IP Expo 2009 - How To Build scalable Environments Today - Wednesday 7th October - 14.30 - 15.00

Desktop virtualisation – how to build scalable environments today
Toby Coleridge, Systems Engineer
Citrix Systems

Agenda
Architectural Overview
Scalability Considerations and Results
Sizing and Design
High Availability

Architectural Overview

Desktop Delivery Components: VirtualDesktops
Scalability Focus
Desktop Delivery Controller
2
Operating Systems, Apps, and user Profiles are provisioned on demand
1
Users login and request their desktop
User Settings
Apps
User Profiles
App Delivery
3
Users desktop is delivered
OS
Users
Desktop Provisioning
Virtual Desktop
Virtual DesktopHosting Infrastructure
(XenServer, Hyper-v, ESX)
Provisioning Server

Making Connections
Domain Controller
2. find “best” virtual desktop
7. acquire license and determine policies
ADOU
3. start VM
9. apply profile
1. authenticate
Portable Profiles
5. register
XenApp
10. deliver apps
6. connect using ICA
8. login
Provisioning Server
LAN Connected UsersDesktop Appliances
Xen, Hyper-V, VM
4. PXE-boot VM andstream OS
Full range of authentication methods supported through web interface technology
Full support for SmartAccess and ICA session policies
SAN
Data Center

Demonstration

XenDesktop Component Versions
XD3 FP1

Scalability Metrics Definition

Methodology
The results are based on Citrix proprietary methodology measuring scalability while preserving a great user experience. These numbers cannot be compared with 3rd-party claims.
Aggressive workload (more than real-life):
Mainstream office worker:
Office 2007: Outlook (~1257KB pst file), Word (2 ~265KB files), IE7 (2 tabs w. Flash content), Excel (~1325KB file), Acrobat Reader, Powerpoint (~1195KB file)
High-rate of user actions:
Script runs in 18 minute intervals, for 60 minutes (a doc opened and closed every 2min)
Logon Storm (9am scenario):
Sessions launched at a rate of 5 sessions/sec, spread over 100 hosts (4,500 logons in 15min)

Desktop Delivery ControllerScalability Metrics
Metric 1: Connection Rate
Represents a brokered connection
Sustained rate of desktop connections?
1
Metric 2: Desktop Heartbeat
Ongoing heartbeat load is very light
2
1
1
2
Users
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
XenServer
XenServer
Hypervisor

Desktop Delivery Controller 3.0Measured Scalability
All figures derived from Citrix proprietary methodology - provided for sizing guidance only, NOT suitable for comparative purposes
Notes:
* Peak CPU utilization at 60%
Hardware – Dual quad core, 1.8 GHz, 16 GB RAM
2 GB RAM sufficient as RAM is not a limiting factor

Desktop Delivery ControllerBest Practices
1
Best Practice:
‘Scale up’ the delivery controller to address ‘9am scenario’
Single server
Faster processor
More cores
Best Practice:
‘Scale out’ the delivery controller to address heartbeats
Add more servers
2
Users
XenServer
XenServer
Hypervisor

XenServerScalability Metrics
Metric 1: Single Server Density
Stack represents a desktop
How many desktops on a single server?
Users
Metric 4: ICA bandwidth
Line represents an ICA session
How much bandwidth per desktop?
Metric 3: IOPS/desktop
Yellow represents streamed image
How many IOPS/desktop?
Resource Pool
Metric 2: # of Hosts/Resource Pool
Each box represents a virtualized host
How many desktops/resource pool?
XenServer
XenServer
XenServer

XenServer 5.0MeasuredScalability
HP Blade Server BL460
Notes:
Tests run as of April 2009
Tests run with WinXP; 512 MB of memory allocated per VM, aggregated 8Gbps of network bandwidth / host
No Dedicated Pool Master required as of XenServer 5.0
RAM-bound for these hardware specs – other bottlenecks expected (CPU, network) as RAM is added

XenServerBest Practices
Users
Best Practice: Separate VM boots from Logons
Use Idle Pool Settings
Pre-launches desktops
Spread out desktop launches
Faster desktop start-up times for users
Save energy/cost via timed shutdown
1
XenServer
XenServer
XenServer

Provisioning ServerScalability Metrics
Metric: Provisioning Server Density
No of target devices (virtual desktops)
How many desktops per Provisioning Server?
Hosted Desktop Streaming
PC
Users
PXE-boot VM and stream OS
OS
Local Desktop Streaming
Provisioning Server
XenServer
XenServer
Hypervisor

Provisioning Server 5.0Measured Scalability
Notes:
1Running on Windows Server 2008 64bit (for enhanced caching capability)
2 Write-back cache on local VM storage (ie. on shared storage)
3 Lack of separation of bootupvs logon events impacts concurrency. Also, diskless-endpoints require handling of write-back cache through PvS server
Hardware – Dual quad core, 2.3 GHz, 8 GB RAM, dual 1Ge NICs
Network throughput generally the bottleneck - RAM and CPU not limiting factors

Provisioning ServerBest Practices
3
Best Practice: vDisk Placement
Store on LUN for backup & recovery
Cache locally on Provisioning Server for better performance (run on 64bit OS)
Best Practice: Cluster Provisioning Servers for:
Load balancing
2
vDisk
OS
OS
OS
PXE-boot VM and stream OS
Users
Best Practice: Proximity to hypervisor for:
Improved bandwidth
Effective NIC-teaming
1
SAN
NAS
Best Practice: Write Cache Placement:
Store on XenServer guest VM via a LUN
Supports XenMotion and HA
4
XenServer
XenServer
Hypervisor

Storage Considerations
Sizing can be done by I/O or Capacity
Storage can severely impact performance
Disk technologies and considerations

Sizing and Design

Sizing Based on User Types
Office user
Only using one-two application(s) at a time
Idle time
Lower memory and CPU requirements
Power user
Using multiple applications at a time
Consumes more processor and memory of the VM
Environment Assessment
Identify your user groups
Categorize based on usage habits
Helps align hardware requirements with user needs

Sizing Based on Applications
Online (fka Hosted)
Applications run remotely on a XenApp server
Application processing occurs on XenApp server
Running multiple applications has little impact on virtual desktop utilization
Offline (fka Streamed)
Applications streamed to the virtual desktop upon request
Processing occurs on the virtual desktop
Slightly higher utilization when compared to installed applications
Installed
Applications part of the virtual desktop OS build
Processing occurs on the virtual desktop
May drive the need for multiple vDisks
For best practices on selecting app delivery model, see “XenDesktop – Design Handbook” available at http://support.citrix.com.article/ctx120760

Pooled Desktops: Storage Efficiencies
Stack for every user
Desktops assembled on-demand
Network Storage
Network Storage
Hypervisor
Xen, Hyper-V, VM, Blades
VDI without XenDesktop
Single image for every desktop
Apps installed in VM
Apps execute in VM
Desktops managed individually
Single infrastructure choice
Same problems, in a new location
VDI with XenDesktop
Single shared OS image to store & maintain
Central single App set to store & maintain
Apps can execute centrally or in VM
Profiles managed centrally – consistent UX
Open - supports most standard infrastructure
Lower TCO

High Availability

Overcoming Failures
XenServer 5.0
If the hypervisor fails
VM
VM
VM
VM
XenServer Resource Pool
Hypervisor server fails
Virtual machines are restarted to available hypervisor
XenServer #1
XenServer #2
Virtual machines moved back when hypervisor restored

Overcoming Failures
Desktop Delivery Controller 3.0
Multiple XenDesktop controllers within the farm
VM
VM
VM
VM
XenDesktop Farm
Virtual desktops periodically “ping” their controller
If a Controller goes offline
Virtual desktops re-register to new controllers

Overcoming Failures
Provisioning Server 5.0
Multiple Provisioning Servers within the environment
Shared enterprise storage hosts golden desktop image(s)
VM
VM
VM
VM
Storage
Provisioning Server Farm
Virtual desktops continuously receive operating system stream
If Provisioning Server taken offline
Virtual desktops re-acquire stream by contacting other Provisioning Servers

Overcoming Failures
XenDesktop – End-to-End High-Availability Solution

Questions?

IP Expo 2009 - How To Build scalable Environments Today - Wednesday 7th October - 14.30 - 15.00

by IPEXPO ONLINE on Oct 20, 2009

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