Create a Site
A Site is the name you give to a XenApp or XenDesktop deployment. It comprises the Delivery Controllers and other core components, Virtual Delivery Agents (VDAs), connections to hosts, machine catalogs, and Delivery Groups. You create the Site after you install the core components and before creating the first machine catalog and Delivery Group.
When you create a Site, you are automatically enrolled in the Citrix Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). CEIP collects anonymous statistics and usage information, and then sends it to Citrix. The first data package is sent to Citrix approximately seven days after you create the Site. You can change your enrollment at any time after Site creation. Select Configuration in the Studio navigation pane, then the Product Support tab, and follow the guidance. For details, see https://more.citrix.com/XD-CEIP.
The user who creates a Site becomes a full administrator; for more information, see Delegated Administration.
Review this article before you start the Site creation wizard.
To create a Site
Open Studio if it is not already open. You are automatically guided to the action that starts the Site creation wizard. The wizard pages cover the following configuration:
Site type and name
There are two Site types; choose one:
- Application and desktop delivery Site. When you create an application and desktop delivery Site, you can further choose to create a full deployment Site (recommended) or an empty Site. An empty Site is only partially configured, and is usually created by advanced administrators.
- Remote PC Access Site. A Remote PC Access Site allows designated users to remotely access their office PCs through a secure connection.
If you create an application and desktop delivery deployment now, you can add a Remote PC Access deployment later. Conversely, if you create a Remote PC Access deployment now, you can add a full deployment later.
Type a name for the Site. After the Site is created, its name appears at the top of the Studio navigation pane: Citrix Studio (site-name).
Databases
The Databases page contains selections for setting up the Site, Monitoring, and Configuration Logging databases. For details about database setup choices and requirements, see Databases.
If you choose to install SQL Server Express for use as the Site database (the default), a restart occurs after that software is installed. That restart does not occur if you choose not to install the SQL Server Express software for use as the Site database.
If you are not using the default SQL Server Express, ensure the SQL Server software is installed on the machines before creating a Site. System requirements lists the supported versions.
If you want to add more Controllers to the Site, and have already installed the Controller software on other servers, you can add those Controllers from this page. If you plan to generate scripts that set up the databases, add the Controllers before generating the scripts.
Licensing
Consider whether you will use existing licenses or the 30-day free trial that allows you to add license files later. You can also add or download license files from within the Site creation wizard. For details, see the Licensing documentation.
Specify the License Server address in the form name:[port]. The name must be an FQDN, NetBIOS, or IP address. FQDN is recommended. If you omit the port number, the default is 27000. Click Connect. You cannot proceed to the next page in the wizard until a successful connection is made to the License Server.
Power management (Remote PC Access only)
See Remote PC Access.
Host connection, network, and storage
If you are using VMs on a hypervisor or cloud service to deliver applications and desktops, you can optionally create the first connection to that host. You can also specify storage and network resources for that connection. After creating the Site, you can modify this connection and resources, and create more connections. For details, see Connections and resources.
Connection page: See Connection type information sources.
-
If you are not using VMs on a hypervisor or cloud service (or if you use Studio to manage desktops on dedicated blade PCs), select the connection type None.
-
If you are configuring a Remote PC Access Site and plan to use the Wake on LAN feature, select the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager type.
In addition to the connection type, specify whether you will use Citrix tools (such as Machine Creation Services) or other tools to create VMs.
Storage and Network pages: See Host storage, Storage management, and Storage selection for details about storage types and management methods.
Additional Features
You can select features to customize your Site. When you select the check box for an item that requires information, a configuration box appears.
AppDNA Integration
Valid if you use AppDisks and have installed AppDNA. AppDNA integration allows analysis of applications in the AppDisks. You can then review compatibility issues and take remedial actions to resolve those issues. For more information, see AppDisks.
App-V Publishing
Select this feature if you use applications from Microsoft App-V packages on App-V servers. Provide the URL of the App-V management server and the URL and port number of the App-V publishing server.
If you use applications from App-V packages on network share locations only, you do not need to select this feature.
You can also enable/disable and configure this feature later in Studio. For more information, see App-V.
Remote PC Access
For information about Remote PC Access deployments, see Remote PC Access.
If you use the Wake on LAN feature, complete the configuration steps on the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager before creating the Site. For details, see Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.
When you create a Remote PC Access Site:
- If you’re using the Wake on LAN feature, specify the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager address, credential, and connection information on the Power Management page.
-
Specify users or user groups on the Users page. There is no default action that automatically adds all users. Also, specify machine accounts (domain and OU) information on the Machine Accounts page.
To add user information, click Add Users. Select users and user groups, and then click Add users.
To add machine accounts information, click Add machine accounts. Select the machine accounts, and then click Add machine accounts. Click Add OUs. Select the domain and Organizational Units, and indicate whether to include items in subfolders. Click Add OUs.
When you create a Remote PC Access Site, a machine catalog named Remote PC User Machine Accounts is created automatically. The catalog contains all the machine accounts you added in the Site creation wizard. A Delivery Group named Remote PC User Desktops is created automatically. The group contains all the users and user groups you added.
Summary
The last page of the Site creation wizard summarizes the information you specified. Use the Back button if you want to change anything. When you’re finished, click Create and the Site creation begins.
Test a Site configuration
To run the tests after you create the Site, select Citrix Studio (Site site-name) at the top of the navigation pane. Then click Test site in the center pane. You can view an HTML report of the Site test results.
The site test functionality might fail for a Controller installed on Windows Server 2016. The failure occurs when a local SQL Server Express is used for the Site database and the SQL Server Browser service is not started. To avoid this failure, complete the following tasks.
- Enable the SQL Server Browser service (if necessary) and then start it.
- Restart the SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) service.
Troubleshoot
After configuring the Site, you can install Studio and add it through the MMC as a snap-in on a remote machine. If you later attempt to remove that snap-in, the MMC might stop responding. As a workaround, restart the MMC.