Citrix Desktop Director is a fantastic new product from Citrix that’s bundled with Citrix XenApp 6.5+ and XenDekstop 5.5+. It’s a web-based service desk console that allows for easy and fast access to user information (search by name!) that includes which server/virtual desktop they’re connected to, their endpoint name and location, information from their AD account (phone number, address, etc.), connection information (Citrix HDX status, client version). The service desk can log users off, disconnect sessions, send users’ messages and shadow sessions all from their browser!
Video of Desktop Director: http://www.citrix.com/tv/#videos/2983
Originally, Desktop Director was released and designed for use with XenDesktop. When XenApp 6.5 was released, they updated Desktop Director to support it. Because it’s a relatively new offering for XA, the install process is NOT very straightforward.
One would assume you can go to citrix.com > Downloads > XenApp 6.5 > Desktop Director 2.1 and just run the MSI. You would be wrong.
As of 5/17/2012, you must first install Desktop Director 2.0 from the XenDesktop 5.5 Additional Features ISO. Once installed, you can run the installer for Desktop Director 2.1 you found in the XenApp 6.5 Section.
It doesn’t end there.
Next, install http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX132904 on the server where Desktop Director 2.1 is installed. Once the hotfix is installed, you can configure the software.
- On the Desktop Director Server, launch the IIS7 Management Console.
- Expand the server
- Expand Sites
- Expand Default Web Site
- Select DesktopDirector
- In the Features View, select Application Settings
- Locate Service.AutoDiscoveryAddresses
- Change the Name to Service.AutoDiscoveryAddressesXA
- If Desktop Director is installed on a XenApp server, reset IIS and move to step 12. If it’s on a standalone server, continue with 10.
- Change the Value of Service.AutoDiscoveryAddressesXA from “localhost” to the FQDN of a XenApp Server (preferably a Zone Data Collector).
- Reset IIS.
- Download this: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX131165
- To allow non-domain administrators to use Desktop Director (it uses WinRM) you’ll need to create a Security Group. For example, we’ll create one called “DesktopDirector” on the EI domain. (EI\DesktopDirector).
- From the command prompt on the XenApp Servers, run this command.
- ConfigRemoteMgmt.exe /configwinrmuser EI\DesktopDirector
- This command provides WinRM access to the server to those in the EI\DesktopDirector group.
- Once you’ve allowed WinRM to passthrough the firewall on the XenApp servers, you’re done!
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Nice post. Thanks for the help. Do you know if 2.0 is still a prerequisite to 2.1 as of 2/7/2013? It’s odd that Citrix lets you download 2.1 from the XenApp downloads section, but it’s impossible to find a 2.0 installer without downloading the XenDesktop ISOs…
Found my own answer. And that answer is yes, it’s still required as of Feb 2013.
You can still dowload it Under Xenapp 6.5>your Edition>Additional Components
Great post, very helpful.
I’m trying to get DD to work for both XA and XD at the same time.
I’ve added Service.AutoDiscoveryAddressesXA and pointed it to a XA server, restarted IIS
but I still only see XD information in the DD dashboard. The account I’m currently using is domain admin so I don’t think its a permissions thing. I manage the citrix environment with this account.
thanks!
Hi Roger,
How you doing?
You are typing: “The service desk can log users off, disconnect sessions, send users’ messages and shadow sessions all from their browser!”
As far as I know, shadowing is not implemented yet. Did you really get this working?
Jeroen.
Hi all
I tried the above and I still am not having any luck getting this up and running. Prior to the XD210DDirector001 (Version 2.1.1) patch I was getting a
Logon attempt failed.
Username: ‘myuser’
Domain: ‘ad’
Additional diagnostics information (exception message):
‘No farms or sites are currently accessible’
In the event log. Now I am getting an error trying to bring up the Web Login Page
Server Error in ‘/DesktopDirector’ Application.
——————————————————————————–
Could not load type ‘Citrix.Dmc.WebUI.AjaxPostRedirectModule’.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.Web.HttpException: Could not load type ‘Citrix.Dmc.WebUI.AjaxPostRedirectModule’.
———————————————————
Eventlog shows this
Event code: 3008
Event message: A configuration error has occurred.
Event time: 4/24/2013 12:18:49 PM
Event time (UTC): 4/24/2013 4:18:49 PM
Event ID: 3eaca07688ce459b9aaf47c63f58dc12
Event sequence: 1
Event occurrence: 1
Event detail code: 0
Application information:
Application domain: /LM/W3SVC/1/ROOT/DesktopDirector-2-130112939282277812
Trust level: Full
Application Virtual Path: /DesktopDirector
Application Path: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\DesktopDirector\
Machine name: MyWEBServer
Process information:
Process ID: 1120
Process name: w3wp.exe
Account name: IIS APPPOOL\DesktopDirector
Exception information:
Exception type: ConfigurationErrorsException
Exception message: Could not load type ‘Citrix.Dmc.WebUI.AjaxPostRedirectModule’.
Request information:
Request URL: http://localhost/DesktopDirector/
Request path: /DesktopDirector/
User host address: ::1
User:
Is authenticated: False
Authentication Type:
Thread account name: IIS APPPOOL\DesktopDirector
Thread information:
Thread ID: 5
Thread account name: IIS APPPOOL\DesktopDirector
Is impersonating: False
Stack trace: at System.Web.Configuration.ConfigUtil.GetType(String typeName, String propertyName, ConfigurationElement configElement, XmlNode node, Boolean checkAptcaBit, Boolean ignoreCase)
at System.Web.Configuration.Common.ModulesEntry..ctor(String name, String typeName, String propertyName, ConfigurationElement configElement)
at System.Web.HttpApplication.BuildIntegratedModuleCollection(List`1 moduleList)
at System.Web.HttpApplication.GetModuleCollection(IntPtr appContext)
at System.Web.HttpApplication.RegisterEventSubscriptionsWithIIS(IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context, MethodInfo[] handlers)
at System.Web.HttpApplication.InitSpecial(HttpApplicationState state, MethodInfo[] handlers, IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context)
at System.Web.HttpApplicationFactory.GetSpecialApplicationInstance(IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context)
at System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime.InitializeApplication(IntPtr appContext)
————————————————–
any help sorting this out is appreciated
UPDate to the above
i ran DesktopDirectorConfig.exe /upgrade and that fixed the Ajax issue, however I am still stuck with the
“The system is currently unavailable. Please try again or contact your administrator.”
and Eventlog entry of
“‘No farms or sites are currently accessible’”