Review : Citrix XenApp 7.x Performance Essentials by Packt Publishing

Oh my my~ It has been awhile since my last updates! I will kick start this blog again by providing my review to a Citrix technical book, with the title of Citrix XenApp 7.x Performance Essentials by Packt Publishing.

 

To me, the title said it all. It explains the essential items for XenApp 7.x in term of performance. The instructions (followed by a few screenshots) given help readers to understand in the topic, and assist them if they want to dirt their hands with labs or training. 

Note that there are huge differences between XA 6.5 and XA 7.x, and this book do the job well in explaining the 7.x technology, without making the readers to confuse with XA 6.5.

A good read, moreover reference to Citrix Administrators, as well as the beginners. 

You may check the book here.

Well, this book does help me on my CCP : Virtualization preparation. But hey, that is not the focus here :)

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Unable to Create Site for Citrix XenDesktop 7 with "Cannot write property Collation. This property is not available on SQL Server 7.0" error

This issue occurred when i wanted to use SQL 2012 in my XenDesktop 7 environment (new setup). This error blocked Admins from creating new XenDesktop Site. Based on Citrix KB, it turned out that Share Management Object (SMO) library needs to be upgraded to SP1 on the server which hosting Citrix Studio.

Issues :

Unable to create Site on XenDesktop 7 with below error :

Cannot write property Collation. This property is not available on SQL Server 7.0

Resolution :

1.  FIrstly, download Shared Management Objects from here :
   
2. Double click at SMO
   
   
   
3. This screen will launch.
   
   
   
4. Installation will upgrade SMO. Press Yes to this message box.
   
   
   
5.  Press Next 
   
   
   
6. Accept the license, and press Next
   
   
   
7.  This is optional step, press Next once you done
   
   
   
   
   
8.  Press Install
   
   
   
9.  Installation in progress...
   
   
   
   
10. Done. Press Finish.
    
    
    
    

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How To Set up Configuration Logging for XenApp 5 for Server 2003

In this Kb, Citrix explains on how to set up a Configuration Logging for XenApp 6.5. In this 
post, I will show on how to set up the same for XenApp 5 for Server 2003.

Description :
Set up Configuration Logging for XenApp 5 for Server 2003.



How To Do :

1.  Launch Citrix Console, right click at <FarmName>, and choose Properties.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2.  Browse to Farm-Wide > Configuration Logging.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3.  Click at Configure Database.
   
   
   
   
   
4.  Choose connection type (in this case, it is SQL Server), DB Server name, and credential (in this case, I used Windows Integrated security). Press Next
   
   
   
5.   Speficy the database name, and press Next
   
   
   
6.  Leave all settings as default, but change "Use encryption" to No. Press Next
   
   
   
7.  Press Test Database Connection in order to test the connection
   
   
   
   
   
   
8.  You will see this screen if the testing is successful. Press OK
   
   
   
   
9. Now we are good, Configuration Logging properly set up. press OK.
   

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Session Settings Not Listed in Citrix Web Interface web site.

In previous post, I mentioned on what need to be done by users in case the publsihed applications did not successfully launched in seamless mode. However, in some cases, users might not be able to see the option. This post will help to solve it.

Issues :

Session Settings preference is not listed in Citrix Web Interface web site. This is due to the option is not enabled. It can be checked at Citrix Web Interface Management Console.

Troubleshooting 

1.  Launch Citrix Web Interface Management Console. Browse to Citrix Web Interface > XenApp Web Sites. You will see lists of created Sites.
   
   
   
   
2.  Right click at the required farm URL.
   
   
3.  Choose Session Preference
   
   
4.  This window will appeared. Browse to Remote Connnection > Display. You will see the option "Allow users to customize window size" is unchecked.
   

Resolution :

1. Check the option "Allow users to customize window size", and press OK
   
   
   
2.  Get users to refresh the Web Interface web site, or re-login to it.
   

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Published Application Launches Not In Seamless Mode

One of my new user was having this problem, whereas whenever he launched Citrix applications, the application launched within another window (Windowception???). This issue was only occurred to him, but not to other users. Hence, it was safely said the issue is user-related, and not farm-wide.

Issues :
Application did not launch in Seamless mode, but inside another window session (in this case, the published application was Notepad).

Troubleshooting 
** Note that these steps are to be taken from User ends, not the infra**

1.  Ask the user to access Citrix Web Interface as usual.
   
   
   
   
2.  Go to Preference > Session Settings
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3.  Take note on 'Window size:' column
   

Resolution :

• Change current Window size to Seamless, and press Save.
  
  
  
  
  
• This is some Help notes provided by Citrix 
  

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How To Configure Pass-Through on Citrix Web Interface

I received a request by my clients to enable pass-through to their Citrix Web Interface site. Not more than a few minutes after completion, they made a few complaints, saying that they needed to supply their credentials every time they launched published applications, which defeats the Single Sign-On (SSO) purposes. After a few minutes of troubleshooting, I realized that, in order to enable pass-through, there are more steps need to be taken, not simply enabling the feature.

Description :

Properly enabling Pass-Through, so users wot have to supply credentials every time they launched Citrix published applications, as below :

How To Do :

1.  Uninstall current installed Citrix Receiver
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Once un-installation completed, open command prompt, and type CMD
   
   
   
   
3.  Browse to the installer location, and run command ( CitrixReceiver.exe /includeSSON )to install Receiver with SSON enabled
   
   
   
4. Proceed with installation
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. When you can see this in Programs and Features, it means the installation is already completed.
   
   
   
    
6. Go to start > run and type GPEDIT.MSC
   
   
   
   
7.  Add new ADM template for this purpose, by choosing Add/Remove Templates...
   
   
   
   
   
8. Press Add.
   
   
   
    
9. Add the template which can be located at this path ( %SystemDrive%\Program Files (x86)\ICA Client\Configuration ). The file name is icaclient.adm
   
   
   
   
   
10.  Template added. Press Close
    
    
    
    
      
11.  Browse to this path ( Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Classic Administrative Templates (ADM) > Citrix Components > Citrix Receiver > User authentication ) 
    
    
    
    
    
12. Right click at setting ( Local user and password ), and choose Edit
    
    
    
    
13. Enable the setting
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
14. Enable the first 2 options ( Enable pass-through authentication & Allow pass-trough authentication for all ICA connection)
    
    
    
    
    
15.  This is the outcome, press Apply and OK
    
    
    
    
    
    
16.  Reboot the machine (or use GPUPDATE /FORCE) , once up access your CWI.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

p/s : if it happened that users still unable to utilizing SSO, please refer to here in order to use Citrix Receiver Clean Up Utility.

Reference :

• http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX133982

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