Moving Citrix Data Store & Data Collector

If you only have a small number of Citrix Presentation Servers (now XenApp), you can use a Access database to store farm information instead of rolling a full-scale SQL server. (Citrix only recommends this for small environments!)

There are two types of roles:

• the Data Collector manages dynamic information about the servers in a zone (e.g. usage and load of servers and published applications, load balancing information, sessions, etc.)
• the Data Store provides persistent information about the farm (e.g. configuration of farm, published applications, policies, etc.)

Since we had some problems with the server the Data Store was on, we decided to move the database to another server. We also had this server configured to be the most preferred Data Collector.

Changing the most preferred Data Collector

This is the easier part since the information is stored in memory. Changing the most preferred Data Collector is simply done via the "Citrix Presentation Server Console".

Open the properties dialog of the farm and select "Zones":

• select the server you want to become the new data collector and change the preference to "Most Preferred"
• select the old Data Collector and set the preference to "Default Preference"

On the command line you can use 'query farm' to verify that the most preferred Data Collector has changed. On the output the current Data Collector (should be the most preferred one) is marked with a "D".

Migrating the data store

Migrating the Access database requires slightly more work. First backup the database on the old Data Store with the following command:

  dsmaint backup C:\Backup\Path  

Copy the resulting "mf20.mdb" and the file "C:\Programs\Citrix\Independent Management Architecture\mf20.dsn" from the old server to "C:\Programs\Citrix\Independent Management Architecture\" on the new server.

Run the following command (replace <new_server> with the name of your server) on all servers except the one which should become the new Data Store:

  dsmaint failover <new_server>  

Finally execute the command below on the new Data Store:

  dsmaint config /dsn:"C:\Programs\Citrix\Independent Management Architecture\mf20.dsn"  

Restart the IMA service on all farm servers to activate the new configuration.

That's it! Every server in the farm - except the new Data Store - should now have a registry key "PSServer" in "HKLM/Software/Citrix/IMA" with the name of the new Data Store.

Regards

Mohamed Rafi
GSM :91-9791133997

Imp Citrix Port No

Some Citrix Port Numbers

Not so long ago someone asked me to mail them a list of ports used by Presentation Server, or I suppose we should get used to calling it Citrix XenApp from now on.

1494

This port is used by any client using the TCP protocol to communicate with the Presentation Server. You will need to open this port on your firewall for inbound connections unless you are using some form of encapsulation or encryption. You can change the port using the ICAPORT command but I find it to be more trouble than it is worth.

1604

Called the ICA Browser port this is a UDP port that can be used by the Program Neighbourhood to enumerate applications. You probably won't use this though.

80

This is the default port used by the XML service and is used by clients who enumerate applications with the TCP+HTTP or XML protocol. You will thus need to open this port on your firewall for inbound connections if clients will be using it to locate servers. You can change the port easily enough using the CTXXMLSS command.

443

This is the default SSL. The SSL Relay will use it to secure communications between the Web Interface and the server farm. You could also use it to secure client communication to the web Interface or use it for client connections to the Presentation Server.

5000

The Presentation Server uses this port to communicate with the IBM Db2 server hosting the data store.

1521

This port is used to communicate with the Oracle data store.

1433

The port used to communicate with a Microsoft SQL data store.

2512

This port is used for server to server communication such as when load information is communicated. The port used to access the data store is saved in the HKLM\SOFTWARE\CITRIX\IMA\IMAPORT key on the server containing the data store. All other servers use the port number saved in HKLM\SOFTWARE\CITRIX\IMA\PSSERVERPORT key in the registry to access the data store.  Have a look at IMAPORT to see how to change it.

2513

This port is used by the Presentation Server Console when connection to a server.  Have a look at IMAPORT to see how to change it.

2598

This is the session reliability port number and needs to be opened on your firewall if the ICA Clients will be using session reliability when communication with the server.

27000 and a random port number

This is the port used for communication between the Citrix License server and the Presentation Servers. Remember that the Citrix vendor daemon running on the license server uses a random port. It tracks license usage.

Regards

Mohamed Rafi
GSM :91-9791133997

Citrix Application Enumeration Process

Application Enumeration Process

The application enumeration process is as follows:

A user launches a Web browser then connects to Web Interface.
The Web Interface returns the logon page.
The user types in credentials.
The user's credentials are forwarded from XML then to IMA service in HTTP (or HTTPS) form.
The IMA then forwards them to local Lsass.exe.
The Lsass.exe encrypts the credentials then passes them to the domain controller.
The domain controller returns the SIDs (user's SID and the list of group SIDs) back to Lsass.exe and to IMA.
IMA used the SIDs to search the Local Host Cache (LHC) for a list of applications and the Worker Group Preference policy for that authenticated user.
The list of the applications together with the user's worker group preference policy are returned to the Web Interface.
The Web Interface returns the web page to the web browser. (This completes the application enumeration process).

The application launch process is as follows:

User selects the application by clicking the application icon (such as Microsoft Word).
The selected application data (Microsoft Word) is passed back to Web Interface.
Web Interface passes the Microsoft Word information together with the user's Worker Group Preference policy back to IMA on the XML broker server.
It then forwards to the IMA service on the Zone Data Collector.
The Zone Data Collector tries to find out a least loaded server according to the Worker Group preference list.
When it finds the least loaded server, it sends a query to the Citrix Service Manager of that server to verify whether the server has the required application installed, if the answer is yes, it then provides this server's host ID to the XML broker.
The XML broker translates this host ID into it's IP address by searching the Local Host Cache.
The IP address is then provided to Web Interface (this completes the application resolution).
Web Interface uses this IP address to create the ICA file.
The ICA file is then returned to Web browser on the client machine.
Citrix online Web plug-in uses the ICA file to launch an ICA connection to the least loaded XenApp server.
The XenApp server launches the application for the user.

Regards

Mohamed Rafi
GSM :91-9791133997

Citrix 6.5 Installation

Citrix – XenApp 6.5 – Installation Guide for Administrators

In Citrix, Xenapp 6.5 on September 23, 2011 by vmhq blogger Tagged: Citrix, Xenapp, XenApp 6.5

Welcome to our XenApp 6.5 Installation Guide for Administrators

1.0 XENAPP 6.5 DEPLOYMENT

This post is a configuration guide for an administrator to assist in joining a 2008 R2 server to a XenApp 6.5 Citrix Farm.

1.1 FARM DESIGN – OVERVIEW

1.2 BASE BUILD

1.2.1 Server Resource Specifications

Server 2008 R2 Standard x64

4 Gigs Memory

2 Processors

60 Gig HDD

1.2.2 SECURITY GROUP ASSIGNMENT

Manage access to your citrix servers using Group Policies. Use Security Groups for your server objects. Once the server is joined to the domain – add the server object to the secuirty group in AD that reflects the environment it will service.

1.3 XENAPP PREREQUISITS

The XenApp Server Role
Manager deploys the following software (except as noted), if it is not already installed:

• .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (this is a prerequisite for the XenApp Server
  Role Manager; it is deployed automatically when you choose to add the
  XenApp server role from the Autorun menu)
• Windows Server Remote Desktop Services role (if you do not have
  this prerequisite installed, the Server Role Manager installs it and enables
  the RDP client connection option; you will be asked to restart the server
  and resume the installation when you log on again)
• Windows Application Server role
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable (x64)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable (x64)

1.4 INSTALLING XENAPP

• Run "autorun.exe"
• Click "Install XenApp Server
• Click "OK" to install .Net 3.5 SP1
• Click to Add Server Roles
• Install Enterprise Edition
• Accept the License Agreement
• Select the XenApp Role and click "Next"
• Remove Xenapp Management and Windows Desktop Experience Integration. Click Next
• Review the prerequisites and click next, and install
• Reboot Server as requested
• Log back in, the Xenapp Server Role Manager will open again. Click on Add or remove server roles.

(Ignore the Reboot message – That won't go away no matter how many times you reboot )

• Click on Add Server Roles and accept the License agreement
• Add XenApp again and click Next
• Remove Xenapp Management and Windows Desktop Experience Integration. Click Next
• Review the prerequisites and click next, and install. Install can take up too 30 mins.
• Click Finish

4.4.2 CONFIGURING XENAPP SERVER

• Open the Citrix Xenapp Server Role Manager
• Under Server Configuration Tasks, click on Specify Licensing
• On the License Configuration screen, enter (Name of your Citrix License Server) as the License Server, or choose to Configure the license
  server later using policy if you have specified the license server in your farm policies. Click Next.
• Choose XenApp as the model in the the Licensing Model Screen and click apply
• You will return to the XenApp Server Role Manager screen
• Click on "Configure" under the Server Configuration Tasks
• Click Add this server to an existing server farm
• Choose Existing Microsoft SQL Server database and click next
• Enter the name of your Database Server and the database name. Choose "SQL Server authentication using a login ID and password to access the database".
• Test the connection and click next
• On the Configure Shadowing screen leave the default of allow and click next
• Under Specify Advanced Server Settings, configure the following:

(BE AWARE THERE IS 4 SETTINGS TO CONFIGURE ON THIS PAGE BEFORE CLICKING NEXT)

• Data Collection
  • § Enable Session-host mode if you want to limit the data collector to specific servers
  • § Use a custom Zone name or accept the default
  • XML Service
    • § Use a custom XML Service TCP/IP Port : 8080 if you choose not to integrate with IIS and you changed your XML service port
    • Receiver
      • § Leave Blank (You can configure this lately should you need to use it
      • Remote Desktop Users
        • § Only select "Add the Authenticated Users". Deselect the default option. Click Next. Click Apply
        • § Click Finish. Reboot the Server.

And All Done!