How to Create a PNAgent Services Site Mobile Devices When using Web Interface on Citrix NetScaler

Summary

This article describes how to create a PNAgent Services Site for mobile devices with Web Interface on NetScaler.

Background

This article is helpful if you are providing dual authentication for the mobile users externally, and want to offer single authentication for the users internally.

When creating a Direct Mode PNAgent site, the Site Path is /Citrix/PNAgent/ by default. However, with Web Interface on NetScaler, the mobile devices can run into an issue when adding the mobile account with just the hostname such as, mobile.example.com. Currently, you have to put in the entire site path such as mobile.example.com/Citrix/PNAgent/config.xml.

Requirements

Install Web Interface on NetScaler with CTX130153 – How to Install and Configure the Web Interface on NetScaler

NetScaler software release 9.2 e or later

Procedure

To create a PNAgent Services Site for mobile devices complete the following procedure:

Open the Configuration Utility of the appliance.

Select the Web Interface node.

Click on the Web Interface Wizard link and follow the onscreen instructions.

For the Site Path, change all letters to lowercase, as shown in the following screen shot:

Select Direct Mode and enter the load balancing virtual IP address information.

Select the Enabled access through receiver client option.

Click Next and enter the XML Services Addresses and complete the Wizard.

When you add the account for Citrix Receiver, you can now use the hostname such as, mobile.example.com.

Enter the account credentials and click Save.

More Information

When creating a Direct Mode PNAgent site and using the default Site Path syntax /Citrix/PNAgent/, the NetScaler appliance does not respond to the letters in upper case when mobile devices are requesting the PNAgent site from the Citrix Receiver.

The following network packet trace indicates that there is an HTTP GET /citrix/pnagent/config.xml, after that the appliance responds with a 404 Not Found.
IP Information
10.0.1.73 – Client-IP (iPhone)
10.0.1.4 – NSIP
10.0.1.6 – SNIP
10.0.1.11 – Web Interface or XenApp
10.0.1.49 – Load Balancing Virtual IP address

HTTP Status 404: /citrix/pnagent/config.xml
Status report: /citrix/pnagent/config.xml
Description: The requested resource (/citrix/pnagent/config.xml) is not available

From the user perspective, after entering the account credentials, ‘Invalid Path’ appears, as shown in the following screen shot:

After creating the Direct Mode PNAgent site and changing the Site Path syntax to /citrix/pnagent/, the results are successful. You get a 200 OK result with the xml information. And, you are able to successfully add a mobile account with only typing the hostname.