This is a step-by-step guide on how to install Citrix XenApp 6.5, in this guide we will go through the installation of the first XenApp server in a XenApp 6.5 farm. We will also install the different infrastructure servers required for a XenApp 6.5 farm installation. Citrix XenApp 6.5 for Windows Server 2008 R2 is an on-demand application delivery solution that enables any application to be virtualized, centralized, and managed in the datacenter and instantly delivered self-service to users anywhere, on pretty much any device.
Basic XenApp terminology and infrastructure were explained in this blog post.
The test lab in this guide will comprise of four Windows Server 2008 R2 servers, and they will perform the following roles
DC01: This will be Domain Controller in the contoso.com domain
DB01: This will be the database server, where we will install a SQL Server 2008R2 instance, and store the XenApp database
LS01: On this server, we will install the Remote Desktop License Server role, Citrix License Server and Citrix Web Interface
XA01: This will be the XenApp 6.5 server, where we will install XenApp 6.5
1. Install the Citrix License Server
We are going to perform this installation on LS01. Just click the links, and you can view the blog post, which details the installation of the different components.
1.1 Installing Remote Desktop License Server. Install it completely as outlined in the blog post. But if you are just going to build a test lab, you obviously don’t have to Install RD CALs.
1.2 Installing Citrix License Server
2. Install the SQL Server instance
This installation will be performed on DB01
2.1 Installing SQL Server 2008 R2
2.2 Creating DB for XenApp 6.5
3. Install XenApp 6.5
3.1 Start the installation procedure by running autorun.exe
3.2 Click Install XenApp Server
3.3 You will be prompted to install .Net 3.5 SP1, just click OK. Citrix XenApp Setup will automatically install it for you.
3.4 After a while, you will be presented with this screen. Choose Add server roles
3.5 Select Platinum Edition. This will give you the opportunity to test as many features of XenApp 6.5 as possible. The evaluation licenses are valid for all three editions, so might as well go for the most feature-rich edition
3.6 Accept the license terms and click next.
3.7 Select to install XenApp, then click Next
3.8 Click Next
3.9 You will now be presented with a list of prerequisites that will be automatically installed before the setup will install XenApp. Click Next
3.10 As you can see, installation of the prerequisites will also require a reboot. Just click Next, and then click Install to start installing prerequisites.
3.11 Click Finish.
3.12 Click Reboot, and answer Yes on Restart Confirmation prompt to reboot the server.
3.13 Log on to the server again, and the installation will resume. If it does not, just start the XenApp Server Role Manager from the start menu. Then click Resume Install.
3.14 Click Install
3.15 Click Finish
3.16 Click Specify Licensing
3.17 Specify name of the License Server, and which port you are going to use to communicate with it, then click Test Connection, to test the connection.
3.18 Click Close, and then click Next on the Enter License Server Information page
3.19 On the Select Licensing Model page, choose XenApp, and then click Apply
3.20 Click Configure to start configuring the XenApp server
3.21 Since this is the first XenApp server, we will obviously have to create a new server farm, so choose that option
3.22 Give the farm a name, and then choose the first administrator account for the farm. The user performing the installation, will by default be the first administrator. You can change it here if you like, and you can obviously add more administrators later on. Best practice is naturally to add groups and not single users. In any case, click Next when you are done.
3.23 Select Existing Microsoft SQL Server database, then click Next
3.24 Fill in the name of the Database Server and the Database itself, then click Next
3.25 Enter credentials of the user who will authenticate to the data store, then test the connection. Verify that the test completed successfully, then click Next.
3.26 Keep the default configuration here, and click Next. Remember that if you prohibit shadowing here, the setting will be permanent, so it’s best to allow it during installation, and then override the setting later with policies, if you don’t want to allow shadowing.
3.27 Since this is the first and only server in the farm, it must run in Controller mode. Specify a custom name for the zone if you like. Then click on XML Service
3.28 Since we did not configure IIS and XML Service integration at the start of the installation procedure, its best to use a custom port for the XML service. Citrix recommends that you use port 8080. Specify the port, and then click on Receiver
3.29 Specify the name of the Web Interface Server, then click on Remote Desktop Users
3.30 Make any changes if you like, then click on Next
3.31 Click Apply
3.32 Click Finish
3.33 Finally click Reboot, to restart your XenApp server.
4. Install the Web Interface
4.1 Installing Citrix Web Interface 5.4
This concludes the installation of the first XenApp server in a XenApp 6.5 farm, and the installation of the different infrastructure servers required for a XenApp 6.5 farm installation. In a future blog post, we will look at the initial configuration of a XenApp 6.5 farm.