XenApp and XenDesktop

Install and configure

Review the referenced articles before starting each deployment step, to learn about what you see and specify during the deployment.

Use the following sequence to deploy XenApp or XenDesktop.

Prepare

Review Prepare to install and complete any necessary tasks.

  • Where to find information about concepts, features, differences from earlier releases, system requirements, and databases.
  • Considerations when deciding where to install core components.
  • Permission and Active Directory requirements.
  • Information about the available installers, tools, and interfaces.

Install core components

Install the Delivery Controller, Citrix Studio, Citrix Director, Citrix License Server, and Citrix StoreFront. For details, see Install core components or Install using the command line.

Create a Site

After you install the core components and launch Studio, you are automatically guided to create a Site.

Install one or more Virtual Delivery Agents (VDAs)

Install a VDA on a machine running a Windows operating system, either on a master image or directly on each machine. See Install VDAs or Install using the command line. Sample scripts are provided if you want to install VDAs through Active Directory.

For machines with a Linux operating system, follow the guidance in Linux Virtual Delivery Agent.

For a Remote PC Access deployment, install a VDA for Desktop OS on each office PC. If you need only the core VDA services, use the standalone VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe installer and your existing Electronic Software Distribution (ESD) methods. (Prepare to install contains complete information about the available VDA installers.)

Install other optional components

If you plan to use the Citrix Universal Print Server, install its server component on your print servers. See Install core components or Install using the command line.

To allow StoreFront to use authentication options such as SAML assertions, install the Citrix Federated Authentication Service.

To enable end users to have greater control over their user accounts, install Self-Service Password Reset. For details, see the Self-Service Password Reset documentation.

Optionally, integrate more Citrix components into your XenApp or XenDesktop deployment.

  • Provisioning Services is an optional component of XenApp and XenDesktop that provisions machines by streaming a master image to target devices.
  • Citrix NetScaler Gateway is a secure application access solution that provides administrators with granular application-level policy and action controls to secure access to applications and data.
  • Citrix NetScaler SD-WAN is a set of appliances that optimize WAN performance.

For installation guidance, see the documentation for these components, features, and technologies.

Create a machine catalog

After you create a Site in Studio, you are guided to create a machine catalog.

A catalog can contain physical or virtual machines (VMs). Virtual machines can be created from a master image. When using a hypervisor or cloud service to provide VMs, you first create a master image on that host. Then, when you create the catalog, you specify that image, which is used when creating VMs.

Create a Delivery Group

After you create your first machine catalog in Studio, you are guided to create a Delivery Group.

A Delivery Group specifies which users can access machines in a selected catalog and the applications available to those users.

Create an Application Group (optional)

After you create a Delivery Group, you can optionally create an Application Group. You can create Application Groups for applications that are shared across different Delivery Groups or used by a subset of users within Delivery Groups.

Install and configure