Validate Citrix HDX Optimization for Microsoft Teams in a Citrix VDI environment with PowerShell Scripts

Sometimes, your users may report that Citrix HDX Optimization isn’t working in their virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment. A common indicator is seeing the message “HDX not connected” when they check the About dialog box in Microsoft Teams.

This above image is an example when Citrix VDI has been deployed in AVD (Azure Virtual Desktop) environment and it doesn’t run the HDX Optimization Process. Citrix HDX Not Connected means Teams loaded the Citrix API correctly, but it could not complete an end-to-end check because there was an error in subsequent parts of the stack. Most likely, VDA Services (Citrix HDX HTML5 Video Redirection, Citrix HDX Teams Redirection) or in Workspace app.

Assuming you are deploying Citrix with complete DevOps based Pipelines orchestration. This issue often arises when the pipeline orchestration engineer inadvertently skips deploying the HDX Optimization script. Without proper configuration, Teams may run in fallback mode instead of optimized mode, leading to performance issues like reduced video quality or lag in meetings.

Common Causes:

1. Missing HDX Optimization Script: Ensure the script is correctly deployed during pipeline orchestration.

2. Registry or Group Policy Misconfigurations: Verify that HDX settings in the registry are enabled.

3. Media Engine Not Loaded: Check if the `HdxRtcEngine.exe` process is running on the VDI.

Quick Fix:

Ensure the following:

Registry Check: Verify that HDX Media Stream optimization is enabled.

The VDA regkey MsTeamsRedir is set by a Citrix service (CtxSvcHost.exe) when the user logs on or reconnects to the virtual desktop. Teams will read this key when starting, and if the value is 1, it will load in VDI mode.

The value is set to 1 automatically if and only if:

1. Microsoft Teams Redirection policy is enabled in Studio (and by default is Allowed)
2. CWA has loaded the Teams Virtual Channel (VDTeamsn.dll) and the CWA version is 1907 or higher

I have written a PowerShell script which can be added in the Pipeline to test the if HDX Teams redirection is enabled. This is available in my public Git Repository below to download.

Download the script from the GitHub Repos below.

https://github.com/aavisekc/avd_demo/tree/main/Check_HDX_Optimization

Process Validation: Check for active Citrix media engine processes (`HdxRtcEngine.exe`).

To perform process validation for Citrix HDX optimization in Microsoft Teams, follow these steps:

1. Open Task Manager: On the user’s VDI session, open Task Manager.
2. Check for Teams Process: Look for the Teams.exe process to ensure Teams is running.
3. Validate HDX Media Engine: Search for the process HdxRtcEngine.exe. If this process is running, it confirms that HDX Optimization is loaded.

Alternatively, you can use PowerShell to automate the process validation:

Here is the GitHub link.

https://github.com/aavisekc/avd_demo/tree/main/Check_HDX_Optimization

Final Thoughts

To avoid issues after pipeline execution, it’s crucial to ensure the Citrix HDX optimization script is properly deployed. A missed configuration step can result in Microsoft Teams running without HDX optimization, impacting performance and user experience. By automating the deployment process validation through a PowerShell script, you can verify that both the Teams.exe and HdxRtcEngine.exe processes are running. This ensures HDX optimization is loaded successfully, preventing future user complaints and performance issues. Automating checks early helps eliminate manual errors and ensures smooth operation across the VDI environment.