XenAppPrep Integration Utility for XenApp and Provisioning Services (XenApp-PVS)

Description

In the past, the ability to clone or stream a Citrix XenApp server required extensive customization and scripting. The XenAppPrep tool can be used to generalize a XenApp installation and make this process extremely simple and straightforward.

Refer to the readme.htm for release notes, for what is new in this release, and for what is included in the download.

Think of XenAppPrep as a Sysprep tool for XenApp. Currently this tool is supported in two scenarios:

• Streaming a XenApp server using Citrix Provisioning Services

• Creating a template using XenServer

This article outlines how you can use the XenAppPrep tool to achieve these two scenarios.

Prerequisites

Advanced knowledge and understanding of Citrix Provisioning Services
Advanced knowledge of XenApp
Advanced knowledge of XenServer

The following technical requirements are needed and assumed for Provisioning Server:

An installed and configured Provisioning Server.
A created and formatted Provisioning Server Virtual Disk (vDisk).
A Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) must be supported on the local network.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is installed and configured on the local network.
A master target device exists with Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 (SP1, R2, or SP2), or Windows Server 2000 SP4 installed. The target device must be fully patched and configured. This is dependent on the version of XenApp being installed.
Microsoft Terminal Services must be installed and configured in application mode on this same master target device. This is required for the XenApp installation.
The install CDs and/or install files for the desired version of XenApp must be available.
You must have the XenAppPrep.msi installer file.
Have the installation CD or installation files for the Citrix Provisioning Services.

Note: It is assumed for XenApp that the SQL data store and the Web Interface are hosted on separate machines.

The following technical requirements are needed and assumed for XenServer:

An installed and configured XenServer.
A created virtual machine (VM) with Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 (SP1, R2, or SP2), or Windows Server 2000 SP4 installed, fully patched and configured. This is dependent on the version of XenApp being installed.
Microsoft Terminal Services must be installed and configured in application mode on this same master target device. This is required for the XenApp installation.
The install CDs and/or install files for the desired version of XenApp must be available.
You must have the XenAppPrep.msi installer file.
Have the installation CD or installation files for the Provisioning Server for Datacenters client installation.

Installing XenAppPrep

Download the .zip file attached to this article, extract the XenAppPrep.msi file, and run it.

How to Use XenAppPrep

To build a Provisioning Server vDisk:

1. Boot the master target device and log on to the system as a domain administrator or local administrator.

2. Install and configure XenApp. At the end of the installation, you will be prompted to restart.

3. Restart the master target device.

4. When the master target device restarts successfully, log on to the system as a local or domain administrator.

5. Install the Provisioning Server for Datacenters client software and then shut down the master target device.

6. Ensure the master target device is added to the Provisioning Server database and configure it to boot from the hard drive.

7. Boot the master target device. When it successfully restarts, log on to the system as a domain administrator.

8. Install and run XenAppPrep.msi.

9. Go to Start > Run and type cmd.

10. Navigate to the XenAppPrep installation directory. By default this is Program Files\Citrix\XenAppPrep.

11. Run the following command:XenAppPrep.exe /Pvs

Note: If using Smart Auditor use the command XenAppPrep.exe /Pvs /Msmq to prepare Microsoft Message queue for operating in a Citrix Provisioning Services environment.

12. Go to Start > Programs > Citrix > Provisioning Server and open the Client Image Builder or XenConvert.

13. Build your Provisioning Server vDisk.

To build a XenServer template for XenApp:

1. Boot the baseline virtual machine and log on to the system as a domain administrator or a domain user.

Note: This logon account can be a domain user with local install rights and delegated rights to Microsoft Active Directory.

2. Ensure the XenServer tools are installed.

3. Install and configure XenApp. At the end of the installation, you will be prompted to restart.

4. Restart the master target device.

5. When the virtual machine restarts successfully, log on to the system as a local or domain administrator, or a domain user (with local install privileges).

6. Install and run XenAppPrep.msi.

7. Go to Start > Run and type cmd.

8. Navigate to the XenAppPrep installation directory. By default this is Program Files\Citrix\XenAppPrep.

9. Run the following command:XenAppPrep.exe /Pvs

Note: If using Smart Auditor, use the command XenAppPrep.exe /Pvs /Msmq to prepare Microsoft Message queue for operating in a Citrix Provisioning Services environment.

10. Go to Start > Programs > Citrix > Provisioning Server and open the Client Image Builder or XenConvert.

11. Build your Provisioning Server vDisk.

Security Permissions Required by XenAppPrep

The tool runs as the Local System user. It must run with an account that is an administrator and has write access to the registry and file system, specifically the Citrix locations.

Data Modified by XenAppPrep for XenApp

Note: Back up all of the files and registry keys listed below prior to installing this tool.

Changes to files/file systems:

• Deletes the Resource Manager local database on XenApp 4.0 and 4.5.

• In MF20.dsn and RadeOffline.dsn, it deletes the line that specifies the Windows Security Identifier (WSID) (as there is no need to specify the local computer name in the Data Source Name (DSN) file).

• It deletes WFCName.ini file (this file is installed only with earlier versions of the XenApp Plugin).

• It edits the CtxSta.config file to create a unique STA ID (using the MAC address).

Changes to any registry values:

• Sets HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Citrix\IMA\Runtime\PSRequired to 1.

• Deletes the value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA\ServerHost (as it is not used at all).

• Sets HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Citrix\Provisioning Server\PVSImage to 1 (if Provisioning Server is being used)

• Sets HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA\Logging\HostName to the new computer name.

• Sets HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{BBBF5400-E091-11D8-AD76-005056C00008}\RunAs to <new computer name>\Ctx_SmaUser (only for a Presentation Server 4.0 image).

Changes to database information:

• Clears the local host cache and RadeOffLine database

Data Modified by XenAppPrep for Microsoft Message Queue

Changes to any registry values:

• The XenAppPrep Service sets HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSMQ\Parameters\MachineCache\QMId to the machine ID.

How to Undo the Changes Made by XenAppPrep

Run the command: XenAppPrep /reset to set all the services startup settings to automatic and disable the XenAppPrep service and Restore all backup versions of the files and registry keys mentioned above.