This article describes how to create a XenDesktop desktop image.

Prerequisites for a Desktop Image Virtual Machine suitable for XenDesktop

This demonstration uses a XenServer host with sufficient memory and CPU resources available to host a Windows 7 Virtual Machine.

Recommended configuration is - 2 Virtual CPUs and 2048 MB of Memory.

A Workstation running XenCenter is required to manage the creation of the Virtual Machine.

Instructions

Creating a Pooled Desktop Image Virtual Machine

1. From a management workstation, start XenCenter and connect to an environment for hosting the pooled desktop virtual machine.

   

2. Select the XenServer host to contain the pooled image virtual machine.

3. Right-click and select New VM.

     

4. On the Select a VM template screen, scroll through the selections and choose Windows 7 (64-bit).

   Note: The selection in this step varies depending on the operating system for the virtual desktops required by the enterprise.

5. Click Next to continue.

   

6. Type a Name and Description for the master image virtual machine.

7. Click Next to continue.

   

8. Specify the operating system media location.

9. For the purposes of this guide, select the button labeled Install from ISO library or DVD drive:

10. Specify the ISO or media file containing the operating system installation files.

11. Click Next to continue.

    

12. Select Place the VM on this server.

13. Choose the XenServer to host the virtual machine.

14. Click Next to continue.

     

15. Specify the desired Number of vCPU (virtual CPU) and Memory resources to allocate to this virtual machine.

16. Click Next to continue.

    

17. Select the desired storage location for this virtual machine.

18. Click Next to continue.

    

19. Configure the virtual network interfaces per specific enterprise standards.

20. Click Next to continue.

    

21. Review the summary screen to ensure accuracy of all settings.

22. Ensure that the checkbox marked Start the new VM automatically is selected.

23. Once all settings have been validated, click Finish to allow XenServer to create the virtual machine.

    

24. In XenCenter, select the XenServer machine specified to host the master image virtual machine.

25. Navigate to the Logs tab to monitor the progress of the virtual machine creation.

26. Ensure to select Start the new VM automatically.

27. Once all settings have been validated, click Finish to allow XenServer to create the virtual machine.

    

28. If no errors occur during virtual machine creation, the new virtual machine is viewable in the navigation tree in XenCenter.

    

29. Select the new virtual machine and navigate to the Console tab.

30. Proceed with the installation of the operating system and all required software.

    

Configuration and Virtual Desktop Agent Software Installation

1. In XenCenter, select Master Image VM.

2. In the DVD Drive1 area for the virtual machine, select xs-tools.iso to mount the XenServer Tools media.

   

3. Connect and authenticate to the machine being used for the master image. 

   

4. Open My Computer and navigate to the DVD-ROM.

5. Right-click the XenServer Tools media and select Open AutoPlay.

6. Select Run xensetup.exe from the AutoPlay prompt.

   

7. Accept the term of the License Agreement by selecting I accept the terms in the License Agreement and clicking Next.

   

8. Select the path to install XenServer Tools. The default being C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\XenTools.

9. After specifying the installation location, click Install to begin the process of installing XenServer Tools.

   

10. Allow the installation program to proceed to completion.

    

11. When the installation has completed, select Reboot now and click Finish.

    Note: The Windows 7 workstation automatically reboots upon clicking Finish. Save any unsaved work prior to completing this step.

    

12. Once the client virtual machine has fully restarted, in XenCenter, select the master image virtual machine.

13. In the DVD Drive1, locate and specific the file containing XenDesktop 5 media.

    

14. Connect and authenticate to the machine being used for the master image.

    

15. Open My Computer and navigate to the DVD-ROM.

16. Right-click the XenDesktop media and select Open AutoPlay.

17. Select Run AutoSelect.exe from the AutoPlay prompt.

    

18. Select Install Virtual Desktop Agent.

    Note: Ensure that the user account being used to install the XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent has elevated privileges.

    

19. Select Advanced Install at the screen to select the type of installation.

    

    Note: In this enterprise scenario, all applications are installed locally. Therefore, XenApp Application Delivery plug-ins is not required.

20. Clear the box marked Support for XenApp Application Delivery.

21. Verify that the installation location for the Virtual Desktop Agent is appropriate for the environment. The default is C:\Program Files\Citrix.

22. Once the installation location is verified, click Next to begin the Virtual Desktop Agent installation.

    

    Note: In this enterprise scenario, the Desktop Controllers are configured for the Virtual Desktop Agent. This can be done at a later stage by using Group Policy or the setup wizard.

    Note: If using XenDesktop 5.6:

    Select Virtual Desktop Agent or Virtual Desktop Agent for HDX 3D Pro and click Next.

    

23. Select if you want to install the Citrix Receiver and click Next.

    

24. Select Yes if you want to enable personal vDisk and click Next.

    

25. Select Manually enter controller location(s).

26. In the input box, specify the fully qualified domain name (such as controller1.domain.com) of the Desktop Controllers configured earlier in this guide. If there are multiple controllers, enter each controller’s fully qualified domain name separated by a space.

27. Click Check to allow the setup wizard to validate the network presence of the specified controllers. This option does not validate whether the Fully Qualified Domain Name provided is actually a controller, so ensure that the actual Desktop Controllers is specified and not another server.

28. Once the Desktop Controllers are verified, click Next to proceed to the next step in the Virtual Desktop Agent installation.

    

29. Validate all settings for the Virtual Desktop Agent configuration. Default settings have the following selected (enabled):
    XenDesktop Controller Communications
    Optimze XenDesktop Performance
    User Desktop Shadowing
    Real Time Monitoring
     
    Note: These settings create various exceptions for ports in Windows Firewall. Consult with the Desktop Security team to ensure that settings comply with enterprise standards. Refer to the Knowledge Center article CTX126969 – Virtual Desktop Agent Configuration for more information regarding these settings.
     

30. Once all settings have been validated, click Next to proceed to installation Summary validation for the XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent.

    

    Note: If using XenDesktop 5.6:

31. Once all settings have been validated, click Next to proceed to installation Summary validation for the XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent.

    

32. Review the installation Summary for accuracy of Install Location and Components.

33. If the Summary is correct, click Install to proceed with the installation.

    

    Note: If using XenDesktop 5.6:

34. If the Summary is correct, click Install to proceed with the installation.

    

35. Allow the wizard to install components and perform Post Install validation.

    

36. Upon successful completion of the wizard, a screen appears showing which components were installed. Validate that the XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent is presented.

37. Select Restart Machine (required to complete install) and click Close to end the installation of the XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent.

    Note: The Windows 7 workstation automatically restarts upon clicking Close. Ensure that any unsaved work is saved prior to clicking Close.