Get started with Citrix Workspace
This article outlines the main steps involved in setting up Citrix Workspace and related components, from beginning to end. For a summary of the phases involved, see Workflow overview.
Workflow overview
Before setting up Citrix Workspace, review the system requirements.
If setting up Citrix Workspace as a new customer, there are 5 broad phases of work:
- Prepare for Citrix Workspace in Citrix Cloud.
- Configure end-user access and authentication.
- Integrate services into workspaces.
- Customize workspaces with your enterprise-specific preferences, such as logos and security policies.
- Roll out Citrix Workspace to end-users.
Phase 1: Prepare for Citrix Workspace in Citrix Cloud
Before configuring Citrix Workspace, you must sign up to Citrix Cloud. If you’re already a Citrix Cloud customer, with administrators added through Identity and Access Management, you can skip to Phase 2: Configure subscriber access and authentication.
The steps involved in Phase 1 include:
- Signing up to Citrix Cloud.
- Add an identity provider to authenticate administrators or workspace users.
- Add administrators who can configure Workspace. If you have configured an administrator to have Custom access then under the General section select Workspace Configuration.
- Setting up the infrastructure by:
Phase 2: Configure end-user access and authentication
Once you logged into Citrix Cloud, you can access Workspace Configuration from the main menu.
If you do not see this option then ensure you have the Workspace Configuration permission, see Modify administrator permissions.
Phase 2 involves configuring access controls, including the authentication methods, the Workspace URL and external connectivity to resources.
Note:
There are two ways to access Citrix Workspace. One is through the natively installed Citrix Workspace app for simple, secure access to Citrix Cloud services and workspaces. The other way to access Citrix Workspace is through a web browser. For more information, see User access.
Configure workspace access
You configure access controls in Workspace Configuration > Access. It typically involves the following tasks:
- Configure and enable the Workspace URL.
- Configure external connectivity with Citrix Gateway.
Configure authentication to workspaces
Defining how end-users authenticate to sign in to their workspaces is a two-step process:
- Under Identity and Access Management, configure Identity and access management.
- Under Workspace Configuration > Authentication, choose one of the authentication methods delivered by the identity providers you configured in the first step. For more information, see Configure authentication.
If you’re using a federated identity provider, you can also enable single sign-on (SSO) to VDAs with the Citrix Federated Authentication Service (FAS).
Phase 3: Integrate services into workspaces
Integrating your services into workspaces is another two-part process:
- Configure your purchased services in Citrix Cloud. For a list of services, visit Citrix Cloud Services.
- Enable access to your configured services in Workspace Configuration > Service Integrations. For more information on service integration, visit Enable and disable services.
Phase 4: Customize workspaces
You can customize the experience of workspaces for different users and to meet specific organizational requirements in Workspace Configuration by:
- Customizing the appearance of workspaces, including logos and custom themes. For instructions on customizing Workspace appearance, visit Customize the appearance of workspaces.
- Choosing interaction options, such as allowing users to create Favorites and automatically launching desktops. For instructions on customizing how users interact with their workspaces, visit Customize workspace interactions.
- Customizing privacy and security settings. This includes setting a timeout period, creating a sign-in policy, and allowing users to change their passwords from within their workspaces. For instructions on how to customize Workspace privacy and security policies, visit Customize security and privacy policies.
Phase 5: Roll out Citrix Workspace to end-users
The broad activities for this phase include:
- Testing workspaces.
- Verify that you can sign in through the browser and into the Citrix Workspace app.
- Launch and use all available apps and desktops.
- Check that you can access available folders and files.
- Check that notifications are displaying the expected actions and activities.
- If enabled, verify that you can access endpoint resources on mobile devices.
- Onboarding users.
- Communicate Citrix Workspace capabilities with users.
- Share the Workspace URL.
- Guide users to install the Citrix Workspace app.