Sometimes we hear from end users that their Citrix applications or desktops are “slow today.” Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop are usually the first suspects when the user experience is not on par with expectations. This results in a higher than usual number of calls for the IT team, who then have to investigate Citrix environments, as well as their network, hardware, and so on. In most cases, the problem is caused by something other than Citrix.
Citrix Workspace Services – Supportability Team has introduced an end user-facing “Connection Quality Indicator” that gives users a better understanding of what is happening with their connection to a Citrix environment. As a result, they are able to adjust their expectations based on the notifications provided by the tool. Even when a device shows a strong network connection (e.g. all 5 bars on WiFi), that may not be a true representation of what is happening between the user’s device and the Citrix environment. The Connection Quality Indicator shows the correct indication of the connection strength to Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop.
The Connection Quality Indicator is an independent package that can be downloaded from Citrix Knowledge Base article CTX220774.
It needs to be installed on the Windows machine where the VDA is installed. The indicator shows notifications to the user when there is a change in the connection quality, for applications and desktops delivered by XenApp and XenDesktop.
There are also group policies for the administrator to enable or disable the Connection Quality Indicator, configure notification display settings, and adjust thresholds for the network counters to tune it per the needs or their environment.
The Co
nnection Quality Indicator also provides an option for users to snooze the notification, decide the location of the notification, and shows real-time information on the network and ICA round trip time.
It’s a great addition to the tools for administrators for reducing the support calls, managing user’s expectations and getting quick insight in Citrix connection quality.
Add the ‘Connection Quality Indicator’ to your deployment and let us know your feedback to tune it further!
