Citrix Logon Process

 

Here are the steps the client, Web Interface and Citrix service all combine to give you a session:

1. The user logs on the Web Interface (WI)
2. Web interface speaks to the XML broker, and passes the credentials
3. The XML broker reaches out to an Active Directory Domain Controller with the credentials to authenticate
4. If you pass authentication the WI will enumerate the applications and desktops you have. At this point a user can start/select an application to run
5. A server will respond back to the WI with ICA file for the app/desktop
6. The ICA file is passed from WI to the client machine
7. Client machine open the ICA and reaches out directly to the given XenApp/XenDesktop  device
8. The XenApp Server confirms the correct RDS/TS License is available
9. The standard Windows computer logon starts (RDS or XD session)
10. XenApp/DDC checks with the Citrix license server to obtain a licence
11. The Microsoft GPO’s are applied
12. The Citrix policies are applied
13. The remaining standard Windows logon process run, FirstRun, Run, Startup etc
14. The user is happy…

 

Much of this detail came from here and here:

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX128909

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX129589

Lost admin password for Citrix Licensing Server?

 

A default administrator account ‘admin’ is created during installation of the Citrix License Administration Console. You can set the password for this account during installation.

Try to logon with the default ‘admin’ password ‘admin’ to configure your domain users. NOTE: ‘admin’ is not ‘Admin’ they are case sensitive.

If you have lost the licensing server admin password then you can reset the admin password in the licence server configuration file.

1. Find the ‘server.xml’ file in Citrix Licensing folder
2. Open and Administrator CMD prompt to edit it.
3. Find the entry that looks something like this:

<user firstName=”System” id=”admin” lastName=”Administrator” password=”--lots-of-characters-encrypting-your-password--” passwordExpired=”false” privileges=”admin”/>;

1. Delete the text in the password section, in the above example change password=”(ERD-32)IUJ676h43wedftQ(lots-of-characters-encrypting-your-password--” to  password=”Password”
2. Change passwordExpired to ‘true’
3. Restart the licensing services, ‘Citrix Licensing Server’
4. Log onto the licensing console using user name ‘admin’ and the ‘Password’
5. Change your password and you are done.

 

Some of this came from:

http://philipflint.com/2011/08/22/reset-the-admin-password-for-citrix-licensing-server/

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/licensing-119/lic-lmadmin-users-b.html

Aero Glass Remote Desktop Connection (RDS/TS)

 

To enable Aero Glass in a Remote Desktop session:

Remote Desktop client, Windows Aero hardware and Aero driver is required.

The following settings should be selected in the Remote Desktop client:

1. Colour depth of the remote session must be set to 32-bit
2. “Desktop composition” must be enabled on the Experience tab

  

If the remote computer is a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine

• Desktop Session Host (RDSH) role is required
• Desktop Experience feature is required
• Themes service is set to auto start
• Video settings are 32bit per pixel

(In Server Manager, go to “RD Session Host Configuration” under “Remote Desktop Services” role, right-click on the connection to bring up “RDP-Tcp Properties” Uncheck “Limit Maximum Colour Depth” from “Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration.”)

• Group Policy is required to enable the settings for RDP

(The policy path is “Computer Configuration\ AdministrativeTemplates\ WindowsComponents\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Remote Session Environment”)

  

Would you like to user Aero Flip, good luck with the key combination, if you find it let me know. NOTE: Does not work on a Citrix ICA session, only RDP.

Create a shortcut like so:

This information is generally from here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2009/06/23/aero-glass-remoting-in-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx

http://mandeeptech.com/2010/02/how-to-create-aero-flip-3d-shortcut-on-desktop-quick-launch-or-windows-7-taskbar/

Windows 7 Theme for XenApp 6.5 Desktops

 

Windows Server 2008 R2 does not have the Windows 7 theme out of the box so to fix this. Install the Desktop Experience feature allows users to look like a traditional Windows 7 PC.

The steps are:

1. Go to Features and click Add Desktop Experience
2. Enable Powershell remote signed code
3. Run …\Citrix\App Delivery Setup Tools\New-CtxManagedDesktopGPO.ps1
4. This will create 3 GPOs that you can edit and apply if they suite (CtxStartMenuTaskbarUser and CtxPersonalizableUser or CtxRestrictedUser)
5. Check that the ‘themes’ service is running

Edit and update to suite.

 

 

Links for this information:

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/xenapp65-admin/ps-csp-win7-desktop-experience.html

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX133429

This is a great example of why…

http://blogs.citrix.com/2011/02/22/repurposed-pcs-deliver-windows-7-like-experience-using-xenapp-hosted-shared-desktops/

Some more details on automation

http://community.citrix.com/display/CSP/Enabling+the+Windows+7+experience+on+a+XenApp+server

http://community.citrix.com/display/CSP/Configuring+a+theme+and+wallpaper+for+hosted+desktops