Author Archives: Jani Kohonen

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Jani Kohonen is an author of janikohonen.com and working as a Citrix Consultant and Architect with 22 years of experience in the IT industry. Jani's been working in the IT industry since 1997 and with Citrix technologies since 2001. He holds several years experience with Microsoft, Citrix, Apple, HP and VMware vendors as well as Server, Application and Desktop virtualization and Mobile technologies. He has done dozens of virtualization design and implementation projects from Small Business to the large global enterprise customers and complex environments. Jani has been awarded as Citrix Technology Advocate (CTA).
Adobe Flash, Blog, Citrix, Receiver, VDA, VDI, Windows, XenDesktop
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How to get Citrix XenDesktop VDI and HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection on the User Device work?

Configuring HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection

HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection allows you to move the processing of most Adobe Flash content to LAN-connected user’s Windows devices rather than using server resources. This includes animations, videos, and applications. By moving the processing to the user device, Flash Redirection reduces server and network load, resulting in greater scalability while ensuring a high definition user experience.

Recently, I came across a situation where the Citrix HDX MediaStream and Client-Side Flash redirection did not work. Here are a few things to consider, however these are the latest version today, things may change when the vendors update their product versions in future.

Environment details, versions may vary but you could find interesting spots from this blog to narrow down your own Flash problems:

DDC:
XenDesktop 5.6

VIRTUAL DESKTOPS:
VDA 5.6.200
Windows 7 64-bit
Internet Explorer 10
ActiveX Flash Player

CLIENT DEVICES:
Windows 7 32-bit
Citrix Receiver 4.1
ActiveX Flash Player

 

Situation was that when users browse web sites including Adobe Flash content e.g. YouTube, Flash was rendered on the Server-Side, though XenDesktop default policy is set to use Client-Side rendering for the flash contents by default.

It generated lot of vCPU load on the virtual servers and video was choppy and audio was not synchronized. This can have a huge impact on users, depending on the size of the infrastructure.

How to get XenDesktop VDI and Adobe Flash Client-Side redirection to work?

First thing was the update latest Flash version, which is today Adobe Flash ActiveX version 12.0.0.77 for the Internet Explorer. Same version needs to be installed on the client device as well. Be aware, that Internet Explorer is the only browser which use ActiveX player, as for the other browser e.g. Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox Adobe Flash Plug-In needs to be installed. But in this blog I will only focus on the Internet Explorer 10 and Windows 7 64-bit VDI.

Adobe Flash Player archive source – all versions:

http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/archived-flash-player-versions.html

You can make sure of installed Flash players version to launch Flash Player tool -> Advanced from the Windows Control Panel.

This should normally be enough to get Client-Side Flash rendering to work, but if it’s not working, we might have a problem.

The next thing was to check Virtual Desktop Agent (VDA) version and update it, if necessary. I found out that there was a newer version, which could possibly solve my issues.

As the environment was XenDesktop 5.6 Desktop Delivery Controllers, latest VDA agent was:

Hotfix Rollup XD560VDAWX64400 (Version 5.6.400) – For Citrix XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent Core Services x64 – English

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX138551

or if you have 32-bit VDI

Hotfix Rollup XD560VDAWX86400 (Version 5.6.400) – For Citrix XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent Core Services x86 – English

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX138550

 

After that I realized we have to check Citrix Receiver version on the client device too, I found out there are some problems between Receiver 3.4 and 4.1 versions with VDA 5.6 (depending exact versions of course), so as I know latest working versions was the Citrix Receiver 3.3 and the latest 4.1 (14.1.2.3). You can download Citrix Receiver 4.1 from there:

Citrix Receiver for Windows 4.1 (14.1.2.3)

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX139623

If you need to Single Sign-On (SSON) enabled, remember to use command: “CitrixReceiver.exe /includeSSON”

 

Now we have all client and plugin versions up-to-date on the Client machine and on the VDI Image, but we still need to configure some policies to get it work, even as I said before Flash Client-Side redirection should work by default, in some cases it does not work.

Use this checklist:

Use Citrix HDX Monitor to narrow down any issues, it shows easily what is wrong:

https://taas.citrix.com/hdx/download/
Check Internet Explorer 10 – Citrix Known Issues

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX137799

In the VDI machine, you might need to add registry setting for the Internet Explorer 10

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer]

“IEBrowserMaximumMajorVersion” = dword:0000000a

(use hexadecimal 00000010 for the IE version 10)

 

Enable XenDesktop policies:

Flash Acceleration -> Enabled

 

Enable Active Directory Group Policies:

To configure HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection on the User Device with Group Policy Objects

Create or select an existing Group Policy Object.

Import and add the HDX MediaStream for Flash – Client administrative template (HdxFlash-Client.adm), available in:

– For 32-bit computers: %Program Files%\Citrix\ICA Client\Configuration\language.
– For 64-bit computers: %Program Files (x86)%\Citrix\ICA Client\Configuration\language.

 

To enable HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection on the user device:

Configure Enable HDX MediaStream for Flash on the user device to determine whether Flash Redirection is enabled on your users’ Windows devices. If no configuration is set, one of the following will occur, based on your users’ environment:

– XenDesktop Viewer is used: Flash Redirection is disabled by default.
– XenDesktop Viewer is not used: The user receives a dialog box the first time they access Flash content in each session in which the user can enable HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection.
– Locked Desktop Appliance is used: Flash Redirection is enabled by default.

1. In the Group Policy Object Editor, expand either the Computer Configuration or User Configuration node.
2. Expand the Administrative Templates and Classic Administrative Templates (ADM) nodes and select HDX MediaStream for Flash – Client.
3. From the Setting list, select Enable HDX MediaStream for Flash on the user device and click policy setting.
4. Select Not Configured, Enabled, or Disabled.
5. If you selected Enabled, from the Use HDX MediaStream for Flash list, select Always, Ask, or Never.

Note: Selecting Ask results in users receiving a dialog box the first time they access Flash content in each session in which the user can enable HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection. If the user does not enable HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection, the Flash content is played on the server. Selecting Always and Never do not result in this dialog box. Select Always to always use HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection to play Flash content on the user device. Select Never to never use HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection and have Flash content play on the server.

6. For the policy to take effect:

– Computer Configuration: Changes take effect as computers in the organizational unit restart.
– User Configuration: Users in the organizational unit must log off and then log on to the network.

 

Test it and now your Adobe Flash Client-Side direction should work!

 

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Read More Mar 17,2014
Blog, Certifications, Citrix, Facebook
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Join to the Citrix Certified Facebook group now!

Group for Citrix Certified Professionals – Welcome!

Join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/citrix.certified/

Already over 1000 members!

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Read More Mar 16,2014
Citrix, News, StoreFront, XenDesktop, XenServer
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Citrix Virtual Desktop Handbook 7.x

Citrix Worldwide Consulting have released a whitepaper called Citrix Virtual Desktop Handbook 7.x, its a 150 pages document that is a “MUST READ” document if you are about to design and implement Citrix XenDesktop 7.

About Citrix Virtual Desktop Handbook 7.x

Introduction

In traditional business environments, workers suffer from productivity loss in many ways, including  downtime during PC refreshes, patches and updates, or simply when they are away from the office.  Application and desktop virtualization centralizes apps and desktops in the datacenter, rather than on local devices. This allows IT to deliver apps and desktops to users on demand, to any device, anywhere. Take the following response from a desktop virtualization user:

Unfortunately, organizations sometimes struggle to achieve this level of success. Why does one organization succeed while another organization struggles? If we compare the factors between success and failure between desktop virtualization and other technology related projects, we see that there is little difference:

  1. Lack of justification – Without a solid business reason, desktop virtualization is simply a new way to deliver a desktop. A business justification gives the project team a goal to strive towards.
  2. Lack of a methodology – Many people who try and struggle to deploy a desktop virtualization solution do so because they jump right in without understanding or implementing the appropriate prerequisites. A structured methodology provides the path for the project.
  3. Lack of experience – For many who embark on a desktop virtualization project, there is a lack of experience, which creates a lack of confidence in the design. Architects begin to second-guess themselves and the project stalls.

Our hope is that this handbook can alleviate the anxiety associated with desktop virtualization by showing how challenges can be resolved in a manner that is technically sound, but also feasible and effective for organizations facing deadlines and other organizational challenges.

Citrix Consulting has successfully employed the methodology, experience and best practices shared within this handbook across thousands of desktop virtualization projects.

The Citrix Virtual Desktop 5.x and Virtual Desktop 7.x handbooks are not the only resource to guide you through the desktop virtualization journey. Citrix also provides Project Accelerator; an interactive online tool creating customized sizing and design recommendations based on the methodology, best practices and expert advice identified within this handbook.

Source: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX139331

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Read More Mar 16,2014
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