Install and configure

Note:

Learn about product name changes here.

Use the following sequence to set up your Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service deployment. Review the entire process before starting the deployment, so you’ll know what to expect. Links are provided to product documentation and videos.

If you’re not familiar with the components and terminology used in a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops deployment, see Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service.

Get started

Get started by signing up for a Citrix account and requesting a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service trial.

Set up a resource location and install Cloud Connectors

Resource locations contain infrastructure servers (such as Active Directory and Citrix Cloud Connectors), and the machines that deliver apps or desktops to users.

• Begin the setup sequence by configuring your host hypervisor or cloud service, and Active Directory: Set up Resource locations.
• Continue the resource location setup: Install Cloud Connectors.

Here’s a video about how to install Cloud Connectors.

Create a connection to the resource location

After you add a resource location, use the Studio management console to create a connection from the service’s control plane to the resource location.

If you’re deploying a simple proof of concept, this step isn’t necessary.

Install VDAs

Each machine that delivers applications and desktops to users must have a Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) installed on it. If you’re using a master image to provision VMs, install a VDA on the master image.

• For installation guidance, see Install VDAs. In addition to step-by-step guidance, that article contains technical information about VDAs, and describes the available VDA installers.
• For command-line VDA installation guidance, see Install VDAs using the command line.

For a Remote PC Access deployment, install a VDA for Desktop OS on each physical office PC. You can use your existing Electronic Software Distribution (ESD) methods.

If you’re deploying a simple proof of concept, simply download and install a VDA on one machine.

Here’s a video about how to download and install a VDA.

For a full deployment, you can use Citrix tools to provision a machine catalog containing multiple machines.

You create a master image on your hypervisor or cloud service to be used for the provisioning. In addition to installing apps or desktops on the master image, you install a VDA. Each machine that is provisioned using that master image contains that VDA.

Creating a master image is described in Create machine catalogs.

Create a machine catalog

Note:

If you are using Azure Resource Manager to host your resources, you can optionally use the Azure Quick Deploy deployment method, instead of the Full Configuration method shown in the video below. For details, see Azure Quick Deploy.

After you create a connection to your resource location, the Studio workflow guides you to create a machine catalog. A catalog contains physical or virtual machines that deliver the apps or desktops to your users.

Here’s a video about how to create a machine catalog.

The product documentation also describes how to create and use a master image to create a catalog of machines provisioned with a Citrix tool.

Create a Delivery Group

After you create your first machine catalog, the Studio workflow guides you to create a Delivery Group.

A Delivery Group specifies which machines can be used from a selected machine catalog. You can specify which users can use those machines, and the applications available on those machines.

Alternatively, you can specify users and applications through Citrix Cloud library offerings, rather than directly in a Delivery Group.

Here’s a video about how to create a Delivery Group.

Launch applications and desktops

After you complete the preceding steps, publishing occurs automatically. The applications and desktops that you specified are available to users in their workspace. A user simply navigates to the workspace URL and selects an application or desktop, which launches immediately.

As an administrator, you can find the workspace URL in two places:

• From the Citrix Cloud console, select Workspace Configuration from the menu in the upper left corner. For more information, see Workspace configuration.
• From the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service welcome page, the workspace URL appears at the bottom of the page.

Here’s a short video about launching applications and desktops from your workspace.