Getting Started with XenDesktop® 7.x

Getting Started with XenDesktop® 7.x

by Craig Thomas Ellrod
Released April 2014
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781849689762

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Deliver desktops and applications to your end users, anywhere, anytime, with XenDesktop 7.x

In Detail

Citrix® is an established name in today's Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) era by virtue of their desktop and application virtualization platforms, with the capability to assign applications and contents in a secure manner.

Getting Started with XenDesktop® 7.x provides the best way to learn how to build your own virtual desktop and application Site. You may not have a lot of time to read the Citrix® documentation, or attend a class, so this step-by-step guide is distilled into fast, concise chapters to quickly lead you through all of the important information to get your XenDesktop® 7.x deployment done.

What You Will Learn

  • Create a completely functioning VDI implementation
  • Manage XenDesktop® using Studio, including machine catalogs, delivery groups, and Personal vDisks
  • Customize user sessions using policies
  • Learn how printing and USB redirection work and how to configure them
  • Explore High Definition User Experience (HDX) and how it affects usability
  • Deliver virtual applications with VM hosted apps
  • Plug in to the different XenDesktop® services using the XenDesktop® SDK
  • Use the Citrix® Receiver® to receive and run the virtual desktop on the client device
  • Manage and monitor XenDesktop® using Studio and Director
  • Secure the XenDesktop® Site using the NetScaler Gateway
  • Build and deliver VDI from the cloud

Table of contents

  1. Getting Started with XenDesktop® 7.x
    1. Table of Contents
    2. Getting Started with XenDesktop® 7.x
    3. Credits
    4. Notice
    5. About the Author
    6. About the Reviewers
    7. www.PacktPub.com
      1. Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more
        1. Why subscribe?
        2. Free access for Packt account holders
        3. Instant updates on New Packt books
    8. Preface
      1. Getting started with Hypervisors
      2. What this book covers
      3. What you need for this book
      4. Who this book is for
      5. Conventions
      6. Reader feedback
      7. Customer support
        1. Errata
        2. Piracy
        3. Questions
    9. 1. Designing a XenDesktop® Site
      1. The core components of a XenDesktop® Site
      2. Terminology and concepts
        1. Server side
          1. Hypervisor
          2. Database
          3. Delivery Controller
          4. Studio
          5. Director
          6. StoreFront
          7. Virtual machines
          8. The Virtual Desktop Agent
          9. Server OS machines
          10. Desktop OS machines
          11. Active Directory
          12. Desktop
          13. XenApp®
          14. Edgesight®
          15. FlexCast®
          16. Storage
        2. The client side
          1. Receiver
      3. System requirements
        1. Receiver
        2. StoreFront 2.1
        3. Databases
        4. Studio
        5. Delivery Controller
        6. Director
        7. The Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA)
        8. Server host
        9. Active Directory
      4. Designing a basic XenDesktop® Site
        1. Scenario
      5. Common Citrix® communication ports
      6. Summary
    10. 2. Installing XenDesktop®
      1. Planning the XenDesktop® installation
      2. Step 1 – installing the controller (XD1)
        1. Installing the components on XD1
        2. Configuring a Site
      3. Step 2 – installing StoreFront (XD2)
        1. Installing the components on XD2
        2. Creating a server certificate and adding a Site binding
        3. Installing StoreFront
      4. Step 3 – installing Director (XD3)
        1. Installing the components on XD3
      5. Step 4 – creating the virtual desktop and application delivery master images
      6. Step 5 – installing the Virtual Delivery Agent on the master images
        1. Creating the desktop master images
        2. Creating the application master images
      7. Step 6 – configuring the StoreFront server
      8. Step 7 – creating the machine catalogs
        1. Creating desktops
        2. Creating the application servers
      9. Step 8 – creating the delivery groups
        1. Creating desktop delivery groups
        2. Creating the application delivery groups
      10. Installation checkpoint
      11. Step 9 – installing Citrix ReceiverTM on the client devices
      12. Step 10 – testing the connection
        1. Testing the desktops
        2. Testing the applications
      13. Summary
    11. 3. Managing Machine Catalogs, Hosts, and Personal vDisks
      1. Machine catalogs
        1. Prerequisites
          1. Creating the master images
          2. Adding and configuring the virtual machines
          3. Creating the computer accounts
        2. Creating a machine catalog
          1. Operating systems and hardware
            1. Windows desktop
            2. Windows Server
            3. Remote PC Access
          2. Machine management
          3. User experience
        3. Managing the machine catalogs
          1. Taking a snapshot of the master image
          2. Updating the master image
          3. Reverting to a previous master image
          4. Managing the Active Directory computer accounts
          5. Adding machines to a machine catalog
          6. Modifying a machine catalog
          7. Renaming a machine catalog
          8. Deleting a machine catalog
      2. Managing the hosts
      3. Managing Personal vDisks
        1. Updating Personal vDisks used by the master images
        2. Adjusting the space available for applications
          1. Disabling automatic resizing
          2. Reallocating user profiles
      4. Summary
    12. 4. Managing Delivery Groups
      1. Managing the delivery groups
        1. Creating a delivery group
        2. Editing a delivery group
        3. Managing desktop sessions
          1. Logging off or disconnecting sessions
          2. Sending messages to users
        4. Managing the delivery group resources
          1. Adding and reallocating desktops
          2. Locating desktops, sessions, and delivery groups
          3. Shutting down and restarting desktops
          4. Removing desktops from delivery groups
          5. Deleting desktops from delivery groups
          6. Restricting access to desktops
            1. Using Smart Access
            2. Using Exclusion filters
          7. Securing the ICA® protocol communications
          8. Managing power settings for desktops
            1. Pools and buffers
            2. Power state timers
            3. Partial power management
          9. Importing and exporting user data
          10. Enabling and disabling the maintenance mode
          11. Managing the server load
            1. The server load index
            2. The concurrent logon tolerance setting
      2. Managing the hosted applications
        1. Application desktop delivery groups
          1. Application sharing
          2. Publishing applications to multiple desktop groups
          3. Content redirection
          4. Creating an application
            1. Managing and creating application desktop delivery groups
          5. Managing application sessions
          6. Modifying the applications
      3. Managing the Delivery Controller environment
        1. Controller discovery
        2. Adding, moving, or removing Delivery Controllers
        3. Moving a Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) to another Site
        4. Active Directory OU-based controller discovery
        5. Using SSL on controllers
          1. Changing the default HTTP and HTTPS ports
      4. Summary
    13. 5. Managing Policies
      1. XenDesktop® Studio versus Microsoft Group Policy Editor
        1. Administrative roles
      2. Working with policies
        1. Navigating policies
        2. Accessing policies
        3. Searching policies
        4. Creating policies
          1. Creating a policy in Studio
          2. Creating a policy in Microsoft Group Policy Editor
        5. Configuring policies
          1. Configuring policy settings
        6. Best practices for designing policy settings
        7. Applying policies
          1. Using default values
          2. Using filters
            1. Unfiltered policies
            2. Filter modes
              1. Using the same filters with different modes
              2. Using different filters with similar modes
      3. Implementing multiple policies
        1. Implementing priorities
        2. Implementing exceptions
      4. The resulting set of policies
        1. Running the Citrix® Group Policy Modeling Wizard
        2. Running the Microsoft Group Policy Results tool
        3. Troubleshooting policy scenarios
        4. Comparing policies
      5. Implementing policies with NetScaler Gateway™
        1. Implementing NetScaler Gateway™ policy filters
      6. Summary
    14. 6. Managing Printing
      1. How printing works
        1. Using locally attached printers
        2. Using network attached printers
        3. Using default printing, preferences, and drivers
        4. Setting printing preferences
        5. Printing policies
      2. Universal Print Server and Driver
      3. Autocreation of printers
      4. Mapping printers and drivers
      5. Optimization of printing
      6. Summary
    15. 7. Virtualizing USB Support
      1. USB devices in virtualization
      2. How XenDesktop® uses USB redirection
        1. Enabling USB support
        2. Preventing the mapping of USB devices
        3. Using USB mass storage
        4. USB redirection with XenApp® versus XenDesktop®
        5. Using USB automatic redirection
        6. Using voice and video
      3. Summary
    16. 8. Virtualizing Storage and Backup
      1. XenDesktop® storage considerations
        1. Desktop storage
        2. High Availability
        3. Performance
        4. IOPS
        5. Personal vDisk
      2. XenDesktop® storage requirements
      3. Virtual desktop storage requirements – dedicated desktop model
      4. Virtual desktop storage requirements – dedicated shared desktop model
      5. Virtual desktop storage requirements – shared hosted desktop model
      6. Backup and restore
        1. Backing up a SQL Server
        2. Restoring a SQL Server
        3. Backing up and restoring VMs and user data
      7. USB mass storage
      8. Summary
    17. 9. High Definition Experience (HDX™)
      1. Introducing high definition experience
        1. HDX™ system requirements
        2. The reality of HDX™
      2. Aero redirection
        1. Configuring Aero redirection or desktop composition redirection
      3. Windows Media
        1. Configuring Windows Media client-side fetching
        2. Configuring real-time Windows Media multimedia transcoding
      4. Flash Media
        1. Configuring Flash redirection on a server
        2. Configuring Flash redirection on the client
      5. HDX™ 3D
        1. GPU versus vGPU
          1. GPU
          2. vGPU
        2. HDX™ 3D requirements
          1. Client
          2. Server
        3. HDX™ GPU sharing
        4. HDX™ 3D – how it works
        5. Installing and configuring HDX™ 3D
        6. Upgrading HDX™ 3D
        7. Configuring monitors for HDX™ 3D
      6. Configuring image quality
      7. Configuring audio
      8. Configuring webcams
      9. Configuring color compression
      10. Configuring network priorities
      11. Adaptive display
      12. Summary
    18. 10. Application Delivery
      1. Delivering applications
      2. Differences between XenApp® and XenDesktop®
        1. What's new?
        2. What's gone?
        3. What's changed?
        4. What hasn't changed?
      3. Application Delivery Controllers
      4. Application Delivery Networks
      5. Summary
    19. 11. Working with the XenDesktop® SDK
      1. Microsoft Windows PowerShell
        1. PowerShell snap-ins and cmdlets for XenDesktop®
      2. Using the XenDesktop® SDK
      3. Creating an SDK script
      4. Troubleshooting using the XD PowerShell SDK
        1. Useful desktop cmdlets
        2. Useful controller cmdlets
        3. Site debugging tools
      5. Citrix Ready®
      6. Summary
    20. 12. Working with Citrix ReceiverTM and Plugins
      1. Understanding Receiver
      2. Changing the Receiver settings
        1. Pushing the Receiver settings from the server
        2. Changing the Receiver settings from the client's desktop
      3. Using plugins
        1. The online plugin
          1. Using workspace control
          2. Changing the resolution of the virtual desktop
          3. Moving the toolbar
          4. Controlling local file access
          5. Accessing devices
          6. Accessing USB devices
          7. Accessing local microphones and webcams
          8. Redirecting Flash to a local device
          9. Switching between virtual desktops
          10. Logging off virtual desktops
          11. Disconnecting from virtual desktops
          12. Restarting a virtual desktop
          13. Using Desktop Lock
          14. Printing in virtual desktops
          15. Understanding the keyboard input
        2. The offline plugin
        3. The CloudBridge™ plugin
      4. Running Receiver on Microsoft Windows
      5. Running Receiver on Apple
      6. Running Receiver on other devices
      7. Summary
    21. 13. Securing XenDesktop®
      1. DMZ and DMZ2
      2. Securing XenDesktop® with NetScaler Gateway™
        1. Importing NetScaler VPX™ into XenServer®
        2. Installing a NetScaler® license
        3. Installing an SSL certificate
        4. Creating a NetScaler Gateway™ virtual server
        5. Configuring NetScaler Gateway™ for StoreFront
        6. Configuring NetScaler® for an ICA proxy
        7. Configuring a StoreFront connection to NetScaler Gateway™
        8. Exporting the StoreFront certificate
        9. Importing the StoreFront certificate into NetScaler Gateway™
      3. Secure Ticket Authority
      4. Securing the ICA/HDX protocols
      5. Securing StoreFront
      6. Securing Receiver
      7. Securing controller
        1. IIS
        2. Non-IIS
        3. Changing the controller port to HTTPS
      8. Securing Studio and Director
        1. IIS
      9. Securing the XenDesktop® to XenServer® communications
      10. Using smart cards
      11. Summary
    22. 14. Managing and Monitoring XenDesktop®
      1. Using Studio to manage the XenDesktop® Site
      2. Using Director to monitor the XenDesktop® Site
      3. Using HDX Insight™
      4. Troubleshooting XenDesktop®
        1. Troubleshooting users
        2. Troubleshooting applications
        3. Troubleshooting desktops
        4. Troubleshooting sessions
        5. Troubleshooting HDX™
        6. Troubleshooting Personal vDisks
      5. Third-party tools
      6. Summary
    23. 15. VDI in the Cloud
      1. Understanding virtualization in the cloud
      2. Private cloud
      3. Public cloud
      4. Hybrid cloud
      5. Personal cloud
      6. Your cloud
      7. Summary
    24. A. Creating a Domain Certificate Authority
    25. B. XenDesktop® Policy Settings Reference
      1. Audio policies
      2. Bandwidth policies
      3. Redirection policies
      4. Desktop UI policies
      5. Graphics and multimedia policies
      6. Caching policies
      7. Multistream traffic policies
      8. Printing policies
      9. ICA® policies
      10. Keep alive policies
      11. Autoreconnection policies
      12. Mobility policies
      13. Session policies
      14. Time zone policies
      15. Load management policies
      16. Delivery Agent policies
      17. HDX™ 3D policies
    26. C. Creating Self-signed Certificates for NetScaler Gateway™
      1. Enabling SSL on NetScaler Gateway™
      2. Creating a self-signed root CA certificate
      3. Creating a public-facing server certificate
      4. Installing the root CA and public certificates
      5. Linking the public and root CA certificates
      6. Viewing the root CA and server certificate bindings
      7. Binding the certificates to the NetScaler Gateway™ VIP
      8. Testing the certificates
      9. Testing the NetScaler Gateway™ connection
        1. Testing NetScaler Gateway™ with a Windows client
    27. D. Using Public CA-signed SSL Wildcard Certificates on NetScaler Gateway™
      1. Enabling SSL on NetScaler Gateway™
      2. Creating a certificate request
      3. Submitting the request to the public CA
      4. Installing the public-signed wildcard certificate
      5. Binding the public-signed certificate to the NetScaler Gateway™ VIP
      6. Testing NetScaler Gateway™ and certificates
    28. Index

Product information

  • Title: Getting Started with XenDesktop® 7.x
  • Author(s): Craig Thomas Ellrod
  • Release date: April 2014
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781849689762