XenApp and XenDesktop

Install core components

The core components are the Delivery Controller, Studio, Director, and License Server.

(In versions before 7.15 LTSR CU6, core components included StoreFront. You can still install StoreFront by choosing Citrix StoreFront from the Extend Deployment section, or by running the command available on the installation media.)

Important: Before you start an installation, review Prepare to install. Also, review this article before starting an installation.

This article describes the installation wizard sequence when installing core components. Command-line equivalents are provided. For more information, see Install using the command line.

Step 1. Download the product software and launch the wizard

Use your Citrix account credentials to access the XenApp and XenDesktop download page. Download the product ISO file.

Unzip the file. Optionally, burn a DVD of the ISO file.

Log on to the machine where you are installing the core components, using a local administrator account.

Insert the DVD in the drive or mount the ISO file. If the installer does not launch automatically, double-click the AutoSelect application or the mounted drive.

Step 2. Choose which product to install

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Click Start next to the product to install: XenApp or XenDesktop.

(If the machine already has XenApp or XenDesktop components installed on it, this page does not appear.)

Command-line option: /xenapp to install XenApp; XenDesktop is installed if option is omitted

Step 3. Choose what to install

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If you’re just getting started, select Delivery Controller. (On a later page, you select the specific components to install on this machine.)

If you’ve already installed a Controller (on this machine or another) and want to install another component, select the component from the Extend Deployment section.

Command-line option: /components

Step 4. Read and accept the license agreement

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On the Licensing Agreement page, after you read the license agreement, indicate that you have read and accepted it. Then click Next.

Step 5. Select the components to install and the installation location

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On the Core components page:

  • Location: By default, components are installed in C:\Program Files\Citrix. The default is fine for most deployments. If you specify a different location, it must have execute permissions for network service.
  • Components: By default, the check boxes for all core components are selected. Installing all core components on one server is fine for proof of concept, test, or small production deployments. For larger production environments, Citrix recommends installing Director, StoreFront, and the License Server on separate servers.

Select only the components you want to install on this machine. After you install components on this machine, you can run the installer again on other machines to install other components.

An icon alerts you when you choose not to install a required core component on this machine. That alert reminds you to install that component, although not necessarily on this machine.

Click Next.

Command-line options: /installdir, /components, /exclude

Step 6. Enable or disable features

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On the Features page:

  • Choose whether to install Microsoft SQL Server Express for use as the Site database. By default, this selection is enabled. If you’re not familiar with the XenApp and XenDesktop databases, review Databases.
  • When you install Director, Windows Remote Assistance is installed automatically. You choose whether to enable shadowing in Windows Remote Assistance for use with Director user shadowing. Enabling shadowing opens TCP port 3389. By default, this feature is enabled. The default setting is fine for most deployments. This feature appears only when you are installing Director.

Click Next.

Command-line options: /nosql (to prevent installation), /no_remote_assistance (to prevent enabling)

Step 7. Open Windows firewall ports automatically

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By default, the ports on the Firewall page are opened automatically if the Windows Firewall Service is running, even if the firewall is not enabled. The default setting is fine for most deployments. For port information, see Network ports.

Click Next.

(The graphic shows the port lists when you install all the core components on this machine. That type of installation is usually done only for test deployments.)

Command-line option: /configure_firewall

Step 8. Review prerequisites and confirm installation

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The Summary page lists what will be installed. Use the Back button to return to earlier wizard pages and change selections, if needed.

When you’re ready, click Install.

The display shows the progress of the installation:

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Step 9. Connect to Smart Tools and Call Home

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When installing or upgrading a Delivery Controller, the Smart Agent page offers several options:

  • Enable connections to Smart Tools and Call Home. This is the recommended selection.
  • Enable connections to Call Home. During an upgrade, this option does not appear if Call Home is already enabled or if the installer encounters an error related to the Citrix Telemetry Service.
  • Do not enable connections to Smart Tools or Call Home.

If you install StoreFront (but not a Controller), the wizard displays the Smart Tools page. If you install other core components (but not a Controller or StoreFront), the wizard does not display either the Smart Tools or Call Home pages.

If you choose an option to enable connections to Smart Tools and/or Call Home:

  1. Click Connect.
  2. Provide your Citrix or Citrix Cloud credentials.
  3. After your credentials are validated, the process downloads a Smart Agent certificate. After this completes successfully, a green check mark appears next to the Connect button. If an error occurs during this process, change your participation selection (to “I do not want to …”). You can enroll later.
  4. Click Next to continue with the installation wizard.

If you choose not to participate, click Next.

Command-line option: /exclude “Smart Tools Agent” (to prevent installation)

Step 10. Finish this installation

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The Finish page contains green check marks for all prerequisites and components that installed and initialized successfully.

Click Finish.

Step 11: Install remaining core components on other machines

If you installed all the core components on one machine, continue with Next steps. Otherwise, run the installer on other machines to install other core components. You can also install more Controllers on other servers.

Next steps

After you install all the required core components, use Studio to create a Site.

After creating the Site, install VDAs.

At any time, you can use the full-product installer to extend your deployment with the following components:

  • Universal Print Server server component: Launch the installer on the print server. Select Universal Print Server in the Extend Deployment section. Accept the license agreement, then proceed to the end of the wizard. There is nothing else to specify or select. To install this component form the command line, see Install using the command line.
  • Federated Authentication Service: See Federated Authentication Service.
  • Self-Service Password Reset Service: See the Self-Service Password Reset Service documentation.