Archive for April, 2012

Citrix statement on how Microsoft Lync is supported with Citrix XenDesktop

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in Citrix, HDX, Lync, Microsoft, XenDesktop

I want to share this informative knowledge article that describes how Microsoft Lync is supported with Citrix XenDesktop.

As stated in Client Virtualization in Microsoft Lync 2010 (http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=21129), republished by Microsoft in February 2012, delivery of the Lync 2010 client using XenDesktop and XenApp is “Supported” by Microsoft (see Table 2 on page 7). However, audio (voice chat) is not directly supported by Microsoft (see Table 3 on page 8) except through a desk phone using USB Redirection. Likewise, video chat is not directly supported by Microsoft. These statements are based on XenDesktop 4.0 and XenApp 6.0 (see Appendix A.1, page 12). As noted in the footnote on page 13, “XenDesktop 5 (which introduces webcam video compression as an alternative to USB redirection) was not tested.”

How do these statements impact Citrix customers who wish to deliver Microsoft Lync with voice and video chat functionality from XenDesktop 5.5 or XenApp 6.5?

In short, XenDesktop/XenApp delivery of Microsoft Lync, including voice chat and video chat, is fully supported by Citrix.

Microsoft does not directly support third-party products such as XenDesktop. In our experience, customers can expect “best effort” support from Microsoft but in some cases might be asked to duplicate a problem on a regular PC with no Citrix software installed.

Citrix supports the delivery of Microsoft Lync and other similar third-party Unified Communications clients and softphones from XenDesktop (including XenApp) to users of the Citrix Receiver through a variety of innovative technologies including:

  • Optimized-for-speech codec technology, featuring fast encode and low bandwidth utilization
  • Webcam Video Compression in the Citrix Receivers for Windows and Linux, offering excellent bandwidth efficiency and network latency tolerance
  • Jitter buffering in the Citrix Receiver for Windows to ensure smooth audio even when network latency is variable, and Echo Cancellation when users a microphone and speakers instead of a headset
  • Audio plug-n-play
  • Audio device routing (for example: ringtone can be directed to speakers but voice to a headset)
  • Multi-stream ICA transport for full QoS support
  • UDP/RTP audio option on XenDesktop VDI
  • DSCP packet tagging for RTP packets (Layer 3)
  • WMM tagging for Wi-Fi
  • Branch Repeater support for QoS and multi-stream ICA, including UDP

Additional optimizations for Lync 2010 are currently in beta trial, including native support for Microsoft’s proprietary RTAudio and RTVideo codecs without transcoding. Furthermore, Citrix is committed to fully supporting the next release of Microsoft Lync, codenamed “Wave 15”.

More Information

CTX130912 - Testing and Using Audio and Video on Microsoft Lync 2010 with XenDesktop 5.5 or 5.6

CTX128831 - Guidelines for Delivering Microsoft Lync with XenDesktop 5.x

CTX124124 - Configuring XenDesktop 5.5 or 5.6 to Deliver Microsoft Lync 2010

Continue Reading No Comments

Microsoft Office 2010 Known Issues with Citrix XenApp

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in Office, XenApp

Summary

This article contains information about issues and their known workarounds for Office 2010 products that users must be aware of in conjunction with the following Citrix products:

  •  XenApp 4.5
  • XenApp 5.0
  • XenApp 6.0

Note: Citrix Systems is committed to ensure compatibility with the latest Microsoft products.

Non-Support Issues

  • WISP 2007 does not support SharePoint 2010 (223873).
  • XenApp 5 and 4.5 Installation Managers do not support Office 2010.
    Workaround    : Citrix recommends using Application Streaming feature of XenApp 5 and 4.5 to install Office 2010 to your XenApp server. Also the IM of XenApp 6 does support Office 2010 (227705).

Workaround for Installation Manager on XenApp on 2003

Use a .wfs script for an unattended installation. Run source location\setup.exe, and then add the command line /adminfile “source location\adminfile.msp”. Once this is created, edit the script to add the lines to the section from where the information was removed:
ConfigActions=T, Run UnInstall
[Run UnInstall]
ShellExecute=source location\setup.exe,T,open,%TEMPDIR%,/config “source location\uninstall.xml” /uninstall ProPlus,NORMAL

Issues

The following error message is displayed after starting Offline Word (234902):

“Insufficient memory, Windows Word cannot display the requested font”

This issue occurs because fonts are not downloaded properly.

Impacts – This issue impacts XenApp 6.

Workaround: Issue happens initially when users start the applications, but as the applications are started (multiple launches) then issue becomes less frequent.

The following issues are to be addressed in next release of Offline client Streaming

  • App icon resolution in Citrix offline applications container is corrupted for Office 2010 applications in laptops. (234641). This issue impacts XenApp 6.
  • Opening local document with the stream to client application through offline access crashes the application, intermittent. (234653). This issue impacts XenApp 6.
  • Outlook 2010 Attachment preview of word document is not displayed properly, Seamless. (233642). This issue impacts XenApp 5 and 6.
Continue Reading No Comments

Citrix XenDesktop – Colors in Graphics-Specific or Intensive Applications are Not Displayed Correctly

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in HDX, XenDesktop

This article applies for Citrix XenDesktop 5.5 and Citrix XenDesktop 5.6

Symptoms

Adobe Photoshop, or any graphics-specific or intensive application, is not representing color correctly in a XenDesktop session.

Cause

Graphics undergo compression and caching when transferred to the client.

Resolution

Remove Off-Screen Surfacing from the applications which are not representing color correctly in the XenDesktop session.

Caution! This fix requires you to edit the registry. Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Citrix cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. Be sure to back up the registry before you edit it.

On the VDA that hosts the application, add the following registry key and value:
Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ICA\Thinwire
Value: DisableOssForProcesses
Type: REG_SZ
Data: photoshop.exe

This is a sample registry file contents:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ICA\Thinwire]
“DisableOssForProcesses”=”photoshop.exe”

More Information

Multiple applications can be listed as data in the registry. Separate multiple process names with semicolons. The following is a sample registry file with multiple applications:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ICA\Thinwire]
“DisableOssForProcesses”=”photoshop.exe;indesign.exe;illustrator.exe”

Source

 

Continue Reading No Comments

Whitepaper – Best Practice RES Software: Workspace Manager Advanced Connection States for laptops

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in RES Software, Windows 7, Workspace Manager

RES Software have released a best practice whitepaper on how to configure advanced connection states for laptops with RES Workspace Manager.
If you are using RES Software Workspace Manager and Windows 7 combined with your laptops this is a “must read” whitepaper.

About this Guide

This best practice is written for IT professionals, who are going to design, build and/or maintain a RES Workspace Manager managed Windows 7 laptop environment which is fully context aware.

Objectives

RES Software wants to create insight in understanding the configuration of different connection states. Configuring the correct connection state is essential for a fully working, context aware, Windows 7 laptop environment. The objective of this guide is to zoom in on the connection state detection feature in different scenarios.

Approach

This best practice guide is created based on our own experience together with the input and knowledge of our partners and customers, related to Windows 7 laptops in combination with the configuration of RES Workspace Manager.

There are multiple paths you can take and scenarios you can build. In this paper we try to describe RES Workspace technology as simple as possible and deliver a fundament to help you as an IT administrator with context-aware challenges to come.

The shown scenarios are tested and build by ourselves, so combining real life scenarios with proven technology will give you everything you need for a successful implementation.

Challenge

Context awareness of a laptop environment all starts with detecting the right connection state. Based on the detected connection state, the Workspace is dynamically built. The type of connection (LAN, WAN, VPN, Wi-Fi, UMTS, 3G, HSDPA, etc.) determines in which context the RES Workspace Manager session will start.

Keep in mind that not every connection type has the same bandwidth available, so decisions need to be made what to allow/disallow in which context. Offline is also considered as a connection state.

When switching between connection types (e.g. Wireless to Wired or vice versa) the RES Workspace Manager needs to detect a connection change, determine the current context and perform a refresh of the Workspace.

The configuration that is discussed in this guide contains a Windows 7 laptop environment with RES Workspace Manager installed.
The laptops move between headquarters and external locations. At the external location a connection to the corporate network is allowed. So basically both scenarios result in the same context for RES Workspace Manager Configuration.

Besides these two “online” states the laptop should also be able to work in “offline” state. “Online scenario”

Source

Read the full whitepaper -
Best Practice - Configuring RES Workspace Manager Advanced Connection States for laptops  HERE

Continue Reading No Comments

Citrix License Server 11.10

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in Branch Repeater, Citrix, Provisioning, Single Sign-on, XenApp, XenDesktop, XenServer

Citrix have released a new version of Citrix License Server 11.10. The new version is both a release for Windows Server and there is a new release of the virtual appliance

Important: Upgrades are not supported for License Server VPX.

Whats new in License Server – Version 11.10

Citrix License Server VPX. A self-contained Linux-based virtual appliance that allows you to easily deploy licensing in your Citrix environment. You can bring the appliance online by:

  • Importing the appliance to your host or pool of hosts.
  • Configuring basic networking – specifying IP address, hostname, and other network information.
  • Using the License Administration Console to upload licenses for your hosts.

Microsoft Active Directory support for Windows license servers - The License Administration Console supports Active Directory Users and Groups. During installation, the license server detects Active Directory membership. If you are in a domain, the license server adds the installing user (domain\user) as a default License Administration Console administrator. In a workgroup or VPX installation, the license server prompts for the default admin user password.

Fixed Issues

  • The Citrix License Server might crash immediately after startup. Workaround: Delete the following files, and then start the license server. These files are automatically regenerated when the license server starts. [#253576]

    C:\Program Files\Citrix\Licensing\ls\conf\activation_state.xml and concurrent_state.xml on a 32-bit server

    C:\Program Files(x86)\Citrix\ls\conf\activation_state.xml and concurrent_state.xml on a 64-bit server

    /opt/citrix/licensing/LS/conf/activation_state.xml and concurrent_state.xml for License Server VPX

  • If you select Use default port when configuring the Vendor Daemon Port, critical alerts might appear on the Dashboard when you close the console and restart the license service. If this occurs, you cannot use a random port. Workaround: Specify a new installation path that does not include parentheses in the pathname. Windows only[#0266589]

Source

Read the full list of whats new and which bug fixed are fixed – here

 

Continue Reading No Comments

Blogs i read

Recent Comments

Thomas Poppelgaard

|

Hi Steve normal I install the GRID driver to device and when its workin, I disable the default VGA device.

Have you applied latest hotfix to the XS6.1 there are some crucial hotfixes to the GPU pass-through, that could crash the GRID’s, when you power on a VM with GPU pass-through.

Steve

|

Just a quick question on your setup. We just got a system similar to yours (R720, 2xGrid K2 cards, XenServer 6.1, XenApp 6.5). The GRID K2 driver installs (320.00), but the device shows up as stopped in device manager. Did you use any special options when installing the nVidia driver? Or somehow remove the default VGA device?

Dan

|

Hi Thomas,
Some features in your screenshots (eg create appointments and contacts) seem to be missing from the iOS version of @WorkMail that got released in April, do you know if these features are still coming in a future release? The Android client is far more functional by comparison.
Regards
Dan

Christian Eilskov

|

You can see the DHCP options here:

http://www.wyse.com/kb and search for 21501

You can transfer a image using Wyse Device Manager(WDM), the same goes for smaller updates like new ICA client and so.

Thomas Poppelgaard

|

Thank you Barry =)
The deep compression codec for Citrix XenDesktop HDX 3D Pro will be intergrated for Citrix XenApp in Excalibur so there is a big difference with bandwidth consumption. This means that XenApp in Excalibur will be the best platform for user density and works great over WAN with high latency as HDX 3D Pro have been known to deliver for several years. Yes i know of cases with WAN optimization, I will gather these and share them.

Best regards
Thomas

Feeds from Citrix Blog :