Agents Administration - Tests
 

Default Parameters for CtxXcXALogonSimTest

This test emulates a user logging into a Citrix farm and launching an application/desktop. In the process, the test reports the total duration of the simulation, time taken for the login to be authenticated, the time taken for application/desktop ennumeration, duration of application/desktop launch, and log out duration. Additionally, the test also captures failures (if any) at each step of the simulation.

This page depicts the default parameters that need to be configured for the CtxXcXALogonSimTest.

  • The TEST PERIOD list box helps the user to decide how often this test needs to be executed.

  • Specify the URL for connecting to StoreFront / NetScaler in the SITE URL text box. You can provide an HTTP or an HTTPS URL here. Before specifying the URL, ensure the following:

    • Only StoreFront 2.0 (or above) and NetScaler Gateway v9.3 (or above) is supported.

    • The URL should be added to the Trusted Sites zone of Internet Explorer. To know how, refer to the the Monitoring Citrix Logon Simulator document. .

    • The Trusted Sites zone should be assigned the Medium-low security level. To know how, refer to the Monitoring Citrix Logon Simulator document.

  • The Citrix Logon Simulator can support either Internet Explorer 11 or Chrome. Pick a browser of your choice from the BROWSER TYPE drop-down. If you choose Internet Explorer as the Browser Type, then refer to the Monitoring Citrix Logon Simulator document to know what IE settings are to be enabled/disabled before attempting the simulation.

  • In the PUBLISHED RESOURCES text box, specify a comma-separated list of applications / desktops that the simulator has to launch. When providing application names, make sure you provide the published application name only and not the display name.

    Before configuring this parameter with the names of resources published on Citrix XenApp / XenDesktop 7.x, ensure the following:

    • The desktop or application configured here should be included as “Favorites” in the StoreFront or NetScaler web console.

    • You can auto subscribe users to applications by setting "KEYWORDS:Auto" in the published application's description in the Citrix XenDesktop Broker.

    • Additionally, for launching published desktops, set the autoLaunchDesktop and pluginAssistant flags to false in the web.config file under C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Citrix\<storename>Web folder on the StoreFront server. You can auto subscribe users to applications by setting “KEYWORDS:Auto’ in the published application's description in the Citrix XenDesktop Broker.

    Before configuring this parameter with the names of resources published on Citrix XenApp / XenDesktop 6.x, make sure that these applications/desktops are available in the Main page of the Citrix Web Interface Management console. To know how to achieve this, refer to the Monitoring Citrix Logon Simulator document.

  • To enable the simulator to log into a Citrix farm via StoreFront or NetScaler and launch an application/desktop, provide the DOMAIN, USER NAME and PASSWORD of a user who has the right to launch all the applications/desktops specified against PUBLISHED RESOURCES. Then, confirm the PASSWORD by retyping it in the CONFIRM PASSWORD text box.

  • The simulator needs to run in the account of a user who has local administrator rights on the simulation end point - i.e., the system on which the external agent and the Citrix Receiver have been installed. Specify the name of this user in the RECEIVER CONSOLE USERNAME text box. This user should also be logged in at all times for the simulator to run continuously.

  • By default, the LAUNCH TIMEOUT parameter is set to 90 seconds. This implies that the simulator will wait for a maximum of 90 seconds (by default) for an application/desktop to launch. If the application/desktop does not launch even after the 90 seconds have elapsed, then the simulation will be automatically terminated, and the simulator will mark that application/desktop launch as ‘failed’. Accordingly, the Application launch availability measure for that published resource (i.e., application/desktop) will report the value 0, and no launch duration will be reported for the same.

    In some environments, one/more published applications may take a little longer to launch than the rest. In such environments, you can instruct the simulator to wait longer for launching each of the configured published resources, by increasing the LAUNCH TIMEOUT. The high time out setting for resource launch ensures that the simulator captures and reports only genuine launch failures, and does not treat a launch delay as a failure.

  • By default, the WEB LOGOFF DELAY parameter is set to 30 seconds. This implies that the simulator will wait for a maximum of 30 seconds (by default) after each resource launch, for the logoff to occur. If the logoff does not happen even after 30 seconds have elapsed, then the simulation will be automatically terminated, and the simulator will mark the logoff attempt as ‘failed’. A logoff duration will hence not be computed or reported in this case.

    In some environments, even during normal operation, logoff may take longer. In such environments, you can instruct the simulator to wait longer for the logoff to occur, by increasing the web logoff delay. The high time out setting for logoff ensures that the simulator waits for the log off to complete and captures and reports the accurate logoff duration.

  • By default, the PROMPT flag is set to No. This means that, by default, the simulator suppresses all message prompts that may appear during the simulation. If for some reason, you want the simulator to view and handle these message prompts, then set this flag to Yes.

  • By default, the USE ICA flag is set to Yes, indicating that the eG agent itself automatically logs off the simulated sessions. Sometimes however, the eG agent may not be able to perform clean session logoffs. When this happens, simulated sessions may continue to linger on the server in a disconnected state. In simulations that are performed on-premise, where you have control over the target Citrix infrastructure, you can avoid such disconnected sessions and ensure clean application/desktop logoffs by deploying the light-weight eG Logoff Helper software . To know how to install the software, refer to Monitoring Citrix Logon Simulator document. Once the helper is installed, set the USE ICA flag to No, so that the logoff helper is automatically used for performing session logoffs.

  • The DD FREQUENCY refers to the frequency with which detailed diagnosis measures are to be generated for this test. The default is 1:1. This indicates that, by default, detailed measures will be generated every time this test runs, and also every time the test detects a problem. You can modify this frequency, if you so desire. Also, if you intend to disable the detailed diagnosis capability for this test, you can do so by specifying none against DD FREQUENCY.

  • Once the necessary values have been provided, clicking on the UPDATE button will register the changes made.

When changing default configurations of tests, the values with “$” indicate variables that will be replaced by the eG system according to the specific server being managed - for instance, $hostName is the host/nickname of the target host, $port is the port number of the server being monitored. E.g., for a server xyz:80, $hostName will be changed automatically by the eG manager to “xyz” and $port will be changed to “80” when configuring a test.