Conceptual Architecture
NOTE: This is a work in progress and will always be a work in progress due to the constant technological advancements in XenApp and XenDesktop.
Creating a virtual desktop design is often considered to be a complex activity where hundreds of decisions must be made that directly and indirectly impact other decisions leading to confusion. Because XenApp and XenDesktop is an end-to-end, enterprise application and desktop virtualization solution, it encompasses desktop models to meet every user scenario.
However, when focusing on the common use cases, which typically accounts for the largest percentage of users, many of the decisions simply follow best practices, which are based on years of real-world implementations. The Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop Blueprint provides a unified framework for developing a virtual desktop and application solution. The framework provides a foundation to understand the technical architecture for the most common virtual desktop/application deployment scenarios.
The blueprints provide the basic, initial architecture for desktop and application virtualization. However, any XenApp and XenDesktop solution can be expanded to incorporate additional scenarios, include new technologies and be optimized to better align with the business. The Advanced Concepts Guide, broken down into the Citrix 5-layer model, includes a list of blogs, videos and papers to help administrators design the appropriate solution.
User Layer
- Receiver for HTML5
- Touch Gestures
Provides examples of the latest gestures supported with Receiver for HTML5 - File transfer Policy Settings
Understand how Receiver for HTML5 does file transfers and how to control via policies.
- Touch Gestures
- Receiver for Chrome
- File transfer Policy Settings
Understand how Receiver for Chrome does file transfers and how to control via policies.
- File transfer Policy Settings
Access Layer
- StoreFront
- Local User Profiles
If StoreFront is enabled to allow users to change their passwords, the user profile is stored locally. Learn how to manage. - Message Customization
Through manipulation of the underlying pages, the messages displayed within StoreFront can be modified.
- Local User Profiles
- Federated Authentication Service:
Resource Layer
- Windows 10
- VM Sizing
Windows 10 virtual machine resource allocation (vCPU, RAM, Cache) - Storage IOPS
Windows10 storage requirements, when compared to Windows 7 are slightly higher, but can be mitigated with PVS RAM Cache technology. - Optimizations (Builds 1511, 1607 and 1711)
- Logon Time
By optimizing the OS and enabling certain features, Windows 10 logon time can be cut in half.
- VM Sizing
- Windows 7
- VM Sizing
Windows 10 virtual machine resource allocation (vCPU, RAM, Cache) - Storage IOPS
Windows10 storage requirements, when compared to Windows 7 are slightly higher, but can be mitigated with PVS RAM Cache technology.
- VM Sizing
- Windows 2012R2
- VM Sizing
Windows 2012R2 virtual machine resource allocation (vCPU, RAM, Cache)
- VM Sizing
- Windows 2016
- Skype for Business integration with XenApp/XenDesktop
- AntiVirus: Exclusion List
- Printing
- Load Balancing Universal Print Server
How policies provide integrated load balancing for universal print server
- Load Balancing Universal Print Server
Control Layer
- XenApp/XenDesktop Controller
- FMA Services
Get an understanding of the services supporting the FMA architecture. - Zones Deep Dive
Get an in-depth understanding on XenApp/XenDesktop zones. - Zones, Latency and Brokering Performance
Find out zone size recommendations based on network links to the primary zone. - VDA Registration Process
- Local Host Cache Sizing
- FMA Services
- Cloud Connector
- Provisioning Services
- Boot Process
Learn how the Provisioning Services boot process functions. - Threads and Ports Requirements Calculations
Summary: Set threads equal to the number of vCPUs allocated to Provisioning Services server. Increase ports to be equal to number of target devices streamed from PVS server divided by threads. - Improving PVS Boot Time
Summary: PVS target device driver, after 7.7, is multi-threaded. Multiple vCPU target devices will experience better stream performance than 1 vCPU target devices. - Persist Data
Through a series of modifications, certain pieces of data can persist across reboots for pooled VDI desktops (event logs, antivirus, monitoring data, etc). - Read Cache
By allocating enough RAM to the PVS server, the underlying Windows Server OS will cache portions of the vDisk, reducing disk reads. - Write Cache
By utilizing the RAM Cache with Disk Overflow technology, write IOPS can be drastically reduced. - Sizing PVS RAM
Learn how to use RAMap and Resource Monitor to properly size your PVS Server RAM. - Analyze RAM Cache Utilization
Using PoolMon to Analyze RAM Cache in Nonpaged Pool Memory - Write Cache Thick/Thin
Understand the ramifications of allocating the write cache file as either a thick or thin file. - Using Scale Out File Servers
Understand the ramifications of using Scale Out file Servers with PVS. Compare the differences between VHD and VHDX file types.
- Boot Process
- Machine Creation Services
- Image Preparation
Learn how MCS handles OS and Office rearm procedures as well as the creation of unique identities for the virtual machines.
- Image Preparation
- App-V
- App-V Survival Guide
A set of materials to help guide you through App-V deployments
- App-V Survival Guide
- AppDNA
- Patch Tuesday
Leverage AppDNA to assess the impact a new Microsoft Patch will have on your apps and images.
- Patch Tuesday
- Director
- Add Custom Plugins
Learn how to add additional fields into Director with customized plugins.
- Add Custom Plugins
- Security
- Getting Started with XenApp/XenDesktop Security
An introductory guide on securing your XenApp and XenDesktop deployments. - System Hardening Guide
Provides specific steps on how to improve security with your XenApp and XenDesktop deployments - End-to-End Encryption for XenApp and XenDesktop
Provides recommendations on how to encryption the XenApp and XenDesktop infrastructure communication.
- Getting Started with XenApp/XenDesktop Security
Hardware Layer
- Sizing
- Cluster on Die
Summary: Certain processors do not distribute NUMA nodes evenly, resulting in one NUMA node having 8 cores and another NUMA node having 6 cores. Enabling Cluster on Die will virtually balance NUMA nodes giving the best density for XenApp workloads.
- Cluster on Die
- XenServer
- Plugin Collection
Learn how to extend XenCenter to include additional ways to access a VM, like RDP, Event logs, WinSCP.
- Plugin Collection