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Deployment Guide: Windows 11 Deployment Guide

    • Contributed By: Gerhard Krenn Special Thanks To: Steve Beals

Overview

This guide provides high level instructions to install the Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) on Windows 11 (multi or single session) and deploy Virtual Machines (VMs) with Citrix Machine Creation Services (MCS) via Citrix DaaS.

The following steps are covered in this Guide:

  • Install VDA
  • Optimize Windows 11 for MCS
  • Create a Machine Catalog and deploy VMs
  • Create a Delivery Group and assign VMs
  • Configure Citrix Workspace client

Prerequisites

Note

This guide assumes that the reader has a basic understanding of the following technologies:

Citrix Cloud, Citrix DaaS, Azure virtual machine configuration, and basic Windows administration

  1. A Windows 11 virtual machine in Microsoft Azure

  2. A Citrix Cloud account with Citrix DaaS permissions

  3. A domain account with the ability to create machine accounts in the desired OU

  4. A Citrix.com account to download software

    • Citrix VDA
    • Citrix Optimizer

Windows VM Preparation

  1. Join VM to the domain

  2. Launch windows settings and check for updates

  3. Install applications required for the image template and any OS configuration

Citrix Virtual Delivery Agent

Note

It is recommended to use the latest VDA version for optimal performance, security, and functionality

  1. Log in to Citrix.com/downloads and download the latest version of the VDA.

Note

For Azure based Windows 11 virtual machines, you can either deliver single or multi-session hosts. Ensure that you download the correct Citrix VDA for the OS type you plan to deliver.

  1. Run the VDA setup file "VDAWorkstationSetup_xxxx.exe" as an administrator.

  2. Select Create a master MCS image, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-007.png

  3. If you would like the full workspace experience or to deliver virtual applications, select the Citrix Workspace App, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-008.png

  4. Select the Additional Components you want to install, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-010.png

    Note

    For a full list of VDA install options see Install VDA or use the Citrix VDA Command line Helper Tool.

  5. Enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of each Cloud Connector (at least two are recommended for tolerance). After initial registration, VDA retrieves a list of remaining controllers (read more about VDA Registration - Auto-Update functionality).

  6. Select Test Connection and if successful select Add

  7. Click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-012.png

  8. Select Is this VDA installed on a VM in the Cloud (i.e. Azure, AWS, Google)?, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-014a.png

  9. Depending on your specific requirements, select the firewall configuration accordingly, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-014.png

  10. Review the summary and click Install

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-015.png

  11. Select Collect diagnostic information

  12. Click Connect and enter your Citrix Cloud login information

  13. Click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-017.png

  14. Confirm that everything was installed successfully and click Finish

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-018.png

Citrix Optimizer

  1. Log in and download Citrix Optimizer from Citrix Optimizer

  2. Run Citrix Optimizer as an administrator

  3. Select the appropriate Windows 11 Build

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_optimizer-1.png

  4. Select Analyze

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_optimizer-2.png

  5. Once the analyses are complete View results

  6. Select all the desired optimizations and select Optimize

  7. View the results and click Done

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_optimizer-3.png

Create Machine Catalog and Deploy VMs

Note

Resources

We are using Microsoft Azure as a resource location in this scenario. For a full list of supported Hypervisors and Clouds see Hosts / virtualization resources

Hosting Connections

The available resources are based on the hosting connections already added in Citrix Studio. See the following article for information on creating DaaS hosting connections

  1. Log into Citrix Cloud

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-051.png

  2. Select the DaaS tile

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-052.png

  3. Select Manage

  4. From within Web Studio, select Machine Catalogs, then Create Machine Catalog

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-018.png

  5. Select Multi-session OS for Windows 11 multi-session windows on Azure or Operating System as appropriate based on your deployment, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-019.png

  6. Select Machines that are power managed

  7. Deploy machines using Citrix Machine Creation Services, select the appropriate Resource, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-020.png

  8. Select Master Image previously created

  9. Select the minimum functional level and click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-021.png

  10. Select Storage and License Types based on your environment

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-022.png

  11. Enter the number of Virtual Machines you would like to create, along with the machine size, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-023.png

  12. Select Network Interface Card to be associated with the VM, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-027.png

  13. Configure Disk Settings and Write Back Cache as appropriate, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-024.png

  14. Select the appropriate Resource Group provisioning method, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-025.png

  15. Select whether to create new AD accounts, where to create them and the naming convention to be used, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-028.png

  16. Add the Domain credentials to be used to perform the account operations, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-029.png

  17. Select the appropriate Scope, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-29a.png

  18. Select the appropriate WEM binding, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-29b.png

  19. Verify the Summary, add a Machine Catalog name and Machine Catalog description, then click Finish

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-030.png

Note

Wait for the machine catalog to create and the new VM disk. Time depends on the number of VMs specified

Create Delivery Group

  1. Log into Citrix Cloud and select the DaaS tile

  2. Select Manage

  3. From within Web Studio, select Delivery Group, then Create Delivery Group, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-031.png

  4. Select the Machine Catalog you created (above)

  5. Choose the number of machines that you created or want to add to the Delivery Group, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-032.png

  6. Select the Users assignment method (We are using Citrix Cloud for assignment in this scenario). Click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-033.png

  7. If adding applications to be published separately add these here (We are only publishing a desktop in this scenario). Click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-034.png

  8. Select the Scope if appropriate, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-034a.png

  9. Select the appropriate License Type, click Next

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-034b.png

  10. Provide the Delivery Group name and Display name, click Finish

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-035.png

  11. Once created, view the machines and check their registration status

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-036.png

Assign Users to Desktop

  1. Log in to Citrix Cloud and from the landing page select View Library

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-053.png

  2. Locate the new Windows 11 Desktop resource in the Library, select the ellipsis (3 dot menu item in the top right corner), and select Manage Subscribers

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-112.png

  3. Add users or groups to assign desktop

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-045.png

Client Configuration

Note

Best practice would be to automate the configuration of the Citrix Workspace App clients.

Once the user has launched the virtual desktop and logged in they are able to carry out the following tasks

Citrix Workspace app

  1. From the start menu launch Citrix Workspace

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-057.png

  2. Add the URL to your Citrix environment

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-107.png

  3. Enter your User name and Password

    deployment-guides_windows-11-deployment_win11-113.png

  4. Once authenticated you see any assigned resources in the workspace or populated in the start menu


User Feedback


UDDAVE JAJOO

Great write up, will it be possible to include information with respect to the OS hardening corresponding to SecureBoot and TPM requirement.

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