Citrix Cloud Connector

The Citrix Cloud Connector is a Citrix component that serves as a channel for communication between Citrix Cloud and your resource locations, enabling cloud management without requiring any complex networking or infrastructure configuration. This removes all the hassle of managing delivery infrastructure. It enables you to manage and focus on the resources that provide value to your users.

Services that require the Cloud Connector

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) requires the Cloud Connector. For an overview of how the Cloud Connector communicates with the service, refer to the Citrix DaaS diagram in Citrix Tech Zone.

Citrix Endpoint Management requires the Cloud Connector for enterprise connectivity to the Endpoint Management service. The Remote Browser Isolation service requires the Cloud Connector for authenticated external web apps.

Cloud Connector functions

• Active Directory (AD): Enables AD management, allowing the use of AD forests and domains within your resource locations. It removes the need for adding any additional AD trusts.
• Virtual apps and desktops publishing: Enables Citrix DaaS publishing from resources in your resource locations.
• Endpoint Management: Enables a mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) environment for managing device and app policies and delivering apps to users.
• Machine catalog provisioning: Enables provisioning of machines directly into your resource locations.

Note:

Although operational, functionality might be reduced for the period of time that the connection to Citrix Cloud is unavailable. You can monitor the health of the Cloud Connector from the Citrix Cloud console.

Cloud Connector communication

The Cloud Connector authenticates and encrypts all communication between Citrix Cloud and your resource locations. Once installed, the Cloud Connector initiates communication with Citrix Cloud through an outbound connection. All connections are established from the Cloud Connector to the cloud using the standard HTTPS port (443) and the TCP protocol. No incoming connections are accepted.

Cloud Connector availability and load management

For continuous availability and to manage load, install multiple Cloud Connectors in each of your resource locations. At least two Cloud Connectors in each resource location are required for ensuring a highly available connection with Citrix Cloud. If one Cloud Connector is unavailable for any period of time, the other Cloud Connectors can maintain the connection. Since each Cloud Connector is stateless, the load can be distributed across all available Cloud Connectors. There is no need to configure this load balancing function. It is completely automated.

As long as there is one Cloud Connector available, there will be no loss in communication with Citrix Cloud. The end user’s connection to the resources in the resource location does not rely on a connection to Citrix Cloud, wherever possible. This enables the resource location to provide users access to their resources regardless of a connection being available to Citrix Cloud.

Where to obtain the Cloud Connector

You can download the Cloud Connector software from within Citrix Cloud.

1. Sign in to Citrix Cloud.
2. From the menu in the top-left of the screen, select Resource Locations.
3. If you have no existing resource locations, click Download on the Resource Locations page. When prompted, save the cwcconnector.exe file.
4. If you have a resource location but no Cloud Connectors installed in it, click the Cloud Connectors bar and then click Download. When prompted, save the cwcconnector.exe file.

How many Cloud Connectors do I need?

A minimum of two (2) Cloud Connectors are required to create a highly available connection between Citrix Cloud and your resource location. Depending on your environment and the workloads you’re supporting, you might need more Cloud Connectors to ensure the best experience for your users.

As a best practice, Citrix recommends using the N+1 redundancy model when determining the number of Cloud Connectors you need to deploy. Determine the number of Cloud Connectors that you need in a resource location based on your environment, workloads, Active Directory configuration, and services. To this number, add at least one more Cloud Connector to provide resiliency. For example, if you determine that you need five Cloud Connectors, add one more to this total and install six Cloud Connectors in your resource location.

For additional scale and sizing guidelines, see Scale and size considerations for Cloud Connectors.

Where to install the Cloud Connector

Review the system requirements for supported platforms, operating systems, and versions.

Install the Cloud Connector on a dedicated machine running Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, or Windows Server 2022. This machine must be joined to your domain and able to communicate with the resources that you want to manage from Citrix Cloud.

Important:

• Do not install the Cloud Connector, or any other Citrix components, on an Active Directory domain controller.
• Do not install the Cloud Connector on machines that are part of other Citrix deployments (for example, delivery controllers in an on-premises Virtual Apps and Desktops deployment).

For more deployment information, see the following articles:

• Deployment scenarios for Cloud Connectors in Active Directory
• Cloud Connector Installation