Designing your XenDesktop 7.5 Environment

Designing your XenDesktop 7.5 EnvironmentApril 2014

Andy Baker

Senior Architect

@adwbaker

Daniel Feller

Lead Architect

@djfeller

@CTXConsulting

© 2014 Citrix | Confidential – Do Not Distribute2

Agenda

• Methodology

• XenDesktop 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.

XenDesktop Overview


Windows Server Hosted Desktops & AppsExtreme efficiency and scalability

Higher density compared to VDI I Ideal for fixed-task use cases I Familiar Windows 7 look and feel


Dedicated VDI

Image

Image

Image


Profile

Profile

Profile

Pooled Desktop

Base Image with Apps

Profile

ProfileBase Image

with Apps

Profile


Personal VDI with full personalization

Base Image

App

Profile

App

Profile

App

Profile

PvD

PvD

PvD

Maintains Single Image Management


Integrated Remote PC AccessAutomated remote access assignment of users to corporate PCs

Secure, remote access to corporate PCs• New integrated catalog management• New hardware accelerated H.264 compression


VPN

Wake on LAN with Remote PC Access

1. User taps Receiver icon2. XenDesktop sends command to SCCM3. SCCM wakes up PC4. VDA registers to broker and launches session

SSL 11010 SSL 1011011010 SSL 1011011010 1011011010 1011011010 1011011 1011101

Netscaler Gateway

Power OnCommand

StudioPwrMgmt

AMT WoLPacket

Storefront


New Features in XenClient Enterprise 5

Enhanced user experience

Deeper XD/XC integration

Support for the hottest new devices with 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors

Windows 8 support improvements with higher resolutions, multi-monitor support and the ability to deploy Windows 7 images with AERO enabled

Broader desktop support with faster boot times and support for USB 3.0 devices

Personal vDisk integration between XenDesktop and XenClient enable users to retain user-installed applications and desktop settings

Citrix Profile Management synchronizes a user’s personalized settings across the hosted desktop and XenClient local desktop environment

Server 2012/SQL 2012 extended platform support

Remote access Additional remote access capabilities

Remote PC: Remote, yet secure, access to desktops on XenClient NetScaler integration with Synchronizer


XenDesktopwith

Physical PC

Any device, touch friendly experience Brilliant HDX user experience Seamless, secure remote access Automated deployment tools Simplified on ramp for desktop virtualization

Centralized management Policy Based Control Highly Secure (Near) Native user experience Server less (almost) VDI - Reduced infrastructure costs Helps bring Smart Access to XenClient powered devices

Remote PC access with XenClient


Mac Platform (Mac HW + Mac OS X)

Centralized Managementthrough Synchronizer

The Power of Local VDI on Your Mac

© 2012 Virtual Computer Inc

Hypervisor

OS

Apps

Data

Runs on top of Mac host platform to make Win VM manageable, reliable, & secure

Managed Local ExecutionClient Hypervisor


XenDesktop 7.5 – New Features

• Enables broader support for unplanned remote access scenarios using SCCM

• Offers users more flexibility in the event of power outages

Remote PC Wake-on-LAN

PlatinumPlatinum

• Application compatibility

• Application remediation

• P2V App Migration

• Full AppDNA feature set

Platinum Mobility

Promotions

AppDNAComplete App

Migration Toolkit

Free XenMobile MDM

or

20% off XenMobile Enterprise

• Eliminate CAPEX for seasonal needs

• Leverage global clouds for proximity to users

• Same management consoles and skillsets

Hybrid cloud provisioning

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


**********

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

• 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)


User Layer – Bandwidth


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 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 - Local App Access

• Bring-Your-Own-Apps (e.g. iTunes)

• Video conferencing (e.g. GoToMeeting HDFaces)

• Challenging edge cases such as:ᵒ Watching/burning a physical DVDᵒ Watching TV using a tuner cardᵒ Specialty USB devices on the WAN ᵒ FireWire devicesᵒ Viewing content that can’t leave

the country (regulatory compliance)ᵒ Client-server apps requiring very low latency

to a regional backend


App running within virtual

desktop

App running on endpoint (outside of virtual desktop)


Resource Layer – XenDesktop VM Specification

Operating System

Workload vCPU RAM Master Image Write Cache / Difference Disk

Windows 7.x Light 1 1.5 35GB 5GB

Medium 2 2 35GB 7GB

Heavy 2 4 35GB 10GB

Windows 8.x Light 1 1.5 35GB 5GB

Medium 2 2 35GB 7GB

Heavy 2 4 35GB 10GB


Control Layer - Provisioning

Manual Provisioning Services Machine Creation ServicesNo additional Infrastructure Requires additional servers,

networking and high availabilityNo additional infrastructure

Supports physical and virtual devices

Supports physical and virtual devices

Only supports virtual devices

Slow to roll back Fast to roll back Medium-Fast to roll back

Time Consuming Fast Can be slow to update devices

Normal IO ~60% less IOPS Low IO on Hyper-V


Next generation Director

• Single pane of glassᵒ Instant “real-time” troubleshooting and

environment health metrics across sites

• Integration of EdgeSight features ᵒ Performance management and network analysis

• Aggregation of logging informationᵒ Pinpoints root cause of connection and machine

failures

• End user experience monitoringᵒ Logon analysis to pinpoint issues or delays

TM


Single Site

Director 2.1

Site A Site B Site C

Help Desk and Troubleshooting / Environment health

Director

Control Layer – Monitoring


Control Layer - Database

• XenDesktop 7.5 supports SQL 2008 R2 SP2 and SQL 2012 SP1

• Database should be highly available!

• Options include Cluster, Mirror, AlwaysOn, VM-Level HA

• Microsoft announced Mirroring will be deprecated in future release

• AlwaysOn (SQL 2012 SP1)ᵒ Failover Cluster requires shared storage (Standard+ edition)ᵒ Availability Groups support local storage (Enterprise edition)

• Engineering working on “Leased Connections” feature to cache brokering operations


Control Layer – Sizing

Component Number vCPU RAM (GB) Storage (GB)

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


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 R2

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 R2 - 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 2008 R2

Win 2012 R2

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Optimized for Scale Optimized for UX

Use

rs p

er S

erve

r

Design Resources


XenDesktop Blueprint

http://www.citrix.com/products/xendesktop/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




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: XenApp Deployment

• Title: Jump start your XenApp 7.5 Deployment

• Description: This session will take a technical look into XenApp 7.5 and how to approach a deployment. We’ll cover general architecture, new features and how to best move to the platform.

• When: May 20th & 21st

• May 20th – Register Now

• May 21st – Register Now

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/927927145

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/215174585


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

• CXA-207: Citrix XenApp 7.5 Skills Update

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•*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.

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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.

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Technology

Designing your XenDesktop 7.5 Environment