Reduce Citrix XenApp / XenDesktop 7.x Controller Setup Size

Citrix has done a great job providing stand alone installers for the Virtual Delivery Agents, StoreFront, Studio and Director. But one of the components that is still missing as an stand alone component is the Controller.

In large enterprises it is often necessary to provide minimal installation files because of the amount of data that is distributed and transmitted to the Software Distribution Points. These Distribution Points are often spread all over the world.

In such cases you cannot provide the ISO file with all the installation files, you need to thin it down.

Today I want to show you how to go through the process of throwing away all unnecessary information to reduce the package foot print. It is a very simple process.

Thin the Controller package down

Mount the ISO file of your XenApp or XenDesktop 7.x Installation.

controller_folder

Now we will copy the complete “XenDesktop Setup” folder in the x64 folder. Please always replicate the exact folder structure to your new Controller package folder.

Then start the setup with – for example – the following parameters:

controller_installation_error

You will get an error because files are missing. But the referenced log file will help you a lot. You can find it in “%APPDATA%\Local\Temp”

controller_log_file_location

Let´s see what it got for us…

controller_installation_log_file_missing

We can see from the log file that “D:\Workfolder\x64\Citrix Desktop Delivery Controller\Scout.msi” is missing. And that is everything you need to know. Repeat that prcedure until setup finishes without errors and you´re done.

You need to go through this process until all necessary files are present. The complete list is shown below. I used this package successful in production environments but test these files on you own risk and test, test, test! I´ve also gone through several Citrix Consulting Audits with these packages and non of them was negative.

Final size

In the end you´ll have a package with about 152 MB for the Citrix XenApp / XenDesktop 7.6 Controller. I suggest you use the PSADK and my blog article about it to create a package that will extend the logging of the installer.

File list

Directory: D:\CTRL_76

Support
x64
files.txt
ProductVersion.txt

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\Support

SharedManagementObjects

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\Support\SharedManagementObjects

x64
x86

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\Support\SharedManagementObjects\x64

SharedManagementObjects.msi
SQLSysClrTypes.msi

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\Support\SharedManagementObjects\x86

SharedManagementObjects.msi
SQLSysClrTypes.msi

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64

Citrix Desktop Delivery Controller
Citrix Policy
DesktopStudio
Licensing
XenDesktop Setup
MediaId_7C57BFC2-CAA2-4a7f-8A81-4D9DEC545EF4_x64

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\Citrix Desktop Delivery Controller

ADIdentity_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
ADIdentity_Service_x64.msi
Analytics_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
Analytics_Service_x64.msi
Broker_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
Broker_Service_x64.msi
Citrix.Common.Commands.Install_x64.msi
CitrixPrivilegedService_x64.msi
ConfigMgr_WOL_Plugin_x64.msi
ConfigurationLogging_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
ConfigurationLogging_Service_x64.msi
Configuration_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
Configuration_Service_x64.msi
DelegatedAdmin_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
DelegatedAdmin_Service_x64.msi
EnvTest_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
EnvTest_Service_x64.msi
Host_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
Host_Service_x64.msi
MachineCreation_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
MachineCreation_Service_x64.msi
Monitor_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
Monitor_Service_x64.msi
Scout.msi
Storefront_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
Storefront_Service_x64.msi
UserProfileManager_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi
XDPoshSnapin_x64.msi

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\Citrix Policy

CitrixGroupPolicyManagement_x64.msi

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\DesktopStudio

DesktopStudio_x64.msi
PVS PowerShell SDK x64.msi
PzAppV_Studio_PowershellSnapin_x64.msi

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\Licensing

CitrixLicensing.exe
CTX_Licensing.msi
LicensingAdmin_PowerShellSnapIn_x64.msi

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup

de
es
fr
ja
resource
zh-cn
AutoSelectHelper.exe
AutoSelectHelper.exe.config
Chrome.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.UI.Common.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.UI.Common.dll.config
Citrix.MetaInstaller.WizardFramework.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.WizardFramework.dll.config
Common.dll
CommonControls.dll
ConfigurationApp.exe
FMAUtils.dll
Interop.NetFwTypeLib.dll
LicServVerify.exe
LSCompCheck.exe
LSCompCheck.exe.config
MetaInstallerCore.dll
MetaInstallerCore.dll.config
Microsoft.Practices.Unity.dll
Microsoft.WindowsAPICodePack.dll
Microsoft.WindowsAPICodePack.Shell.dll
NativeUtilities.dll
UI.dll
UI.dll.config
VerifyVdaMsiInstallStatus.exe
VerifyVdaMsiInstallStatus.exe.config
VersionRepository.dll
WPFToolkit.dll
XenDesktopInstall.exe
XenDesktopInstall.exe.config
XenDesktopPrintServerSetup.exe
XenDesktopPrintServerSetup.exe.config
XenDesktopServerSetup.exe
XenDesktopServerSetup.exe.config
XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe
XenDesktopVdaSetup.exe.config

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\de

AutoSelectHelper.resources.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.WizardFramework.resources.dll
Common.resources.dll
CommonControls.resources.dll
MetaInstallerCore.resources.dll
UI.resources.dll
VerifyVdaMsiInstallStatus.resources.dll
XenDesktopInstall.resources.dll
XenDesktopPrintServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopVdaSetup.resources.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\es

AutoSelectHelper.resources.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.WizardFramework.resources.dll
Common.resources.dll
CommonControls.resources.dll
MetaInstallerCore.resources.dll
UI.resources.dll
VerifyVdaMsiInstallStatus.resources.dll
XenDesktopInstall.resources.dll
XenDesktopPrintServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopVdaSetup.resources.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\fr

AutoSelectHelper.resources.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.WizardFramework.resources.dll
Common.resources.dll
CommonControls.resources.dll
MetaInstallerCore.resources.dll
UI.resources.dll
VerifyVdaMsiInstallStatus.resources.dll
XenDesktopInstall.resources.dll
XenDesktopPrintServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopVdaSetup.resources.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\ja

AutoSelectHelper.resources.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.WizardFramework.resources.dll
Common.resources.dll
CommonControls.resources.dll
MetaInstallerCore.resources.dll
UI.resources.dll
VerifyVdaMsiInstallStatus.resources.dll
XenDesktopInstall.resources.dll
XenDesktopPrintServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopVdaSetup.resources.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\resource

de
en
es
fr
ja
zh-CN

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\resource\de

licVerifyUI.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\resource\en

licVerifyUI.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\resource\es

licVerifyUI.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\resource\fr

licVerifyUI.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\resource\ja

licVerifyUI.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\resource\zh-CN

licVerifyUI.dll

Directory: D:\CTRL_76\x64\XenDesktop Setup\zh-cn

AutoSelectHelper.resources.dll
Citrix.MetaInstaller.WizardFramework.resources.dll
Common.resources.dll
CommonControls.resources.dll
MetaInstallerCore.resources.dll
UI.resources.dll
VerifyVdaMsiInstallStatus.resources.dll
XenDesktopInstall.resources.dll
XenDesktopPrintServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopServerSetup.resources.dll
XenDesktopVdaSetup.resources.dll

By:

Posted in: