Seamless mode:
Applications delivered by XenApp and XenDesktop without a desktop are referred as seamless applications. Seamless mode allows remote applications to appear as though they are installed locally i.e., applications appear integrated with local operating system. Seamless applications gives look and feel like applications are installed locally. Without seamless applications, all applications are shown in a Citrix window. Users can maximize and minimize these seamless applications.
Wfshell.exe is the shell that responsible for controlling seamless application delivery which runs on virtual delivery agent, in same session as user’s remote applications.
When StoreFront is not in the same domain as XenApp or XenDesktop, and it is not possible to put Active Directory trusts in place, you can configure StoreFront to use the XenApp and XenDesktop XML Service to authenticate the user name and password credentials. A user explicitly provides a user name and password.
Enable XML service-based authentication Running as an Administrator, open a PowerShell window and load the StoreFront modules and snap-ins.
HDX technology provides optimized support for most popular USB devices. Optimized support offers an improved user experience with better performance and bandwidth efficiency over a WAN. Optimized support is usually the best option, especially in high latency or security-sensitive environments.
HDX technology provides generic USB redirection for specialty devices that don’t have optimized support or where it is unsuitable, for example:
The USB device has more advanced features that are not part of optimized support, such as a mouse or webcam having more buttons.
Local App Access: Local App Access seamlessly integrates locally installed Windows applications into a hosted desktop environment without changing from one computer to another. With Local App Access, you can:
Access applications installed locally on a physical laptop, PC, or other device directly from the virtual desktop. Provide a flexible application delivery solution. If users have local applications that you cannot virtualize or that IT does not maintain, those applications still behave as though they are installed on a virtual desktop.
Drive Redirection:
Define how client attached drives behave in a HDX session. Whether they should be mapped or not to a HDX session. As per your company’s policies, determine whether client drives are allowed in HDX session, if yes, which types of drives are allowed, is it read-only or read-write, if allowed what should be the drive letter?
Two important policies in client drive redirection are, client drive redirection and auto connect client drives.
Featured App Groups: You can create product featured app groups for your end users that are related to or fit in a specific category. For example, you can create a Sales Department featured app group containing applications that are used by that department. You can define featured apps in the StoreFront administration console by using application names or by using keywords or application categories that were defined in the Studio console.
This is related to only one login issue
Check event logs, by filtering with warnings and errors on citrix delivery controller. When you check event logs, if you see a profile related error, goto profilestorepath\profile\userid\upm_profile. Look for ntuser.dat file. You will also have ntuser.dat.lastgoodload file. In citrix delivery controller event viewer, if you see any error for profile redirection, you can backup and remove ntuser.dat file, rename ntuser.dat.lastgoodload file to ntuser.
Receiver Cleanup Utility:
You might want to uninstall existing receiver version and install same version or a newer version of citrix receiver in user’s machine. In this case, you can uninstall citrix receiver directly from add or remove programs but that might leave some registry keys, and folders back. So, it is always recommended to use citrix receiver cleanup utility to remove existing citrix receiver from a user’s machine.
Receiver cleanup utility is available for download from citrix support site, but each citrix receiver setup has receiver cleanup utility in it.
Some of the steps to troubleshoot citrix issues
Case 1:
Reset user’s profile. Check if application is using any share path to write any settings/values. Reset profile from that path, like any share path is mounted in application and user’s profile is created there. Check what shared drives are mapped to user’s profile. Open dsa.msc and check if there is any path provided under “profile” tab for home folder or user profile.
Issue: We recently came across an issue where users access netscaler gateway URL, login successfully, and click on their VDA icon. DesktopViewer.exe opens successfully and it shows a gray screen forever. They can only login after their VDA is restarted. Eventviewer is filled up with tdica errors as shown below:
1002: The Citrix ICA Transport Driver is waiting for connections on port 1494.
1002: The Citrix ICA Transport Driver is waiting for connections on port 2598.
