Configuration for Citrix Files

Citrix Files desktop applications authentication in Workspace

Citrix Files integrates with the authentication system used by Citrix Workspace. This integration provides a single sign-on experience to both Citrix Files and the Citrix Workspace app.

Users first sign in through Citrix Workspace and upon the next start of Citrix Files are automatically signed in using their Citrix Workspace account. Similarly, users can first sign on to Citrix Files, which automatically signs them into Citrix Workspace.

When any compatible application triggers a logoff operation, all applications that use the Citrix Workspace logon are signed off.

Requirements

  • Citrix Workspace app for Windows or Mac (must be configured to Citrix Workspace Store URL)
  • Citrix Files for Windows or Mac, or Citrix Files for Outlook
  • Citrix Workspace account with a Citrix Content Collaboration entitlement

Logon

  1. Configure the Citrix Workspace app using a Citrix Workspace Store URL. The Store must contain a Citrix Content Collaboration entitlement.
  2. When prompted for authentication, sign in using your Citrix Workspace credentials.
  3. Start Citrix Files. You are automatically signed on.

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Logoff

Any of the Citrix Workspace compatible desktop applications can issue a logoff.

To log off from Citrix Workspace app, right-click the Citrix Workspace app icon in the notification area and select Log off. This action also signs out of Citrix Files, if running.

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To log off from the Citrix Files app, right-click the notification area icon and select Settings. Choose Log Out to log off. This action also forces a logoff of Citrix Workspace app.

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Known limitations

  • If the Store URL is not configured, or if the Store does not contain a Citrix Content Collaboration account, the Citrix Files client does not attempt Citrix Workspace authentication. Instead, it uses ShareFile authentication.
  • Citrix Files supports single sign-on only by using the primary store URL configured in Citrix Workspace app.

Authentication to network share and SharePoint connectors

Citrix Files users can access their existing data repositories such as network shares and SharePoint by creating and accessing connectors.

For information on creating and managing connectors for your account, see Create and manage storage zone connectors.

Note:

This configuration applies only to Citrix Files for Windows, Citrix Files for Mac, and Citrix Files for Outlook.

Manual user sign on to connectors

When browsing to a network share or SharePoint connector, you must first log on (unless you are using single sign-on. To log on, right-click the connector name and choose Sign in from the Windows or macOS context menu.

After you select Sign in, you are presented with a login dialog. Enter your domain user name and password. After logging on, you can browse your connector folders.

Single sign-on to connectors using Citrix Workspace app

When logged on to Citrix Workspace app, you are automatically signed into the connector without the need to provide credentials again. The use of single sign-on to connect to network shares or SharePoint connectors using Workspace authentication requires storage zones controller version 5.4.1 or later.

In addition to installing Citrix Files for Windows or Mac, Citrix Workspace app must be installed on the endpoint and configured for the Citrix Workspace account.

Single sign-on to connectors using VDA authentication

When accessing connectors inside a VDA session through Citrix Workspace, users will be automatically signed into the connector without a need to provide credentials. In order to use single sign-on to network shares or SharePoint connectors using Workspace authentication inside a VDA environment, storage zones controller 5.4.1 or later is required.

Group policy definitions for Citrix Files for Windows

Note:

The following information was previously published on Knowledge Center article CTX228273.

Citrix Files includes policy definitions that can be used to push out settings and configuration using Group Policy (GPO). The .admx and .adml files are at C:\Program Files\citrix\Citrix Files\PolicyDefinitions

Installation

  1. Copy the .admx file to c:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions and the \en-us\ .adml file to c:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-us\

  2. Open Group Policy Editor and the policy options are available under:

    a. Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Citrix Files

    b. User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Citrix Files

Configuring the group policies

Setting Purpose
Computer Configuration  
Enable Application If disabled, Citrix Files exits before mounting any drives or displaying any UI.
Enable Auto Check-out If enabled, Citrix Files automatically checks out Microsoft Office files when they are opened. The files are also automatically checked in after they are closed.
Enable on-premises Connectors If disabled, Network Share, Sharepoint, and Documentum connectors are not visible in Citrix Files.
Enable Clear Cache on Logout If disabled, Citrix Files will not clear cached metadata and content when users log out.
Enable Personal Cloud Connectors If disabled, Personal Cloud and Office 365 Connectors are not visible in Citrix Files.
Enable Auto-update If disabled, Citrix Files does not automatically update to the latest version.
Delete Cache on Exit If enabled, downloaded file contents are removed when the application exits.
Cache Size Controls how much disk space (in MB) to use for cached files. The minimum cache size is 256 MB and the maximum is 9999 MB.
Cache Location Configures the location of the file content cache. By default, the location is AppData\Local\Citrix\Citrix Files\PartCache. If a custom path is set, that folder must exist.
Cache Mode Default: Citrix Files chooses a cache mode appropriate for the environment where it is executing. Immediate: Citrix Files writes and reads directly to and from its cache. This mode uses the least memory, but might be slow if the application cache is not on the local disk. Queued: Citrix Files retains some data in memory and writes to its cache in the background. This mode is recommended if the application cache is stored on a network location.
Maximum Log Size Controls how much disk space (in MB) is used for application logs.
Disable Tutorial If enabled, Citrix Files does not show the tutorial on the initial sign-in of the user.
Enable Offline Access If disabled, users can’t mark folders or files to be available while not connected to the internet.
Prefetch Metadata If enabled, Citrix Files preloads its filesystem structure. This improves responsiveness at the expense of some CPU, memory, disk, and network usage. By default, this functionality is disabled on virtual desktops.
User Configuration  
Account Configures the account to use for Citrix Files.
Enable Application If disabled, Citrix Files exits before mounting any drives or displaying any UI.
Excluded from Upload File name extensions that are not saved back to Citrix Files. These files can still be read and edited locally.
Mount Point 1–10 Mounts a specific Citrix Files folder as a network drive.

Mount Points

Mount points let you specify a Citrix Files folder to mount as a network drive. You can specify up to 10 mount points. Mount points can be configured through the group policy editor.

To create a mount point, specify the Citrix Files folder by the path to that folder, separated by the \ character. The top-level folder name might vary across user types and across different end-user languages. In such cases, you can create the mount point using %wildcard% alias as outlined in the following examples.

Folder type Example
Personal Folders Personal Folders or %personal%
Shared Folders Shared Folders or %shared%
Favorites Favorites or %favorites%
Network Shares connector Network Shares or %networkshares%
SharePoint connector SharePoint or %sharepoint%
Box connector Personal Cloud\Box or %personalcloud%\Box
Dropbox connector Personal Cloud\Dropbox or %personalcloud%\Dropbox
Google Drive connector Personal Cloud\Google Drive or %personalcloud%\Google Drive
OneDrive connector Personal Cloud\OneDrive or %personalcloud%\OneDrive
Office365 connectors Office 365 or %office365%
Root of account (default view) ”\”

Group policy definitions

Configuration for Citrix Files