XenApp and XenDesktop

Install using the command line

This article applies to installing components on machines with Windows operating systems. For information about VDAs for Linux operating systems, see the Linux Virtual Delivery Agent documentation.

Important:

This article describes how to issue product installation commands. Before beginning any installation, review Prepare to install. That article includes descriptions of the available installers.

To see command execution progress and return values, you must be the original administrator or use Run as administrator. For more information, see the Microsoft command documentation.

As a complement to using the installation commands directly, sample scripts are provided on the product ISO that install, upgrade, or remove VDAs machines in Active Directory. For details, see Install VDAs using scripts.

Use the full-product installer

To access the full product installer’s command-line interface:

  1. Download the product package from Citrix. Citrix account credentials are required to access the download site.
  2. Unzip the file. Optionally, burn a DVD of the ISO file.
  3. Log on to the server where you are installing the components, using a local administrator account.
  4. Insert the DVD in the drive or mount the ISO file.
  5. From the \x64\XenDesktop Setup directory on the media, run the appropriate command.

To install core components

Run the XenDesktopServerSetup.exe command, with the options listed in Command-line options for installing core components.

To install a VDA

Run the XenDesktopVDASetup.exe command with the options listed in Command-line options for installing a VDA.

To install the Universal Print Server

Follow the guidance in Install the Universal Print Server using the command line.

To install the Federated Authentication Service

Citrix recommends using the graphical interface.

To install the Self-Service Password Reset Service

Follow the guidance in the Self-Service Password Reset Service documentation.

Use a standalone VDA installer

Citrix account credentials are required to access the download site. You must either have elevated administrative privileges before starting the installation or use Run as administrator.

  • Download the appropriate package from Citrix:
Component name on download page Installer file name
Server OS Virtual Delivery Agent <version> VDAServerSetup.exe
Desktop OS Virtual Delivery Agent <version> VDAWorkstationSetup.exe
Desktop OS Core Services Virtual Delivery Agent <version> VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe
  • Either extract the files from the package to an existing directory first and then run the installation command, or just run the package.

To extract the files before installing them, use /extract with the absolute path, for example .\VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe /extract %temp%\CitrixVDAInstallMedia. (The directory must exist. Otherwise, the extract fails.) Then in a separate command, run XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe from the directory containing the extracted content (in the preceding example, CitrixVDAInstallMedia). Use the valid options in Command-line options for installing a VDA.

To run the downloaded package, just run its name: VDAServerSetup.exe, VDAWorkstationSetup.exe, or VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe. Use the valid options in Command-line options for installing a VDA.

If you are familiar with the full product installer:

  • Run the standalone VDAServerSetup.exe or VDAWorkstationSetup.exe installer as if it was the XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe command in everything except its name.

  • The VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe installer is different, because it supports a subset of the options available to the other installers.

Command-line options for installing core components

The following options are valid when installing core components with the XenDesktopServerSetup.exe command. For more detail about options, see Install core components.

/components <component> [,<component>] …

Comma-separated list of components to install or remove. Valid values are:

CONTROLLER: Controller

DESKTOPSTUDIO: Studio

DESKTOPDIRECTOR: Director

LICENSESERVER: Citrix License Server

If this option is omitted, all components are installed (or removed, if the /remove option is also specified).

(In releases before 7.15 LTSR CU6, valid values included StoreFront. For version 7.15 LTSR CU6 and later, use the dedicated StoreFront installation command noted in Install StoreFront).

/configure_firewall

Opens all ports in the Windows firewall used by the components being installed, if the Windows Firewall Service is running, even if the firewall is not enabled. If you are using a third-party firewall or no firewall, you must manually open the ports.

/disableexperiencemetrics

Prevents automatic upload of analytics collected during installation, upgrade, or removal to Citrix.

/exclude

Prevents installation of one or more comma-separated features, services, or technologies, enclosed in straight quotation marks. Valid values are:

Local Host Cache Storage (LocalDB): Prevents installation of the database used for Local Host Cache. This option has no effect on whether SQL Server Express is installed for use as the Site database.

Smart Tools Agent: Prevents installation of the Citrix Smart Tools agent.

Note:

As of CU4, Smart Tools is no longer included in the installer. Instances of Smart Tools present from earlier installations remain untouched.

/help or /h

Displays command help.

/installdir <directory>

Existing empty directory where components will be installed. Default = c:\Program Files\Citrix.

/logpath <path>

Log file location. The specified folder must exist. The installer does not create it. Default = "%TEMP%\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer"

/no_remote_assistance

Valid only when installing Director. Disables the user shadowing feature that uses Windows Remote Assistance.

/noreboot

Prevents a restart after installation. (For most core components, a restart is not enabled by default.)

/nosql

Prevents installation of Microsoft SQL Server Express on the server where you are installing the Controller. If this option is omitted, SQL Server Express is installed for use as the site database. (This option has no effect on the installation of SQL Server Express LocalDB used for Local Host Cache.)

/quiet or /passive

No user interface appears during the installation. The only evidence of the installation process is in Windows Task Manager. If this option is omitted, the graphical interface launches.

/remove

Removes the core components specified with the /components option.

/removeall

Removes all installed core components.

/sendexperiencemetrics

Automatically sends analytics collected during the installation, upgrade, or removal to Citrix. If this option is omitted (or /disableexperiencemetrics is specified), the analytics are collected locally, but not sent automatically.

/tempdir <directory>

Directory that holds temporary files during installation. Default = c:\Windows\Temp.

/xenapp

Installs XenApp. If this option is omitted, XenDesktop is installed.

Examples: Install core components

The following command installs a XenDesktop Controller, Studio, Citrix Licensing, and SQL Server Express on a server. Firewall ports required for component communications are opened automatically.

\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopServerSetup.exe /components controller,desktopstudio,licenseserver /configure_firewall

The following command installs a XenApp Controller, Studio, and SQL Server Express on the server. Firewall ports required for component communication are opened automatically.

\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopServerSetup.exe /xenapp /components controller,desktopstudio /configure_firewall

Command-line options for installing a VDA

The following options are valid with one or more of the following commands: XenDesktopVDASetup.exe, VDAServerSetup.exe, VDAWorkstationSetup.exe, or VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe.

/baseimage

Valid only when installing a VDA for Desktop OS on a VM. Enables the use of Personal vDisks with a master image. For details, see Personal vDisk.

This option is not valid when using the VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe installer.

/components <component>[,<component>]

Comma-separated list of components to install or remove. Valid values are:

VDA: Virtual Delivery Agent

PLUGINS: Citrix Receiver for Windows (CitrixReceiver.exe)

For example, to install the VDA but not Citrix Receiver, specify /components vda.

If this option is omitted, all components are installed.

This option is not valid when using the VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe installer. That installer cannot install a Citrix Receiver.

/controllers “<controller> [<controller>] […]”

Space-separated FQDNs of Controllers with which the VDA can communicate, enclosed in straight quotation marks. Do not specify both the /site_guid and /controllers options.

/disableexperiencemetrics

Prevents the automatic upload of analytics collected during installation, upgrade, or removal to Citrix.

/enable_framehawk_port

Opens the UDP ports used by Framehawk. Default = false

/enable_hdx_3d_pro

Installs the VDA in HDX 3D Pro mode.

/enable_hdx_ports

Opens ports in the Windows firewall required by the VDA and enabled features (except Windows Remote Assistance), if the Windows Firewall Service is detected, even if the firewall is not enabled. If you are using a different firewall or no firewall, you must configure the firewall manually. For port information, see Network ports.

To open the UDP ports that HDX adaptive transport uses, specify the /enable_hdx_udp_ports option and the /enable_hdx_ports option.

/enable_hdx_udp_ports

Opens UDP ports in the Windows firewall that are required by HDX adaptive transport, if the Windows Firewall Service is detected, even if the firewall is not enabled. If you are using a different firewall or no firewall, you must configure the firewall manually. For port information, see Network ports.

To open other ports that the VDA uses, specify the /enable_hdx_ports option and the /enable_hdx_udp_ports option.

/enable_real_time_transport

Enables or disables use of UDP for audio packets (Real-Time Audio Transport for audio). Enabling this feature can improve audio performance. Include the /enable_hdx_ports option if you want the UDP ports opened automatically when the Windows Firewall Service is detected.

/enable_remote_assistance

Enables the shadowing feature in Windows Remote Assistance for use with Director. If you specify this option, Windows Remote Assistance opens the dynamic ports in the firewall.

/exclude “<component>”[,”<component>”]

Prevents installation of one or more comma-separated optional components, enclosed in straight quotation marks. For example, installing or upgrading a VDA on an image that is not managed by MCS does not require the Personal vDisk or Machine Identity Service components. Valid values are:

  • Personal vDisk
  • Machine Identity Service
  • Citrix User Profile Manager
  • Citrix User Profile Manager WMI Plugin
  • Citrix Universal Print Client
  • Citrix Telemetry Service
  • Citrix Personalization for App-V - VDA

Excluding Citrix Profile Management from the installation (using the /exclude "Citrix User Profile Manager" option) affects monitoring and troubleshooting of VDAs with Citrix Director. On the User details and EndPoint pages, the Personalization panel and the Logon Duration panel fail. On the Dashboard and Trends pages, the Average Logon Duration panel displays data only for machines that have Profile Management installed.

Even if you are using a third-party user profile management solution, Citrix recommends that you install and run the Citrix Profile Management Service. Enabling the Citrix Profile Management Service is not required.

This option is not valid when using the VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe installer. That installer automatically excludes many of these items.

/h or /help

Displays command help.

/hdxflashv2only

Prevents installation of Flash redirection legacy binaries, for enhanced security.

This option is not available in the graphical interface.

/installdir <directory>

Existing empty directory where components will be installed. Default = c:\Program Files\Citrix.

/logpath <path>

Log file location. The specified folder must exist. The installer does not create it. Default = "%TEMP%\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer"

This option is not available in the graphical interface.

/masterimage

Valid only when installing a VDA on a VM. Sets up the VDA as a master image.

This option is not valid when using the VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe installer.

/no_mediafoundation_ack

Acknowledges that Microsoft Media Foundation is not installed, and several HDX multimedia features will not be installed and will not work. If this option is omitted and Media Foundation is not installed, the VDA installation fails. Most supported Windows editions come with Media Foundation already installed, except for N editions.

/nocitrixwddm

Valid only on Windows 7 machines that do not include a WDDM driver. Disables installation of the Citrix WDDM driver.

This option is not available in the graphical interface.

/nodesktopexperience

Valid only when installing a VDA for Server OS. Prevents enabling of the Enhanced Desktop Experience feature. This feature is also controlled with the Enhanced Desktop Experience Citrix policy setting.

/noreboot

Prevents a restart after installation. The VDA cannot be used until after a restart.

/noresume

By default, when a machine restart is needed during an installation, the installer resumes automatically after the restart completes. To override the default, specify /noresume. This can be helpful if you must remount the media or want to capture information during an automated installation.

/optimize

Valid only when installing a VDA on a VM. Enables optimization for VDAs running in a VM on a hypervisor. VM optimization includes disabling offline files, disabling background defragmentation, and reducing event log size. Do not specify this option for Remote PC Access deployments. For more information, see CTX224676.

/portnumber <port>

Valid only when the /reconfig option is specified. Port number to enable for communications between the VDA and the Controller. The previously configured port is disabled, unless it is port 80.

/quiet or /passive

No user interface appears during the installation. The only evidence of the installation and configuration process is in Windows Task Manager. If this option is omitted, the graphical interface launches.

/reconfigure

Customizes previously configured VDA settings when used with the /portnumber, /controllers, or /enable_hdx_ports options. If you specify this option without also specifying the /quiet option, the graphical interface for customizing the VDA launches.

/remotepc

Valid only for Remote PC Access deployments. Excludes installation of the following components on a Desktop OS:

  • Citrix Personalization for App-V
  • Citrix User Profile Manager
  • Citrix User Profile Manager WMI Plugin
  • Machine Identity Service
  • Personal vDisk

This option is not valid when using the VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe installer. That installer automatically excludes installation of these components.

/remove

Removes the components specified with the /components option.

/removeall

Removes all installed VDA components.

/sendexperiencemetrics

Automatically sends analytics collected during the installation, upgrade, or removal to Citrix. If this option is omitted (or the /disableexperiencemetrics option is specified), the analytics are collected locally, but not sent automatically.

/servervdi

Installs a VDA for Desktop OS on a supported Windows server. Omit this option when installing a VDA for Server OS on a Windows server. Before using this option, see Server VDI.

Use this option only with the full-product VDA installer. This option is not available in the graphical interface.

/site_guid <guid>

Globally Unique Identifier of the site Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU). This associates a virtual desktop with a Site when you are using Active Directory for discovery (auto-update is the recommended and default discovery method). The site GUID is a site property displayed in Studio. Do not specify both the /site_guid and /controllers options.

/tempdir <directory>

Directory to hold temporary files during installation. Default = c:\Windows\Temp.

This option is not available in the graphical interface.

/virtualmachine

Valid only when installing a VDA on a VM. Overrides detection by the installer of a physical machine, where BIOS information passed to VMs makes them appear as physical machines.

This option is not available in the graphical interface.

Examples: Install a VDA

Install a VDA with the full-product installer

The following command installs a VDA for Desktop OS and Citrix Receiver to the default location on a VM. This VDA will be used as a master image. The VDA will register initially with the Controller on the server named ‘Contr-Main’ in the domain ‘mydomain.’ The VDA will use Personal vDisks, the optimization feature, and Windows Remote Assistance.

\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe /quiet /components vda,plugins /controllers "Contr-Main.mydomain.local" /enable_hdx_ports /optimize /masterimage /baseimage /enable_remote_assistance

Install a Desktop OS VDA with the VDAWorkstationCoreSetup standalone installer

The following command installs a Core Services VDA on a Desktop OS for use in a Remote PC Access or VDI deployment. Citrix Receiver and other non-core services are not installed. The address of a Controller is specified, and ports in the Windows Firewall Service will be opened automatically. The administrator will handle restarts.

VDAWorkstationCoreSetup .exe /quiet /controllers "Contr-East.domain.com" /enable_hdx_ports /noreboot

Customize a VDA using the command line

After you install a VDA, you can customize several settings. From the \x64\XenDesktop Setup directory on the product media, run the XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe command, using one or more of the following options, which are described in Command-line options for installing a VDA.

  • /reconfigure (required when customizing a VDA)
  • /h or /help
  • /quiet
  • /noreboot
  • /controllers
  • /portnumber port
  • /enable_hdx_ports

Install the Universal Print Server using the command line

Run one of the following commands on each print server:

  • On a supported 32-bit operating system: From the \x86\Universal Print Server\ directory on the Citrix installation media, run UpsServer_x86.msi.
  • On a supported 64-bit operating system: From the \x64\Universal Print Server\ directory on the Citrix installation media, run UpsServer_x64.msi.

After you install the Universal Print Server component on your print servers, configure it using the guidance in Provision printers.