Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

Precheck for VDA install and upgrade

Introducing a decoupled pre-flight check for VDA installation and upgrades, enabling customers to proactively identify potential issues before proceeding. This check validates all dependencies and prerequisites, providing a clear pass/fail status for each condition. If any failures occur, detailed remediation guidance with specific recommendations is provided. The actual installation or upgrade process remains separate and must be initiated manually after the pre-check is completed.

This article outlines the steps to perform the precheck for VDA installation and upgrade.

Step 1. Run Command Line

Note:

  • The pre-check is supported only in command-line mode.
  • The installation or upgrade is not initiated when running this command.

To perform a precheck, add the /precheckonly option to your frequently used command for installation or upgrade. All the precheck conditions for your VDA installation or upgrade will be checked.

Perform precheck for default install and upgrade

Run the following command to perform a precheck and ensure that the machine status is in acceptable state: \x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe /quiet /precheckonly

Precheck for default install and upgrade

Perform precheck for install and upgrade of specified components

To check prerequisites for specific components before installation or upgrade, add /precheckonly to your command. \x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe /quiet /precheckonly /components vda,plugins

Precheck for specified components

Perform precheck for install and upgrade of additional component - Citrix Backup and Restore

The command \x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe /quiet /precheckonly checks the prerequisites for Citrix Backup and Restore component as an optional check. If all prechecks pass except the optional check, the overall result is PASS.

Precheck for additional components

The following commands check the prerequisites for Citrix Backup and Restore component as part of mandatory check:

  • \x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe /quiet /precheckonly /includeadditional "Citrix Backup and Restore"
  • \x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe /quiet /precheckonly /enablerestore
  • \x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe /quiet /precheckonly /enablerestorecleanup

Precheck for Citrix Backup and Restore

Step 2. View precheck results

The precheck results are displayed in the command line, logged in %temp%/Citrix/XenDesktop Installer/XenDesktop Installation.log and saved in %temp%/Citrix/XenDesktop Installer/PrecheckResult_{yyyyMMddHHmmss}.json. If the precheck fails, the overall result is FAIL, with suggested fixes for each issue.

Command line output

The precheck results in the command line include:

  • Precheck criteria
  • Precheck status
  • Fix suggestions for failure
  • Overall result
  • End time.

If the result is a FAIL, the suggestions to fix are available in the lines starting with Precheck - Fix Suggestion:

Log output

Log output

The pre-check results in XenDesktop Installation.log mirror those shown in the command line. To locate them, search for Precheck - in the log file. If the overall result is a FAIL, the suggestions to fix are available in lines containing Precheck - Fix Suggestion:.

Log output fix suggestion

JSON output

A .json file is generated every time a command with /quiet /precheckonly is run. The file is named PrecheckResult_{yyyyMMddHHmmss}.json, with a timestamp suffix.

JSON output

The .json file includes:

  • Pre-check local end time
  • Overall result
  • Pre-check details
    • Criteria
    • Actual value
    • Status
    • Fix suggestion

JSON precheck result

Fix suggestions for each pre-check item with a status of FAIL can be found under the pre-check details section in the .json file.

Fix suggestion for JSON file

Precheck for VDA install and upgrade