CVAD-301: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Advanced Administration

Designed for experienced IT professionals, this course expands the foundational administrative skills by introducing scalability, redundancy, and security configurations as well as troubleshooting techniques for common issues. You will learn to build and combine App Layers to optimize management of your app and desktop images. You will learn how to implement Workspace Environment Management to improve logon times, centralize user settings management, and optimize the performance of machines. You will leave this course with a good understanding of how to manage more complex solutions such as multi-location environments with configurations around StoreFront, the Delivery Controllers, App Layering, and Workspace Environment Management.

Product Versions Covered: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2402 LTSR, App Layering 2403, and WEM 2407

Course objectives

  • How to implement advanced administration concepts such as troubleshooting, backups, disaster recovery, scalability and redundancy for a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop Site
  • Security considerations and configurations including multi-site management using zones.
  • Create, administer, and manage App Layering OS, platform, application, elastic, and user layers.
  • Integrate Citrix App Layering Into a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop deployment.
  • Install and initialize WEM and integrate into Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix DaaS.
  • Configure WEM features to improve the end user environment and virtual resource consumption.
  • Migrate an on-premises WEM deployment to WEM service.

Prerequisites

Strong foundational knowledge of:

  • Windows Server and Desktop operating systems. 
  • Active Directory, Policies, Profiles, Networking and Hypervisors.

Recommended prerequisites:

Audience

This course is designed for administrators, engineers, and architects

Course content

Module 1: Introduction to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Advanced Config, Redundancy, and Scalability

  • Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Redundancy and Scalability
  • StoreFront and NetScaler Gateway
  • Site Infrastructure Redundancy and Scalability
  • Machines Running the Virtual Delivery Agent

Module 2: Manage CVAD Multiple Locations

  • Zones
  • VDA Registration in a Multi-Zone Environment
  • Zone Preference
  • Optimal Gateway Routing and Zones
  • StoreFront Resource Aggregation
  • Managing StoreFront Store Subscriptions in a Multi-Location Environment

Module 3: Backups and Disaster Recovery

  • Backups
  • Disaster Recovery Considerations
  • Disaster Recovery Process

Module 4: Advanced Authentication Methods

  • Multi-factor Authentication - RADIUS and One Time Passwords (OTP)
  • Multi-factor Authentication – Smart Card Authentication
  • Federated Authentication

Module 5: App and Data Security

  • Introduction to Application Security
  • Preventing Jailbreak Attacks
  • Minimizing the Impact of Attacks

Module 6: Secure VDAs

  • Transport Layer Security (TLS) Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) Encryption
  • Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and Citrix Policies
  • Image Management

Module 7: Introduction to Troubleshooting

  • Troubleshooting Methodology
  • Resource Tools and Utilities
  • Introduction to PowerShell

Module 8: Troubleshoot Access Issues

  • Troubleshooting StoreFront
  • Troubleshooting NetScaler Gateway
  • Troubleshooting Access and Authentication
  • Troubleshooting App/Desktop Launch

Module 9: Troubleshoot Delivery Controller Issues

  • Validating FlexCast Management Architecture (FMA) Services

Module 10: Troubleshoot Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) Registration Issues

  • Troubleshooting Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) Registration

Module 11: Troubleshoot HDX Connection Issues

  • Troubleshooting HDX Connections

Module 12: Intro to App Layering and Architecture Overview

  • Citrix App Layering Introduction
  • Architecture

Module 13: OS Layers

  • OS Layers

Module 14: Platform Layers

  • Platform Layers

Module 15: App Layers

  • App Layers

Module 16: Elastic App Layers and User Layers

  • Elastic App Layers
  • User Layers

Module 17: Deploy a Layered Image

  • Using Layered Images with CVAD

Module 18: Layer Priority and Maintaining an App Layering Environment

  • Layer Priority
  • Updating Layers
  • Maintaining and Updating the App Layering Environment
  • Common Citrix App Layering Considerations and Additional Resources

Module 19: Intro to WEM and Architecture Components

  • WEM Features and Benefits
  • WEM On-Premises Components and Deployments
  • WEM Service Components and Deployments
  • WEM Component Communication Workflows
  • WEM Service Component Communication Workflows

Module 20: WEM Deployment Install

  • On-premises WEM: Leading Practice Installation Prerequisites and Steps
  • Creating the WEM Database
  • Running the WEM Infrastructure Service Configuration Utility
  • WEM On-Premises vs WEM Service
  • WEM Service: Leading Practice Installation Prerequisites and Steps
  • ADMX Template Configuration
  • WEM Agent Installation

Module 21: WEM Consoles and Initial Setup

  • On-Premises WEM and WEM Service Consoles
  • WEM Web Console
  • WEM Initial Setup
  • Migrating GPO settings to WEM

Module 22: WEM System and Log On Optimization

  • WEM System Optimization Overview
  • WEM CPU Management
  • WEM Memory Management
  • Additional System Optimization Features
  • WEM Log On Optimization Overview
  • WEM Assigned Actions
  • WEM Environmental Settings
  • Citrix Profile Management In WEM

Module 23: WEM Security and Lockdown Features

  • WEM Security Management Features
  • Privilege Elevation and Process Hierarchy Control
  • WEM Transformer

Module 24: Planning - The WEM Agent

  • WEM Settings Processing and WEM Agent Caches
  • WEM Agent Integration with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix DaaS

Module 25: WEM Monitoring, Reporting, and Troubleshooting

  • WEM Monitoring and Reporting
  • WEM On-Premises Troubleshooting
  • WEM Service Troubleshooting
  • WEM Agent Troubleshooting

Module 26: Upgrading WEM and Migration to WEM Service

  • Upgrading Workspace Environment Management
  • WEM On-Premises Migration to WEM Service


 This course is carried out in collaboration with our learning partners at Global Knowledge UK.