Step-by-Step – Install Citrix XenApp / XenDesktop 7.13 Delivery Controller

Hi and welcome to the next blog post of a series covering installing infrastructure components for Citrix XenApp 7.13 on Windows Server 2016.

The overview of the published blog posts can be found on this page: https://www.sinisasokolic.com/citrix/.

This is the manual part where we are doing a next, next, I agree walk-through for all of you that are new to Citrix XenApp or want to see what changed in the installation from older versions.

Be sure to take a look at the prerequisites before moving on:

Supported operating systems:

  • Windows Server 2016, Standard and Datacenter Editions
  • Windows Server 2012 R2, Standard and Datacenter Editions
  • Windows Server 2012, Standard and Datacenter Editions
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter Editions

Requirements:

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1 (Windows Server 2008 R2 only).
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2 (4.6 and 4.6.1 are also supported).
  • Windows PowerShell 2.0 (included with Windows Server 2008 R2) or 3.0 (included with later supported Windows Server versions).
  • Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable package.

Databases

Supported Microsoft SQL Server versions for the Site Configuration, Configuration Logging, and Monitoring databases:

  • SQL Server 2016, Express, Standard, and Enterprise Editions.
  • SQL Server 2014  through SP2, Express, Standard, and Enterprise Editions. By default, SQL Server 2014 SP1 Express is installed when installing the Controller if an existing supported SQL Server installation is not detected.
  • SQL Server 2012 through SP3, Express, Standard, and Enterprise Editions. 
  • SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 and SP3, Express, Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter Editions.

The following database high availability solutions are supported (except for SQL Server Express, which supports only standalone mode):

  • SQL Server AlwaysOn Failover Cluster Instances
  • SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn Availability Groups
  • SQL Server Database Mirroring

Windows authentication is required for connections between the Controller and the SQL Server database. Have a look here for further information about databases and requirements.

You are ready?

Insert the DVD in the drive or mount the ISO file. If the installer does not launch automatically, double-click the AutoSelect application or the mounted drive.

Click START either in the XenApp or XenDesktop line.

Choose Delivery Controller on the left side of the next screen.

On the next screen accept the license agreement and choose NEXT.

Now you can choose the core components installed along with the Delivery Controller. I will choose to install Citrix Studio and Director. In bigger enterprise environments I would suggest you install both consoles on one administrative VDA where only administrators can log on. On this system, additional tools like GPMC for Group Policy editing purposes could be installed.

Because we will use Microsoft SQL Server as a database on a separate system we won´t choose SQL Express and it wouldn´t fit in an enterprise environment as well. The database for an enterprise-class Citrix XenApp environment should be clustered or replicated over more than one system.

Remote assistance is needed for shadowing users with Citrix Director.

We won´t change the firewall settings on the next screen and will leave it as it is. Click NEXT.

Check the summary page and click INSTALL.

The installer takes care of all the prerequisites.

After completion, we can configure the Call Home feature. If you participate your configuration and usage data will periodically be sent to Citrix. You will be able to log in to Citrix Insight Services that I will explain in a separate blog post. If you´re curious browse https://cis.citrix.com and have a look for yourself.

Click I want to participate in Call Home and click CONNECT the type in your User name and Password. Click OK.

If you´re connected successfully you will see a green checkmark left on the CONNECT button.

Now we´re done with the installation and the next step is to click on FINISH. If you want to launch Studio leave the checkmark active, otherwise leave it blank.


And with that, we are done with today´s manual installation of the Citrix Delivery Controller for XenApp 7.13 on Windows Server 2016. I hope you found it useful.

Cheers,
Sinisa

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