W2K12 bug in Citrix VDI-in-a-box 4.1.5

Let me start to say Happy New Year and hope that you have come good into 2012. Well some of you have and some of you don’t and i know a lot of customers around the world haven’t started 2012 with a fresh start. Customers that are using Citrix VDI-in-a-box (kaviza) 4.1.5 has a major bug so users have no access to their VDI when they connect with HDX from their devices. Many companies was down the first january 2012 and some customers found a quick turnaround that they where able to connect to their VDI by switching from HDX to RDP. But for many other customers this was a “no go” solution  if they had users with devices like Wyse Xenith that only works with HDX.

Citrix created a private hot fix for the issue 3rd January 2012 and for many customers people where not able to work for 3 days.  Citrix is working on a public release of the fix that will come out to the community as quickly as possible.

I really love Citrix VDI-in-a-box because its so simplified but this behavior is a big flaw and Citrix really have to persuade why customers still should keep using Citrix VDI-in-a-box because many companies can’t live with having their environments down for 1-3 days.

Workarounds

Workarounds have been found by some, the first is to revert back to RDP and stop using HDX which is a valid workaround but some of you may not have this luxury if you are running in kiosk mode.

Another workaround is to set back the date on the servers to 2011 which seems again to work, but if you have software running dependent on the server dates, then again this may not work.

Temporary Quick fix

Citrix has just now released a quick fix and some administrator have succesfuld tested the solution.

Check the Citrix forum message from http://forums.citrix.com/thread.jspa?threadID=299469&start=30&tstart=0

We are in the process of building private fix for this issue and we have an early build available.
Please be aware that this is a build straight from our engineering team and did not undergo full test cycle so please test it in your test environment first.
This requires editing the image of the VDA at the moment but we are working on automating patching process.

The package contains the fix for version 4.x (ctxlicense.dll) and 5 (VdaEnvironment.dll) of VDI-in-a-box.
You will need to replace the file on your image:

For ctxlicense.dll replace C:Program FilesCitrixICAServiceCtxLicense.dll

RDP into current desktop and replace the file
You might need to path an existing image (please refer to Patching an existing image, Administrator Guide)
You might need to build new image (please refer to Creating new image versions, Administrator Guide)
You might need to restart Citrix ICA Services or the machine

For VdaEnvironment.dll replace C:Program FilesCitrixVirtual Dekstop AgentVdaEnviroment.dll

RDP into current desktop and replace the file
You might need to patch an existing image (please refer to Patching an existing image, Administrator Guide)
You might need to build new image (please refer to Creating new image versions, Administrator Guide)
You might need to restart the Citrix Desktop Service or the machine

Download private fix to Citrix VDI-in-a-box
ftp://usr_EscCustomer:support3@ftpprivates.citrix.com/privates/pawelb/LA1146/LA1146.zip

Citrix have created this great knowledge article about customizing the keyboard shortcuts for Receiver for Mac #COOL
If you are a Mac user, you can have great benefit of this article. Enjoy /Poppelgaard

Summary

This article describes how to customize keyboard shortcuts for menu items of the Receiver for Mac.

Background

The Citrix Receiver for Macintosh requires substitution of special keys for certain commands from a Macintosh keyboard to be used properly within a remote Windows session. Refer to the Citrix eDocs for more information. However, the new versions of Macintosh keyboards might not contain certain keys that are used by default for substitution. For example, sending the INSERT key to a session requires the HELP key on the keyboard, which no longer exists on newer keyboards such as MacBook Air laptops.

In such scenarios, you can use function and other special keys to a session using the Keyboard menu of the Receiver. However, this can become a cumbersome task if certain keys are used very frequently during daily tasks. Therefore, another option is to use the System Preferences of Mac OS X to create your own shortcut keys for specific functions available in the application menu of the Receiver.

Procedure

To customize keyboard shortcuts for menu items of the Receiver for Mac, complete the following procedure:

More Information

This functionality does not work with Receiver for Mac software release earlier than 11.4. Certain keys and key combinations are reserved by Macintosh or by the Citrix Receiver. For example;

For more information on special keys and keystrokes used by the Receiver, refer to the following sections of the Citrix eDocs:

Summary

This article describes how to determine USB drivers are configured correctly on the Online Plug-in.

Background

After installing the Online plug-in, the USB drivers should be loaded in the operating system so that a local USB device appears when connecting to a Virtual Desktop session.

Procedure

a. The setupapi logs will determine if any errors occur during the installation of the driver. The logs are located in the directory under %windir%\inf:

c:\windows\inf\setupapi.app.log
c:\windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log
c:\windows\int\setuperr.log (possibly)

In setupapi.app.log I have:
>>>  [SetupQueueCopy]
>>>  Section start 2009/10/16 12:43:45.054
cmd: “C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\Drivers\usbinst.exe” InstallHinfSection   “DefaultInstall 128 C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\Drivers\ctxusbm\ctxusbm.inf”
<<<  Section end 2009/10/16 12:43:45.054
<<<  [Exit status: SUCCESS]

flq: CopyFile: ‘C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\Drivers\ctxusbm\ctxusbm.sys’
flq:       to: ‘C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\SET2F28.tmp’
flq: MoveFile: ‘C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\SET2F28.tmp’
flq:       to: ‘C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\ctxusbm.sys’

>>>  [SetupInstallFromInfSection - DefaultInstall.NT]
>>>  Section start 2009/10/16 12:43:45.234
cmd: “C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\Drivers\usbinst.exe” InstallHinfSection   “DefaultInstall 128 C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\Drivers\ctxusbm\ctxusbm.inf”
<<<  Section end 2009/10/16 12:43:45.234
<<<  [Exit status: SUCCESS]

>>>  [SetupInstallFromInfSection - FilterService]
>>>  Section start 2009/10/16 12:43:45.404
cmd: “C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\Drivers\usbinst.exe” InstallHinfSection   “DefaultInstall 128 C:\Program Files\Citrix\ICA Client\Drivers\ctxusbm\ctxusbm.inf”
<<<  Section end 2009/10/16 12:43:45.404
<<<  [Exit status: SUCCESS]

b. Verify any errors in the event viewer.

c. If no errors appear, you must uninstall then reinstall the online plug-in with setupapi logging set to the maximum verbosity:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\LogLevel
To 0×00007070

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff550845%28v=VS.85%29.aspx

Citrix have released an important hotfix for Citrix XenApp 6.5 that enhance the user experience dramatical that previously was available in XenDesktop 5.5 is now available in XenApp 6.5 with Hotfix XA650W2K8R2X64002.

I highly recommend that you implement this hotfix if you are running Citrix XenApp 6.5

!! Please be aware that some of the policies can “ONLY” be configured using Microsoft Group Policy and “NOT” AppCenter policy

This release provides the following features and enhancements to servers running XenApp 6.5:

Support for Additional Communications Software:

In addition to Microsoft Office Communicator and Lync, XenApp now supports the use of Web cams in conjunction with the following communication software published on XenApp 6.5 servers:

• Citrix GoToMeeting with HD Faces
• Skype
• Adobe Connect

Enhanced Audio Virtual Channels:

Enhancements have been made to the audio virtual channels to help reduce latency. This results in improved performance of softphones and the voice chat feature of Unified Communications applications.

Adaptive Display Settings for Smooth-running Videos and Slide Shows:

Previously available in XenDesktop 5.5, Adaptive Display is now enabled by default in XenApp 6.5. Adaptive Display dynamically adjusts image quality and frame rates to deliver the best possible user experience when viewing graphics or server-rendered video content over a limited bandwidth network connection. Adaptive Display is the successor to Citrix’s highly successful Progressive Display technology. Adaptive Display is self-tuning and generally does not require configuration. However, Adaptive Display policies are available should you wish to adjust the behavior of this feature. To configure Adaptive Display on XenApp 6.5, use Windows Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)* and follow the procedures outlined in eDocs, the Citrix Documentation Library.

* Note: At this time, Adaptive Display policies cannot be configured using AppCenter. Use Windows Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) instead.

Windows Media Redirection Enhanced Flow Control:

Enhancements to Windows Media Enhanced Flow Control provide improved results for streamed HD videos delivered over WAN connections.

Overview

Flow control is an integral part of multimedia redirection that is responsible for choosing and adjusting the rate at which multimedia data is transmitted to the client and defining a strategy to reduce the bit rate when network conditions are unfavorable. The effectiveness of the flow control implementation has a fairly large impact on the overall end user experience.

The enhancements

• End-to-End Flow Control. Video samples are no longer queued in the host-side virtual channel and instead force data to back up in the DirectShow/MediaFoundation interception filters. The major benefit here is reliability; video controls remain responsive even when network conditions are unfavorable.

• Frame Dropping. Sometimes the available bandwidth is less than the bit rate of the video being played. Frame dropping enables flow control to preserve the audio and playback synchronization at the expense of the video. It is important to note that key frames will never be dropped because these frames are often used as reference frames from which other frames will be constructed. In addition to key frames, decoders also use the last decompressed non-key frame as a reference frame. For this reason, once a non-key frame is dropped, all subsequent non-key frames are dropped (until the next key frame is found). Otherwise, the video becomes progressively noisier.

Limitations

Frame dropping has some limitations. It is not always known ahead of time how many frames will be dropped for a given media type. Frame dropping does not typically occur until the effective network bandwidth approaches or drops below the bit rate of the media file. Users should have reasonable expectations for the user experience. In most cases, frame dropping will provide a benefit but the amount of video that is dropped can vary from media file to media file.

Note: Adaptive Display generally provides a better user experience than frame dropping when the available bandwidth is less than the bit rate of the video. For this reason, customers who need to deliver HD videos with bit rates of 6 or 7 Mbps are advised to set the SmartRendering Bandwidth Threshold to 8 Mbps to ensure that Windows Media Redirection is used only when there is sufficient bandwidth. For more information about setting the SmartRendering Bandwidth Threshold, see Knowledge Center article CTX124777.

Supported media formats

WMA, WMV, ASF, MP3, Divx, Xvid, and MPEG-4. Other formats, such as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, continue to use the old flow control.

 Download Citrix hotfix  XA650W2K8R2X64002 for XenApp 6.5 here

Summary

This article lists the hardware used by Citrix to test the HDX 3D Pro feature for the August, 2011 release of XenDesktop 5.5. It is intended that this article provide guidance for customers when choosing hardware to be used with HDX 3D Pro and XenDesktop 5.5. Note that this is not an exhaustive list of all the hardware that can be used with HDX 3D Pro, just a list of the hardware that was specifically used for testing by Citrix Engineering. Other hardware not listed below that meets the system requirements for HDX 3D Pro may also be used.

Graphics Processing Units

Based on the testing carried out by Citrix, most NVIDIA Quadro and Quadro FX graphics cards should work in standalone mode with HDX 3D Pro. Citrix has tested only a few NVIDIA Tesla and GeForce graphics cards. Although it is expected that these classes of graphics cards will work, Citrix recommends that you carry out your own testing before putting such graphics cards into a production environment.

Although Citrix has only tested a few ATI-AMD graphics cards, it is expected that they will work with CPU-based compression.

Hardware for Application Host and User Device

The hardware requirements for both the computers hosting the graphical application (along with the HDX 3D Pro Virtual Desktop Agent) and the devices from which users access the host are given in the System Requirements for HDX 3D Pro[http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/xendesktop-als/hd-3d-sys-req.html]. Any hardware that matches these specifications can be used. Citrix tested the HDX 3D Pro feature using the following hardware.

The following machines were used as endpoints for testing.

Monitors Used for Testing

There are no restrictions on the monitors that can be attached to the user device and the computer hosting the graphical application, provided that they support the required resolution. Citrix used the following monitors for testing.

Tested 3D Mice

Citrix used the following 3D mice for testing.

Yes you read it right. HDX is now available as a chip. So this means that thin client companies will be able to buy HDX as a chip and integrate it very easy in their products.

Initially supported by Fujitsu, LG, Texas Instruments, Dell, Huawei, HP, Wyse, VXL, NComputing and DevonIT, with NComputing and Texas Instruments providing the initial SoC reference design, this initiative has the potential to dramatically change and evolve the desktop business. By providing a low-cost embedded reference design for HDX Ready capabilities, these partners – along with a extensive list of other vendors that weren’t ready to attach their names quite yet – are exploring ways to create completely new end points as well as leverage the design to create thin clients at dramatically lower price points.

Unlike other implementations of protocols in the hardware, HDX Ready System-On-a-Chip is a standards-based reference designs that are designed to keep up with innovation in both hardware and HDX. Other hardware technologies like PCoIP-based cards are proprietary and expensive, and force customers to go through a major upgrade of the entire system in order to get the benefits of latest innovations. HDX SoCs, on the other hand, are standards-based reference designs that deliver HDX optimizations in both software and hardware. This intelligent design offers our customers flexibility to easily adopt new innovations in HDX without going through a major hardware upgrade.

Its going to be interesting to see if Citrix will partner up with Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, B&O and other television companies to have HDX build in. Try to imagine video conference how HDX improves this, so you just need to buy a television HDX is build in and you are ready for communicating.

I see many great things with this new hardware chip Citrix have build. The possibilities are endeless.

The Citrix Receiver for Linux provides users with access to resources published on XenApp or XenDesktop servers. It combines ease of deployment and use, and offers quick, secure access to applications, content, and virtual desktops. Users can connect to resources published on XenApp servers using either individual ICA connections or, if using Citrix XenApp, predefined ICA connection configurations from servers running the Web Interface. Users can also connect to virtual desktops provided by XenDesktop, enabling them to use those virtual desktops as if they were connecting to a local Windows desktop.

Download Citrix Receiver for Linux 12.0 here

Release 6.0.1 is the maintenance software release for the Citrix Branch Repeater 6.0.

This maintenance release contains bug fixes and new features.

Maintenance Release Highlights in 6.0.1

In addition to the bug fixes, this maintenance Release includes the following features:

Support for Multi-Stream ICA

This release supports the new XenApp 6.5/XenDesktop5.5 “Multi-Stream ICA” feature, which uses up to four connections per user, one for each ICA priority level. By demultiplexing the ICA stream, traffic-shaping policies can be applied to different-priority streams independently allowing bulk traffic to be held back and the interactive traffic passed through with greater precision, resulting in greater responsiveness and thus a better user experience.

Collection of Diagnostic Data

This feature is a new tab in the “System Maintenance: Diagnostics” page that gathers up diagnostic data for Citrix Support and packages it into a single compressed archive that Support can analyze.  The process can take as long as 20 minutes, and gathers data from older versions of the software as well as the current one. Do not use this feature unless requested to by Support.

Download Branch Repeater Appliance Software Release 6.0.1 here

Download Repeater Appliance Software Release 6.0.1 here

Download Branch Repeater VPX for XenServer and VMware vSphere Software Rel 6.0.1  here

Citrix have released a new cool tool thats is called KeepMeLoggedIn Tool

Description

KeepMeLoggedIn allows a user to quickly open published applications by leveraging session sharing. KeepMeLoggedIn keeps a user session opened after the last user process exits; it then exits when the timeout value expires causing the user session to close.

If a new application launches while KeepMeLoggedIn is still running, session sharing kicks in and the launched application should open quickly on the client machine (by avoiding opening a new session and re-using the existing user session).

KeepMeLoggedIn does not have any visible window and only works for ICA seamless sessions. It exits automatically if the session is an ICA published desktop or an RDP session.

Prerequisites

Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) must be installed on the XenApp server prior to using KeepMeLoggedIn:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=A7B7A05E-6DE6-4D3A-A423-37BF0912DB84&displaylang=en.

Installing KeepMeLoggedIn

For Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2:

Copy KeepMeLoggedIn.exe to C:\Users\Public\ and modify the registry key below as follows:

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 the Registry Editor at your own risk. Be sure to back up the registry before you edit it.

Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Type: REG_SZ
Value: Userinit = C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe,c:\Users\Public\KeepMeLoggedIn.exe

For Windows 2003:

Copy KeepMeLoggedIn.exe to C:\Document and Settings\ All Users\ and modify the registry key below as follows:

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 the Registry Editor at your own risk. Be sure to back up the registry before you edit it.

Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Type: REG_SZ
Value: Userinit = C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe,”C:\Document and Settings\ All Users\KeepMeLoggedIn.exe”

How to use KeepMeLoggedIn

KeepMeLoggedIn has a default timeout value of 120 seconds, that is, it exits two minutes after the last process in the user session was closed.

A local administrator of the XenApp server can configure this timeout value by setting the following registry key:

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 the Registry Editor at your own risk. Be sure to back up the registry before you edit it.

For 32bit:

Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Citrix\KeepMeLoggedIn
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: Timeout = time in seconds (decimal value)

For 64bit:

Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\KeepMeLoggedIn
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: Timeout = time in seconds (decimal value)

For example, a timeout value of 3600 (decimal) keeps the session open for one hour after the last process was closed by the user.

KeepMeLoggedIn also supports the LogoffCheckSysModules registry key described in CTX891671 – Graceful Logoff from a Published Application Renders the Session in Active State in order to exclude some processes from being monitored.

Follow the guidelines in the above article while adding a process to this list.

Note: Do not rename KeepMeLoggedIn.exe or if you do, add the new executable name to the LogoffCheckSysModules registry key described above.

Download KeepMeLoggedIn
You can download KeepMeLoggedIn Tool by clicking here