Configure optimal HDX routing for a store
Configure optimal Citrix Gateway routing to optimize the handling of ICA connection routing from the HDX engine to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops published applications using StoreFront. Typically, the optimal gateway for a site is colocated in the same geographical location.
You need only define optimal Citrix Gateway appliances for deployments where the appliance through which users access StoreFront is not the optimal gateway. If launches should be directed back through the gateway making the launch request, StoreFront does this automatically.
You can either map gateways to specific resource feeds (delivery controllers) or to zones. A zone usually represents a data center in a geographic location. You can map an optimal gateway to more than one zone, but typically you should use a single zone. It is expected that each zone has at least one optimal Citrix Gateway that is used for HDX connections to resources within that zone.
When using Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, zones are defined in Studio and any zones defined in StoreFront must exactly match the zone names defined in Studio. For more information, see Zones.
When using Citrix Desktops as a Service, a zone is equivalent to a resource location. Resource locations are defined in Citrix Cloud console and any zones defined in StoreFront must exactly match the resource location name defined in Citrix Cloud console. For more information, see Set up resource locations.
Example scenario using farms
1 x UK Gateway -> 1 x UK StoreFront
- UK Apps and Desktops local
- US Apps and Desktops used only for UK failover
1 x US Gateway -> 1 x US StoreFront
- US Apps and Desktops local
- UK Apps and Desktops used only for US failover
A UK gateway provides remote access to UK hosted resources such as apps and desktops using a UK StoreFront.
The UK StoreFront has both a UK-based and US-based Citrix Gateway defined and UK and US controllers in its Delivery Controller list. UK users access remote resources through their geographically colocated gateway, StoreFront, and farms. If their UK resources become unavailable, they can connect to US resources as a temporary failover alternative.
Without optimal gateway routing all ICA launches would pass through the UK gateway that made the launch request regardless of where the resources are geographically located. By default, gateways used to make launch requests are identified dynamically by StoreFront when the request is made. Optimal gateway routing overrides this and forces US connections through the gateway closest to the US farms that provides apps and desktops.
Note:
You can map only one optimal gateway per site for each StoreFront store.
Example scenario using zones
1 x CAMZone -> 2 x UK StoreFronts
- Cambridge, UK: Apps and Desktops
- Fort Lauderdale, Eastern US: Apps and Desktops
- Bangalore, India: Apps and Desktops
1 x FTLZone -> 2 x US StoreFronts
- Fort Lauderdale, Eastern US: Apps and Desktops
- Cambridge, UK: Apps and Desktops
- Bangalore, India: Apps and Desktops
1 x BGLZone -> 2 x IN StoreFronts
- Bangalore, India: Apps and Desktops
- Cambridge, UK: Apps and Desktops
- Fort Lauderdale, Eastern US: Apps and Desktops
Figure 1. Suboptimal gateway routing
Figure 2. Optimal gateway routing
Configure Optimal HDX routing
- Select the Stores node in the left pane of the Citrix StoreFront management console and, in the results pane, select a store. In the Actions pane, click Configure Store Settings.
- Select the Optimal HDX Routing tab.
- Select a gateway.
- To use the gateway when accessing resources from specific delivery controllers, click Manage Delivery Controllers and tick one or more delivery controllers
- To use the gateway when accessing resources from a group of delivery controllers in a Zone, click Manage Zones and enter one or more zone.
- By default once you add a delivery controller or zone, External Only is ticked, meaning StoreFront only uses the gateway to launch StoreFront for users connected to StoreFront via a gateway. If you wish to also use the gateway to launch resources for users who have connected directly to StoreFront without going via a gateway, untick External Only.
- If you wish to always connect directly to certain resources without using a gateway, even for users accessing StoreFront remotely via a gateway, select Direct HDX connection and choose some delivery controllers or zones.
.
Use PowerShell to configure optimal Citrix Gateway routing for a store
-
To configure optimal gateway routing for a store use Register-STFStoreOptimalLaunchGateway.
-
To remove optimal gateway routing for a store use Unregister-STFStoreOptimalLaunchGateway.
-
To view optimal routing for a store use Get-STFStoreRegisteredOptimalLaunchGateway.