Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7

Advanced Deployment, Troubleshooting,

Security and Administration
Troubleshoot HDX Connection Issues

Module 11
Learning Objectives

Identify the common causes of HDX session

launch failures and discuss the troubleshooting
methods and tools to resolve common HDX
session launch failure causes.
Troubleshooting HDX
Connections
Lesson Learning Objectives

• Describe the HDX session launch sequence.

• Identify the common causes of HDX session
launch failures.
• Identify the troubleshooting methods and tools
to resolve common HDX session launch failure
causes.
Troubleshooting HDX Connections (Overview)
1

End User PC

Connection issues

Enumeration Registration issues

StoreFront ( VDC ) Controller VDA

Site issues License issues

Site Database License Server

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Lab Exercise Prep

Please Take a Moment and Provision Your Lab

For Module 11
Registration Communication Process
• You can review recent
connections and brokering
attempts using specific
cmdlets that output to log
file for review:
• Get-BrokerConnectionLog
• Session connection log
contains information for all
brokered connection, or
reconnection, attempts to
sessions within the site.
© 2020 Citrix Authorized Content
1
• When connecting via
StoreFront, you can
automatically download
an .ica file to the local client
machine by setting the
LogICAFile string value to
“true” on the workstation.
• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ICA
Client\Engine\Configuration\
Advanced\Modules\Logging
• An .ICA file can be
downloaded and parsed to
view all connection specific
details, for example:
• IP or DNS address of worker
• Application settings
• Proxy information
Load Management

• User sessions connecting to either desktops or applications are distributed evenly across all VDA
within a given Delivery Group.
• Session distribution is driven by a load index that is reported by each VDA to the Controller.
• To customize session load balancing, load management can be configured via Citrix or GPO policies.

Delivery
Session 1
Group

Session 3
Published Desktop
4 HDX Session Requests

End Users Delivery Controller Session 2

Session 4 Published Application

Complete Connections and Communication
Session Launch: HDX Communication

New York City (NYC)

Infrastructure Zone 1 (Primary)

Resources
(10a) (8) (9) (3) (14)
(10b) (2)

(1a) (7) Citrix StoreFront License (12) Delivery Controller SQL

Users Active
Gateway (4) (5) Directory Server Site DB
Desktops Desktops Apps Apps
(11) (13)

(6)
(1b)
End User Device

San Francisco (SFO) Miami (MIA)

Infrastructure Zone 2 (Satellite) Zone 3 (Satellite)

Resources Resources

Citrix
Gateway
Delivery Controller
Desktops Apps Desktops Apps
Internal User StoreFront
9 External User
Complete Connections and Communication
Session Launch: HDX Communication 1

Common Misconfigurations: Tools to Support and Troubleshoot:

• All VDAs hosting the published resource are • Windows Event Logs
fully loaded, unregistered, offline, or in • Citrix Studio
maintenance mode.
• Citrix Director
• No Citrix licenses are available due to
unplanned increase in users. • PowerShell/Command Utility
• Secure Ticket Authority (STA) issues when • Receiver Clean-Up Utility
launching via Citrix Gateway • Citrix Health Assistant
• Unexpected behavior or performance is • CPUStress Tool
experienced after an upgrade from an
earlier version of Receiver. • Resource Monitor
• Process Explorer

© 2020 Citrix Authorized Content

• AutoRuns utility
Lesson Objective Review

How do Delivery Controllers manage session

distribution?

Based on load index reported to them from each

VDA.
Lab Exercise Prep

Please Take a Moment and Provision Your Lab

For Module 11
Lab Exercise

• 11-1: Configure Graceful App Session Logoff

for Ghost Sessions
• 11-2: Troubleshooting Published App Launch
Failures Caused by a Missing Dependency
Key Takeaways

• An .ICA file or CLI commands such as Get-

BrokerConnectionLog can be used to review
HDX connection details or session activity.
• Session distribution is driven by a load index
maintained on the VDA, which is then reported
to each Delivery Controller.
• There are various tools and logs that can be
used to review and investigate HDX
communication problems.