Citrix
Presentation Server 4.0 User Guide
Overview
Citrix Presentation Server is
the preferred method for accessing SLAC’s Windows environment remotely. Citrix
enables members of the SLAC user community to access a Windows desktop or a
variety of common Windows applications through a Web browser from any location
with an internet connection. With Citrix, SLAC users can even access the
Windows environment from a Mac, Linux, or Solaris computer.
The purpose of this document is to provide users the basic information they need
to connect to and use the Citrix farm successfully, and how to obtain help when
needed. This document is also intended to set user expectations for the
Citrix farm by outlining what is and is not supported within the Citrix
environment by the Citrix administrators, application maintainers, and Local
Desktop Computing Administrators.
Requirements
To access the SLAC Citrix
farm, you must meet the following requirements:
- Supported Operating
System
Your computer must be running one of the following supported operating
systems:
- Windows XP
- Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 3.0 and 4.0
- Solaris 8 and 9
- Mac OS X
(support limited to Citrix client installation only)
Citrix administrators will not support accessing the Citrix farm from any other operating system.
Your computer must have one of the following supported Web browsers
installed:
- Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox
Citrix administrators will not support accessing the Citrix farm from any other
Web browser.
Your computer must have a supported Citrix client installed to access the Citrix
farm.
You
must have both a SLAC Windows account and Citrix account to access the Citrix
farm.
- Windows Account
If you do not already have a Windows account, you can
get one here.
- Citrix Account
If you do not already have a Citrix account, you can
get one here. You must have a Windows account before you can get a
Citrix account.
Accessing the Citrix Farm
The following sections
provide an overview of the steps involved in accessing the Citrix farm.
- Installing and
Configuring the Citrix Client
The
Citrix client must be installed and properly configured to access the Citrix
Farm.
- Logging In to the Web
Portal
The URL for the Citrix Web Portal is
https://citrix.slac.stanford.edu.
Accessing Citrix through the Web Portal is the supported method for Windows,
Mac, and non-Taylored Linux and Solaris clients. Only Taylored Linux and
Solaris clients should use the thick client, as outlined in the following
section.
The Citrix Web Portal looks like this:
Enter your Windows user name and password and click ‘Log In’ to log in
to the Citrix Web Portal.
- Using the Thick
Client
The thick client is the supported method for Taylored Linux and Solaris
clients to access Citrix. Windows, Mac, and non-Taylored Linux and Solaris
clients should access Citrix through the Web Portal, as outlined in the
preceding section.
To launch the thick client, type ‘wfcmgr-new’ in a terminal window. The
Citrix ICA Client will appear:
Double click on ‘Windows Desktop’ to connect to the Citrix farm.
- Launching a Windows
Desktop or Application
Once you have connected to the Citrix farm through the Web Portal or the
thick client, you can choose to launch a Windows Desktop, or a specific
application.
- Windows Desktop
If the application you want is not available as a separate application
or you will be using command-line tools, or the, you should choose to
launch a Windows Desktop. This is done by clicking on the Windows
Desktop icon:
This will open a new window, where you will be presented with the SLAC
logon notice and a Windows logon screen. You will need to enter your
Windows user name and password again to log on to the Windows Desktop.
Once you have logged on to the Windows Desktop, click on the Start
button in the lower left corner to open the Start menu. From there you
can launch whatever application(s) you need.
- Applications
Many common Windows applications can be launched individually
through Citrix by clicking on their icons. If you will only be using
one or two of these applications, you may find it easier to launch them
directly than launching them from within a Windows Desktop. Access to
some applications requires the purchase of a license for that
application. See Licensed Applications
for more information.
-
Client File Security
Citrix automatically makes your local hard drives available from within
applications and Windows Desktops. The first time you attempt to open a
file on or save a file to one of your local hard drive(s), the Client File
Security dialog will appear:
The available options are:
- No Access
(default) – You will not be able to access your local hard
drive(s).
- Read Access –
You will only be able to read files on your local hard drive(s); you
will not be able to save files to your local hard drive(s).
- Full Access
(recommended) – You can read and write to your local hard drive(s).
- Always ask me
(default) – You will be prompted every time you connect to Citrix.
- Never ask me
again for this site – Your selection will be saved and you will not
be prompted again for this Citrix farm.
- Never ask me
again (recommended) – Your selection will be saved and you
will not be prompted again for any Citrix farm.
To
ensure full functionality within Citrix, it is recommended that you select the
Full Access and Never ask me again options.
- Logging Off
When using a Windows Desktop, please log off when you are finished by
selecting Log Off username… from the Start menu. This will
properly end your session and save any user profile data that may have
changed. If you close the Windows Desktop window instead of logging off,
your session will be in a disconnected state and tie up farm resources until
the session times out and is terminated automatically, which will also cause
any unsaved files or profile data to be lost. See
Session Timeouts for more information.
Common and Licensed Applications
- Common Applications
Several applications are available to any Citrix user. These include
site licensed applications like Microsoft Word and Excel, freeware
applications like Adobe Reader and WinSCP, and applications that are part of
the Windows OS, like Internet Explorer and Notepad.
Some applications, like those in the Microsoft Office suite and Internet
Explorer, can be launched individually. Others are only available within
the Windows Desktop.
A current list of applications available on the Citrix farm can be found at
http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/computing/windows/services/citrix/PS4/applications_PS4.htm.
-
Licensed Applications
Some applications on the Citrix farm are only available to users who
have purchased a license. These applications are used by a number of SLAC
people, but are not covered by site licenses.
A current list of applications available on the Citrix farm can be found at
http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/computing/windows/services/citrix/PS4/applications_PS4.htm.
- Getting Access to
Licensed Applications
To obtain access to a licensed application on the Citrix farm, you will
need to purchase a license for that application by filling out the
SLAC Software Bulk Purchase Request Form.
- Working with Licensed
Applications in a Citrix Windows Desktop
- Launching a
Licensed Application
When you attempt to launch a Licensed Application in a Citrix
Windows Desktop session, you will be prompted for your Windows username
and password. This behavior is by design. Enter your Windows username
and password and click ‘OK’, and the application will be launched.
- Working with
files that belong to a Licensed Application
If you are working with files that belong to a Licensed Application
in a Citrix Windows Desktop session, you must open them from within the
Licensed Application. Attempting to open the files directly will not
launch the Licensed Application that they belong to. For example, if
you attempt to open a Visio drawing from a SharePoint website, you must
first save the file (, and then open it with Visio. You will not be
able to open it directly from the website. This limitation is due to
the way in which Licensed Applications are managed within Citrix.
- Close Licensed
Applications before logging off
When using Licensed Applications in a Citrix Windows Desktop
session, you must close all Licensed Applications before you will be
able to log off your Windows Desktop session. If you attempt to log off
your Windows Desktop session while a Licensed Application is still
running, you will get an error and you will not be logged off.
- Requesting
Applications
If you have an application that you would like to be made available on
the Citrix farm, the procedure for doing so is described in
New Application Requests for the Citrix Farm. There are a number of
requirements that an application must meet for it to be compatible with
Citrix. Because of this, not all applications can be made available on the
Citrix farm.
- Application Help
If you need help with an application in Citrix, please contact your
Local Desktop Computing Administrator or the maintainer of the
application, as listed on the
Windows Software Installation Site (Xweb). If they are unable to solve
the problem or determine that it is a Citrix issue, they will contact the
Citrix administrators for further assistance.
Working with Files in Citrix
- Network Drives
The standard Windows network drives (Z, V, U, and W) are mapped
automatically when you launch an application or Windows Desktop in Citrix.
If you belong to a department that has additional network drives, those will
also be mapped automatically.
Citrix users are encouraged to save their files to the network drives, since
these are backed up regularly.
If you need to map a drive to some other network share, instructions for
doing so can be found
here.
- Local Drives
- Windows clients
Local drives on Windows clients are automatically mapped by Citrix.
The Client File Security dialog
will appear the first time you attempt to access any local drives.
- Mac OS X clients
Local drives on Windows clients are automatically mapped by Citrix.
The Client File Security dialog
will appear the first time you attempt to access any local drives.
- Linux/Solaris
clients
Instructions for mapping local drives or AFS space in Citrix can be
found
here.
- Saving Files
Citrix users are encouraged to save their files to the network drives,
since these are backed up regularly. In Citrix, the ‘My Documents’ folder
and the desktop are mapped to the user’s home (Z:) drive, so these are also recommended
locations.
In most applications, you save files by selecting ‘Save’ or ‘Save As…’ from
the ‘File’ menu. When saving files, the default location to save them may
not be the ‘My Documents’ folder or a network drive, so users should always
be mindful of where their files are being saved to.
- How to Avoid Losing
Files or Data
The following guidelines will help minimize the chances of losing files
or other data when using Citrix:
- Always save files
to a network drive, the ‘My Documents’ folder, or the desktop – These
locations are backed up regularly, unlike most local drives.
- Save files you
are working on frequently – This will minimize the amount of work
you might lose should your Citrix session be dropped for some reason.
- Save files in all
open applications before you end your Citrix session
- Save files before
leaving a Citrix session unattended – Your Citrix session could be
dropped while you are away or terminated if you leave it idle for too
long, resulting in lost data.
- Always log off
from a Windows Desktop – Logging off will give you an opportunity to
save any files you are working on that haven’t been properly saved, and
will also ensure that any changes made to your Citrix profile will be
saved. If your session freezes and you cannot properly log off, please
e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu so that a Citrix administrator can log
you off or terminate your session properly.
Printing in Citrix
- Locally Defined
Printers
Any printers you have defined on your local system are automatically
mapped to your Citrix session. This includes printers directly connected to
your local system and network printers you have defined on your local
system. If you do not have any local printers defined, you can add a
printer from within your Citrix session by connecting to one of the printers
on the Citrix print server. See the next section for more information.
- Adding a Printer From
Within a Citrix Session
Directions for adding a printer from within your Citrix session can be
found here. Due to printing
limitations in Citrix, support for adding printers from within a Citrix
session is limited to the printers on the Citrix print server. If
there is a printer you would like to have added to the Citrix print server,
please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu.
- Printing Help
If your local printers do not appear in your Citrix session, or if you
receive an error attempting to connect to a network printer on the Citrix print server from within your Citrix session, please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu.
If there is a printer you would like to have added to the Citrix print
server, please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu.
For all other printing issues, please contact your
Local Desktop Computing Administrator for assistance.
Best Practices
The following recommendations
constitute best practices for using Citrix:
- Always save files to
a network drive, the ‘My Documents’ folder, or the desktop
These locations are backed up regularly, unlike most local drives.
- Save files you are
working on frequently
This will minimize the amount of work you might lose should your Citrix
session be dropped for some reason.
- Save files in all
open applications before you end your Citrix session
- Save files before
leaving a Citrix session unattended
Your Citrix session could be dropped while you are away or terminated if
you leave it idle for too long, resulting in lost data.
- Reconnect to
disconnected sessions to continue working
If your session is dropped or you disconnect from your session, you can
reconnect within 15 minutes without losing your session or data.
- Always log off from a
Windows Desktop
Logging off will give you an opportunity to save any files you are
working on that haven’t been properly saved, and will also ensure that any
changes made to your Citrix profile will be saved. If your session freezes
and you cannot properly log off, please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu so that a Citrix administrator can log you
off or terminate your session properly.
- Client File Security
dialog: Select the ‘Full Access’ and ‘Never ask me again’ options
Selecting these options will give you read and write access to your
local drives and save you from being prompted every time you use Citrix.
- Add printers on your
system instead of from within a Citrix session
Any printers you have defined on
your local system (both directly attached and network printers) are
automatically mapped to your Citrix session. Support for adding a
printer from within a Citrix session is limited to the printers on the
Citrix print server.
- Need help? Check the
FAQ
Answers to many common Citrix questions and issues can be found on the
Citrix FAQ page. This is a good place to start if you need help with
Citrix.
- Avoid customizing
settings
Settings in Windows, Microsoft Office, and other applications may not
carry over to future Citrix sessions, so avoid customizing settings when
possible.
- Don’t forget about
session timeouts
The timeout for disconnected sessions is 15 minutes. The timeout for
idle sessions is 3 hours (180 minutes). Sessions that timeout will be
terminated and any unsaved data will be lost.
- Use the Citrix
Profile Copy Tool and Microsoft Office 2003 Save My Settings Wizard to
migrate your data and settings from the old Citrix farm
The
Citrix Profile Copy Tool and
Microsoft Office 2003 Save My Settings Wizard can migrate some of your
settings from the old Citrix farm to the new Citrix farm.
Migrating To/From Another Citrix
Farm
- Limited Migration
Support
Citrix administrators provide very limited support for migrating between
farms. It is expected that the majority of migration support will come from
the
Local Desktop Computing Administrators or application maintainers, as is
the case when new versions of applications are deployed to Windows
workstations or when users get a new or upgraded Windows workstation.
- Supported Features
Migration of the following Citrix user profile features is supported by
the Citrix administrators by means of the Citrix Profile Copy Tool:
- Desktop
This does not include any desktop icons or folders that are common
to all Citrix users, such as ‘My Computer’ or ‘Recycle Bin’.
- My Documents
This includes any subfolders, such as ‘My Pictures’, and their
contents as well.
- Internet Explorer
Favorites
The Citrix Profile Migration Tool will copy the Internet Explorer
Favorites folder and its contents to Z:\CITRIX_FILES. From there, users
can import them into Internet Explorer from the new farm.
- Migration Tools
Limitations of Citrix
-
Session Timeouts
- Disconnected
Sessions
There is a 15 minute timeout for disconnected sessions.
Disconnected sessions occur when your network connection to Citrix is
interrupted or if you are using a Windows Desktop and close the window
instead of logging off.
If you reconnect to Citrix before the 15 minute timeout is reached,
you will be able to resume your disconnected application or Windows
Desktop.
If you do not or cannot reconnect to Citrix before the 15 minute timeout
is reached, your session will be terminated and any unsaved data will be
lost.
- Idle Sessions
There is a 180 minute (3 hour) timeout for idle sessions. Citrix
sessions that are left idle for 180 minutes will be terminated and any
unsaved data will be lost.
- Restricted Access
- Windows Settings
and Features
In order to maintain the availability and stability of the Citrix
farm, certain Windows features and settings are unavailable to users.
Inquiries regarding Windows features or settings that are unavailable to
users should be sent to
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu.
- Application
Settings and Features
In order to maintain the availability and stability of the Citrix
farm, certain application features and settings may be unavailable to
users.
Additionally, applications that require a license are also not available
to users who have not purchased a license.
Inquiries regarding application features or setting that are unavailable
to users should be sent to the maintainer of the application, as listed
on the
Windows Software Installation Site (Xweb).
- No User Installs
- No User-Installed
Applications or Drivers
In order to maintain the availability and stability of the Citrix
farm, users cannot install applications or drivers on the Citrix farm.
Only Citrix Administrators can install or update drivers and
applications on the Citrix farm.
- Requesting
Applications
If you have an application that you would like to be made available on
the Citrix farm, the procedure for doing so is described in
New Application Requests for the Citrix Farm. There are a number of
requirements that an application must meet for it to be compatible with
Citrix. Because of this, not all applications can be made available on
the Citrix farm.
- Unsupported Features
The following features are not supported by the Citrix administrators:
- ActiveX controls
and Browser Plugins
Users cannot install applications on the Citrix farm, including
ActiveX controls or web browser plugins.
- Outlook .pst and
.ost files
The use of Outlook Personal Folders files (.pst) and Offline Folders
files (.ost) in Citrix is not supported. If you choose to use these
features anyway, .pst and .ost files should be saved to your Z: drive or
other network drive.
- Adding printers
from within a Citrix session other than the ones on the Citrix print
server
Support for adding printers from within a Citrix session is limited
to the printers on the Citrix print server. Adding printers from
one of the other Windows print servers is not supported.
- Quick Launch
Icons
Quick Launch icons in one session may not be carried over in future
Citrix sessions and are therefore unsupported.
- Microsoft Office
AutoRecover Data
Office AutoRecover data is lost when idle or disconnected sessions
are terminated. Users should save their work frequently instead of
relying on AutoRecover.
- Microsoft Office
Settings
- Migration of
Office Settings Not Supported by the Save My Settings Wizard
The ability to migrate Microsoft Office settings is limited to
those that are supported by the Microsoft Office 2003 Save My
Settings Wizard.
- Persistence
of Office Settings Across Sessions
Microsoft Office settings in one Citrix session may not be
carried over in future Citrix sessions. Because of this, users are
discouraged from customizing Microsoft Office settings in Citrix.
- Other Application
Settings
- Migration of
Application Settings
Migration support for application data and/or settings for
applications other than Microsoft Office is at the discretion of the
user’s
Local Desktop Computing Administrator or the maintainer of the
application, as listed on the
Windows Software Installation Site (Xweb).
- Persistence
of Application Settings Across Sessions
Application settings in one Citrix session may not carried over
in future Citrix sessions. Because of this, users are discouraged
from customizing application settings in Citrix.
- Files and Data
Not Saved to Network Drives
Files and data that are not saved to a network drive cannot be
recovered if lost or accidentally deleted.
Getting Help
- Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ)
Answers to many common Citrix questions and issues can be found on the
Citrix FAQ page. This is a good place to start if you need help with
Citrix.
- Client Installation
If you need help installing the Citrix client on your computer, please
contact your
Local Desktop Computing Administrator or refer to the following
installation instructions for your platform:
- Accessing the Citrix
Farm
Windows, Mac OS X, and non-Taylored Linux and Solaris clients should
access the Citrix farm using the Citrix Web Portal,
https://citrix.slac.stanford.edu/.
Taylored Linux and Solaris clients should refer to the
Linux/Solaris client installation instructions for directions to
accessing the Citrix farm using the thick client.
- Frozen Sessions /
Unable to Log Off
If your session freezes and you cannot properly log off, please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu so that a Citrix administrator can log you
off or terminate your session properly.
- Application Support
If you need help with an application in Citrix, please contact your
Local Desktop Computing Administrator or the maintainer of the
application, as listed on the
Windows Software Installation Site (Xweb). If they are unable to solve
the problem or determine that it is a Citrix issue, they will contact the
Citrix administrators for further assistance.
- Printing Support
If your local printers do not appear in your Citrix session, or if you
receive an error attempting to add a printer from the Citrix print server from within your Citrix session, please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu.
If there is a printer you would like to have added to the Citrix print
server, please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu.
For all other printing issues, please contact your
Local Desktop Computing Administrator for assistance.
- Migration Support
If you need help with the
Citrix Profile Copy Tool, please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu.
If you need help with the
Microsoft Office 2003 Save My Settings Wizard, please contact your
Local Desktop Computing Administrator.
If you need help with an application other than Microsoft Office, please
contact your
Local Desktop Computing Administrator or the maintainer of the
application, as listed on the
Windows Software Installation Site (Xweb).
- Still Need Help?
Please e-mail
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu for help if you cannot find the answer to
your Citrix questions or problems in the sections above.
Owner: Windows Infrastructure Group
Maintainer:
wts-admin@slac.stanford.edu