XenDesktop Technical Deep-Dive Martijn Bosschaart Channel Systems Engineer Nederland [email_address]

Agenda Desktop Delivery Controller Console review and setup tool demo Product Overview – What’s new in 2.1? Citrix XenDesktop Architecture Virtual Desktop Agent Tips and Best Practices

Product Overview: What’s new in V2.1?

An Integrated Solution – Product Lines Multiple Editions (Standard, Enterprise) Multiple Editions (Standard, Advanced, Enterprise, Platinum) Desktop Server 1.0 Ardence XenSource Server Provisioning Desktop Provisioning Server Virtualization Citrix Provisioning Server XenServer Desktop Server 2.0 Citrix XenDesktop 2.1 Desktop Virtualization

XenDesktop 2.1 Includes Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (based on XenServer) Virtual Desktop Provisioning (based on Provisioning Server) Desktop Delivery Controller (DDC 2.1) XenDesktop Setup Wizard Virtual Desktop Agent with ICA Service (Version 2.1)

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (based on XenServer)

Virtual Desktop Provisioning (based on Provisioning Server)

Desktop Delivery Controller (DDC 2.1)

XenDesktop Setup Wizard

Virtual Desktop Agent with ICA Service (Version 2.1)

XenDesktop Product Line Accelerate Adoption via free download Express Edition Entry-level delivery controller for any hypervisor Standard Edition Desktop delivery with built-in app virtualization Enterprise Edition End-to-end desktop delivery solution Platinum Edition Scalable and cost effective VDI Advanced Edition

XenDesktop 2.1 Supported Components Virtual Host Infrastructure Citrix XenServer 4.1 and 5.0 Hyper-V with System Center Virtual Machine Management (SCVMM 2008) VMware Infrastructure v3 Provisioning Server Provisioning Server 4.5 SP1 or PVS 5.0 PXE Boot / Boot Device (.iso)

Virtual Host Infrastructure

Citrix XenServer 4.1 and 5.0

Hyper-V with System Center Virtual Machine Management (SCVMM 2008)

VMware Infrastructure v3

Provisioning Server

Provisioning Server 4.5 SP1 or PVS 5.0

PXE Boot / Boot Device (.iso)

XenDesktop 2.1 New Features Setup Wizard Enhancements No more underscore in desktop names Add Desktops to new or existing desktop groups SDK for Scripting DDC Administration Based on MFCOM and WCF Improved Desktop Receiver Installations Client Detection with Automated download & install Support for New Infrastructure Components New Mac Client OS X 10.00.601 for XenDesktop

Setup Wizard Enhancements

No more underscore in desktop names

Add Desktops to new or existing desktop groups

SDK for Scripting DDC Administration

Based on MFCOM and WCF

Improved Desktop Receiver Installations

Client Detection with Automated download & install

Support for New Infrastructure Components

New Mac Client OS X 10.00.601 for XenDesktop

XenDesktop Architecture

XenDesktop Architecture - Simple

XenDesktop 2.x Architecture

XenDesktop 2.x Architecture

XenDesktop 2.x Architecture - Platinum

Desktop Delivery Controller

Citrix Pool Management Service Runs on the Desktop Delivery Controller Controls external machines, allowing the Citrix infrastructure to start and stop resources Administrators can shutdown, suspend and start virtual desktops in the AMC “ Pool Manager” interfaces to Host Infrastructure Plug-ins for XenServer, VMware Virtual Center, SCVMM

Runs on the Desktop Delivery Controller

Controls external machines, allowing the Citrix infrastructure to start and stop resources

Administrators can shutdown, suspend and start virtual desktops in the AMC

“ Pool Manager” interfaces to Host Infrastructure

Plug-ins for XenServer, VMware Virtual Center, SCVMM

3 Types of Desktop Groups Pooled Desktops are first come first serve. Used once then placed back in the pool Assigned on First Use Permanently assigned to the first user who connects Pre-Assigned Permanently mapped directly to a single user

Pooled Desktops are first come first serve. Used once then placed back in the pool

Assigned on First Use Permanently assigned to the first user who connects

Pre-Assigned Permanently mapped directly to a single user

Idle Pool Counts Configurable Setting for number of desktops to be ready and available for use in each group By default idle pool count = 1 for each desktop group One desktop will be in IDLE state at all times unless all are IN USE. If idle pool count = 0 and there are no running desktops longer for user to connect because they have to wait for the virtual machine to start

Configurable Setting for number of desktops to be ready and available for use in each group

By default idle pool count = 1 for each desktop group

One desktop will be in IDLE state at all times unless all are IN USE.

If idle pool count = 0 and there are no running desktops

longer for user to connect because they have to wait for the virtual machine to start

Disconnect and Logoff Disconnect from desktop keeps the virtual running Logoff behavior can be configured to Restart the virtual Do Nothing Leave On (For Assigned Only) Suspend (For Assigned Only) Shutdown (For Assigned Only) Disconnect (For Assigned Only) Logoff Disconnected Sessions is a desktop (PortICA) setting Note: Assigned Virtual Desktops run for 5 minutes after disconnects before Pool Management suspends it

Disconnect from desktop keeps the virtual running

Logoff behavior can be configured to

Restart the virtual

Do Nothing

Leave On (For Assigned Only)

Suspend (For Assigned Only)

Shutdown (For Assigned Only)

Disconnect (For Assigned Only)

Logoff Disconnected Sessions is a desktop (PortICA) setting

Note: Assigned Virtual Desktops run for 5 minutes after disconnects before Pool Management suspends it

XenDesktop Controller Service Runs on the DDC as “XenDesktop Server Service” Manages connected workstations and their hosted sessions CDSController.exe Dependent on IMA Manages PortICA sessions Controller Service manages workstations Implemented using .NET 3.5 (uses WCF to implement web service) All communication to workstation goes through this service Expect to scale to 1,000 workstations per server

Runs on the DDC as “XenDesktop Server Service”

Manages connected workstations and their hosted sessions

CDSController.exe

Dependent on IMA

Manages PortICA sessions

Controller Service manages workstations

Implemented using .NET 3.5 (uses WCF to implement web service)

All communication to workstation goes through this service

Expect to scale to 1,000 workstations per server

How the login process works ICA Client Data Store Login Page Domain Controller Golden Image: PV Tools Virtual Desktop Agent ICA & Streaming Client VDisk XenServer, Hyper-V, VM request sign & launch DDC find desktop resume prepare Licensing ICA validate policies license Profiles Apps OS

Golden Image:

PV Tools

Virtual Desktop Agent

ICA & Streaming Client

Virtual Desktop Agent and ICA service

Virtual Desktop Agent 2.1 Virtual Desktop Agent ICA Service Provides PortICA connection from endpoint to desktop Virtual Desktop Agent Workstation Service Manages requests to allocate resources to remote users Supporting services that help with other features auto-reconnections, printing and encryption ICA Virtual Desktop Agent With PortICA

Virtual Desktop Agent ICA Service

Provides PortICA connection from endpoint to desktop

Virtual Desktop Agent Workstation Service

Manages requests to allocate resources to remote users

Supporting services that help with other features

auto-reconnections, printing and encryption

Virtual Desktop Agent ICA Service Unofficially known as “PortICA” End user makes single ICA connection directly to virtual desktop No “Double Hop” / No RDP PortICA runs as a service on workstation Does not use a TSCAL Best End User Experience

Unofficially known as “PortICA”

End user makes single ICA connection directly to virtual desktop

No “Double Hop” / No RDP

PortICA runs as a service on workstation

Does not use a TSCAL

Best End User Experience

Tips and Best Practices

Tips and Best Practices

Implementing High Availability SAN XenServer XenApp PVS Active Directory with roaming profiles Desktop Delivery Controller Virtual Machines

Implementing High Availability DDC Farm DDC Farm SAN XenServer XenApp PVS Active Directory with roaming profiles Desktop Delivery Controller Virtual Machines Web Interface can aggregate multiple farms on different sites GSLB, NLB Web Servers Web Interface aggregation  Default installation deploys web server on each DDC

Implementing High Availability DDC Farm SAN XenServer XenApp PVS Active Directory with roaming profiles Desktop Delivery Controller Virtual Machines Zone Master handles launch requests and VM operations DB Clustering  Data Store not required for run-time operations External data store IMA Elections Heartbeat and WCF fail-over  Virtual Desktops

Implementing High Availability DDC Farm SAN XenServer XenApp PVS Active Directory with roaming profiles Desktop Delivery Controller Virtual Machines Ability to publish virtual desktops from multiple pools XenMotion, HA    Multiple published pools XenServer Pool XenServer Pool

Implementing High Availability SAN XenServer XenApp PVS Active Directory with roaming profiles Desktop Delivery Controller Virtual Machines Pooled virtual desktops interchangeable, over-provision to account for possible failure    Over-size pool DDC Farm Heartbeat and WCF fail-over  Virtual Machines

Implementing High Availability SAN XenServer XenApp PVS Active Directory with roaming profiles Desktop Delivery Controller Virtual Machines Golden disk images on clustered file system in SAN or replicated locally    PVS HA  SAN PVS Clustered file system DFS or local file copy 

Implementing High Availability SAN XenServer XenApp PVS Active Directory with roaming profiles Desktop Delivery Controller Virtual Machines Use standard file server replication (DFS) for roaming profile storage     Wealth of best practice available for XenApp fault tolerance configuration   

Tips and Best Practices To Disable Autolaunch of Desktop Comment out the “AutoLaunchDesktop=On” line in the webinterface.conf file on the relevant WI site To provide user storage with pooled standard vdisk desktops, enable GPO folder redirection and prevent access to local drives Use ADM templates in SupportConfiguration folder for for FarmGUID and Connection Timeouts To avoid RDP connection conflicts Disable RDP http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457106.aspx .

To Disable Autolaunch of Desktop

Comment out the “AutoLaunchDesktop=On” line in the webinterface.conf file on the relevant WI site

To provide user storage with pooled standard vdisk desktops, enable GPO folder redirection and prevent access to local drives

Use ADM templates in SupportConfiguration folder for for FarmGUID and Connection Timeouts

To avoid RDP connection conflicts

Disable RDP http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457106.aspx .

Console Review and demo

Console Review and demo