How To Capture Specific Trace Modules using CDF Control CTL file
Article ID: CTX695229
Updated On:
Description
Q1. What is CTL File?
A CTL (Control) file in CDFControl is a configuration file used to specify which trace categories and modules should be included when capturing diagnostic data.
Q2. When to use CTL File?
This customization helps in focusing on specific areas of interest, such as excluding unnecessary data that may not be relevant to the issue being investigated . The CTL file can be distributed across multiple machines to capture the same set of modules.
Q3. How to create a CTL File?
Users can create CTL files through the CDFControl graphical user interface by selecting the desired trace categories and saving them as a CTL file. Refer to below steps:
1. Download CDF Control from https://www.citrix.com/downloads/citrix-tools
2. Launch CDFControl.exe as an administrator
3. Select required modules suggested by Citrix support from the dropdown "Select Your Categories". For example in below screenshot, Desktop/ServerOS --> Graphics Redirection has been selected.
4. Selected modules will be highlighted with a blue check mark as shown below.
5. Go to Tools-->Options-->Create CTL File
6. Save the custom .ctl file at your desired location. Likewise, multiple .ctl files can be created with selected modules for troubleshooting different scenarios.
Q4. How to load a Custom CTL file for data collection ?
1. The custom CTL file can be loaded on multiple machines to capture the same modules. Whenever, log collection is required for the specific modules saved in a custom .ctl file, go to Tools-->Options-->Load CTL file.
2. Select the custom.ctl file. The selected modules will be highlighted with a Blue checkmark
3. Click Start Tracing.
4. Once the issue occurs, click Stop Tracing.
5. Trace Summary will show the location of the Most Recent Trace Folder and the CDF Trace Modules Selected path.
6. TraceProviders.ctl helps verify that the appropriate modules specified in the custom.ctl file are correctly included in the trace.
Q5. How to capture specific modules when using CDF Control as a service on multiple machines?
1. Follow https://support.citrix.com/external/article/677255/citrix-cdfcontrol-as-service.html to install CDF Control as a service.
2. Select the desired modules manually, for example Desktop/Server OS VDA-->Session Launch/Connection as shown below or Load the OR load the previously custom CTL file before installing CDF Control as a service.
3. Once you install CDF Control as a service, a folder C:\Windows\CDFControl is created. CDFControl_ServiceProviderList.ctl created inside that folder lists all the modules that will be captured in the trace.
4. Click Start Service to start log collection and Stop Service after the issue is reproduced.
5. TraceProvider.ctl in the CaptureInfo Folder at the specified "Trace File Path" can be used to validate that the appropriate modules specified in C:\Windows\CDFControl\CDFControl_ServiceProviderList.ctl are captured in the trace.
6. If CDF Control has already been installed as a service on multiple machines, first stop the CDF Control Service on each of them. Then, copy the C:\Windows\CDFControl\CDFControl_ServiceProviderList.ctl file—containing the desired modules—from one machine and transfer it to the others. Finally, start the CDF Control service on each machine to apply the updated CDFControl_ServiceProviderList.ctl configuration.
Issue/Introduction
This article provides steps to capture selected trace modules using CDF Control CTL file.
