Tag: support

Support for XenApp in virtualized environments

Citrix supports XenApp running on guest instances on the following hypervisors: Citrix XenServer, Microsoft’s Hyper -V, VMware ESX under the terms listed in the Terms of Support section below.

For the purposes of this post, the term virtual server means a guest instance of a Windows Server operating system running on a hypervisor.

Terms of Support

  • Citrix will support XenApp running on virtual server environments and will address XenApp specific bugs. For bugs that require fixes from a third-party server virtualization vendor, we will work with the vendor to help them resolve the customer’s problem.
  • For non-configuration issues with Citrix XenApp software, issues that affect a specific vendor’s virtualization or hardware technology may require the engagement of that vendor and potentially a hotfix or code change for the specific virtualization or hardware platform.
  • Citrix monitors regularly industry practices and establishes it’s support policies to equal or exceed the norm in the industry.

Read the original article here.

How to generate diagnostic data for upload to Citrix Auto Support

In this post is already explained what Auto Support is and what it does. Well if you didn’t know how to collect the data needed to upload to Auto Support look no further. Here’s described what you need to do to get the correct data for uploading to Auto Support.

Did I mention that Auto support is THE greatest online support tool ever made? NO, well you need to read this post again :).

XenApp / Xen Desktop: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX130147

XenServer: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX125372

NetScaler: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX127900

For XenApp & XenDesktop, you can upload the data to Auto Support directly from the Scout tool. For XenServer & Netscaler, simply save the Support Data bundle you generate, and then you can upload it via the Auto Support website.

As for most Citrix downloads and tools you need a My Citrix ID. If you do not have one, you can set one up for free at http://www.citrix.com/English/myCitrix/loginNewUser.asp

Desktop viewer support for XenApp

A long time Citrix hasn’t supported the Desktop Viewer for XenApp. Originally the Desktop Viewer is used (and delivered) with XenDesktop. However more and more people have been using the Desktop Viewer also for XenApp. Until now this was not officially supported and if there were any problems likely you’d be redirected back to the supported way.

With the release of Receiver 3.3 the use of Dekstop Viewer in combination with XenApp 6.5 is supported. Here’s a snip from the eDocs of the website:

Hosted Shared desktops. Receiver for Windows now supports server desktops published with Citrix XenApp. The desktops are displayed through the Desktop Viewer. To configure this feature, see the XenApp, StoreFront, or Web Interface documentation.

The use of the Desktop Viewer is only supported with Receiver 3.3 and is not backwards supported. So if you want to use the Desktop Viewer upgrade to Receiver 3.3 before making the support call. Besides the support for Desktop Viewer version 3.3 has also some security fixes.

Citrix GoToAssist Enhances Mobile and BYOD Support

Citrix announced today that its market-leading remote support product, Citrix GoToAssist, now offers an expanded feature set to address the growing IT demand to support mobile devices. As recent research has indicated, mobile workstyles and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) company initiatives are becoming accepted business practices, putting increased pressure on IT staff to deliver fast and efficient mobile device support both on and off company networks. The new GoToAssist capabilities enable IT professionals to deliver responsive remote support of iOS devices. In addition, remote support sessions can be initiated directly from the mobile devices themselves, using new GoToAssist apps for Android and iOS. Both applications offer free unlimited remote support for attended sessions.

New Feature Highlights:

  • Remote Support of iOS Devices: IT professionals now have the ability to provide support for iPad and iPhone users and their mobile devices via optimized chat, as well as the ability to conduct secure chat sessions, update profiles and configure device settings remotely. Profiles created with the iPhone Configuration Utility can also be shared to troubleshoot problems and set business policies.
  • GoToAssist for Android – free remote support app: IT professionals can deliver live support anytime, anywhere directly from their Android mobile device, instantly connecting to their clients’ computers at no cost. In addition, GoToAssist paid subscribers receive the added benefits of access to unattended machines, diagnostic viewing and other support tools.
  • Updated GoToAssist App for iPad: In the new version, paid subscribers can now view diagnostic information about the computer supported, email the .TXT file of all the diagnostic reports, and transfer support sessions started from the GoToAssist Expert desktop application to the GoToAssist app for iPad (and vice versa).
  • Session Recording: This new optional recording feature captures active support and chat sessions for auditing and training, enabling better monitoring of technician effectiveness and customer support. Recordings are stored for 90 days in standard downloadable MPEG-4 format.
  • Language Support: International versions of GoToAssist Remote Support and Monitoring are now available in French and German. GoToAssist Remote Support offers users the ability to provide support to PCs, Macs and iOS devices and from PCs, Macs, Android and iPad devices.

Read the entire press release here.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1 is the newest version of MDT, a Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. MDT 2012 Update 1 supports deployment of Windows 8, Windows 7, Office 2010 and 365, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2008 R2 in addition to deployment of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP.

Overview

Deploy Windows and Office 2010 with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 Update 1. MDT is the recommended process and toolset for automating desktop and server deployment. MDT provides you with the following benefits:

  • Unified tools and processes, including a set of guidance, for deploying desktops and servers in a common deployment console.
  • Reduced deployment time and standardized desktop and server images, along with improved security and ongoing configuration management.

Some of the key changes in MDT 2012 Update 1 are:

  • Added support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.
  • Support for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 CTP: Added support in MDT for deploying Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 with Configuration Manager  2012 SP1 CTP, while supporting all new Configuration Manager functionality (offline BitLocker, UEFI, and Assessment and Deployment Kit).
  • Support for DaRT 8 Beta: Updated MDT to support DaRT 8 for Windows 8 deployments, while continuing to support DaRT 7 for Windows 7 deployments.  Added DaRT support for Configuration Manager scenarios.
  • New “Build Your Own Pages” User-Driven Installation (UDI) feature: Enhanced the UDI wizard and designer to enable IT pros to design their own wizard pages with little effort.
  • New System Center 2012 – Orchestrator support: Provided the ability to add steps into an OS deployment task sequence to execute Orchestrator runbooks as part of the deployment process.
  • Other improvements: Added support for Windows PowerShell 3.0, reworked Roles and Features installation logic for Windows 8, improved “boot from VHD” deployment scenarios, and added support for Configuration Manager monitoring.

Continue reading “Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1”

Technical Support of Microsoft Lync on XenDesktop

As stated in Client Virtualization in Microsoft Lync 2010 (http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=21129), republished by Microsoft in February 2012, delivery of the Lync 2010 client using XenDesktop and XenApp is “Supported” by Microsoft (see Table 2 on page 7). However, audio (voice chat) is not directly supported by Microsoft (see Table 3 on page 8) except through a desk phone using USB Redirection. Likewise, video chat is not directly supported by Microsoft. These statements are based on XenDesktop 4.0 and XenApp 6.0 (see Appendix A.1, page 12). As noted in the footnote on page 13, “XenDesktop 5 (which introduces webcam video compression as an alternative to USB redirection) was not tested.”

How do these statements impact Citrix customers who wish to deliver Microsoft Lync with voice and video chat functionality from XenDesktop 5.5/5.6 or XenApp 6.5?

In short, XenDesktop/XenApp delivery of Microsoft Lync, including voice chat and video chat, is fully supported by Citrix.

Microsoft does not directly support third-party products such as XenDesktop. In our experience, customers can expect “best effort” support from Microsoft but in some cases might be asked to duplicate a problem on a regular PC with no Citrix software installed.

Citrix supports the delivery of Microsoft Lync and other similar third-party Unified Communications clients and softphones from XenDesktop (including XenApp) to users of the Citrix Receiver through a variety of innovative technologies. These include the Optimization Pack for Microsoft Lync introduced with XenDesktop 5.6 Feature Pack 1 and XenApp 6.5 Feature Pack 1, and a set of generic HDX RealTime technologies which are compatible with Microsoft Lync and its predecessor, Office Communicator.

Highlights of the Optimization Pack for Microsoft Lync include:

  • Offload of all media processing from the Citrix server to the user device via the HDX RealTime Media Engine plug-in to the Citrix Receiver (initially available for Windows and Linux), thereby maximizing server scalability
  • Native support for Microsoft’s proprietary RTAudio and RTVideo codecs without transcoding
  • Up to 720p30 transmit and receive resolutions using H.264
  • Peer-to-peer media transport via RTP (only signaling goes over ICA)

Generic HDX RealTime technologies that are compatible with Microsoft Lync include:

  • Optimized-for-speech codec technology, featuring fast encode and low bandwidth utilization
  • Webcam Video Compression in the Citrix Receivers for Windows and Linux, offering excellent bandwidth efficiency and network latency tolerance
  • Jitter buffering in the Citrix Receiver for Windows to ensure smooth audio even when network latency is variable, and Echo Cancellation when using a microphone and speakers instead of a headset
  • Audio plug-n-play
  • Audio device routing (for example: ringtone can be directed to speakers but voice to a headset)
  • Multi-stream ICA transport for full QoS support
  • UDP/RTP audio option on XenDesktop VDI
  • DSCP packet tagging for RTP packets (Layer 3)
  • WMM tagging for Wi-Fi
  • Branch Repeater support for QoS and multi-stream ICA, including UDP

Furthermore, Citrix is committed to fully supporting the next release of Microsoft Lync, codenamed “Wave 15”.

Here’s the link to the original KB article.

Lifecycle extension for Citrix XenApp 6 and 6.5

Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop lifecycles will be extended to align with the current lifecycles of the corresponding Microsoft Server platforms through a Technical Support offering called the Extended Support Program, and

Citrix XenApp 6.0, independent of XenApp 6.5, will be given a minimum 4.5 year lifecycle to enable customers to leverage investment they have already made on XenApp 6.

Continue reading “Lifecycle extension for Citrix XenApp 6 and 6.5”