LAA (Local App Access)
Excalibur - XenDesktop 7
Mick Glover Worldwide Support Readiness
June 2013
Background
• Started life as Project Alice (2007/2008)
• Main Driver was Morgan Stanley (2010)
ᵒ Project Planeswalker
• Reasons:
ᵒ Morgan needed to deploy all Smith Barney apps Q1/Q2 2011
ᵒ Morgan had apps that need/should run in the client (e.g.
Bloomberg TV)
ᵒ Morgan anticipated compatibility challenges - saw RS as
100% app compatible guarantee
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Local App Access (LAA)
What is it?
• Integration of locally installed applications within a hosted desktop environment
ᵒ Hosted Shared Desktop (Server OS)
ᵒ Hosted VDI Desktop (Client OS)
• Two Integration Options
ᵒ Desktop and start menu shortcuts (LAA shortcut ennumeration)
ᵒ Shortcuts from published applications (Admin published apps through Studio)
• When launched, the application appears to be running inside the hosted virtual
desktop, even though it is running on the local device…
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Local App Access (LAA)
Details
• Previously known as Reverse Seamless (RS), Reverse Seamless Applications
(RSA), Client Hosted Applications (CHA) or Client Hosted Shortcuts (CHS)
• Seamless Applications are essentially remote application windows integrated
with the local desktop
• Reverse Seamless Applications are the reverse - local application windows
integrated with a remote VDA desktop
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Local App Access
Benefits
• In some cases, applications need to be installed at the client i.e. Bloomberg TV
ᵒ Morgan Stanley
• True 100% application compatibility
• Access to local apps when running Locked down full screen mode
• Exploit the power of the client machine, completely seamlessly to the user
• Tackle difficult multimedia use cases
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Same feature - different implementations
• XenApp 6.5
ᵒ Project Dorado i.e. hotfix & private receiver
ᵒ Auto-configuration
ᵒ Advanced control through registry
• Project Excalibur TP2 (RC)
ᵒ Built-in (hidden by default)
ᵒ Advanced control through registry
ᵒ Manual configuration of App integration options
• XenDesktop 7
ᵒ Built-in (hidden by default)
ᵒ Control/management through Citrix Studio & Policies (HDX & GPO templates)
ᵒ Auto configuration of App integration options
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LAA shortcuts vs. Admin published apps
Integration
• Local apps can be presented through App-publishing or through enumeration
• Only one can be enabled to avoid confusion
ᵒ mutually exclusive (one or the other, not both)
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Association, persistence & Control
• Client hosted/local running applications are associated with virtual desktop for
the life of the session
• Shortcuts maintained during
ᵒ Disconnect/Reconnect
ᵒ Resizing
ᵒ Logging off
• Behavior for running apps can be tweaked on logoff & disconnect
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Enabling Local App Access
Hidden Feature in Excalibur
1. On the Delivery Controller, open the Registry Editor and browse to the
following path: HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\DesktopStudio
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Enabling Local App Access
Hidden Feature in Excalibur
1. On the Delivery Controller, open the Registry Editor and browse to the
following path: HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\DesktopStudio
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Enabling Local App Access
Hidden Feature in Excalibur TP2/RC
1. On the Delivery Controller, open the Registry Editor and browse to the
following path: HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\DesktopStudio
2. Add the following registry entry (of type REG_DWORD):
ClientHostedAppsEnabled
ᵒ
ᵒ
Set this entry value to 1 to enable Local App Access
Set this entry value to 0 to disable Local App Access
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Enabling Local App Access
Hidden Feature in Excalibur
1. On the Delivery Controller, open the Registry Editor and browse to the
following path: HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Citrix\DesktopStudio
2. Add the following registry entry (of type REG_DWORD):
ClientHostedAppsEnabled
ᵒ
ᵒ
Set this entry value to 1 to enable Local App Access
Set this entry value to 0 to disable Local App Access
3. Restart Studio for the changes to be visible
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Enabling LAA on Delivery Controller
ClientHostedAppsEnabled:1
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\DesktopStudio]
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Enabling Local App Access on Controller
New Option - Citrix Studio
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Publishing Applications in Citrix Studio
Step 1
1. Create Delivery Group (pre-req)
2. Right click on Delivery Group and
select Create Local Access
Application
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Publishing Applications in Citrix Studio
Step 2
1. Select delivery Group with
available machines and
click Next…
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Publishing Applications in Citrix Studio
Step 3
1. Enter the path of the local
application executable on
the client machine and click
next…
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Publishing Applications in Citrix Studio
Step 4
1. Enter the name of the
application as it will appear
for users and admins
2. Enter a Description and
click Next…
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Publishing Applications in Citrix Studio
Step 5
1. Enter delivery specific
information and click
Next…
ᵒ
ᵒ
ᵒ
Start menu location
Add shortcut to desktop
Application icon
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Publishing Applications in Citrix Studio
Step 6
1. Review configuration
Summary and click next…
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Application Type: Manual
Citrix Studio
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LAA in Action
FileZilla delivered as Admin published app
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FileZilla delivered as LAA Shortcut
Enabling LAA on VDA
HDX Policy setting
• Create HDX Policy through
AD or Citrix Studio…
• Allow local app access setting
• Note: Required for both
Integration Options:
ᵒ LAA Shortcuts
ᵒ Admin Published Apps
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Enabling LAA on VDA
Policy location\Registry
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Enabling LAA on Client
icaclient.adm Group Policy Template
• Add through GPMC
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Enabling LAA on Client
icaclient.adm Group Policy Template
• User Experience policy
ᵒ Local App Access settings
• Enable setting
• Required for LAA Shortcut
Integration only
• Note: the same setting can be
used to disable both LAA
integration options
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Enabling LAA on Client
Policy location\Registry
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ICA file Requirements (defaults)
Admin published apps
• ClientHostedApps=On
• RTWIMode=On
• Note: Storefront will detect that apps are published for desktop groups and put
ClientHostedApps=On and RTWIMode=On in .ica file
ᵒ No need to edit default.ica file on storefront server
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HDX Policy Settings
URL Black list
• Specifies URLs that will be redirected to the local client browser
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HDX Policy Settings
URL White list
• Specifies URLs that are to be viewed
using a web browser inside the
virtual desktop (in the env that they
are launched)
• Default behavior
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Enabling URL re-direction on Client
URL Black list functionality
• Must also be enabled on client
ᵒ icaclient.adm Group Policy Template
ᵒ Allow URL Redirection Option
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Configure behaviour on logoff and disconnect
Set registry key on VDA manually
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Client Hosted
Apps\Policies\Session State (REG:DWORD: Terminate\Disconnect or Logoff)
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\Client Hosted
Apps\Policies\Session State (REG:DWORD: Terminate\Disconnect or Logoff)
• Note
ᵒ “Disconnect” and “Logoff” specify what happens on disconnect/logoff
ᵒ “Terminate” controls both and if set, overrides “Logoff” and “Disconnect” values
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Behaviour Values
Terminate\Disconnect\Logoff
• Set to 1 – “Do nothing” (on Lock, Disconnect or Logoff – Apps left running)
• Set to 2 – “Hide the local apps”
• Set to 3 – “Soft close the apps – WM_CLOSE message sent to app” e.g. if user
opens notepad and types something, they would see a message – Do you
want to save the file?
• Set to 4 – “Terminate apps” – Process is killed. User won’t have chance to save
any data
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logoff and disconnect
Default Behaviour
• Without setting the “Terminate” value on the VDA the local/client hosted
application will remain open on the client machine after logging off or
disconnecting from the virtual desktop…
ᵒ i.e. Set to 1 – “Do nothing”
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Some final Considerations
• Local apps are not confined within the window boundary
of the VDA
• User experience likely to be confusing if virtual desktop
runs in windowed mode or does not cover all monitors
• Printers inside VDA are not available to local apps
• Potential user confusion with drive letters (local C:
versus virtual desktop C: drive)
ᵒ Not all native Windows behaviour is available for local apps
(Drag-and-drop, Task Manager, Shell integration – Open with,
Send to, etc. in context menu…)
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Resources & Q/A
Resources & Q/A
• A recap on blogs covering the Excalibur tech preview…
ᵒ http://blogs.citrix.com/2013/01/14/a-recap-on-blogs-covering-the-excalibur-techpreview/
• Quick Start Guide for Local App Access
ᵒ http://www.citrix.com/content/dam/citrix/en_us/documents/downloads/xenapp/quick_sta
rt_guide_for_local_app_access.pdf
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Resources & Q/A
Concept Specs
• Local App Access Productization Design (Jasper)
ᵒ http://citrixwiki/Local_App_Access_Productization_Design_(
Jasper)
• LAA Dorado Excalibur
ᵒ http://citrixwiki/LAA_Dorado_Excalibur
• LAA Hidden Excalibur
ᵒ http://citrixwiki/LAA_Hidden_Excalibur
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