XenApp and XenDesktop

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager environments

Sites that use Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (Configuration Manager) to manage access to applications and desktops on physical devices can extend that use to XenApp or XenDesktop through these integration options.

  • Citrix Connector 7.5 for Configuration Manager 2012—Citrix Connector provides a bridge between Configuration Manager and XenApp or XenDesktop. The Connector enables you to unify day-to-day operations across the physical environments you manage with Configuration Manager and the virtual environments you manage with XenApp or XenDesktop. For information about the Connector, see Citrix Connector 7.5 for System Center Configuration Manager 2012.
  • Configuration Manager Wake Proxy feature—The Remote PC Access Wake on LAN feature requires Configuration Manager. For more information, see below.
  • XenApp and XenDesktop properties—XenApp and XenDesktop properties enable you to identify Citrix virtual desktops for management through Configuration Manager. These properties are automatically used by the Citrix Connector but can also be manually configured, as described in the following section.

Properties

Properties are available to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager to manage virtual desktops.

Boolean properties displayed in Configuration Manager may appear as 1 or 0, not true or false.

The properties are available for the Citrix_virtualDesktopInfo class in the Root\Citrix\DesktopInformation namespace. Property names come from the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provider.

Property Description
AssignmentType Sets the value of IsAssigned. Valid values are: ClientIP, ClientName, None, User (which sets IsAssigned to True)
BrokerSiteName Site; returns the same value as HostIdentifier.
DesktopCatalogName Machine catalog associated with the desktop.
DesktopGroupName Delivery Group associated with the desktop.
HostIdentifier Site; returns the same value as BrokerSiteName.
IsAssigned True to assign the desktop to a user, set to False for a random desktop.
IsMasterImage Allows decisions about the environment. For example, you may want to install applications on the master image and not on the provisioned machines, especially if those machines are in a clean state on boot machines. Valid values are: True on a VM that is used as a master image (this value is set during installation based on a selection); Cleared on a VM that is provisioned from that image.
IsVirtualMachine True for a virtual machine, false for a physical machine.
OSChangesPersist False if the desktop operating system image is reset to a clean state every time it is restarted; otherwise, true.
PersistentDataLocation The location where Configuration Manager stores persistent data. This is not accessible to users.
PersonalvDiskDriveLetter For a desktop with a Personal vDisk, the drive letter you assign to the Personal vDisk.
BrokerSiteName, DesktopCatalogName, DesktopGroupName, HostIdentifier Determined when the desktop registers with the Controller; they are null for a desktop that has not fully registered.

To collect the properties, run a hardware inventory in Configuration Manager. To view the properties, use the Configuration Manager Resource Explorer. In these instances, the names may include spaces or vary slightly from the property names. For example, BrokerSiteName may appear as Broker Site Name.

  • Configure Configuration Manager to collect Citrix WMI properties from the Citrix VDA
  • Create query-based device collections using Citrix WMI properties
  • Create global conditions based on Citrix WMI properties
  • Use global conditions to define application deployment type requirements

You can also use Microsoft properties in the Microsoft class CCM_DesktopMachine in the Root\ccm_vdi namespace. For more information, see the Microsoft documentation.

Configuration Manager and Remote PC Access Wake on LAN

To configure the Remote PC Access Wake on LAN feature, complete the following before installing a VDA on the office PCs and using Studio to create or update the Remote PC Access deployment:

  • Configure ConfigMgr 2012, 2012 R2, or 2016 within the organization. Then deploy the ConfigMgr client to all Remote PC Access machines, allowing time for the scheduled SCCM inventory cycle to run (or force one manually, if required). The access credentials you specify in Studio to configure the connection to ConfigMgr must include collections in the scope and the Remote Tools Operator role.
  • For Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) support:
    • The minimum supported version on the PC must be AMT 3.2.1.
    • Provision the PC for AMT use with certificates and associated provisioning processes.
    • Only ConfigMgr 2012 and 2012 R2 can be used, not ConfigMgr 2016.
  • For ConfigMgr Wake Proxy and/or magic packet support:
    • Configure Wake on LAN in each PC’s BIOS settings.
    • For Wake Proxy support, enable the option in ConfigMgr. For each subnet in the organization that contains PCs that will use the Remote PC Access Wake on LAN feature, ensure that three or more machines can serve as sentinel machines.
    • For magic packet support, configure network routers and firewalls to allow magic packets to be sent, using either a subnet-directed broadcast or unicast.

After you install the VDA on office PCs, enable or disable power management when you create the Remote PC Access deployment in Studio.

  • If you enable power management, specify connection details: the ConfigMgr address and access credentials, plus a name.
  • If you do not enable power management, you can add a power management (Configuration Manager) connection later and then edit a Remote PC Access machine catalog to enable power management and specify the new power management connection.

You can edit a power management connection to configure the use of the ConfigMgr Wake Proxy and magic packets, as well as change the packet transmission method.

For more information, see Remote PC Access.

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager environments