Implementation in Citrix Environment

Foxtrot can be installed and used in many environments:

• On a server/stand-alone client
• Within a virtual environment
• Within a Citrix environment*

Note that Citrix environments typically cause different obstacles and issues when installing and deploying Foxtrot. Citrix environments can vary in such a high degree that you can never be fully sure that it will work properly. This article gives some guidelines on how to properly test Foxtrot in your Citrix environment. Always be sure to get a trial license and test the Foxtrot platform in your setup to make sure that it works as expected.

Both Foxtrot and the target application (Internet Explorer, Microsoft Excel, etc…) are required to run within the same environment (both applications must be installed on the same machine). When Foxtrot interacts with your applications, it will use Windows components provided by the application to locate and interact with the target correctly. When both Foxtrot and the application are installed on the same desktop, Foxtrot can view these components as they are running in tandem with Foxtrot, allowing for optimal functionality.

*When considering installing Foxtrot in a Citrix environment, there are a couple of approaches; desktop or published apps.

We recommend that, when installing in Citrix, the application be used in a desktop mode. This will allow Foxtrot to communicate with target applications as expected. When installing through published apps, however, individual components may be unobtainable by Foxtrot, resulting in unexpected behavior. This could include Foxtrot failing to recognize the target because they technically do not exist in the same space. When using published applications, it is not uncommon for both Foxtrot and the target application to be served up from different Citrix servers, but presented as two applications running in tandem.

To avoid this, ask your network administrator if you can view your applications within a desktop mode, rather than as published apps.

If running applications as a published app via Citrix it is required, both Foxtrot and the application must be served and presented from the same Citrix server. Also, the use of published apps will restrict you from targeting applications on your desktop, those that are not installed within Citrix. For example, if Foxtrot is the only application installed on your Citrix server, you will not be able to interact with the Internet Explorer installed on your local C drive.

Note that even if you follow all the instructions in this article, there still may be unexpected behavior, such as Foxtrot not recognizing the target, not opening correctly, or other malfunctions. For Internet Explorer specifically, it cannot ever be a published app. Foxtrot will only work with IE if it is running through a published desktop environment, as noted above.

Make sure to consult with your Foxtrot partner to properly test the platform in your Citrix environment.