Help desks - Request and manage

Last published : Nov 02, 2026
As a Citrix ITSM IT help desk, you can request and manage apps and desktops for end users.
Related information
Deliver and manage apps and desktops

Required roles

You must have one of the following Citrix ITSM roles:
  • Help desk (x_cion_citrix_it_s.ctx_itsm_helpdesk)
  • Operator (x_cion_citrix_it_s.ctx_itsm_operator)
  • Administrator (x_cion_citrix_it_s.ctx_itsm_admin)
Note:
The incident actions described in Manage Citrix issues from a ServiceNow incident require the Help desk or Administrator role. The Operator role alone cannot use these actions.

Request applications for users

You can request applications for users in your organization.
Note:
By default, all published applications and desktops are unavailable for requests. Before a published resource can be requested, you must enable its availability. For more information, see Set application and desktop availability for user requests.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Services > Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops™.
  3. Click Request applications. The Request applications page appears.
    Application request administrator view
  4. Select one or more users:
    1. Click the lock icon to unlock the field.
    2. In the blank space of the field, type a user name, and then click the target user. The user appears in the user list.
    3. To remove a user from the user list, click the delete icon.
    4. Click the lock icon to confirm the selection.
  5. Select one or more applications in the same way as you select users.
  6. Click Submit.
    The request appears in the User Requests menu for approval. Requests for an application can be automatically approved if a Citrix ITSM administrator enables automatic approval for that application.

Reset sessions for users

You can reset a desktop or app session based on user requests or business needs.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Services > Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  3. Click Reset a session.
  4. Use the filters to target the sessions.
    For example, after you select a user from the drop-down menu, all sessions of the user are listed. You can also select all users by setting the User field to All, and then set the other fields to filter sessions.
  5. Select a session.
  6. Click Submit.
    The target session resets immediately and its current user is logged out of the session.

Power manage VDI desktops

You can power manage a VDI desktop in your deployment.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Services > Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  3. Click Power manage VDI desktops.
  4. Set the filters to target the VDI desktops.
    Fields for filtering VDI desktops
    For example, after you select a user from the drop-down menu, all machines of the user are listed. You can also select all users by setting the User field to All, and then set the other fields to filter VDI desktops.
  5. Select a target VDI desktop, and then select a power action to apply on the target VDI desktop.
  6. Click Submit.
    The selected power action is applied to the target desktop immediately.

Reset user profiles

Note:
This feature applies only to Citrix Profile Management deployments. For more information, see this Citrix DaaS article.
You can reset profiles for users in your organization.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Services > Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  3. Click Reset user profiles.
  4. In the Users field, click the lock icon to unlock the field.
  5. Search for a user by the user name, and then click the Add icon to add the user to the Users list. If needed, repeat this step to add more users.
  6. To delete a user from the Users list, select the user and click the delete icon.
  7. Click the lock icon to confirm your selection.
  8. Click Submit.

Request desktops for users

You can request desktops for users in your organization.
Note:
By default, all published applications and desktops are unavailable for requests. Before a published resource can be requested, you must enable its availability. For more information, see Set application and desktop availability for user requests.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Services > Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  3. Click Request a desktop. The Request a desktop page appears.
  4. From the Configuration list, select a published desktop group as needed.
    Looking for available machine catalogs
  5. Click Submit.
    The request appears in the User Requests menu for approval. Requests for a desktop can be automatically approved if a Citrix ITSM administrator enables automatic approval for that desktop.

Request MCS-created machines

If a machine catalog is short on machines, you can submit a request to provision MCS-created machines for this catalog.
Note:
This service item applies only to adding machines to machine catalogs created in Citrix DaaS.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Services > Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  3. Click Add MCS-created machines.
    Add a custom number of machines to a catalog by using MCS
  4. Select where you want to add the machines:
    • In the Machine Catalog field, type the name of the machine catalog you want to add the machines to. Next, click the search icon to search and select it.
    • (Optional) In the Delivery Group field, type the name of the delivery group you want to add the machines to. Next, click the search icon to search and select the group.
  5. (Optional) From the Power On list, select the power status of the new machines. By default, the newly created machines are in a power-off state.
  6. In the Quantity field, type the number of machines you want to add, and then click Submit.
    The request appears in the User Requests menu for approval.

Request desktop scaling for users

As an IT help desk, you can request desktop scaling to adjust resources based on users' workload needs.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Services > Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
  3. Click Scale Citrix Virtual Desktops™.
    filter out assigned desktops for scaling
  4. Use one or more filters to locate the assigned desktops you want to scale:
    • User (optional): Select Yes for Filter by user, then click the Magnifier icon to select a user.
    • Delivery group: Select a group from the drop-down list. All groups are selected by default.
    • Machine catalog: Select a catalog from the drop-down list. All catalogs are selected by default.
  5. In the filtered list of assigned desktops, select the desktop to scale.
    Note:
    If the machine catalog isn't enabled for VM resizing enabled, an error message prompts you to contact ITSM service administrators.
  6. From the VM Resize Option drop-down list, select the desired size.
  7. Specify the start and end times for a scheduled resizing.
  8. Click Order now at the top-right corner.
    The request appears in the User Requests menu for approval.
    Note:
    Desktop scaling occurs at the scheduled time period after a resource manager approves your request.

Manage Citrix issues from a ServiceNow incident

As an IT help desk agent, triage and resolve Citrix issues directly from a ServiceNow incident. A Citrix view of your incidents and a Citrix Diagnostics section on each incident form let you inspect and act on the user's Citrix sessions and machines without switching tools.
Note:
These actions require the Help desk role. Administrators can also use them.

Open the Citrix view of your incidents

Open a pre-filtered list of the incidents your organization tracks for Citrix. Start here to find the incident you want to work on.
  1. Sign in to your ServiceNow Service Management Portal.
  2. Go to Citrix IT Service Management Connector > Citrix Incidents.
  3. The Citrix incident list opens, pre-filtered to the incidents your organization tracks for Citrix. Select an incident to open it.
Note:
An administrator defines which incidents appear in this view. To set or change the filter, see Set the Citrix incident view filter.

View and manage a user's Citrix sessions

Review the user's active Citrix sessions, record their details on the incident, and log off sessions when needed.
  1. On the incident form, in the Citrix Diagnostics section, select View user sessions.
    Citrix Diagnostics section on a ServiceNow incident form
  2. In the Citrix — User sessions window, review the user's active sessions. Each session shows its state, type, machine, operating system, Site, and Customer.
    Citrix User sessions window
  3. Select one or more sessions, and then do one of the following:
    • To record session details on the incident, select Add session details to work notes.
    • To log off the selected sessions, select Reset selected sessions, and then confirm. This action cannot be undone.
  4. To reload the list, select Refresh.

View and manage a user's VDA machines

Review the user's VDA machines and act on them. Power-manage a machine, toggle maintenance mode, run a health check, or review failed sessions.
  1. On the incident form, in the Citrix Diagnostics section, select View VDA machines.
  2. In the Citrix — VDA Machines window, review the user's machines. Each machine shows its registration state, power state, maintenance state, Site, and Customer.
    Citrix VDA Machines window
  3. For a machine, you can do the following:
    • Select a power operation from Power action (for example, Restart or Shut down), and then confirm.
    • Select Turn on maintenance mode or Turn off maintenance mode, and then confirm.
    • Select Run health check to start a Citrix Health Check.
    • Select View failed sessions to review the user's failed sessions on that machine.
  4. To record machine details on the incident, select Write machine info to work notes.

Run a Citrix Health Check

Run a health check on a VDA machine to diagnose its state. The report posts to the incident's work notes when the check completes.
  1. In the Citrix — VDA Machines window, select Run health check for a machine.
  2. The check runs in the background. You can continue working. The health-check report is added to the incident's work notes when it completes.
Note:
Run health check is not supported for on-premises VDAs.

Review failed sessions

Review the user's failed sessions on a machine over a time range, and record the ones you choose on the incident.
  1. In the Citrix — VDA Machines window, select View failed sessions for a machine.
  2. Select a Time range: Last 7 days, Last 3 days, or Last 24 hours (the default).
  3. Select one or more failed sessions, and then select Add session info to work notes.
Note:
Failed sessions are not available for on-premises VDAs.