The document discusses troubleshooting a XenDesktop environment using the PowerShell SDK. It begins with an overview of what the PowerShell SDK is and how it provides .NET interactions to automate tasks and configure XenDesktop. It then discusses how to work with the SDK, which is split into separate snap-ins for each XenDesktop service. It provides examples of common PowerShell cmdlets used to manage desktops, desktop groups, and controllers. It also shows how to use the SDK to troubleshoot issues like broken service registrations or monitor desktop states. Finally, it discusses the Site Checker and WorkerDiag Citrix tools that leverage the PowerShell SDK.

1. Troubleshooting a XenDesktop
Environment Using the PowerShell SDK
Shaun Wendland, Senior Escalation Engineer

2. © 2013 Citrix© 2013 Citrix© 2013 Citrix2

3. What is the PowerShell SDK?
Working with the XenDesktop PowerShell SDK

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• PowerShell SDK
ᵒDrives .NET interactions for:
• Desktop Studio
• Administrator Actions
ᵒInstalled by default
ᵒRequired for advanced
configurations
ᵒAutomates common tasks
ᵒProvides a foundation for
troubleshooting issues
Powered By:
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Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell is Microsoft’s task automation framework
• Replacement for the command prompt
• Releases:
v1.0 v3.0v2.0
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Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell is Microsoft’s task automation framework
• Extensible snap-in architecture provides a .NET “bridge” to virtually any aspect
of a Windows machine
• Snap-Ins consist of cmdlets, and provide a common scripting environment for
both administrators and applications
• Cmdlets represent instances of .NET Framework classes; they are not stand-
alone executables
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The XenDesktop PowerShell SDK at a Glance
• 7 Snap-Ins with nearly 300 cmdlets in the XenDesktop 5.6 PowerShell SDK
• XenDesktop PowerShell cmdlets perform an action with the XenDesktop
environment
• Two “types” of cmdlets – configuring and polling
• Most cmdlets return a Microsoft .NET Framework object
• Parameters allow filtered data to be returned
• Cmdlets can be executed from a remote PowerShell session with the SDK
installed
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Working with the XenDesktop PowerShell SDK
• The XenDesktop PowerShell SDK is split into separate snap-ins for each
service on a Desktop Delivery Controller
• Installable on any Windows computer that supports PowerShell v2.0
ᵒSeparate installers for each snap-in
ᵒLocated on XenDesktop install disc
• [x86/x64]Citrix Desktop Delivery Controller
- Citrix.Common.Commands
- 6 x “PowerShellSnapIn”
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Working with the XenDesktop PowerShell SDK
• Cmdlets follow the standard “Verb-Item” syntax
ᵒGet-BrokerSite – Gets the Broker Site
ᵒGet-BrokerDesktop – Gets a Broker Desktop
• Each cmdlet has extensive help text with syntax examples
ᵒGet-Help Get-BrokerSite -Full
• Use Add-PSSnapin to load the snap-in
ᵒAdd-PSSnapin Citrix.Broker.Admin.V1
ᵒAdd-PSSnapin Citrix.Broker*
ᵒAdd-PSSnapin Citrix.*
ᵒAlias: asnp
• Executing remotely
ᵒParameter -AdminAddress $ddcAddress
• „ddc01.domain.com:80‟
Get- Rename-
Set- Update-
Add- Reset-
Remove-
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10. XenDesktop Scripting
Common PowerShell SDK cmdlets and scripts

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Scripting Essentials
• Integrated Scripting Environments (ISE)
ᵒScript Editor
• Multi-line editing
• Syntax coloring
• Tab completion
• Variables and Console panes
ᵒLive Debugging
• Breakpoints and step-in/out
ᵒIntelli-sense!
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Intelli-sense
• Provides context-specific assistance that:
ᵒSpeeds up the process of coding
by reducing typo's and other
common syntax errors
ᵒUses auto-completion popups,
populated by querying parameters
of cmdlets, as well as each
parameter‟s possible value.
ᵒProvides documentation and
disambiguation for variable names,
functions and methods.
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Scripting Essentials
• Integrated Scripting Environments (ISE)
ᵒFree Script Editing Software:
• Windows® PowerShell ISE
• Jive PowerGUI
• Idera® PowerShell+
ᵒPaid Script Editing Software:
• Sapien PowerShell Studio
• Sapien PrimalScript
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XenDesktop CmdletsCommon Desktop Cmdlets
Desktop
Desktop Delivery
Controller
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Common Desktop Cmdlets
• Get-BrokerDesktop
• Get-BrokerDesktopGroup /
Set-BrokerDesktopGroup
Desktop
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Common Controller Cmdlets
• Get-ServiceServiceStatus
• Get-ConfigRegisteredServiceInstance |
Test-ConfigServiceInstanceAvailability
• Get-BrokerSite / Set-BrokerSite
AD Identity Service
Broker Service
Configuration Service
Host Service
Machine Creation Service
Machine Identity ServiceDesktop Delivery
Controller
– Get-ConfigServiceStatus
– Get-AcctServiceStatus
– Get-HypServiceStatus
– Get-ProvServiceStatus
– Get-PvsVmServiceStatus
– Get-BrokerServiceStatus
– Instances3
– Instance1
– Instances2
– Instances3
– Instance1
– Instances2
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17. Advanced XenDesktop
Troubleshooting / Configuring
Using PowerShell SDK cmdlets to
troubleshoot complex issues and automate tasks

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Troubleshooting service instance registrations
• Broken or “Missing” service instance registrations
ᵒClear all service instance registrations but the licensing service before re-registering
• $instance | Unregister-ConfigRegisteredServiceinstance
ᵒRe-register the DDCs to the site
• Get-ServiceServiceInstance -AdminAddress $ddcAddress | Register-ConfigServiceInstance
• Get-ConfigRegisteredServiceInstance -AdminAddress $ddcAddress |
Reset-ServiceServiceGroupMembership
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Joining a Controller to a Site
• Confirm the DDC isn‟t already part of a site
ᵒGet-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:SOFTWARECitrixDesktopServerDataStore
ConnectionsController' -Name ConnectionString
• Generate the T-SQL join script for each service
ᵒGet-ServiceDBSchema -DatabaseName $dbName -ScriptType Instance
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Joining a Controller to a Site
• Set database connection strings for each service
ᵒSet-ServiceDBConnection -DBConnection $cs
• Register service instances to the site
ᵒGet-ServiceServiceInstance | Register-ConfigServiceInstance
ᵒGet-ConfigRegisteredServiceInstance | Reset-ServiceServiceGroupMembership
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Creating and Configuring a Desktop Group
• Create the new Desktop Group and configuring its settings
ᵒNew-BrokerDesktopGroup
• Add the desktop machines to the Desktop Group
ᵒAdd-BrokerMachinesToDesktopGroup
• Create a new Broker User for each user or user group
ᵒNew-BrokerUser
• Create an Entitlement Policy Rule to grant the users access
ᵒNew-BrokerEntitlementPolicyRule
Desktops
Entitlement Policy Rule
Access Policy Rule
Power Time Scheme
Desktop Group
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Creating and Configuring a Desktop Group
• Create an Access Policy Rule for the Desktop Group
ᵒNew-BrokerAccessPolicyRule
• Create a Power Time Scheme for the Desktop Group
ᵒNew-BrokerPowerTimeScheme
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Removing Desktops & Deleting Desktop Groups
• Remove desktops from the Desktop Group
ᵒRemoving a single desktop from a Desktop Group
• Remove-BrokerMachine -MachineName $machineSamName -DesktopGroup
$desktopGroupName
ᵒRemoving all desktops from a Desktop Group
• Get a collection of the desktops in the Desktop Group
- $desktops = Get-BrokerDesktop -DesktopGroupName $desktopGroupName
• Get the machine UIDs for each desktop
- $machineUids = $desktops | ForEach {$_.MachineUid}
• Use the collection of machine UIDs to remove them from the Desktop Group
- Remove-BrokerMachine -InputObject $machineUids -DesktopGroupName
$desktopGroupName
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Removing Desktops & Deleting Desktop Groups
• Remove the Entitlement Policy Rule
ᵒRemove-BrokerEntitlementPolicyRule -Name $entitlementPolicyName
• Remove the Access Policy Rule
ᵒRemove-BrokerAccessPolicyRule -Name $accessPolicyName
• Remove the Power Time Scheme
ᵒRemove-BrokerPowerTimeScheme -Name $powerTimeSchemeName
• Remove the Desktop Group
ᵒRemove-BrokerDesktopGroup -Name $desktopGroupName
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Monitoring and Managing Desktops
• Loop through desktops to check power, registration, and summary states of
virtual desktops
ᵒGet-BrokerDesktop | Select MachineName, PowerState, RegistrationState,
SummaryState
• Use XenDesktop power actions to manage desktop power states
ᵒNew-BrokerHostingPowerAction
• Sends power actions through XenDesktop
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Monitoring and Managing Desktops
• Use WMI to check Windows vitals (services, CPU, Memory, Disk, etc.)
ᵒE.g. Get-WMIObject win32_service -ComputerName $name | Select Name, State
• Use methods on WMI objects to perform actions against them
ᵒFind methods of an object
• $object | Get-Member -MemberType Methods
ᵒE.g. Restarting the VDA service
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27. XenDesktop
Site Checker & WorkerDiag
Citrix tools that leverage the PowerShell SDK

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Site Checker
• Provides the ability to perform various
administrative tasks that aren‟t available
in Desktop Studio
• Checks that all services are running on all
Controllers and manages services to correct
problems
• Checks service instance registrations and
notifies of registration issues found and can
correct them using the PowerShell SDK
XenDesktop Diagnostic Tool
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Site Checker
• Builds a treenode view of the site
• Provides properties for the active node
• All PowerShell scripts are logged in the
log viewer pane
ᵒScripts can easily be copied/pasted into
a script editor for reuse
XenDesktop Diagnostic Tool
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WorkerDiag
Extension of Site Checker
• Provides reporting of desktops that combines XenDesktop PowerShell SDK
with Windows Management Instrumentation
• Checks workers for common issues
ᵒVDA services
ᵒListOfDDCs registry value
ᵒLast Deregistration time, Last Power Action Reason
• Right-click context allows quick
management of VMs
• Sorting and color coding make it easy to
identify problematic VMs
• Allows export to CSV for reporting
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31. Wrap-up
Troubleshooting a XenDesktop Environment
Using the PowerShell SDK

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Resources Discussed
• ShareFile Download for the Presentation Example Scripts
• https://citrix.sharefile.com/d/sf33d6a504d747f0b
• XenDesktop PowerShell SDK Help
• http://support.citrix.com/CTX127254
• XenDesktop Site Checker
• http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX133767
• XenDesktop WorkerDiag
• http://blogs.citrix.com/2012/11/23/xendesktop-workerdiag
• Microsoft PowerShell Script Center
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scriptcenter/powershell.aspx
• PowerShell v2.0 Download
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968929
• PowerShell v3.0 Download
• http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34595
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33. Q&A
Troubleshooting a XenDesktop Environment
Using the PowerShell SDK

34. © 2013 Citrix© 2013 Citrix
Next Webinar: October
• Title: Using NetScaler Insight to Troubleshoot network and server performance
issues
• Description: During this session we will cover NetScaler Insight, which gives
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demonstrate how to use it to drill down and pinpoint network or performance
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• When: Oct 31st
• Registration Now!

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