Feature Overview
From WEM version 4.6, assigned Applications actions can be applications published from a XenApp & XenDesktop Site. This feature addresses a common customer request to have WEM include the ability to provide published application shortcuts in desktop sessions and through the WEM Transformer kiosk.
 
The feature can be used in two distinct scenarios:

1. Providing published applications through shortcuts in a desktop session.
2. Providing published applications in the WEM Transformer kiosk.

 
Common to both scenarios is the requirement to first create an Applications entry (of type “StoreFront store”) in the Actions view of the WEM Administration Console, and then assigning the action to a set of users in the Assignments view.
 
Providing published applications through shortcuts in a desktop session
In WEM versions 4.5 and earlier, only applications installed locally on the VDA or endpoint (depending where the WEM Agent was installed) could be provided as Start Menu or Desktop shortcuts. These app shortcuts were configured using assigned Applications actions in the WEM Administration Console.
 
WEM version 4.6 supports Applications entries that are applications published from a XenApp & XenDesktop Site. As with previous versions of WEM, the applications are provided to users in desktop sessions through Start Menu and Desktop shortcuts.
 
Providing published applications in the WEM Transformer kiosk
In WEM versions 4.5 and earlier, only applications installed locally on the VDA or endpoint (depending where the WEM Agent was installed) could be presented in a WEM Transformer kiosk as local app icons on the kiosk’s Applications tab.
 
WEM version 4.6 supports Applications entries that are applications published from a XenApp & XenDesktop Site. These published applications can included as app icons on the kiosk’s Applications tab. Using this method, customers can decide to remove the StoreFront page from the Transformer kiosk, and only provide published applications through the kiosk’s Applications tab.
 
Feature comparison with the typical Transformer use case
This feature is not designed to replace the typical Transformer use case. This typical use case can be described using the WEM Transformer Settings configured in the WEM Console:

• A single StoreFront page is available on the Transformer Web Browser tab.
• Enable Autologon Mode is enabled and every Transformer machine performs an auto-logon using the same generic user account. The benefit of an auto-logon is that the Transformer kiosk user only needs to provide their credentials once – at the StoreFront logon page.

 
The StoreFront-based assigned application action feature provides an additional use case: Providing published applications to Transformer kiosk users without needing to also provide a StoreFront Store page. The use case has the following benefits:

• Transformer users must logon to the Transformer machine using their own credentials.
• Published applications available to Transformer kiosk users in the Applications tab can come from any available StoreFront Store.
• The user only needs to provide their credentials once – at the Transformer machine’s Windows logon. The feature also includes Transformer integration with Receiver for Windows. Once the user logs into the Transformer machine, Receiver provides pass-through authentication and app enumeration.

 
 
Feature Prerequisites
 
WEM Administration Console machine
To support this feature, Receiver for Windows must be installed on the WEM Administration Console machine. This is so the WEM Console can use the Receiver for Windows SDK to perform a StoreFront Store lookup and retrieve a list of published applications.
 
WEM Agent machine
Receiver for Windows must also be installed on the WEM Agent machine so that published application shortcuts configured through the WEM Console will appear in desktop sessions.
 
WEM Agent Machine (Transformer kiosk mode)
The display of assigned applications actions on the Applications tab of the Transformer kiosk requires a particular set of prerequisites:

• Receiver for Windows installed on the Transformer kiosk machine, with the Single Sign-On option. This requires a command-line install of Receiver for Windows using the  /includeSSON  parameter. For further information, refer to the Configure and install using command-line parameters section in the Receiver for Windows, Citrix product documentation.
• Receiver for Windows installed on the Transformer kiosk machine must be configured for pass-through authentication. For further information, refer to the Configure domain pass-through authentication section in the Receiver for Windows, Citrix product documentation.

To obtain a list of supported Receiver for Windows versions, refer to the Workspace Environment Management System Requirements section in the Citrix product documentation.
 
 
Providing published applications through shortcuts in a desktop session: Configuration Overview
 
Notes:

• Receiver for Windows must be installed and running on the WEM Administration Console.
• WEM Actions are user-based settings. Before assigning an action, ensure that a set of users have been added to Active Directory Objects (Users).

 

1. Create a StoreFront Store entry in the WEM Console
   1. Before creating a StoreFront-based assigned application action, the StoreFront Store that will provide the list of available published applications, must be specified.
   2. In the WEM Console, navigate to the Advanced Settings => Configuration => StoreFront tab. The StoreFront tab is new to WEM 4.6.
   3. Add a StoreFront Store entry. Enter the full URL path for the Store:
      • For example: https://storefront.training.lab/Citrix/Store
      • Do not use the StoreWeb URL as this cannot be used to retrieve the list of a Store’s published applications.

 

2. Create a StoreFront-based Applications entry
   1. Navigate to Actions => Applications. Click Add.
   2. The New Application => General tab window has been revised in WEM 4.6 to support StoreFront Store-based application entries. Click on the Application Type pull-down meu and select “StoreFront store”.
   3. From the Store URL pull-down menu, select the desired StoreFront Store.
   4. Click the Browse button.
   5. Receiver for Windows will prompt for credentials. Enter credentials for a user that has been given access to applications published through Delivery Groups (the resultant list will be empty otherwise).
   6. Select a single published application from the list, and click OK.
   7. Provide a Name for the application (this is the name that will appear for the application shortcut in desktop sessions).
   8. If required, configure any additional settings in the Options and Advanced Settings tabs.
   9. Click OK. The StoreFront Store-based Applications entry has been created and added to the list.
   10. Create additional entries if required.

 

3. [Optional] Create a Filter
   1. Navigate to the Filters view.
   2. If required, create a new Filter based on Conditions and Rules. If no additional Filters exist, the “Always True” filter will be used when assigning applications.

 

4. Assign the Applications entries to users
   1. Navigate to the Assignments view.
   2. Double-click on the set of users to assign the application(s) to.
   3. Expand the Applications folder in the Available pane. Double-click on the application name.
   4. In the Assign Filter pop-up window, select the Filter (“Always True” will be used if no other Filter exists).
   5. The application moves to the Assigned pane.
   6. In the Assigned pane, configure the application’s launch and shortcut behaviour (expand the app name if necessary). Right-click on the app to configure any options to enable/disable.

 
 
 
Providing published applications in the WEM Transformer kiosk: Configuration Overview
 
Notes:

• Receiver for Windows must be installed with Single Sign-On on the Transformer machine, and configured for pass-through authentication.
• Enabling Transformer in the WEM Console’s Transformer Settings will change the WEM Agent to Transformer mode. This will apply to all machines defined in the Active Directory Objects (Machines) list. For this reason it is typical to create a separate WEM ConfigSet, just for Transformer machines.

 

1. Create and assign StoreFront Store-based Applications actions
   1. Follow the same steps (Step 1 to Step 4) as shown in the Providing published applications through shortcuts in a desktop session: Configuration Overview section above (Step 4f is unnecessary if the user will only be using the Transformer kiosk on the machine).

 

2. Configure Transformer settings to support published applications in the Transformer kiosk
   1. Navigate to Transformer Settings => General.
   2. On the General Settings Tab, tick the Enable Transformer box.
   3. Tick the Enable Application Panel box.
   4. Navigate to Transformer Settings => Advanced => Logon/Logoff & Power Settings tab.
   5. Ensure that the Enable Autologon Mode box is not ticked. This will allow Transformer users to provide their own credentials at machine logon.

 
 
How the feature works
The ability to provide published applications to users in desktop sessions and in the Transformer kiosk is possible because of the integration of Receiver for Windows with:

• The WEM Administration Console
• The WEM Transformer kiosk

 
Receiver integration with the WEM Console
Before adding a StoreFront Store entry in the Advanced Settings => Configuration => StoreFront tab, the WEM Console checks that Receiver for Windows is running.
 
Before adding an Applications action, where the Application Type is “StoreFront store”, the WEM Console checks that Receiver for Windows is running. After selecting a StoreFront Store and clicking the Browse button, The WEM Console uses the Receiver for Windows SDK (installed as part of Receiver for Windows) to perform the following actions against the selected StoreFront Store, using the credentials provided by the WEM Console administrator:

• Authentication
• App enumeration

If authentication is successful, a list of applications published by the Site’s Delivery Groups is returned to the WEM Console. The list contains only the published applications that the credentials provided is entitled to have access to (app enumeration).
 
Receiver integration with WEM Transformer
If Transformer users will be provided with StoreFront Store-based published applications, they must logon with their own credentials to the Transformer machine. Installed Receiver for Windows uses Single Sign-On to pass through the credentials for authentication and app enumeration on behalf of the WEM Agent (in Transformer mode). For example, if 10 published StoreFront Store-based applications have been assigned in the WEM Console, and the logged in Transformer user is only entitled to have access to 5 of those published applications (app enumeration), only those 5 apps will be displayed in the Transformer kiosk Applications tab.
 
 
Feature Troubleshooting
 
StoreFront tab does not appear in the WEM Console:  
StoreFront tab displays “Install Citrix Receiver to enable this tab” message:  
“Service is not available” pop-up message appears when creating a StoreFront-based Applications action:

• That the correct, full path to the StoreFront Store URL has been entered in Advanced Settings => Configuration => StoreFront tab.
• That the Store’s non-Web path has been entered.
• That the StoreFront Store is available. Check network connectivity, firewall ports, and/or troubleshoot from the StoreFront Server side.

 
When creating a StoreFront-based Applications action The Store Resources window does not display any published applications:  
Receiver for Windows pass-through authentication does not logon to StoreFront page on the Transformer kiosk’s Web Browser tab:

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