In October 2013 Citrix released XenDesktop 7.1. With the introduction of Citrix XenDesktop 7 the XenApp functionality is now fully integrated into XenDesktop enabling it to be used for the provision of both Desktops and Applications. With the XenDesktop 7.1 update Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 are now official supported.
In this step-by-step blog I will install Citrix XenDesktop 7.1, including the Delivery Controller, installing the Virtual Delivery Agent on a Windows 2012 R2 and a Windows 8.1 system, creating the XenDesktop Site, configuring the catalogs and delivery groups and show you how to publish Desktops and Applications.
I already installed the Citrix License Server, Citrix StoreFront 2.1 and a Microsoft SQL Server 2012 on a separate server within my environment. I also have installed Citrix Provisioning Services server 7.1 with a Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 device using a PVS vDisk which I will use for this Citrix XenDesktop 7.1 installation. For installing and configuring Provisioning Services server 7.1 see this blog.
XenDesktop 7.1 Preparations
- Citrix License Server 11.11.1 or higher with the required licenses installed
- A “Master” machine for use with PVS or MCS
- Citrix StoreFront for the provision of the Desktops and/or Applications
- Create security groups to assign desktops and applications to users
XenDesktop 7.1 Prerequisites
Citrix XenDesktop 7.1 Delivery Controller;
- Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (only when installing on Server 2008 R2)
- Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
- Windows PowerShell 2.0 (for Server 2008 R2) or Windows PowerShell 3.0 (for Server 2012)
- Visual C++ 2005
- Visual C++ 2008 SP1
- Visual C++ 2010
Citrix XenDesktop 7.1 Studio;
- Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (only when installing on Server 2008 R2)
- Microsoft Management Console 3.0
- Windows PowerShell 2.0 (for Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7) or Windows PowerShell 3.0 (for Server 2012/2012 R2 or Windows 8 / 8.1)
Citrix XenDesktop 7.1 Director;
- Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
- Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 and ASP.NET 2.0
Citrix XenDesktop 7.1 Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) for Windows Desktop OS;
- Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (only when installing on Windows 7)
- Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
- Visual C++ 2010
Citrix XenDesktop 7.1 Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) for Windows Server OS;
- Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (only when installing on Server 2008 R2)
- Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
- Visual C++ 2005
- Visual C++ 2008
- Visual C++ 2010
Installing Citrix XenDesktop 7.1 Delivery Controller
Start the installation and click Start
Click on Delivery Controller
Click Next
I have already installed StoreFront and the License Server on a separate server so I select only the Delivery Controller, the Studio and the Director. Click Next
I have Microsoft SQL Server 2012 up and running in my environment so I select only Windows Remote Assistance. Click Next.
Click Next
Click Install
Uncheck Launch Studio and click Finish
Before configuring the XenDesktop 7.1 site and start creating delivery groups I first want to install the VDA agents on a Windows Server 2012 R2 and a Windows 8.1 system.
Installing the Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) on a Windows 2012 R2 system
Start the XenDesktop setup and click on Virtual Delivery Agent for Windows Server OS
Select Create a Master Image and click Next
Optionally you can install the Citrix Reveiver, click Next
Fill in the XenDesktop Controller address and click Test connection
Click Add
Click Next
Click Next
Click Next
Click Next
Click Install
Click Close
Click Finish to restart the machine
Installing the Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) on a Windows 8.1 system
Start the XenDesktop setup and click on Virtual Delivery Agent for Windows Desktop OS
Select Create a Master Image and click Next
When using HDX 3D Pro select Yes, otherwise select No. Click Next
Optionally you can install the Citrix Reveiver, click Next
Fill in the XenDesktop Controller address and click Test connection
Click Add
Click Next
Click Next
Click Next
Click Install
Click Finish to restart the machine
Creating the XenDesktop Site
Open the XenDesktop Studio and click on Get started! Create a Site
Fill in a site name (anything you like) and click Next
Enter the database server and a database name. If the database not exits it will create automatically. Click Test connection
Click OK
Click Close
Click Next
Connect to you license server and select your license. Click Next
In my environment I use Citrix XenServer. Fill in the requested information of you hypervisor and click Next
Select the network you want to use and click Next
Select the storage you want to use and click Next
Click Next
Click Finish
Create the XenDesktop Catalogs
Click on Create Catalog
Click Next
First I will create a catalog for Windows 8 . Select Windows Desktop OS and click Next
I’m using PVS, so I select Provisioning Services. Click Next
Select if you want to use the VDI’s for a random/pooled or a static/assigned catalog and click Next
Connect to the PVS server and select the correct device collection, click Next
Fill in a Machine Catalog name and the Machine Catalog description for administrators (anything you like) and click Finish
To create a second Catalog (for example Windows Server 2012) right click Machine Catalog and click on Create Machine Catalog
Click Next
Select Windows Server OS and click Next
I’m using PVS, so I select Provisioning Services. Click Next
Connect to the PVS server and select the correct device collection, click Next
Fill in a Machine Catalog name and the Machine Catalog description for administrators (anything you like) and click Finish
Create the Delivery Groups and start publishing Desktops and Applications
Click on Create a new Delivery Group
Click Next
I first will create the Windows Server 2012 Delivery Group. Select the correct catalog, choose the number of machines you want to add to the delivery group and click Next
Choose what you want to publish within this delivery group. In this case select Desktops and Applications and click Next
Add a AD security group for this delivery group. In this case the “Shared Desktop” will be published automatic to users that are member of this security group. Click Next
XenDesktop 7 will automatic scan the Windows Server master disk for applications and will display a list of it. To customize a application or to limit the visibility of the application for a specific security group select the application and click Application Properties
Optionally. edit the Identification of the application, click on Delivery
Optionally. edit the icon or the category of the application (Visible within Storefront), click on Location
Optionally. edit the Locations of the application or add a command line argument, click on Limit Visibility
If you want to publish the application only to a specific user group add the users or security group and click OK
Edit and select all the applications you want to publish and click Next
Optionally you can configure the Citrix Receiver (if installed on the master disk) with the correct StoreFront server. Click Next
Fill in the Delivery Group name, Display name and Delivery Group description for users (anything you like) and click Finish
To create a second Delivery Group (for example Windows 8.1) right click Delivery Group and click on Create Delivery Group
Click Next
Select the correct catalog, choose the number of machines you want to add to the delivery group and click Next
In this case I will only publish the Windows 8.1 desktop. Select Desktops and click Next
Add a AD security group for this delivery group and click Next
Optionally you can configure the Citrix Receiver (if installed on the master disk) with the correct StoreFront server. Click Next
Fill in the Delivery Group name, Display name and Delivery Group description for users (anything you like) and click Finish
You are now ready to add the XenDesktop 7.1 delivery controller to your Citrix StoreFront store.
Well done!
Thank you!!
Hi,
First of all, thanks for sharing your works.
Can we have multiple site with Xendesktop 7.1?
regards
Hallo, You can have one XenDesktop site per XenDesktop controller. Regards, Robin
THANKS ROBIN, Merci Beaucoup 😉
You are the bests, we save time with you !
Very helpful…thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing the know-how. Appreciate very much.
thankq very much 🙂
hello,
is it possible to limit desktop and published app with different groups? so if a user is in group app_word and not in desktop, so he will see only the app, but having only on delivery group?
No, you need to have two delivery groups for that.
Nice article. I was wondering when you select desktops and applications can you filter some users to not get the desktop and just get the apps? I don’t see where you can do that.
You need to have two delivery groups for that.
Thanks for the guide Robin, do you know if we need to have a virtual machine host if we just want to deploy apps?
Is recommended to use a separate virtual machine host for the Publisched Apps, but you can also use the XenDesktop controller for it if you install the XenDesktop Agent on it.
How can change the access URL?
Currently it is http://Hostname/Citrix/Store
How can I change this to http://hostname
please help.
Thanks,
Arun.
You can configure IIS Default site redirection for that (as described in this blog: http://www.robinhobo.com/installing-and-configuring-citrix-storefront-2-0/ )
Great,
congratulations for the work.
Thank you Robin !
Hi Robin,
Do you by any chance have step-by-step instructions for configuring HTTPS and SSO for version 7.1?
I’ve search all over and just cannot find any good instructions.
Never mind Robin. I found what I need under “Configure StoreFront”.
Your instructions are GREAT! Truly appreciated!
Hi Robin,
Great article! With your help, I have a fully operational farm.
I do have a question regarding Windows Server 2012R2. I set up a master server as per your instructions, and it works fine – except that I get a nag screen that “Remote Desktop Licensing Mode is not configured”. This is true – I have never configured it, as all I set up was a session host, as per the instructions. Do I also need and RDS Connection Broker and RDS Web Server host?? (I have an RDS Licensing Manager host, but without the Connection Broker I am not sure how to set the licensing parameters … or how that would work with Citrix rebuilding the machines on update).
Can you please clarify?
Thanks!!
Hi Tony, you need to install an RDS license server somewhere on your network and configure the RDS License server policy on your XenDesktop servers.
Hi Tony, did you receive more detailed instructions on how to configure the RDS Licensing, as we have the exact same issue?
Cheers
Chris
Great article…….Thanks
Hi Robin. I am setting up a test environment for XenApp 7.6 on w2k8 R2 servers running Office 2013 using PVS 7.1.
The architecture beneath the farm seems pretty stable (aside from some GPO tweaks) but I am having trouble getting individual CMIDs for the servers as I add them to the farm. This obviously affects the licensing of Office 2013 and ultimately would affect the user experience.
I have read previous articles on this subject but I always get the same result.
Hope you can help,
Thanks,
Rob
Patience was the key 🙂