After posting RES Workspace Manager: Windows 7 Embedded, Citrix and log off local client I got pointed to the Desktop Appliance Lock by Michel Helderman on Twitter. This is an MSI on the XenDesktop DVD which can be installed on a thin client with Windows 7 embedded:

Supported Windows Operating Systems:

• Windows 7, 32-bit and 64-bit editions (including Embedded Edition)
• Windows XP Professional, 32-bit and 64-bit editions
• Windows XP Embedded
• Windows Vista, 32-bit and 64-bit editions
• Windows Server 2008 R1, 32-bit and 64-bit editions (not supported by XenDesktop connections)
• Windows Server 2008 R2, 64-bit edition (not supported by XenDesktop connections)
• Windows Server 2003, 32-bit and 64-bit editions (not supported by XenDesktop connections)

Important: For XenDesktop connections, be aware that the Desktop Appliance Lock is only supported on Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Embedded.

Prerequisite for this is a Citrix Online plugin (Full) that’s properly configured with a Citrix Services Site. Keep in mind that there’s a shell replacement so when the Desktop Appliance Lock is installed it can only be un-installed by the same account that was used for the installation (the shell of the install account won’t be changed).

As we’re using RES PowerFuse 2010 at this customer we first tried this with a RES PowerFuse desktop but this wouldn’t work because it’s a published application and not a published desktop like the Desktop Appliance Lock expects. If you want this to work you have to publish a desktop and if you’re using RES PowerFuse (or Workspace Manager) you have to configure it so it starts at the user log on process. You can do this by using Group Policy or by using the RES Console:

Configuring Agents

If you choose not to run the Workspace Composer automatically after installation of the .msi, you may choose to change the shell later via the RES Workspace Manager Console at Setup > Agents.

The Run Workspace Composer column reflects whether an Agent was configured to start the Workspace Composer automatically when users log on to the Agent. This information does not apply to Agents running on Terminal Servers.

• If the column shows the value Automatic (pending) or Manual (pending), the Agent cache has not been updated yet.

The Settings tab of the Edit RES Workspace Manager Agent window, which is shown when editing the settings of a RES Workspace Manager Agent features the option Run Workspace Composer. This option, which is not available for Agents running on a server, makes it possible to choose whether the Workspace Composer should run automatically when a user logs on to the computer on which the Agent runs.

Like I said earlier, the shell is modified and when the Citrix Online plugin is configured the right way the session will be started automatic and when logging off the Windows 7 Embedded client will be logged off as well.

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Kees Baggerman

Kees Baggerman is a Staff Solutions Architect for End User Computing at Nutanix. Kees has driven numerous Microsoft and Citrix, and RES infrastructures functional/technical designs, migrations, implementations engagements over the years.

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