hdx mediastream flash redirection configuration and troubleshooting
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HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection Configuration and Troubleshooting. Ken Baldwin, Escalation Engineer Richard Dowell, Escalation Engineer Tuesday, May 24 th 2011. Agenda. What is HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection? Technical Deep Dive Configuring HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
HDX MediaStream Flash RedirectionConfiguration and TroubleshootingKen Baldwin, Escalation EngineerRichard Dowell, Escalation EngineerTuesday, May 24th 2011
• What is HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection?
• Technical Deep Dive
• Configuring HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Troubleshooting HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Additional Information / QA
Agenda
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What is HDX?
Repeaters Gateways ControllersReceivers
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Adaptive
Orchestration
HDX™ MediaStream Flash Redirection (HDX Flash)
• How it works• Known limitations• Why it’s important
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What does HDX Flash Redirection do?
• Dynamically redirects ActiveX Flash• Switches between server and client rendered• Centrally configured
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Data CenterData
Center
Client-side Rendered - Flash Redirection
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ICA ServerReceiver
PseudoServerInProc.dll
Redirects ActiveX Calls
PseudoContainer.exe
Hosts ActiveX Container
HTML
CTXFlash Virtual Channel
Flash Content
ICA Session
Data CenterData
Center
Server-side Rendered Flash (HDX Broadcast)
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ControllerReceiverHTML
Flash Content
ICA Session
Thinwire
• Windows/Internet Explorer• Adobe ActiveX Flash Player• ICA Session Latency (<30-50ms), • Requires up to 500kbps available session bandwidth• Online Plugin 11.2+
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Known Limitations
• Uncompressed audio & video playback (High-Def)
• Utilizes client GPU/CPU for decoding
• Offloads server resource overhead
• Reduction in network bandwidth requirements
• Increased server scalability
Why use HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection?
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• What is HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection?
• Technical Deep Dive
• Configuring HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Troubleshooting HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Additional Information / QA
Agenda
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HDX MediaStream for Flash – Key Components
• ActiveX Redirection• Content Fetching• Adaptive Orchestration
Main Components
ActiveX – A Brief History
• Based on COM• ActiveX Controls• Originally called OLE Control (.OCX)
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ActiveX Redirection
ActiveX Control ActiveX Container
• Server side of HDX Flash
• ‘Pseudo’ Server
• Hooks into Internet Explorer
• Redirects ActiveX Flash Player
• Decides whether or not to redirect
• Client side of HDX Flash
• ‘Pseudo’ Container
• Supplies an environment in which an ActiveX control can run
• Manipulates, manages, and provides services to local ActiveX Flash Player
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ActiveX Flash Redirection
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Redirected ActiveX Calls
ActiveX ControlActiveX Container
Effects of Network Latency on ActiveX Redirection
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Redirected ActiveX Calls
ICA SessionLatency
ActiveX ControlActiveX Container
Flash Redirection: Content Fetching
Client Side Server Side
• Client fetches Flash content
• PseudoServer sends the original URL to PseudoContainer
• Client needs to be on the same domain as the server for secure content
• Server fetches Flash content
• PseudoServer substitutes URL of content with file:// address
• Allows server to proxy authentication requests on client behalf
• Limited access endpoints
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Text BoxText Box
Content Fetching: Client-Side vs. Server-Side
Client-Side Content FetchingClient fetches Flash content directly from the web server.
Fetch Flash
Content
Directly
PseudoContainer.exe PseudoContainer.exe
ICA Session ICA Session
Fetch Flash Content From
ICA Server
Fetch Flash
Content
For Client
Server-Side Content FetchingClient uses ICA Server as a Proxy
PseudoServerInProc.dll
ICA Server
Pseudo Container
ICA Client
Flash Player
ICA Client
Flash Player
ICA Server
PseudoServerInProc.dll
CTXFlsh CTXFlsh
Pseudo Container
Flash Content (.swf, .flv)
ICA SessionICA Session
Adaptive Orchestration: Dynamic Blacklist
Flash Content
(.swf, .flv)
Client Fetches and Renders Flash
Content
Internet Explorer page is refreshed, Server-Side Rendering Occurs
Dynamic Blacklist
Failed URLAdded toBlacklist
PseudoServerInProc.dll
ICA Server
ICA Client
ICA Client
Flash Player
CTXFlash
Adaptive Orchestration: Network Latency
• Measures network latency and available bandwidth
• Network Latency Detection Measures ‘ICA Ping’ round trip time Measures ‘Latency - Session Average’ ICA Session Counter Uses lowest value of the two in the decision of where to render
• If latency exceeds the maximum threshold, HDX falls back to Server-Rendered Flash
• What is HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection?
• Technical Deep Dive
• Configuring HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Troubleshooting HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Additional Information / QA
Agenda
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HDX Flash Prerequisites
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XenApp 5+XenDesktop 4+
v11.2+
LAN<30ms Latency
• Server-Side Settings• Use the HDX-Flash-Server.ADM template in Group Policy Editor
• Registry:• SOFTWARE\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer: UseFlashRemoting ; ValueOn =
“Always”, ValueOff = “Never”
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Server Configuration
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Policybased Config
• Client-Side Settings• Use the HDX-Flash-Client.ADM template in Group Policy Editor
• Desktop Viewer:
• Registry:• Software\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Client\PseudoContainer: UseFlashRemoting ; ValueOn =
“Always”, ValueOff = “Never”, Prompt = “Ask”• Desktop Viewer preferences stored in: HKCU\Software\Citrix\ICA Client\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\
DesktopViewer\Desktop Group Name: UseFlashRemoting ; ValueOn = “Always”, ValueOff = “Never”, Prompt = “Ask”
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Client Configuration
Configuring Server Side Content Fetching• Enable on the client via GPO
• Add URLs on the server whitelist via GPO• Wildcards are permitted, use * to enable SSCF for all sites
• Disable using the following registry setting•HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer: "DynamicFallbackEnabled"=dword:00000000
•HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Client\PseudoContainer]: "DynamicFallbackEnabled"=dword:00000000
Configuring the Dynamic Blacklist
• Simulate by killing PseudoContainer.exe on the client
• Verify URL is added to the dynamic black listHKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
•For IE7 and IE8 in non-protected:…\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer\
DynamicBlacklist
•For IE8 in protected mode: …\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\InternetRegistry\REGISTRY\USER\SID\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\PseudoServer\DynamicBlacklist
Simulating the Dynamic Blacklist
Cookie Replication
ICA Protocol
Same cookies Same cookies
• Use the HDX Flash Client GPO template
• Enable cookie replication
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Configuring Cookie Replication
Limitations of Cookie Replication
• HttpOnly attribute not supported
• Synchronization occurs server-to-client only
• Improper handling when client modifies or deletes the cookie
• Persistent client-side cookies
• What is HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection?
• Technical Deep Dive
• Configuring HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Troubleshooting HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Additional Information / QA
Agenda
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• HDX Experience Monitor
• EventLogs
• Tracing
• HTML Debugging
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Troubleshooting HDX Flash Redirection
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HDX Experience Monitor
HDX Experience Monitor – HDX MediaStream for Flash Details
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HDX Experience Monitor – Dynamic Blacklist
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HDX Experience Monitor – Flash Network Performance
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Windows EventLog – Server Settings
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• Enable Server-Side Logging• [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Citrix\HdxmediaStreamForFlash\
Server\PseudoServer\]
• "EventLogging"=dword:00000001
• Disable event throttling so all events are logged• [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Server\]
• "EventTimeThrottle"=hex(b):00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
Windows EventLog – Service Log
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Windows EventLog – Windows 7 Setting
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• wevtutil ep |more
• wevtutil im "c:\program files\citrix\icaservice\resource\en\hdxflasheventmessagesman.man"
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Windows EventLog
Tracing: Server-Side CDF Traces
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• MF_DLL_FlashCore
• MF_DLL_FlashTransport
• MF_Service_CtxFlashSvc
Tracing: Client-Side File Traces
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\HdxMediaStreamForFlash\Client\Tracing
"File"=dword:00000001"Level"=dword:00000009"Flags"=dword:ffffffff
Setting the log level to 9 traces everything and will greatly impact performance.
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YouTube Video Doesn’t Play
Client-Side File Trace Example
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Tracing: HTTP Header Traces
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HTML Debugging: IE Developer Tools (F12)
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Need Assistance from Citrix Technical Support?
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• Capture any Pop-Up Messages
• EventLogs (Server and Client)
• Run the HDX Experience Monitor tool within the ICA session
• Collect tracing (CDF and File)
• What is HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection?
• Technical Deep Dive
• Configuring HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Troubleshooting HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection
• Additional Information / QA
Agenda
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HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection “Version 2”
• Support for WAN-connected users• Protocol abstraction for high latency tolerance for
Flash videos (target 300ms RTL)
• Linux device support (client-side rendering) requires updated reciever
• URL whitelist option and improvements in intelligent fallback to server-side rendering
Resources
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• CTX124190 - How to Deploy and Configure HDX MediaStream for Flash
• CTX126702 - HDX MediaStream for Flash – Client-Side Content Fetching Limitations
• CTX125060 - Best Practices for Optimizing HDX Technologies for XenDesktop 4
• CTX125324 - HDX MediaStream for Flash Redirection – Network Latency Performance Issues
• CTX123058 - HDX Experience Monitor for XenDesktop
• CTX126491 - HDX Experience Monitor for XenApp
Before you leave…
• Session surveys are available online at www.citrixsummit.com starting Thursday, May 26• Provide your feedback and pick up a complimentary gift at the registration desk
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Questions?