Stuck at installation of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

[Sander Matthijsse]

Hello,

 

I'm new at Citrix XenDesktop. After a bit of research i wanted to give XenDesktop a try.

 

Signed-up for the 90 day trail period and downloaded Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 1903.iso

 

With hyper-v created a Server 2016 server, connected to our domain and did al the patches and updates.

Then the installation begon using this guide: https://www.citrix.com/products/citrix-virtual-apps-and-desktops/resources/reviewers-guide/

 

Step 1.1 went fine. Clicked on Delivery Controller under Get Started and after 20 minutes, it installed everything on this server.

(See Photo 1)

 

Then Step 1.2: Start Studio for the first time and build a new site.

This is where I get stuck. (See Photo 3)

 

Instead of the Welcome to Citrix Studio screen, at step 1.2 in the guide, i have to enter a Controller address to get started.

 

What do I enter here? I installed everything on this machine so should it then be this machine aka VM1?

 

I tried to enter VM1.domainname.local, or just localhost but it did not work.

 

See photo 4.

 

What is it that I'm doing wrong?

Quote

 

 

 

 

[Pengpeng Fan]

Hi sander,

 

This issue should be exact the one described in the studio prompt dialog, which is studio cannot find a working CCS in the given DDC.

But it should be always OK if we just fresh-install a DDC(with studio) then launch the studio in the local DDC machine.

 

Some check points may be help to locate into the root cause:

1. Does DDC machine has enough memory, 6GB is the minimize size we supported for a DDC deployment.

2. Does Studio was launched in the local DDC machine, make sure domain joined and login with a domain account(not a local admin)

3. Check if the CCS works well in the local DDC, the Citrix Configuration Service should keep running, actually all Citrix * service should keep running in a normal DDC (refer to pic-1)

4. If we can communication with CCS using powershell normally (The status maybe DBUnconfig if site not created) (refer to pic-2)

 

I would love to work with you to solve the problem if there is still any issue blocked you using studio.

[CarlStalhood]

When you installed the software, did you double-click the ISO to mount it? And then did it ask to reboot? After the reboot, you have to mount the ISO again and run the installer again so it finishes the install.

[Sander Matthijsse]

Thanks for your help!

 

It was indeed the memory. I gave the machine only 4GB. With 8GB it installed fine.

[Sander Matthijsse]

I still have another question but i don't know if this is the right section from the forum to ask this.

 

My test environment:

1 physical server running Windows Server 2012 with Hyper-V.

This server runs 2 virtual machines.

- The first one runs Windows Server 2016 and is the Delivery Controller.

- The other one is a Windows 10 installation that I prept for the Master Image.

 

At Step 2: (Create Master Image, Machine Catalog and Delivery Group), I went for option B: Deploy VDI desktop with Windows 10. Because that is what I want to do.

I have to select: Machines that are power managed, but i can't click on it. (Photo 1 and 2.)

 

I looked at Citrix Studio for an answer and I saw that I did not provide a Connection under Hosting. (Photo 3)

When I want to add a connection, I have to choose. (Photo 4) What do I have to choose when using Hyper-v?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pengpeng Fan]

Hi Sander,

 

There are many ways to provision vms which used to publish desktops or applications.

 

The first and the simplest way is to add a existed machine in the domain.

For example, you already created a win10 vm in your Hyper-V, then the only thing you need to do next is to choose the "Machine are not power managed" option and pick out this machine from your domain(you need add this machine into domain manually, and surely before this you also need install the Desktop VDA Agent on your win10 VM and point to the right DDC address during VDA setup).

 

The second way is to add a existed machine from a connection created in the Hosting node, by which you can provison a "Machine are power managed" catalog.

We do not support creating a connection directly on a Hyper-V, instead you need create a SCVMM(Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager) node to manage your Hyper-V node, then you can continue to create a connection on the SCVMM node, choosing the "Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager" connection type.

 

The latest way is to add a machine auto-created by MCS tool from a resource created under a connection.

 

To summarize, you problem is to add a power managed machine but missing a connection, solution is that:

Use the power not managed type instead, or you need a SCVMM machine to create the connection as we cannot create a connection directly to the Hyper-V machine.

[Sander Matthijsse]

Once again, thanks for you excellent explanation.

I went for your first solution:

 

For example, you already created a win10 vm in your Hyper-V, then the only thing you need to do next is to choose the "Machine are not power managed" option and pick out this machine from your domain(you need add this machine into domain manually, and surely before this you also need install the Desktop VDA Agent on your win10 VM and point to the right DDC address during VDA setup).

 

It was indeed easy to do.

 

I'm now at step 4: End user session launched (CitrixWorkspace app)

 

Went to the site http://<servername>/Citrix/StoreWeb, and I could login with the user i made on the Domain Controller. So that works fine.

When I click on my VDI Desktop, it gives an error.

(photo 1 and 2)

 

What am I doing wrong? (photo 3)

 

[Pengpeng Fan]

Hi Sander,

 

From the screenshot, it said that the VDA hasn't been registered, so it is certain that the session launch will failed if there is no available registered VDA in the published delivery group.

 

To make sure you  VDA can be registered, please check into the VDA machine, in which the VDA agent was successfully installed and the right delivery controller address was added.

 

Make sure not installing a Server OS version of VDA agent in the Desktop vm if you installed the VDA using a package specially for VDA deployment(not the whole iso).

Make sure the VDA agent version is not lower than the selected machine catalog minimum function level(There will be no any issue if you are using the latest VDA version 1903).

 

Below is some key point to check during the deployment of a VDA:

Choose the "Enable Brokered Connections to a Server" option if you just to directly provision a machine by manual.

Add the controller address during setup, make sure the address can pass the connection test(got a green check).

Complete the whole vda installation, there may be a reboot request, you should continue the remain steps after machine rebooted, until reach to the finish setup, and the latest restart is also necessary.

Add machine to a catalog, this machine should has a good state(got a green check).

Then you need to check if the machine was registered successfully.

 

BTW, to re-config a installed VDA, just change the app in control panel, there is a "Customize" option maybe helpful.

 

I hope it can help you.

[Sander Matthijsse]

Hi Pengpengf,

 

Thanks! I think I went for Create a master MCS image  instead of Enable Brokered Connections to a server.  It does work now.

I can logon and connect to the VDI. Only 1 session supported ofcourse since I have 1 machine.

 

What i really wanted is this:

 

When you create a machine catalog for VDI desktops, you create one of the following types of desktops:

Random non-persistent desktops, also known as pooled VDI desktops. Each time users log on to use one of these desktops, they connect to a dynamically selected desktop in a pool of desktops based on a master image. All changes to the desktop are lost when the machine restarts.

 

How do I achieve this? Do I need in this case Citrix Machine Creation Services?

I'm a bit confused.

 

thanks in advance

[Pengpeng Fan]

Hi Sander,

 

MCS is not the necessary way  to achieve this goal. The MCS just a tool to help you automatically create many VDAs(using the same master image) with some simple UI operations in studio.

You also can achieve this goal without MCS, the drawback maybe that you need to prepare several  VDAs by yourself.  

 

Actually this type of provision means the random desktop assignment, which can be setup during machine catalog creation:

 

If you have more than one VDAs published by this way, then each new-launched session will be assigned a random VDA in these machines. 

[Sander Matthijsse]

Hi Pengpengf,

 

First I need to select: Machines that are powered managed right?

Otherwise I can't select the master image file. (Photo 1)

 

To Enable this I have to install SCVMM like you said earlier.

 

The second way is to add a existed machine from a connection created in the Hosting node, by which you can provison a "Machine are power managed" catalog.

We do not support creating a connection directly on a Hyper-V, instead you need create a SCVMM(Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager) node to manage your Hyper-V node, then you can continue to create a connection on the SCVMM node, choosing the "Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager" connection type.

 

Then I have to select SCVMM as the hypervisor under the hosting menu? (Photo 2)

 

Is this right?

 

 

[Pengpeng Fan]

Hi Sander,

 

If you just need to publish a existing VDA, just add this machine into a catalog, which is the way you already achieved.

If you need to publish a existing VDA and also need "Power Managed" function in studio, then you need firstly create a hosting connection to a hypervisor management server, like the SCVMM for the hyper-V, you need to prepare the management server manually and make sure studio have access to this server, otherwise the connection won't be created successfully.

After this connection was created out, to publish machine, you need to use the SCVMM to create such machines you needed, then add them in a power managed catalog.(You need to have those knowledge about how to use the SCVMM).

If you need to publish VDAs that can be created or deleted automatically by MCS tools in studio, you need firstly continue to create a hosting unit(know a resource in studio UI), then choose the machine catalog type: "Power managed / MCS". To use studio to create catalog in this way, you also need firstly to prepare a master image use the  SCVMM, then you can find the master image in the next steps of machine catalog creation wizard.

 

It is important that all of those plugins support by studio can be used to create power managed machine catalog, but how to create those environment and how to use those products(corresponding to each plugin) requires some special knowledge for each of those third party plugins.

 

This page introduced the related information about the "Connections and resources" topic.

https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-virtual-apps-desktops/manage-deployment/connections.html

This page introduces the related information about the specific "MSCVMM" topic.(More details maybe need to refer to MS docs)

https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-virtual-apps-desktops/install-configure/install-prepare/msscvmm.html

 

[Karol Mielniczuk]

I am new to Citrix. I have read the discussion and I am not sure. Is SCVMM necessary for Citrix Virtual Apps (maybe Desktop in future also) to work with Hyper-V?

 I planing to implement a small production environment (about 20 users) for Citrix Virtual App based on Hyper-V VM's.

SCVMM was not planned due to the additional licensing cost.

[Pengpeng Fan]

Citrix CVAD directly contact with SCVMM, but not the Hyper-V. Without SCVMM, it is hard to implement the PowerManagement function on VMs, which is the one you required.

How about to try the free edition of Citrix Hypervisor (XenServer) instead of the Hyper-V?