How to get Citrix Evaluation License

Last Updated on December 31, 2020

Update: It is not possible anymore to issue Evaluation licenses from Citrix portal. Citrix has restricted this functionality due to overwhelming interest and demand. You need to contact Citrix support to get evaluation license.

Evaluation License Restriction

Following Topics are covered in this article

  1. Generate and allocation evaluation license.
  2. Installation and configuration of License server.
  3. Import License file using Licensing Manager.
  4. Import License file using License Administration Console.

In this article, I will demonstrate how to get Citrix Evaluation License and install it on a License Server using Citrix License Manager and Citrix License Administration Console.

Generate and Allocation Evaluation License

  1. Login to https://www.citrix.com/account/ and click on Preview/Betas – License Retrieval. It will take some time to generate Citrix Evaluation license if this is the first time.
  2. Select Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop Evaluation or any other option in the top row and click on the serial number. You can click on any serial number. The one you select will be available for activation and allocation. Others will remain available to be used at later time.
How to get Citrix Evaluation License
  1. You will be redirected to Activate and Allocate Licenses under All Licensing tools (Legacy). The warning message tells you to keep the License Server’s hostname ready. Be cautious while providing the hostname of the License server as it is case sensitive. Click on Continue.
How to get Citrix Evaluation License 1
  1. Provide the hostname (not FQDN) in the Host ID column. If you wish, you can activate and allocate a certain number of licenses out of 99 to this License server and allocate remaining licenses to another License server. The other License Server can be part of a separate Site/Farm. Click on Continue.
  1. Click on Confirm.
How to get Citrix Evaluation License 3
  1. Clicking on OK will begin the download of the lic file in a separate browser window.
  1. License file is now ready for import using Citrix Licensing Manager or Citrix License Administration Console (removed in build 31000).

License Server Installation

  1. Login to the Server and Mount Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 1912 LTSR ISO.
Mount ISO
  1. Run Autoselect.exe as an Administrator.
Run AutoSelect as Administrator
  1. Click Yes on UAC prompt.
User Access Control Prompt
  1. Click on License Server in Meta-Installer screen.
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 1912 LTSR Meta Installer
  1. Select I have read, understand and accept the terms of the license agreement and click on Next.
License Server Terms and Agreement
  1. Click Next on Core Components screen.
Core Components
  1. Make sure Automatically is selected under Configure Firewall Rules.
License Server Firewall Ports
  1. On the Summary screen, click Install.
License Server Installation Summary
  1. Once installation is complete, click on Finish.
License Server Installation Finished
  1. Alternatively, you can download the License Server installer as a separate component. Visit 1912 LTSR download page and expand Components that are on the product ISO but also packaged separately. Scroll down and download License Server for Windows – Version 11.16.3.0 Build 29000.
License Server 11.16.3.0 build 29000
  1. Extract files from downloaded ZIP folder and double click on CTX_Licensing.
Citrix Licensing 11.16.3.0 build 29000
  1. Accept the License Agreement and click on Next.
Citrix Licensing Terms
  1. Click on Install.
Citrix Licensing Destination Folder
  1. Installation should proceed.
Citrix Licensing installation Progress
  1. Once completed, click on Finish.
Citrix Licensing Installation Finish
  1. On Configure Ports screen, Configure Now at the top and Allow the installer to configure the windows Firewall exception should be already checked. Click on Next.
Citrix Licensing Ports
  1. On next screen you can decide how Citrix License Manager should check for Subscription Advantage (Customer Success Service) renewal licenses and notify you or install the license when found. There are three configuration Options. See Automatic License Update.
  • Automatically check for Subscription Advantage renewal licenses and notify when available: Citrix Licensing Manager displays a notification. Click on a link to download and install available renewals. Note that this same notification appears in Studio and Director if they are configured to manage the License Server
  • Automatically check for and install Subscription Advantage renewal licenses when available: Citrix Licensing Manager checks weekly and automatically installs renewal licenses when available. A notification displays for a few days stating that renewals have been installed
  • Manually check for Subscription Advantage renewal licenses: Select the Update License(s) tab and Check for Available Renewals. You can check the Update License(s) tab at any time to see a list of licenses installed in the last 30 days
  1. Choose the appropriate option and click on Configure.
Citrix Licensing Configure Custom Success Service Renewal
  1. Configuration will progress.
Citrix Licensing Configuration Progress
  1. Once completed, on Summary screen, you will be presented with Citrix Licensing configured successfully. Notice that under Share usage statistics with Citrix, there is no option to disable Citrix CEIP and Call Home programs. It can be disabled from Citrix License Manager. Check Launch Citrix Licensing Manager and click on Finish.
Citrix Licensing configuration successful
  1. Citrix License Manager should open up in the default web-browser. Click on Register if you want to pair your license server with Citrix Cloud to enable License Usage Insights, otherwise, check Do not show this again and then close the flash screen.
Citrix License Manager Open
  1. Click on the gear icon at the top and switch to Usage and Statistics. Select Do not send any data to Citrix. Please understand that my intention is not to discourage you from sending data to Citrix.
Citrix License Manager Usage and Statictics
  1. Go to Accounts and add another user group to Administrator Role. This group can be a Citrix Admin group. By default, the user that installs the License Server component becomes the Administrator of the Citrix License manger or Citrix License Administration Console.
Citrix License Manager add user group
Citrix Licensing Add user group
  1. Under Server Configuration, you can modify the ports, change customer success services renewals and enable/disable Supplemental Grace Period. By default it is ON.
Citrix Licensing Ports edit
Citrix Licensing Configure Custom Success Service Renewal Edit
Citrix Evaluation license Supplement Grace period

Import License using Citrix License Manager

  1. Go to Install Licenses and select Use downloaded license file. Click on Choose File.
Citrix License Manager Install License
  1. Browse the license file and click on Open.
License File Upload
  1. Click on Import.
License File Import
  1. If you get An unknown error occurred. For assistance, contact Citrix Customer service and reference error code UNKNOWN then remove any special character from the name of the license file and also ensure that the name of .lic file is in lower case. If nothing works, then go to Control Panel/Region/Formats tab and select English (United States). According to CTX224568, this error occurs if the format is set to Dutch (Netherlands). On Citrix Support forum, lot of people have confirmed that this is the solution.
Citrix Evaluation License import error
  1. Once imported, details will be visible under Installed License Details.
Citrix Evaluation License import successful License Manager
  1. Restart Citrix Licensing Service.
Licensing Service
  1. Current License Usage can be seen from the Dashboard of Citrix Licensing Manager.
Citrix License Manager Dashboard

Import License using License Administration Console

  1. Open LAC from Start menu and click on Administration
License Administration Console Home
  1. Login with the Admin credentials. This can be the account that was used to install the License server component or the account which is a member of group that we assigned Administration Role in Licensing Manager.
License Administration Console Login
  1. Go to Vendor Daemon Configuration and click on Import License.
Citrix License Administration Consle Vendor Daemon
  1. Browse the license file and click on Import License.
Citrix License Administration Console Browser and Import License file
  1. Successful import will show Successfully uploaded license file to C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\Licensing\My File. Click on OK.
Citrix License Administration Console License Import Successful
  1. Restart Citrix Licensing Service. Go to Dashboard of License Administration Console to see the number of available/used licenses.
Citrix License Administration Console Dashboard

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