Virtual channels
About Virtual channels
A virtual channel consists of a client-side virtual driver that communicates with a server-side application. Virtual channels are a necessary part of the remote computing experience with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops servers.
Virtual channels are used for:
- Printing
- Serial port mapping
- Clipboard
- Audio
- Multimedia
- Control channel
- EUEM
- USB
- File transfer
- Mobility
- Multi-touch
- Smart card
- Mobile receiver
- Microsoft Teams
- Input Method Editor
- Browser content redirection
- Client Drive Mapping
- Transparent User Interface
How to configure
All virtual channels are enabled by default. To disable a particular virtual channel, use the Google admin policy by including the following. Select the feature name under “vc_channel” and click Add on the utility page. For example:
{
"settings": {
"Value": {
"settings_version": "1.0",
"engine_settings": {
"vc_channel": {
"<vc_name1>": false,
"<vc_name2>": false,
"<vc_name3>": false,
"<vc_namen>": false
}
}
}
}
}
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To enable a particular “vc_channel”, select the feature and click Remove on the utility page.
Note:
The names can be from 1 to n. The last name “n” can’t have a comma after setting it to true or false.
{
"settings": {
"Value": {
"settings_version": "1.0",
"engine_settings": {
"vc_channel": {
"CTXCPM ": false,
"CTXCAM ": false,
"CTXGUSB": false
}
}
}
}
}
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List of virtual channel options with their descriptions:
- “CTXCPM”: PDF printing.
- “CTXCCM”: Client serial port mapping.
- “CTXCLIP”: Clipboard operations from session to VDA and from VDA to session.
- “CTXCAM”: Client audio mapping.
- “CTXMM”: Citrix multimedia redirection.
- “CTXCTL”: Citrix control virtual channel.
- “CTXEUEM”: End user experience monitoring.
- “CTXGUSB”: Redirect USB devices to session.
- “CTXFILE”: Secure file transfer happens between a user device and a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) session. You can upload and download files to and from a session and seamlessly access data.
- “CTXMTCH”: Multi-touch remotes all gestures to the virtual session. The app behaves based on the gestures that it supports.
- “CTXSCRD”: Smart card support.
- “CTXMOB” : Mobile receiver virtual channel.
- “CTXMTOP” : Microsoft Teams Virtual channel.
- “CTXIME” : Input Method Editor.
- “CTXCSB” : Browser content redirection.
- “CTXCDM” : Client Drive Mapping.
- “CTXTUI” : Transparent user interface.
Custom virtual channels
The virtual Channel SDK for Chrome enables third-party Chrome apps to write custom virtual channels. These channels are initialized with the app and desktop sessions that are launched using Citrix Workspace app or using the HDX SDK for Chrome.
In addition, the virtual channel SDK gives an easy way to write and receive data from the third-party Chrome app and the app and desktop.
How to configure
To configure custom virtual channels, use the Google admin policy by including the following.
{
"settings": {
"Value": {
"settings_version": "1.0",
"engine_settings": {
"customVC": [
{
"appId": "xyz",
"streamName": "abc"
}
]
}
}
}
}
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List of CustomVC options with their descriptions:
- “appId”: ID of the chrome app that is implementing custom virtual channels.
- “streamName”: The virtual channel name.