HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection Configuration and Troubleshooting

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

Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

What is HDX?

Repeaters Gateways ControllersReceivers


Adaptive

Orchestration

HDX™ MediaStream Flash Redirection (HDX Flash)

• How it works• Known limitations• Why it’s important


What does HDX Flash Redirection do?

• Dynamically redirects ActiveX Flash• Switches between server and client rendered• Centrally configured


Data CenterData

Center

Client-side Rendered - Flash Redirection


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)


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+


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?







Agenda



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)


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


ActiveX Flash Redirection


Redirected ActiveX Calls

ActiveX ControlActiveX Container

Effects of Network Latency on ActiveX Redirection


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


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


ICA Server

Pseudo Container

ICA Client

Flash Player

ICA Client

Flash Player

ICA Server


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


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






Agenda


HDX Flash Prerequisites


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”


Server Configuration


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”


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


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






Agenda


• HDX Experience Monitor

• EventLogs

• Tracing

• HTML Debugging


Troubleshooting HDX Flash Redirection


HDX Experience Monitor

HDX Experience Monitor – HDX MediaStream for Flash Details


HDX Experience Monitor – Dynamic Blacklist


HDX Experience Monitor – Flash Network Performance


Windows EventLog – Server Settings


• 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


Windows EventLog – Windows 7 Setting


• wevtutil ep |more

• wevtutil im "c:\program files\citrix\icaservice\resource\en\hdxflasheventmessagesman.man"


Windows EventLog

Tracing: Server-Side CDF Traces


• MF_DLL_FlashCore

• MF_DLL_FlashTransport

• MF_Service_CtxFlashSvc

Tracing: Client-Side File Traces


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.


YouTube Video Doesn’t Play

Client-Side File Trace Example


Tracing: HTTP Header Traces


HTML Debugging: IE Developer Tools (F12)


Need Assistance from Citrix Technical Support?


• Capture any Pop-Up Messages

• EventLogs (Server and Client)

• Run the HDX Experience Monitor tool within the ICA session

• Collect tracing (CDF and File)






Agenda


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


• 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

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX124190

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX124190

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?

Documents

HDX MediaStream Flash Redirection Configuration and Troubleshooting