HDX Experience Monitor for XenDesktop

Created Date: March 5, 2010
Updated Date: March 13, 2015

Description

This tool is designed to provide detailed information about the various HDX technologies, their performance and diagnostics information. The HDX technologies covered by this tool are:

• Thinwire (Graphics)

• Audio

• MediaStream

• Flash

• USB

• Branch Repeater

Prerequisites

• XenDesktop 4.0

• Citrix Receiver 11.0 or above

• .Net 3.5 SP1 in the virtual desktop

• This tool is installed on the virtual desktop

• Performance counters enabled in virtual desktop

Installing HDX Experience Monitor for XenDesktop

For XenDesktop 4.x and later, and XenApp 6.x:

1. Open Internet Explorer inside your virtual desktop.

2. Go to https://taas.citrix.com/hdx/download/.

3. Choose version and installation method.

4. Click the Download button and once the EULA is shown, click Agree with terms.

The installation sequence automatically starts and the application installs in the users’ application’s data directory. This application does not require administrative rights for installation.

How to use the HDX Experience Monitor for XenDesktop

The tool main page gives the user a high level summary of the various technologies. The information presented below each technology is a short summary of the detailed information available on each individual page:

For various virtual channels, including MediaStream, Flash, and USB, the system checks if the client has the virtual channel, and if not, the summary says the receiver does not support that feature.

For Branch Repeater, we check the compression ratio perfmon counter to determine if compression has been disabled, an indication that Branch Repeater is active between the client and server.

Graphics Page (Thinwire)

The graphics page provides detailed information about the configuration and network performance of Thinwire. It provides the following detailed information:

1. Maximum output bandwidth used (collected from perfmon counter)

2. Maximum frames per second (from registry)

3. Using progressive display (from policies)

4. Image quality (from policies)

5. Using heavyweight JPEG (from policies)

It also shows the output bandwidth for Thinwire. This data comes from the Thinwire perfmon counter.

Performance Page

This page provides a view of the network performance for all the virtual channels that are known to consume a lot of bandwidth. This page also shows the estimated latency between the client and the server. All data comes from perfmon counters:

Audio Page

The audio page shows detailed information about the audio virtual channel. The information provided includes:

1. If the audio virtual channel is active

2. If the microphone is enabled

3. Codec for input and output (Vorbis, Speex & Legacy)

4. Maximum bit rate

5. State of the audio service

This page also shows the network performance for input and output audio.

The page also includes a link to an advanced diagnostics view. The advanced diagnostics page dumps the output of another tool, ctxaudioperf which is included with HDX Experience Monitor for XenDesktop.

Windows Media

The windows media page shows only the network performance of the virtual channel. We use this to determine if Windows Media is active or not. This is not entirely reliable because MediaStream could be active for sometime after all the data has been sent to the client.

HDX MediaStream for Flash

This feature shows the following information:

• Feature is enabled on the server

• Flash service is running or not

• Estimated latency and latency threshold that determines when Flash redirection is used or not

• Version of IE (HDX Flash works only with IE 7 or above)

• Number of instances of IE using HDX Flash

Diagnostics features for HDX MediaStream for Flash

The tool also offers the ability to shake all active Flash windows. This allows the user to know where the Flash windows are.
A link to download a separate tool that provides further diagnostic functionality

The blacklisted URLs link goes to a separate page that shows all URLs that have been added to the dynamic blacklist. This is a temporary list used by HDX flash of URLs it detected it had issues redirecting:

USB Devices

This page shows the network performance of the USB virtual channel. It also tracks the state of the USB service.

About the HDX Monitor Page

This page can be accessed from the bottom left corner of the main window. This page tells the version of the tool and a link to the main page: http://hdx.citrix.com/hdx-monitor

It also tells the version of XenDesktop and a link that allows you to locate where the desktop is physically located.

Finally, it also tells you the version of the receiver you are using and its IP address. It can also show the output of traceroute command from Windows to show the hops and latency between the virtual desktop and the client IP address:

Security Permissions Required

This application does not require administrative rights to install or run the application

Data Modified by HDX Experience Monitor

All executables are installed in the user’s profile. This application uses the Microsoft ClickOnce technology for deployment.

Contact information

For support, use the following support forum:
http://forums.citrix.com/category.jspa?categoryID=184
Email: supporttools@citrix.com
Also follow us on twitter:
http://twitter.com/juancitrix

Uninstalling the HDX Experience Monitoring Tool

The application can be uninstalled from the app/remove programs applet.

This software application is provided to you as is with no representations, warranties or conditions of any kind. You may use and distribute it at your own risk. CITRIX DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, WRITTEN, ORAL OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you acknowledge and agree that: (a) the software application may exhibit errors, design flaws or other problems, possibly resulting in loss of data or damage to property; (b) it may not be possible to make the software application fully functional; and (c) Citrix may, without notice or liability to you, cease to make available the current version and/or any future versions of the software application. In no event should the software application be used to support ultra-hazardous activities, including but not limited to life support or blasting activities. NEITHER CITRIX NOR ITS AFFILIATES OR AGENTS WILL BE LIABLE, UNDER BREACH OF CONTRACT OR ANY OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY, FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER ARISING FROM USE OF THE SOFTWARE APPLICATION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. You agree to indemnify and defend Citrix against any and all claims arising from your use, modification or distribution of the software application.

This tool is designed to provide detailed information about the various HDX technologies, their performance and diagnostics information.