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Archive for the tag “Citrix”

27 May 2011

XenApp 6.0 on Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1

Microsoft has released SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2. In SP1 there are several enhancements for Remote Desktop Services. Especially RemoteFX is a noticeable change. So what’s the impact on XenApp 6.0? One would expect that this also requires an update for XenApp 6.0. But when we take a closer look at RemoteFX on the server, you see that this is a separate Role Service of Remote Desktop Services. One requirement for RemoteFX is that the server must have one or more GPUs installed and it works with RDP, not with ICA. When you don’t install RemoteFX, RDS is just RDS with all hotfixes bundled in a service pack.

To support XenApp 6.0 on Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1, just install CTX125388 – Hotfix XA600W2K8R2X64001. In http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX126711, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 – Known Issues, there are no further issues reported.

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05 Apr 2011

What is NEW with NetScaler 9.3!!

Citrix has released Netscaler 9.3 and the WebInterface is now integrated and updated to v. 5.4 (See ya “black interface” welcome “white interface”)

Citrix® NetScaler® 9.3 Classic and nCore
IT is transforming from an app-centric, physical-based model to a service-oriented, virtualized delivery model. The impact of this transformation is driving consolidation of datacenter infrastructure with demands for greater device functionality, performance and flexibility. NetScaler 9.3 meets this challenge by delivering a service delivery architecture that enables consolidation of adjacent services, like desktop delivery, data optimization, application visibility, network bridging and identity management.

Key New Features in NetScaler 9.3
• Database load balancing for Oracle MySQL
• AppFlowTM – open, IPFIX standards-based application flow visibility
• New dynamic XenDesktop/XenApp health monitors
• Load balancing for Branch Repeater
• Application Firewall signatures

Integrated Web Interface on NetScaler

Web Interface for NetScaler is available as a General Availability feature in NetScaler Release 9.3.The solution requires the use of NetScaler MPX or VPX models with nCore.The WI version supported for this is WI 5.4.

NetScaler 9.3 Enhancements

AAA

The following AAA feature enhancements are available in this release.

  • Kerberos Support for AAA
  • AAA and Microsoft SharePoint

Access Gateway
The following Access Gateway enhancement is available in this release.

  • Idle Time-Out

Advanced Policies
The following policy enhancements are available in this release.

  • Virtual Server-Based Expressions
  • Named Expressions
  • Support for Unsigned Long and Double Data Types
  • Modifying (Corrupting) HTTP Headers
  • Pattern Set Name Length
  • Encryption and Decryption of Payloads
  • Policy-Based Logging for Responder Policies
  • Support for the UTF-8 Character Set
  • Matching Text by Using a String Map
  • Rules for Names in Identifiers Used in Policies
  • Stripping Characters From a String
  • Tool for Converting Classic Expressions to the Newer
  • Default Expression Syntax
  • Identifying a Response That is Associated with anHTTP
  • Redirect
  • Expressions for Generating the Day of the Week, as Strings,
  • in Short and Long Formats
  • Enhancements to Expressions That Process Binary Strings
  • Rewriting TCP Payloads

AppExpert
The following AppExpert enhancements are available in this release.

  • Deployment Files for AppExpert Applications
  • Roll Back Support for AppExpert Application Import
  • Creating Application Templates from Content Switching
  • Virtual Servers

Application Firewall
The following Application Firewall enhancements are available in this release.

  • Document Type Definitions (DTD) Support for XML Security
  • Checks
  • Audit Server Configuration for Application Firewall
  • Learning Visualizer for Deployed Application Firewall Rules
  • SNMP Traps for Application Firewall Security Checks
  • Application Firewall Custom Variables for HTML/XML Error
  • Objects
  • Cookie Encryption, Cookie Proxying, and Adding Flags to
  • Cookies
  • Limiting the Number of Files Uploaded to a Web Site
  • New Signatures Feature
  • Configuration Wizard Added to Application Firewall
  • Excluding XML Elements and Attributes from Security
  • Checks
  • Inverse Regular Expressions
  • Adding XQuery Injection Patterns to XPath
  • Web-Based GUI Editor for Imported Files
  • XML SOAP Array Rule Added to XDOS Check
  • Application Firewall/XML Signature Updates
  • Importing Cenzic Scan Results as XML File

Compression
The following compression feature enhancements are available in this release.

  • Policy Manager for Compression

Configuration Utility
The following configuration utility enhancements are available in this release.

  • EdgeSight Monitoring
  • IP Address Type Identification in VLAN Configuration
  • Dialog Boxes
  • Default Policy Format for NetScaler Features
  • Viewing SYSLOG Event IDs
  • IP Address Range Support
  • Customized System User Prompt
  • UTF-8 Support in Regular Expression Editors

Documentation
The following documentation enhancements are available in this release.

  • NetScaler Documentation on eDocs
  • Enhanced Context-Sensitive Online Help

Hardware
The following hardware enhancement is available in this release

  • Support for 1G SFP Hot Swap

High Availability
The following high availability enhancements are available in this release.

  • Synchronizing Configuration Files in High Availability Setup
  • Enhanced Force Failover Warning Message

HTML Injection (EdgeSight Monitoring)
The following HTML Injection enhancement is available in this release.

  • Details of Virtual Server and Service

Integrated Cache
The following integrated cache enhancements are available in this release.

  • Integrated Cache Support for Single Byte-Range Requests
  • Built-in Content Group, Pattern Set, and Policies for the
  • Integrated Cache

Monitoring Utility
The following monitoring utility enhancement is available in this release.

  • Viewing Dashboard Functionalities on the Monitoring Utility

Domain Name System (DNS)

The following Domain Name System enhancements are available in this release.

  • DNS Security Extensions on the NetScaler
  • Controlling the Number of Pipeline Requests on an
  • Individual Client Connection

NetScaler VPX
Thefollowing NetScaler VPX enhancements are available in this release.

  • 3 Gbps Throughput on the NetScaler Virtual Appliance
  • (nCore VPX only)
  • VMTools Support (nCore VPX only)
  • VLAN Tagging (nCore VPX only)

Networking
The following networking enhancements are available in this release.

  • RNAT NAT IP Range
  • PBR with Multiple Next Hops
  • Round Robin Method for Selecting Source IPs for IP Tunnels
  • Simple ACL6
  • Inbound Network Address Translation (INAT)
  • Prefix-Based IPv6-IPv4 Translation
  • Pinging Link Local Address from Any VLAN
  • Host Name-Based SNMP Managers
  • Time-out for Dynamic ARP Entries
  • Alias Name for a VLAN
  • Option for Tagging or Untagging the NSVLAN
  • New vtysh Command

NITRO API

The following NITRO API enhancements are available in this release.

  • NITRO API Support for AppExpert Applications
  • NITRO API Support for Entity Templates

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
The following Secure Sockets Layer enhancements are available in this release.

  • SHA-2 Signature Algorithm Support
  • Small Records Processing
  • Server Name Indication
  • Support for IPv6 Addresses in Online Certificate Status
  • Protocol
  • Inserting Complete Client Certificate in Online Certificate
  • Status Protocol
  • Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions
  • PUSH Flag-Based Encryption Trigger Mechanism
  • Importing an External Key as a FIPS Key (nCore MPX FIPS appliance only)
  • SSL Enhancements in the NetScaler Configuration Utility
  • Warm Restart Option On 10G FIPS Appliances (nCore only)

System
The following system enhancements are available in this release.

  • Enhanced Application Visibility Using AppFlow (nCore and nCore VPX only)
  • Rate Limiting Notification (nCore and nCore VPX only)
  • Optimizing the TCP Maximum Segment Size for a Virtual
  • Server Configuration
  • Specifying a TCP Buffer Size Globally and for Virtual
  • Servers and Services
  • Memory Consumption Statistics for NetScaler Features
  • Statistics for Overall System Memory Consumption
  • Filtering a NetScaler Trace to Capture Information About an Interface or a VLAN ID
  • Time Stamp of the Last Configuration Change
  • View System Date in the NetScaler Command Line
  • Omitting Device-Specific Information in Output
  • Web Interface on NetScaler (nCore and nCore VPX only)

Traffic Management
The following traffic management enhancements are available in this release.

  • Load Balancing of Branch Repeaters for WAN Optimization (nCore and nCore VPX only)
  • Database Switching (nCore and nCore VPX only)
  • XenApp and XenDesktop Load Balancing Wizard Enhancements
  • No-Monitor Option for Services and Service Groups
  • Hash-Based Load Balancing Method
  • Support for Remote Desktop Protocol Load Balancing (nCore and nCore VPX only)
  • Policy-Based Routing Domains (nCore and nCore VPX only)
  • Graceful Shutdown of Backend Services
  • Additional Statistics for Load Balancing Virtual Servers
  • Persistence Time-out Option
  • Virtual Servers Bound to a Service Group
  • Domain-Name-Based Service Groups
  • N-tier Cache Redirection
  • Sessionless Load Balancing in IP Mode
  • Customization of the HTTPONLY Flag (Classic only)
  • Enhancement of XenDesktop Monitors
  • Link Load Balancing
  • Rule-Based Persistence for ANY Type Virtual Servers

Release Notes about NetScaler 9.3
http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx128937

Downloads

Download NetScaler 9.3 Classic or Ncore here (Require MyCitrix ID)
Download Netscaler 9.3 VPX here (Require MyCitrix ID)
Download Webinterface for NetScaler 9.3 here (Require MyCitrix ID)
Download Application Signature Protection for Application Firewall
(Require MyCitrix ID)

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04 Aug 2010

Beware the Microsoft .NET updates!! – [SoapBOX]

Shouting it from the Rooftops while standing on my SoapBOX! Extra! Extra! – SoapBOX

 Citrix XenApp Access Management Console & vSphere Client breaks after applying Microsoft .NET 2.0 updates.

 Citrix

I was working on installing a Citrix Server at a client site placing the server into its intended farm today using a fresh installation of Windows 2003 and XenApp 5 with Rollup 6. First Windows 2003 Server was installed and using Windows Update the client installed all suggested updates. We installed Citrix fresh along with Rollup 6 and the new AMC. When opening up the AMC we noticed that the XenApp nodes were missing and there wasn’t an option of discovery. After a little digging I came across the solution located here: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX126048

Cause

A recent Microsoft update to .NET Framework 2.0 is the cause. Some of the files necessary for the .NET Framework, or the Delivery Services Console, might not have registered properly during the installation of the XenApp management consoles.

Resolution

Use the procedure below to re-register the PSE.core.dll.

  1. From a command prompt, enter the following:
    C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727>regasm /codebase “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Citrix\Presentation Server – Administration Snap-in\PSE.Core.dll”

The recent Microsoft .NET update was also the culprit which broke the vSphere client causing an error when trying to launch the vSphere Client. You would receive errors similar to:


Error parsing the server “<servername>” “clients.xml” file.
The type initializer for VirtualInfrastructure.Utils.HttpWebRequestProxy’ threw an exception.
 
 ** Update 8/14/2010 – This update has also broken the Citrix Web Interface. I have found that by following these steps you can resolve the issue.
  1. Uninstall Web Interface (then reboot)
  2. Navigate to the following directory: C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727>
  3. run aspnet_regiis.exe -ua [This uninstalls .NET 2.0]
  4. Install Web Interface [This will reinstall .NET 2.0 the way Citrix wants it to be.]

Voila!!

VMware vSphere

VMware published KB 1022611 which describes this issue introduced by the recent Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 & 3.5 SP1 update.  Upon installing the update, the vSphere Client stops working impacting ESX(i)3.5, 4.0, and vCenter 4.0. The specific Microsoft update which causes the issue is found here. Their simplest solution seems to be to uninstall the update.

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