How to Enable HTML5 Connections to Provisioning Services Based Catalogs

How to Enable HTML5 Connections to Provisioning Services Based Catalogs

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Article ID: CTX139265

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Description

Enabling connections from Receiver for HTML5 to desktops deployed using Provisioning Services.

Background

Enabling connections from Receiver for HTML5 to desktops in Provisioning Services (PVS) based catalogs might require additional steps to complete depending on the persistence of the write cache mode used for the vDisk.

The required policies to enable HTML5 connections can be configured using either Citrix Studio, with policy rules saved in the XenDesktop site database, or the Group Policy Management Console, with policy rules saved in Active Directory.

After applying the WebSockets connections policy to a worker, the machine must be restarted before it becomes effective and will listen for and accept HTML5 connections on the specified port (default is 8008). Because of the non-persistent nature that PVS based catalogs are generally deployed with, this policy must be part of the base image or it will not be effective and connections from Receiver for HTML5 will fail.

Instructions

  1. Deploy a PVS based catalog and delivery group you want to enable HTML5 connections for.

  2. Enable the WebSockets connections policy required for HTML5 connections and optionally the WebSockets port number and WebSockets trusted origin server list policies either through Citrix Studio or through Active Directory so they apply to your PVS catalog.

 WebSockets connections

  1. Shutdown a worker that is part of the catalog/delivery group.

  2. Using the PVS console, change the device type of the shutdown worker from Production to Maintenance:

 shutdown worker from Production to Maintenance

  1. In the PVS console, create a new version of your vDisk and leave it in Maintenance mode:

 Maintenance mode

  1. Boot the worker, select the maintenance vDisk version from the Boot Menu:

 User-added image

  1. Verify the following policies are in place in the registry:

Caution! Refer to the Disclaimer at the end of this article before using Registry Editor.

  • HKLM\Software\Policies\Citrix\ICAPolicies\AcceptWebSocketsConnections

  • HKLM\Software\Policies\Citrix\ICAPolicies\WebSocketsPort

  • HKLM\Software\Policies\Citrix\ICAPolicies\WSTrustedOriginServerList

policies are in place in the registry:

Note: You must do this with a worker that is part of the catalog/delivery group or the policies will not be applied. 

  1. Shutdown the worker.

  2. Change the workers type back to Production.

  3. Promote the new vDisk version to Production:

 10. Promote the new vDisk version to Production:

  1. Boot up your worker and reboot any workers currently running from the existing vDisk.

Environment

Caution! Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that might require you to reinstall your operating system. Citrix cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. Be sure to back up the registry before you edit it.

Issue/Introduction

This document details additional steps required to enable HTML5 connections to PVS based catalogs when a non-persistent write cache mode is used.

Additional Information

If you do not utilize PVS vDisk versioning, it is possible to apply the policy in your base vDisk image by shutting down all workers utilizing the vDisk and then placing the vDisk in Private mode in order to boot the worker and update the image.

Note: Catalogs deployed with MCS do not require these additional steps as policies are cached on the worker’s identity disk.

PVS catalogs that utilize a persistent write back cache modes such as Cache on device hard drive persisted and Cache on server persisted also do not require these additional steps to implement HTML5 connections.

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