Overview

Microsoft Windows 365 (Cloud PC) is an Azure-hosted service providing dedicated Windows virtual machines. 

Citrix for Windows 365 extends the Cloud PC experience with high-end graphics technology, integration with third-party solutions, support for thousands of devices and peripherals, and added layers of security, benefiting IT admins and users alike.

This Proof-of-Concept Guide provides the steps to integrate Windows 365 Cloud PCs with Citrix DaaS (Desktop as a Service). The following is covered in this guide:

• Enable the Citrix connector for Windows 365
• Connect Microsoft Entra ID to Citrix Cloud
• Connect Windows 365 to Citrix Cloud
• Assign Citrix licenses
• Provision Cloud PCs
• Enable Citrix VDA Upgrade service

Prerequisites

• Citrix Cloud Account: You'll need an active Citrix Cloud account with the necessary licenses.
• Windows 365 Enterprise Subscription: Ensure you have a Windows 365 Enterprise subscription to access Cloud PCs.
• Microsoft Intune entitlement: You need an active Microsoft Intune environment in your Entra ID directory.
• Azure Administrator accounts: You will require an Entra ID global administrator and Intune Global administrator privileges or someone with access to these accounts.

Enable Citrix Connector for Windows 365:

1. Open your Intune administrator portal and log in with an account with Global Administrator privileges.
2. Select Tenant administration.

3. Select Connectors and tokens.

4. Select Windows 365 partner connectors.

5. Click Add.
6. Select Citrix from the list. Set the toggle to On for "Allow people to use Citrix to connect to their Cloud PCs." Click Add.

7. The Citrix Connector is now enabled.

Connect Entra ID to Citrix Cloud

1. Open the Citrix DaaS web console.
2. Select Quick Deploy.

3. Select Microsoft Windows 365.

4. Click Connect.

5. Citrix Cloud Identity and Access Management will open in a new tab.

6. Click Add an identity provider.

7. Choose Azure Active Directory, provide an Identity provider name, and click Add.

8. Select the three dots next to Azure Active directory and select Connect.

9. Confirm your custom administrator sign-in URL if prompted.

10. Log into Entra ID with a Global Administrator account.

11. Review the requested permissions. Select Accept.

Citrix Cloud is now connected to your Entra ID tenant. Return to the previous and continue with the next step.

Configure Citrix Workspace:

1. Select Review.

2. Workspace Configuration will open in a new tab.

3. Note the Workspace URL, which will be used to access the Cloud PCs. Select Edit to customize your URL.

4. Enter the subdomain, review and accept the considerations, and click Save.

5. Select Authentication.

6. Choose the authentication option for your POC. Additional details on supported authentication methods are available here.

7. Activating Azure Active Directory for subscriber access will impact the subscriber and administrative experience. Select ‘I understand the impact on the subscriber experience,’ Select Confirm

8. [Optional) Configure Authentication with the Federated Authentication Service (FAS).

9. Select Customize.

10. Select Preferences.

11. Scroll to Automatically Launch Desktop, set it to Enabled, and click Save.

12. [Optional) Disable the Federated Identity Provider Sessions option in Workspace if:
    1. Your users’ client devices are Entra joined, or Entra hybrid joined, and you want a single sign-on into Citrix Workspace (the IdP must be Entra ID).
    2. Your users will use the Windows 365 web portal instead of accessing Citrix Workspace directly, and you want single sign-on into Workspace to avoid prompting users for credentials a second time. Note that this is only relevant if your Azure and Workspace IdPs are the same.

13. Close the Workspace Configuration tab and return to the Windows 365 Get Started checklist.

Connect Windows 365 to Citrix Cloud

1. Select Connect in step 3.

2. Login with an Azure account with Global Administrator privileges.
3. Review Permissions requested. Select Accept.

4. Return to the Windows 365 Get Started checklist.

Assign Citrix Licenses to Users

1. Click Assign in step 4, Assign Citrix licenses.

2. Click Assign licenses.

3. Select Groups, Users.

4. Search for the Groups or users to assign a Citrix license to and click Search.

5. Select the Groups or Users and click Save.

6. Validate your license assignments.

Provision Cloud PCs

1. Log into the Microsoft Intune admin portal with an account with global administrator privileges.
2. Select Devices > Windows 365 > Provisioning policies > Create policy.

3. Enter a Policy name

4. Select your License type.

5. For our deployment, we select Microsoft Entra Join and Azure network connection for the network. The Azure network connection Azure East US was selected.

6. Check the Use Microsoft Entra single sign-on box and click Next.

7. Select your image type and click Next.

8. Select any additional configurations required for your Cloud PC and click Next.

9. Configure scope tags for the provisioning policy and click Next.

10. Select your User Groups to assign this policy and click Next.

11. Review your policy options, then click Create.

12. Your Cloud PCs will now be provisioned.

Review Cloud PC Citrix Policy

By default, the Cloud PCs are configured in a connector-less mode. A Citrix Policy is automatically created for these machines, which enables the Rendezvous Protocol. You can review and update this policy as required.

1. Click Policies.

2. Select CTX-Windows365-eastus policy and click Edit Policy.

3. Select View selected only.

4. The Rendezvous Protocol policy is Allowed.

5. Click Assign Policy To. The policy is assigned to the Cloud PC Delivery Group.

6. Click Save.

Enable Citrix VDA Upgrade service

The Citrix VDA Upgrade service is a cloud-based feature of Citrix DaaS. With it, administrators can improve operational efficiency by shifting VDA updates from manual or complex processes to automated processes that Citrix manages.

1. Select Machine Catalogs, right-click on your Cloud PC catalog, and select Edit Machine Catalog.

2. Select VDA Upgrade Service.

3. Check Use VDA Upgrade Service, select Latest CR VDA, and click Save.

The VDA Upgrade service is now enabled for your Cloud PCs.

Access Your Cloud PC

1. Open a browser window and access your Citrix Workspace URL.
2. Use your Entra ID credentials to log in.
3. Your Cloud PCs are displayed and will begin to launch if you enabled Desktop Auto Launch earlier.

Summary

Following this proof-of-concept guide, you successfully integrated Windows 365 with Citrix DaaS, unlocking a superior desktop virtualization experience. This integration empowers your workforce with secure, high-performance access to their Cloud PCs from anywhere while simplifying IT management and reducing costs.