Automating a Citix Session

[AlexL]

Automating a Citrix/TerminalServer session

[this is a repost]

I was experimenting with AutoIt and I am impressed!

Now, I was trying to simulate user activity in a Citrix/Terminal Server environment; the problem is that the window is not structured - just an image, so I have to record the mouse and keyboard. It is cumbersome and the result is very unreliable: any small change of the desktop inside the Citrix client makes the script unusable.

What I am trying to do seems to be possible: for example, The Tolly Group created a benchmark with AutoIt to compare the performance of Citrix to Terminal Server (see http://www.tolly.com/DocDetail.aspx?DocNumber=206146, page 3, Test Configuration and Methodology).

Did anyone successfuly simulated a Citrix activity with AutoIt? Could someone share a sample script?

Thanks and regards

Alex

Edited January 24, 2008 by AlexL

[PaulG3]

Automating a Citrix/TerminalServer session

[this is a repost]

I was experimenting with AutoIt and I am impressed!

Now, I was trying to simulate user activity in a Citrix/Terminal Server environment; the problem is that the window is not structured - just an image, so I have to record the mouse and keyboard. It is cumbersome and the result is very unreliable: any small change of the desktop inside the Citrix client makes the script unusable.

What I am trying to do seems to be possible: for example, The Tolly Group created a benchmark with AutoIt to compare the performance of Citrix to Terminal Server (see http://www.tolly.com/DocDetail.aspx?DocNumber=206146, page 3, Test Configuration and Methodology).

Did anyone successfuly simulated a Citrix activity with AutoIt? Could someone share a sample script?

Thanks and regards

Alex

Hi Alex,

I'm working with Citrix for a lot of years now. The way Citrix creates the visible session to you doesn't allow you to use the mouse (by scripting). You are correct that it is an big bitmap, and it is updated by using small pieces of that bitmap.

The only way you can interact with the session by script is to use the keyboard... AutoIt has the necessery function for that... So send the keystrokes to the window, the same that you normaly would use. The function to use is Send().

Hope this is helpfull for you.

Grtz,

Paul

[AlexL]

The only way you can interact with the session by script is to use the keyboard... So send the keystrokes to the window, the same that you normaly would use.

Thanks Paul. The problem is, normaly I do not interract with a Citrix session using the keyboard only and I do not know how to do this - I am heavily using the mouse.

For example, I do not know how to get by keyboard only to a specific icon on the Citrix desktop (for example Winword). Also, I do not know how to wait for something to appear on the desktop, for example a new window. And so on. I do know, however, how to do things by using keyboard shortcuts only once a program, for example WinWord, is started, but this is not enough.

Would you accept sharing with me some technics you are using or showing me some (fragments?) of your scripts? Or would someone else...?

Thanks in advance.

Alex

[ReFran]

I work as User on a Citrix server.

Our IT gays don't want to install AutoIT on it (security reason - while Excel with VBA is installed) so I have to work with my local installation.

At least some application I really need to automize they set it to "Published Applaction".

That means I can start it direct from my local desktop and citrix work only in the background.

That doesn't give me full controll, but I get all Window information.

That already helps a lot, because with that I can check which window is the foreground (Open File, printing, Choose something, ....).

HTH, Reinhard

[PaulG3]

Thanks Paul. The problem is, normaly I do not interract with a Citrix session using the keyboard only and I do not know how to do this - I am heavily using the mouse.

For example, I do not know how to get by keyboard only to a specific icon on the Citrix desktop (for example Winword). Also, I do not know how to wait for something to appear on the desktop, for example a new window. And so on. I do know, however, how to do things by using keyboard shortcuts only once a program, for example WinWord, is started, but this is not enough.

Would you accept sharing with me some technics you are using or showing me some (fragments?) of your scripts? Or would someone else...?

Thanks in advance.

Alex

Hi Alex,

I did a run on my scripting library, but can't find the autoit script. Proberly they are somewhere on te CTX-servers at work...

But for now. Use Ctrl-ESC to start your StartMenu (look for the keystroke to use in an CTX-session in tje hotkeys-tab in your client), walk tru the startmenu with the cursorkeys en press enter to get an entry... thats al there is...

Never had installed an system and after rebooting the mouse is not recognized? The same way...

Let me know if you need more info... I will see if I can make an simple script for you...

Grtz,

Paul

[AlexL]

PaulG3: can't send you personal messages: " the recipient has their personal messenger disabled or they are in a member group not allowed to use the personal messenger."

Regards

Alex

Edited February 20, 2008 by AlexL