ClearType on XenApp

ClearType is a feature designed by Microsoft to improve the user experience and make reading text on monitors more comfortable (especially on LCDs), by smoothing the outline of the text. This feature could not be enabled in XenApp ICA sessions 4.5 running on Windows 2003, Microsoft explains the problem as follows: “The option to enable the Font smoothing feature is not available in the Windows Server version of RDC 2003 that was published. Windows Server 2003 disables the Font smoothing feature on all remote connections by default. These connections include connections established through RDC 6.0.”

Convert VMs to XenServer

If we want to convert VMware Server VMs, VMware ESX, Microsoft Virtual Server or Microsoft Virtual PC to Xen Virtual Appliance Format (XVA) we must use the v2xva Virtual Disk Migration Utility application (a V2V app). We go to their official website and download the binary or the sources depending on our OS. (HTTP://tx.downloads.xensource.com/products/v2xva/), be careful that it is only useful to convert virtual machines with Windows from S.O. client and run it from a Windows XP/2003 R2 or Vista as administrator.

Using XenAppPrep 2.0 to clone XenApp servers 4.5 and XenApp 5.0

There is a utility that we can use to clone Citrix XenApp servers 4.5 o Citrix XenApp 5.0, called XenAppPrep, currently in its version 2.0. Its official website (HTTP://support.citrix.com/article/CTX116063), we can download it from AKI. We can use it to create Citrix Provisioning Server vDisks (HTTP://www.bujarra.com/?p=763) or to create templates from XenServer or VMware ESX for example. As well as to clone it on a regular basis with a Ghost or whatever…