Note: This approach will only install Microsoft Teams for your WVD environment. If you want to install Microsoft Teams via Microsoft 365, on a per-machine basis or with another approach, you'll have to find another method to handle this approach. Citrix and Microsoft jointly support the delivery of Microsoft Teams from Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops using optimization for Microsoft Teams. This joint support is the result of close collaboration between the two companies. See full list on docs.microsoft.com.
by Fredrik Brattstig @virtualbrat
21 January 2021
Yesterday IGEL and NComputing announced the cooperation of providing a RX420 RPi4 based device running IGEL OS. So, why am I on again with another blog?
I want to take the opportunity to to show a recording me and my IGEL evangelist counterpart in the US, Jeff Kalberg, just put together. There are a lot of interest for the ‘NComputing RX420 powered by IGEL” and there is also a lot of questions on Microsoft Teams optimization for this platform. There is no such thing existing yet, as the Linux-Arm version of ‘Citrix Workspace App’ are lacking that feature currently. But listen, I got good news for you!
In the almost 10 minutes long video below you will see a very successful Microsoft Teams meeting between the both of us, cross Atlantic call showing the functionality and features provided by this solution.
Before we have a look at the video, this is how it is done:
- Fist off, HDX Webcam redirection on Linux endpoints is limited to only 32-Bit applications on server side, on the VDI/Session Host. So we are using the 32-Bit version of Microsoft Teams. With hopes that Citrix will add support for 64Bit applications soon!!
- The RX420 powered by IGEL is using the 11.01.100.b2 firmware, a beta version installed on the pre-release endpoints.
- We are using HDX Webcam Redirection of our Microsoft LifeCam’s configured like this:
Microsoft Teams On Citrix Virtual Apps And Desktops, Part ..
- And of course you need to select Audio Input and Output device in the IGEL OS as that is reflected in the “Citrix HDX Audio” within the session. Hoping that Citrix will enable selectable audio devices in session soon also on Citrix Workspace App on Arm Linux. This was introduced on the x86 Linux side in CWA 2010.
So, what about server side resource utilization. Using webcams in session and processing video streams on server-side will kill the Citrix hosts?! – Nope, here you can see the CPU load while we are having our conversation:
We are amazed by the performance and functionality of using this technology and can certainly recommend testing this for your needs!
So, lets have a look at the video shall we! Proven function at its best!
Enjoy and as always, Stay Well!
/Fred
Modern times require modern solutions such as Microsoft Teams. What to do however when your Microsoft Teams user experience is not up to par due to extensive consumption in your organization?
This blogpost will guide you through optimizing Teams on Citrix and your local machines.
Please keep in mind that below text is all based on the full Teams client, meaning this does not apply to the web version.
From a Citrix/Microsoft environment perspective; there are two primary ways to optimize your Microsoft Teams traffic.
- Use Quality of Service (QoS) tagging for the ‘Teams’ packages that are transmitted over your network.
- Use HDX Redirection (optimization) for Microsoft Teams on Citrix to offload CPU consumption.
Quality of Service
Quality of Service works best if this is deployed through your whole organization. If you prioritize a Microsoft Teams package that is less important than ‘Business Application X’ you might experience unsatisfying behavior in your network priority. You can say something is important, but you would need to know how important it is in consideration to other things. Otherwise it would always be your top priority, at least for IT devices that is how it works.
Quality of Service needs to be supported (and honored) by your network devices and additional configuration might be required on these devices.
Let’s say that you already have QoS setup in your network environment. Then the default Microsoft recommendation would be to setup QoS tagging with the following ranges for Microsoft Teams:
This can be easily done with a GPO. Optionally you can configure the source/destination addresses.
Microsoft Teams optimization on Citrix
Microsoft Teams redirection is an efficient method for saving VDI/SBC resources. This however only works for the desktop based (a.k.a. Best mac os software. fat-client) Microsoft Teams 1.2.00.31357 in combination with the Citrix Workspace client on the local user desktop. (minimum version 1907).
On the Worker
Microsoft Teams would need to be installed after the VDA Agent has been installed. If you already installed Microsoft Teams and did it in the wrong order, you can always reinstall Microsoft Teams. Depending on your setup (persistent vs non-persistent) you need to set up the installation differently.
As an example you’ll find the commands below. To be safe refer to the latest vendor documentation.
In short there are two available installation commands:
Per-User installation (default)
This won’t work properly on non-persistent setups. Also, the application will auto-update. This is better for dedicated persistent VM’s.
Per-Machine installation
This will work properly on Non-Persistent setups. Also the client won’t auto-update with this parameter (saves you the user tickets about update prompts).
Checking the configuration
After being installed, the Microsoft Teams client needs to load in VDI mode, this is done via a policy that is set automatically by default.
Microsoft Teams And Citrix
No need to configure it unless you manually disabled it in the past.
You can confirm if the policy is enabled by checking if the following key is set to ‘1’.
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareCitrixHDXMediaStreamMSTeamsRedirSupport
On Microsoft Teams you can check if everything is working correctly by clicking on About > Version, and the Citrix HDX Optimized legend displays:
Editing the gpo
Now it is time to update the GPO you created earlier and add the QoS tagging for the Teams redirection client.
You need to add the MicrosoftTeamsCitrix entries. Depending on your current running version, the service might be named differently.
Microsoft Teams In Citrix Environment Download
Currently we have:
- Teams.exe (local fat client)
- HDXTeams.exe (offload service before 2009.6)
- HdxRtcEngine.exe (offload service from 2009.6 and onward)
When all is said and done
Microsoft Teams In Citrix – Virtualwarlock.net
Microsoft Teams should now offload Media traffic to your local machine’s HDXTeams.exe or HdxRtcEngine.exe service. saving a lot of those precious SBC/VDI resources and automatically redirects the local host peripherals (microphone, camera etc.) as a bonus.
Sources
Microsoft Teams Vdi Citrix
- https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-virtual-apps-desktops/multimedia/opt-ms-teams.html
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/qos-in-teams