Session Recording

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Install, upgrade, and uninstall

May 19, 2022

Contributed by:

B L

This article contains the following sections:

Installation checklist

You install the Session Recording components by using the following files:

Broker_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi
SessionRecordingAgentx64.msi
SessionRecordingPlayer.msi
SessionRecordingWebPlayer.msi

Before you start the installation, complete this list:

✔	Step
	Install the prerequisites before starting the installation. See System requirements and Use Citrix scripts to install the Windows roles and features prerequisites.
	Select the machines on which you want to install each Session Recording component. Ensure that each computer meets the hardware and software requirements for the component or components to be installed on it.
	Use your Citrix account credentials to access the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops download page and download the product file. Unzip the file.
	To use the TLS protocol for communication between the Session Recording components, install the correct certificates in your environment.
	Install any hotfixes required for the Session Recording components. The hotfixes are available from the Citrix Support.
	Configure Director to create and activate the Session Recording policies. For more information, see Configure Director to use the Session Recording Server.

Note:

We recommend that you divide the published applications into separate Delivery Groups based on your recording policies. Session sharing for published applications can conflict with the active policy if the applications are in the same Delivery Group. Session Recording matches the active policy with the first published application that a user opens. Starting with the 7.18 release, you can use the dynamic session recording feature to start or stop recording sessions at any time during the sessions. This feature can help to mitigate the conflict issue with the active policy. For more information, see Dynamic session recording.

If you are planning to use Machine Creation Services (MCS) or Provisioning Services, prepare a unique QMId. Failure to comply can cause recording data losses.

SQL Server requires that TCP/IP is enabled, the SQL Server Browser service is running, and Windows Authentication is used.

To use HTTPS, configure server certificates for TLS/HTTPS.

Ensure that users under Local Users and Groups > Groups > Users have write permission to the C:\windows\Temp folder.

Use Citrix scripts to install the Windows roles and features prerequisites

For Session Recording to work properly, use the following Citrix scripts to install the necessary Windows roles and features prerequisites before installing Session Recording:

InstallPrereqsforSessionRecordingAdministration.ps1

 <#
 .Synopsis
     Installs Prereqs for Session Recording Administration
 .Description
     Supports Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019.
     Install below windows feature on this machine:
     -Application Development
     -Security - Windows Authentication
     -Management Tools - IIS 6 Management Compatibility
            IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility
            IIS 6 WMI Compatibility
            IIS 6 Scripting Tools
            IIS 6 Management Console
     -Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ), with Active Directory integration disabled, and MSMQ HTTP support enabled.
 #>
 function AddFeatures($featurename)
 {
     try
     {
         $feature=Get-WindowsFeature | ? {$_.DisplayName -eq $featurename -or $_.Name -eq $featurename}
         Add-WindowsFeature $feature
     }
     catch
     {
         Write-Host "Addition of Windows feature $featurename failed"
         Exit 1
     }
     Write-Host "Addition of Windows feature $featurename succeeded"
 }

 $system= gwmi win32_operatingSystem | select name

 if (-not (($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2*') -or ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows Server 2016*') -or ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows Server 2019*')))
 {
     Write-Host("This is not a supported server platform. Installation aborted.")
     Exit
 }

 # Start to install Windows feature
 Import-Module ServerManager

 AddFeatures('Web-Asp-Net45') #ASP.NET 4.5
 AddFeatures('Web-Mgmt-Console') #IIS Management Console
 AddFeatures('Web-Windows-Auth') # Windows Authentication
 AddFeatures('Web-Metabase') #IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility
 AddFeatures('Web-WMI') #IIS 6 WMI Compatibility
 AddFeatures('Web-Lgcy-Scripting')#IIS 6 Scripting Tools
 AddFeatures('Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console') #IIS 6 Management Console
 AddFeatures('MSMQ-HTTP-Support') #MSMQ HTTP Support
 AddFeatures('web-websockets') #IIS Web Sockets
 AddFeatures('NET-WCF-HTTP-Activation45') #http activate
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InstallPrereqsforSessionRecordingAgent.ps1

 <#
 .Synopsis
     Installs Prereqs for Session Recording Agent
 .Description
     Supports Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016,  Windows Server 2019, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.
     Install below windows feature on this machine:
     -Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ), with Active Directory integration disabled, and MSMQ HTTP support enabled.
 #>
 function AddFeatures($featurename)
 {
     try
     {
         $feature=Get-WindowsFeature | ? {$_.DisplayName -eq $featurename -or $_.Name -eq $featurename}
         Add-WindowsFeature $feature
     }
     catch
     {
         Write-Host "Addition of Windows feature $featurename failed"
         Exit 1
     }
     Write-Host "Addition of Windows feature $featurename succeeded"
 }

 # Start to install Windows feature
 $system= gwmi win32_operatingSystem | select name

 if (-not (($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2*') -or ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows Server 2016*') -or ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows Server 2019*')-or ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows 7*')-or ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows 8*')-or ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows 10*')))
 {
     Write-Host("This is not a supported platform. Installation aborted.")
     Exit
 }

 if ($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows Server*')
 {
     Import-Module ServerManager
     AddFeatures('MSMQ') #Message Queuing
     AddFeatures('MSMQ-HTTP-Support')#MSMQ HTTP Support
 }
 else
 {
     try
     {
         if($system -Like '*Microsoft Windows 7*')
         {
             dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:IIS-WebServerRole /featurename:IIS-WebServer /featurename:IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility /featurename:IIS-Metabase /featurename:IIS-ManagementConsole /featurename:IIS-ApplicationDevelopment /featurename:IIS-NetFxExtensibility /featurename:IIS-ISAPIExtensions /featurename:IIS-CommonHttpFeatures /featurename:IIS-DefaultDocument /featurename:IIS-DirectoryBrowsing /featurename:IIS-HttpErrors /featurename:IIS-HttpRedirect /featurename:IIS-StaticContent /featurename:IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics /featurename:IIS-RequestMonitor /featurename:IIS-Performance /featurename:IIS-HttpCompressionStatic /featurename:IIS-Security /featurename:IIS-RequestFiltering /featurename:IIS-LoggingLibraries /featurename:IIS-HttpTracing
             dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MSMQ-Container
             dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MSMQ-Server
             dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MSMQ-HTTP
         }
         else
         {
             dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:MSMQ-HTTP /all
         }
     }
     catch
     {
         Write-Host "Addition of Windows feature MSMQ HTTP Support failed"
         Exit 1
     }
     write-Host "Addition of Windows feature MSMQ HTTP Support succeeded"
 }
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To install the Windows roles and features prerequisites, complete the following steps:

On the machine where you plan to install the Session Recording Administration components:
1. Ensure that the execution policy is set to RemoteSigned or Unrestricted in PowerShell.
```
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

```
2. Start a command prompt as an administrator and run the powershell.exe -file InstallPrereqsforSessionRecordingAdministration.ps1 command.
  
  The script displays the features that are successfully added and then stops.
3. After the script runs, ensure that the execution policy is set to a proper value based on your company policy.
On the machine where you plan to install the Session Recording Agent component:
1. Ensure that the execution policy is set to RemoteSigned or Unrestricted in PowerShell.
```
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

```
2. Start a command prompt as an administrator and run the powershell.exe -file InstallPrereqsforSessionRecordingAgent.ps1 command.
  
  The script displays the features that are successfully added and then stops.
3. After the script runs, ensure that the execution policy is set to a proper value based on company policy.

Install the Session Recording Administration components

We recommend that you install the Session Recording Administration, Session Recording Agent, and Session Recording Player components on separate servers.

The Session Recording Administration components include the Session Recording Database, Session Recording Server, and Session Recording Policy Console. You can choose the component to install on a server.

Install Broker_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi.

Important:

To use the Session Recording Policy Console, you must have the Broker PowerShell Snap-in (Broker_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi) installed. Locate the snap-in on the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops ISO (\layout\image-full\x64\Citrix Desktop Delivery Controller) and follow the instructions for installing it manually. Failure to comply can cause an error.
Start the Windows command prompt as an administrator, and then run the msiexec /i SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi command or double-click the .msi file.
On the installation UI, click Next and accept the license agreement.
On the Session Recording Administration Setup screen, select the Session Recording Administration components you want to install.

Note:

Installing all the Session Recording Administration components on a single server is fine for a proof of concept. However, for a large production environment, we recommend that you install the Session Recording Policy Console on a separate server and the Session Recording Server, Session Recording Administrator Logging, and Session Recording Database on another separate server. The Session Recording Administrator Logging is an optional subfeature of the Session Recording Server. Select the Session Recording Server before you can select the Session Recording Administrator Logging.

Install the Session Recording Database

Note:

The Session Recording Database is not an actual database. It is a component responsible for creating and configuring the required databases in the Microsoft SQL Server instance during installation. Session Recording supports three solutions for database high availability based on Microsoft SQL Server. For more information, see Database high availability.

You can deploy the Session Recording Database on Azure SQL Managed Instance, on SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (VMs), and on AWS RDS. For more information, see Deploy the Session Recording Database on Azure SQL Managed Instance or on AWS RDS and Deploy the Session Recording Database on SQL Server on Azure VMs.

There are typically three types of deployments for the Session Recording Database and Microsoft SQL Server:

Deployment 1: Install the Session Recording Server and Session Recording Database on the same machine and the Microsoft SQL Server on a remote machine. (Recommended)
Deployment 2: Install the Session Recording Server, Session Recording Database, and Microsoft SQL Server on the same machine.
Deployment 3: Install the Session Recording Server on a machine and install both the Session Recording Database and Microsoft SQL Server on another machine. (Not recommended)

On the Database and Server Configuration page, specify the instance name and database name of the Session Recording Database and the computer account of the Session Recording Server. Click Next.
- Instance name: If the database instance is not a named instance as you configured when you set up the instance, you can use only the computer name of the SQL Server. If you have named the instance, use computer-name\instance-name as the database instance name. To determine the server instance name that you are using, run select @@servername on the SQL Server. The return value is the exact database instance name. If your SQL server is configured to be listening on a custom port (other than the default port 1433), set the custom listener port by appending a comma to the instance name. For example, type DXSBC-SRD-1,2433 in the Instance name text box, where 2433, following the comma, denotes the custom listener port.
- Database name: Type a custom database name in the Database name text box or use the default database name preset in the text box. Click Test connection to test the connectivity to the SQL Server instance and the validity of the database name.
  
  Important:
  
  A custom database name must contain only A-Z, a-z, 0–9, and underscores, and cannot exceed 123 characters.
  - You must have the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions of the database. If you do not have the permissions, you can:
    - Ask the database administrator to assign the permissions for the installation. After the installation completes, the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions are no longer necessary and can be safely removed.
    - Or, during the msi installation, a dialog box prompts for the credentials of a database administrator with the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions. Type the correct credentials and then click OK to continue the installation.
    The installation creates the Session Recording Database and adds the machine account of the Session Recording Server as db_owner.
- Session Recording Server computer account:
  - Deployments 1 and 2: Type localhost in the Session Recording Server computer account text box.
  - Deployment 3: Type the name of the machine hosting the Session Recording Server in the format of domain\computer-name. The Session Recording Server computer account is the user account for accessing the Session Recording Database.
  Note:
  
  Attempts to install the Session Recording Administration components can fail with error code 1603 when a domain name is set in the Session Recording Server computer account text box. As a workaround, type localhost or NetBIOS domain name\machine name in the Session Recording Server computer account text box. To get the NetBIOS domain name, run $env:userdomain in PowerShell or echo %UserDomain% in a command prompt on the machine where the Session Recording Server is installed.
Follow the instructions to complete the installation.

Install the Session Recording Server

Select Session Recording Server and Session Recording Administrator Logging.
Note:
- The Session Recording Administrator Logging is an optional subfeature of the Session Recording Server. Select the Session Recording Server before you can select the Session Recording Administrator Logging.
- We recommend that you install the Session Recording Administrator Logging together with the Session Recording Server at the same time. If you don’t want the Administrator Logging feature to be enabled, you can disable it on a later page.
On the Database and Server Configuration page, specify the settings.
- Instance name: Type the name of your SQL Server in the Instance name text box. If you are using a named instance, type computer-name\instance-name; otherwise, type computer-name only. If your SQL server is configured to be listening on a custom port (other than the default port 1433), set the custom listener port by appending a comma to the instance name. For example, type DXSBC-SRD-1,2433 in the Instance name text box, where 2433, following the comma, denotes the custom listener port.
- Database name: Type a custom database name in the Database name text box or use the default database name CitrixSessionRecording that is preset in the text box. You must have the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions of the database. If you do not have the permissions, you can:
  - Ask the database administrator to assign the permissions for the installation. After the installation completes, the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions are no longer necessary and can be safely removed.
  - Or, during the msi installation, a dialog box prompts for the credentials of a database administrator with the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions. Type the correct credentials and then click OK to continue the installation.
- After typing the correct instance name and database name, click Test connection to test the connectivity to the Session Recording Database.
- Type the Session Recording Server computer account, and then click Next.
On the Administration Logging Configuration page, specify configurations for the Administration Logging feature.
- Logging database is installed on the SQL Server instance: This text box is not editable. The SQL Server instance name of the Administration Logging database is automatically grabbed from the instance name that you typed on the Database and Server Configuration page.
- Logging database name: To install the Session Recording Administrator Logging feature, type a custom database name for the Administrator Logging database in this text box or use the default database name CitrixSessionRecordingLogging that is preset in the text box.
  
  Note:
  
  The Administrator Logging database name must be different from the Session Recording Database name that is set in the Database name text box on the previous Database and Server Configuration page.
- Use default database name: Selecting this option uses the default logging database name.
- Enable Logging service: By default, the Administration Logging feature is enabled. You can disable it by clearing the check box.
- Enable mandatory blocking: By default, mandatory blocking is enabled. The normal features might be blocked if logging fails. You can disable mandatory blocking by clearing the check box.
Click Next and proceed to complete the installation.

Note:

The Session Recording Server default installation uses HTTPS/TLS to secure communications. If TLS is not configured in the default Internet Information Services (IIS) site of the Session Recording Server, use HTTP. To do so, cancel the selection of SSL in the IIS Management Console by navigating to the Session Recording Broker site, opening the SSL settings, and clearing the Require SSL check box.

Install the Session Recording Agent

Install the Session Recording Agent on the VDA or VDI machine on which you want to record sessions.

On the Session Recording Agent Configuration page: If you have installed the Session Recording Server in advance, type the computer name of the machine where you installed the Session Recording Server and the protocol and port information for the connection to the Session Recording Server. If you have not installed Session Recording yet, you can change such information later in Session Recording Agent Properties.
Follow the instructions to complete the installation.

Note:

When Machine Creation Services (MCS) or Provisioning Services (PVS) creates multiple VDAs with the configured master image and Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) installed, those VDAs can have the same QMId under certain conditions. This case might cause various issues, for example:

Sessions might not be recorded even if the recording agreement is accepted.

The Session Recording Server might not be able to receive session logoff signals and therefore, sessions might always be in Live status.

As a workaround, create a unique QMId for each VDA and it differs depending on the deployment methods.

No extra actions are required if single-session OS VDAs with the Session Recording Agent installed are created with PVS 7.7 or later and MCS 7.9 or later in the static desktop mode that is, for example, configured to make all changes persistent with a separate Personal vDisk or the local disk of your VDA.

For multi-session OS VDAs created with MCS or PVS and single-session OS VDAs that are configured to discard all changes when a user logs off, use the GenRandomQMID.ps1 script to change the QMId on system startup. Change the power management strategy to ensure that enough VDAs are running before user logon attempts.

To use the GenRandomQMID.ps1 script, do the following:

1. Ensure that the execution policy is set to RemoteSigned or Unrestricted in PowerShell.
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
2. Create a scheduled task, set the trigger as on system startup, and run with the SYSTEM account on the PVS or MCS master image machine.

3. Add the command as a startup task.
powershell .exe -file C:\\GenRandomQMID.ps1
Summary of the GenRandomQMID.ps1 script:

Remove the current QMId from the registry.

Add SysPrep = 1 to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSMQ\Parameters.

Stop related services, including CitrixSmAudAgent and MSMQ.

To generate a random QMId, start the services that stopped previously.

Example GENRANDOMQMID.PS1:

# Remove old QMId from registry and set SysPrep flag for MSMQ

Remove-Itemproperty -Path HKLM:Software\Microsoft\MSMQ\Parameters\MachineCache -Name QMId -Force

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:Software\Microsoft\MSMQ\Parameters -Name "SysPrep" -Type DWord -Value 1

# Get dependent services

$depServices = Get-Service -name MSMQ -dependentservices | Select -Property Name

# Restart MSMQ to get a new QMId

Restart-Service -force MSMQ

# Start dependent services

if ($depServices -ne $null) {

    foreach ($depService in $depServices) {

        $startMode = Get-WmiObject win32_service -filter "NAME = '$($depService.Name)'" | Select -Property StartMode

        if ($startMode.StartMode -eq "Auto") {

            Start-Service $depService.Name
        }
}

}
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Install the Session Recording Player and the web player

Install the Session Recording Player on the Session Recording Server or on workstations in the domain. Install the web player on the Session Recording Server only.

Double-click SessionRecordingPlayer.msi and SessionRecordingWebPlayer.msi and follow the instructions to complete the installation.

Automate installation

Session Recording supports silent installation with options. Write a script that uses silent installation and run the relevant commands.

Automate installation of the Session Recording Administration components

Install the complete set of the Session Recording Administration components by using a single command

For example, either of the following commands installs the complete set of the Session Recording Administration components and creates a log file to capture the installation information.

msiexec /i "c:\SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi" ADDLOCAL="SsRecServer,PolicyConsole,SsRecLogging,StorageDatabase" DATABASEINSTANCE="WNBIO-SRD-1" DATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecording" LOGGINGDATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecordingLogging" DATABASEUSER="localhost" /q /l*vx "yourinstallationlog"
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msiexec /i "SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi" ADDLOCAL="SsRecServer,PolicyConsole,SsRecLogging,StorageDatabase" DATABASEINSTANCE="CloudSQL" DATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecording" LOGGINGDATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecordingLogging" AZURESQLSERVICESUPPORT="1" AZUREUSERNAME="CloudSQLAdminName" AZUREPASSWORD="CloudSQLAdminPassword" /q /l*vx "c:\WithLogging.log"
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Note:

The SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi file is located on the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops ISO under \layout\image-full\x64\Session Recording.

Where:

ADDLOCAL provides the features for you to select. You can select more than one option. SsRecServer is the Session Recording Server. PolicyConsole is the Session Recording Policy Console. SsRecLogging is the Administrator Logging feature. StorageDatabase is the Session Recording Database. Session Recording Administrator Logging is an optional subfeature of the Session Recording Server. Select the Session Recording Server before you can select Session Recording Administrator Logging.
DATABASEINSTANCE is the instance name of the Session Recording database. For example,.\SQLEXPRESS,computer-name\SQLEXPRESS,computer-name or tcp:srt-sql-support.public.ca7b16b60789.database.windows.net,3342 if you are using Azure SQL Managed Instance.
DATABASENAME is the database name of the Session Recording Database.
LOGGINGDATABASENAME is the name of the Administrator Logging database.
AZURESQLSERVICESUPPORT determines whether cloud SQL is supported. To use cloud SQL, set it to 1.
DATABASEUSER is the computer account of the Session Recording Server.
AZUREUSERNAME is the cloud SQL admin name.
AZUREPASSWORD is the cloud SQL admin password.
/q specifies quiet mode.
/l*v specifies verbose logging.
yourinstallationlog is the location of your installation log file.

Create a master image for deploying the Session Recording Server

You might already have the Session Recording Database and the Administration Logging database in place from an existing deployment. For such scenarios, you can now forego database checks when you are installing the Session Recording Administration components using SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi. You can create a master image for deploying the Session Recording Server easily on many other machines. After deploying the Server on target machines using the master image, run a command on each machine to connect to the existing Session Recording Database and Administration Logging database. This master image support facilitates deployment and minimizes the potential impact of human error. It applies only to fresh installations and consists of the following steps:

Start a command prompt and run a command similar to the following:
```
msiexec /i "SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi" ADDLOCAL="SsRecServer,PolicyConsole,SsRecLogging,StorageDatabase" DATABASEINSTANCE="sqlnotexists" DATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecording2" LOGGINGDATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecordingLogging2" DATABASEUSER="localhost" /q /l*vx "c:\WithLogging.log" IGNOREDBCHECK="True"

```
This command installs the Session Recording Administration components without configuring and testing connectivity to the Session Recording Database and the Administration Logging database.

Set the IGNOREDBCHECK parameter to True and use random values for DATABASEINSTANCE, DATABASENAME, and LOGGINGDATABASENAME.
Create a master image on the machine that you are operating.
Deploy the master image to other machines for deploying the Session Recording Server.
On each of the machines, run commands similar to the following:
```
.\SsRecUtils.exe -modifydbconnectionpara DATABASEINSTANCE DATABASENAME LOGGINGDATABASENAME

iisreset /noforce

```
The commands connect the Session Recording Server installed earlier to an existing Session Recording Database and Administration Logging database.

The SsRecUtils.exe file resides in \Citrix\SessionRecording\Server\bin\. Set the DATABASEINSTANCE, DATABASENAME, and LOGGINGDATABASENAME parameters as needed.

Retain databases when uninstalling the Session Recording Administration components

With KEEPDB set to True, the following command retains the Session Recording Database and the Administration Logging database when uninstalling the Session Recording Administration components:

msiexec /x "SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi" KEEPDB="True"
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Automate installation of the Session Recording Player and web player

For example, the following commands install the Session Recording Player and web player, respectively.

msiexec /i "c:\SessionRecordingPlayer.msi" /q /l*\vx "yourinstallationlog"
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msiexec /i "c:\SessionRecordingWebPlayer.msi" /q /l*vx "yourinstallationlog"
<!--NeedCopy-->

Note:

The SessionRecordingPlayer.msi file is located on the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops ISO under \layout\image-full\x86\Session Recording.

The SessionRecordingWebPlayer.msi file is located on the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops ISO under \layout\image-full\x64\Session Recording.

Where:

/q specifies quiet mode.
/l*v specifies verbose logging.
yourinstallationlog is the location of your installation log file.

Automate installation of the Session Recording Agent

For example, the following command installs the Session Recording Agent and creates a log file to capture the installation information.

For 64-bit systems:

msiexec /i SessionRecordingAgentx64.msi /q /l*vx yourinstallationlog SESSIONRECORDINGSERVERNAME=yourservername
SESSIONRECORDINGBROKERPROTOCOL=yourbrokerprotocol SESSIONRECORDINGBROKERPORT=yourbrokerport
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Note:

The SessionRecordingAgentx64.msi file is located on the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops ISO under \layout\image-full\x64\Session Recording.

For 32-bit systems:

msiexec /i SessionRecordingAgent.msi /q /l*vx yourinstallationlog SESSIONRECORDINGSERVERNAME=yourservername
SESSIONRECORDINGBROKERPROTOCOL=yourbrokerprotocol SESSIONRECORDINGBROKERPORT=yourbrokerport
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Note:

The SessionRecordingAgent.msi file is located on the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops ISO under \layout\image-full\x86\Session Recording.

Where:

yourservername is the NetBIOS name or FQDN of the machine hosting the Session Recording Server. If not specified, this value defaults to localhost.
yourbrokerprotocol is HTTP or HTTPS that the Session Recording Agent uses to communicate with the Session Recording Broker. If not specified, this value defaults to HTTPS.
yourbrokerport is the port number that the Session Recording Agent uses to communicate with the Session Recording Broker. If not specified, this value defaults to zero, which directs the Session Recording Agent to use the default port number for your selected protocol: 80 for HTTP or 443 for HTTPS.
/q specifies quiet mode.
/l*v specifies verbose logging.
yourinstallationlog is the location of your installation log file.

Upgrade Session Recording

You can upgrade certain deployments to later versions without having to first set up new machines or sites. You can upgrade from the latest CU of Session Recording 7.15 LTSR, and from any later version, to the latest release of Session Recording.

Note:

When you upgrade Session Recording Administration from 7.6 to 7.13 or later and choose Modify in Session Recording Administration to add the Administrator Logging service, the SQL Server instance name does not appear on the Administrator Logging Configuration page. The following error message appears when you click Next: Database connection test failed. Please enter correct Database instance name. As a workaround, add the read permission for localhost users to the following SmartAuditor Server registry folder: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\SmartAuditor\Server.

You cannot upgrade from a Technical Preview version.

Requirements, preparation, and limitations

Use the Session Recording installer’s graphical or command line interface to upgrade the Session Recording components on the machine where you installed the components.
Before any upgrade activity, back up the database named CitrixSessionRecording in the SQL Server instance. In this way, you can restore it if any issues are discovered after the database upgrade.
In addition to being a domain user, you must be a local administrator on the machines where you are upgrading the Session Recording components.
If the Session Recording Server and Session Recording Database are not installed on the same server, you must have the database role permission to upgrade the Session Recording Database. Otherwise, you can:
- Ask the database administrator to assign the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions for the upgrade. After the upgrade completes, the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions are no longer necessary and can be safely removed.
- Or, use the SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi file to upgrade. During the msi upgrade, a dialog box prompts for the credentials of a database administrator who has the securityadmin and dbcreator server role permissions. Type the correct credentials and then click OK to continue the upgrade.
If you do not plan to upgrade all the Session Recording Agents at the same time, Session Recording Agent 7.6.0 (and later) is compatible with the latest (current) release of Session Recording Server. However, some new features and bug fixes might not take effect.
Any sessions started during the upgrade of Session Recording Server are not recorded.
The Graphics Adjustment option in Session Recording Agent Properties is enabled by default after a fresh installation or upgrade to keep compatible with the Desktop Composition Redirection mode. You can disable this option manually after a fresh installation or upgrade.
The Administrator Logging feature is not installed after you upgrade Session Recording from a previous release where the feature is unavailable. To add the feature, modify the installation after the upgrade.
If there are live recording sessions when the upgrade process starts, there is little chance that the recording can be complete.
Review the following upgrade sequence, so that you can plan and mitigate potential outages.

Upgrade sequence

When the Session Recording Database and Session Recording Server are installed on different servers, stop the Session Recording Storage Manager service manually on the Session Recording Server. Then upgrade the Session Recording Database first.
Through the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, ensure that the Session Recording Broker is running. Upgrade the Session Recording Server. If the Session Recording Database and Session Recording Server are installed on the same server, the Session Recording Database is also upgraded.
The Session Recording service is back online automatically when the upgrade of the Session Recording Server is completed.
Upgrade the Session Recording Agent (on the master image).
Upgrade the Session Recording Policy Console with or after the Session Recording Server.
Upgrade the Session Recording Player.

Deploy the Session Recording Database on cloud SQL database services

This section describes how to deploy the Session Recording Database on Azure SQL Managed Instance, on AWS RDS, and on SQL Server on Azure VMs.

Deploy the Session Recording Database on Azure SQL Managed Instance or on AWS RDS

Tip:

You can also run a single command similar to the following to deploy the Session Recording Database on Azure SQL Managed Instance or on AWS RDS. For more information, see the preceding Automate installation section in this article.

msiexec /i "SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi" ADDLOCAL="SsRecServer,PolicyConsole,SsRecLogging,StorageDatabase" DATABASEINSTANCE="CloudSQL" DATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecording" LOGGINGDATABASENAME="CitrixSessionRecordingLogging" AZURESQLSERVICESUPPORT="1" AZUREUSERNAME="CloudSQLAdminName" AZUREPASSWORD="CloudSQLAdminPassword" /q /l*vx "c:\WithLogging.log"
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Create an Azure SQL Managed instance or create a SQL Server instance through the Amazon RDS console.
(For Azure SQL only) Keep a record of the Server strings that appear in the properties panel. The strings are the instance name of the Session Recording Database. For an example, see the following screen capture.
(For AWS RDS only) Keep a record of the Endpoint and Port information. We use it as the instance name of your database, in the format of <Endpoint, Port>.
Run SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi to install the Session Recording Database.

Select the Enable cloud SQL check box and fill in the cloud SQL admin name and password. Make other required configurations.

Note: If you change the cloud SQL admin password, you must update the password in Session Recording Server Properties. When you open Session Recording Server Properties, an error message appears. Click OK to proceed, select the Cloud DB tab, and type the new cloud SQL admin password. Restart the Citrix Session Recording Analytics service, the Citrix Session Recording Storage Manager service, and the IIS service.

Migrate an on-premises database to cloud SQL Managed Instance

Migrate your on-premises database according to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/data-migration/ or https://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/patterns/migrate-an-on-premises-microsoft-sql-server-database-to-amazon-rds-for-sql-server.html.
To make Session Recording work properly after the migration, run SsRecUtils.exe on the Session Recording Server.

C:\Program Files\Citrix\SessionRecording\Server\bin\SsRecUtils.exe -modifyazuredbconnectionpara {Database Instance} {Session Recording Database Name} {Session Recording Logging Database Name} {AzureAdminName}{AzureAdminPassword} iisreset /noforce
On the Session Recording Server, restart the Citrix Session Recording Analytics service, the Citrix Session Recording Storage Manager service, and the IIS service.

Migrate a production database from Azure SQL Managed Instance to an on-premises database

Migrate the database according to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/data-migration/.
To make Session Recording work properly after the migration, run SsRecUtils.exe on the Session Recording Server.

C:\Program Files\Citrix\SessionRecording\Server\bin\SsRecUtils.exe -modifydbconnectionpara {Database Instance} {Session Recording Database Name} {Session Recording Logging Database Name} iisreset /noforce
On the Session Recording Server, restart the Citrix Session Recording Analytics service, the Citrix Session Recording Storage Manager service, and the IIS service.

Deploy the Session Recording Database on SQL Server on Azure VMs

On SQL Server on Azure VMs, you can deploy the Session Recording Database.

Check out an Azure SQL VM.
Configure the VM and add it to the domain where you install the Session Recording components.
Use the VM’s FQDN as the instance name during the installation of the Session Recording Database. Note: When you are using SessionRecordingAdministrationx64.msi for the installation, clear the Enable cloud SQL check box.
Follow instructions to complete the installation.

Uninstall Session Recording

To remove the Session Recording components from a server or workstation, use the uninstall or remove programs option available from the Windows Control Panel. To remove the Session Recording Database, you must have the same securityadmin and dbcreator SQL Server role permissions as when you installed it.

For security reasons, the Administrator Logging Database is not removed after the components are uninstalled.

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Install, upgrade, and uninstall

May 19, 2022

Contributed by:

B L

May 19, 2022

Contributed by:

B L

Installation checklist
Use Citrix scripts to install the Windows roles and features prerequisites
Install the Session Recording Administration components
Install the Session Recording Agent
Install the Session Recording Player and the web player
Automate installation
Upgrade Session Recording
Deploy the Session Recording Database on cloud SQL database services
Uninstall Session Recording

Install, upgrade, and uninstall

Installation checklist

Use Citrix scripts to install the Windows roles and features prerequisites

Install the Session Recording Administration components

Install the Session Recording Database

Install the Session Recording Server

Install the Session Recording Agent

Install the Session Recording Player and the web player

Automate installation

Automate installation of the Session Recording Administration components

Install the complete set of the Session Recording Administration components by using a single command

Create a master image for deploying the Session Recording Server

Retain databases when uninstalling the Session Recording Administration components

Automate installation of the Session Recording Player and web player

Automate installation of the Session Recording Agent

Upgrade Session Recording

Requirements, preparation, and limitations

Upgrade sequence

Deploy the Session Recording Database on cloud SQL database services

Deploy the Session Recording Database on Azure SQL Managed Instance or on AWS RDS

Migrate an on-premises database to cloud SQL Managed Instance

Migrate a production database from Azure SQL Managed Instance to an on-premises database

Deploy the Session Recording Database on SQL Server on Azure VMs

Uninstall Session Recording

In this article