XenApp: How to add and run VBScript in Streaming package

Streaming is the virtualization technique. It enables applications to be delivered to client devices and run in a protected, virtual environment.  Applications are managed in a centralized Application Hub, but are streamed to the client device and run in an isolation environment.  Applications become an on-demand service that is always available and up-to-date.

Streaming package needs to be created using the Streaming profiler. Once created successfully, it needs to be published for the user community.

Its creation is explained in my article at https://mdaslam.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/xenapp-application-streaming-package-creation

Now in this article, we will learn:

1. How to add VBScript in streaming package : Sometimes we need to add VBScript to the package for doing some required operations like mapping of drives. 
2. How to run the added VBScript: We need to run the VBScript before launching the application. Application launch instruction should be written in the VBScript. 

For implementing above requirement, I will use streaming package for MS Word component that we created in my article at the above link.

Steps to Update streaming package:

1. Streaming package is modified using Streaming Profiler. To run streaming profiler go to {All Programs > Citrix > Streaming Profiler} and click on Streaming Profiler. Following screen will appear:
2. Click on “Open Profile” button, following screen will appear: Select the application streaming package profile file and click Open.
3. Following screen will appear:
4. Expand the package {MSOffice – Word} node and right click on first child node and select “Update / Install Application as shown below:  Following progress screen will appear: It will take couple of minutes to open package for editing.
5. Following screen will appear: Click Next   
6.   Select radio button for “Advanced Install” and click Next. Note:
7. For first requirement {adding VBScript} Select the radio button for “Select files and folders” and Click Next.                Following screen will appear:  Select the required file from left hand side window and select the required destination location from right hand window. Once selected, click on arrow button to add the file. Once added, Click Next.                                      Note: We need to add wscript.exe along with VBScript on same location as it will be required to run the script. Following screen will appear: Select radio button for “Finish  installations”. Click Next.
8. Below screen will appear, containing the list of applications that are installed on this package. You can select application from this list and click on “Run” button to run that application. Some application requires some settings to be done after launching it for the first time. Those type of activities can be done using this screen. 
9. Once the application is executed in above step for the first time, exit the application and its status will be changed to “Application Run” as shown below:
10. If you want to add/modify/delete any application, use the below screen: Click Add {for above second requirement}, following screen will appear:                                                                                     Add the following information:                                              Application name: MSOffice – Word                                          Version: 2003                                                                        Path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\wscript.exe {Browse to this location by clicking Browse button. Browse button will take you inside package to get the file that you have added above}. Working Directory: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office.              Command line parameters: testWord.vbs  After clicking ok, following screen will appear: Click Next.
11. You can sign the profile using below screen: Click Next
12. Profile summary will appear in the below screen. Click Finish to finish the profile creation.
13. On successful updation of profile, following main screen will appear. Click on the save button as shown in circle in below screenshot to save the profile: Profile will saved under the same shared location.
14. Now during its publishing in XenApp, we need to select “MSOffice – Word” as application name under “Location” screen as shown below:   For information of how to publish streaming package, refer to below articles:  https://mdaslam.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/xenapp-publishing-streaming-package/ and https://mdaslam.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/xenapp-automated-streaming-package-publish-using-powershell/ 

XenApp: How to modify Streaming package?

Streaming is the virtualization technique. It enables applications to be delivered to client devices and run in a protected, virtual environment.  Applications are managed in a centralized Application Hub, but are streamed to the client device and run in an isolation environment.  Applications become an on-demand service that is always available and up-to-date.

Streaming package needs to be created using the Streaming profiler. Once created successfully, it needs to be published for the user community.

Its creation is explained in my article at https://mdaslam.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/xenapp-application-streaming-package-creation

Now in this article, we will learn, how to modify streaming package for

1. adding one file : Sometimes we need to add/update application configuration file
2. updating registry: Sometimes we need to update registry entry for application data

For implementing above requirement, I will use streaming package for MS Word component that we created in my article at the above link.

Steps to Update streaming package:

1. Streaming package is modified using Streaming Profiler. To run streaming profiler go to {All Programs > Citrix > Streaming Profiler} and click on Streaming Profiler. Following screen will appear:
2. Click on “Open Profile” button, following screen will appear: Select the application streaming package profile file and click Open.
3. Following screen will appear:
4. Expand the package {MSOffice – Word} node and right click on first child node and select “Update / Install Application as shown below:  Following progress screen will appear: It will take couple of minutes to open package for editing.
5. Following screen will appear: Click Next  
6.   Select radio button for “Advanced Install” and click Next. Note:
7. For first requirement {adding one file} Select the radio button for “Select files and folders” and Click Next.                Following screen will appear:  Select the required file from left hand side window and select the required destination location from right hand window. Once selected, click on arrow button to add the file. Click Next. Following screen will appear: Select radio button for “perform additional installations” to implement second requirement. Click Next.
8. For second requirement {updating registry} Select the radio button for “Edit registry” and Click Next.   Following screen will appear:  Click on “Lunch Windows Registry Editor” button: Registry editor will be launched as shown below: Update it for the required data and then close the editor. Following screen will appear again: Click Next
9. Following screen will appear: Select radio button for “Finish installations” and Click Next.              
10. Below screen will appear, containing the list of applications that are installed on this package. You can select application from this list and click on “Run” button to run that application. Some application requires some settings to be done after launching it for the first time. Those type of activities can be done using this screen.
11. Once the application is executed in above step for the first time, exit the application and its status will be changed to “Application Run” as shown below:
12. If you want to add/modify/delete any application, use the below screen: Click Next
13. You can sign the profile using below screen: Click Next
14. Profile summary will appear in the below screen. Click Finish to finish the profile creation.
15. On successful updation of profile, following main screen will appear. Click on the save button as shown in circle in below screenshot to save the profile: Profile will saved under the same shared location.
16. Resultant Folder structure of profile as saved at shared location:   Please note the presence of second cab file. Whenever streaming profile is updated, new cab file is created. You can delete the old cab file if you don’t want to maintain history as old cab file might be used to rollback the changes.

XenApp: Automated streaming package publish using PowerShell

Purpose:

To publish application streaming package in XenApp automatically using PowerShell script.

Pre-requisite:

Following are the prerequisites for setting up the environment to execute PowerShell script to publish application in XenApp:

1. .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 {Download it from Microsoft website}
2. Microsoft PowerShell 1.0 {Download it from Microsoft website}
3. XenApp Command technology preview{Download it from citrix site: https://www.citrix.com/English/ss/downloads/details.asp?downloadId=1687620&productId=186#top} : These commands are a PowerShell Tool Pack that allows managing most aspects related to XenApp.  They cover all of MFCOM functionality for features available in XenApp 5 and include functionality from both AMC and CMC.
4. Person who is publishing application icon should have full administrative rights on Access management console and should have atleast read access rights on the shared location where streaming package is stored.
5. Application users should also has read access rights on the shared location where streaming package is stored.

Install all the above components {step 1 – 3} in the given order onto the XenApp environment.

Solution: 

Below script is the solution. It has four parts:

Creation of input box for application information – {Line 10 – 99}

Creation the published application icon for streaming package – {Line 101-117}

Addition of users/groups to the application –{Line 119-120}

Assignment of servers to the published app –{Line 122-123}

Script:

   1: # =========================================================

   2: # 

   3: # AUTHOR: Mohd Aslam

   4: # DATE  : 7/06/2010

   5: # 

   6: # COMMENT: This script will publish application streaming 

   7: # package in XenApp.

   8: # 

   9: # =========================================================

  10: [void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName(

  11: "System.Drawing") 

  12: [void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName(

  13: "System.Windows.Forms") 

  14:  

  15: $objForm = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form 

  16: $objForm.Text = "Server Desktop publish information"

  17: $objForm.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(430,200) 

  18: $objForm.StartPosition = "CenterScreen"

  19:  

  20: $objForm.KeyPreview = $True

  21: $objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Enter") 

  22:     {$x=$objTextBox.Text;$objForm.Close()}})

  23: $objForm.Add_KeyDown({if ($_.KeyCode -eq "Escape") 

  24:     {$objForm.Close()}})

  25:  

  26: $OKButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button

  27: $OKButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(190,140)

  28: $OKButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)

  29: $OKButton.Text = "OK"

  30: $OKButton.Add_Click(

  31: {

  32: $AppName=$objAppName.Text;

  33: $AppUsers=$objAppUsers.Text;

  34: $AppServers=$objAppServers.Text;

  35: $objForm.Close()

  36: }

  37: )

  38: $objForm.Controls.Add($OKButton)

  39:  

  40: $CancelButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button

  41: $CancelButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(290,140)

  42: $CancelButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,23)

  43: $CancelButton.Text = "Cancel"

  44: $CancelButton.Add_Click(

  45: {

  46: $objForm.Close()

  47: }

  48: )

  49: $objForm.Controls.Add($CancelButton)

  50:  

  51: $objLabel = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label

  52: $objLabel.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,15) 

  53: $objLabel.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(280,20) 

  54: $objLabel.Text = "Please enter the information in the space below:"

  55: $objForm.Controls.Add($objLabel) 

  56:  

  57: $objLbl_AppName = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label

  58: $objLbl_AppName.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,40) 

  59: $objLbl_AppName.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(160,20) 

  60: $objLbl_AppName.Text = "Application Name:"

  61: $objForm.Controls.Add($objLbl_AppName) 

  62:  

  63: $objAppName = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox 

  64: $objAppName.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(190,40) 

  65: $objAppName.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(205,20) 

  66: $objForm.Controls.Add($objAppName) 

  67:  

  68: $objLbl_AppUsers = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label

  69: $objLbl_AppUsers.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,70) 

  70: $objLbl_AppUsers.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(160,20) 

  71: $objLbl_AppUsers.Text = "Application Users*:"

  72: $objForm.Controls.Add($objLbl_AppUsers) 

  73:  

  74: $objAppUsers = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox 

  75: $objAppUsers.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(190,70) 

  76: $objAppUsers.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(205,20) 

  77: $objForm.Controls.Add($objAppUsers) 

  78:  

  79: $objLbl_Server = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label

  80: $objLbl_Server.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,100) 

  81: $objLbl_Server.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(160,20) 

  82: $objLbl_Server.Text = "Servers*:"

  83: $objForm.Controls.Add($objLbl_Server) 

  84:  

  85: $objAppServers = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox 

  86: $objAppServers.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(190,100) 

  87: $objAppServers.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(205,20) 

  88: $objForm.Controls.Add($objAppServers) 

  89:  

  90: $objLbl_Server = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label

  91: $objLbl_Server.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(10,120) 

  92: $objLbl_Server.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(180,20) 

  93: $objLbl_Server.Text = "*: Enter ';' separated data if any"

  94: $objForm.Controls.Add($objLbl_Server) 

  95:  

  96: $objForm.Topmost = $True

  97:  

  98: $objForm.Add_Shown({$objForm.Activate()})

  99: [void] $objForm.ShowDialog()

 100:  

 101: New-XAApplication -BrowserName $AppName `

 102: -DisplayName $AppName -FolderPath "Applications/Office" `

 103: -Enabled $true `

 104: -ApplicationType StreamedToServer `

 105: –ProfileLocation "\\Server\App_Profiles\MSOffice - Word.profile" `

 106: –ProfileProgramName "Microsoft Office Word 2003" `

 107: –IconStream (

 108: Get-XAIconStream `

 109: -profilelocation "\\Server\App_Profiles\MSOffice - Word.profile" `

 110: -profileprogramname "Microsoft Office Word 2003" `

 111: –Index 0) `

 112: -AnonymousConnectionsAllowed $false `

 113: -InstanceLimit "-1" `

 114: -ColorDepth 1 `

 115: -AudioRequired $false `

 116: -ClientFolder "Office"`

 117: -ProfileProgramArguments %* `

 118:  

 119: Add-XAApplicationAccount -BrowserName $AppName `

 120: -Accounts $AppUsers.Split(";")

 121:  

 122: Add-XAApplicationServer -BrowserName $AppName `

 123: -ServerNames $AppServers.Split(";")

 How to Run above script?:

Save above script to some location with .ps1 extension. To Run above script, go to “Programs > Citrix > XenApp Commands” and click “Windows PowerShell with XenApp Commands (CTP2)” icon. It will launch PowerShell command prompt.

On the PowerShell command prompt, write script name with full location and click enter. Script will run and below screen will be displayed:

Enter all the required data and click “Ok”. For application users and servers, multiple data can be entered separated by “;”.

Following screen will be displayed containing information about the published icon.

To confirm the successful publish, go to access management console and see the published icon as:

                                                                –Finish–