Install VDAs using the command line
Introduction
This article applies to installing, upgrading, and customizing Virtual Delivery Agents (VDAs) on machines with Windows operating systems.
This article describes how to issue VDA installation commands. Before beginning an installation, review Install VDAs to learn about installation considerations, installers, and what you specify during installation.
Install a VDA from the command line
To install a VDA (and see command execution progress and return values), you must have elevated administrative permissions or use Run as administrator.
- On the machine where you’re installing the VDA, sign to Citrix Cloud.
- In the upper left menu, select My Services > DaaS.
- On the upper right side, click Downloads and select Download VDA. You’re redirected to the VDA download page. Find the VDA installer that you want and click Download File.
-
After the download completes, run its name. Use the options described in this article.
-
For the multi-session OS Virtual Delivery Agent, run
VDAServerSetup.exe -
For the single-session OS Virtual Delivery Agent, run
VDAWorkstationSetup.exe -
For the single-session OS Core Services Virtual Delivery Agent, run
VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe
-
To extract the files before installing them, use /extract with the absolute path, for example .\VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe /extract %temp%\CitrixVDAInstallMedia. (The directory must exist. Otherwise, the extract fails.) Then in a separate command, run the appropriate command, using the valid options listed in this article.
-
For
VDAServerSetup_XXXX.exe, run<extract folder>\Extract\Image-Full\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVDASetup.exe -
For
VDAWorkstationCoreSetup_XXXX.exe, run<extract folder>\Extract\Image-Full\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopRemotePCSetup.exe -
For
VDAWorkstationSetup_XXXX.exe, run<extract folder>\Extract\Image-Full\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVDASetup.exe
Command-line options to install a VDA
The following options are valid with one or more of the commands: VDAServerSetup.exe, VDAWorkstationSetup.exe, and VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe.
-
/components component[,component]
Comma-separated list of components to install or remove. Valid values are:
-
VDA: Virtual Delivery Agent
-
PLUGINS: Citrix Workspace app for Windows
To install the VDA and Citrix Workspace app, specify
/components vda,plugins.If the
pluginsoption is left out, only the VDA is installed (not the Citrix Workspace app).This option is not valid when using the
VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exeinstaller. That installer cannot install Citrix Workspace app. -
-
/controllers “controller [controller]…”
Space-separated FQDNs of Citrix Cloud Connectors with which the VDA can communicate, enclosed in straight quotation marks. Do not specify both the
/site_guidand/controllersoptions. -
/disableexperiencemetrics
Prevents the automatic upload of analytics collected during installation, upgrade, or removal to Citrix.
-
/enable_hdx_ports
Opens ports in the Windows firewall required by the VDA and enabled features (except Windows Remote Assistance), if the Windows Firewall Service is detected, even if the firewall is not enabled. If you are using a different firewall or no firewall, you must configure the firewall manually. For port information, see Network ports.
To open the UDP ports that HDX adaptive transport, specify the
/enable_hdx_udp_portsoption, in addition to the/enable_hdx_portsoption. -
/enable_hdx_udp_ports
Opens UDP ports in the Windows firewall that HDX adaptive transport requires, if the Windows Firewall Service is detected, even if the firewall is not enabled. If you are using a different firewall or no firewall, you must configure the firewall manually. For port information, see Network ports.
To open the ports that the VDA uses, specify the
/enable_hdx_portsoption, in addition to the/enable_hdx_udp_portsoption. -
/enable_real_time_transport
Enables or disables use of UDP for audio packets (RealTime Audio Transport for audio). Enabling this feature can improve audio performance. Include the
/enable_hdx_portsoption if you want the UDP ports opened automatically when the Windows Firewall Service is detected. -
/enable_remote_assistance
Enables the shadowing feature in Windows Remote Assistance for use with the Monitor functions. If you specify this option, Windows Remote Assistance opens the dynamic ports in the firewall.
-
/enablerestore or /enablerestorecleanup
(Valid only for single-session VDAs) Enables automatic return to the restore point, if the VDA install or upgrade fails.
If the install/upgrade completes successfully:
-
/enablerestorecleanupinstructs the installer to remove the restore point. -
/enablerestoreinstructs the installer to keep the restore point, even though it was not used.
For details, see Restore on install or upgrade failure.
-
-
/enable_ss_ports
Opens ports in the Windows Firewall that are required for screen sharing, if the Windows Firewall Service is detected, even if the firewall is not enabled. If you are using a different firewall or no firewall, you must configure the firewall manually.
-
/exclude “component”[,”component”]
Prevents installation of one or more comma-separated optional components, each enclosed in straight quotation marks. For example, installing or upgrading a VDA on an MCS-managed image needs the Machine Identity Service component. Valid values are:
- Machine Identity Service
- Citrix Profile Management
- Citrix Profile Management WMI Plug-in
- Citrix Personalization for App-V - VDA
- Citrix MCS IODriver
- Citrix VDA Upgrade Agent
- Citrix Rendezvous V2
Excluding Citrix Profile Management from the installation (
/exclude "Citrix Profile Management") affects monitoring and troubleshooting of VDAs from the Monitor console. On the User details and EndPoint pages, the Personalization panel and the Logon Duration panel fail. On the Dashboard and Trends pages, the Average Logon Duration panel display data only for machines that have Profile Management installed.Even if you are using a third-party Profile Management solution, Citrix recommends that you install and run the Citrix Profile Management Service. Enabling the Citrix Profile Management Service is not required.
If you plan to use MCS to provision VMs, do not exclude the Machine Identity Service.
If you specify both
/excludeand/includeadditionalwith the same component name, the component isn’t installed.This option is not valid when using the
VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exeinstaller. That installer automatically excludes many of these items. -
/h or /help
Displays command help.
-
/includeadditional “component”[,”component”] …
Includes installation of one or more comma-separated optional components, each enclosed in straight quotation marks. The component names are case-sensitive.
This option can be helpful when you are creating a Remote PC Access deployment, and want to install components that are not included by default. Valid values are:
- Citrix Profile Management
- Citrix Profile Management WMI Plug-in
- Citrix Personalization for App-V - VDA
- Citrix MCS IODriver
- Citrix VDA Upgrade Agent
- Citrix Rendezvous V2
- User personalization layer
- Citrix Web Socket VDA Registration Tool
If you specify both
/excludeand/includeadditionalwith the same component name, that component isn’t installed. -
/installdir directory
Existing empty directory where components will be installed. Default = c:\Program Files\Citrix.
-
/install_mcsio_driver
Do not use. Instead, use
/includeadditional "Citrix MCS IODriver"or/exclude "Citrix MCS IODriver" -
/logpath path
Log file location. The specified folder must exist. The installer does not create it. Default = “%TEMP%\Citrix\XenDesktop Installer”
This option isn’t available in the graphical interface.
-
/masterimage
Valid only when installing a VDA on a VM. Sets up the VDA as an image. This option is equivalent to
/mastermcsimage.This option is not valid when using the
VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exeinstaller. -
/mastermcsimage
Specifies that this machine will be used as an image with Machine Creation Services. This option is equivalent to
/masterimage. -
/masterpvsimage
Specifies that this machine will be used as an image with either Citrix Provisioning or a third-party provisioning tool (such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager).
-
/no_mediafoundation_ack
Acknowledges that Microsoft Media Foundation is not installed, and several HDX multimedia features are not installed and do not work. If this option is omitted and Media Foundation is not installed, the VDA installation fails. Most supported Windows editions come with Media Foundation already installed, except N editions.
-
/nodesktopexperience
Valid only when installing a multi-session OS VDA. Prevents enabling of the Enhanced Desktop Experience feature. This feature is also controlled with the Enhanced Desktop Experience Citrix policy setting.
-
/noreboot
Prevents a restart after installation. The VDA cannot be used until after a restart.
-
/noresume
By default, when a machine restart is needed during an installation, the installer resumes automatically after the restart completes. To override the default, specify
/noresume. This can be helpful if you must remount the media or want to capture information during an automated installation. -
/portnumber port
Valid only when the
/reconfigoption is specified. Port number to enable for communications between the VDA and the Controller. The previously configured port is disabled, unless it is port 80. -
/proxyconfig “address or PAC file path”
Valid only if command contains
/includeadditional "Citrix Rendezvous V2". The address or PAC file path of the proxy for use with the Rendezvous protocol. For feature details, see Rendezvous protocol.- Proxy address format:
http://<url-or-ip>:<port> - PAC file format:
http://<url-or-ip>:<port>/<path>/<filename>.pac
- Proxy address format:
-
/quiet or /passive
No user interface appears during the installation. The only evidence of the installation and configuration process is in Windows Task Manager. If this option is omitted, the graphical interface launches.
-
/reconfigure
Customizes previously configured VDA settings when used with the
/portnumber,/controllers, or/enable_hdx_portsoptions. If you specify this option without also specifying the/quietoption, the graphical interface for customizing the VDA launches. -
/remotepc
Valid only for Remote PC Access deployments (single-session OS) or brokered connections (multi-session OS).
This option is not valid when using the
VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exeinstaller. That installer automatically excludes installation of these components. -
/remove_appdisk_ack
Authorizes the VDA installer to uninstall the AppDisks VDA plug-in if it’s installed.
-
/remove_pvd_ack
Authorizes the VDA installer to uninstall Personal vDisk if it’s installed.
-
/remove
Removes the components specified with the
/componentsoption. -
/removeall
Removes the VDA. It does not remove the Citrix Workspace app (if installed).
-
/sendexperiencemetrics
Automatically sends analytics collected during the installation, upgrade, or removal to Citrix. If this option is omitted (or the
/disableexperiencemetricsoption is specified), analytics are collected locally, but not sent automatically. -
/servervdi
Installs a single-session OS VDA on a supported Windows server. Omit this option when installing a multi-session VDA on a Windows server. Before using this option, see Server VDI.
-
/site_guid guid
Globally Unique Identifier of the site Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU). This associates a virtual desktop with a site when you are using Active Directory for discovery (auto-update is the recommended and default discovery method). The site GUID is a site property displayed in Studio. Do not specify both the
/site_guidand/controllersoptions. -
/tempdir directory
Directory to hold temporary files during installation. Default = c:\Windows\Temp.
This option is not available in the graphical interface.
-
/virtualmachine
Valid only when installing a VDA on a VM. Overrides detection by the installer of a physical machine, where BIOS information passed to VMs makes them appear as physical machines.
This option is not available in the graphical interface.
-
/xendesktopcloud
Indicates that the VDA is installed in a Citrix DaaS (Citrix Cloud) deployment.
Examples: Install a VDA
-
Install a VDA on a multi-session OS. The following command installs a VDA on a multi-session OS.
VDAServerSetup.exe /quiet /controllers "Contr-East.domain.com" /enable_hdx_ports /masterimageThe VDA will be used as an image.
-
Install a multi-session OS VDA or single-session OS VDA. The following command installs a multi-session OS VDA or a single-session OS VDA.
VDAServerSetup_XXXX.exe /quiet /controllers "ddc1.abc.com","ddc2.abc.com" /enable_hdx_ports /enable_Remote_Assistance /enable_real_time_transport /enable_ss_ports /norebootSeparate each delivery controller FQDN by a comma. Note that
XXXXrepresents the VDA version. -
Install a Core Services VDA on a single-session OS. The following command installs a Core Services VDA on a single session OS for use in a Remote PC Access or VDA deployment.
VDAWorkstationCoreSetup.exe /quiet /controllers "Contr-East.domain.com" /enable_hdx_ports /norebootCitrix Workspace app and other non-core services are not installed. The address of a Cloud Connector is specified, and ports in the Windows Firewall Service are automatically opened. The administrator handles restarts.
Customize a VDA using the command line
After you install a VDA, you can customize several settings. Run XenDesktopVDASetup.exe, using one or more of the following options.
-
/reconfigure(required when customizing a VDA) -
/hor/help /quiet/noreboot/controllers/portnumber port/enable_hdx_ports
Where to go next
-
To review the entire configuration process, see Plan and build a deployment.