CtxSvcHost.exe missing in XenApp5 FP2 on Win2k3?

Citrix announced an update to GoldenGate recently. Not sure about you but I did face problem getting it installed on my XenApp servers on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 even though the XenApps are supposed XenApp5 FP2. The installation kept rolling back after I hit “ignore” at the “Citrix Mobile Receiver Virtual Channel Service failed to start” prompt.

GoldenGate is a technology concept release (TCR) from Citrix Labs. It demonstrates the ability to create MicroApps and push it down to mobile devices on Andriod, iOS, WebOS, etc. Got to know about it during Citrix iForum Singapore 2010.

The initial release of GoldenGate ran without issues on my development/demo farm. Although the installer did complain about failing to start the “Citrix Mobile Receiver Virtual Channel Service” as CtxSvcHost.exe couldn’t be found. True enough, this binary “CtxSvcHost.exe” is missing in my XenApp5 FP2 on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2. But clicking on the “ignore” kind of like really ignore the issue and GoldenGate runs fine.

The update to GoldenGate TCR2 announced recently (on 17th December 2010) installer was more picky than TCR1. Hitting on the “ignore” rolled back GoldenGate installation. Well, my farm met the prerequisites of XenApp5 FP2 but why isn’t the binary CtxSvcHost.exe on my server? Did some research and found out that the XenApp5 core on Windows Server 2003 R2 is the same core as CPS4.5 and lucky folks who installed XenApp5 FP2 on Windows Server 2008 will get CtxSvcHost.exe. *Dang*

It turns out that I need to install other XenApp5 components to have the “Citrix Mobile Receiver Virtual Channel Service”/the binary CtxSvcHost.exe. This particular binary can be found in the component “HDX MediaStream for Flash”. Just in case your HDX MediaStream for Flash component doesn’t install, make sure you got IE8, Flash 10 and KB956572 installed.

Off to play with GoldenGate TCR2!