Pre-requisites for XenServer Proof of Concepts

Version History

1.0 Steve Atkinson Document Creation 27/12/2007

1.1 Anthony Francis Updated for XenServer 5.0 and PVS 27/11/2008

1.2 Anthony Francis Formatted in new PoC Template 30/12/2008

1.3 Anthony Francis Updated for PVS 5.x deployment as part of E4XS PoC 14/07/2009

1.4 Anthony Francis Update for Essentials for XenServer 5.5 03/08/2009

1.5 Anthony Francis Re-entered success criteria/business case sections, along with

expected completion date

10/08/2009

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Contents

Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................................5

Overview...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

PoC Planning.................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Customer Contact Details............................................................................................................................................6

Site Location and Contact Details................................................................................................................................6

Citrix Systems / Partner Contact Details......................................................................................................................7

Success Criteria for Pilot.............................................................................................................................................7

Business Case............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Agreed / Actual PoC Time...........................................................................................................................................8

Scope........................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Responsibilities............................................................................................................................................................ 9

Customer/Citrix Systems/Citrix Partner Responsibilities:.........................................................................................9

Pre-Installation Requirements.......................................................................................................................................11

Hardware................................................................................................................................................................ 11

XenCenter Workstation..........................................................................................................................................11

Located on the same IP subnet as the XenServer Network Specification.............................................................11

Local Storage......................................................................................................................................................... 11

Shared Storage......................................................................................................................................................11

Provisioning Services 5.0 SP2...............................................................................................................................12

Provisioning Server: Network Requirements.........................................................................................................12

Operating System..................................................................................................................................................12

Software................................................................................................................................................................. 12

Licensing................................................................................................................................................................ 12

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Installation..................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Environment Verification Questions.......................................................................................................................13

Installation Order....................................................................................................................................................... 15

Configuration Guidelines...........................................................................................................................................16

Toolkits and Useful Links..............................................................................................................................................18

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Introduction

Executive Summary

It is the intention of Citrix to provide a Systems Engineer to install and configure Citrix XenServer for the purposes of demonstrating key features of this technology. It is perceived that a successful POC will provide enough knowledge to the customer for them to make informed decisions as to if / how they take the technology forward into semi and fully production environments.

To ensure that it is fully understood what is needed from both parties it will be necessary to agree to the points listed in this document. This will form the basis for the POC and will ensure that the most is obtained from it both while it is running and moving forward into production and semi-production environments.

Overview

Citrix XenServer 5.5 is a server virtualization platform that makes data centre’s more agile and efficient through faster application delivery, higher levels of availability and improved utilization of IT resources. XenServer delivers the advanced features required by mission critical workloads (operating systems, applications and configurations) without sacrificing the ease-of-use necessary for wide-scale deployments.

As a native 64-bit virtualisation platform built on the open source Xen hypervisor, XenServer installs directly on bare-metal servers requiring no dedicated host operating system. The platform is ideal for rapid adoption of virtualization for server consolidation, software development, and business continuity as well as comprehensive application workload provisioning for virtual and physical infrastructure.

Key features include: High-performance, native 64-bit Xen hypervisor Broad support for Windows and Linux guest operating systems Simple deployment and installation Easy single-server management through XenCenter Active Directory Integration for XenCenter Disk based Snapshots for all Storage Repository types XenConvert P2V Windows Physical to Virtual Conversion tool Enterprise-ready performance and scalability VLAN support for virtual network isolation and aggregation Multi-server management XenMotion for live relocation of virtual machines Support for dynamic resource pools, shared storage, and quality of service

Essentials for XenServer 5.5, Enterprise Edition – provides advanced virtualisation management features on top of the free XenServer virtualisation platform and optimises business-critical server workloads, enabling data centre’s to be flexible, efficient, and cost effective pools of computing and storage resources with:

All features included in XenServer 5.5 plus: High Availability that automatically restart VMs upon host server failure Workload Balancing of VMs

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StorageLink for deep storage integration and storage management for virtualisation Automated Lab Management for virtual environments Dynamic Workload Provisioning of virtual machines only Workflow Studio orchestration

Essentials for XenServer 5.5, Platinum Edition – provides advanced virtualisation management features on top of the free XenServer virtualisation platform and optimises business-critical server workloads, enabling data centre’s to be flexible, efficient, and cost effective pools of computing and storage resources with:

All features included in Essentials for XenServer 5.5, Enterprise Edition plus: Dynamic Workload Provisioning of virtual and physical machines Stage Management

Additionally, Citrix offers OEM editions of XenServer which are available as embedded software in x86 servers from HP, Dell, and other vendors.

PoC PlanningDetails of what should be discussed with the customer regarding scope of the pilot, e.g. things like inclusion of certain applications when testing XenApp.

Customer Contact Details

Primary Contact

Full NameE-mail AddressMobile TelephoneOffice TelephoneOffice Address

Technical Contact

Full NameE-mail AddressMobile TelephoneOffice TelephoneOffice Address

Site Location and Contact Details

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Site NameSite Contact NameSite Contact TelephoneSite Contact E-mailSite Full Address

Site Access Notes

Citrix Systems / Partner Contact Details

Citrix Systems / Partner Account Manager

Full NameE-mail AddressMobile TelephoneOffice Telephone

Citrix Systems / Partner Technical Engineer

Full NameE-mail AddressMobile TelephoneOffice Telephone

Success Criteria for Pilot

Criteria 1NotesAchievement Status

Criteria 2NotesAchievement Status

Criteria 3Notes

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Achievement Status

Business Case

Enter any information that may be useful to help build a business case around the PoC.

Agreed / Actual PoC Time

PoC Start Date

PoC End Date (Expected)

<Date> <Date>

Week of Activity Effort Resource

<Date> <Activity> x hours <Customer>, Citrix

<Date> <Activity> x hours <Customer>, Citrix

<Date> <Activity> x hours <Customer>, Citrix

Scope

The POC will include• Installation and configuration of a maximum of three XenServer hosts • Setup of local & shared storage repository (Does not include SAN / NAS configuration)• Setup basic network connectivity using the host network (Maximum of six server network card)• Installation of XenCenter on an XP or Vista workstation• Create a new Windows Server 2003/2008 and a XP/Vista VM • Import/P2V a known good Windows 2003 Server VM onto the XenServer• Test network connectivity to host network • Ensure start-up, shutdown, suspend and reboot operations of the VM• High availability aspects of XenServer• This includes the XenMotion or VM automatic restart functions• Setup of multipath and/or network card bonding• Conference call or online GoToMeeting session prior to the site visit to discuss the POC to ensure that

prerequisites are met and to further discuss any special arrangements It is also critical to get an idea of the success criteria of the POC from a customer perspective.

• Mutual agreement of success criteria for the POC.• An hour set aside (on site) for discussions regarding the completed POC and to look at how this can be

moved into a production environment This will also include a time where any questions regarding any other aspects of the POC system can be asked

The POC will not includeSetup of the following

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• Setup or configuration of external storage systems such as SAN or NAS technologies, (see below for further details)

• Setup or configuration of the following • Networking hardware such as routers or switches

Any software applications (such as SQL, Exchange, and SAP) other than those stated as part of the XenServer system.

Responsibilities

Customer/Citrix Systems/Citrix Partner Responsibilities: Staffing Requirements On-site Requirements Additional Requirements

It is necessary to be accompanied by authorised personnel that can assist with anything that is needed to complete the POC. They should be fully familiar with the testing environment and available throughout the implementation of the POC

For a POC, any integration with existing production services is discouraged. If any component of the POC is to be integrated with an existing production system (e.g. DHCP server changes, Active Directory integration, XenApp farm inclusion etc.) a legal disclaimer will need to be signed by the customer prior to the POC engagement.

An element of education will be provided during the building of the POC if desired which can be extremely useful to continue the POC into production but this is not to be confused with structured training that can be obtained though Citrix authorised training partners which can be obtained at any time.

Valid application software and operating system licenses will be provided by the customer for the duration of the POC.

The following points should all have been agreed, completed or provided before the Engineer be dispatched to site All prerequisites listed in the following section are met in full A conference call or meeting has occurred that has allowed the success criteria to be agreed Make, model number and specification of server hardware and shared storage to be used What is the workload being virtualised i.e. Windows Server 2003, XenApp and MS Office 2007, SAP R/3 or

Linux, etc Virtual Machines, (VMs) will be built via what process i.e. standard install, scripted installation, PXE

deployment solution, P2V or CD Image, etc Please note that 30-day evaluation licenses will be provided along with all XenServer skills. However any

workload specific skills such MS Exchange, SQL Server, SAP and even Citrix XenApp may need to be provided by the CSA partner or the end-user to ensure a successful POC

Mutually agreed date set for the work to be carried out Remote facilities to the systems that are being worked on as well as access to the consoles of these

systems Completion of the Citrix Systems demonstration agreement.

Failure to comply with any of these prerequisites will result in the engineer leaving site and not returning until they are met in full.

The POC is focused on proving the basic concept of a XenServer system. Anything further may involve further consultancy and is likely to be chargeable. A full working day starting is normally deemed to be sufficient time for the POC, however if Platinum Edition is being evaluated as part of the POC a second day may be required. Any additional time required may be chargeable.

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Support of the POC will be on a best endeavors basis by the engineer that installed the system plus any other support arrangements setup prior to the POC.

It is in the interest of both Citrix and the customer to have a successful POC but this relies on preparation and a mutually agreed time scale and desire to work together If this is possible then the POC should occur in a timely and cost effective manner and its objectives be met in full.

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Pre-Installation RequirementsHardware

• One or ideally at least two 64-bit x86 CPU(s) servers, 1.5 GHz minimum, 2 GHz or faster multi-core CPU recommended.

• To support VMs running Windows, an Intel VT or AMD-V x86-based system with one or more (up to 32) CPUs is required.

• To run Windows VMs, hardware support for virtualization must be enabled on the machine running XenServer. This is usually an option in the BIOS. Consult your BIOS documentation for more details

• Note: To ensure compatibility, it is recommended that branded servers be used for the project. Lower cost “white box” units may give unpredictable results. Servers listed on the XenServer compatibility list at www.citrix.com/xenserver/hcl offer the greatest chance of success.

• 4 GB minimum or more recommended depending on how many VMs will ultimately be hosted• Locally attached storage (ATA, SATA, SCSI) with 16 GB of disk space minimum, 60 GB of disk space

recommended• Product installation creates two 4GB partitions for the XenServer Control Domain; remaining space

is available for VMs • Note: Any existing OS or software installed on the server will be deleted as part of the XenServer

installation.• 100 Mbit/s or faster network interface card (NIC). A gigabit NIC is recommended for faster P2V and

export/import data transfers and for live relocation of VMs. • Capability for booting from CD / DVD

XenCenter Workstation• Windows XP SP2 (Preferred) or Windows Vista SP1 • 1GB RAM• Disk Storage; Sufficient for initial O/S • Routed network connectivity to the same subnet as the XenServer without a firewall

Located on the same IP subnet as the XenServer Network Specification• As Fast as possible (Gigabit networking is recommended)• All required IP addressed provided (Under normal circumstances only a single static IP address for the

XenServer would be needed)• Wherever possible, the POC should be installed on an isolated network segment

Local Storage• Single locally installed disk storage on the XenServer is sufficient for the storage of VMs and the XenServer

operating system as stated above.

Shared Storage

Shared virtual machine storage will be required if features such as XenMotion and High Availability are to be tested. Any shared storage will be configured by the customer prior to the engineer arriving. The storage must be:

iSCSI, Fiber Channel or NFS-based The storage on the SAN should have been pre-configured with the appropriate LUNs, volumes

or aggregates. Physical connectivity between the XenServer and the storage should already be configured

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Supported HBAs or iSCSI hardware should have been pre installed in the server(s)

Provisioning Services 5.0 SP2• Service account – PVS service account in AD with appropriate rights to SQL Server database, full Admin

rights to PVS servers and vDisk CIFS share, http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX120080 • Operating Systems - Windows 2003 Server SP2 (32 or 64-bit) Windows 2008 Server (supported in

Provisioning Server 5.0.sp1a and greater• Processor - Intel or AMD x86 or x64 compatible; 2 GHz minimum; 3 GHz preferred; 3.5 GHz Dual Core/HT

or similar for loads greater than 250 target devices• Memory - Minimum of 2 GB RAM; 4 GB preferred• Network Adapter - Static IP, 1 GB Ethernet preferred; but Dual 1 GB Ethernet with no HP NIC Teaming

software can be used to test NIC Fail-over Note: Two NICs often perform better than a single dual-ported NIC and should be connected to separate switches

• Hard Disk and Storage - 65GB CIFS share on a file-server or HA Cluster

Provisioning Server: Network Requirements • Port Fast Port Fast must be enabled• Network Card PXE 0.99j or greater• Network Addressing DHCP

Operating System

All required Microsoft Operating Systems and Applications such as MS office all be provided as ISO files on a CIFS/NFS share local to the XenServer host(s).

Required ISO file are:• Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2• Windows Server 2008

Software

Detail any 3rd party software that will be needed, e.g. database servers, web servers, etc.

Licensing

Citrix XenServer 5.0 will be used and a license will be activated on-site. All Microsoft and third-party licenses will be provided by customer.

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InstallationEnvironment Verification Questions

1. Will this PoC run on new or existing hardware? 2. If new hardware is required, is there adequate power and cooling?3. Does this hardware conform to the minimum requirements listed above?4. Will the server hardware be located on an isolated test/lab or in a production

environment? 5. Will the storage hardware (NAS/ iSCSI, SAN) be located on an isolated test/lab or

in a production environment?6. What is the network type and speed? 7. Are there any VLANs? Yes8. Is NIC bonding required as part of the PoC?

Please complete the tables listed below with the details of the server and storage hardware to be used:

XenServer Host 1Make ModelCPU Type/Speed

#Sockets #Cores

RAM#NICs (PIFs) Speed

MbpsSCSI Controller/HBADisk Type Disk Size #Spindles

XenServer Host 1 FC HBA Details

WWID Switch Location

QLogic FC HBA 1QLogic FC HBA 2

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XenServer Host 2Make ModelCPU Type/Speed

#Sockets #Cores

RAM#NICs (PIFs) Speed

MbpsSCSI Controller/HBADisk Type Disk Size #Spindles

XenServer Host 2 FC HBA Details

WWID Switch Location

QLogic FC HBA 1QLogic FC HBA 2

Storage ArrayMake Model#NICs Speed

MbpsDisk Type Disk Size #Spindles **

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Installation Order

1. Shared storage pre-configured2. Install XenServer 5.0 on two XenServer hosts using NIC 2 for management3. Install XenCenter on a Windows workstation4. Activate free XenServer Licenses on two XenServer hosts5. Create a Resource Pool from XenServer host 16. Create NIC bond for Production, (NIC 0/1)7. Add XenServer host 2 to Resource Pool8. Enable and configure multipathing, (enter and exit maintenance mode)9. Reboot each XenServer host, starting with Pool Master10. Create an Hardware HBA, (Fibre Channel) SR on shared storage device11. Install HP Insight Agents of XenServer hosts12. Install <Customer> XenApp 5.0 Windows Server 2003 32-bit build on a VM via RIS,

(Reference XenApp 5.0 build VM)13. Install XenTools on reference XenApp 5.0 build VM14. Copy reference XenApp 5.0 build VM15. Create PVS device creation template with 4GB write-cache disk16. Install Provisioning Services 5.0 SP2 on Two physical HP DL380 servers17. Configure PVS 5.0 SP2 on one of the PVS server18. Install PVS 50.SP2 hot-fix 852419. Create vDisk directory structure on both PVS servers and CIFS share20. Create and format vDisk for XenApp 5.0 build21. Create collection for XenApp 5.0 Build22. Create device for reference XenApp 5.0 build VM23. Configure vDisk assignment and boot order for PVS reference XenApp 5.0 build VM

device24. Install PVS target device client on XenApp 5.0 build VM device25. Reboot reference XenApp 5.0 build VM verifying that it is connecting to PVS server26. Run XenApp Prep Tool27. Run Imagebuilder process on reference XenApp 5.0 build VM to populate new vDisk28. Create additional VMs in XenCenter noting their MAC addresses29. Create additional VM devices in PVS in the XenApp 5.0 Build collection using the MAC

addresses from step 2430. Start newly created VMs and check that they are part of the XenApp farm31. Configure PVS 5.0 SP2 on the second PVS server32. Configure HA in PVS and test

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Configuration Guidelines

The shared storage device will need to be configured with at least one 65GB LUN, however if two 65GB LUNs where created.

Hostname HP Blade Type

CPU NIC Memory Disks IP Address Citrix Function

Hostname HP Blade Type

CPU NIC Memory Disks IP Address Citrix Function

Domain NTP Servers DNS Servers Default Gateway

Subnet Mask

VLAN

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Server Hostname

NIC Number

MAC Address Network

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Toolkits and Useful Links

The XenApp on XenServer Test toolkit

http://community.citrix.com/cdn/xs/XenServer+Resource+Kit

XenServer and Provisioning Server Port Usage Information

http://support.citrix.com/servlet/KbServlet/download/17370-102-190240/Port%20Usage%20Visio%20Diagram.zip

Best Practices for Configuring Provisioning Server on a Network

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX117374

How to Configure DHCP on Cisco 6509

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX115113

Service Account Configuration for Accessing SQL

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX120080

Performance of HP ProLiant BL460c G6 in a HP SBC environment

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA2-5116ENW.pdf

Best Practices for Deploying XenApp on XenServer for HP ProLiant Servers

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA2-5115ENW.pdf

Antivirus Software Configuration Guidelines for Access Essentials/XenApp

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX114522

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