Designing your XenApp 7.5 Environment

Designing your XenApp 7.5 EnvironmentApril 2014

Andy Baker

Senior Architect

Thomas Berger

Senior Architect

© 2014 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute2

Agenda

• Methodology

• XenApp Overview

• Key Design Decisionsᵒ User Layerᵒ Access Layerᵒ Resource Layerᵒ Control Layerᵒ Hardware Layer

• Design Resources

• Questions

Methodology

© 2014 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute

2Assess

4Deploy

3Design

5Monitor1Define

Methodology


Methodology

2Assess

4Deploy

3Design

5Monitor

Assist in the definition of the strategy that will help your

business take full advantage of these technologies

1Define


1Define

Methodology

4Deploy

3Design

5Monitor

Review your current environment, identify use cases

and gather detailed requirements for the project.

2Assess


1Define

Methodology

2Assess

4Deploy

5Monitor

Define the architecture and operational processes required to implement and maintain the production environment that will satisfy your success criteria.

3Design


3Design

1Define

Methodology

2Assess 5Monitor

Create and configure the environment to meet specifications from the Design phase.

4Deploy


4Deploy

3Design

1Define

Methodology

2Assess 5Monitor

Perform the continued monitoring and administrative

tasks in several different capacities.

XenApp Overview


Session Virtualization

Desktop Virtualization Session Virtualization

Resource Layer

User Layer

Hardware Layer

Access Layer


Delivery Services Console

XenApp 6.5 Farm(IMA)

XenDesktop 5.6 FP1 Site(FMA)

Citrix Studio

Web Interface

Receiver

DB DB

IMA

IMA CBP

XenAppController

Server OSWorkers

Desktop OSWorkers

Delivery Controller

Power &Capacity

Mgmt

Provisioning ServicesPVS

WMI

PVS Console

PCM Console

Today: Separation of Owners & RolesDifferent Desktops & Apps Architectures

EdgeSightConsole

VDA


CitrixStudio

Storefront / Receiver for Web / Web Interface

Receiver

DB

Server OSWorkers

Desktop OSWorkers

Delivery ControllerProvisioning

Services

FlexCast: Unified Service Delivery TeamFlexCast Management Architecture

VDA VDA

CitrixDirector

Provisioning Console

XenDesktop / XenApp Site(FMA)


Key Benefits of FMA

• Unified Management Infrastructure

• Citrix (Desktop) Director

• Simplified Upgradesᵒ +/- one major version

• Unified Provisioningᵒ MCS and PVSᵒ Hybrid Cloud Provisioning


PlatinumPlatinum

XenApp 7.5 – New Features

• Eliminate CAPEX for seasonal needs

• Leverage global clouds for proximity to users

• Same management consoles and skillsets

• Easier than competitors to deploy and manage

• Publish dozens of apps in less than a minute

• Built-in performance monitoring

• Up to 8% more users per server compared to previous versions

• Multi-touch experience

• High-performance over mobile networks

• Application compatibility

• Application remediation

• P2V App Migration

Hybrid cloud provisioning

Simpledeployment & management

Platinum Mobility

Promotions

AppDNAComplete App

Migration Toolkit

HDX MobileOptimization technologies

Free XenMobile MDM

or

20% off XenMobile Enterprise

Key Design Decisions


Who are the users and what are our requirements

How do users gain access to our resources

What resources will we deliver

How will we manage and maintain the solution

What do I need to make this happen

The 5-layer model

User Layer

Access Layer

Resource Layer

Control Layer

Hardware Layer


The Flexibility of the 5-Layer Model

User Layer

Hardware Layer

Resource Layer

Control Layer

Access Layer

User Layer

Resource Layer

Access Layer

User Layer

Resource Layer

Access Layer

User Layer

Access Layer

Resource Layer


**********

User Layer – Endpoint

• Provide each user group with appropriate endpoint

• Desktop Lock:ᵒ Provides seamless user

experienceᵒ Auto-connect to user’s

personal virtual desktopᵒ Only administrator access

to local desktop


User Layer – Bandwidth

• Bandwidth requirements fluctuate based on application

• Seamless apps require less bandwidth

• Use the following formula to estimate bandwidth requirements

H = Users with video without Flash Redirection

D = Users with video with Flash Redirection

X = Users that require 3D graphics

Z = Additional 1000 to 2000kbps to support peaks (<10 users)


Access Layer - Architecture

Site 2

HA Pair or scale-out

cluster

NetScaler Gateway

Storefront Services

Site 1

Scale-out cluster with web LB

SaaS / Mobile


•Virtual appliance with same functionality as NG MPX•Designed to upgrade Secure Gateway •Capacity for medium-size deployments (500 users per appliance)•Available for Citrix XenServer, VmWare ESX, Microsoft HyperV hypervisors

•Designed for secure access•High capacity (5,000 users per appliance)•Upgradable to NetScaler for additional functionality

•Multi-function appliance (secure access, load-balancing, acceleration)•Highest capacity (10,000+ users per appliance)•Most reliable hardware•Ideal for business continuity across multiple datacenters

Access Layer – Appliance Options

Citrix NetScaler Gateway VPX

NetScaler Gateway VPX

NetScaler SDX 88xx or higher

NetScaler Gateway MPX


Access Layer – Failover Challenges

StoreFront

• DNS round robin commonly used

• Lacks intelligence

• Sporadic service denials


Access Layer – Automated Failover

StoreFront

Delivery Controller

NetScaler

• Validates functional services on functional servers

• Adds/removes services automatically

• Built-in configuration wizards


Access Layer – StoreFront Multi Site

• Homogenous aggregated sites

• Heterogeneous site aggregation

• Site selection using AD Group (‘Home Farm’)

• Disaster recovery sites

sites

US

Disaster Recovery

EU

DR1

sites

US1

US2

EU1

EU2

sites

SFEU SFUS

Dev


Access Layer – StoreFront Optimized Routing

Without optimization With optimization


Access Layer – StoreFront Location Aware

Gateway Connect

Direct Connect

No Connect


Access Layer – StoreFront Sizing

Test CPU Activities per Second Activities per Hour

One Server 75% 291 17,519

90% 375 22,525

Two Servers 75% 529 31,789

90% 681 40,872

• StoreFront servers configured with 4 vCPUs and 4GB of RAM

• Heavy usage (means logon, enumerate, subscribe, unsubscribe, logoff)

• StoreFront is CPU intensive, not memory


Resource Layer – XenApp VM Specification

• vCPUs per VM will vary according to NUMA architecture

• 1 vCPU = 1 virtual core with hyper threading

• 2 * 8 pCore = 16 pCores * 2 = 32 vCores / 4 vCPU = 8 2008 R2 VMs & 128GB

• 2 * 8 pCore = 16 pCores * 2 = 32 vCores / 8 vCPU = 4 2008 R2 VMs & 128GB

Operating System

vCPU RAM Master Image Write Cache / Difference Disk

Medium Users per VM

Server 2008 R2 4 16 60 15GB 25

Server 2012 R2 8 32 60 30GB 55


Control Layer– Image Management (MCS)

VDI SHVD

• Top 3 hypervisorsXenServerHyper-VvSphere

• Workloadsᵒ Desktop VMᵒ Server VM

• Management timeᵒ 30 min for 1,000 VMs

• Medium-low storage I/O impact

MCS


Control Layer – Image Management (PVS)

VDI SHVD PhysicalServers

PhysicalPCs

PVS

• Top 3 hypervisorsᵒ XenServerᵒ Hyper-Vᵒ vSphere

• Workloadsᵒ Desktop VMᵒ Server VMᵒ Physical Serverᵒ Physical PC

• Low storage I/O impact

• Management time ᵒ 15 min for 1,000 VMsᵒ Reboot speed rollbacksᵒ Automated image updates


Control Layer – SQL 2012 EditionFeature Enterprise Business

IntelligenceStandard Web Express

Scalability and performance

Compute capacity OS maximum 4 Sockets or 16 cores 4 Sockets or 16 cores 4 Sockets or 16 cores 1 Socket or 4 cores

Maximum memory utilized OS maximum 64GB 64GB 64GB 1GB

Maximum database size 524PB 524PB 524PB 524PB 10GB

High availability

AlwaysOn failover cluster instances Yes Yes (2 nodes) Yes (2 nodes) - -

AlwaysOn availability groups Yes - - - -

Database mirroring Yes Yes (synchronous only)

Yes (synchronous only)

Witness Only Witness Only


Control Layer –Sizing

Component Number vCPU RAM Storage

NetScaler Gateway

2 2 2 3.2

StoreFront 2 2 4 60

Delivery Controllers

2 2 4 60

SQL Servers 3 2 4 60

License Server 1 2 4 60

Hyper-V SCVMM 1 2 4 100

• Infrastructure sizing example for 500 user deployment

• 2 x Dual Xeon E5-2690 2.9GHz servers can host infrastructure and 385 users!


Hardware Layer – StorageStorage Type Benefits Concerns Appropriate For…

Local Storage • Inexpensive• Simple to deploy

• Virtual machines are inaccessible if physical server is offline

• Limited number of disk spindles (based on server design)

• Longer operational processes as each local store must be updates

Rack servers

Direct Attached Storage • Moderate expense• Virtual machine migration when

server is offline

• Failure on DAS array can impact multiple physical servers

• DAS interconnects consume valuable space in a blade chassis

• Limited number of connections to a DAS array

Rack servers

Centralized Storage • Shared master image across physical servers

• Virtual machine migration when physical server is offline

• Simple expansion• Advanced features to help offset

costs

• Expensive• Complex• Often requires storage tiers to

control hosts

Blade servers


Hardware Layer – IOPS per User

• PVS typically generates less IOPS than MCS

• MCS generates less IOPS for Server 2012 on Hyper-V due to larger block sizes with VHDX files

Windows 7

Windows 8

Windows 2012

0 5 10 15 20 25

Peak Average Steady State IOPS(95th Percentile)

Provisioning ServicesMachine Creation Services

IOPS


Hardware Layer – Read / Write Ratio

• PVS and MCS are very similar on Windows Server 2012

• Optimize XenApp write cache storage for writes and not reads

Windows 7 - MCS

Windows 8 - MCS

Windows 2012 - MCS

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Read/Write Ratio

Read Write

Percent


Hardware Layer – Users per Server

• Based on Dual Xeon E5-2690 2.9GHz (16 total cores)

• XenApp hosts ~25% more users that XenDesktop

• Server 2012 hosts ~10% more users than Server 2008 R2

• Decrease by ~10-20% for AV

• Decrease by 20% for Office 2013 not Office 2007

Win 7 Win 8 Win 2008r2

Win 20120

50

100

150

200

250

300

Optimized for Scale Optimized for UX

Use

rs p

er S

erve

r

Design Resources


XenApp Blueprint

http://www.citrix.com/products/xenapp/tech-info.html

• High-level architectures based on common scenarios

• Provides descriptive design guidance

• Based on Citrix Consulting leading practices and in-depth validation by Citrix Solutions Lab

http://www.citrix.com/products/xendesktop/tech-info.html




Project Accelerator

http://project.citrix.com

• Allows key design decisions to be changed


• Generates architectural diagram and sizing plan

• ~14,000 projects

http://project.citrix.com/


Virtual Desktop Handbook

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX139331

• Detailed information on design decisions


• Provides useful tips and experience from the field

• 4:3 aspect ratio

• More than 55,000 downloads




Next Webinar: XenDesktop Design• Title: Designing your XenDesktop 7.5 Environment

• Description: This webinar will touch on the architectural changes in XenApp 7.5. The session will also cover the Citrix Consulting Methodology, which focuses on ensuring that projects are properly planned and designed before implementation begins.

• When: April 29th & 30th

• April 29th – Register Now

• April 30th – Register Now

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/111822257

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/805477208


Fuel your talent with continuous learning.

•Citrix Education offers the following technical training for professionals:

• CXA-103: Citrix XenApp 7.5 Architecture and New Features

• CXA-207: Citrix XenApp 7.5 Skills Update

•Visit bit.ly/CTXTRAINING to save 10%*

•*Offer expires 90 days from receipt of this message. Not valid with any other promotions, packages or discounts. Applies only to new purchases. Regional limitations may apply.

http://training.citrix.com/mod/ctxcatalog/course.php?id=778

http://training.citrix.com/mod/ctxcatalog/course.php?id=785

http://bit.ly/CTXTRAINING


Simplify your journey, let us guide you.

•Accelerate your implementation and minimize risk by taking advantage of Citrix Consulting. You’ll get the expertise of seasoned Citrix Consulting Architects to successfully deploy Citrix solutions in any phase of your project.

•

Visit bit.ly/CTXCONCULTING to learn more about our proven methodology.

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Citrix Support Program Options• Access to Technical Support Engineers when you need it

… Unlimited 24x7x365 Citrix Worldwide Technical Support

• Flexible to meet your changing organizational needs… Unlimited number of technical contacts from your team

• Assist your teams with support tools and knowledge …. Learn best practices for optimizing your Citrix infrastructure

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• Enterprise Support… Available for over 2500 licenses

• Technical Resource Management … Single point of contact dedicated to your IT environment

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Technology

Designing your XenApp 7.5 Environment