Citrix Provisioning Services Stream Process Architecture and Advanced Troubleshooting

Provisioning Services Stream Process Architecture and Advanced Troubleshooting ConceptsKeith McLaughlin Lead Escalation EngineerMay 11th 2010

• PVS Architecture Overview

• Stream Process Architecture

• Authentication Architecture

• Stream Process Troubleshooting

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Agenda

Network Storage

Provisioning Services

Target Device 3

Target Device 1

Target Device 2

Workloads

A

B

What is Provisioning Services?

Network Storage

Provisioning Services

Target Device 3

Target Device 1

Target Device 2

Workloads

A

B

PXE Booting a Provisioning Services TargetDHCP Server

PXETFTP

BOOT

BOOT

BOOTDHCP Discover

DHCP Discover

DHCP Discover

IP InfoIP InfoIP Info

PXE InfoPXE InfoPXE InfoBootstrapBootstrapBootstrap

Login Process

1.1.1.1

1.1.1.2

1.1.1.3

Streaming from 1.1.1.4 Bootstrap1.1.1.2

1.1.1.1

Login Process

Request for vDisk3

PVS Target Device

StreamServer

1.1.1.3:vDisk3

Stream ServiceStream Service

Stream Service and the Stream Process


Stream ProcessStream Process

Stream Process Responsibilities



StreamDB

StreamDB

SQL Database

Target DevicevDisk Location

Login

MacAuthentication

I/O Request

Stream ProcessStream Process

• Interacts with SQL Database

• Manages the target device login process

• Streams I/O

• Manages Server Side Write Cache

• Client and Server Side Logging

• Reads the vDisk pvp – Sidecar file


Stream Process Responsibilites

• Class and type of vDisk

• Active Directory Support on/off switch

• Disk mode (Standard/Private/Differential Disk)


Vdiskname.pvp (Side Car File)

Stream Process



Stream ProcessStream

Process

Manager

Manager

StreamDB

StreamDB

SQL Database

Streamed ImagevDisk Location

PVS Console connected locally to the PVS Server


MAPIMAPI SoapServerSoap

Server

PVS Console

Manager

Manager

MCLI

ADAD

PVS Console changes to remote PVS Server


MAPIMAPI SoapServerSoap

Server

PVS Console

Manager

Manager

MCLI

ADAD

StreamDB

StreamDB

StreamProcessStreamProcess

StreamServiceStreamService M

anag

erM

anag

er

PVS Server A PVS Server B

More on Manager




Process

Manager

Manager

MAPIMAPI

StreamDB

StreamDB

SoapServerSoap

Server

PVS ConsoleSQL

Database

Manager

Manager

MCLI

Streamed Image

ADAD

vDisk Location

PVS Server A

StreamDB

StreamDB

Stream Process and Active Directory


Stream Service


Process

Manager

Manager

MAPIMAPISoap

Server

PVS ConsoleSQL

Database

Manager

Manager

MCLI

Streamed Image

ADADDomain Controller

PVS Server A

Authentication



Manager

Manager

StreamDB

StreamDB

SQL Database

Streamed ImagevDisk Location

StreamProcessStreamProcess

Load Balancing and High Availability



ProcessStream ServiceStream Service

StreamDB

StreamDB

Streamed Image



Process

StreamDB

StreamDB

SQL Database

Streamed Image

Server IP Server IP

Device Count Device Count

Update Time Update Time

• Narrowing down scope of issue by determining where in the boot cycle the issue is occurring.

• Packet Traces

• Capturing Kernel Dump Files


Troubleshooting

• DHCP – PXE boot downloading of bootstrap file

• Login to the PVS Server

• Streaming of the I/O Pre-BNIStack (Citrix Target Device driver)

• BNIStack up burst traffic.


Boot Stages


Analyzing Packet Captures

Packet Capture PXE TFTP download


TFTP

Provisioning Server 10.1.1.1

DHCP

Target 10.1.1.100PXE

• Target does not receive IP address

• Target gets IP but times out to TFTP

• PXE Errors No boostrap found


Common Issues During DHCP TFTP Download

TFTP


DHCP


Login Process Traffic


TFTP


Target 10.1.1.100

Stream Process

TFTP - Login

• Incorrect Bootstrap IP information

• Login port blocked

• Target not entered in Database

• Stream Service failed to start


Common issues during login process

TFTP


DHCP


Streaming Pre-BniStack


TFTP

Stream Process

OS Booting UNDI Driver

Target 10.1.1.100

• Large Send Offload

• Network instability

• Conflicts with UNDI Driver


Common issues pre BNIStack

Determining if BNIStack Driver is up


TFTP

Stream Process

OS Booting BNISTACK Driver

Target 10.1.1.100


• Filter Driver conflicts

• Firewall/Antivirus Services kickoff

• Antivirus Updates being loaded

• Domain Profile creation


Common issues post BNIStack


Windows Kernel Dump files

• Capturing Kernel Dump files using Win2k3 and XP

• Capturing Kernel Dump files using Win2k8 Vista and Windows 7

• Capturing Kernel Dump files in XenServer and ESX


Capturing Kernel Dump Files

• Crash dumps to be on same drive as pagefile

• Page file to be on the system drive

• Redirection of dump not supported

• Live debug can be accomplished via serial cable.


Capturing Kernel Dump Files Win2k3 and XP Limitations

• Enhancements allow kernel dumps to be directed to a location other then a system drive

• Requires a local hard drive with enough free space for the dump file. (Pagefile Size)


Capturing Kernel Dump Files Win2k8 Vista and Windows 7

• Create a new string value under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl named DedicatedDumpFile

• Create Value data box, type <drive>:\<dedicateddumpfile.sys>

• Create DWORD Value DumpFileSize use decimal under base and type the name of dump file in megabytes

• More detailed information in this process can be found:• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/969028 • http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx123642


Capturing Kernel Dump Files Win2k8 Vista and Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/969028

• Vista, Windows 7, Win2k8 redirection only possible if XenTools are not installed

• Live Debug via WinDBG possible by redirecting serial to DOM 0


Capturing a Kernel dump via XenServer


Capturing a Kernel Dump Via Xenserver

DO

M 0

XEN SERVER

WinDBGSockPipe.EXESerial Redirect

http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx124979


• Workstation 7 utility vmss2core

• Suspend hung VM

• Download suspended VM session (.vmss)

• Retrieve downloaded file and run command vmss2core –W filename.vmss


Capturing Kernel dump via ESX

http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx125086


• Provisioning Server reduces storage costs and management time

• Stream Process responsibilites

• How to identify where in the boot process a PVS Target is failing

• The different ways to capture a kernel level dump file from a provisioned target.


Recap

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Citrix Provisioning Services Stream Process Architecture and Advanced Troubleshooting