Category: Virtualization

Finaly XenServer 7.1 is ready and can be downloaded here. No more need for 15-30 updates after install (7.0)  🙂

XenServer 7.1 is a long-term support release (LTSR) for the first time in XenServer history. LTSR will give 10 years support as it is for XenApp/XenDesktop.  Xenserver is the only hypervisor to offer the option of a full 10 years of support, with its product lifecycle dates fully aligned with XenApp/XenDeskop. A full Citrix stack with a single end-of-maintenance, end-of-life date simplifies customer infrastructure maintenance with a single end-of-maintenance, end-of-life date.

News of interest:

• Integrated image provisioning

Provisioning Services’ image management and deployment is hugely popular with enterprises for application and desktop virtualization, and in XenServer 7.1 it has been more deeply integrated than ever before. The introduction of PVS-Accelerator, a unique host-level cache, results in up to 98% lower network bandwidth requirements per XenServer host, and with a huge improvement in VM boot up times.

Existing PVS customers will be pleased to hear that this integration not only comes at no additional cost, but it has the added benefit of simplifying the PVS architecture, and potentially reducing the number of PVS servers required to simultaneously boot the same number of desktops.

• Live patching

Forget maintenace window and VM migration to update Xenserver, do it LIVE. XenServer 7.1 introduces an industry-first live patching capability. This unique capability radically reduces the impact of infrastructure maintenance.

Download here!

Release Date: Feb 23, 2017

Following products are updated:

• XenApp 7.13
• XenDesktop 7.13
• Provisioning Services 7.13
• Storefront 3.9

Some highlighted news:

• VDA installers – new page with lists several components that can be installed:
  App-V
  User Profile Manager
  User Profile Manager WMI Plugin
  Machine Identity Service
  AppDisk and Personal vDisk
• Additional UDP ports opened in firewall during VDA installation – UDP ports 1494 and 2598
• SAML authentication through StoreFront
• PVS-Accelerator. To integrate with new PVS proxy function on XenServer
• PVS – Linux support for target device

For full list of news click here.

How to perform upgrade

1. Upgrade all image with latest VDA and PVS target device (7.13)
2. Upgrade PVS server 01
3. After PVS server 01, upgrade PVS database and finish with server 02
4. Upgrade Controller 01
5. After Controller 01, upgrade database and finish with Controller 02 (Storefront will be part of Controller upgrade)

 

To start with automation of golden image creation its good to start with a base. For a really good base with 99% finish configured I will recommend Automation Framework from xenapptraining.com

Has used this for different Citrix XenApp solution and it works perfect. To support XenApp 6.5 with PVS and two NICs its need to do some network config. To solve this I have created a PowerShell script that’s run in the Task sequence of Automation Framework:

Note: Check your adapber number to be sure it will change correct nic

#Change name on NIC
Get-NetAdapter 'Ethernet 3' | Rename-NetAdapter -NewName PROD
#PVS
Get-NetAdapter 'Ethernet 4' | Rename-NetAdapter -NewName PVS

#Remove DNS Reg on PVS NIC
Get-NetAdapter PVS | Set-DnsClient -RegisterThisConnectionsAddress $false

#Disable LSO on PVS NIC
Get-NetAdapter -Name PVS | Disable-NetAdapterLso -ipv4 -norestart

I will recommend all to join CUGC. Citrix has since Synergy 2014 done a lot for community with this site. Its free and will give you a lot of information and discussion around Citrix technology.

Why join?

• A network of users and experts that reaches across towns, continents and industries
• A community with access and influence at Citrix
• Events online and in-person to grow your knowledge
• Exclusive content and discounts

Join today here!

From webinar last week:

CUGC User Share: XenApp/XenDesktop Tech Update w/Daniel Feller (02-09-17)

Problem

After upgrading from 7.9 XenApp environment to 7.12 the delivery group restart schedule is no longer working if Notification Message is selected.

Solution

Complete the following steps:

1. Download the private LC6766. (Contact Citrix Support to request this private).
2. Connect to a test VDA 7.12 and stop the service Citrix Desktop Service.
3. Navigate to “C:\Program Files\Citrix\Virtual Desktop Agent”.
4. Rename the existing BrokerAgent.exe to BrokerAgent.old and copy the private version of BrokerAgent.exe into the folder.
5. Restart the Citrix Desktop Service.

Workaround

Do not send any message while reboot schedule.
Note: If we are sending the messages then message will pop up however no reboot to the machines where session is connected.

Text is copied from this Citrix support article:
Restart Schedule Does Not Work If We Send Any Notification Message In XenApp 7.12

Finally, I have also been set aside time to complete and pass Citrix Virtualization Specialist Practicum.

Virtualization – managing and virtualizing Windows workloads via XenDesktop, XenApp, Citrix Workspace Suite, and Citrix Cloud

Got today 2 NVIDIA Tesla M10 card to be used in a HP DL380 G9 servers at a customer.

The idea is to start with one card in each server with XenServer. To get the most out of the GPU, we will use Nvidia GRID technology (vGPU). You can read more about this here.

(Creds to the customer for very clean datacentre)

The results and details of setup comes later.

Citrix announced during Citrix Summit that they has acquired Unidesk. Click here for the press release.

Unidesk has been recognized by customers and industry analysts as the clear leader in application layering, offering multiple unique advantages that streamline secure app delivery and VDI deployments and make them easier to manage. Unidesk will be available for all customer with active software maintenance on XenApp or XenDesktop. More Information will be available in Q1.