Virtual Apps and Desktops in 2020

My colleagues Mayank Singh and Rob Beekmans, both Architects in Technical Marketing, packed a ton of good information into this video If you want to see what's new with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, Citrix Managed Desktops, and Citrix SD-WAN in 2020 (so far) and have 91 minutes, I recommend watching the whole thing. Here are a few demos and sections that I want to provide shortcuts to.
 

 
Microsoft Teams Optimization

• Starts here https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=2196
• Optimizing Teams requirements
• Delivery controller 1906.2 and newer
• VDA 1906.2 and newer
• Windows 10 x64 1906 - 1909
• Windows 2012 R2 and newer
• BCR_x64.msi
• More info in Citrix Docs
• High-Level Architecture https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=2380
• Demo of a video call between the Netherlands and India both unoptimized and optimized https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=2537
• Citrix TechZone article to learn about optimizing a variety of other Unified Communication solutions

Browser Content Redirection (BCR)

• Browser Content Redirection renders whitelisted webpages on the endpoint and seamlessly feeds it back into the session.  Offloading video rendering to endpoints provides both a great user experience as well as reduces backend VDA resources.
• Supported VDA browsers: Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Edge (new Chromium). Edge is in Tech Preview.
• Overview and configuration starts here https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=2925
• Configuration and demo video of watching YouTube without and with BCR https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=3250
• Learn more in Citrix Docs

FSLogix and Office 365

• FSLogix will only save data for a single session. It does not support accessing multiple sessions and consolidating to its profile container. Use Citrix User Profile Manager to write back profile data to FSLogix when accessing more than one session at a time https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=1985

Machine Creation Services (MCS)

• What is it and how does it work? https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=656
• Machine Creation Services Input-Output (MCSIO). Deeper dive into MCS workings. It was revamped in version 1903 for on-prem hypervisors and Azure. Allows for placement of the master and caching disk on different storage. This allows you to use HDD (vs SSD) which scales higher (more users per machine) and provides better response time for users https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=1239
• Publishing an app or desktop using Citrix Managed Desktop (Citrix TechZone) and MCS.  Keep in mind Managed Desktops has a simplified web wizard vs Studio https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=754
• Azure on-demand provisioning using MCS. It creates machines on power-on which means you only pay for what you use. Overview and demo using Apps and Desktop Service https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=1073

Citrix App Layering

• Background on image management and how it was historically done vs the app layering way https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=1565
• Elastic layers https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=1777
• User layers https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=1820
• There are several types:
• Full
• Office 365
• Session Office 365
• Learn more in Citrix Tech Zone and check out this User Layer video (8 minutes).
• Use Azure Files to store layers https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=1882 and see Citrix TechZone for more

Business Continuity

• Using Remote PC (access to the physical computer at your office). A look at the conceptual architectures available https://youtu.be/UcEmqQjdQUY?t=254

I hope this furthers your understanding of what's new in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.  Stay tuned for a bunch of exciting announcements in the second half of 2020.

Brian @sagelikebrian

Citrix MCS - Automate Master Image vCenter Update

Purpose:
This post is to share a Citrix MCS / VMware PowerShell script I created over the last year or so to automate the process of renaming a master image (Win2K16 or W10), converting it to a template, cloning the template and creating a snapshot of the clone in preparation for MCS updates.

You can use this script if you have a single datacenter or if you have multiple. It's relatively easy to modify it so the master image is copied to multiple vCenter datacenters/clusters and follows the same process.

I currently have 9 different datacenters/clusters running the same master image. I just maintain the core master image in the primary datacenter, perform updates, shutdown, run this script and once the process is done I can update each machine catalog one by one from the same master image.

Download the script from Citrix ShareFile

SageLike Post ID: SL0023

Citrix Product Names 2019

You can scroll down for some of the background information but let's jump right into it.

The Cheatsheet

Formerly Known As	Current
App Layering, Unidesk	Citrix App Layering
Provisioning Service, PVS	Citrix Provisioning
NetScaler	Citrix ADC
NetScaler AppFirewall	Citrix Web App Firewall
NetScaler Gateway, Access Gateway, Unified Gateway, CAG	Citrix Gateway
NetScaler Management and Analytics System	Citrix Application Delivery Management
NetScaler SD-WAN	Citrix SD-WAN
ShareFile	Citrix Content Collaboration
StoreFront	StoreFront
Receiver	Citrix Workspace app
Workspace Environment Management, Norskale	Citrix Workspace Environment Management
XenApp, Presentation Server, MetaFrame	Citrix Virtual Apps
XenDesktop	Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops
XenMobile	Citrix Endpoint Management
XenServer	Citrix Hypervisor

Ten years ago @gabeknuth wrote "XenApp" is brilliant! about getting rid of the Presentation Server name.  Not everyone was happy because let's face it, change is hard, but it did unify a bunch of the major products.  Over time, everyone got used to and even grew to love the Xen moniker.  In the summer of 2018, Citrix set out on the most ambitious rebranding of products arguably since changing Presentation Server into XenApp.

[Citrix] + [what the solution does]

There is a different kind of naming unification going on now.  In my opinion, it is because products are unifying into integrated solutions.  The cheat sheet above should help you translate the old to the new but possibly more helpful is to know the formula.  The formula above is simple enough.  One of the best examples of this is XenMobile changing to Citrix Endpoint Management.  It is better because Endpoint Management manages not only traditional mobile smartphones like Apple iOS and Google Android but also MacOS, Chrome OS, Windows 10 and more.  For more information, see this product guide.

It will take time to get used to the new naming.  If you are talking to a Citrix employee or partner, feel free to use the old name--we'll know what you are talking about.  On the flipside, you may hear employees using the new names (and we are being encouraged to)--feel free to ask for clarification and we will be happy to translate.  2018 also brought new product edition names.  For more information on those changes, stay tuned for another blog post.

Brian @sagelikebrian

Windows 10 Store Apps Missing

Purpose:
This post explains how to reinstall the Windows 10 Calculator app after it has been uninstalled

Symptom:
Windows 10 Calculator App missing

Resolution:

Issues reinstalling Win10 Store apps after removing them. This is specific to the Windows Calculator app.

Requirement is to have Base Filtering Engine and Windows Firewall service turned on.
*Note* - This is also a requirement for Windows 10 Updates to function correctly.

If the folders in the C:\Program Files\WindowsApps directory have been deleted or are missing find another machine that does have these folders and copy them into your machines directory. I also had to copy the VCLibs directories (highlighted below - You'll see why in a minute why these are needed.)



After you have these directories open up an elevated powershell window and register the apps using this command (specific to Calculator)

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1703.601.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode




However when I ran this command I got an error about the VCLibs missing. So  I registered these VCLibs first with these command:

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00_14.0.24123.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00_14.0.24123.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode



And then re-ran the command to register the Calculator app.

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1703.601.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

Cause:

The uninstall of Windows 10 Apps by various means

SageLike Post ID: SL0018

Applies to:

Windows 10

References:
http://www.intowindows.com/reset-and-reinstall-calculator-in-windows-10/
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-reinstall-default-apps-in-windows-10/

Windows 10 Win + G Pop Up Citrix Receiver Launching Apps/Desktops

Purpose:
To fix the Win + G Popup when launching Citrix apps/desktops from Windows 10 Machines with the latest patches.

Symptom:
When launching published apps or desktops from a Windows 10 OS a green popup windows briefly appears prompting to press Win + G for the game bar or for the search bar.

Resolution:
Open Registry Editor (Run > regedit)
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore
Set the value of DWORD "GameDVR_Enabled" to 0
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\
Create key "GameDVR".
Create DWORD 32bit called "AllowGameDVR" and set to 0
Restart your computer.

Cause:
By default Windows 10 has the DVR function enabled. 

SageLike Post ID: SL0015

Applies to:

Windows 10 - Both endpoint devices and VDI's

References:
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6239-DZCB-8600#appreg