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Install VDAs using scripts

April 20, 2023
Contributed by: 
C L

Note:

Citrix is not responsible for issues caused by scripts that are adapted to match customer production environments. For any install related Citrix issues, open a technical support case with the relevant install logs using the Citrix Support portal.

This article applies to installing VDAs on machines with Windows operating systems. For information about VDAs for Linux operating systems, see the Linux Virtual Delivery Agent documentation.

The installation media contains sample scripts that install, upgrade, or remove Virtual Delivery Agents (VDAs) for machines in Active Directory. You can also use the scripts to maintain master images used by Machine Creation Services and Citrix Provisioning (formerly Provisioning Services).

Required access:

  • The scripts need Everyone Read access to the network share where the VDA installation command is located. The installation command is XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe in the full product ISO, or VDAWorkstationSetup.exe or VDAServerSetup.exe in a standalone installer.
  • Logging details are stored on each local machine. To log results centrally for review and analysis, the scripts need Everyone Read and Write access to the appropriate network share.

To check the results of running a script, examine the central log share. Captured logs include the script log, the installer log, and the MSI installation logs. Each installation or removal attempt is recorded in a time-stamped folder. The folder title indicates the operation result with the prefix PASS or FAIL. You can use standard directory search tools to find a failed installation or removal in the central log share. Those tools offer an alternative to searching locally on the target machines.

Before beginning any installation, read and complete the tasks in Prepare to install.

Install or upgrade VDAs using the script

  1. Obtain the sample script InstallVDA.bat from \Support\AdDeploy\ on the installation media. Citrix recommends that you make a backup of the original script before customizing it.
  2. Edit the script:
    • Specify the version of the VDA to install: SET DESIREDVERSION. For example, version 7 can be specified as 7.0. The full value can be found on the installation media in the ProductVersion.txt file. However, a complete match is not required.
    • Specify the network share where the installer will be invoked. Point to the root of the layout (the highest point of the tree). The appropriate version of the installer (32-bit or 64-bit) is called automatically when the script runs. For example: SET DEPLOYSHARE=\\fileserver1\share1.
    • Optionally, specify a network share location for storing centralized logs. For example: SET LOGSHARE=\\fileserver1\log1).
    • Specify VDA configuration options as described in Install using the command line. The /quiet and /noreboot options are included by default in the script and are required: SET COMMANDLINEOPTIONS=/QUIET /NOREBOOT.
  3. Using Group Policy Startup Scripts, assign the script to the OU containing your machines. This OU should contain only machines on which you want to install the VDA. When the machines in that OU are restarted, the script runs on all of them. A VDA is installed on each machine that has a supported operating system.

Remove VDAs using the script

  1. Obtain the sample script UninstallVDA.bat from \Support\AdDeploy\ on the installation media. Citrix recommends that you make a backup of the original script before customizing it.
  2. Edit the script.
    • Specify the version of the VDA to remove: SET CHECK\_VDA\_VERSION. For example, version 7 can be specified as 7.0. The full value can be found on the installation media in the ProductVersion.txt file (such as 7.0.0.3018). However, a complete match is not required.
    • Optionally, specify a network share location for storing centralized logs.
  3. Using Group Policy Startup Scripts, assign the script to the OU containing your machines. This OU should contain only machines from which you want to remove the VDA. When the machines in the OU are restarted, the script runs on all of them. The VDA is removed from each machine.

Troubleshoot

The script generates internal log files that describe script execution progress. The script copies a Kickoff_VDA_Startup_Script log to the central log share within seconds of starting the deployment. You can verify that the overall process is working. If this log is not copied to the central log share as expected, troubleshoot further by inspecting the local machine. The script places two debugging log files in the %temp% folder on each machine:

  • Kickoff_VDA_Startup_Script_<DateTimeStamp>.log
  • VDA_Install_ProcessLog_<DateTimeStamp>.log

Review these logs to ensure that the script is:

  • Running as expected.
  • Properly detecting the target operating system.
  • Correctly configured to point to the ROOT of the DEPLOYSHARE share (contains the file named AutoSelect.exe).
  • Capable of authenticating to both the DEPLOYSHARE and LOG shares.
Install VDAs using scripts
April 20, 2023
Contributed by: 
C L
April 20, 2023
Contributed by: 
C L

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