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Content Redirection: Configuring and Supporting Server and Client Resources

Learn what content redirection is, its requirements, configuration options, and how it works. Discover how to support content redirection effectively.

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Content Redirection: Configuring and Supporting Server and Client Resources

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  1. Content Redirection in MetaFrame XP with Feature Release 2 Barry Flanagan Senior Systems Engineer Brian Stearman Systems Engineer

  2. Agenda • What is Content Redirection? • What are the Requirements for Content Redirection? • How is Content Redirection Configured? • How does Content Redirection work? • Supporting Content Redirection

  3. What is Content Redirection?

  4. CLIENT What is Content Redirection? • Content Redirection allows administrators to specify whether server or local resources are used to open content, no matter where it is stored. • Use Content Redirection to redirect application launching from: • Client to server • Server to client SERVER Acrobat content located anywhere

  5. Client to Server • Content Redirection allows files residing on the local workstation to be opened with a published application rather than a locally installed application. Local App(Explorer, Word, IE) Published Acrobat SERVER Acrobat content located anywhere CLIENT From Client to Server

  6. Server to Client • Content Redirection allows a fixed set of URLs encountered within ICA sessions to be launched within locally installed applications rather than Internet Explorer or players on the MetaFrame XP server. SERVER Published App (Outlook) with URL Link Local App (IE or Player) URL Content CLIENT From Server to Client

  7. What are the Requirements for Content Redirection?

  8. What are the requirements? Client to Server • MetaFrame XPa or XPe • FR2 server license, FR2 connection licenses • NFuse Classic 1.7 • Program Neighborhood Agent ICA client • Client drive mapping enabled • Desired file type associations enabled in the properties of the published application

  9. What are the requirements? Server to Client • MetaFrame XP • FR2 server license, FR2 connection licenses • Any FR2 Win32 or Linux ICA client (6.30 clients)

  10. How is Content Redirection Configured?

  11. How is Content Redirection Configured? • Server to Client • This type of content redirection is enabled in one of three ways. • Farm-wide • Server-wide • Per-user or group (via FR2 user policies)

  12. How is Content Redirection Configured? Server to Client • Farm Wide settings: • Enable for servers using “Farm Wide settings”

  13. How is Content Redirection Configured? Server to Client • Server level setting • Use farm settings – OR – • Enable/disable on a per server basis

  14. How is Content Redirection Configured? Server to Client • User Policy setting • Configured using FR2 user policies • Precedence: • User policy • Server properties • Farm Properties

  15. How is Content Redirection Configured? Client to Server • Plan file types to be redirected to the published applications. • Publish an application. • Choose file types for redirection. If no File Types are available in list, Right Click on Server in CMC, select Update File Types from Registry.

  16. How is Content Redirection Configured? Install the FR2 PNAgent client • Win32 client only • Specifiy the NFuse Classic webserver • FR2 farm only • Specify Authentication mechanism • See pages 43-44 of the 6.30 Win32 Clients Admin Guide

  17. How is Content Redirection Configured? • Choose authentication method • Select ICA Options.

  18. PNAgent / Client configuration • Client Options • Server • Application Display • Ica Options • Deploying/configuring the client: • Config.xml • Command line MSI • Sample client options

  19. PNAgent / Client configuration Client Options • Server • Server URL • Logon Mode • Application display • Show apps. in start menu (+location!) • Display in desktop folder & system tray • ICA Options • Window size • Color depth • Audio quality

  20. PNAgent / Client configuration Deploying the client! • Config.xml • Settings contained in Config.xml • Location: Inetpub\wwwroot\Citrix\PNAgent • See pp. 58-70 ICA Win32 Client Admin. Guide • Ica32a.msi • msiexec /I <MSI_Package> /qn+ [Key=Value] • Key/Value pairs pp. 41-42 ICA Win32 Client Admin. Guide • Ica32a.exe • Extract files with compression utility • Locate and modify install.ini • Repackage with commercial packager

  21. PNAgent / Client configuration Sample Client options: • Server URL (http or https) • Start Menu location (under Programs) • Authentication type / logon mode • NDS Context • Screen size • Audio quality • Which options users see (tabs) • AND More……. ** Cannot hide ICA options tab, can lock settings

  22. How does Content Redirection Work?

  23. How does Content Redirection Work? Client to Server • The user authenticates to the farm using the PNAgent client. • The PNAgent client edits the file type associations in the registry to point to published applications (pulled from config.xml on NFuse Classic server). • When a user clicks on a file type configured for content redirection, the published application is utilized. • When the user logs out of the PNAgent, the file types that were edited in the registry are returned to their original state.

  24. How does Content Redirection Work? Client to Server – Registry Modifications • A sample of the registry modifications made to the client workstation if MS Paint were the published application: • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\PAINT.PICTURE\shell\open\command=(Default) REG_SZ "C:\Program Files\Citrix\PNAgent\pnagent.exe" /launch <Twincam88 Paint> /param:”\\Client\%1\” • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Paint.Picture\shell\open\command=(Default) REG_SZ "C:\\Program Files\Citrix\PNAgent\pnagent.exe" /launch <Twincam88 Paint> /param:"\\Client\%1\" • Registry keys named “backup” are created to revert back to the original registry entries after the user logs off of the PNAgent.

  25. How does Content Redirection Work? Server to Client • On install of Feature Release 2, the server registry is modified. • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command. • The current value for the key copied to a new key “command_backup”. The command key set to “ServerFTA.exe %1”. ServerFTA.exe executes Server to Client Redirection. • This registry key is checked on each logon to ensure ServerFTA.exe is still being called.

  26. How does Content Redirection Work? Server to Client - Once a URL linked is clicked in a published application: Three checks are made: • ServerFTA.exe checks session id to verify this is an ICA session (not console or RDP). • Verify that a valid FR2 license is on the server. • Verify that Server to Client Redirection is enabled for farm, server, or user. • If all answers are yes, ServerFTA proceeds. If any answer is no, control is passed to the executable called in the command_backup key to be executed on the server.

  27. How does Content Redirection Work? • ServerFTA.exe sends a message to the client via the ICA Control Virtual Channel to launch link via local application. • Local client passes link info to appropriate local application. • If the client does not have an appropriate player or cannot directly access the content, the server player will be used

  28. How does Content Redirection Work? URLs Redirected by Default • http Hypertext Transfer Protocol • https Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol • rtsp Real Player and QuickTime • rtspu Real Player and QuickTime • pnm Older Real Players • mms Microsoft’s Media Format

  29. Supporting Content Redirection

  30. Supporting Content Redirection Issues • Content Redirection is unidirectional. For example, mailto: links will not be redirected to server. • Microsoft Word does not redirect HTTP or HTTPS type hyperlinks to the Web browser on the client device. This is because the Microsoft Office suite does not directly access the “Shell” values and redirects these types of links directly to the application itself.

  31. Supporting Content Redirection Issues • Neither the Notepad text editor (Notepad.exe) nor the Write text editor (Write.exe) support URL hyperlinks. • Any applications installed manually (not with IM) after MetaFrame is installed will not list the File Types in the Content Redirection tab of the published application properties. Right Click on the server, click on Update Files Types from Registry.

  32. Supporting Content Redirection Support Utilities • Microsoft provides a free utility FTYPE to check current File Type Associations. • If PN Agent crashes, it may be necessary to clean up File Type Associations. FTACLN.exe is provided to restore client’s File Type Associations. FTACLN set’s client file types to backup in registry. If client crashes and file types are not returned, FTCLN can be run to reset client file types.

  33. Questions?

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