Question

Citrix: Batch file to open UNC path locally on workstation

Asked by: ServerManagementTeam

Hi Everyone,

We have a client who have this application which only runs through command line, so I have written a batch file to ask for the user's input and then from that information it pushes it to the application, which then dumps the info to a shared location. To make this application more user friendly, they have requested that the application open a UNC path before input is requested (So that the user can copy files to the local server easily, where the app is hosted, so that they can be processed).

The attached code is what I have written... but the problem is that when it opens the UNC path, it does not actually run that command on the user's workstation, it runs it from the server, so the actual window is not his Explorer.exe, it's actually that of the Citrix Server publishing the apps. Therefore the user cannot Drag and Drop the files directly into this location.

My Question is, is there a way for a batch file to open a UNC path so that the workstation session can drag and drop into this UNC path? If not, is there a way that I can get around this or alternate method to acheiving this goal? (Is it possible for Citrix to map a network drive locally through a published app?)

The reason we have used psexec in this script is because the application needs to use .NET 3.5 (Windows 2003 minimum requirement) and we do not have any Windows 2003 TS Licenses yet, so still running Windows 2000 TS environment.

The second batch file on the Windows 2003 Server (Execute.bat) Simply uses the two variables against the exe of the application and outputs the data locally to that server.

Citrix Version: PS4
Published App Server: Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Application Server: Windows 2003 R2

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Stefano

@echo Off
 
Set OBRPath=
Set OUserName=
 
Echo - ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Echo -                <Application Name>
Echo - ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Echo - You are currently connected to the Corporate Server
Echo - Opening OBJ File Share...
 
Start explorer.exe \\<SERVERNAME>\AuditPurposeTool\OBRFiles\
 
Echo - Please ensure files have been copied to the share before beginning
 
set /p OBRPath="Please Enter the Filename: "
set /p OUserName="Please Enter the User Name: "
 
cd C:\Admin\Bin\
 
Psexec \\<SERVERNAME> -i "C:\Program Files\OCL\AuditPurposeExporter\<SERVERNAME>\Execute.bat" %OBRPath% %OUserName%
 
Echo - Files Extracted, Opening Path...
 
Start explorer.exe \\<SERVERNAME>\AuditPurposeTool\Output\
 
Exit

                                  
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Asked On
2009-06-14 at 21:01:14ID24491173
Tags

Citrix

,

Batch file

Topics

Citrix

,

MS DOS

Participating Experts
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-06-15 at 11:49:34ID: 24631739

Where are the source files to drag located?
You could try if you can start explorer remote (on the Citrix client box) with psexec ...

 

by: ServerManagementTeamPosted on 2009-06-15 at 19:49:29ID: 24634565

The files the user would copy to the server would be on a workstation (User with Program Neighbourhood on their desktop). Say their My Documents or Desktop. They would need to be copied to the Windows 2003 Machine. So the share to open would be from the 2003 Box not the 2000 Citrix Server hosting the Batch file.

The batch file above is the one that does run from the Citrix box already and runs against that 2000 Citrix Server instead of the 2003 Server. Explorer.exe is already being started from the 2000 Citrix box instead of running from the 2003 Server.

 

by: ServerManagementTeamPosted on 2009-06-15 at 22:47:15ID: 24635118

Hi Everyone,

I have spoken with one of the Engineers here and they have pointed me in a different direction.
Instead of publishing the script as an application, I have published it as Content.

Created a share on the Windows 2003 Box and moved all the batch files into there, PSEXEC.exe as well.
Created a Published Content Application to point to one of the Batch files and changed the code to the attached:

Batch file now opens the UNC path locally to the workstation (Drag and Drop Works) and PSEXEC still runs fine from the user's workstation.

Sorry to be a bother everyone. :)

Regards
Stefano

@echo Off
 
pushd ~%0
 
Set OBRPath=
Set OUserName=
 
Echo - ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Echo -                <Application Name>
Echo - ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Echo - You are currently connected to the Corporate Server
Echo - Opening OBJ File Share...
 
Start explorer.exe \\<SERVERNAME>\AuditPurposeTool\OBRFiles\
 
Echo - Please ensure files have been copied to the share before beginning
 
set /p OBRPath="Please Enter the Filename: "
set /p OUserName="Please Enter the User Name: "
 
Psexec \\<SERVERNAME> -i /accepteula "C:\Program Files\OCL\AuditPurposeExporter\<SERVERNAME>\Execute.bat" %OBRPath% %OUserName%
 
Echo - Files Extracted, Opening Path...
 
Start explorer.exe \\<SERVERNAME>\AuditPurposeTool\Output\
 
popd
 
Exit

                                              
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