Configuring the Web Interface
Once the instance has rebooted, we can now configure the Web Interface.
To do this, select Configure next to Web Interface on the Role manager.
The Web Interface Management Console will be launched.
For this lab, we will configure a XenApp Web Site rather than a XenApp Services Site. This means users will be required to launch a browser and use the Web Interface to use published resources and content.
To create a new site, right click on XenApp Web Sites and select Create Site.
You can leave the default IIS site, Path and Name, but I recommend setting this site as the default page for the IIS site. Then click Next.
Authentication will take place At Web Interface. Select that option from the drop down and select Next.
Verify the settings are correct, then select Next.
The site will now be created, you may select Configure this site now and then click Next.
Specify a Farm Name this can be anything you like. Add the name of the XenApp Server – in our case EI-XA-01. The XML Service Port should be configured as HTTP/8080. Click Next.
Leave the Authentication Method as Explicit and then click Next.
You can Allow any domains or Restrict Domains to the following and then specify the domain you wish to allow. For this lab, we’ll leave it as Allow any domains and then click Next.
Select the Logon Screen Appearance. We’ll leave it as Minimal and then click Next.
Select Dual mode for the Published resource type and then click Next.
Verify the settings, and then click Finish.
You can now access the web interface site from http://<xahostname>/ or you could assign the Elastic IP created earlier to the XA Instance and access it externally using that IP or an A record you created.
Configuring the License Server
Launch the Citrix XenApp Server Role Manager from the start menu on the XenApp instance, then select Configure under the License Server section.
You can leave the default port settings, but configure a password for the Admin account as shown below.
If you have license files to register, you can place them in c:\program files (x86)\citrix\licensing\myfiles\ and then run Reread License Files in the License Management Console.
Next, open the Citrix Delivery Services Console.
You’ll be prompted with Configure and run discovery. Select Skip this screen in the future then select Next.
Uncheck Single Sign-On and click Next.
Select Add Local Computer then select Next, then Next again, then Finish.
Expand Citrix Resources > XenApp > Farm Name
Select Policies
Select the Computer tab.
Select New… from Citrix Computer Policies
Name the policy License Server Settings and then click Next.
From the Categories, select Licensing.
Click Add next to License server host name.
Set the Value to ei-xa-01 or the name of your XenApp instance, and then select OK.
You can set the port, but you should leave it as the default 27000 unless you changed it earlier in the configuration.
Click Next.
Select which servers you wish to apply the policy (all available) and then continue on with the wizard until it completes.
Summary
You are now able to publish resources as you wish!
We’ve covered:
- Registering for Amazon AWS
- Creating EC2 Instances and Networking them together
- Creating a Domain
- Installing Citrix XenApp 6.0 and related roles
Let me know if you have any questions or find any inaccuracies in the guide. I hope this helped get you started!
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This is great Roger! Thanks
Very informative and laid out with precision. Thanks!
Thanks! This helps me a lot. You just helped me getting started on Cloud-computing. Thanks!
I think it’s difficult to find out how much this will cost me, for at similar test-enviroment. Could you help me?
RawCask: The large instances are $0.48/hr. The Micro instances are $0.03/hr.
What instance type and ami did you use for the machine running XenApp? I saw which one you chose for the DC, but not for the XenApp machine itself.
Nvm … just saw it at the bottom of part 1. My apologies.
I used the Windows 2008 R2 AMI for both. Citrix has XA6 AMIs pre-built, but it won’t teach you about the install process.
Actually, as we’ve found out the pre-built XA6 AMIs are not event fully functional, as per our testing. So we decided to go from scratch, but, man we’ve found so many obstacles and little tricks that are completely absent from Citrix’s documentation that it has been pretty disheartening.
Roger,
Shouldn’t this step “Join the EC2.lab domain and reboot the instance.”
be
“Join the EC2.local domain and reboot the instance” instead?
Actually, either way, this step cannot be completed (joining the domain). I followed every step to the “T” and cannot join the DC in any way or manner. If this worked when you wrote it, amazon might changed the way they handle internal DNS queries/lookups since. Using the prvate ip of the DC instance as primary DNS and Google’s as its secondary doesn’t help. It simply doesn’t know what EC2.local or XA-DC or XA-DC.EC2.local is.
Can you even ping the DC from the XA server? They need to be configured within the same Security Group to communicate.
Actually here’s the steps involved in “join such and such domain” that someone not familiar with process will need:
* After you finish creating the domain and reboot, RDP to the DC instance again then go to Start > Administrative Tool > Active Directory Users and Computers.
* Click on Users.
* In the toolbar click on “Create a new user in the current container”. Follow steps to creating providing login name, a password, etc. Make sure the “force user to change password is deselected”.
Ok. Done.
* Now, when RDPto the XenApp instance, log in with EC2.local\Administrator (with the normal password to that machine).
* In the Server Manager click on “Change System Properties”.
* Click on Change
* Click to select Domain. Then enter EC2.local. It should now prompt you with an username/password prompt. Enter the credentials you used when you created the user in the DC.
* If successful it’ll prompt to reboot.
Done.
Hope that helps.
Hey great blog you have here thanks for posting Roger there is some stuff i wasnt aware of.