Storebrowse

Storebrowse is a lightweight command-line utility that is used to interact between the client and the server. It is used to authenticate all the operations within StoreFront and with Citrix Gateway.

For documentation on older version of the Storebrowse utility for Citrix Receiver for Windows, see Storebrowse for Citrix Receiver for Windows documentation.

Using Storebrowse utility, administrators can automate the following day-to-day operations:

• Add a store.
• Enumerate the published Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) from a configured store.
• Generate an ICA file by selecting any published Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix DaaS manually.
• Generate an ICA file using the Storebrowse command-line.
• Launch the published application.

The Storebrowse utility is now part of Authmanager component. After installing the Citrix Workspace app, the Storebrowse utility is located in the AuthManager installation folder.

You can confirm if the Storebrowse utility is installed along with the Authmanager component by checking the registry path in the following ways:

When Citrix Workspace app is installed by administrators:

When Citrix Workspace app is installed by users (non-administrators):

Requirements

Install the Citrix Workspace app Version 1808 for Windows or later for Storebrowse utility to work seamlessly between StoreFront and Citrix Gateway. Citrix Workspace app Version 1809 requires a minimum of 530 MB of free disk space and 2 GB RAM to be installed.

Compatibility Matrix

Storebrowse utility is compatible with the following Operating systems:

Connections

Storebrowse utility supports the following types of connections:

• HTTP store
• HTTPS store
• Citrix Gateway 11.0 and later

Note:

Storebrowse utility does not accept credentials using command line on an HTTP store.

Authentication methods

StoreFront servers

StoreFront supports different authentication methods to access stores, however, not all are recommended. For security purposes, some of the authentication methods are disabled by default while creating a store.

• Username and Password: Users can enter their credentials and are authenticated when they access their stores. Explicit authentication is enabled by default when you create your first store. All user access methods support explicit authentication.
• Domain Pass-through: Users authenticate to their domain-joined windows computers and are automatically logged on when they access their stores. To use this option, pass-through authentication must be enabled when Citrix Workspace app is installed on the user devices. For more information on configuring domain pass-through, see Configuring Pass-through authentication.
• HTTP Basic: Storebrowse utility requires HTTP Basic authentication to be enabled to communicate with StoreFront servers. This option is disabled by default on StoreFront server. You must enable HTTP Basic authentication method.

Storebrowse utility supports authentication methods in any of the following methods:

• Using the AuthManager that is in-built along with Storebrowse utility. Note: You must enable HTTP Basic authentication method on the StoreFront while working with Storebrowse utility. This applies when user provides the credentials using the Storebrowse commands.
• External Authmanager that can be included with Citrix Workspace app for Windows.

Citrix Gateway support

With the latest release of Storebrowse utility, you can now add a Citrix Gateway URL. No additional configuration is required in the Storebrowse utility to communicate with Citrix Gateway.

Single sign-on with Citrix Gateway

Additional to the newly added Citrix Gateway support, you can now use single sign-on with it. You can add a new store and enumerate the published resources without having to provide your user credentials.

For more information about single sign-on support with Citrix Gateway, see Support for single sign-on with Citrix Gateway.

Note:

This feature is supported only on domain-joined machines where Citrix Gateway is configured with the single sign-on authentication.

Launch published desktop or application

You can now launch a resource directly from the store without having to use an ICA file.

Command usage

The following section provides detailed information about the commands that you can use from Storebrowse utility.

-a, –addstore

Description:

Adds new store. Returns the full URL of the store. If this fails, an error is reported.

Note:

You can add multiple stores using the Storebrowse utility.

Command example on StoreFront:

Command:

storebrowse.exe –U *username* -P *password* -D *domain* -a *URL of Storefront*

Example:

.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –a [https://my.firstexamplestore.net](https://my.firstexamplestore.net)

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

Command:

storebrowse.exe –U *username* -P *password* -D *domain* -a *URL of CitrixGateway*

Example:

.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –a <https://mysecondexample.com>

/?

Description:

Provides details on Storebrowse utility usage

(-l), –liststore

Description:

Lists the stores that are added by the user.

Command Example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe –l

Command Example on Citrix Gateway:

.\storebrowse.exe –l

(-M 0x2000 -E)

Description:

Enumerates the available resources

Command example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –M 0x2000 –E <https://my.firstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Store/discovery>

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –M 0x2000 –E <https://my.secondexample.net>

-q, –quicklaunch

Description:

Generates the required ICA file for published apps and desktops using the Storebrowse utility. The quicklaunch option requires a launch URL as an input along with the Store URL, which can either be the StoreFront server or Citrix Gateway URL. The ICA file is generated in the %LocalAppData%\Citrix\Storebrowse\cache directory.

You can get the launch URL for any published apps and desktops by executing the following command:

.\storebrowse –M 0X2000 –E https://myfirstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Second/discovery

A typical launch URL looks like below:

'Controller.Calculator' 'Calculator' '\' '' http://abc-sf.xyz.com/Citrix/Stress/resources/v2/Q29udHJvbGxlci5DYWxjdWxhdG9y/launch/ica

Command example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password}–D {Domain} –q {Launch_URL_of_published_ apps and desktops }<https://my.firstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Store/resources/v2/Q2hJkOlmNoPQrSTV9y/launch/ica> <https://my.firstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Store/discovery>

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –q {Launch_URL_of_published_ apps and desktops} <https://my.secondexmaplestore.com>

-L, –launch

Description:

Generates the required ICA file for published apps and desktops using the Storebrowse utility. The launch option requires the name of the resource along with the Store URL, which can either be the StoreFront server or Citrix Gateway URL. The ICA file is generated in the %LocalAppData%\Citrix\Storebrowse\cache directory.

You can get the display name of the published apps and desktops by executing the command below:

.\storebrowse –M 0X2000 –E https://myfirstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Second/discovery

This command results in the following output:

'Controller.Calculator' 'Calculator' '\' '' http://abc-sf.xyz.com/Citrix/Stress/resources/v2/Q29udHJvbGxlci5DYWxjdWxhdG9y/launch/ica

The name that is in bold in the above output is used as input parameter to the launch option.

Command example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe -U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –L “{Resource_Name} <https://my.firstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Store/discovery>

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

<.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –L {Resource_Name} https://my.secondexamplestore.com>

-S, –sessionlaunch

Description:

You can add the store, enumerate the published resources (apps and desktops) and launch the resource with the single command. This option takes the following as parameters - Username, Password, Domain, Friendly name of the resource to be launched and the store URL. However, if the user does not provide the credentials , AuthManager prompt is thrown to enter the credentials and then the resource launch will happen.

You can get the name of the resource of published apps and desktops by executing the command below:

.\storebrowse –M 0X2000 –E https://myfirstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Second/discovery

This command results in the following output:

'Controller.Calculator' 'Calculator' '\' '' http://abc-sf.xyz.com/Citrix/Stress/resources/v2/Q29udHJvbGxlci5DYWxjdWxhdG9y/launch/ica

The name that is in bold in the above output will be used as input parameter to the -S option.

Command example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe -U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –S “{Friendly_Resource_Name} <https://my.firstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Store/discovery >

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

.\storebrowse.exe –U {Username} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –S {Friendly_Resource_Name} <https://my.secondexamplestore.com>

-f, –filefolder

Description:

Generates the required ICA file in the custom path as defined in the –f option for any of the published apps and desktops using the Storebrowse utility.

The launch option requires a folder name along with name of the resource as the input with Store URL, which is either StoreFront server or Citrix Gateway URL.

Command example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe –f “C:\Temp\Launch.ica” –L “Resource_Name” {Store}

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

.\storebrowse.exe –f “C:\Temp\Launch.ica” –L “Resource_Name” {NSG_URL}

-t, –traceauthentication

Description:

Generate logs for Storebrowse utility in-built AuthManager component. Logs are generated only if Storebrowse utility is using an in-built AuthManager. Logs are generated in the localappdata%\Citrix\Storebrowse\logs directory.

Note: This option cannot be the last parameter listed in the user’s command line.

Command example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe –t –U {UserName} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –a {StoreURL}

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

.\storebrowse.exe –t –U {UserName} –P {Password} –D {Domain} –a {NSG_URL}

-d, –deletestore

Description:

Deletes existing StoreFront or Citrix Gateway store.

Command example on StoreFront:

.\storebrowse.exe –d https://my.firstexamplestore.net/Citrix/Store/discovery

Command example on Citrix Gateway:

.\storebrowse.exe –d https://my.secondexmaplestore.com

Single sign-on support with Citrix Gateway

Single Sign-on lets you authenticate to a domain and use Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix DaaS delivered by that domain without having to re-authenticate to each app or desktop. When you add a store using the Storebrowse utility, your credentials are passed through to Citrix Gateway server, along with the virtual apps and desktops enumerated for you, including your Start menu settings. After configuring single sign-on, you can add the store, enumerate the virtual apps and desktops, launch the required resource without having to type your credentials multiple times.

This feature is supported on Citrix Gateway Version 11 and later.

Prerequisites:

For the prerequisites on how to configure Single Sign-On for Citrix Gateway, see Configure domain pass-through authentication.

The Single Sign-On feature with Citrix Gateway can be enabled using the Group Policy Object (GPO) administrative template.

Note:

When you upgrade from Citrix Receiver to Citrix Workspace app or fresh install Citrix Workspace app for the first time, you must add the latest template files to the local GPO. For more information on adding template files to the local GPO, see Configuring Group Policy Object administrative template. In case of an upgrade, the existing settings are retained when the latest files are imported.

1. Open the Citrix Workspace app GPO administrative template by running gpedit.msc
2. Under the Computer Configuration node, go to Administrative Template > Citrix Component > Citrix Workspace > User Authentication > Single Sign-on for Citrix Gateway.
3. Use the toggle options to Enable or Disable the Single Sign-On option.
4. Click Apply and OK.
5. Restart the Citrix Workspace app session for the changes to take effect.

Limitations:

• HTTP Basic Authentication method must be enabled on the StoreFront server for credential injection operations with Storebrowse utility.
• If you have HTTP store, and when you try connecting to the store using the utility to enumerate or launch the published virtual apps and desktops, the credential injection using the command line option is unsupported. As a workaround, use the external AuthManager module which gets triggered when you do not provide credential using the command line.
• Storebrowse utility currently supports only single store configured Citrix Gateway on the StoreFront server.
• Credential Injection in Storebrowse utility works only if Citrix Gateway is configured with Single-Factor Authentication.
• The command line options Username (-U), Password (-P) and Domain (-D) of the Storebrowse utility are case-sensitive and must be in upper case only.