Set up resource type

Resource types contain the resources required to deliver applications and desktops to users. You manage those items from Citrix Cloud and Citrix DaaS’s Manage console. Typically, resources include:

• Active Directory domain controller.
• Hypervisors or cloud services, known as hosts.
• Virtual Delivery Agents (VDAs). VDAs are the machines containing the apps or desktop. Each machine also has a Citrix VDA installed. The term VDA often refers to the VDA software and the machine on which it is installed.
• Citrix Gateway (optional): To enable secure external access to the applications and desktops offered to users, add a Citrix Gateway VPX appliance to the resource location. Then set up Citrix Gateway.
• Citrix StoreFront servers (customer-managed).
• To communicate with Citrix Cloud, every resource location must contain a Citrix Cloud Connector. A minimum of two Cloud Connectors per resource location is recommended, for availability.

A resource type is considered a zone in a Citrix DaaS environment. For more information, see Zones.

To learn more about resource types, see Connect to Citrix Cloud.

Host requirements

The hypervisor or cloud service where you provision VMs that deliver apps or desktops to users might have unique permission or setup requirements.

• If the hypervisor or cloud service requires virtual networks or other items, follow the guidance in its documentation.
• Create the appropriate virtual private cloud (VPC) or virtual networks for the machines you’ll add to your resource type, if needed. For example, when using AWS, set up a VPC with public and private subnets.
• Create the appropriate rules to secure inbound and outbound internet traffic, and traffic between machines in the virtual network. For example, when using AWS, ensure the VPC’s security group has the appropriate rules configured so that machines in the VPC are accessible to only the IP addresses you specify.

Review the article for the host type you’re using.

• Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager virtualization environments
• Microsoft Azure Resource Manager virtualization environments
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) virtualization environments
• Citrix Hypervisor virtualization environments
• VMware virtualization environments
• Nutanix virtualization environments
• Google Cloud Platform virtualization environments

Those articles also contain host-specific details you need when creating a catalog.

Active Directory

Provision a Windows server, install Active Directory Domain Services, and promote it to a domain controller. For guidance, see the Microsoft Active Directory documentation.

• You must have at least one domain controller running Active Directory Domain Services.
• Do not install any Citrix components on a domain controller.
• Do not use a forward slash (/) when specifying Organizational Unit names in the Full Configuration management interface.

For more information, see:

• Active Directory functional levels
• Identity and access management in Citrix Cloud.

Cloud Connectors

The Cloud Connector is a group of services from Citrix Cloud that allow communication between the VDAs, customer-managed StoreFront, and the cloud-based Delivery Controller. You can install Cloud Connectors interactively or from the command line.

For complete Cloud Connector information, see:

• Citrix Cloud Connector

• Technical details, which include system requirements

• Proxy and firewall configuration

• Installation

• Connector updates

Size and scale considerations

When evaluating Citrix DaaS for sizing and scalability, consider all components. Research and test the configuration of the Cloud Connectors and the customer-managed StoreFront for your specific requirements. Undersizing the machines can impact system performance negatively.

The following article contains size and scale testing information. This article provides details of the tested maximum capacities, plus best practice recommendations for Cloud Connector machine configuration.

• Scale and size considerations for Cloud Connectors

Add a resource type in Citrix Cloud

To add a resource type:

1. Sign in to Citrix Cloud.
2. In the upper left menu, select Resource Locations.
3. If you have not already installed a Citrix Cloud Connector, you are prompted to download one.
4. After installing a Cloud Connector (and preferably at least two), in the Citrix Cloud console, enter a name for the resource location and then click Save. See Name restrictions.

Where to go next

• For a simple proof-of-concept deployment, install a VDA on a machine that will deliver apps or a desktop to your users.
• For a full deployment, create a connection to a resource type.
• Review all the steps in the installation and configuration process