Citrix

Changing userid and password for DSN in Citrix XenApp

If you need to change the userid and password that control the DSN access for Xenapp here is what you  need to do.

From command prompt on the citrix server (you will need to do this from each one)

dsmaint config /userid:*username* /pwd:*password* /dsn:”C:\program files\citrix\idependent management architecture\mf20.dsn”

Restart the citrix IMA service

Citrix client Auto deploy not working

I had trouble with this today. Make sure that when you copy the contents of the client folder from the installation media into the Citrix\Webinterface\*version number\clients folder, you keep the exact file structure the same. Also just sopy the contents of the client folder, not the whole folder itself

Citrix Xenapp 5 - Stream to server

I really like Citrix Xenapp 5’s ability to publish app’s by streaming them to the server. For those not familiar with this you package the application (office, etc) using the citrix app packager. Place these packages on a file server somewhere and then when you publish the app just specify stream to server and refernce the network path of the package.

First this makes life easier in deploying new citrix servers. Second it means you can deploy software that normall wouldn’t work together (office 2003 and 2007 for example) from the same box. It really keeps your citrix servers neat and clean.

Altaddr command missing from Citrix Web install

The Altaddr command is a command used to specify the external Nat’d address of your server so that Citrix Web can accept requests coming to that address. The Altaddr command gets installed on your computer when you install citrix, makes sense right?

However when you are installing Citrix web portion on a server that isn’t a citrix server you don’t have to download the full packaged and do the full install. Citrix has a smaller installation that is only for the web portion. However for some good only knows why reason, this smaller web only install doesn’t actually install the altaddr command? Does this make sense to anyone?

VMware develops rival protocol to ICA to compete in the VDI market space

One of the exciting (and long overdue) announcements from VMware is there development of a new PCoIP protocol for use in the VMware View product. This protocol will be replacing their use of RDP. One of Citrix’s big claims to fame in this market space with it’s Xendesktop product is it’s use of the ICA protocol which is far and away the superior protocol over RDP.

Good on Vmware for taking the fight to Citrix. I think this fight will go a few arounds so sit back, relax, and enjoy the match.

Upgrading Citrix from Presentation 4 to Xenapp 5

I recently had a discussion with some guys from Citrix and asked about the optimal way of upgrading Presentation server 4 to Xenapp 5.

Here is there recommendation

1) Upgrade the licensing and upload the new license file onto the license server

2) Run the upgrade on the server acting as the Resource Manager

3) Upgrade the remaining servers in whatever order you choose

Epic Technology Day - April 21st, 2009

For those not familiar with this event, my company hosts a bi-yearly technology day seminar. It’s a great free event with lots of interesting and informative seminars presented by companies like Cisco, VMware, Citrix, HP and others.  The next one is coming up on April 21st in Winnipeg and the 23rd in Saskatoon.

If you are going to be in one of these area’s you should register to come and take a look

Go here to check out the seminar list and to register:

 http://www.epic.ca/events.asp

Giving administrators access to Citrix auto-created printers

Here is a citrix article I used recently:

 http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx108…

This specifies a reg hack which will allow administrators to administer tthe citrix client created printers. We also found that it resolved an issue where users were occasionally getting access right errors to their own printers.

There is no Citrix XenApp server configured on the specified address

I am not by any means a guru with Citrix Xen App so as this was passed onto me, hopefully it will help some of you. I set up Citrix with Web interface. The web interface worked internally but not externally (using a NAT rule on the firewall). They get the log in screen and can see the app’s but opening any yields the error message “There is no Citrix XenApp server configured on the specified address.

Two step process to fix this. The first is using the altaddr command.

Syntax is “altaddr /server: *citrix server name* /set  *internal ip*   *external ip*

From there all you have to do is go into the citrix access management console, and configure the client access managment section. Go into the DMZ settings and change the default connection to “Alternate” and add each direct connection needed.

Getting non-supported printers to work with Citrix Print Manager

As a general rule I quite like the Citrix Print manager, overall it does it’s job quite well and I think it supports a diverse group of printers. What I don’t like is when some people buy the crappiest, cheapest printers imaginable and then get angry at me when they don’t work with Citrix, particularly when they have had this issue before and I sent them the approved printers list and this printer isn’t on it. So for those times when “Buy a better printer” isn’t an appropriate response, here is the best solution I have.

Set the printer up as a network printer (buy the absolute cheapest usb print server if you have to), and then create a startup script to map LPT1 to the network share.

net use lpt1: \\servername\printername

Create a new printer using the HP LJ 1100 driver and assign it to print to LPT1. Rename the printer to something the user will associate with to his printer.

It’s quick and dirty but it works.