Citrix Provisioning Server (PVS) 5.1 Released to MyCitrix.com

Today Citrix released its latest version of Provisioning Server release 5.1.
You can download the file from your http://www.mycitrix.com/ account.

PVS 5.1 download is the same for both Citrix Provisioning Server for Data Center and Citrix Provisioning Server for Desktops. SO Whats new and is it worth the upgrade?

Here is the Chart of what is new

(Click on the image to read the text)



Basically the new features are:

-Standard Image NIC Teaming - Enables teaming of NICs on provisioned systems using Intel or Broadcom nic teaming

-Offline vDisk Maintenance - Provides the ability to boot Provisiong Server VHD images within Xenserver OR Hyper-V for offline maintenance w/o requiring access ti a streamed device.

-User Assigned vDisks - selects the vDisk to stream to a provisioned system based on user logon

-Offline database Support - Allows continued operation of provisioned server hosts and provisioned systems in the event of a database failure.

- Server Maintenance Mode - Provides a mechanism to place a provisioned server host into "maintenance mode" automatically moving streamed sessions to other hosts in the farm.

- Multiple partition vDisks - Enables imaging systems with multiple disks into a single vDisk

- Read Only vDisk storage - Improves system performance by allowing VHD's to be deployed on read only volumes, reducing disk I/O

- Auditing and enhanced logging - Provides enhanced ability to monitor system and administrator activity.

- XP Embedded Streaming (YAY!!!) - Provides the ability to build and stream XP Embedded
images used by thin client machines.

There you have it! Go give it a try!

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Conficker Worm Warning No April Fools Joke

Various news outlets and antivirus vendors are warning against a malicious worm that will trigger on April 1st of this year called the Conficker. It is considered a troublesome worm that will render your PC over to the hacker who will have the ability to control it as if he were sitting right in front of it.(Yahoo sample article here: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/128643/beware-conficker-worm-come-april-1/ )

While this is a real threat, particularly ominous warning (and a lot of sensationalism in my opinion) the fact of the matter is, if you have up to date antivirus software, are careful about what you download and have been diligent about performing Windows updates on your home computer you probably need not be concerned about this virus.

There are many ways that you can get a worm or virus on your computer but the latest scheme involves a spoofed email that appears to come from your Internet Service Provider (ATT, Comcast, etc) and instructs you to click on a link to download"important service updates" to your computer. When you click on the link it takes you to a realistic looking(albeit fake or spoofed) web site from your provider and an immediate download box appears on the screen. If you click OK to install it, the worm is installed and your computer is now owned by the hacker. (Pwned in hacker slang) This is also known as a drive by download.

Notice that it takes action by the user in order for this to happen. So it is always important to question WHY, if you are ever asked to download a file and verify the website you are on before you do so for maximum protection

You can check your home Computer with FREE tools available from Trend or Microsoft. Most of these tools will require that you allow an ActiveX control be run on your computer in order to run. You can trust content from the Microsoft.com, Live.com and TrendMicro.com web sites, just verify you are on the correct link.

Microsoft has Live Scan you can use to scan your Computer Online at:http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm
Just click on the Full Service Scan and follow the directions and Microsoft will test your computer to verify there is no malware installed.

Microsoft offers a plethora of information on how to protect your home computer here: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.mspx

TrendMicro has provided many useful FREE utilities also that can be used on your computer.

Housecall is very useful and will scan your entire computer Online for malicious thingshttp://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/personal/free-tools-and-services/index.html

Click on the Housecall link and then click on the launch Housecall Free scan button and follow the instructions

Also on the above TrendMicro page is a utility called TrendProtect. This utility is a plug-in for Internet Explorer that will help prevent you from accidently going to a web site that contains Malware or Viruses. Click on the link for it and click on the download button on the next page to install it. Click on the "Install for Internet Explorer" button and choose Run. The install will continue.

There are also several other useful FREE utilities on the TrendMicro link above.

It is inevitable that some nasty bug may someday creep inside your computer but if you follow the above advice it is hopefully more likely that it will be a real fly or mosquito versus a piece of malware software with intent on stealing your data.

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Citrix Provisioning Server (PVS) 5.0 Service Pack 2 has been released to web!

Just got the following from Pete Downing at Citrix. PVS 5 SP2 has been released to Web

All,

I am happy to report that Provisioning Server SP2 has officially released to web (RTW) and available for customer download.

The key improvements in this release center around bug fixes and licensing updates. These include:

· ~10 bug fixes, including duplicate SPN generation and other Active Directory compatibility items

· Technology Preview support for Windows 7 Beta

· Licensing changes for Citrix Essentials and XenApp

Provisioning Server 5.0 SP2 is a full product install.

For a complete list of new features, refer to the release notes, or the product software download page (https://www.citrix.com/English/SS/downloads/results.asp?productID=1297541).

To download the release notes, documentation or programming guides, please see the support website (http://support.citrix.com/product/provsvr/psv5.0#tab-doc).

Thanks!

Pete

Pete Downing
Senior Product Manager, Provisioning services
Citrix Systems, Inc.

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TSRunLogoff Another Freeware Utility from Ctrl-Alt-Del

Hi All

Between our many clients and the thin community, I’ve been given a lot of challenges so far this year. Following hot on the heals of TSKaaSplat, TSKaapop, and TSKaapow, the house of Ctrl-Alt-Del IT Consultancy is proud to offer another freeware utility that should be of use to everyone.

TSRunLogoff is the latest edition to the CAD Util Pack and it allows you to run an application and then a logoff script through one command.

As always download it from here: http://www.ctrl-alt-del.com.au/CAD_TSUtils.htm

TSRunLogoff is a command-line utility to run a single application from one command with the additional function to run a logoff script upon exiting the initial application.

This utility was written to allow a single call to launch an application in its own process, and on closing that application, a logoff script is executed to perform additional clean up tasks or post application processes. TSRunLogoff with its parameters can exist as a shortcut on the desktop, can be run in a script, or published as a single application. TSRunLogoff will work as a
Seamless Published application in a Citrix environment. If single applications are launched via TSRunLogoff in a Seamless environment, the session will close after it has completed the processing of the logoff script as defined in the command line.

TSRunLogoff does not require a special logoff command in the provided script. On closing of the initial application, the provided script will run in a hidden state and the user is presented with a small status window, identifying that the logoff process is underway. On completion of the script, the session will be logged off.

Usage:
TSRunLogoff [[PATH][Application] [[PATH][Scriptname].] [/?]

PATH - Path to the Application
Application - Application Executable
PATH - Path to the script
Scriptname - Script executable - can be .bat,.cmd, or any executable process.
/? - Show this help file

TSRunLogoff without parameters will display this help file.

NOTE: If a PATH or Application does not exist, TSRunLogoff will
terminate at that point. The first parameter must be the initial
application to run.

E.G. TSRunLogoff "c:\Program Files\Office11\EXCEL.EXE" myscript.cmd

This command will launch MS Excel. When MS Excel is closedby the user, the system will then run myscript.cmd until complete and finally logoff the session.

This utility is FREEWARE and was written by Warren Simondson of Ctrl-Alt-Del IT Consultancy, Australia. www.ctrl-alt-del.com.au

Although written for Terminal Server and Citrix environments, this application will function on non-TS/Citrix workstations and servers. This application has been tested on the following platforms:

Windows 2008 Server
Windows 2003 Server SP1 w/ Citrix PS 4.0/ XA 5.0
Windows 2003 Server SP1 (Terminal Server Application Mode)
Windows 2000 Server SP4 w/ Citrix MF XP
Windows 2000 Server SP4 (Terminal Server Application Mode)
Windows 2000 Server SP4 w/ Citrix MF 1.8

The freeware version is offered AS IS. Ctrl-Alt-Del IT Consultancy has made
every effort possible to ensure that TSRunLogoff is free of any bugs or errors,
however in no way is TSRunLogoff to be considered error or bug free.
You assume all responsibility for any damages or lost data that may result
from any errors or bugs in TSRunLogoff.

IN NO EVENT WILL CTRL-ALT-DEL IT CONSULTANCY BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY GENERAL,
SPECIAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF
THIS PRODUCT.


--
Warren Simondson

Ctrl-Alt-Del IT Consultancy Pty Ltd
Website: http://www.ctrl-alt-del.com.au

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Download Pick: TSKaasplat - Close and clean processes after exiting Citrix or Terminal Server Session

Warren Simondson at Ctrl-Alt-Del has come up with another brilliant utility to solve an issue that one user was having on the Thin List.

TSKaasplat is a command-line utility to run a single application from onecommand with the further ability to close other given processes on exitingthe initial application.

It can be download from http://www.ctrl-alt-del.com.au

This utility was written to allow a single call to launch an applicationin its own process, and on closing that application, other processes within the same sessions, as specified in the command line, can be terminated simutaneously.

TSKaasplat with its parameters can exist as a shortcut on the desktop, can be run in a script, or published as a single application.

TSKaasplat will work as a Seamless Published application in a Citrix environment. If single applications are launched via TSKaasplat in a Seamless environment, the session will close after it has terminated the given processes as listed in the command line.If for example, notepad.exe is launched via TSKaasplat as the first parameter, and calc.exe and excel.exe are listed as processes to be terminated upon notepad.exe closing, then when the user closes notepad in the normal fashion, calc and excel will be terminated. If this command was presented
as a published application in Citrix or directly called from a TerminalServices Client, then the session will also close.

Usage: TSKaasplat [[PATH][Application] [Processname *] ...] [/?]

PATH - Path to the Application
Application - Application Executable
Processname - Process name to kill on exiting the application.
* - Kill all session processes on exiting the application and logoff.
/? - Show this help fileTSKaasplat without parameters will display this help file.

NOTE: If a PATH or Application does not exist, TSKaasplat willt erminate at that point.

The first parameter must be the initial application to run.E.G.

TSKaasplat "c:\Program Files\Office11\EXCEL.EXE" notepad.exe calc.exe

This command will launch MS Excel. When MS Excel is closedby the user, the system will then look for any processes of notepad.exe and calc.exe running in the same session and terminate them if they exist.
E.G. TSKaasplat "c:\Program Files\Office11\EXCEL.EXE" *

This command will launch MS Excel. When MS Excel is closed by the user, the system will then look for any other processesrunning in that session, terminate them and logoff the session

This utility is FREEWARE and was written by Warren Simondson ofCtrl-Alt-Del IT Consultancy, Australia. www.ctrl-alt-del.com.au

Although written for Terminal Server and Citrix environments, this application will function on non-TS/Citrix workstations and servers.This application has been tested on the following platforms:
Windows 2008 Server
Windows 2003 Server SP1 w/ Citrix PS 4.0/ XA 5.0
Windows 2003 Server SP1 (Terminal Server Application Mode)
Windows 2000 Server SP4 w/ Citrix MF XP
Windows 2000 Server SP4 (Terminal Server Application Mode)
Windows 2000 Server SP4 w/ Citrix MF 1.8

The freeware version is offered AS IS. Ctrl-Alt-Del IT Consultancy has madeevery effort possible to ensure that TSKaasplat is free of any bugs or errors,however in no way is TSKaasplat to be considered error or bug free.

You assume all responsibility for any damages or lost data that may resultfrom any errors or bugs in TSKaasplat.

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Download Pick: Project Virtual Reality Check

Hi All
Just received the following from Ruben Spruijt

Today we (Jeroen and I) are very proud to finally announce the official launch of “Project: Virtual Reality Check” (VRC).

This is a independent research joint venture between our companies Login Consultants and PQR. The primary purpose of VRC is to release multiple whitepapers to provide information about the scalability and best practices of virtualized Terminal Server and Desktop workloads. The first phase of Project VRC on virtualizing Windows XP and 32-bit Windows 2003 Terminal Services on ESX, XenServer and Hyper-V.

The whitepapers can be downloaded freely from www.virtualrealitycheck.net.;

The goal of Project VRC is to investigate, validate and give answers to the following questions:
How does various Microsoft Windows Client OS’s scale as a virtual desktop?
How does a VDI infrastructure scale in comparison (virtualized) Terminal Server?
Which performance optimization on the host and guest virtualization level can be configured, and what is the impact of these settings on user density?
With the introduction of the latest hypervisor technologies, can we now recommend running large scale TS/CTX workloads on a virtualization platform?
How do the two usage scenarios compare, that is Microsoft Terminal Server [TS] only, versus TS plus XenApp?
How do x86 and x64 TS platforms compare in scalability on bare metal and virtualized environments?
What is the best way to partition (memory and vCPU) the Virtual Machines the hypervisor host, to achieve the highest possible user density?

All together over 150 test have been carried out. However, project VRC is not finished, and probably never will be. Additional publications are planned about virtualizing x64 workloads and the other (Vista and Windows 7) client OS’s. Also, we look forward to evaluate new innovations in the hypervisor, broker and hardware arena.

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Download Pick: WMI Script to execute Delprof on your Citrix server remotely from your desktop

Ever have to remotely reboot a hung Citrix server that had users on it and then have to connect back to it to delete the stuck profiles on it once it came back up?

Here is a blog posting I found that has a WMI script to remotely run Delprof on your server from your desktop. Save the script to your desktop and click on the icon to run it. Just put the server name into the popup and it will perform the action. No // required.

The Blog posting describing the script is here:
http://sogeeky.blogspot.com/2007/03/vbscript-execute-process-remotely-with.html

And he has the link to the entire script which you may not pick up right away in the article to download which is here

http://rajeshkmr.googlepages.com/DelProf.v2.vbs


I tested it from my Vista Machine and it works great! Nicely done!

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