How to Enable DNS Address Resolution in XenApp 6

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in HowTo, XenApp

Summary

This article describes how to enable XML DNS Address Resolution in XenApp 6.

Requirements

XenApp 6

Background

Enabling DNS Address Resolution is allows the XenApp 6 server to return the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of the XenApp server to the ICA client using the XML Service. This also means that workstations must be able to resolve the FQDN of the XenApp 6 servers with this policy enabled.

Procedure

Read the full procedure ( How to Enable DNS Address Resolution in XenApp6

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How to Create ICA Launch Files for use in XD 5 High Availability Mode

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in HowTo, Webinterface, XenDesktop

Summary
This article describes how to create an ICA Launch file for use in the XenDesktop’s High Availability mode.

Requirements
XenDesktop Version 5.0 or later

A desktop with the Virtual Desktop Agent Version 5.0 installed and with the High Availability feature enabled
The IP address of this desktop
The credentials of the user allowed to connect to this desktop, which includes:

  • Domain name
  • User logon name
  • User password

Procedure

  1. Open Notepad on the client computer and copy and paste the Minimal ICA Launch file from below.
  2. Change the following fields:

    a. USER_LOGON_NAME_HERE to the actual user’s logon name
    b. USER_PASSWORD_HERE to the actual user’s clear text password
    c. DOMAIN_NAME_HERE to the actual domain name
    d. DESKTOP_IP_ADDRESS_HERE to the desktop’s IP address

  3. Save the file with a relevant name and with an .ICA extension to an easy to find location on the client’s computer.

Minimal ICA Launch file content:

[Encoding]
InputEncoding=UTF8

[ApplicationServers]
Desktop=

[Desktop]
Username=USER_LOGON_NAME_HERE
Clearpassword=USER_PASSWORD_HERE
Domain=DOMAIN_NAME_HERE

Address=DESKTOP_IP_ADDRESS_HERE:1494
AutologonAllowed=ON
BrowserProtocol=HTTPonTCP
CGPAddress=*:2598

TransportDriver=TCP/IP

ClientAudio=On
DesiredColor=8
DesiredHRES=1024
DesiredVRES=768
DoNotUseDefaultCSL=On

FontSmoothingType=0
InitialProgram=#Desktop
LPWD=31
Launcher=WI
LocHttpBrowserAddress=!

Read the full knowledge article here

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XenDesktop 5 Quick PoC Kit Version 1.0

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in HowTo, XenDesktop

The XenDesktop 5 Quick PoC Kit has been created for being used as a tool for Proof of Concepts and is intended for validating desktop delivery with XenDesktop 5 within a short time period. The kit contains pre-configured  virtual machines with step by step documentation for a quick and simple setup of the required infrastructure components and can be used for Proof of Concepts that run either in an isolated environment or can even be integrated into any pre-production environment. The average setup time varies between 2-4 hours. This kit now includes XenApp 6 for hosting applications delivered to the desktops. This kit is intended for use on XenServer and builds out virtual desktops with both Machine Creation Services and a Provisioning services Windows 7 Enterprise vDisk

Documentation:

  • Overview.  This document provides a general overview of the XenDesktop Quick PoC Kit and how it should be used.
  • Checklist.  The checklist provides guidance for preparing a PoC at a customer and ensures all configuration steps are completed.
  • Isolated How To.  Step by step guidance for setup of PoC environment as an isolated solution without touching any customer production systems.
  • Integrated How To.  Step by step guidance for setup of PoC environment that integrates into a customers’ test or even production Active Directory domain and production environment.

Download the XenDesktop 5 Quick PoC Kit Version 1.0 here

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XenApp 6 – Best Practise …………………… Hint #4 – IE & Explorer (published)

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in HowTo, XenApp

If you publish an Internet Explorer in XenApp6, there is an issue, when an user tries to initialise a published Internet Explorer (either in IE x86 or IEx64) sometimes the published application runs, most of times user experience that the Internet Explorer dosent run. You might also experience the issue with Explorer.

If you have issue with local drives and published Explorer , then this reghack also fix this issue.

IE/Explorer reghack in a XenApp6 environment

Add the following regkey to a GPO or script when the user logs on:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\wfshell\TWI
DWord (32bit) – LogoffCheckerStartupDelayInSeconds
Set it to a value of 10.

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How To configure Access Gateway Enterprise for Citrix Reciever for Iphone, Ipad

Written by Thomas Poppelgaard. Posted in Access Gateway, HowTo, Netscaler, Reciever

1. Configure the XenApp Services site

If you do not already have a XenApp Services site created, in the XenApp console or Web Interface console (depending on the version of XenApp you have installed), create a XenApp Services site for mobile devices.

The Receiver for mobile devices uses a XenApp Services site (formally Program Neighborhood Agent site) to get information about the applications a user has rights to and presents them to the Receiver running on the device. This is similar to the way you use the Web Interface for traditional SSL-based XenApp connections for which an Access Gateway can be configured. XenAppServices sites running on the Web Interface 5. x have this configuration ability built in.

Configure the XenApp Services site for the Receiver for mobile devices to support connections from an Access Gateway connection.

  1. In the XenApp Services site, select Manage secure client access > Edit secure client access settings.
  2. Change the Access Method to Gateway Direct.
  3. Enter the FQDN of the Access Gateway appliance.
  4. Enter the Secure Ticket Authority (STA) information.

2. Configure the Access Gateway appliance

  1. Configure authentication policies to authenticate users connecting to the Access Gateway using the Access Gateway Plug-in. Bind each authentication policy to a virtual server.Active Directory authentication, TACACS authentication, SMS authentication (http://smspasscode.com) (iPhone only), and RSA SecurID are the three supported authentication methods for v1.x of the Receiver for mobile devices:
    • If double source authentication is required (such as RSA SecurID and Active Directory), RSA SecurID authentication must be the primary authentication type. Active Directory authentication must be the secondary authentication type.
    • RSA SecurID uses a RADIUS server to enable token authentication.
    • Active Directory authentication can use either LDAP or RADIUS.
      Note: For servers prior to Windows Server 2003, Active Directory can use Integrated Windows authentication, also known as NTLM.

    Test a connection from a user device to verify that the Access Gateway is configured correctly in terms of networking and certificate allocation.

  2. Create a session policy on the Access Gateway to allow incoming XenApp connections from the Receiver, and specify the location of your newly created XenApp Services site.
    • Create a new session policy to identify that the connection is from the Receiver for mobile devices. As you create the session policy, configure the following expression and select Match All Expressions as the operator for the expression:REQ.HTTP.HEADER User-Agent CONTAINS CitrixReceiver
    • In the associated profile configuration for the session policy, on the Security tab, set Default Authorization to Allow.On the Published Applications tab, if this is not a global setting (you checked the Override Global check box), ensure the ICA Proxy field is ON.In the Web Interface Address field, enter the URL including the config.xml for the XenApp Services site that the device users use, such as http://XenAppServerName/Citrix/PNAgent/config.xml or http://XenAppServerName/CustomPath/config.xml.
    • Bind the session policy to a virtual server.
    • Create authentication policies for RADIUS and Active Directory.
    • Bind the authentication policies to the virtual server.
    Important: If the server certificate used on the Access Gateway is part of a certificate chain (with an intermediate certificate), make sure that the intermediate certificates are also installed correctly on the Access Gateway. For information about installing certificates, see the Access Gateway documentation.

3. Configure the mobile device for the Receiver application

  1. In Account Settings, in the Address field, enter the matching FQDN of your Access Gateway server, such as FQDNofAccessGateway.
  2. In the Citrix Access Gateway settings, turn on Access Gateway, set the Gateway Type to Enterprise edition, and select the authentication method.
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Recent Comments

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

Barry Schiffer

|

Hi Thomas,

Nice work! Awesome to see these results on XenApp! Is there any noticable difference between XA 6.5 and Excalibur that you are aware of? Do you have experience with WAN Optimization and how this helps to reduce bandwidth further?

Kind regards,

Barry

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