Download Citrix MCS Plugin for Nutanix
  • Open a brower and navigate to https://next.nutanix.com/
  • Login with your Nutanix Next account credentials.
  • Once logged in, scroll down to the Nutanix Community Edition section and select Download Community Edition.
  • Select the post Download & Getting Started with CE 5.10
  • Download the Citrix XenDesktop MCS Plugin and the Citrix Director Plugin.
Install Nutanix plugin to your Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environment
  • Install the Nutanix MCS plugin on all Delivery Controllers
  • Click Next
  • Accept the End User License Agreement. Click Next
  • The default installation is fine. Click Next
  • Select Install to begin.
  • Wait for the installation to finish.
  • Click Finish.
  • Verify a Nutanix Acropolis folder has been created in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Citrix\HCLPlugins\CitrixMachineCreation\v1.0.0.0
  • Register the Nutanix plugin by running the command C:\Program Files\Common Files\Citrix\HCLPlugins\RegisterPlugins.exe -PluginsRoot “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Citrix\HCLPlugins\CitrixMachineCreation\v1.0.0.0”
  • Restart the Citrix Host Service, Citrix Broker Service, and Citrix Machine Creation Service.
  • Verify the Nutanix Acropolis plugin has been registered with the following commands:
    • asnp Citrix*
    • Get-HypHypervisorPlugin
Create hosting connection to your Nutanix ClusteR
  • Launch Citrix Studio.
  • Navigate to Configuration>Hosting. Right click Hosting and choose Add Connection and Resources
  • Select Nutanix AHV for Connection Type. Fill out the rest of the fields as follows:
    • Connection address: Nutanix Cluster IP Address
    • User Name: Service Account with Cluster Admin permissions on your Nutanix Cluster
    • Password: Password for above service account
    • Connection name: Name for your hosting connection.
  • Click Next.
  • Select Network pool where your machines will be provisioned. Add a name for the resources. Click Next.
  • Review settings and click Finish.
  • Your hosting connection should appear in the list.
Create a machine catalog and Delivery Group
  • Launch Citrix Studio. Navigate to Machine Catalogs. Select Create Machine Catalog.
  • Select Server OS. Click Next.
  • Choose Machines that are power managed and Citrix Machine Creation Services (MCS). Click Next.
  • Select the container where the VDA identity disks will be placed. In my case I will just select the default container.
  • Select a snapshot for the Master Image. Choose the functional level of the catalog and click Next.
  • Select how many virtual machines you would like to create initially and the resources of the machines. The VDAs should share the same vCPUs and memory as the master VM.
  • Select the OU where the computer accounts for the new VDA’s will be created. Specify a naming scheme.
  • Specify a Machine Catalog name and description. Click Finish.
  • The new VDA’s will be provisioned.
  • In the Prism Element you should see the preparation VMs created. Once the new VDAs are provisioned, the status will update in Citrix Studio
  • In Citrix Studio, navigate to Delivery Groups. Select Create Delivery Group.
  • Add the two newly created VDAs to the Delivery Group.
  • For the purposes of the lab we will allow any authenticated users to use the VDI/applications available to this Delivery Group. Click Next.
  • Click Next on the Applications page.
  • To add a VDI Desktop, click Add…
  • Add a name and description to the desktop. Click OK.
  • Review Delivery Group settings. Add a Delivery Group name and description. Click Finish.
  • Verify VDA registration after the Delivery Group has been created.