommendations (e.g. exclude group policy files) – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822158.

Citrix's Recommended Antivirus Exclusions

Citrix Blog Post Citrix Recommended Antivirus Exclusions: the goal here is to provide you with a consolidated list of recommended antivirus exclusions for your Citrix virtualization environment focused on the key processes, folders, and files that we have seen cause issues in the field:

• Set real-time scanning to scan local drives only and not network drives
• Disable scan on boot
• Remove any unnecessary antivirus related entries from the Run key
• Exclude the pagefile(s) from being scanned
• Exclude Windows event logs from being scanned
• Exclude IIS log files from being scanned

See the Blog Post for exclusions for each Citrix component/product including: StoreFront, VDA, Controller, and Provisioning Services. The Blog Post also has links to additional KB articles on antivirus.

Symantec

Symantec links:

• Symantec TECH91070 Citrix and terminal server best practices for Endpoint Protection.
• Symantec TECH197344 Best practices for virtualization with Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.2 and later
• Symantec TECH180229 Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 – Non-persistent Virtualization Best Practices
• Symantec TECH123419 How to prepare Symantec Endpoint Protection clients on virtual disks for use with Citrix Provisioning Server has a script that automates changing the MAC address registered with Symantec.
• Citrix Blog Post How to prepare a Citrix Provisioning Services Target Device for Symantec Endpoint Protection
• If profiles are deleted on logoff, set Symantec registry valueCloseUserLogFile to 1. Symantec TECH210170 Citrix user sessions are held open by ccSvcHst.exe during log off

Trend Micro

Trend Micro Slow login on Citrix environment after installing OfficeScan (OSCE): The following registries can be used to troubleshoot the issue. These registries will allow a delay on the startup procedure of OSCE until the system has launched successfully. This avoids deadlock situations during login.

Citrix CTX136680 – Slow Server Performance After Trend Micro Installation. Citrix session hosts experience slow response and performance more noticeable while users try to log in to the servers. At some point the performance of the servers is affected, resulting in issues with users logging on and requiring the server to be restarted. This issue is more noticeable on mid to large session host infrastructures.

Trend Micro has provided a registry fix for this type of issue. Create the following registry on all the affected servers. Add new DWORD Value as:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TmFilterParameters] "DisableCtProcCheck"=dword:00000001

Trend Micro Links:

• Trend Micro Docs – Trend Micro Virtual Desktop Support
• Trend Micro Docs – VDI Pre-Scan Template Generation Tool
• Trend Micro 1055260 – Best practice for setting up Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in OfficeScan
• Trend Micro 1056376 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Virtual Desktop Infrastructure/Support In OfficeScan

Sophos

Best Practice for running Sophos on virtual systems: we've amassed the following practical information about how you can optimize our software to work with this technology.

Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows XP+: Installation and configuration considerations for Sophos Anti-Virus on a Remote Desktop Services server: It maybe desirable to disable the Sophos AutoUpdate shield icon

Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows 2000+: incorporating current versions in a disk image, including for use with cloned virtual machines: This procedure will make sure that the produced target/cloned computers:

• Get their distinct identity with Enterprise Console, under which they can be subsequently managed.
• Have the desired version of Sophos Anti-Virus already installed and configured on the created image.

Windows Defender Antivirus

Deployment guide for Windows Defender Antivirus in a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment

Optimize Performance

VDA Optimizer

Installation of the VDA might have already done this, but there's no harm in doing it again. This tool is only available if you installed VDA in Master Image mode.

1. On the master VDA, go to C:\Program Files\Citrix\PvsVm\TargetOSOptimizer, and runTargetOSOptimizer.exe.
   
2. Then click OK. Notice that it disables Windows Update.
   
3. See CTX125874 How to Optimize XenDesktop Machines for the list of registry values changed by the TargetOSOptimizer tool. You can use Group Policy Preferences to set these values.

Windows 10 / Windows 2012 R2 / Windows 2016 and newer

Optimization Notes:

• If this machine is provisioned using Provisioning Services, do not disable the Shadow Copy services.
• Citrix CTX213540 Unable To View Printers In Devices And Printers Win 2012 R2 – don't disable the Device Setup Manager Service
• Citrix CTX131995 User Cannot Launch Application in Seamless Mode in a Provisioning Services Server when XenApp Optimization Best Practices are Applied. Do not enable NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation.

Seal and Shut Down

If this VDA will be a master image in a Machine Creation Services or Provisioning Services catalog, after the master is fully prepared (including applications), do the following:

1. Go to the properties of the C: drive, and run Disk Cleanup.
   
2. If Disk Cleanup is missing, you can runcleanmgr.exe instead.
   
3. Windows 10 1703 and newer has a new method for cleaning up temporary files.
   1. Right-click the Start button, and clickSystem.
   2. ClickStorage on the left, and clickThis PC (C:) on the right.
      
   3. ClickTemporary Files.
      
   4. Check boxes, and clickRemove files.
      
4. On the Tools tab, click Optimize to defrag the drive.
   `
5. Run slmgr. vbs /dlv and make sure it is licensed with KMS and has at least one rearm remaining. It is not necessary to manually rearm licensing since MCS will do it automatically.
   
6. Run Delprof2 to clean up local profiles. Get it from http://helgeklein.com/download/.
   
7. Machine Creation Services and Provisioning Services require DHCP.
   
8. Session hosts (RDSH) commonly have DHCP reservations.
   
9. Base Image Script Framework (BIS-F) automates many sealing tasks. The script is configurable using Group Policy.
   
10. Shut down the master image. You can now use Studio (Machine Creation Services) or Provisioning Services to create a catalog of linked clones.
    

Troubleshooting – Graphics

For Citrix Policies that control graphics codecs, see https://www.carlstalhood.com/citrix-policy-settings/#graphics

Citrix Blog post – Optimising the performance of HDX 3D Pro – Lessons from the field

From Citrix Knowledgebase article CTX218217 Unable to span across multiple monitors after upgrade to 7.11 VDA, Black/Blank screen appears on the monitors while connecting to ICA session:

1. For VDA 7.11 and newer, calculate the video memory that is required for monitors using the following formula :

   SumOfAllMons (Width * Height) * 4 / 0.3, where width and height are resolution of the monitor. Note: There is no hard and fast rule that will work for all cases.

   Example: Consider the resolution of monitor 1 is 1920*1200 and monitor 2 is 1366*768. Then SumOfAllMons will be (1920*1200 + 1366*768)

2. CTX115637 Citrix Session Graphics Memory Reference describes how multi-monitor resolution is determined.
3. Open the registry (regedit) and navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\vbdenum
4. Increase the value of "MaxVideoMemoryBytes" REG_DWORD value to the above calculated memory.
5. Reboot the VDA

From Citrix Discussions: To exclude applications from Citrix 3D rendering, create a REG_DWORD registry value "app.exe" with value 0 or a registry value "*" with value 0.

• Both x86 and x64:
  • reg add hklm\software\citrix\vd3d\compatibility /v * /t REG_DWORD /f /d 0

Wildcards are not supported. The asterisk * here has a special meaning "all apps" but is not a traditional wildcard. To blacklist multiple apps e.g. both appa.exe and appb.exe must be done by creating a registry value for each app individually.

This is most problematic in Remote PC since most physical PCs have GPUs. I recently had to blacklist Internet Explorer to prevent lockup issues when switching back to physical.

Uninstall VDA

Uninstall the VDA from Programs and Features.

Then see CTX209255 VDA Cleanup Utility.

To run the VDA Cleanup Tool silently:

1. Execute VDACleanupUtility.exe /silent /noreboot to suppress reboot.
2. Once the VDACleanupUtility has finished executing, setup Auto logon for the current user.
3. Reboot.
4. After reboot, tool will launch automatically to continue Cleanup.

Another option is to delete CitrixVdaCleanup value under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce. Then after reboot, runVDACleanupUtility.exe /silent /reboot to indicate that it's running after the reboot.

Related Pages

• Provisioning Services Master Device Preparation
• Catalogs / Delivery Groups
• Citrix Policy Settings

Navigation

• Change Log
• Upgrade to 7.16
• New Install Preparation
• Delivery Controller 7.16 Install
  • Create Site / Databases
  • Second Controller
• Studio – Slow Launch
• Concurrent Logon Hard Limit
• Local Host Cache
• Database Maintenance – Change Database connection strings, read-committed snapshot, Director grooming, Logging Database operations, etc.
• Export/Import Configuration
• Studio Administrators
• Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
• vCenter Connection – vCenter certificate, Hosting Resources
• Citrix Licensing Server
  • Upgrade Licensing Server to 11.14.0.1 build 22103
  • Activate Citrix License
  • License Server CEIP
  • Citrix License Management Service
  • Citrix License Server Monitoring
• Remote Desktop Licensing Server
  • Install Remote Desktop Licensing Server
  • Active Remote Desktop Licensing Server
• Smart Check
  • Additional Custom Smart Checks
  • Citrix Scout
• Health Check

💡 = Recently Updated

Change Log

• 2018 Jan 4 – in Local Host Cache section, added note about PowerShell Execution Policy.
• 2017 Dec 3:
  • Added vCenter Root CA Certificate section as alternative to importing actual vCenter certificate.
  • In LHC section, added link to Trentent Tye Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp 7.15 – The local host cache in action

Upgrade

If you are performing a new install of XenApp/XenDesktop Controller, then skip to the next section.

You can in-place upgrade directly from any Delivery Controller version 7.0 or newer. Citrix recommends upgrading Delivery Controller 5.6 to 7.6 LTSR Cumulative Update 4 before upgrading to 7.16.

During the upgrade of Delivery Controller, be aware that a database upgrade is required. Either get a DBA to grant you temporary sysadmin permission, or use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts that a DBA must then run in SQL Studio.

1. License Server Upgrade – Before upgrading to Delivery Controller 7.16, if you have a standalone Citrix Licensing Server, upgrade it to 11.14.0.1 build 22103.
   
2. Frequent updates/upgrades– XenApp and XenDesktop 7.16 is a Current Release.
   • With Current Release (CR), you're expected to upgrade to the future 7.17 (and 7.18, and 7.19, etc.) to receive bug fixes, and new features, which might include new bugs. Current Releases are only supported for six months from the release date. That means you should plan to perform these upgrades at least twice a year.
   • If you don't want to continuously upgrade to the latest Current Release, then you can stay on LTSR 7.15, which receivesCumulative Updates with bug fixes, but no new features. See Lifecycle Milestones for Citrix Virtual Apps & Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
3. VDA OS Compatibility – XenDesktop 7.16 Delivery Controller is supported on Windows 2008 R2 and newer. However, Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) 7.16 is only supported on a limited number of Windows operating system versions, specifically, Windows 10 (1607+), Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016.
   • If you have older VDA machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you can leave their VDA software at version 7.15. It is supported for VDA 7.15 to communicate with Delivery Controllers 7.16.
4. SCOM Agent – If StoreFront is installed on the Controller, and if the Citrix SCOM Agent for StoreFront is installed, stop theCitrix MPSF Agent service. See CTX220935 Cannot Perform a StoreFront Upgrade if Citrix SCOM Management Pack Agent Service is Running.
   
5. Close PowerShell and Consoles. Make sure all Citrix Consoles and PowerShell consoles are closed. StoreFront won't upgrade if any are running. If StoreFront fails, then the StoreFront configuration is wiped out.
6. Other Users – Use Task Manager > Users tab to logoff any other user currently logged into the machine.
   
7. Snapshot. If StoreFront is installed on the Controller, take a snapshot before attempting the upgrade.
   1. Another option is to export the StoreFront configuration so you can restore it later if something goes wrong.
8. Download the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16 ISO.
   
9. Before upgrading, open PowerShell and run the following.

   asnp citrix* Get-TrustDBConnection

   

   1. If you don't see a returned value, then you'll need to run additional commands to fix the Trust Database Connection as detailed at Known Issues at Citrix Docs

      $cs = Get-ConfigDBConnection Set-TrustDBConnection –DBConnection $cs

10. RunAutoSelect.exe from the 7.16 ISO.
    
11. On the top left, clickStudio and Server Components.
    
12. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and clickNext.
    
13. In the Ensure Successful Upgrade page, read the steps, check the box next toI'm ready to continue, and clickNext.
    
14. If you see aLicensing Errors page, make sure the errors don't apply to you, check the box next to Let me continue, and clickNext.
    
15. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
    
16. In theSummary page, clickUpgrade.
    
17. If you see a Running Processes window, close the listed programs, and click Continue.
    
18. Click OK when asked to start the upgrade.
    
19. If the upgrade fails:
    1. Look for MetaInstaller log files under %localappdata%\Temp\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer\MSI Log Files.
       
    2. Look for StoreFront log files underC:\Program Files\Citrix\Receiver StoreFront\Admin\logs.
       
    3. Citrix has a MSI Log Analyzer.
       
20. In the Smart Tools page, make a selection. If participating, clickConnect, login with Citrix Cloud or mycitrix.com credentials, and then clickNext. See Citrix Insight Services at Citrix Docs for more information on these options.
    
    
21. If the install fails:
    1. Look for MetaInstaller log files under %localappdata%\Temp\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer\MSI Log Files.
       
    2. Look for StoreFront log files underC:\Program Files\Citrix\Receiver StoreFront\Admin\logs.
       
    3. Citrix has a MSI Log Analyzer.
       
22. In theFinish page, check the box next to Launch Studio, and clickFinish.
    

Studio – Upgrade Database, Catalogs, and Delivery Groups

1. After Citrix Studio launches, if you havesysadmin permissions on SQL, then clickStart the automatic Site upgrade. If you don't have full permission, then get a DBA to help you, clickManually upgrade this site, and follow the instructions.
   
   
2. If you choose toManually upgrade this site, then note that there might not be an upgrade for the Logging Database schema, depending on what version you are upgrading from.
   
   
3. After all Controllers and VDAs are upgraded, right-click the Catalogs, and clickUpgrade Catalog. Note: 7.9 is the newest minimum functional level. You won't see an option for 7.16. If your Catalogs are already set to VDA version 7.9, then there's no need to upgrade the Catalogs or Delivery Groups.
   
   
   
4. Then do the same for the Delivery Groups. Note: 7.9 is the newest minimum functional level. You won't see an option for 7.16. If your Delivery Groups are already set to VDA version 7.9, then no upgrade is needed.
   
   
   

Other XenApp/XenDesktop components can also be in-place upgraded:

• StoreFront
• Director
  • Upgrading Director overrides modifications to LogOn.aspx (e.g. default domain name), so you'll have to reapply them.
• VDAs
• Citrix Policy Management Plug-in
• Profile Management Group Policy Templates
• Receiver Group Policy Templates
• Workspace Environment Management
• AppDNA
• Provisioning Services
• SCOM Management Packs
• Session Recording
• Federated Authentication Service

New Install Preparation

Frequent updates/upgrades

XenApp and XenDesktop 7.16 is a Current Release.

• With Current Release (CR), you're expected to upgrade to the future 7.17 (and 7.18, and 7.19, etc.) to receive bug fixes, and new features, which might include new bugs. Current Releases are only supported for six months from the release date. That means you should plan to perform these upgrades at least twice a year.
• If you don't want to continuously upgrade to the latest Current Release, then you can stay on LTSR 7.15, which receivesCumulative Updates with bug fixes, but no new features. See Lifecycle Milestones for Citrix Virtual Apps & Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

VDA OS Compatibility

XenDesktop 7.16 Delivery Controller is supported on Windows 2008 R2 and newer. However, Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) 7.16 is only supported on a limited number of Windows operating system versions, specifically, Windows 10 (1607+), Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016.

• If you have older VDA machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you can install VDA software version 7.15. It is supported for VDA 7.15 to communicate with Delivery Controllers 7.16.

Installation Automation

If you want to automate the install of Delivery Controllers, see Dennis Span Citrix Delivery Controller unattended installation with PowerShell and SCCM.

Citrix Licensing

If you are going to use an existing Citrix Licensing Server, upgrade it to 11.14.0.1 build 22103.

Multiple License Types – Multiple license types (but not multiple editions) are supported in a single farm. See CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.

SQL Databases for XenDesktop

• Citrix CTX209080 Database Sizing Tool for XenDesktop 7
• Citrix article CTX114501 – Supported Databases for XenApp and XenDesktop Components
• Three databases – There are typically three databases: one for the Site (aka farm), one for Logging (audit log) and one for Monitoring (Director).
  • The name of the monitoring database must not have any spaces in it. See CTX200325 Database Naming Limitation when Citrix Director Accesses Monitoring Data Using OData APIs
  • If you want Citrix Studio to create the SQL databases automatically, then the person running Studio must be a sysadmin on the SQL instances. No lesser SQL role will work.sysadmin permissions can be granted temporarily and revoked after installation.
  • As an alternative, you can use Citrix Studio to create SQL scripts, and then run those scripts on the SQL server. In that case, the person running the scripts only needs the dbcreator and securityadmin roles.
  • It is possible to create the three databases in advance. However, you must use the non-defaultLatin1_General_100_CI_AS_KS collation.
• SQL High Availability Options:
  • Basic Availability Groups – Build two SQL 2016 (or newer) Standard Edition servers and create three Basic Availability Groups, one for each database. Each Basic Availability Group has its own Listener.
    • SQL Standard Edition is much cheaper than SQL Enterprise Edition.
  • Database Mirroring – Build two SQL 2014 or older Standard Edition servers and configure Database Mirroring.
  • AlwaysOn Availability Group – Build two SQL Enterprise Edition servers and create one AlwaysOn Availability Group with one Listener.
  • Failover Clustering – Build two SQL Enterprise Edition servers and configure SQL Database Failover Clustering.
• Cloud – Azure SQL and AWS RDS are not supported. You'll need to build your own SQL Servers on IaaS VMs.

Windows Feature

InstallingGroup Policy Management on the Delivery Controllers lets you edit Citrix-targeted Group Policy Objects (GPOs) directly from the Controllers. Controllers already have Studio and Citrix Group Policy Management installed, so if GPMC runs from a Controller, then the GPO Editor will automatically have access to the Citrix Policies node. Or you can install Citrix Group Policy Management Plug-in on a different machine that has GPMC installed.

vCenter Service Account

Create a role in vSphere Client. Assign a service account to the role at the Datacenter or higher level. Delivery Controller will use this service account to login to vCenter.

Delivery Controller Install

1. A typical size for the Controller VMs is 2-4 vCPU and 8+ GB of RAM. If all components (Delivery Controller, StoreFront, Licensing, Director, SQL Express) are installed on one server, then you might want to bump up memory to 10 GB or 12 GB.
2. From Local Host Cache sizing and scaling at Citrix Docs:
   1. For LHC LocalDB, assign the Controller VMs a single socket with multiple cores.
   2. Add two cores for LHC.
   3. Add at least three more Gigs of RAM and watch the memory consumption.
   4. Since there's no control over LHC election, ensure all Controllers have the same specs.
3. Make sure the User RightLog on as a service includesNT SERVICE\ALL SERVICES, or addNT SERVICE\CitrixTelemetryService to the User Right.
   
4. Download the XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16 ISO.
   
5. On two Delivery Controllers, to install the Delivery Controller software, runAutoSelect.exe from the 7.16 ISO.
   
6. Click Start next to either XenApp or XenDesktop. The only difference is the product name displayed in the installation wizard.
   
7. On the top left, click Delivery Controller.
   
8. In theLicensing Agreement page, selectI have read, understand, and accept the terms, and clickNext.
   
9. In the Core Components page, you can install all components on one server, or on separate servers. Splitting them out is only necessary in large environments, or if you have multiple farms, and want to share the Licensing, StoreFront, and Director components across those farms. ClickNext.
   
10. In the Features page, uncheck the box next to Install Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP2 Express, and click Next.
    
11. In theFirewall page, clickNext.
    
12. In the Summary page, click Install.
    
13. In the Smart Tools page, make a selection. If you choose Smart Tools and Call Home, then click Connect, and enter your Citrix Cloud or MyCitrix.com credentials. Click Next.
    
    
    
14. In the Finish page, click Finish. Studio will automatically launch.
    
15. Ensure the two Controller VMs do not run on the same hypervisor host. Create an anti-affinity rule at vSphere Cluster > Manage > Settings > DRS Rules > Add. Set the Type toSeparate Virtual Machines.
    

Create Site – Create Database

There are several methods of creating the databases for XenApp/XenDesktop:

• If you have sysadmin permissions to SQL, let Citrix Studio create the databases automatically.
• If you don't have sysadmin permissions to SQL, then use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts, and send the scripts to a DBA.

Use Studio to Create Database Automatically

1. Launch Citrix Studio. After it loads, click Deliver applications and desktops to your users.
   
2. In the Introduction page, select An empty, unconfigured site. This reduces the number of pages in this Setup wizard. The other pages will be configured later.
3. Enter a Site Name (aka farm name), and click Next. Only administrators see the farm name.
   
4. In the Databases page, if you are building two Controllers, click Select near the bottom of the same page.
   
   1. Click Add.
   2. Enter the FQDN of the second Controller, and click OK. Note: the Delivery Controller software must already be installed on that second machine.
   3. Then click Save.
      
5. If the person running Citrix Studio hassysadmin permissions to the SQL Server, then enter the SQL server name/instance in the threeLocation fields, and clickNext.
6. If you don't havesysadmin permission, the jump to the SQL Scripts section below.
   
7. On the Licensing page, enter the name of the Citrix License Server, and click Connect. If you installed Licensing with your Delivery Controller, then simply enter localhost.
8. If the Certificate Authentication appears, select Connect me, and click Confirm.T
9. Select your license type, and click Next. If you see both User/Device and Concurrent, then you usually must select User/Device licenses. Also see CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.
   
10. In the Summary page, if your databases are mirrored or in an Availability Group, each database will show high availability servers, and the name of the Mirror server. Click Finish.
    
    
11. It will take some time for the site to be created.
12. Once done, skip to the Second Controller section.

Use Studio to create SQL scripts

1. If you don't have SQLsysadmin permissions, then change the selection to Generate scripts to manually set up databases on the database server. Change the database names if desired, and clickNext.
   
2. In the Summary page, clickGenerate scripts.
   
3. A folder will open with six scripts. Edit each of the scripts.
   
4. Near the top of each script are two lines to create the database. Uncomment both lines (including the go line). Then save and close the file.
   
   
5. Once all of the scripts are edited, you can send them to your DBA.
   1. On the Principal SQL Server, open the fileSite_Principal.sql.
      
      
   2. Open the Query menu, and click SQLCMD Mode to enable it.
      
   3. Then execute the script.
      
   4. If SQLCMD mode was enabled properly, then the output should look something like this:
      
   5. If you have a mirrored database, run the second script on the mirror SQL instance. Make sure SQLCMD mode is enabled.
      
   6. Repeat for the Logging_Principal. sql script.
      
   7. You'll have to enable SQLCMD Mode for each script you open.
      
      
      
   8. Repeat for the Monitoring_Principal. sql script.
      
   9. Once again enable SQLCMD Mode.
      
      
      
   10. The person running Citrix Studio must be added to the SQL Server as a SQL Login, and granted the public server role, so that account can enumerate the databases.
       
       
6. Back in Citrix Studio, click the Continue database configuration and Site setup button.
   
7. In the Databases page, enter the SQL server name, and instance name, and click Next.
   
   
8. On the Licensing page, enter the name of the Citrix License Server, and click Connect. If you installed Licensing with your Delivery Controller, then simply enter localhost.
9. If the Certificate Authentication appears, select Connect me, and click Confirm.
   
10. Then select your license, and click Next. See CTX223926 How to Configure Multiple License Types within a Single XenApp and XenDesktop Site.
    
11. In the Summary page, if your databases are mirrored, each database will show high availability servers, and the name of the Mirror server. Click Finish.
    
    
12. It will take some time for the site to be created.
    

Second Controller

When building the first Delivery Controller, the SQL scripts might have already included the second Delivery Controller, and thus no special SQL permissions are needed. If the second Delivery Controller has not already been added to the SQL databases, then there are several methods of adding a second Controller to the databases for XenApp/XenDesktop:

• If you have sysadmin permissions to SQL, let Citrix Studio modify the databases automatically.
• If you don't have sysadmin permissions to SQL then use Citrix Studio to generate SQL scripts and send them to a DBA.

To use Citrix Studio to create the SQL Scripts:

1. On the first Delivery Controller, if StoreFront is installed on the Controller, then delete the default StoreFront store (/Citrix/Store), and recreate it with your desired Store name (e.g. /Citrix/CompanyStore).
   
2. On the second Delivery Controller machine, install Delivery Controller as detailed earlier.
3. After installation, launch Studio on the second controller, and click Connect this Delivery Controller to an existing Site.
   
4. Enter the name of the first Delivery Controller, and click OK.
   
5. If you don't have full SQL permissions (sysadmin), click No when asked if you want to update the database automatically.
   
6. Click Generate scripts.
   
7. A folder will open with six scripts. If not mirroring, then the top three scripts need to be sent to a DBA. If mirroring, send all six.
   
8. On the SQL Server, open one of the .sql files.
   
   
9. Open the Query menu, and click SQLCMD Mode.
   
10. Then execute the XenDesktop script.
    
11. If SQLCMD mode was enabled properly, then the output should look something like this:
    
12. Repeat for the remaining script files.
13. Back in Citrix Studio, click OK.
    
14. In Citrix Studio, under Configuration > Controllers, you should see both controllers.
    

Studio – Slow Launch

From B.J.M. Groenhout at Citrix Discussions: The following adjustments can be made if Desktop Studio (and other Citrix management Consoles) will start slowly:

• Within Internet Explorer, go to Tools – Internet Options – Tab Advanced – Section Security, and uncheck the option Check for publisher's certificate revocation

After adjustment Desktop Studio (MMC) will be started immediately. Without adjustment it may take some time before Desktop Studio (MMC) is started.

Registry setting (can be deployed using Group Policy Preferences):

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WinTrust\Trust Providers\Software Publishing
  • "State"=dword:00023e00

Concurrent Logon Hard Limit

From Samuel Legrand XenApp 7.14 – (Really) Manage a DR! – Citrix Policies has a setting calledConcurrent Logon Tolerance. However, it is not a hard limit, meaning once the limits are reached, it continues to let users connect. You can configure the Controllers to make it a hard limit by setting the following registry value:

• HKLM\Software\Policies\Citrix\DesktopServer
  • LogonToleranceIsHardLimit (DWORD) = 1

Local Host Cache

If you have 10,000 or fewer VDAs per zone (up to 40,000 VDAs per multi-zone site/farm), you can enable Local Host Cache (LHC) instead of Connection Leasing. LHC allows new sessions to be started even if SQL database is unavailable. VDA limits for LHC are higher in 7.16 than previous versions of XenApp/XenDesktop.

From Local Host Cache sizing and scaling at Citrix Docs:

1. For LHC LocalDB, assign the Controller VMs a single socket with multiple cores.
2. Add two cores for LHC.
3. Add at least three more Gigs of RAM and watch the memory consumption.
4. Since there's no control over LHC election, ensure all Controllers have the same specs.
5. The Docs article has scripts for monitoring LHC performance.

From XenApp 7.12, LHC and a reboot at Citrix Discussions:

• If the rebooted DDC is the elected one, a different DDC will take over (causing registration storm) and when the DDC gets back, it will take over brokering causing second registration storm. Site will sort itself out and all will work.
• If the rebooted DDC is not the elected one, it will not impact any functionality.
• If you turn the DDC down when site is working, and start it during outage, LHC will not trigger on that machine. This DDC will not impact the LHC unless it would become the elected one. In that scenario it will take control, however not start LHC and resources would not be available.

Trentent Tye at Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp 7.15 – The local host cache in action has a video showing LHC in action.  💡

For Windows Server 2008 R2 Delivery Controllers, PowerShell 3, or newer, is required. See LHC XD 7.12 and W2K8SR2 SP1 at Citrix Discussions.

As mentioned by Citrix Docs, make sure PowerShell Execution Policy is set to RemoteSigned, Unrestricted, or Bypass.

If you did a fresh install of 7.16, then Local Host Cache should be enabled by default. You can run Get-BrokerSite to confirm. (run asnp citrix.* first).

If not enabled, you can run some PowerShell commands to enable Local Host Cache:

asnp citrix.* Set-BrokerSite -ConnectionLeasingEnabled $false Set-BrokerSite -LocalHostCacheEnabled $true

George Spiers Local Host Cache XenApp & XenDesktop 7.12 shows the Event Log entries when LHC is enabled.

Database Maintenance

Enable Read-Committed Snapshot

The XenDesktop Database can become heavily utilized under load in a large environment. Therefore Citrix recommends enabling the Read_Committed_Snapshot option on the XenDesktop databases to remove contention on the database from read queries. This can improve the interactivity of Studio and Director. It should be noted that this option may increase the load on the tempdb files. See Citrix article CTX137161 How to Enable Read-Committed Snapshot in XenDesktop for configuration instructions.

Change Database Connection Strings

Sometimes the database connection strings need to be modified:

• When moving the SQL databases to a different SQL server
• For AlwaysOn Availability Groups, to add MultiSubnetFailover to the SQL connection strings
• For SQL mirroring, to add Failover Partner to the SQL connection strings

From Citrix Docs Update database connection strings when using SQL Server high availability solutions: Citrix offers several PowerShell scripts that update XenApp and XenDesktop database connection strings when you are using SQL Server high availability database solutions such as AlwaysOn and mirroring. The scripts, which use the XenApp and XenDesktop PowerShell API, are:

• DBConnectionStringFuncs.ps1: The core script that does the actual work. This script contains common functions that the other scripts use.
• Change_XD_Failover_Partner_v1.ps1: Updates (adds, changes, or removes) the failover partner. This script prompts for the failover partner location (FQDN) for each database. (Providing a blank failover partner removes the failover partner. You can also use the ClearPartner option to remove a partner.) Do not set the failover partner to the same location as the principal database server.
• Change_XD_To_ConnectionString.ps1: Uses the provided connection strings to update the connection strings to the databases. This script ensures that certain Citrix services are up and running, and then updates those services in the correct order on all Controllers in the site. Enclose connection string information for each database in quotes.
• Change_XD_To_MultiSubnetFailover.ps1: Toggles the addition and removal of MultiSubnetFailover=true. If you use AlwaysOn Availability Groups, Microsoft recommends that the connection string include MultiSubnetFailover=true. This option speeds up recovery when a high availability event occurs, and is recommended for both single and multi-subnet environments. Run this script once to add the option. Run the script again to remove it.
• Change_XD_To_Null.ps1: Resets all the connection strings on the localhost because something has gone wrong. By resetting the connection strings to null, this script places the Controller into an "initial" state. If you run Studio after running this script, you'll be asked if you want to create a site or join an existing site. This is useful if something has gone wrong and a reset is needed. After the reset, you can try again to set the connection strings.

CTX140319 How to Migrate XenDesktop Database to New SQL Server has the correctly ordered list of PowerShell commands to change the database connection strings. Make sure PowerShell is running as administrator before running these commands.

Here are the DB Connections that must be changed. This list might be longer than the article. When using the article, make sure you include all of the DB Connections shown below. You can get the full list of database commands by runningGet-Command Set-*DBConnection. When changing the DB connections, AdminDBConnection must be the last to be set to NULL, and the first to be configured with the new connection string.

Set-ConfigDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-AppLibDBConnection –DBConnection $null    #7.8 and newer Set-OrchDBConnection –DBConnection $null      #7.11 and newer Set-TrustDBConnection –DBConnection $null     #7.11 and newer Set-AcctDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-AnalyticsDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-HypDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-ProvDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-BrokerDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-EnvTestDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-SfDBConnection -DBConnection $null Set-MonitorDBConnection -DataStore Monitor -DBConnection $null   #Monitoring Database Set-MonitorDBConnection -DBConnection $null                      #Site Database Set-LogDBConnection -DataStore Logging -DBConnection $null       #Logging Database Set-LogDBConnection -DBConnection $null                          #Site Database Set-AdminDBConnection -DBConnection $null -force

Director Grooming

If XenDesktop is not Platinum Edition, then all historical Director data is groomed at 30 days.

For XenDesktop/XenApp Platinum Edition, by default, most of the historical Director data is groomed at 90 days. This can be adjusted up to 367 days by running a PowerShell cmdlet.

1. On a Delivery Controller, run PowerShell elevated (as administrator), and run asnp Citrix.*
   
2. Run Get-MonitorConfiguration to see the current grooming settings.
   
3. Run Set-MonitorConfiguration to change the grooming settings.
   

View Logging Database

To view the contents of the Logging Database, in Studio, click the Logging node. On the right isCreate Custom Report. See Citrix article CTX138132 Viewing Configuration Logging Data Not Shown for more info.

The Logging Database can be queried usingGet-LogLowLevelOperation. See Stefan Beckmann Get user who set maintenance mode for a server or client for an example script that uses this PowerShell cmdlet.

Maintain Logging Database

Citrix CTX215069 Troubleshooting and managing Oversized Configuration Logging database: The article's queries can be used to determine the number of configuration operation types performed by XenDesktop Administrator, and to analyze the content of the Configuration Logging database when it is considered oversized. A grooming query is also provided to delete data older than a specified date.

Export/Import Configuration

Ryan Butler has a PowerShell script that can export configuration from one XenDesktop farm and import it to another.

Studio Administrators

Full Administrators

1. In the Studio, under Configuration, click the Administrators node. The first time you access the node you'll see a Welcome page. Feel free to check the box to Don't show this again, and then click Close.
2. On the Administrators tab, right-click, and click Create Administrator.
   
3. In the Administrator and Scope page, Browse to a group (e.g. Citrix Admins) that will have permissions to Studio and Director. These groups typically have access to all objects, so select the All scope. Alternatively, you can create a Scope to limit the objects. Click Next.
   
4. On the Role page, select a role, and then click Next. For example:
   • Full Administrator for the Citrix Admins group
   • Help Desk Administrator for the Help Desk group
   • Machine Catalog Administrator for the desktop team
     
5. In the Summary page, click Finish.

Help Desk

1. In the Studio, under Configuration, click the Administrators node. On the Administrators tab, right-click, and click Create Administrator.
   
2. In the Administrator and Scope page, Browse to a Help Desk group that will have permissions to Studio and Director. Select the All scope. And click Next.
   
3. On the Role page, select the Help Desk Administrator role, and then click Next.
   
4. In the Summary page, click Finish.
5. When administrators in the Help Desk role log into Director, all they see is this.
   
   To jazz it up a little, add the Help Desk group to the read-only role.
6. Right-click the Help Desk Administrator, and click Edit Administrator.
   
7. Click Add.
   
8. In the Scope page, select a scope, and click Next.
   
9. In the Role page, select Read Only Administrator, and click Next.
   
10. In the Summary page, click Finish.
11. Then click OK. Now Director will display the dashboard.
    

Customer Experience Improvement Program

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16 enables CEIP by default. If desired, you can disable it in Citrix Studio:

1. On the left, go to theConfiguration node.
2. On the right, switch to theProduct Support tab.
   
3. ClickEnd.
   
4. Click Yes.
   

Citrix Studio 7.16 collects data for Google Analytics. You can disable this in the registry at HKLM\Software\Citrix\DesktopStudio\GAEnabled = 0.

Each XenApp/XenDesktop component has a separate configuration for disabling Customer Experience Improvement Program:

• License Server CEIP
• Virtual Delivery Agent CEIP
• Profile Management CEIP
• StoreFront CEIP
• Provisioning Services CEIP
• Receiver CEIP
• Receiver for HTML5 CEIP
• Session Recording CEIP
• AppDNA CEIP
• NetScaler CEIP

vCenter Connection

XenDesktop uses an Active Directory service account to log into vCenter. This account needs specific permissions in vCenter. To facilitate assigning these permissions, create a new vCenter role and assign it to the XenDesktop service account. The permissions should be applied at the datacenter or higher level.

Import vCenter Root Certificate

If the vCenter certificate is valid and trusted, then you can skip to the Hosting Resource section.

For newer versions of vCenter, you can import the root certificate that signed the vCenter Server/Appliance certificate.

1. Point your browser to the root path of the vCenter Server URL.
2. On the bottom right, clickDownload trusted root CA certificates.
   
3. Extract the downloaded files.
4. Go to\certs\win.
5. Sort the files by date, and double-click the newest.crt file.
   
6. On theGeneral tab, clickInstall Certificate.
   
7. In the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, change theStore Location selection toLocal Machine, and clickNext.
   
8. In theCertificate Store page, clickBrowse.
   
9. SelectTrust Root Certification Authorities, and clickOK.
   
10. In theCompleting the Certificate Import Wizard page, clickFinish.
    
11. If you close your browser and reopen it, and then go to the vCenter URL, there should no longer be any certificate errors.
12. Skip to the Hosting Resource section.

Import vCenter Certificate

If the vCenter certificate is valid and trusted, then you can skip to the Hosting Resource section.

Alternatively, you can import the actual vCenter Server certificate (instead of the root). This is the only option for older self-signed vCenter certificates.

Newer versions of XenDesktop have the ability to import the vCenter certificate thumbprint into the database so every Controller trusts it. However, it is difficult to update the thumbprint whenever the vCenter certificate changes. It might instead be more reliable to use the older method of configuring theTrusted People store on the Delivery Controllers. Whenever the vCenter certificate is changed, you'll need to repeat these steps.

1. Get the vCenter certificate.
   1. Open a browser and point it to the vCenter URL. Note: this procedure to get the certificate won't work in Internet Explorer.
      
   2. If Google Chrome, press <F12> to open the Developer Tools.
      
   3. On the top right, click the two right arrows to show more tabs, and clickSecurity.
      
   4. On theSecurity tab, clickView certificate.
      
   5. On theDetails tab, clickCopy to File.
      
   6. In theWelcome to the Certificate Export Wizard page, clickNext.
      
   7. In theExport File Format page, either format will work. ClickNext.
      
   8. In theFile to Export page, browse to a new file, and clickNext.
      
   9. In theCompleting the Certificate Export Wizard page, clickFinish.
      
2. If your Delivery Controller is Windows 2012 R2 or newer, then simply runcertlm.msc. This opens the MMC console with Certificates snap-in already added and pointing to Local computer.
   1. For Windows 2008 R2, run mmc.exe, open the File menu, and click Add/Remove Snap-in.
      
   2. Move the Certificates snap-in to the right by highlighting it, and clicking Add.
      
   3. Select Computer account, and click Next.
      
   4. Select Local computer, and click Finish.
      
   5. Click OK.
3. On the left, right-click the Trusted People node, expand All Tasks, and click Import.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Next.
   
5. In the File to Import page, browse to the certificate you saved earlier, and click Next.
   
6. In the Certificate Store page, click Next.
   
7. In the Completing the Certificate Import Wizard page, click Finish.
   
8. Click OK to acknowledge that the import was successful.
9. Repeat these steps on the second Controller. It is important that you import the certificate on both Controllers before adding the Hosting Resource.
10. If you open Internet Explorer and browse to the vCenter Server, there should be no certificate errors.
    

Hosting Resources

A Hosting Resource = vCenter + Cluster (Resource Pool) + Storage + Network. When you create a machine catalog, you select a previously defined Hosting Resource, and the Cluster, Storage, and Network defined in the Hosting Resource object are automatically selected. If you need some desktops on a different Cluster+Storage+Network, then you'll need to define more Hosting Resources in Studio.

1. In Studio, expand Configuration and click Hosting. Right-click it, and click Add Connection and Resources.
   
2. In the Connection page, for Connection type, select VMware vSphere.
3. Notice there's a Learn about user permissions blue link to an article that describes the necessary permissions.
4. Enter https://vcenter01.corp.local/sdk as the vCenter URL. The URL must contain the FQDN of the vCenter server.
5. Enter credentials of a service account that can log into vCenter.
6. In the Connection name field, give the connection a name. Typically, this matches the name of the vCenter server.
7. If you are not using Machine Creation Services, and instead only need the vCenter connection for machine power management, change the Create virtual machines using selection to Other Tools. If you intend to use MCS, leave it set toStudio Tools.
8. Click Next.
   
9. In the Storage Management page, clickBrowse, and select a vSphere cluster.
   • Note: as detailed at CTX223662, make sure there's no comma in the datacenter name.
10. SelectUse storage shared by hypervisors.
11. If you have sufficient disk space on each ESXi host, also selectOptimize temporary data on available local storage. From Mark Syms at XA 7.9 MCS with RAM Caching at Citrix Discussions: "If you use just MCS caching to local storage then the VM is not agile at all and cannot be moved even when powered off as it has a virtual disk permanently associated with a single host."
12. From Martin Rowan at XA 7.9 MCS with RAM Caching at Citrix Discussions: for the temporary cache disk, "Don't format it, the raw disk is what MCS caching uses."
13. Click Next.
    
14. In theStorage Selection page, OS and Personal vDisk must be selected on at least one datastore. For maximum flexibility, only select one datastore. To select additional datastores, run this wizard again to create a separate Hosting Resource.
15. If you selected the temporary data on local storage option, on the bottom, clickSelect, and choose the datastores you want to use for disk caching. By default, all local datastores are selected. Click Next when done.
    
16. In the Network page, enter a name for the hosting resource. Since each hosting resource is a combination of vCenter, Cluster, Network, and Datastores, include those names in this field (e.g. vCenter01-Cluster01-Network01-Datastore01).
17. Select a network and click Next.
    
18. In the Summary page, click Finish.
    
19. If you have multiple datastores for your VDAs, run the wizard again.
    
20. You can use the existing vCenter connection.
    
21. This time, select a different datastore.
    
22. Give it a name that indicates the chosen datastore.
    
23. When you create a Catalog, select the Hosting Resource for the datastore where you want the VDAs to be placed. Create additional Catalogs for each datastore. You can then combine the Catalogs into a single Delivery Group.
    
24. Later in the Catalog wizard, you're given an option to enable caching and select a cache size. This is similar to Provisioning Services option "Cache in RAM with overflow to disk".
    
25. If you rename Storage, Network, or Datacenters, see Citrix CTX225019 XA/XD 7.13: Renaming Storage, Network or Datacenters When Used With MCS or PVS. Either run Update-HypHypervisorConnection -LiteralPath "XDHyp:\Connections\MyConnection" , or right-click the Hosting Resource and click Edit Storage. You can cancel the wizard.
    

Citrix Licensing Server

Upgrade

XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16 comes with 11.14.1.1 build 22103.

If you have a standalone Licensing Server, upgrade it to Citrix Licensing 11.14.1.1 build 22103, if it isn't already.

1. Go to the downloaded Citrix Licensing 11.14.1.1 build 22103, and run CitrixLicensing. exe.
   
   
2. If you see theSubscription Advantage Renewal page, make a selection, and click Next.
   
3. In the Upgrade page, click Upgrade.
   
4. Click Finish.
   
5. If you go to Programs and Features, it should now show version 11.14.0.1.22103.
   
6. If you login to the license server web console, on the Administration tab…
   
7. It shows it as version 11.14.0.1 build 22103.
   
8. You can also view the version in the registry at HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\LicenseServer\Install.
   

Activate Citrix License

The easy way to install and activate a Citrix license is through Citrix Studio:

1. In Citrix Studio, expandConfiguration, right-clickLicensing, and clickAllocate Licenses.
   
2. Enter the LA- license code, and clickShow.
   • You can find your LA- code at http://mycitrix.com, clickAll Licensing Tools, and clickView Licenses.
     
3. Then click theAllocate licenses button.
   
   • Another method of allocating licenses is in the new Licensing Manager at https://MyLicenseServer:8083.
     
4. After licenses are installed, right-click theLicensing node, and clickEdit Product Edition
   
5. Change the edition to match your licenses. If you see both XenDesktop and XenApp licenses, you must select XenDesktop. If you see both Concurrent and User/Device, then you must select User/Device. Click OK when done.
   
6. XenDesktop 7.14 and newer support mixed licensing in a single site/farm. See the following:
   • Citrix Blog Post Introducing Multi-Type Licensing in XenApp & XenDesktop 7.14.
   • Multi-type licensing at Citrix Docs.

License Server CEIP

11.14.1.1 build 19005 and newer enables CEIP by default. This can be disabled in the Citrix Licensing Manager (https://MyLicenseServer:8083) by clicking the gear icon.

Switch to the Usage and Statistics tab, and make a selection in theShare usage statistics with Citrix section.

Citrix License Management Service

Version 11.14.0.1 and newer include the Citrix License Management Service. This service helps you avoid prohibited practices:

• Duplication of licenses outside a Disaster Recovery (DR) environment
• Use of legacy licenses for new product versions
• Use of rescinded licenses

Citrix License Server Monitoring

Citrix Licensing 11.13.1 and newer has historical usage reporting:

1. RunCitrix Licensing Manager from the Start Menu. Or use a browser to connect to https://MyLicenseServer:8083
   
2. On the Historical Use tab, use the drop-down menus to select a license type, select dates, and export to a .csv file.
   
3. TheUpdate Licenses tab lets you check for renewals and download them.
   
4. On the top right is a gear icon where you can set the historical retention period.
   
   1. On theUsage and Statistics tab…
      
   2. Scroll down and find theHistorical Use section.
      

Jonathan Medd Monitor Citrix License Usage With PowerShell.

Lal Mohan – Citrix License Usage Monitoring Using Powershell

Jaroslaw Sobel – Monitoring Citrix Licenses usage – Graphs using WMI, Powershell and RRDtool. This script generates a graph similar to the following:

Remote Desktop Licensing Server

Install Remote Desktop Licensing Server

Do the following on your XenDesktop Controllers:

1. In Server Manager, open the Manage menu, and click Add Roles and Features.
   
2. In theInstallation Type page, selectRole-based or feature-based installation.
   
3. Click Next until you get to the Server Roles page. Check the box next to Remote Desktop Services, and click Next.
   
4. Click Next until you get to the Role Services page. Check the box next to Remote Desktop Licensing, and click Next.
   
5. Click Add Features if prompted.
   
6. Then finish the wizard to install the role service.
   

Activate Remote Desktop Licensing

1. After RD Licensing is installed, in Server Manager, open the Tool menu, expand Terminal Services (or Remote Desktop Services), and click Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
   
2. The tool should find the local server. If it does not, right-click All servers, click Connect, and type in the name of the local server.
3. Once the local server can be seen in the list, right-click the server and click Activate Server.
   
4. In the Welcome to the Activate Server Wizard page, click Next.
   
5. In the Connection Method page, click Next.
   
6. In the Company Information page, enter the required information, and click Next.
   
7. All of the fields on the Company Information page are optional, so you do not have to enter anything. Click Next.
   
8. In the Completing the Activate Server Wizard page, uncheck the box next to Start Install Licenses Wizard now, and click Finish. Since the session hosts will be configured to pull Per User licenses, there is no need to install licenses on the RD Licensing Server.
   
9. In RD Licensing Manager, right-click the server, and click Review Configuration.
   
10. Ensure you have green check marks. If the person installing Remote Desktop Licensing does not have permissions to add the server to the Terminal Server License Servers group in Active Directory, ask a domain admin to do it manually. If you have the proper permissions, click Add to Group.
    
11. Click Continue when prompted that you must have Domain Admins privileges.
    
12. Click OK when prompted that the computer account has been added.
    
13. Click OK to close the window.
    

Smart Check

Citrix Cloud offers a Smart Check service that can scan your XenApp/XenDesktop infrastructure for known issues.

• For a list of checks, see About health checks at Citrix Docs.
• See What's new for Citrix Smart Tools at Citrix Docs
• For a comparison of Smart Check and Citrix Insight Services, see Citrix Blog Post What Data is Smart Check Collecting?

To run Smart Check:

1. Go to https://citrix.cloud.com, and login.
2. After logging in, under My Services, findSmart Tools, and clickManage.
   
3. ClickSmart Check.
   
4. If you enabled Smart Tools during the installation of XenDesktop 7.16, then the site should already be there. ClickComplete Setup.
   
5. If you didn't enable Smart Check during XenDesktop installation, then on the top right, clickAdd Site.
   
   1. In step 1, clickDownload Agent.
      
   2. Step 2 indicates it is waiting for you to install the Agent.
      
   3. On a Delivery Controller, run the downloadedCitrixLifecycleManagementAgent.exe.
      
   4. Check the box next toI accept the terms in the License Agreement, and clickInstall.
      
   5. In theCompleted the Citrix Smart Tools Agent Setup Wizard page, clickFinish.
      
   6. Step 2 now shows that the Agent was installed successfully. ClickNext.
      
6. Enter credentials for your XenDesktop farm, and clickAdd Site, or clickDone.
   
7. Eventually you'll see aGet Started link.
   
8. Or, if the site is already added to your list of sites, clickView Report next to the site.
   
9. StoreFront, Provisioning Services, and Licensing Server cannot be automatically detected. You can add a Custom Check that targets those machines. See Perform health checks on Storefront, Licensing, and Provisioning Servers at Citrix Docs.
   
10. At the top right, if you clickPerform Check, you can run one of the checks.
    
11. If you clickConfigure.
    
12. You can schedule the checks to automatically run periodically.
    
13. To view the alerts, click one of the alert badges in the component category. Also see Smart Check alerts reference at Citrix Docs.
    
14. Expand a component, and click an alert.
    
15. On the right, there's an option toHide Alert.
    
    
16. To view the hidden alerts, at the top right, click the menu icon, and clickShow Hidden Alerts.
    
17. The hidden alert is grayed out. If you click the alert, you can restore it.
    
    

Additional Smart Checks

The Blueprint Catalog has additional checks that you can add to Smart Check. Click Blueprint Catalog in the menu bar. Scroll down to the Citrix Checks section, and click the plus icon next to one of them.

When you go back to Smart Check, open a site (View Report), and click Perform Check, you'll see the Custom Check that you added from the Blueprint Catalog.

See Citrix Blog Post VDA Health Check Now Available on Smart Check.

Citrix Scout

XenDesktop 7.16 includes a new Citrix Scout that can be launched from the Start Menu.

The tool can run a manual collection, run a trace, or schedule periodic collection. The results are uploaded to Citrix Smart Tools.

Links with more information:

• Bas van Kaam With XenDesktop & XenApp 7.14 comes Scout 3.0 – some big changes, read what's new – compares old Scout with new Scout
• Citrix Docs Citrix Scout

XenApp/XenDesktop Health Check

Sacha Tomet Finally 1.0 – but never finalized!: XenApp & XenDesktop 7.x Health Check script has now Version 1.0.

Andrew Morgan – New Free Tool: Citrix Director Notification Service: The Citrix Director Notification service sits on an edge server as a service (or local to the delivery controller) and periodically checks the health of:

• Citrix Licensing.
• Database Connections.
• Broker Service.
• Core Services.
• Hypervisor Connections.

And if any of these items fall out of bounds, an SMTP alert is sent to the mailbox of your choice for action. The tool will also send "All Clear" emails when these items are resolved, ensuring you are aware when the service has resumed a healthy state.

Matt Bodholdt XenDesktop 7.x Controller Service Status Script at CUGC – PowerShell script that checks the following:

• Lists Controllers with boot time
• Licensing status
• Service status on each Controller
• DB Connections
• Controller Available Memory
• Hypervisor Connections Status

Related Pages

• Configure RDSH VDAs to use Remote Desktop Licensing Server
• Back to XenApp/XenDesktop 7.16

Posted by: clayclaysieregarea0251921.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.carlstalhood.com/category/xenappxendesktop/