XenDesktop Getting Started

Citrix XenDesktop™ 2.1

Getting Started with Citrix XenDesktop

Copyright and Trademark NoticeInformation in this document is subject to change without notice. Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted. Other than printing one copy for personal use, no part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Citrix Systems, Inc.

Copyright © 2008 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Citrix, ICA (Independent Computing Architecture), and GoToAssist are registered trademarks; Citrix XenApp, Citrix XenDesktop, Citrix XenServer, Citrix Provisioning Server, Citrix Access Gateway, Citrix WANScaler, Citrix EdgeSight, Citrix EasyCall, Citrix Desktop Receiver are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Trademark Acknowledgements

AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, Windows Vista, and Active Directory are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Document Code: September 25, 2008 3:11 pm (KH)

Contents

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7XenDesktop Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9How to Use This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Documentation Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Finding More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Getting Support and Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

2 XenDesktop Features and Editions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Features in the Standard Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Additional Features in the Advanced Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Additional Features in the Enterprise Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Additional Features in the Platinum Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16XenDesktop Installation Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

What’s on the Installation Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

3 Setting Up a Pilot Deployment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Pilot Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Physical Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23XenDesktop Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24IP Addressing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Software Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Citrix Products and Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Third-Party Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Third-Party Virtual Machine Infrastructure Hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Installation Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

4 Gettiing Started with Citrix XenDesktop

Installing and Configuring the Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29XenDesktop Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Task 8. Preparing and Provisioning Virtual Desktops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Task 10. Running Secure Connections with XenServer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

XenDesktop Endpoint Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Task 1. Preparing the Endpoint Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Task 2. Converting the Endpoint Device to Full-Screen-Only Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . .61Task 3. Connecting to a Virtual Desktop from a Thin Client Device. . . . . . . . . . . . .62Task 4. Observing Virtual Desktop Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Desktop Delivery Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Late-Breaking Issues with Desktop Delivery Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Access Management Console Inactive After Changing the Idle Count . . . . . . . . . . .63

EdgeSight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Performance Data and Logs Not Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Provisioning Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64vDisk Status Not Active. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Provisioning Server Client Cannot Connect to the vDisk on Platinum Edition . . . . .64

Virtual Desktop Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Cannot Connect to Virtual Desktops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Long Delay Before Connecting to Virtual Desktops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Virtual Desktop Agent Does Not Register with the Desktop Delivery Controller. . .65

WANScaler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66WANScaler Client Installation Fails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

XenDesktop Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Desktop Group Not Listed in the XenDesktop Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66vDisk Not Listed in the XenDesktop Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66No vDisks Listed in the XenDesktop Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Enable Logging on the XenDesktop Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

XenServer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67CPU Hardware Virtualization Not Supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Contents 5

4 Using XenDesktop with Third-Party Virtual Machine Infrastructures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Guidelines for Using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Infrastructure. .70

XenDesktop Administration with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 71Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . .74Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server (with VMM). . . . . . . . . . . .74Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Task 8. Preparing and Provisioning Virtual Desktops (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

XenDesktop Endpoint Devices (with VMM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Guidelines for Using VMware Infrastructure 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

XenDesktop Administration Guidelines for VMware Infrastructure 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server (with VI3). . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Task 8. Prepare and Provision Virtual Desktops (with VI3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

XenDesktop Endpoint Devices (with VI3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

6 Gettiing Started with Citrix XenDesktop

1

Introduction

Citrix XenDesktop provides a complete end-to-end solution that delivers Microsoft Windows XP or Vista virtual desktops to users on a wide variety of endpoint devices. Virtual desktops are dynamically assembled on demand, providing users with pristine, yet personalized, desktops each time they log on. This ensures that performance never degrades, while the high speed delivery protocol provides unparalleled responsiveness over any network.

This figure shows remote users working at their local endpoint devices while accessing virtual desktops provided by XenDesktop.

8 Getting Started with Citrix XenDesktop

Although the desktops are virtual, running on remote servers, the user experience is equivalent to that of a local Windows desktop. From the user’s perspective, logging on to a virtual desktop is the same as logging on to a local desktop. Users enter their credentials once and are connected to their desktops.

Citrix XenDesktop provides the following key features:

• Superior user experience. XenDesktop offers users an experience that is better than a traditional PC or laptop. Users are provided with a “new” virtual desktop every time they log on. A high performance delivery protocol provides PC-like responsiveness, regardless of content, location, or device.

• Simple desktop provisioning. XenDesktop dynamically assembles pristine virtual desktops with personalized sets of applications and settings each time users log on. The dynamic assembly of virtual desktops is enabled through the separation of the operating system, applications, and user settings. This dramatically simplifies life-cycle management of desktops, including creating, provisioning, personalizing, monitoring, supporting, and updating virtual desktop images centrally from the data center.

• Reliable desktop access management. XenDesktop allows administrators to assign users to dedicated or pooled virtual desktops, and to manage the connections to the virtual desktops. Users are provided with a reliable connection to their virtual desktops with no single point of failure.

• Desktop optimization and support. XenDesktop proactively ensures that users always benefit from optimized performance when using their virtual desktops. This provides a LAN-like experience, even for branch office workers. XenDesktop also provides fast, easy, and secure remote support services for an enhanced user support experience.

• Broad desktop delivery ecosystem. Only XenDesktop provides interoperability with a wide range of hardware, applications, virtual machine infrastructures, and endpoint devices.

1 Introduction 9

XenDesktop OverviewCitrix XenDesktop provides a complete virtual desktop delivery system by integrating several distributed components with advanced configuration tools that simplify the creation and real-time management of the virtual desktop infrastructure.

The core components of XenDesktop are:

• Desktop Delivery Controller. Installed on servers in the data center, the controller authenticates users, manages the assembly of users’ virtual desktop environments, and brokers connections between users and their virtual desktops.

• Virtual Desktop Agent. Installed on virtual desktops, the agent enables direct ICA (Independent Computing Architecture) connections between the virtual desktop and users’ endpoint devices.

• Desktop Receiver. Installed on users’ endpoint devices, the Desktop Receiver enables direct ICA connections from endpoint devices to virtual desktops.

Additional XenDesktop components (that are not part of the pilot deployment described in this guide) provide the following features:

• Secure delivery. When users connect from outside the corporate firewall, XenDesktop can use Citrix Access Gateway technology to secure these connections with SSL. Access Gateway is a hardened SSL VPN appliance that is deployed in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to provide a single secure point of access through the corporate firewall.

• Client-side application virtualization. Client-side virtualization (also known as streaming) enables applications to be delivered to client devices and run in a protected, virtual environment on those devices. Applications are first packaged by recording their installation profile and determining which components and system resources are required for streamed operation. The resulting package is then stored on a file share, from where it is downloaded to users as required. The downloaded application package is cached on the user’s endpoint device, where it runs locally, typically in isolation from the other local applications and processes.


• Server-side application virtualization. Server-side virtualization (also known as presentation virtualization) technologies separate an application’s user interface from its program logic, enabling the user interface to be displayed remotely while the application runs on the server. The server calculates and encrypts any changes to the application’s user interface and sends the changes to the user’s endpoint device. At the same time, the user’s input is returned to the application on the server for processing.

• WAN optimization. In XenDesktop deployments where virtual desktops are delivered to users at remote locations such as branch offices, Citrix WANScaler technology can be employed to optimize performance through Quality of Service management. WANScaler can prioritize different parts of the user experience so that, for example, user experience is not degraded in the branch location when a large file or print job is sent over the network.

• Monitoring. XenDesktop incorporates Citrix EdgeSight to allow detailed monitoring of the virtual desktop hosting infrastructure, including real-time and historical information about CPU, memory, and bandwidth usage, and disk access. EdgeSight can be used not only to analyze and troubleshoot issues, but also to warn administrators in advance of problems that may arise in the future.

• Support. Because users may be located in offices that do not have local support staff, XenDesktop incorporates Citrix GoToAssist, allowing XenDesktop users to be supported remotely.

• EasyCall. To help users access voice communications from their virtual desktops, XenDesktop includes Citrix EasyCall technology. EasyCall allows users to initiate a call from their virtual desktop and have the call connected between the corporate branch exchange and any nearby phone.

How to Use This GuideGetting Started with Citrix XenDesktop is for administrators responsible for installing and configuring XenDesktop. This guide provides a short description of the key components that make up a XenDesktop deployment and includes step-by-step procedures for creating a pilot deployment for delivering virtual desktops.

To achieve the objective of getting your XenDesktop pilot environment up and running in the shortest possible time, the installation procedure detailed here helps you to set up a basic deployment. To find out more about the components included in XenDesktop and for information about advanced configuration, consult the documentation for the individual components.

This guide assumes experience of basic Windows server administration and knowledge of Active Directory.

1 Introduction 11

Documentation Conventions XenDesktop documentation uses the following typographic conventions.

Finding More InformationGetting Started with Citrix XenDesktop is part of the Citrix XenDesktop documentation set. You can access more documentation for XenDesktop and its components from the XenDesktop product information page http://support.citrix.com/product/xd/v2.1/#tab-doc. Information available for each component includes administrator’s guides, release notes, readmes, technical articles, and white papers.

The Citrix Knowledge Center Web site, http://support.citrix.com, contains links to all product documentation, organized by component. Select the component you want to access and then click the Documentation tab on the product information page.

To provide feedback about the documentation, click the Article Feedback link located on the right side of the product documentation page.

Convention Meaning

Boldface Commands, names of interface items such as boxes, option buttons, and user input.

Italics Placeholders for information you provide. For example, file name means you type the actual name of a file. Italics also are used for new terms and titles of books.

%SystemRoot% The Windows system directory, which can be WTSRV, WINNT, WINDOWS, or any other name you specify when you install Windows.

Monospace Text displayed in a text file.

{ braces } In a command, a series of items, one of which is required. For example, {yes | no} means you must type yes or no. Do not type the braces themselves.

[ brackets ] In a command, optional items. For example, [/ping] means you can type /ping with the command. Do not type the brackets themselves.

| (vertical bar) In a command, a separator between items in braces or brackets. For example, {/hold | /release | /delete} means you must type /hold or /release or /delete.

… (ellipsis) The previous item(s) in the command can be repeated. For example, /route:DeviceName[,…] means you can type additional device names separated by commas.

http://support.citrix.com/product/xd/v2.1#tab-doc

http://support.citrix.com


Getting Support and TrainingTo get additional support for XenDesktop, visit the XenDesktop Support forum at http://support.citrix.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=187. This forum contains up-to-date information for Citrix customers and partners. Note that on Citrix forums, you can set up a forum watch to receive email updates about the latest postings.

The Citrix Knowledge Center (http://support.citrix.com) offers a variety of technical support services, tools, and developer resources.

Information about Citrix training is available at http://www.citrixtraining.com.


http://www.citrixtraining.com

http://support.citrix.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=187

2

XenDesktop Features and Editions

XenDesktop is offered in five editions that provide different features:

• Platinum. This edition is designed for large scale enterprise deployments that require end-to-end access management, optimization, and support. The Platinum Edition includes features such as enhanced secure remote access, application streaming and virtualization, virtual desktop performance monitoring, WAN Quality of Service, and remote user support.

• Enterprise. This edition is designed for large scale enterprise deployments. The Enterprise Edition includes features such as secure remote access (ICA only) and application streaming and virtualization.

• Advanced. This edition is designed for large scale deployments. On Citrix XenServer infrastructures, XenDesktop Advanced Edition supports multipools, in which virtual machine pools are linked together and managed though a common console.

Note: The pilot deployment described in this guide uses XenDesktop Advanced Edition.

• Standard. This edition is designed for medium scale business deployments where the limit on the number of virtual desktops is likely to be resource based.

• Express. This edition is intended for small scale evaluation deployments of up to 10 concurrent virtual desktops, of which up to four can run simultaneously.


The components in each edition are listed below.

Features in the Standard EditionThe Standard Edition provides the following features:

• SpeedScreen. This technology ensures that delivery of virtual desktops is optimized over any network. Screen updates are smooth, the mouse and keyboard are responsive, and multimedia applications perform well over any network.

• Instant on. XenDesktop virtual machines are kept running in idle pools so that new virtual desktops are ready for users when they log on, eliminating the lengthy startup times of physical computers and increasing productivity.

• Universal printer driver. XenDesktop delivers a consistent and fast printing experience for users without requiring specific local print drivers. Users can simply plug in USB-compatible printers to their endpoint devices.

Component Express Standard Advanced Enterprise Platinum

Desktop Delivery Controller Limited 1 Full Full Full Full

XenServer 2 Express 3 Standard Enterprise 4 Enterprise 4 Enterprise 4

Access Gateway 5 Limited 6 Limited 6 Limited 6 Full

Provisioning Server for Desktops Included Included Included

XenApp for Virtual Desktops Enterprise 7 Enterprise 7

EdgeSight for Endpoints Included

WANScaler 5 Included

GoToAssist Included 8

EasyCall 5 Included1 Usage limited to 10 concurrent virtual desktops, of which up to four are licensed to run simultaneously on Citrix XenServer Express Edition.2 Licensed for hosting virtual desktops and XenDesktop infrastructure only.3 Limited to a maximum of four virtual machines per system.4 Includes resource pooling and XenMotion.5 Citrix Access Gateway appliance must be purchased separately.6 Licensed for use with XenDesktop only.7 Application virtualization functionality licensed for use with XenDesktop only.8 Citrix GoToAssist services available with orders of 200 or more XenDesktop Platinum Edition licenses.

2 XenDesktop Features and Editions 15

• Virtual machine infrastructure. XenDesktop leverages XenServer, an integrated 64-bit paravirtualization-based hypervisor, for scalable, cost-effective hosting of virtual desktops. In addition, XenDesktop also supports Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and VMware ESX, plus a wide range of hardware, applications, and endpoint devices.

• Desktop assignment. XenDesktop allows administrators to assign different types of virtual desktops to different users, including blade PC-based desktops, dedicated virtual machine-based desktops, and pooled desktops for groups of users.

• Session management. XenDesktop allows administrators to manage active and inactive virtual desktop connections. Administrators can view the servers to which users are connected and log them off if necessary.

• Session reliability. This feature maintains users’ virtual desktops during network outages. When the network connection is reestablished, users can resume their work without any interruption.

• Secure remote access. XenDesktop integrates with Access Gateway to provide a secure connection, allowing remote users to access their virtual desktops from any location outside of the corporate firewall.

Note: The Express Edition provides similar features to the Standard Edition, with the exception of secure remote access with Access Gateway. In addition, the Express Edition is limited to a maximum of 10 virtual desktops, of which only four are licensed to run concurrently on XenServer.

Additional Features in the Advanced EditionThe Advanced Edition includes all the features in the Standard Edition, plus the following:

• On-demand desktops. XenDesktop allows administrators to configure resources into pools so that common configuration settings can be applied on a pool-wide basis, greatly simplifying reconfiguration tasks.

• Desktop image management. XenDesktop allows administrators to manage multiple virtual desktops from a single desktop image. Administrators can easily create a new virtual desktop image, update an existing image, or roll back changes without any downtime.


• On-demand provisioning. XenDesktop creates and deprovisions virtual desktops on demand from a single desktop image, optimizing storage resource utilization and providing users with pristine desktops every time they log on. This not only simplifies virtual desktop images, but also provides greater flexibility and reduces the amount of management required for both applications and desktops.

• Desktop storage optimization. XenDesktop provides massive savings on storage costs for virtual desktops through operating system provisioning and a separate application virtualization infrastructure.

• High availability/failover. XenDesktop eliminates single points of failure by providing failover capability. Users can continue to access and use their virtual desktops even when individual servers fail.

Additional Features in the Enterprise EditionThe Enterprise Edition includes all the features in the Advanced Edition, plus the following:

XenApp for Virtual Desktops. Citrix XenApp is an application delivery system that offers client-side and server-side application virtualization, for optimal application performance and flexible delivery options. This allows the delivery of secure applications as a service, while providing the flexibility to use future application architectures.

Additional Features in the Platinum EditionThe Platinum Edition includes all the features in the Enterprise Edition, plus Citrix Access Gateway Enterprise Edition, the full function version of Access Gateway, which provides secure remote access to XenDesktop.

• EasyCall. This component makes a connection between any application on the virtual desktop to selected Voice over Internet Protocol private branch exchange systems. Citrix EasyCall provides simple, cost-effective voice communications to complement the virtual desktop experience. This feature requires the separate purchase of a Citrix Communication Gateway appliance.

• Desktop performance monitoring. This feature monitors and tracks the performance of virtual desktops, allowing administrators to proactively manage the virtual desktop experience by measuring key performance elements. This data can then be used to enhance the infrastructure before users are adversely affected.


• WAN optimization. XenDesktop maximizes the quality of the remote user experience by using Citrix WANScaler to accelerate virtual desktop and application performance across wide area networks. This feature requires the separate purchase of a Citrix WANScaler appliance.

• Desktop support. XenDesktop allows support staff to provide fast, easy, and secure support services to widely dispersed users through the Citrix GoToAssist remote support package. Support staff can see what users see, chat with them in real time, guide them through a procedure, transfer a file, or take permission-based control of a user’s computer to resolve a problem.

XenDesktop Installation MediaThe installation media and downloads you receive are determined by the edition you have purchased.

Physical media and downloads Editions

Medium Label Exp/Std Adv Ent Plat

DVD Desktop Delivery Controller R R R R

CD Virtual Machine Infrastructure powered by Citrix XenServer

R R R R

CD XenDesktop Components Disc R R R R

CD Virtual Desktop Provisioning powered by Citrix Provisioning Server for Desktops

X R R R

CD Integrated App Delivery powered by Citrix XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2008

X X O O

CD Integrated App Delivery powered by Citrix XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2003

X X O O

CD Integrated App Delivery powered by Citrix XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2003x64

X X O O

CD XenApp Components Disc X X O O

Subscription service

GoToAssist X X X O

Download WANScalar Client X X X O

Download EasyCall Agent X X X O

R = Required for pilot deployment; O = Optional—not required for pilot deployment; X = Not included with this product edition.


What’s on the Installation MediaUse the media listed below to install the various XenDesktop components, subject to the licenses you have purchased.

• Desktop Delivery Controller. Use this disc to install Desktop Delivery Controller and the Virtual Desktop Agent.

• Virtual Machine Infrastructure powered by Citrix XenServer. Use this disc to install XenServer. Updates that enable XenServer to support Windows XP SP3 are available on the XenDesktop Components Disc.

• XenDesktop Components Disc. Use this disc to install the following components: XenDesktop Setup wizard, Desktop Receiver, Desktop Receiver Embedded Edition, Client for Macintosh. After installing XenServer, use the XenDesktop Components Disc to apply the latest updates. Platinum Edition customers can also install EdgeSight for Endpoints from this disc.

• Virtual Desktop Provisioning powered by Citrix Provisioning Server for Desktops. Use this disc to install Provisioning Server. An SQL database is a prerequisite for installing Provisioning Server, so Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is also provided on this disc. The XenDesktop Setup wizard must be installed on the same computer as Provisioning Server and is available on the XenDesktop Components Disc.

• Integrated App Delivery powered by Citrix XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Use this disc to install both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2008.

• Integrated App Delivery powered by Citrix XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Use this disc to install the 32-bit version of XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. After installing XenApp, use the XenApp Components Disc to upgrade to the latest version.

• Integrated App Delivery powered by Citrix XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2003x64. Use this disc to install the 64-bit version of XenApp for Virtual Desktops for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. After installing XenApp, use the XenApp Components Disc to upgrade XenApp to the latest version.

• XenApp Components Disc. After installing either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of XenApp for Microsoft Windows Server 2003, use this disc to upgrade XenApp to the latest version. The Web Interface and the full range of XenApp plugins can also be installed from the XenApp Components Disc.


LicensingAfter purchasing XenDesktop, you receive two emails with instructions specific to your license(s).

The following components require the use of a Citrix License Server:

• Desktop Delivery Controller

• Provisioning Server for Desktops

• Access Gateway

• EdgeSight

• EasyCall

• XenApp

Licensing for the remaining components is as follows:

• XenServer hosts must be individually licensed (download from My Citrix).

• WANScaler is delivered fully licensed for immediate use. This includes the appliance server license and an unlimited client license.

• GoToAssist is a subscription-based service that is activated by the Citrix Online team. Licensing is based on the number of XenDesktop Platinum licenses purchased.


3

Setting Up a Pilot Deployment

This section describes the installation and configuration of a pilot deployment using XenDesktop components, in which all the hardware is installed in a single domain.

This pilot deployment makes use only of features in the XenDesktop Advanced Edition. Although both the Enterprise and Platinum editions can be used for the pilot deployment, the features that are unique to these editions are not used.

With the experience gained in this deployment, you can extend your installation over multiple domains and then add the additional features that are supplied only with the Enterprise and Platinum editions.

This deployment focuses on the installation of full-screen-only desktops, which enable users to experience a virtual desktop that is indistinguishable from a local desktop.

Pilot EnvironmentThe pilot environment includes the following hardware:

• pServerOne. A physical server running XenServer software that hosts the XenDesktop infrastructure components.

• pServerTwo. A physical server running XenServer software that hosts the virtual desktops.

• Endpoint devices. One or more computers running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

• XenCenterHost. A computer that runs the XenCenter software, which allows you to manage the virtual machines (VMs) on pServerOne and pServerTwo.

In a production environment, you can distribute the infrastructure components to other physical devices as necessary and create farms of servers running XenServer to support large numbers of virtual desktops.


This figure shows the XenDesktop pilot environment with XenServer providing the VM infrastructure.

This section describes an evaluation scenario for virtual desktops running Windows XP rather than Windows Vista; where differences exist for Windows Vista, these are noted in the text.

3 Setting Up a Pilot Deployment 23

Physical ComponentsThe physical components of the XenDesktop pilot environment are listed in the following table. Physical servers are denoted by the prefix ‘p’ and the virtual machines running on those physical servers are denoted by the prefix ‘v’.

Component VMs and installed software

pServerOne A server running the VM infrastructure software, in this case, XenServer. You assign the name pServerOne during the installation.In the pilot, this server hosts the three VMs that collectively provide the XenDesktop delivery infrastructure as follows:vDesktopDmC. Domain controller running on Windows Server 2003 in Native or Mixed mode with:• Active Directory• DNS• DHCPvDesktopDDC. Hosts Desktop Delivery Controller running on Windows Server 2003. Installed components include:• Desktop Delivery Controller• Access Management Console• License Server ConsolevDesktopPvS. Hosts Provisioning Server running on Windows Server 2003. Installed components include:• Provisioning Server• XenDesktop Setup wizard

pServerTwo A second server running the same VM infrastructure software as pServerOne. You assign the name pServerTwo during the installation.This server hosts the VMs on which the virtual desktops reside.During installation, you create the five Windows VMs with names vDesktop1 through vDesktop5.

Endpoint devices Windows XP or Windows Vista computers running Desktop Receiver Embedded Edition.

XenCenterHost A Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2003 computer running the XenCenter application.The XenCenter application is a component of XenServer.


XenDesktop ComponentsThe XenDesktop pilot environment includes the following components:

• XenServer. An enterprise-class virtual infrastructure solution that creates the foundation for delivering virtual desktops and offers advanced management features. Multiple VMs can run on XenServer, which takes advantage of the advanced virtualization features of the latest virtualization-enabled processors from Intel and AMD.

• Desktop Delivery Controller. A component that manages the connections between users’ endpoint devices and the virtual desktops.

• Provisioning Server. A component that enables you to stream a single desktop image to create multiple virtual desktops on one or more servers in a data center. This facility greatly reduces the amount of storage required compared to other methods of creating virtual desktops.

• XenCenter. A stand-alone application that runs on a separate computer. You use XenCenter to create and manage VMs running on XenServer.

• License server. A component that validates licenses for Desktop Delivery Controller and Provisioning Server. You install this component when you install Desktop Delivery Controller.

• Virtual desktop. A desktop operating system (for example, Windows XP) running on a VM.

• Virtual Desktop Agent. Software running on a VM that enables the operating system to make its desktop available to another computer (or endpoint device).

• Desktop Receiver. Software running on an endpoint that provides toolbar functionality, allowing users to pan and scale virtual desktops inside their local desktop. Users can work with more than one desktop using multiple Desktop Receiver connections on the same endpoint device.

• Desktop Receiver Embedded Edition. Software that repurposes computers running Windows XP into XenDesktop-ready desktop appliances that can display virtual desktops in full-screen-only mode.


• ICA protocol. A communications protocol used between endpoints and the virtual desktops. With ICA, all desktop logic executes on the desktop host. Only screen updates, mouse clicks, and keystrokes are transmitted to the users’ computers (endpoints).

For more information on the features of ICA, refer to the XenApp Plugin for Hosted Apps for Windows Administrator’s Guide.

• XenDesktop Setup wizard. A tool that automates parts of the creation and delivery of large installations of virtual desktops. This wizard integrates Citrix components so that system administrators can quickly create multiple desktops.

• XenServer Tools. A set of tools that provide custom Windows drivers and a management agent for XenServer VMs.

The drivers provide high performance disk and network support for Windows guests. The management agent integrates certain features of the XenServer system, XenCenter, and the guest operating systems. This integration provides advanced features such as orderly shutdowns from outside the guest and hot plugging and removal of disk drives.

IP AddressingFor simplicity, this guide specifies an isolated LAN environment with an IP addressing scheme based on the following assumptions:

• A simple Ethernet switch is used to connect the hardware.

• The VMs on pServerOne have manually assigned IP addresses. For reference, these IP addresses are listed in the step-by-step procedures.

• The VMs on pServerTwo providing the virtual desktops are named vDesktop1 through vDesktop5. These desktops have IP addresses assigned by DHCP.

You can define your own IP addresses based on the local environment into which you are installing XenDesktop. In this case, replace the IP addresses as specified in “XenDesktop Administration” on page 30 with addresses appropriate to your own environment.


System RequirementsThe hardware requirements described in this section relate to the evaluation deployment as described in “Pilot Environment” on page 21.

Recommendations

• Citrix strongly recommends that you isolate the pilot deployment from your production environment

• All server-side components must be installed on VMs using one of the supported virtualization infrastructure types

Software RequirementsThis pilot environment functions correctly only if the specified versions of the software components are installed. This section lists the mandatory versions of the major Citrix products and components, plus the third-party products, that are required to create the XenDesktop pilot environment.

Note that the procedures described here assume that you are creating fresh installations of all the components of the pilot deployment. Upgrading part or all of an existing XenDesktop deployment is not supported.

Citrix Products and ComponentsThe Citrix XenDesktop components include the following:

• Citrix Desktop Delivery Controller 2.1

• Citrix Provisioning Server 5.0

• Citrix XenDesktop Setup wizard

• Citrix XenServer 4.1 Enterprise Edition

• XenCenter 4.1

• Citrix XenApp for Virtual Desktops 4.5

• Citrix Desktop Receiver 10.251 (available on the installation media and from the Citrix Web site at http://www.citrix.com/site/SS/downloads)

Important: Use only the versions supplied on the installation media and not versions that you might have previously acquired.

http://www.citrix.com/site/SS/downloads


Third-Party ProductsYou are responsible for sourcing and licensing all non-Citrix products, except for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.

Third-Party Virtual Machine Infrastructure HostsIn addition to XenServer, XenDesktop integrates with the following third-party VM infrastructure hosts:

• Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager. For more information, see “Guidelines for Using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Infrastructure” on page 70.

• VMware Infrastructure 3. For more information, see “Guidelines for Using VMware Infrastructure 3” on page 75.

Component Operating systems Additional software

Domain controller (vDesktopDmC)

Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions with Service Pack 2Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

Desktop Delivery Controller (vDesktopDDC)


Provisioning Server (vDesktopPvS)



Virtual desktops (vDesktopX)

Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2Windows Vista 32-bit Editions with Service Pack 1Windows Vista 32-bit Editions


Endpoint devices Windows XP Professional x64 Edition with Service Pack 2Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2Windows Vista 64-bit Editions with Service Pack 1Windows Vista 64-bit EditionsWindows Vista 32-bit Editions with Service Pack 1Windows Vista 32-bit Editions


Installation TimeYou need to allocate sufficient time to install all the components of XenDesktop. Allow approximately one day to perform the complete installation.

Hardware RequirementsThe procedures described here assume the following hardware:

For further details about these requirements, refer to the relevant component documentation.

Component Specifications

pServerOnepServerTwo

CPU Up to 32 64-bit Intel VT or AMD-V x86 CPUs or equivalent.Minimum recommended clock speed 1.5 GHz.Both of the above CPU types support hardware virtualization, which is a requirement. In addition, the BIOS setting for hardware visualization must be enabled. For more information, consult the documentation for your BIOS.Important: If your CPUs do not support hardware virtualization, you cannot to complete the installation.

Memory Minimum 8 GB RAM.

Hard Disk

100 GB locally attached storage (for example, PATA, SATA, or SCSI).

NIC 100 Mbps (megabits per second) or faster network interface card (NIC).

XenCenterHost A computer running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2003.For more information about the specifications for this device, refer to the XenServer Installation Guide.

Endpoint devices Computers running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista with or without Service Pack 1.


Installing and Configuring the PilotThis section is written explicitly to create a pilot environment for the delivery of virtual desktops through XenDesktop with XenServer providing the VM hosting infrastructure.

Use of one of the alternative supported VM infrastructures requires that you perform some procedures using the tools provided by the VM infrastructure vendor. For more information, see:

• “Guidelines for Using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Infrastructure” on page 70

• “Guidelines for Using VMware Infrastructure 3” on page 75

OverviewThe XenDesktop pilot deployment process comprises a set of sequential tasks that are numbered in the order in which you perform them.

• XenDesktop Administration

• Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure.

• Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter.

• Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines.

• Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop.

• Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller.

• Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server.

• Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image.

• Task 8. Preparing and Provisioning Virtual Desktops.

• Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops.

• Task 10. Running Secure Connections with XenServer.

• XenDesktop Endpoint Devices

• Task 1. Preparing the Endpoint Device.

• Task 2. Converting the Endpoint Device to Full-Screen-Only Mode.

• Task 3. Connecting to a Virtual Desktop from a Thin Client Device.

• Task 4. Observing Virtual Desktop Usage.


XenDesktop AdministrationThis section describes the procedures you need to perform to create an infrastructure that supports virtual desktop delivery using XenDesktop components, including XenServer.

Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine InfrastructureIn this task, you install the VM infrastructure software on the two physical servers pServerOne and pServerTwo.

Note: Any computer on which you install the XenServer software must have a CPU that supports hardware virtualization; see “Hardware Requirements” on page 28.

To Install XenServer on pServerOne (and pServerTwo)XenServer is effectively an operating system and its installation removes any existing operating system from that server. The procedures for installing the XenServer software are almost identical on the two servers, except that you must specify different IP values in each case.

1. Start pServerOne (or pServerTwo) from the XenServer installation media and follow the instructions in the installation wizard.

2. On the Select Keymap page, choose your key map or accept the default, [qwerty] us, and click OK.

3. On the Welcome to XenServer page, accept the default values, select Install XenServer Host, and click OK.

4. On the Welcome to XenServer Setup page, read the warning and click OK.

5. On the End User License Agreement page, read the agreement and click Accept EULA.

6. If you already installed an earlier version of XenServer, on the Installation Type page, select Perform clean installation and click OK.

7. If your target computer has multiple local hard disks, the Select Primary Disk page appears.

A. Select the primary disk (the disk on which you install XenServer) and click OK.

B. In response to the prompt to choose a drive to be formatted for use by XenServer for VM storage, click OK.

If the computer has only a single hard disk, these prompts do not appear.


8. On the Select Installation Source page, click OK to accept the default setting, Local media.

9. On the Linux Pack page, click No.

10. On the Verify Installation Source page, click OK to accept the default setting, Verify installation source.

This may take some time to process. If you downloaded your software and you get an error from the verification, download the software again and restart the installation.

11. On the Verification Successful page, click OK.

12. On the Set Password page, type the required password, type it again to confirm, and click OK.

13. On the Select Time Zone page, select the appropriate geographical area and click OK.

14. On the next page, select a specific locale in your time zone and click OK.

15. On the System Time page, select Manual time entry and click OK.

16. On the Networking page, you may be prompted to select a management network interface if your computer has multiple network interface cards (NICs). If this happens, select an NIC and click OK.

If your computer has a single NIC, it is selected automatically and no prompt appears.

17. Select Static configuration, specify the following values, and click OK.

18. On the Hostname and DNS Configuration page, specify the name of the server you are installing:

A. In the Hostname Configuration section, select Manually specify and type the name of the server you are configuring, pServerOne or pServerTwo.

B. In the DNS Configuration section, select Manually specify, type 192.168.1.10 for the IP address of DNS server 1, and click OK.

19. On the Confirm Installation page, click Install XenServer.

pServerOne pServerTwo

IP Address 192.168.1.2 192.168.1.3

Subnet mask 255.255.255.0 255.255.255.0


20. On the Set local time page, type the correct date and time, and click OK.

21. On the Installation Complete page, click OK. The system automatically restarts.

After you complete the installation on pServerOne, repeat the procedure for pServerTwo, taking into account the different IP address.

Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenterIn this task, you install and configure XenCenter on XenCenterHost. This task comprises the following procedures:

• To assign a static IP address to XenCenterHost

• To install XenCenter on XenCenterHost

• To connect XenCenter to pServerOne (and pServerTwo)

• To install the XenServer license

• To create a resource pool on pServerTwo

To assign a static IP address to XenCenterHost You can install XenCenter on a computer running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2003. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 must be installed.

Important: Before installing XenCenter, you must uninstall any previously installed versions.

On XenCenterHost, open the Windows Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box and assign a static IP address to the computer by selecting Use the following IP address and specifying the following values:

For more information about performing this procedure, refer to the documentation for your operating system.

To install XenCenter on XenCenterHost1. On XenCenterHost, insert the XenServer installation media into the optical

drive. If autorun is not enabled, run XenCenterSetup.exe.

2. On the Welcome to the XenCenter Setup Wizard page, click Next.

3. On the Select Installation Folder page, accept the default path C:\Program Files\Citrix\XenCenter\.

IP address 192.168.1.5

Subnet mask 255.255.255.0


4. Under Install XenCenter for yourself, or for anyone who uses this computer, select Everyone and click Next.

5. On the Confirm Installation page, click Next.

6. On the Installation Complete page, click Close.

To connect XenCenter to pServerOne (and pServerTwo)1. On the XenCenter toolbar, click the Add New Server button.

2. In the Add New Server dialog box, type the following values:

3. Click Connect.

To install the XenServer licenseYou must install a XenServer license on pServerTwo to be able to create a resource pool in the next procedure. You can download the license key from My Citrix on the Citrix Web site.

Note: You can continue to run pServerOne without a license during the evaluation period.

Perform the following steps to install the license file on pServerTwo:

1. Browse to http://www.citrix.com/site/SS/downloads and log on to My Citrix.

2. Select Citrix XenDesktop from the Search Downloads by Product list.

3. On the downloads page, click XenDesktop 2.1 Evaluation.

4. On the XenDesktop 2.1 Evaluation page, scroll down to the License section and download the Citrix XenServer Evaluation - License File. Follow the instructions on screen to complete the download.

5. In XenCenter, select pServerTwo and click Server > Install License Key.

6. In the Install License Key dialog box, navigate to the location of the XenServer license file you downloaded and click Open. Follow the instructions on screen to complete the installation of the license file.

Hostname 192.168.1.2 The IP address of pServerOne.

192.168.1.3 The IP address of pServerTwo.

User name root root

Password The password you specified when you installed XenServer on pServerOne.

The password you specified when you installed XenServer on pServerTwo.

http://www.citrix.com/site/SS/downloads


To create a resource pool on pServerTwoXenServer does not need to be in a resource pool to work with Desktop Delivery Controller, but resource pools are a requirement for certain advanced XenServer features, such as XenMotion, and for using multiple XenServer instances.

1. In XenCenter, select pServerTwo and click the New Pool button on the toolbar.

2. On the Name page, type the name XenDesktop Pool and, optionally, a description for the new pool, and click Next.

3. On the Servers page, click Finish.

A new pool is created automatically and the wizard closes.

Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines For your pilot environment you need to create five VMs and install XenServer Tools on four of them. You configure the VMs in later tasks. This task comprises the following procedures:

• To create the domain controller virtual machine

• To create the Desktop Delivery Controller virtual machine

• To create the Provisioning Server virtual machine

• To create the base desktop virtual machine

• To create a Provisioning Server virtual machine template

• To install XenServer Tools

Note: On the Storage tab in XenCenter, ensure that the optical drive setting for each VM is set to <empty>. You cannot physically eject a disc from the XenServer host if the drive is mounted on any VM running on XenServer. If the disc does not eject, select the XenServer host that contains the disc, click the Console tab and type eject cd or eject dvd, as necessary.


To create the domain controller virtual machine1. On pServerOne, insert the Windows Server 2003 installation media into the

optical drive.

2. In XenCenter, select pServerOne and click the New VM button on the toolbar.

3. In the New VM wizard, specify the following values for this VM:

4. On the Finish page, select Start VM automatically and click Finish.

5. In XenCenter, select the new VM, click the Console tab, and install the operating system. When prompted, configure a static IP address with the following values:

Template Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2003 x64

Name Name vDesktopDmC

Description Domain Controller

Location Physical DVD Drive

Home Server pServerOne

CPU & Memory Number of vCPUs Specify the appropriate number of CPUs for your server.

Initial memory At least 768 MB.

Virtual Disks At least 8 GB.

Virtual Interfaces Select the appropriate network interface card.

IP address 192.168.1.10The IP address that you reserved for the domain controller VM.

Subnet mask 255.255.255.0The subnet mask for your environment.

DNS server address

192.168.1.10The IP address of the DNS server for your environment.


To create the Desktop Delivery Controller virtual machine1. On pServerOne, insert the Windows Server 2003 installation media into the

optical drive.






Name Name vDesktopDDC

Description Desktop Delivery Controller





Virtual Disks At least 8 GB.


IP address 192.168.1.11The IP address that you reserved for the Desktop Delivery Controller VM.


DNS server address



To create the Provisioning Server virtual machine1. On pServerOne, insert the Windows Server 2003 installation media into the

optical drive.






Name Name vDesktopPvS

Description Provisioning Server





Virtual Disks For Windows XP, at least 20 GB.For Windows Vista, at least 30 GB.The disk must be large enough to accommodate the virtual disk for this VM. If you intend to create additional virtual disks, you can increase the disk space now or wait until later.


IP address 192.168.1.12The IP address that you reserved for the Provisioning Server VM.


DNS server address



To create the base desktop virtual machine1. On pServerTwo, insert the Windows XP or Windows Vista installation

media into the optical drive.

2. In XenCenter, select pServerTwo and click the New VM button on the toolbar.



5. In XenCenter, select the new VM, click the Console tab, and install the operating system. When prompted, configure a dynamic IP address so that the base desktop VM receives its IP address from the DHCP server running on the domain controller VM.

Template Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista

Name Name BaseDesktop1

Description Base Desktop Image—VM to be imaged to the Provisioning Server virtual disk


Home Server pServerTwo


Initial memory For Windows XP, at least 512 MB.For Windows Vista, at least 1 GB.

Virtual Disks For Windows XP, at least 8 GB.For Windows Vista, at least 16 GB.



To create a Provisioning Server virtual machine templateThe Provisioning Server VM template is a diskless VM template that you associate with a Provisioning Server vDisk in “Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops” on page 55.

Important: The conversion of a VM to a template is a one-way process after which you can no longer use the template as a VM.

1. In XenCenter, select pServerTwo and click the New VM button on the toolbar.


3. On the Finish page, clear the Start VM automatically check box and click Finish.

4. In XenCenter, right-click PvS VM Template, select Convert to Template, and click OK.

The template icon appears on the left of the entry for PvS VM Template.

Template Other install media

Name Name PvS VM Template

Description Image to be used with the XenDesktop Setup Wizard


Home Server pServerTwo


Initial memory For Windows XP, at least 512 MB.For Windows Vista, at least 1 GB.

Virtual Disks Leave blank. Do not assign a virtual disk to this VM.

Virtual Interfaces If pServerTwo has more than one network interface card (NIC) installed, delete all the NICs except the one you want to use in the VM.


To install XenServer ToolsXenServer Tools provides high performance Windows drivers and a management agent. You must install these tools on the following VMs:

• vDesktopDmC (domain controller VM)

• vDesktopDCC (Desktop Delivery Controller VM)

• vDesktopPvS (Provisioning Server VM)

• BaseDesktop1 (base desktop VM)

On each of these VMs:

1. Ensure that the VM on which you are going to install XenServer Tools is running and that you are logged on.

2. In XenCenter, select the VM and click VM > Install XenServer Tools.

3. In the Install XenServer Tools dialog box, click Install XenServer Tools.

4. Read and accept the license agreement, and click Next.

5. On the Choose Install Location page, accept the default location and click Install.

6. Select Reboot now and click Finish. The tools are installed when the VM restarts.

7. To finalize the installation of the operating systems, apply all the recommended Microsoft updates after you have finished creating the VMs.

Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktopDesktop Delivery Controller uses Active Directory to store configuration information and to manage the assignment of virtual desktops to users. This task describes how to configure Active Directory specifically for XenDesktop and comprises the following procedures:

• To create and configure Active Directory on the domain controller virtual machine

• To create an organizational unit named XenDesktop

• To create user accounts

• To add virtual machines to the XenDT.net domain


To create and configure Active Directory on the domain controller virtual machine Configure Active Directory on the domain controller VM (vDesktopDDC) on pServerOne, using the following guidelines:

• Domain controller. In Windows Server 2003, create an Active Directory domain named XenDT.net with a single domain controller. For this version, both Native mode and Mixed mode are supported.

• DNS. Configure Active Directory to include a DNS server, which must be configured to have both forward and reverse look-up zones.

• DHCP. Configure DHCP as follows:

• DHCP scope. Specify a DHCP scope named XenDesktop with an address range of 192.168.1.20 to 192.168.1.200. This enables DHCP to dynamically assign IP addresses to the new virtual desktops, while protecting the static IP addresses that you already assigned.

• DHCP boot options. Optionally, you can configure the DHCP boot options after installing Provisioning Server. The procedure is detailed in Task 6.

For more information about Active Directory, DNS, and DHCP, refer to the relevant Microsoft documentation.

To create an organizational unit named XenDesktop At the root level, create an organizational unit (OU) named XenDesktop. This OU is used to store the Desktop Delivery Controller farm configuration.

For more information about Active Directory and creating an OU, refer to the relevant Microsoft documentation.

To create user accountsCreate five test user accounts named User_1 through User_5, with or without passwords, as required. These accounts enable different users to log on to the virtual desktops.

To add virtual machines to the XenDT.net domainAdd the following VMs as members of the domain XenDT.net.

• vDesktopDDC

• vDesktopPvS

• BaseDesktop1


On each of these VMs:

1. Open the Windows Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box, click Advanced, and select the DNS tab in the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box.

2. Type the DNS suffix for your domain, in this case XenDT.net, in the DNS suffix for this connection box and click OK.

Optionally, you can also add XenCenterHost to the domain.

For more information about performing this procedure, refer to the documentation for your operating system.

Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery ControllerInstalling Desktop Delivery Controller automatically installs all the prerequisite Desktop Delivery Controller components. When installing Terminal Services and Internet Information Services (IIS), the installation program prompts you to insert the Windows Server 2003 installation media at the appropriate time. This task comprises the following procedures:

• To install Desktop Delivery Controller

• To run the XenDesktop Active Directory Configuration wizard

• To configure the Access Management Console

• To install the XenDesktop license


To install Desktop Delivery Controller1. Log on to the Desktop Delivery Controller VM (vDesktopDDC) as a

domain administrator.

2. On pServerOne, insert the Desktop Delivery Controller installation media into the optical drive. If autorun is not enabled and the installation window does not appear, run autorun.exe.

3. Ensure that on the Desktop Delivery Controller VM, the physical optical drive is mapped as Local.

4. On the Welcome page, select Install Server Components.



6. On the Select Components page, leave all the options selected and click Next.

7. On the Create or Join a Farm page, select Create new farm, specify XenDTFarm as the name, and click Next.

Farm names can contain up to 32 characters, including spaces. The following characters cannot be used: \ / ; : .* ? = < > | [ ] ( ) ' " #

8. On the Specify Farm Edition page, select the XenDesktop edition for which you have licenses and click Next.

9. On the Optional Server Configuration page, click Next.

10. On the Start Installation page, click Next.

11. Follow the instructions on screen.

Note: When the installation program prompts you to restart the server, you must log on with the same user ID and password that you used to start the installation.

12. On the Setup Complete page, leave both check boxes selected and click Finish.

Both the Active Directory Configuration wizard and the License Management Console start. Follow the instructions in the next two sections to configure these components.

To run the XenDesktop Active Directory Configuration wizardUse this wizard to configure the default population of the Active Directory organizational unit (OU), specifically for running the Desktop Delivery Controller. The wizard starts automatically after you complete the previous procedure.

1. On the first page of the Active Directory Configuration wizard, click Next.

2. On the Configure Farm OU in Active Directory page, click Browse and navigate to the XenDesktop OU. Click OK to close the navigation window and then click Next.

3. Click Finish and then, on the Summary page, click Close.

4. When prompted to start the Access Management Console, click Yes. Leave the console running for the next procedure.


To configure the Access Management ConsoleWhen the Access Management Console starts for the first time, the Configure and run discovery wizard opens.

1. On the Welcome page, click Next.

2. On the Select Product or Components page, ensure that all the check boxes are selected and click Next

3. On the Select Controllers page, click Add Local Computer and then click Next.

4. On the Preview Discovery page, click Next.

5. Wait until discovery is complete and click Finish.

In the Access Management Console, the Desktop Delivery Controller VM (vDesktopDDC) is added to the left pane under Citrix Resources > Desktop Delivery Controllers > XenDTFarm > Controllers > vDesktopDDC.

6. Close the Access Management Console.

Tip: To open the Access Management Console again, click Start > All Programs > Citrix > Management Consoles > Access Management Console.

To install the XenDesktop licenseTo be able to use Desktop Delivery Controller and Provisioning Server, you must install and activate the XenDesktop license. The License Management Console is still open from the earlier procedure “To install Desktop Delivery Controller” on page 42.

1. In the License Management Console, select the Configuration tab and then click Step 2 Copy license file to this License Server.

2. On the Upload License File page, click Browse and navigate to the location of your XenDesktop license file.

3. Click Open to select the required license file.

4. Click Upload to add the license file to the License Management Console.

5. Close the License Management Console.

Tip: To open the License Management Console again, click Start > All Programs > Citrix > Management Consoles > License Management Console.


Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning ServerProvisioning Server requires a database in which to store configuration information. Before you install Provisioning Server, ensure that an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is available. This can be an existing database on the network (provided it can communicate with the Provisioning Server VM) or it can be a fresh installation. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is provided on the XenDesktop installation media if you need to create a new database server.

Note: Although it is possible to install the Provisioning Server database on vDesktopPvS alongside Provisioning Server, Citrix does not recommended doing so as this configuration can cause poor distribution during load balancing.

In this task, you install and configure Provisioning Server and related components, including the XenDesktop Setup wizard. This task comprises the following procedures:

• To install Provisioning Server

• To configure Provisioning Server

• To install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

• To install the XenDesktop Setup wizard

• To create the Provisioning Server virtual disk

• To configure DHCP boot options 66 and 67 on the domain controller virtual machine

To install Provisioning ServerThis procedure installs Provisioning Server on the vDesktopPvS VM located on pServerOne.

1. Ensure that you are logged on to pServerOne as the domain administrator for the XenDT.net domain.

2. Insert the Provisioning Server installation media into the optical drive on pServerOne. If the startup window does not appear, run PVSSRV_Server.exe.

3. On the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Provisioning Server page, select the appropriate option for your platform and click Next.


5. On the Customer Information page, provide your details. Accept the default option Anyone who uses this computer (all users) and click Next.


6. On the Destination Folder page, accept the default location and click Next.

7. On the Setup Type page, select Complete and click Next.

8. On the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.

9. On the Installation Wizard Completed page, click Finish.

The Provisioning Server Configuration wizard starts automatically following installation. The next section takes you through this wizard.

Note: Although Provisioning Server does not require that you restart the server after installing the product software, in some instances, a Microsoft message may appear requesting a restart. If this message appears, complete the task “To configure Provisioning Server” on page 46 before restarting the server.

To configure Provisioning Server1. On the welcome page of the Provisioning Server Configuration Wizard,

click Next.

2. On the DHCP Services page, select The service that runs on another computer and click Next.

3. On the PXE Services page, select The service that runs on this computer and click Next.

4. On the Farm Configuration page, select Create farm and click Next.

5. On the Database Server page, specify server and instance names for the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 installation that will provide the Provisioning Server database and click Next.

6. On the New Farm page, specify the name of the database that the farm will use, a name for the new farm, and the names of the first site and first target device collection to create within the farm.

7. Accept the default security option, Use Active Directory groups for security, and the default selection for the Administrator group, and click Next.

8. On the License Server page, specify the license server name vDesktopDDC, accept the default value for the port (27000), and select the Use Datacenter licenses for desktops if no Desktop licenses are available check box. Click Next.

9. On the User account page, select Specified user account and type the account details for a domain administrator’s account. Select the Configure the database for the account check box and click Next.


10. On the Streaming Services page, if your server has more than one network interface card, select the appropriate card, otherwise, accept the default settings. Click Next.

11. On the TFTP Option and Bootstrap Location page, select Use the Provisioning Server TFTP service, accept the default location, and click Next.

12. On the Stream Servers Boot List page, ensure the IP address of the Provisioning Server VM (192.168.1.12) is displayed and click Next.

Note: DHCP automatically provides the subnet mask and gateway information.

13. On the Finish page, confirm your configuration selections, ensure that Automatically Start Services is selected, and click Finish.

14. Click Done when the configuration process is complete.

To install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 is a prerequisite for installing the XenDesktop Setup wizard on the VM running Provisioning Server (vDesktopPvS).

1. On pServerOne, insert the XenDesktop Components installation media into the optical drive.

2. On the Provisioning Server VM, ensure that the physical optical drive is mapped as Local.

3. On the installation media, navigate to the folder w2k3\en\Support\DotNet35, and run dotnetfx35.exe from this location.

4. Follow the instructions on screen to complete the installation.

Specifying Permissions for the XenDesktop Setup WizardIf you are following these procedures in the order they appear here to produce a pilot deployment in the XenDT.net domain, then you are already logged on as the domain administrator and can skip this section.

If you are logged on to an account that does not have full domain administrator access rights, you must meet the following requirements in order to run the XenDesktop Setup wizard:

• Local administrator rights on the server hosting Provisioning Server.

• Full access permissions for the computer’s organizational unit (OU) and child objects in Active Directory. Alternatively, full control permissions for any custom OU used in place of the default OU.


• Administrator rights with full access permissions to Desktop Delivery Controller (through the Access Management Console) for each farm. For more information, refer to the Desktop Delivery Controller Administrator’s Guide.

• Membership of the local Distributed COM Users group on each Desktop Delivery Controller server.

To install the XenDesktop Setup wizard1. Copy the files SetUp.exe, XenDesktopSetupWizard.msi, and

XenDesktopSetupWizard_64.msi from the XenDesktop Components installation media to the Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS).

2. Run SetUp.exe to install the XenDesktop Setup wizard.

3. On the Welcome page, click Next.

4. On the End User Agreement page, read and accept the license agreement and click Next.

5. On the Destination Folder page, accept the default path and click Next.

6. On the Ready to Install XenDesktop Setup Wizard page, click Install.

7. On the Completed XenDesktop Wizard Installer page, click Finish.

To create the Provisioning Server virtual disk1. On the Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS), click Start > All

Programs > Citrix > Provisioning Server > Provisioning Server Console.

2. Type 192.168.1.12, the IP address of the Provisioning Server VM, and accept the default port number (8000). Select the option to log on using the account under which you are currently logged on and click Connect.

3. In the left pane of the console, right-click the Stores folder and select Create store.

4. Select the General tab and specify a name and, optionally, a description for the new store.

5. Select the Paths tab and specify the path for the new store. This can be a local drive on the Provisioning Server VM or a network share.

6. Click the Servers tab and select a site from the list. Select the vDesktopPvS check box under Servers that provide this store and click OK.

7. In the left pane of the console, right-click the new store you just created and select Create vDisk.


8. In the Create vDisk dialog box, specify the following values and click Create vDisk:

9. In the details pane of the console, right-click vDisk1, select vDisk properties, and click the Edit file properties button.

10. Click the Options tab, select Active Directory machine account password management, and click OK. Then click OK again.

11. In the left pane of the console, navigate to the Servers folder for the site, right-click VDESKTOPPVS, and select Properties.

12. Click the Options tab, select Enable automatic password support, accept the default value for the number of days, and click OK. When prompted to restart the Provisioning Server Stream Service, click OK.

13. In the details pane of the console, right-click the new disk you created and select Mount vDisk.

A. On the Provisioning Server VM, open the My Computer folder (the Computer folder on Windows Vista).

B. Under Devices with Removable Storage, right-click the entry for removable disk and select Format.

C. Format the vDisk as an NTFS disk.

Caution: Format only the removable disk. Do not format any drive listed in the Hard Disk Drives section.

14. In the details pane of the Provisioning Server Console, right-click your new vDisk and select Unmount vDisk.

Filename vDisk1

Description Master Virtual Desktop Disk

Size (in MBs) 8192 MB (Windows XP)16384 MB (Windows Vista)

VHD format Dynamic


To configure DHCP boot options 66 and 67 on the domain controller virtual machineOptional: You can configure the DHCP boot options as follows.

1. On the domain controller VM (vDesktopDmC), click Start > All Programs > Administrative Tools > DHCP to open the DHCP Management Console on the domain controller.

2. In the left pane, expand the server tree and select Server Options.

3. From the Action menu, select Configure Options.

4. In the Server Options dialog box, click the General tab.

5. Enable the option 066 Boot Server Host Name and type 192.168.1.12 (the IP address of vDesktopPvS). Click Apply.

6. Enable the option 067 Bootfile Name, specify the corresponding value as ARDBP32.bin, and click OK.

Your DHCP configuration now looks like this:

Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop ImageYou must install the Virtual Desktop Agent on all virtual desktops to which users connect. This agent enables users to make an ICA connection to their virtual desktops. To prepare for this, you install the agent on the base desktop VM (BaseDesktop1) so that later on, when you image BaseDesktop1 to the Provisioning Server vDisk, the agent is copied to the vDisk at the same time.


To install the Virtual Desktop Agent on the base desktop virtual machine


1. In XenCenter, select BaseDesktop1 in the left pane. The details appear in the details pane.

2. Verify that the base desktop VM is running. If it is stopped, right-click BaseDesktop1 and click Start. The VM must be running to complete this procedure.

3. Insert the Desktop Delivery Controller installation media into the optical drive. If autorun is not enabled and the startup window does not appear, run autorun.exe.

4. On the Welcome page, click Install Virtual Desktop Components.

Note: The installer prompts you to install .NET 3.5 Framework if it is not already installed.

5. On the Welcome to the Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent Setup Wizard page, click Next.


7. On the Port Number page, accept the default port (8080) and click Next.

Note: The standard session reliability and ICA ports are used by the endpoint device to connect to the virtual desktop; you cannot configure these ports as part of the virtual desktop installation process.

8. If the Windows firewall is enabled, the Windows Firewall Configuration page appears. If this happens, select the Automatically configure Windows firewall check box and click Next.

9. On the Farm Selection page, select the Select farm now check box and choose XenDTFarm from the list of farms.

10. On the Ready to Install page, click Install.

11. When the installation is complete, click Finish. Restart the virtual desktop for the configuration changes to take effect.


Customizing the Desktop for Your UsersAt this stage of the installation process you can perform additional customizations to the virtual desktop image, depending on your users’ requirements.

Configuring Automatic Access to XenApp Hosted ApplicationsIf you have either the Enterprise or the Platinum editions of XenDesktop, you can install XenApp for Virtual Desktops and configure it to host applications for delivery to a user’s desktop.

If virtual desktops have the Citrix XenApp plugin installed, users can log on to XenApp for Virtual Desktops automatically and access virtual applications. To do this, add the Citrix XenApp plugin to the virtual desktop image so that it gets built into the vDisk that is used for the virtual desktops.

For more information, refer to the Citrix XenApp documentation, which is available from the Citrix Knowledge Center at http://support.citrix.com.

Task 8. Preparing and Provisioning Virtual DesktopsThis task comprises the following procedures:

• To add the base desktop virtual machine to the Provisioning Server database

• To install a target device for the x86 platform on the base desktop virtual machine

• To image the base desktop virtual machine to the Provisioning Server virtual disk

• To set the virtual disk access mode

To add the base desktop virtual machine to the Provisioning Server database1. In XenCenter, right-click BaseDesktop1 and select Edit.

2. Select the Startup Options tab, move Network to the top of the Boot Order list, and click OK.

3. Select the Network tab and make a note of the MAC address for the base desktop VM (BaseDesktop1).

4. On the Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS), click Start > All Programs > Citrix > Provisioning Server > Provisioning Server Console.

5. In the left pane of the console, navigate to the Device Collections folder for the site, right-click the collection, and select Create Device.



6. Specify the device name BaseDesktop1 and the description Master virtual desktop image.

7. Type the MAC address of the base desktop VM and click Add device.

8. In the left pane of the console, right-click the new device and select Properties.

9. Select Hard Disk from the Boot from list.

10. Select the vDisk tab, click Add, and select vDisk1. Click OK and then click OK again.

To install a target device for the x86 platform on the base desktop virtual machine1. On pServerTwo, restart the base desktop VM (BaseDesktop1).

2. Insert the Provisioning Server installation media into the optical drive. If the installation window does not appear, run PVSSRV_Device.exe.

3. On the product installation window, click Install Target Device for 32 bit Platform.

4. On the Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Provisioning Server Target Device page, click Next.


6. On the Customer Information page, provide your details. Accept the default option Anyone who uses this computer (all users) and click Next.

7. On the Destination Folder page, accept the default location and click Next.

8. On the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.

9. On the Installation Wizard Completed page, click Finish.

The vDisk is now mapped to BaseDesktop1 and a vDisk icon appears in the Windows notification area.

10. Double-click the vDisk icon and confirm that the vDisk status is Active.

11. In My Computer, check the label assigned to the new drive (typically, this is E) and make a note of it.


To image the base desktop virtual machine to the Provisioning Server virtual disk1. On the base desktop VM (BaseDesktop1), click Start > All Programs >

Citrix > Provisioning Server > Provisioning Server Image Builder.

2. In the Device Image Builder dialog box, ensure that the destination drive is set to the letter denoting the new drive (typically E:) and click OK.

The destination drive maps to the vDisk you created in your Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS).

Note: In the My Computer folder (the Computer folder on Windows Vista) on BaseDesktop1, the vDisk appears as a disk under Hard Disk Drives in My Computer, and as a device under Devices with Removable Storage.

3. Ensure that the Delete all files and folders in destination path before building image check box is selected and click Build.

4. On the Confirm Build details page, click Yes.

5. When the client image build is complete, click OK.

6. Click Close.

7. Shut down the BaseDesktop1 VM.

Note: You can restart the BaseDesktop1 VM at any time, for example, to add new patches or software, and rebuild your vDisk in the same way.

To set the virtual disk access mode1. On the Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS), click Start > All

Programs > Citrix > Provisioning Server > Provisioning Server Console.

2. In the console, navigate to the vDisk Pool folder for the site, right-click vDisk1 in the details pane, select Properties, and click Edit device properties.

3. In the vDisk File Properties dialog box, select the Mode tab and, under Access Mode, select Standard Image. Click OK and then click OK again.

Tip: If the disk is locked, right-click vDisk1 in the details pane of the console, select Manage Locks, click Remove Locks, and then click Close.


Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual DesktopsUse the XenDesktop Setup wizard to create the desktop VMs from a single VM image. This task comprises the following procedures:

• To create multiple virtual desktops

• To modify the idle desktop count

To create multiple virtual desktopsTo use the XenDesktop Setup wizard to create the virtual desktops, you must specify the desktop farm that you are going to use, and a user name and password for logging on to pServerTwo.

1. On the Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS), click Start > All Programs > Citrix > Administration Tools > XenDesktop Setup Wizard.

2. On the Welcome to the XenDesktop Setup Wizard page, click Next.

3. On the Desktop Farm page, select XenDTFarm from the list and click Next.

4. On the Hosting Infrastructure page, select Citrix Xen VM infrastructure, specify the server address (for example, http://servername.domain.com), and click Next.

5. Specify credentials appropriate to the hosting infrastructure that you are using and click OK.

6. On the Virtual Machine Template page, select PvS VM Template and click Next.

7. On the Virtual Disk (vDisk) page, select vDisk1 and click Next.

8. On the Virtual Desktops page, type the following values and click Next.

These values create five desktops, named vDesktop1 to vDesktop5, providing that none of these names is already in use.

Note: Base desktop names must be less than 16 characters long, including the index digits. In addition, the names must be valid Active Directory names. For example, XenDesktopEU-99 is a legal name (15 characters), but XenDesktopEU-100 is not (16 characters.)

Number of desktops 5

Common name vDesktop

Start from 1


9. On the Organizational Unit Location page, select Use default OU. This is the default location in Active Directory for computer accounts. Click Next.

10. On the Desktop Group page, click Create new desktop group and type the name XDgroup for the new desktop group. Ensure that the Allow immediate access check box is selected and click Next.

11. On the Desktop Creation page, ensure the details that you entered are correct and click Next to create the desktops.

12. Wait until the Summary page appears and then click Finish.

The following changes are made to your system:

• VMs vDesktop1 through vDesktop5 are visible in both XenCenter and the Provisioning Server Console

• The VMs are added to the domain and appear under the Computers container in Active Directory

• A desktop group named XDGroup is created and appears in the Access Management Console on Desktop Delivery Controller

To modify the idle desktop countDesktop Delivery Controller manages the number of virtual desktops that are idle based on the time of day. The idle settings enable administrators to control the number of virtual desktops that are started and ready for users to access at any given time.

The XenDesktop Setup wizard automatically optimizes the idle pool setting in the desktop group based on the number of virtual desktops you created. However, you may want to change these default settings. For example, if you subsequently add more desktops to an existing group, the idle pool values are not updated automatically and you have to adjust them manually. You change the default settings as follows:

1. In the Desktop Delivery Controller VM (vDesktopDDC), click Start > All Programs > Citrix > Management Consoles > Access Management Console.

2. In the left pane, navigate to Citrix Resources > Desktop Delivery Controller > XenDTFarm > Desktop Groups and right-click XDGroup, the XenDesktop group you created with the XenDesktop Setup wizard in the previous step.

3. Click Properties.

4. Click Idle Pool Settings in the left pane.


5. In the Idle Desktop Count section, modify the settings as follows:

6. Click Apply to save your settings and then click OK.

Note: You can use XenCenter to see which VMs are started. If the local time is within your specified business hours, you can see that three VMs are started. If you are outside business hours, only one VM is started.

Task 10. Running Secure Connections with XenServerOptional: To be able to establish SSL connections to the physical servers running XenServer, you must install SSL certificates on those computers. You need to create a certificate for each instance of XenServer, that is, one for pServerOne and one for pServerTwo, and copy the root certificates to XenCenterHost.

To install SSL certificates on pServerOne (and pServerTwo)Complete this procedure on both pServerOne and pServerTwo.

1. In XenCenter, select pServerOne (or pServerTwo), click the Console tab, and type the following commands at the XenServer command prompt:openssl genrsa -out servername.private 2048

openssl req -new -outform PEM -out servername.request -keyform PEM -key servername.private -days 365

Where servername is either pServerOne or pServerTwo.

2. When prompted, specify the requested information concerning your environment. When asked to specify a Common Name, use the string you entered for servername, that is pServerOne or pServerTwo.

3. Move the file servername.request to your certificate server.

4. Copy the public certificate back to pServerOne (or pServerTwo).

5. At the XenServer command prompt, type the following commands:cat >servername.pem servername.public servername.private

mkdir /etc/ssl

mkdir /etc/ssl/certs

mv servername.pem /etc/ssl/certs

chmod 700 /etc/ssl/certs/servername.pem

Business hours 3

Peak time 3

Out of hours 1


6. In the file /etc/init.d/xapissl, replace the line starting with the word “PEMFILE” with the line:PEMFILE="/etc/ssl/certs/servername.pem"

7. To restart the SSL service, type the command:/etc/init.d/xapissl restart

This generates the SSL certificate and instructs XenServer to use the new certificate.

8. Install the corresponding root certificate on XenCenterHost (the computer on which XenCenter runs).

9. If necessary, reconnect to pServerOne (or pServerTwo).

When you have installed the SSL certificates on pServerOne and pServerTwo, ensure that you specify addresses for these servers in the format https://servername.domain.com where necessary, for example, when creating virtual desktops using the XenDesktop Setup wizard.

XenDesktop Endpoint DevicesYou can configure user access to virtual desktops in two ways, depending on your users’ requirements:

• Window-view mode. In this mode, users log on to their local desktops and view virtual desktops using the Desktop Receiver user interface. The virtual desktop appears as a window with a toolbar, so that users have full control of their virtual desktop windows.

This configuration is useful for users who need local access to multiple desktops or remote access to a desktop. Typically, these users are knowledge workers who need the flexibility that this mode brings.

• Full-screen-only mode. Users log on to their local computer as normal, but in this case see only the virtual desktop as a full-screen, seamless window. In this mode, the user experience is indistinguishable from that of a local desktop. In contrast to the window-view mode, there is no virtual desktop window to control.

This configuration offers less control to the user, and is most useful for office-based task workers for whom the virtual desktop is their only desktop.


This section guides you through the process setting up of both modes, and includes the following tasks:

• Task 1. Preparing the Endpoint Device.

• Task 2. Converting the Endpoint Device to Full-Screen-Only Mode.

• Task 3. Connecting to a Virtual Desktop from a Thin Client Device.

• Task 4. Observing Virtual Desktop Usage.

Task 1. Preparing the Endpoint DeviceThis task describes how to configure an endpoint device so that users can access virtual desktops in window-view mode from within a local desktop session. This task comprises the following procedures:

• To configure the endpoint to receive virtual desktops

• To experience a virtual desktop in window-view mode

To configure the endpoint to receive virtual desktopsThis procedure applies only to Windows XP endpoint devices.

1. Ensure that the endpoint is a member of the domain XenDT.net. If it is not, add the endpoint to domain.

2. Log on to the endpoint device and insert the XenDesktop Components installation media into the optical drive.

3. Locate and run DesktopReceiverEmbedded-1.msi.

Note: Some text in the Desktop Receiver Embedded Edition user interface, including the Help, refers to “Citrix Presentation Server Clients for Windows” and “Citrix Presentation Server Client (XenDesktop)”.

4. In the Select Language dialog box, select your language from the list and click OK.

5. On the Welcome to Citrix Presentation Server Client (XenDesktop) Setup page, click Next.


7. On the Select Client page, accept the default settings and click Next.

8. On the Server Address page, type the IP address (192.168.1.11) of the Desktop Delivery Controller VM (vDesktopDDC) on pServerOne, and click Next.


9. On the Select Program Folder page, accept the default setting and click Next.

10. On the Client Name page, accept the default settings and click Next.

11. On the Use Local Name and Password page, select Yes and click Next.

12. On the Program Neighborhood Options page, verify that all check boxes are selected and change the setting to Yes to enable access to virtual desktops on this computer. Click Next.

13. On the Ready to install page, review the summary and click Next.

14. Click Finish.

A shortcut to Citrix Program Neighborhood Agent appears on the desktop.

To experience a virtual desktop in window-view mode1. On the endpoint’s desktop, double-click the newly installed shortcut to

access the Citrix Program Neighborhood Agent logon dialog box. Type your name and password using the credentials you created in “To create user accounts” on page 41.

The Citrix Program Neighborhood Agent icon appears in the Windows notification area.

2. Click this icon and, on the menu that appears, navigate to the Desktops submenu to view the virtual desktop(s) that are available for connection.

3. Click a virtual desktop to open it. The virtual desktop appears in window-view mode with a toolbar for full user control of the window, as shown below.


Task 2. Converting the Endpoint Device to Full-Screen-Only ModeThis task describes how to configure an endpoint device so that users experience a seamless virtual desktop in full-screen-only mode. This task comprises the following procedures:

• To enable full-screen-only mode on the endpoint device

• To experience a seamless virtual desktop

To enable full-screen-only mode on the endpoint deviceFull-screen-only desktops require a second installation, as follows:

1. On the same endpoint device that you configured in Task 1, run DesktopReceiverEmbedded-2_en.msi, which enables full-screen-only mode, from the XenDesktop Components installation media.

2. Read and accept the license agreement, and click Install.

3. Wait until the Installation Completed dialog box appears and then click Close.

4. Click Yes to restart the computer and complete the installation.

To experience a seamless virtual desktopWhen the computer restarts, a Windows startup dialog box appears, followed by the standard Log On to Windows dialog box.

1. Log on to the computer as one of the authorized users that you created in “To create user accounts” on page 41.

Note: To experience the virtual desktop in full-screen-only mode, you must log on as a domain user, not an administrator. If you log on as a local or domain administrator, you log on to the local computer.

Citrix startup messages appear while the connection to the virtual desktop is being established.

2. You are now connected and able to use the virtual desktop. When users work in this environment, they are unaware that the desktop is being hosted remotely.

3. Log off.

The standard Welcome to Windows dialog box appears.


Task 3. Connecting to a Virtual Desktop from a Thin Client DeviceConnection from a thin client depends on the type of client device and whether the device supports a Web browser or, alternatively, the Citrix XenApp plugin.

To connect to a virtual desktop from a thin client deviceThere are two main options:

• Thin client supports a Web browser

Specify the following startup URL for the thin client Web browser: http://vDesktopDDC.

• Thin client supports the Citrix XenApp plugin

Specify the following startup URL for the Citrix XenApp plugin: http://vDesktopDDC/Citrix/PNAgent/config.xml.

In this deployment, vDesktopDDC is the name of the VM on which Desktop Delivery Controller runs.

Note: These options are not explicitly supported in this release because of differences in the thin client manufacturer’s configuration tools. Check the documentation for your thin client for details on how to set up these options.

Task 4. Observing Virtual Desktop UsageAs an administrator, you can use the administration consoles to see the changes that take place in the pilot environment both before and after a user logs on.

• Access Management Console

• The connection state of the virtual desktop changes to In Use.

• Right-click the desktop in use and click Shutdown/suspend.

• Note that you can administer the VMs directly from the Access Management Console without having to use XenCenter.

• XenCenter

• A VM is started to maintain the required pool count, as specified in “Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops” on page 55.

• Provisioning Server Console

• Right-click vDisk1 and click Show Connections.

• Note that all the computers that are currently running are using the same vDisk.


TroubleshootingThe topics in this section are arranged in the following categories:

• Desktop Delivery Controller

• EdgeSight

• Provisioning Server

• Virtual Desktop Agent

• WANScaler

• XenDesktop Setup Wizard

• XenServer

Desktop Delivery ControllerLate-Breaking Issues with Desktop Delivery ControllerFor information about late-breaking issues related to installing and using Desktop Delivery Controller, refer to the Citrix XenDesktop 2.1 Readme, which is available on the Citrix Web site at http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX118012.

Access Management Console Inactive After Changing the Idle CountThe Access Management Console pauses when you change the idle count in installations where there are a large number of VMs (~1000) in the desktop pool. The delay depends on the number of VMs and may last for a minute or longer.

There is no work-around for this problem at present. Wait for the console to become active again before continuing.

EdgeSightPerformance Data and Logs Not AvailableXenDesktop administrators can use EdgeSight to gather performance and log data on virtual desktops delivered by XenDesktop. By default, the EdgeSight software on the virtual desktop sends performance data once a day to the EdgeSight server, where it is processed and stored before it is made available for reports.

Sometimes, the performance data gathered by the EdgeSight software on the virtual desktop is discarded before it is uploaded to the EdgeSight server and therefore is not available for reporting.

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX118012


This issue occurs under the following circumstances:

• Desktops are delivered through Provisioning Server using shared disk mode.

• The Pool Manager is configured to restart pooled desktop VMs after users log off or the VMs are restarted by another mechanism. Restarting ensures that the desktop is clean for the next user.

At present, it is not possible to guarantee that data collected by EdgeSight persists when the desktop is reprovisioned or rolled back.

Provisioning ServervDisk Status Not ActiveIf you create a vDisk, you can check the status by double-clicking the vDisk icon in the Windows notification area. If the status is shown as Not Active, it is likely that the client cannot resolve the name of the Provisioning Server VM.

To resolve this issue:

1. Check the network settings of your endpoint and your Provisioning Server VM.

2. Check the DNS server to ensure that both the endpoint and server have been correctly registered.

Provisioning Server Client Cannot Connect to the vDisk on Platinum EditionFor environments using the WANScaler facility with XenDesktop Platinum Edition, the Provisioning Server client on Windows XP is unable to connect to the vDisk if the WANScaler client was installed on the base desktop VM (BaseDesktop1) before the Provisioning Server client.

The correct installation procedure on the base desktop VM is as follows:

1. Install XenServer Tools.

2. Install the Provisioning Server client.

3. Restart the VM with PXE to the local hard drive. Verify that the stream service connection status is shown as Active by checking the Windows notification area. If the connection is shown as Not Active, there is another issue and you need to troubleshoot the connection.

4. Install the WANScaler client.

5. Restart the VM from the local hard drive and verify that the stream service connection is active.

6. Restart the VM, this time from the vDisk.


Virtual Desktop Agent Cannot Connect to Virtual DesktopsSeveral issues can occur when connecting to virtual desktops. To resolve these issues, try the following steps:

1. Ensure that the Desktop Delivery Controller connection state for the virtual desktop is shown as Idle in the Desktop Group within the Access Management Console.

2. If the virtual desktop status shows that the virtual desktop cannot contact the server (its status is Not Registered), restart the virtual desktop, wait for one minute, and try again.

3. Disable the Windows firewall on the virtual desktop and try again.

4. Reinstall the agent.

The Virtual Desktop Agent must be installed on the virtual desktop when the virtual desktop is a member of the Active Directory domain. If the Virtual Desktop Agent was installed before joining the domain, remove the agent, add the computer to the domain, and reinstall the agent.

Long Delay Before Connecting to Virtual DesktopsAfter provisioning with the XenDesktop Setup wizard, the virtual desktops will not be available for 10 to 15 minutes if the DNS suffix was not correctly set in the Windows Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog box on the virtual desktop.

In this deployment, the suffix is XenDT.net. For more details about setting the DNS suffix, see “To create the base desktop virtual machine” on page 38.

Virtual Desktop Agent Does Not Register with the Desktop Delivery ControllerIn some environments, the Virtual Desktop Agent services may fail to register correctly with the Desktop Delivery Controller. The virtual desktop is listed as Not Registered in the Desktop Group within the Access Management Console, which means that users are not able to connect.

To resolve this issue:

1. Ensure that both the following are true:

• The client can resolve the IP address of the Desktop Delivery Controller VM (vDesktopDDC)

• The Desktop Delivery Controller VM can resolve the IP address of the client

2. Ensure that the records on the DNS server are correct in both the forward and reverse look-up zones.


3. Check your firewall settings if a firewall is active.

4. Check the clock settings on your VMs. If there is more than a one hour difference between any client or server and the domain controller, the authentication fails.

WANScalerWANScaler Client Installation FailsOn XenDesktop Platinum Edition, the WANScaler client installation stops without completing. When the operating system is restarted, it again does not complete.

To ensure that the WANScaler client installation can complete successfully, you must install the WANScaler client on the base master VM before you create the vDisk.

Note that you cannot install a WANScaler client on a VM that is already running its operating system from a vDisk.

XenDesktop Setup WizardDesktop Group Not Listed in the XenDesktop Setup WizardThe wizard fails to list a desktop group that you know has been created.

This happens when you create a desktop group in the Access Management Console using, for example, an IP address, but in the wizard you specify the connection using a fully qualified domain name.

To resolve this issue, you must ensure that the text you use for a connection is identical, wherever you specify it. See “To create multiple virtual desktops” on page 55 for details.

vDisk Not Listed in the XenDesktop Setup WizardThe wizard fails to list a vDisk that you know was created.

This happens if, when you create a vDisk, you specify a name or a description that contains one or more extended characters (for example, the Euro symbol, U+20AC) or DBCS characters (for example, Hiragana letter “A”.)

To resolve this issue, you must change the vDisk parameters so that the Description and the Name fields contain only standard, printable ANSI characters.


No vDisks Listed in the XenDesktop Setup WizardThe wizard fails to list any vDisks at all. To resolve this issue:

• Ensure that your vDisk access is set to Standard rather than Private. Private vDisks are not listed.

• Ensure that you are logged on to an account with the appropriate access permissions for Provisioning Server.

Enable Logging on the XenDesktop Setup WizardTo help troubleshoot problems in the XenDesktop Setup wizard, you can enable logging as follows:

1. Navigate to the installation location for the XenDesktop Setup wizard, typically C:\Program Files\Citrix\XenDesktop Setup Wizard\, and open the file setupToolApplication.exe.config using a text editor.

2. In the AppSettings section, add the following line:<add key="logFileName" value="c:\logs\log.txt"/>

where c:\logs\log.txt is the name and location of the log file.

XenServerCPU Hardware Virtualization Not SupportedIf the CPU on the server running XenServer does not support hardware virtualization or if such support is disabled in the BIOS, a message appears to warn you that you cannot run virtual computers on Windows. To resolve this issue:

1. Ensure that the computer on which you are installing XenServer has a CPU that supports hardware virtualization (see “Hardware Requirements” on page 28).

2. In addition, if you already confirmed that your CPU does support hardware virtualization and you enabled the BIOS accordingly, you may still get an unexpected warning about a lack of hardware virtualization. In this case, perform a hardware reset of the host and restart the installation.

3. If you still experience issues, check the hardware manufacturer’s support site for BIOS upgrades.


4

Using XenDesktop with Third-Party Virtual Machine Infrastructures

This section provides guidelines for customers who want to use XenDesktop in an environment where the virtual machines (VMs) are created and managed using VM infrastructures other than XenServer.

This section contains guidelines for the installation and configuration of the XenDesktop pilot for the following VM infrastructures:

• Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)

• VMware Infrastructure 3 (VI3)

When you use a third-party VM infrastructure, Provisioning Server, Desktop Delivery Controller, and the virtual desktops you create all work in the same way as they would on XenServer. Certain features of XenServer, such as XenMotion, a feature that enables the dynamic swapping of VMs between servers, are not available without XenServer.

After the third-party VM infrastructure managers are in place, you can recreate the XenDesktop pilot environment with relatively minor changes to the installation and configuration procedures.


Guidelines for Using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Infrastructure

These guidelines describe what you need to do to create the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (referred to here as VMM, but also known as SCVMM) equivalent of the pilot environment that is described in “Setting Up a Pilot Deployment” on page 21.

In the new environment that you create:

• The VMs for the XenDesktop infrastructure components run on XenServer and are managed from XenCenter. This simplifies the installation in the pilot environment with only two physical servers.

• The virtual desktop VMs are hosted on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V rather than XenServer and are managed from the VMM Administrator Console.

• XenCenter and the VMM Administrator Console are located on the same computer.

For each task described in “Setting Up a Pilot Deployment” on page 21, refer to the original procedures and then read the guidelines to identify the differences.

It is assumed that you are already familiar with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager. Although it is not a requirement to have performed a pilot deployment using XenServer virtual infrastructure, you need to understand what such a deployment involves before you try to implement this VMM-based VM infrastructure.

Note: The VM configuration that is described in this section has been chosen to be parallel to the XenServer pilot environment in “Setting Up a Pilot Deployment” on page 21, where all the VMs run on XenServer. Using this configuration makes it easier to transfer the knowledge gained in the XenServer environment to the new one.

4 Using XenDesktop with Third-Party Virtual Machine Infrastructures 71

This figure shows the XenDesktop pilot environment with XenServer and Microsoft VMM providing the VM infrastructure.

XenDesktop Administration with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine ManagerTo create and deploy XenDesktop virtual desktops with a VMM infrastructure, you follow the same procedures in the tasks specified for the XenServer pilot environment, with the exceptions described below.


Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure” on page 30.

• Install XenServer on pServerOne only, following the original instructions

• Install Windows Server 2008 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager on pServerTwo only

Additional task. To install VMM on pServerTwo1. Install Windows Server 2008 on pServerTwo and add the Hyper-V role.

2. Add pServerTwo to the domain XenDT.net.

3. Install System Center Virtual Machine Manager on pServerTwo.

4. Build the VMM server on pServerTwo.

5. Add pServerTwo to the VMM Administrator Console.

Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter” on page 32. XenCenter is relevant only to pServerOne, which has XenServer installed.

Perform the following procedures as specified:

• “To assign a static IP address to XenCenterHost” on page 32.

• “To install XenCenter on XenCenterHost” on page 32.

• “To connect XenCenter to pServerOne (and pServerTwo)” on page 33.

Do not connect XenCenter to pServerTwo. XenCenter cannot manage the VMs on pServerTwo because they run under VMM.

• Skip the procedure “To install the XenServer license”.

The license is not necessary because you do not need to create the resource pools—for which you need the license—for the virtual desktop VMs.

• Skip the procedure “To create a resource pool on pServerTwo”.

• Install the VMM Administrator Console on pServerTwo and ensure that it can manage the VMs on pServerTwo.


Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines” on page 34.

• Perform the procedures for creating the VMs for Desktop Delivery Controller and Provisioning Server (vDesktopDDC and vDesktopPvS, respectively) on XenServer as described

• Install the VMM Administrator Console on the Desktop Delivery Controller VM (vDesktopDDC) and the Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS).

• Perform the procedure “To create the base desktop virtual machine” on page 38 using the following values:

Note that if you want to use Windows XP for your base desktop VM (BaseDesktop1), you will need to install Windows XP SP3 for compatibility with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Beta.

• Perform the procedure “To install XenServer Tools” on page 40 on the following the VMs on pServerOne:

• vDesktopDmC (domain controller VM)

• vDesktopDCC (Desktop Delivery Controller VM)

• vDesktopPvS (Provisioning Server VM)

Do not install XenServer Tools on BaseDesktop1 (the base desktop VM on pServerTwo).

• Install Microsoft Integration Services on BaseDesktop1.

Source Create a new VM with a blank virtual hard disk

Name BaseDesktop1

Owner Use default

Description Base desktop image for VMM

Size 8 GB

Add DVD Physical

Virtual machine host Select the appropriate host


Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop” on page 40.

Perform the procedures in this task as described.

Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller” on page 42.

Perform the procedures in this task, but also read Using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 with Desktop Delivery Controller, which is available from the Citrix Knowledge Center at http://support.citrix.com. This document provides essential information, including the permissions required for enabling communications between VMM and Desktop Delivery Controller.

Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server” on page 45.

• Install the VMM Administrator Console on the Provisioning Server VM (vDesktopPvS)

• Perform the procedures in this task, but also read the document Using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 with Desktop Delivery Controller, which is available from the Citrix Knowledge Center at http://support.citrix.com and which also contains information about Provisioning Server

Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image” on page 50.

• Perform the procedures in this task as described

• Use the VMM Administrator Console instead of XenCenter where necessary

Task 8. Preparing and Provisioning Virtual Desktops (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 8. Preparing and Provisioning Virtual Desktops” on page 52.

Perform these procedures as described, using the VMM Administrator Console instead of XenCenter where necessary.




Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops” on page 55.

• Perform the procedures in this task as described.

• When you create the virtual desktops using the XenDesktop Setup wizard, on the Hosting Infrastructure page, specify Microsoft Virtualization and the address of the Hyper-V server in the format servername.domain.com or IPaddress.

The format of the address you specify must be the same as that of the address you specified when you created the desktop group. Thus, if you originally specified a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), you must specify the FQDN here, for example: pServerTwo.XenDT.net. Similarly, if you created the desktop group with an IP address, you must specify that address here, for example 192.168.1.3.

Note: If you specified a port other than the default port (8100) when you created the desktop group, you must specify the same port on the Hosting Infrastructure page, using the standard format. For example, if you specified port 8102, the example above would become: 192.168.1.3:8102

XenDesktop Endpoint Devices (with VMM)These guidelines apply to “XenDesktop Endpoint Devices” on page 58.

Using Microsoft VMM infrastructure, you can perform all the tasks and procedures related to endpoints as described without modification.

Guidelines for Using VMware Infrastructure 3These guidelines describe what you need to do to create the VMware Infrastructure 3 (VI3) equivalent of the pilot environment that is described in “Setting Up a Pilot Deployment” on page 21. In the new environment that you create, the XenDesktop components run as VMs hosted on VMware ESX rather than XenServer and are managed from VirtualCenter.

For each task described in “Setting Up a Pilot Deployment” on page 21, refer to the original procedures and then read the guidelines to identify the differences.

It is assumed that you are already familiar with VMware Infrastructure 3. Although it is not a requirement to have performed a pilot deployment using XenServer virtual infrastructure, you need to understand what such a deployment involves before you try to implement this VI3-based VM infrastructure.


This figure shows the XenDesktop pilot environment with VI3 providing the VM infrastructure.


XenDesktop Administration Guidelines for VMware Infrastructure 3To create and deploy XenDesktop virtual desktops with a VI3 infrastructure, you follow the same procedures in the tasks specified in the sections following “XenDesktop Administration” on page 30, with the exceptions described below.

Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 1. Installing the Virtual Machine Infrastructure” on page 30.

• The VI3 pilot environment does not require XenServer, so you do not install XenServer on pServerOne or pServerTwo

• Install the VMware Virtual Server components on pServerOne and pServerTwo

Important: When you set up your VMs in VirtualCenter, ensure that pServerOne and pServerTwo are created in separate datacenters. When you run the XenDesktop Setup wizard, it configures all the hosts in the datacenter, so you must ensure that the VMs are not grouped together in a single datacenter.

Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 2. Installing and Configuring XenCenter” on page 32.

• Skip this task. XenCenter is used with XenServer only and so is not required

• Install VirtualCenter and ensure that it can manage the VMware hosts on pServerOne and pServerTwo


Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 3. Creating the Virtual Machines” on page 34.

• Perform the procedures for creating the VMs for Desktop Delivery Controller and Provisioning Server (vDesktopDDC and vDesktopPvS, respectively) as described.

• Perform the procedure “To create the base desktop virtual machine” on page 38 using VirtualCenter.

Select the Getting Started tab and create a new VM specifying a Typical configuration with the following attributes:

For all other attributes, accept the default values.

• Perform the procedure “To create a Provisioning Server virtual machine template” on page 39 using VirtualCenter.

Select the Getting Started tab and create a new VM specifying a Typical configuration with the following attributes:

Name BaseDesktop1

DataCenters Default

Host or Cluster Host

Datastore Choose an appropriate store or use the default

Guest Operating System Windows XP

Virtual CPUs 512 MB

Define Virtual Disk Capacity 8 GB

Networks Default

Name PvS VM Template

DataCenters Default

Host or Cluster Host

Datastore Choose an appropriate store or use the default

Guest Operating System Windows XP or Windows Vista

Virtual CPUs For Windows XP, at least 512 MB.For Windows Vista, at least 1 GB.

Define Virtual Disk Capacity 1 MB

Networks Default


When you have created the VM, restart it and, in the BIOS, change the boot order so that the network card appears at the top of the list. Save the settings and stop the VM. Convert the VM to a template in VirtualCenter.

• Skip the procedure “To install XenServer Tools”, but install VMware Tools instead.

Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop (with VI3)These guidelines apply to“Task 4. Configuring Active Directory for XenDesktop” on page 40.

Perform the procedures in this task as described.

Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 5. Installing Desktop Delivery Controller” on page 42.

Perform the procedures in this task, but also read Using VMware Infrastructure 3 with Desktop Delivery Controller, which is available from the Citrix Knowledge Center at http://support.citrix.com. This document provides essential information, including the permissions required for enabling communications between VirtualCenter and Desktop Delivery Controller.

Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 6. Installing and Configuring Provisioning Server” on page 45.

Perform the procedures in this task, but also read the document Using VMware Infrastructure 3 with Desktop Delivery Controller, which is available from the Citrix Knowledge Center at http://support.citrix.com and which also contains information about Provisioning Server.

Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 7. Preparing the Virtual Desktop Image” on page 50.

• Perform the procedures in this as described

• Use VirtualCenter instead of XenCenter where necessary

Task 8. Prepare and Provision Virtual Desktops (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 8. Preparing and Provisioning Virtual Desktops” on page 52. Perform these procedures as described, using VirtualCenter instead of XenCenter where necessary.




Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “Task 9. Creating Multiple Virtual Desktops” on page 55.

• Perform the procedures in this task as described.

• When you create the virtual desktops using the XenDesktop Setup wizard, on the Hosting Infrastructure page, specify VMware Virtualization and the address of the computer running VirtualCenter in the format https://servername.domain.com/sdk.

The format of the address you specify must be the same as that of the address you specified when you created the desktop group. Thus, if you originally specified a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), you must specify the FQDN here. Similarly, if you created the desktop group with an IP address, you must specify that address here.

XenDesktop Endpoint Devices (with VI3)These guidelines apply to “XenDesktop Endpoint Devices” on page 58.

Using VMware ESX virtual infrastructure, you can perform all the tasks and procedures related to endpoints as described without modification.

Index

AAccess Management Console

configuring 44monitoring virtual desktops 62

access modevDisk 54, 56

access rightsXenDesktop Setup wizard 47

Active DirectoryConfiguration wizard 43configuring 40–41creating an OU 41

addingVMs to Provisioning Server database 52VMs to XenDT.net 41

additional features 9addressing

IP 25administration

tasks for XenDesktop 29Advanced Edition 13

features 15agents

virtual desktop 24AMC, see Access Management Console 44

BBaseDesktop1

adding to Provisioning Server database 52creating a VM 38imaging to Provisioning Server virtual disk 54installing x86 target device 53

boot options, DHCP 50

Ccertificates

SSL 57Citrix products

getting information 11licensing 19versions 26

Citrix XenAppthin clients 62

client installation fails, WANScaler 66components

in each edition 14optional 9

Configure and Run Discovery wizard 44configuring

Access Management Console 44Active Directory 41DNS server 41full-screen-only mode on endpoints 61Provisioning Server 45

connecting XenCenter to XenServer 33converting

endpoints to full-screen-only mode 61CPU virtualization 67creating

BaseDesktop1 VM 38Desktop Delivery Controller VM 36desktop groups 56domain controller VM 35organizational unit (OU) 41Provisioning Server VM 37resource pools on XenServer 34user accounts 41virtual machines 34VMs 36

customizingvirtual desktops 52


Ddatabases

Provisioning Server 52Desktop Delivery Controller 36

creating a farm 43definition 24port 46troubleshooting 63

desktop groupnot listed in Setup wizard 66

Desktop Receiver 58installing 59installing on endpoints 59

desktopscreating a group 56display modes 58farm 55

Device Image Builder 54DHCP

boot options 50scope 41

display modesfull-screen-only 58window-view 58

DNSActive Directory 41XenServer 31

document conventions 11domain

adding VMs 41domain controller

creating 35installing AD 40

EEdgeSight, missing logs 63editions

components 14XenDesktop 13

endpoint devicesdefinition 23tasks 29versions 27XenDesktop 58

endpoints devicesinstalling Desktop Receiver 59

Enterprise Edition 13features 16

event logs, missing from EdgeSight 63

experiencingfull-screen-only mode 61window-view mode 60

Express Edition 13

Ffarms

allowed characters in names 43creating for Desktop Delivery Controller 43desktop 55

featuresAdvanced Edition 15Enterprise Edition 16Platinum Edition 16Standard Edition 14XenDesktop 8

full-screen-only modeconverting endpoints to 61display mode 58experiencing 61

Ggetting information about Citrix products 11guidelines

using Microsoft VMM 70using VI3 75

Hhardware

XenServer virtualization 67hosting infrastructure

specifying in XenDesktop Setup wizard 55

Iidle desktop count 56information about Citrix products 11infrastructure

specifying in XenDesktop Setup wizard 55installation

media, CDs and DVDs 17time required 28

installing 30Active Directory 40Desktop Receiver 59pilot deployment 29Provisioning Server 45XenCenter 32XenDesktop Setup wizard 48

Index 83

introductiongetting started guide 7

IP addressing 25DHCP scope 41XenCenter 32

LLicense Management Console 44License Server

definition 24port 46

licensing 19logging with XenDesktop Setup wizard 67logs, missing from EdgeSight 63

MMicrosoft VMM

guidelines for using 70Microsoft .NET Framework

XenDesktop Setup wizard 47modes

full-screen only 58monitoring

virtual desktop usage 62virtual desktops

usage 62with EdgeSight 10

multiple virtual desktopscreating 55

Nnames

farms 43virtual desktops 55

New VM wizard 35–38

Ooptional components 9options 66 and 67 on DHCP 50organizational unit (OU)

creating 41

Ppermissions

installing XenDesktop Setup wizard 47pilot

deployment 21

pilot deploymentcomponents 23installing 29system requirements 26XenDesktop components 24

Platinum Editionfeatures 16WANScaler client installation issues 66

pluginsXenDesktop 24–25

portsBaseDesktop1 51Desktop Delivery Controller 46License Server 46Virtual Desktop Agent 51

preparingvirtual desktop images 50virtual desktops 52, 55

provisioningvirtual desktops 52, 55

Provisioning Serverclient does not connect 64creating the VM 37definition 24installing 45troubleshooting 64vDisk 48VMs 39

Provisioning Server consolemonitoring virtual desktops 62

Rrequirements

software 26system 26

resource poolscreating under XenServer 34

SSCVMM

guidelines 70seamless virtual desktop 61secure delivery 9setting up

deployment 21setup

XenDesktop Setup wizard 55setup wizard, XenDesktop 48software requirements 26


SSLcertificates 57configuring 57

Standard Edition 13features 14

static IP address 32support and training 12support with GoToAssist 10system requirements 26

Ttarget device X86

installing BaseDesktop1 53tasks

endpoint 29installing XenDesktop with VI3 77installing XenDesktop with VMM 71list 29

templatesProvisioning Server 39

text conventions 11thin clients

virtual desktops 62third-party infrastructures

XenDesktop 69third-party products

versions 27VM infrastructure hosts 27

timeinstallation 28

time zoneXenServer 31

toolbar, Desktop Receiver 58tools

XenServer 25, 40training and support 12troubleshooting

Desktop Delivery Controller 63known issues 63–66Provisioning Server 64

typographical conventions 11

Uusage

monitoring on virtual desktops 62user accounts

creating 41

user experiencecustomizing virtual desktops 52full-screen-only mode 61window-view mode 60

VvDisk

access mode 54, 56disk locks 54imaging 54not listed in Setup wizard 66Provisioning Server 48troubleshooting 64, 66

versionsCitrix products 26endpoint devices 27third-party products 27virtual desktops 27

VI3guidelines 75using with XenDesktop 77

Virtual Desktop Agentport 51

virtual desktop agent 24troubleshooting 65

virtual desktopsconfiguring 58creating 55creating user accounts 41customizing 52definition 24images 50monitoring usage 62names of 55preparing 52, 55seamless 61thin clients 62versions 27

virtual disk (vDisk) 48virtual machines

creating 34Desktop Delivery Controller 36domain controller 35installing target device on BaseDesktop1 53Provisioning Server 37Provisioning Server template 39

VM infrastructure 30VMM

using with XenDesktop 71

Index 85

VMsadding to domain 41adding to Provisioning Server database 52BaseDesktop1 38creating 34creating with XenDesktop Setup wizard 55Desktop Delivery Controller 36domain controller 35infrastructure hosts 27installing

X86 target device on BaseDesktop1 53Installing an infrastructure 30Provisioning Server 37third-party infrastructures 69

VMware Infrastructure 3guidelines for using 75

voice communications with EasyCall 10

WWAN optimization 10WANScaler

client installation fails 66Provisioning Server client problems 64

Web browserthin clients 62

window-viewdisplay modes 58

window-view modeexperiencing 60

wizardNew VM 38

wizardsaccess rights 47Active Directory 43Configure and Run Discovery 44installing XenDesktop Setup wizard 48New VM 35–38XenDesktop Setup 25, 55

XXenApp

for Virtual Desktops 52hosted applications 52

XenCenterconnecting to servers 33definition 24installing 32monitoring virtual desktops 62

XenCenter Host 32definition 23

XenDesktopcore components

core components 9editions 13endpoint devices 58features 8introduction 7Microsoft VMM 70plugin 24–25Setup wizard 25Setup wizard prerequisites 47third-party infrastructures 69using with VI3 77using with VMM 71VMware Infrastructure 75.NET Framework 47

XenDesktop Setup wizardinstalling 48logging 67permissions 47troubleshooting 66

XenDT.net domainadding VMs 41

XenServer 57connecting to XenCenter 33creating a resource pool 34definition 24DNS 31hardware virtualization 67installing

XenServer Tools 40time zone 31tools 25


Documents

XenDesktop Getting Started