Citrix StoreFront - Implementation Guide

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Citrix StoreFront 2.0
Proof of Concept Implementation Guide

Contents
Contents.....................................................................................................................................2
Introduction...............................................................................................................................3
Architecture ...............................................................................................................................4
Installation and Configuration...................................................................................................5
Section 1: StoreFront Initial Deployment ................................................................. 6
Initial Server Configuration...............................................................................................10
Create New StoreFront Deployment ................................................................................13
Enable the Pass-Through Authentication Service..............................................................26
Section 2: Configure Second Receiver StoreFront Server .............................................27
Section 3: Accessing Applications through Receiver ......................................................32
Receiver for Web ...............................................................................................................36
Section 4: NetScaler Load Balancing Configuration........................................................36
Section 5: NetScaler Gateway for Remote Access .........................................................45
Conclusion...............................................................................................................................47
Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................47
References ................................................................................................................................48
Revision History......................................................................................................................48

Introduction
Citrix StoreFront provides users an enterprise app store that aggregates resources from
XenDesktop, XenApp, XenMobile App Controller, and VDI-in-a-Box in one place. Each
StoreFront user is able to subscribe to their favorite application and desktop resources, these
favorite resources then automatically follow the user between devices. With Citrix Web
Interface reaching end-of-life in 2015, it is important that administrators become familiar with
StoreFront to facilitate a successful transition between products.
StoreFront’s new modular architecture improves upon the existing design of Web Interface. It
includes a new user authentication method which directly queries Active Directory rather
than the existing double-hop Web Interface process where user credentials are sent from the
Web Interface server to the XML broker who then negotiates authentication with the
Domain Controller. StoreFront also makes the process of deploying multiple servers easier
through its configuration synchronization feature.
Customers that require a single point of access and self-service for Windows, Web, and SaaS
applications should consider integrating StoreFront with XenMobile AppController.
ApController, which is part of XenMobile App Edition, is an additional product that must be
purchased. StoreFront is a no-cost product that is freely available for download for Citrix
XenDesktop and XenApp customers. For a complete list of XenMobile AppController
features, visit the product page.
The goal of this document is to guide the reader through the steps required to create a
successful StoreFront proof of concept environment. Citrix Consulting recommends
implementing StoreFront in a phased approach beginning with mobile users. This user group
will receive the greatest benefit since they access resources from multiple devices both inside
and outside the corporate network. Selecting the correct user group will ensure that the full
breadth of StoreFront’s features and self-service capabilities are showcased within this proof of
concept.

Architecture
Citrix StoreFront employs a modular architecture, as shown in the following diagram:
Figure 1: Citrix Storefront Receiver Architecture
 Authentication Service. Authenticates users to XenDesktop sites, XenApp farms, and
AppController, handling all interactions to ensure that users only need to log on once.
 Store Services. Retrieves user credentials from the authentication service to
authenticate users to the XenApp and XenDesktop servers providing the application
and desktop resources. Enumerates the resources currently available from the servers
and sends the details to Citrix Receiver.
 Receiver for Web. Enables users to access applications and desktop resources through
a web page providing the same user experience as accessing those resources through
Citrix Receiver.
 Resource Subscription Database. Stores details of individualized user subscriptions
plus associated shortcut names and locations.
 Beacon. Citrix Receiver uses beacon points to determine whether users are connected
to internal or public networks and then selects the appropriate access method.

Hardware and Software Requirements
In preparation for executing all the steps outlined in this Proof of Concept (PoC)
Implementation Guide, the following components will be required:
 Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 / Windows Server 2012: Receiver Storefront is only
available for installation on these versions of Windows Server.
 Citrix Receiver 3.3+ (Standard) Windows/ 11.6+ Mac: The Citrix Receiver versions
that supports direct connections to StoreFront and take advantage of automatic
account provisioning. Receiver 3.1+ for Windows and 11.5 for Mac support direct
connections to StoreFront but do not support automatic account provisioning.
Previous versions of Citrix Receiver, Citrix Online Plugin, and Receiver Enterprise
can be used, but applications and desktops will only be available from the Receiver for
Web site or by a legacy site.
 NetScaler Access Gateway 10.0.69.4nc+: While not required for internal access to
resources, Access Gateway is a key feature to enable secure remote access and allow the
HTML5 client and Account Services features to function.
Installation and Configuration
The purpose of this document is to provide step-by-step instructions for the implementation
of each component within the Proof of Concept environment. Each step is broken down
into the following individual sections:
 Section 1: StoreFront Initial Deployment
 Section 2: Configure Second StoreFront Server
 Section 3: Accessing Applications through Receiver
 Section 4: Configure NetScaler Gateway Authentication
 Section 5: NetScaler Load Balancing Configuration

Section 1: StoreFront Initial Deployment
Citrix StoreFront can be setup in a single or multi-server deployment. Citrix Consulting
recommends that StoreFront be deployed in a multi-server configuration to ensure high
availability. The following steps detail the installation of StoreFront.
1 Choose the StoreFront installation file
2 Click Yes to install the .NET framework
Check the accept terms of license box

7
Internet Information Server (IIS) will be deployed as part of the installation
Select Next

Select Install
Any pre-requisites missing will be installed automatically by Receiver StoreFront installer

8
The installation has now been completed
Select Finish
The StoreFront Receiver administration console will automatically appear

Initial Server Configuration
The first step in configuring Receiver StoreFront is importing and binding a SSL certificate
inside Internet Information Server (IIS). The following section walks through the steps
needed to complete these tasks.
Screenshot Description
1
 Before beginning the
configuration, a SSL
certificate matching the
hostname chosen must be
imported and bound to
the default IIS Web Site
 This is accomplished in IIS
Manager
 Select the local Server
from the left menu
 Select Server Certificates
from the features menu

2
 Select Import on the
Actions menu
3
 Select the certificate file to
import
 Select OK
4
 The certificate is now
imported

5
 Select Default Web Site
 Select Bindings
6
 Select Add
7
 Select https as the Type
 Select the SSL Certificate
from the dropdown menu
 Select OK

8
 The https binding is now
listed
 Return to the Receiver
Storefront console
Create New StoreFront Deployment
The section walks through the steps to configure the first StoreFront server in a deployment.
1 When the administration console opens, two options are available. Since this is the first
server in the deployment, select Create a new deployment

2 Since a SSL certificate has already been bound, the hostname will automatically be filled
in. This is the Hostname of the load balancing vServer on the NetScaler for the
Storefront servers. If the hostname is blank, go back to the SSL certification installation
steps
Select Next
3 Wait for the Store to be created…
4 Enter in a Store Name
It is recommended choosing a name that helps users identify the apps and desktops. This
is the name that will appear inside Receiver.

5 This menu allows XenApp, XenDesktop, and Cloud Gateway Enterprise resources to
be added to the Store.
To begin adding resources, select Add
7 First, a XenApp server will be added to the Store.
Choose a Display name
Choose XenApp from the Type list

Change the Transport type and Port accordingly
Select Add
8 Enter the FQDN of the XenApp server. Select OK

9 The XenApp server is now listed. Select OK
10 To add a XenDesktop resource, the same steps are followed.

Begin by selecting Add
11 The XenDesktop type is now selected.
Once a server has been added, select OK

12 Now both XenApp and XenDesktop are listed.
Select Next

13 This step will begin the Remote Access configuration through NetScaler Gateway. There
are two options available: No VPN tunnel and Full VPN tunnel
Choose one and then select Add
14 Entera Display Name, Gateway URL, and Callback URL

The SubNet IP address field can be left blank
Select Next
15 Select Add

16 Enter the STA URL and select OK
17 Select Create
18 Select Create

19 Wait for the Store to be created …
20 Click Finish
s

21 Click on Authentication
Observe that the configuration wizard enabled acecss through NetScaler Gateway and
explicit username/password.

Enable the Pass-Through Authentication Service
By default, during the initial configuration of StoreFront, only Explicit and NetScaler Access
Gateway pass-through authentications are enabled. To allow users on the domain to pass-
through their Windows credentials to Citrix Receiver, the Domain Pass-Through method
must be enabled. This pass-through option only works with the desktop Receiver, not the
Receiver for Web page. For Citrix Receiver to utilize single sign-on, it must be installed with
the following parameter: CitrixReceiver.exe /includeSSON.
Screenshot
1 Select Add/Remove Methods
2
Select Domain pass-through and then click OK.

3 Domain pass-through authentication has now been enabled.
Section 2: Configure Second Receiver StoreFront Server
Once the first server has been configured, a second server should be added to the multi-server
deployment.
1 On the first server deployed select Add Server from the Server Group menu.

2 This server will now show an Authorization code that must be entered on the next server joined to
the deployment.
3 On the second server select Join existing server group

Section 3: Accessing Applications through Receiver
To simplify the Receiver provisioning process, StoreFront has introduced an auto-discovery
service called Account Services. Available beginning with Receiver 3.3 Standard for Windows
(Mac 11.6, iOS 5.6, Android 3.1), this feature allows Receiver to automatically provision a
user for internal and remote access. This service eliminates the need for users to download
Provisioning files and manually import them into Receiver.
To allow users outside the corporate network to provision Receiver, NetScaler 10 build
69.4.nc and higher now includes a new entry in the session policy profile where the
StoreFront Account Services URL is specified. The following steps walk through the process
of a user provisioning their account inside Receiver through NetScaler Gateway.
1 Configure the Account Services Address on the NetScaler Gateway Session Profile

5 Click Finish
6
Receiver will now display the subscribed resources. Applications and desktops are now

ready to be launched
Click the Settings icon
7 Stores can be added and removed from this menu

Receiver for Web
In addition to accessing StoreFront Stores within Citrix Receiver Standard, users can also
access applications and desktops through a web page. The Receiver for Web site allows users
to easily connect to their resources on devices that might not have Citrix Receiver installed. It
supports launching applications with the full Receiver, Receiver Web Plug-in, or HTML5
client. This gives users the flexibility to access resources on devices on which that they do not
have permission to install the full Receiver. Receiver for Web also separates applications and
desktops and into tabs, with all desktops available to the user automatically appearing on the
desktop page. It also provides user driven desktop restarts functionality for XenDesktop
resources.
Figure2: Apps View Figure 3: Desktops View
Section 4: NetScaler Load Balancing Configuration
This section will give an overview of the steps necessary to configure a NetScaler to load
balance StoreFront. NetScaler 10.1 includes a new health monitor designed to intelligently
monitor StoreFront. This allows NetScaler to provide a high level of reliability to the
deployment.
1
From the Load Balancing menu, select Servers
Select Add

2 Choose a name and enter in the IP Address for both StoreFront servers
Select Create after each server is entered

3 Both StoreFront servers are now listed
4 From the Load Banacing menu, choose Monitors
Select Add

5 Choose a name for the Monitor and select StoreFront as the Type
Leave the Standard Parameters settings default and choose the Special Parameters tab
Enter in the Hostname used for the StoreFront group along with the Store Name
Check StoreFront Account Services
Click Create
6 Choose Service Groups from the Load Balancing menu
Creating a Service Group allows a single health monitor to be attached to both servers
Select Add

7 Enter in a Service Group Name. Choose SSL for the Protocol
Select the two StoreFront servers and enter 443 as the Port and then click Add
8 Select the Monitors tab and choose the previously creted StoreFront monitor and click
Add.
It will then appear as a configured monitor

9 Choose the Advanaced tab
Click Override Global, uncheck Use Source IP
Click Client IP Header and enter in X-Forwarded-For
10 Choose the SSL Settings tab
Select the SSL certicate for the StoreFront servers and click Add

Click Create
11 Select Virtual Servers from the Load Balancing menu.
Select Add
12 Enter a Name and IP Address for the Virtual Server
Choose SSL for the Protocol

13 Choose the Service Groups tab
Choose the previously created StoreFront Service Group
14 Choose the Method and Persistence tab
Select COOKIEINSERT as the Persistence

15 Choose the SSL Settings tab
Select the SSL certificiate and click Add
Click Create

Section 5: NetScaler Gateway for Remote Access
To provide remote access for users located outside the corporate network, it is recommended
that StoreFront be deployed in conjunction with NetScaler Gateway, formally known as
Access Gateway. NetScaler Gateway acts as a reverse proxy, tunneling all Citrix HDX traffic
over SSL. Remote users have the option of accessing their resources from either the locally
installed Citrix Receiver or via the Receiver for Web site. For an optimal deployment that
allows users to easily connect from inside and outside the organization, it is recommended
that the Account Services feature be implemented. This feature will allow users to seamlessly
configure their locally installed Receiver for external access through NetScaler Gateway. This
feature essentially automates the process of downloading and importing a Provisioning file.
A Provisioning file is a XML file that includes the necessary information to allow Receiver to
decide whether it should connect directly to StoreFront or through NetScaler Gateway. This
decision is made by using the beacon addressees included in the file. If Receiver is able to
resolve the internal Beacon address, it will connect directly to StoreFront. By default, the
internal Beacon address is set to the load balancing hostname for the StoreFront servers,
although this can be changed in the Beacons menu inside StoreFront. For more information
on configuring the Receiver Provisioning file, please reference Citrix eDocs.
Session Policies
To direct remote users to the optimal location, multiple session policies should be created on
NetScaler Gateway. Using HTTP headers, the NetScaler is able to detect if the connection is
being made from a web browser or directly from inside Receiver. Below is an example of the
session policies required for Native Receiver and Receive for Web access.
Priority Policy Name Expression Profile
10 Native
Receiver
REQ.HTTP.HEADER User-Agent
CONTAINS CitrixReceiver &&
REQ.HTTP.HEADER X-Citrix-Gateway
EXISTS
Native Receiver
20 Receiver for
Web
ns_true Receiver for Web

Profile Name Settings
Native Receiver Clientless Access: On | ICA Proxy: Off | Account Services URL | SSO
Domain
Receiver for Web Without XenMobile AppController:
Clientless Access: On| ICA Proxy: Off| WebInterface URL: StoreFront
Receiver for Web page | SSO Domain
With XenMobile AppController: (Clientless VPN):
ICA Proxy: On | WebInterface URL | SSO Domain | Clientless Access:
On
To function correctly, Citrix Receiver requires that the StoreFront Services traffic not be
rewritten, as would normally be the case when NetScaler Gateway is operating in Clientless
Access (CVPN) mode. To disable rewriting, it is necessary to define a custom rewrite policy
for Clientless mode. Under the Clientless Session Policies tab, a new policy should be created
and binded. The URL Rewite policy should be set to ns_cvpn_default_inet_url_label and the
expression set to true.
Figure 4. Clientless Access Policy
Figure 5. Clientless Access Profile

HTML5 Receiver Client
StoreFront 2.0 is packaged with a native HTML5 Citrix Receiver client that can be used as a
fallback client if the native Receiver is not installed. Receiver for HTML5 allows connections
to through a browser without having to install any software on the endpoint. The Java client,
which was previously used as the fallback option with Web Interface is no longer supported
with StoreFront. The HTML5 client can be enabled during the initial StoreFront
configuration or afterwards on the Receiver for Web section of the administration console.
Administrators have the option of configuring the HTML Receiver the primary client for all
users or configuring it as a fallback if the native Receiver is not installed. The only exception
to the configured options is ChromeOS which always will use the HTML5 client. Before
deploying the HTML5 client, please verify your environment against Citrix eDocs for a list
the prerequisites that must be in place.
Conclusion
Citrix Consulting currently recommends StoreFront be implemented in a phased approach
beginning with pilot environment for mobile users. This user group will see the greatest
benefit from having a seamless experience between devices regardless of their location. The
pilot environment should deliver resources from the production XenDesktop & XenApp
deployments. Additionally, StoreFront should be deployed in parallel to the existing Web
Interface environment on a separate Windows server instance. This will ensure a smooth
transition while not disturbing any user groups that are utilizing Web Interface.
Acknowledgments
Citrix Consulting Solutions would like to thank all of the individuals that offered guidance
and technical assistance during the course of this project – Roger LaMarca, Carisa Stringer,
Andy Baker, Peter Schulz, and Adolfo Montoya. Additionally, thanks go to Peter Smeryage
who helped with the build out of the environment.

References
 How to Configure Access to Citrix Receiver StoreFront 1.0 through Access
Gateway Enterprise Edition: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX131908
Revision History
Revision
Change Description Updated By Date
1.0 Initial Document Citrix Consulting Solutions March 27, 2012
1.2 Document Update Citrix Consulting Solutions April 12, 2012
1.3 Document Update Citrix Consulting Solutions July 31, 2012
1.4 Document Update Citrix Consulting Solutions June 28 , 2013
About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) is the leading provider of virtualization, networking
and software as a service technologies for more than 230,000 organizations worldwide. Its
Citrix Delivery Center, Citrix Cloud Center (C3) and Citrix Online Services product families
radically simplify computing for millions of users, delivering applications as an on-demand
service to any user, in any location on any device. Citrix customers include the world’s largest
Internet companies, 99 percent of Fortune Global 500 enterprises, and hundreds of thousands
of small businesses and prosumers worldwide. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies
worldwide in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1989, annual revenue in 2009 was $1.61
billion.
©2013 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix®, Access Gateway™, Branch Repeater™,
Citrix Repeater™, Citrix Receiver™, HDX™, XenServer™, XenApp™, XenDesktop™,
XenClient™ and Citrix Delivery Center™ are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one
or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of
their respective owners.

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