Citrix Archive – Deyda.net

Installing Workspace Environment Management Version 2012

Workspace Environment Management optimizes Citrix workers for the best possible performance (user density, logon time and application response time).

WEM is subject to the Current Release Lifecycle (Additional Component) and therefore there is no LTSR version of WEM available.

To use WEM, you must have an active Customer Success Services (CSS) for one of the following licenses:

Citrix Virtual Apps Advanced
Citrix Virtual Apps Premium
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Advanced
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Premium
Citrix Workspace Premium
Citrix Workspace Premium Plus

Technical Overview

Workspace Environment Management (WEM) is based on the following architecture:

MSIX App Attach with Windows 10 Version 2004 in Citrix Environments

With the latest version of Windows 10 (version 2004) it is finally possible to use MSIX App Attach in Citrix without any special adaptation.

MSIX App Attach allows you to store applications for virtual environments outside a virtual machine in a VHD/X file. Such an application can thus be integrated into the user session if required.

What is MSIX App Attach ?

MSIX App Attach is based on the concept where the application is stored in MSIX format in a central location and integrated into the operating system. After embedding, applications look like locally installed applications to both the user and the operating system. When combining FSLogix Profile Containers and MSIX App Attach, the Golden Master Image’s operating system remains completely clean and data, profiles and applications are completely separated.

FSLogix App Masking in Citrix Environments

What is App Masking and what do we need it for?

App Masking minimize the number of Golden Images required, by allowing all applications to be installed in a single Golden Image. The mapping and separation of applications (as well as printers, fonts, office add-ins, Internet Explorer plug-ins, etc.) is done without packaging, sequencing, backend infrastructure or virtualization.

This is achieved by granular access control of the installed applications through App Masking Rules. These rules can be used to completely hide the application in an user runtime, so that it no longer appears in the file system, registry or under programs and features.

Because no additional ressources are required by the system when using the rules, applications run at their native speed.

SAML Authentication between Citrix & Microsoft with Azure MFA

As a result of increasing projects, here is a little how to with the summary of my previous articles. The main points are:

Azure AD Seamless Single Sign-On (PTA / PHS)
SAML Authentication (Azure AD as IdP & Citrix Gateway as SP)
Citrix Federated Authentication Service (FAS)
Microsoft Azure Multi-Factor-Authentication with Conditional Access

Requirements

Fully working Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop Environment (StoreFront & DDC Minimum Version 7.9)
Citrix ADC with successful base configuration & activated Enterprise or Platinum license (Minimum Version 12.1 Build 50+ for native workspace app, for browser Minimum Version 11.1)
Configured Unified Gateway vServer
Internal and external DNS entries for Unified Gateway vServer (e.g. citrix.deyda.net)
Certificates for DNS entries (wildcard certificates are the easiest)
Existing Azure Tenant with Azure-AD base configuration (Domain, AAD Sync) & activated Azure AD Premium license
AD Connect version installed and configured (Minimum Version 1.1.644.0)
Firewall release for *.msappproxy.net on port 443
Domain administrator credentials for the domains that connected to Azure AD via AD Connect
Installed Authenticator App on Test User Mobile Phone

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops & WEM 2003 is released

The new current releases of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, Workspace Environament Management & Citrix Provisioning are now available. They contains many new features compared to the last LTSR.