CentralWindows via Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

The institute primarily uses Linux (Debian) for its software platform, with most scientific software being Linux-compatible. To accommodate Windows-only software, a Windows server farm is available for all institute account holders. This allows access to licensed (e.g. MS Office, EndNote, Adobe* see SoftwareWindows) and free software, as well as institute data, from any internet-connected device worldwide, see Windows software list

* only with an annual subscription for the respective user with the approval of the group leader

Data is protected by central server technology with redundancies and backups, see DataProtectionPolicy. RemoteWindows provides access to institute resources from external or private devices.

Maintenance and issues with the CentralWindows server farm are communicated through the IT channel in Minerva Messenger.

Guidelines for using CentralWindows/RemoteWindows include:
Usage
FAQ

Guidelines for using CentralWindows/RemoteWindows include:

Software installation is restricted to the IT group.
Sessions not logged out during off-hours are terminated on server restarts on Sundays at 2:00 a.m. or during emergencies, risks losing unsaved data.
Regular backups are advised on the home drive (M:) or the data drive (X:), with important documents saved under alternating file names (e.g. letter1a.docx, letter1b.docx).
The automatic quick save function in MS Office should be deactivated.
Printer selection should be checked before printing, as default settings may change (due to server update, resetting user profiles ...).
A proper sign-out after work is necessary to reliably save the Windows settings.

Usage

from standard institute computers (Linux)

Open Central Windows.
- Open the start menu and select Windows serverfarm (CentralWindows service)
- or type cw or centralwindows in a shell
- or open your browser and enter the following URL: https://centralwindows.cbs.mpg.de
Login with institute username and password (not email address).
Start a standard desktop (Central Windows) or a special desktop or application (visible depending on authorization)

from institute computers with Windows or Mac, which are centrally maintained and administered (access to internal network allowed)

Open your browser and enter the following URL: https://centralwindows.cbs.mpg.de
Login with institute username and password (not email address).
Start a standard desktop (Central Windows) or a special desktop or application (visible depending on authorization)

Use RemoteWindows in your browser window without installing any software. Press F11 or use the Citrix menu (at the top center) to switch to full-screen mode and back.

from PCs, laptops, tablets etc. as well as private devices that do not have access to the internal network

Open your browser and enter the following URL: https://remotewindows.cbs.mpg.de
Login with institute username, password (not email address) and TOTP token, e.g. generated by Google Authenticator
Start a standard desktop (Central Windows) or a special desktop or application (visible depending on authorization)

Use RemoteWindows in your browser window without installing any software. Press F11 or use the Citrix menu (at the top center) to switch to full-screen mode and back.

Quick Access to Browser at the Institute

Under “Apps,” you will find the “MPI-CBS Basic Browser,” which provides quick access to web content both within the institute's network and on external sites such as the MAX and MPG SAP pages. You can use this browser when you only need a browser and not a full Windows desktop.
See also the FAQ section below. “What is the purpose of the default browser (Vivaldi) on CentralWindows/RemoteWindows, and how can I use my Firefox bookmarks there?”

Session Roaming

Session Roaming is a special convenience feature of CentralWindows/RemoteWindows. It allows you to start a Windows desktop session at one workstation and, if necessary - or if you’ve left it there — move it to any other workstation with a network connection. All open applications and programs remain exactly as you left them. This means a session can be “taken along” from the institute workstation to the home office workstation. If you want to do this intentionally, it’s best to select the “Disconnect” function via the Citrix menu at the top of the screen on the starting workstation.

End and Sign out (Logout)

If you want to close the window as usual by clicking the “Close” button in the upper-right corner, please remember to click “Sign Out” in the dialog box that appears to log out!

It’s better to select the Citrix menu at the top of the screen—Disconnect/Log Out—and then Log Out, or go to “Sign Out” via the Windows Start menu.

FAQ

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How can I quickly access leave/vacation requests, paystubs, and other information from MPG-SAP and MAX when I am away from the office or using my private laptop?

You can use the MPI-CBS Basic Browser (see below) from RemoteWindows. This can be found in Citrix Store Front under “Apps.”

Of course, you can also use the full Windows desktop. The MPI-CBS Basic Browser (Vivaldi) is available there as well.
Since access to the MPG's SAP system and various other web services is only possible via the institute's network, remote access is required in all cases.

Back to FAQ start

How can I reconnect broken or disconnected sessions?

To reconnect disconnected, canceled or lost sessions, click the small gear in the upper right corner of the Store Front window and then click Refresh Apps.

All of the user's desktop sessions will then be "collected" and brought to the current screen.

However, this will not work if Store Front was launched directly from a browser. In this case, you can only try to call up the desktop again. However, you should then have remembered which one you have used. If there are no technical problems, the desktop should reappear with all open applications.

Reconnecting sessions also works after power failures or defective local computers (in this case just use another computer), as long as there are no problems in the server rooms themselves.

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Where can I find status updates of the CentralWindows server farm?

Maintenance, malfunctions or outages are announced via the Minerva Messenger "IT channel". So if you want to stay informed, you should definitely register with Minerva Messenger (https://minervamessenger.mpdl.mpg.de/) and subscribe to the IT channel.

Back to FAQ start

A power failure/computer crash has occurred. What is happening to my CentralWindows session? Is the data gone?

Sessions on CentralWindows (Citrix XenApp) servers are not typically lost during power failures or computer crashes, as they enter a "disconnected" status unless the virtual server itself is affected. The servers are protected by a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which can handle power outages for over 10 minutes. Disconnected sessions can be reconnected (unless a prolonged power failure caused the servers to shut down) until an automatic server reboot occurs on weekends. To reconnect, users can restart the CentralWindows Client (Store Front) or access the Web page, log in, and launch the desired desktop. On standard Linux computers with Citrix software, sessions automatically reconnect, and users can log in from a different computer if theirs fails.

If you run into problems, do not hesitate to write a ticket.

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How do I set a default printer to print on the institute's network printers?

All freely available network printers are visible. You can find a list of printers here: http://cupsserv.cbs.mpg.de:631/printers/

Start one of your Windows desktops.
Set the default printer on Windows as usual.
Open the printer window and set your desired settings in the settings menu, e.g. double-sided. Important: A4 should definitely be set!
Log out of Windows correctly (Log Off) to save the settings.

If you run into problems, do not hesitate to write a ticket.

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How can I access local data from CentralWindows on a standard institute PC (Linux), e.g. USB stick?

The data carrier must be available under Linux! The complete "/media" directory on Linux can be accessed via the drive letter "W:" on CentralWindows. A corresponding message to allow access (preferably read and write) may need to be confirmed. After use, you should not forget to "unmount" the data carrier on Linux.

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How can I access local data on the computer I am using from CentralWindows (used via browser)?

There is an icon for various control functions at the top center of the CentralWindows browser window. This also includes uploading and downloading data. A direct connection to the data is not possible via the browser.

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What is the purpose of the basic browser (Vivaldi) on CentralWindows/RemoteWindows, and how can I use my Firefox bookmarks there?

The Vivaldi browser (in Chromium/Guest mode) is intended as a browser for emergencies and special cases when Firefox does not work or does not work as desired. To ensure that the Vivaldi browser always works for these purposes, no profiles or bookmarks are saved. This means that this browser is always “fresh” when Windows is restarted. Since the browser is not intended for regular use (Firefox is for that), it should not be a problem to live with these restrictions. You can use your Firefox bookmarks by exporting them from Firefox (Bookmarks - Manage Bookmarks - Import and Export - Export Bookmarks to HTML) and saving them as bookmarks.html in your home directory (Linux) or under M:\ (Windows).

The MPI-CBS Basic Browser (Vivaldi Browser) is also available as a standalone application (APPS) if you just want to quickly access websites within the institute from an external location or specific pages from within the institute (e.g., MPG-SAP) without needing a full Windows desktop.