subject: 1Y0-A05 XenApp Study Guide Part 5 [print this page] 1Y0-A05 XenApp Study Guide Part 5 1Y0-A05 XenApp Study Guide Part 5
Managing and Maintaining the Server and the Farm
CPU Utilization
When you enableCPU utilization management:
* The server allocates anequal share of the CPU to each user.
This prevents one user from impacting the productivity of other users.
It allows more users to connect to a server.
The defaultLocal System Account CPU reservation for XenApp servers is 20% divided by the number of CPUs in the server.
* If a server has one CPU, the CPU reservation is 20%.
* If a server has two CPUs, the reservation is 10%.
* And so on
That means that if 20 users are connected to a server with one CPU, they will each get 4% of the CPU resources.
If there are 10 users connected to a server with two CPUs, 10% of the total CPU resource is reserved for the Local System Account which leaves 90% for the users.
90% CPU divided by 10 users equals 9% per user.
TheRebalancer Service is responsible for enhancing resource management on servers with multiple CPUs.
* If this service is not started on servers with multiple CPUs, the benefits of CPU utilization management are lost.
* The service is set toManual by default
If you decide to use it long-term, set it toAutomatic.
Administrative Rights
Tomodify permissions for aCitrix administrator account:
* Open theAccess Management Console, click the server farm node.
* Double-clickAdministrators in the drop-down list details pane, right-click the administrator account or group in the details pane and clickModify administrator properties.
* ClickPermissions in the left pane of theProperties screen.
* Click a folder and then select the permissions in the right pane that the selected administrator or group will have for that folder.
* Repeat the last step until all the appropriate permissions are set and clickOK.
Issue: A Senior Systems Administrator created a new Systems Administrator's account and gave the account full control permissions to the XenApp farm before the new administrator had permission from the IT director to administer the XenApp farm.
Probable Cause: The Senior Systems Administrator had not been informed that the new Systems Administrator must receive two weeks of Citrix training before the IT director will let him administer the server farm.
Solution: Disabling the new Systems Administrator's Citrix administrator account will keep him from making any configurations to the server farm before being fully trained. After training is completed, the Senior Systems Administrator can enable the account for the Systems Administrator.
Issue: The IT department needs to delegate some of the more simple tasks to the Help Desk department.
Probable cause: With a cutback in staff, the IT department is having trouble keeping up with all of the calls for one of the most common issues: User sessions freezing or unexpectedly disconnecting.
Solution: Give the Help Desk theView Session Management right so they will be able to view the user sessions to be able to help them. Give themConnect Sessions to allow them to connect to user sessions to be able to assist the users. Give themReset Sessions so they can reset the users' sessions that have become frozen.
Configuration Logging
TheConfiguration Logging feature:
* Allows you to keep track of administrative changes made to your server farm.
* Generates reports that show:
What changes were made.
When the changes were made.
Who made the changes.
Toconfigure configuration logging:
* Create the configuration logging database.
* Verify the configuration logging database is specified in theDatabase type field.
* Configure the configuration settings for the server farm.
* When the administrator needs to, she can clear the data stored in the configuration logging database.
To set uplogging of administrative tasks:
* Open theAccess Management Console, right-click the server farm node and clickProperties.
* Expand theFarm-wide node and clickConfiguration Logging.
* Verify that a configuration logging database is specified in theDatabase type field.
* SelectLog administrative tasks to the logging database and clickOK.
XenApp can beconfigured to encrypt:
* TheIMAcommunications used to send informationto the data store andconfiguration logging databases.
This encryption can add a layer ofsecurity to the sensitive data stored in the databases.
XML Service Trust
TheCitrix XML Service trust relationship should be configured:
* WhenPass-through orSmart card authentication methods are used.
* Between Web Interface and the XenApp servers.
This trust relationship must be established for Web Interface to be able to authenticate users.
IfExplicit orAnonymous authentication is used, there isno reason for the trust relationship.
Data Collector Preference Settings
By default, XenApp uses the followingcriteria to determine which server wins the election and becomes the data collector:
* 1. Highest Host Record version.
Servers with the most recent XenApp software will have a Host Record of 1, which is the highest.
A XenApp 5.0 server with an election preference ofDefault Preference will win an election over a XenApp 4.5 server with an election preference ofMost Preferredbecause the XenApp 5.0 server will have the highest Host Record.
* 2. Highest rank as configured in the XenApp Advanced Configuration tool.
Most Preferred (1)
Preferred (2)
Default Preference (3)
Not Preferred (4)
A XenApp 5.0 server with an election preference ofMost Preferred will win an election versus a XenApp 5.0 server with an election preference ofPreferred.
3. In the event that multiple XenApp servers with the same XenApp software version (XenApp 5.0 for example) have the same election preference priority setting, the election winner will be determined by the server with the highestHost ID number, which is arandom number assigned to servers during XenApp installation.
Toconfigure data collector election settings for a server:
* In the left pane of theXenApp Advanced Configuration tool, select the farm.
* On theActions menu, clickProperties.
* SelectZones.
* In the list of zones and their servers, locate the server, select it and clickSet Election Preference.
Issue: An administrator supports ten servers in a farm consisting of one zone. ServerA is the data collector, but the administrator wants to configure a less utilized server, ServerB, as the data collector. The administrator also wants to make sure that ServerA does not become the data collector.
Probable cause: By accident, the data collector election setting of ServerA, which hosts the most applications, was set toMost Preferred.
Solution: To configure ServerB as the data collector, the administrator should set ServerB's election preference toMost Preferred. To configure ServerA to never become the data collector, she should set ServerA's election preference toNot Preferred. After each setting she shouldrestart the IMA Service or reboot the server.
QUERYHR is:
* A command line utility that allows an administrator to list and view all of the values of the servers in the server farm.
Including theHost ID number.
A random number assigned to XenApp servers at installation to determine the data collector for a zone in case more than one XenApp server has the same election preference during a data collector election.
Create and Manage Data Store
Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and IBM DB2 enterprise-level databases:
* Support replication.
* Are suitable for large farms.
* Should only be installed on a server that XenAppwill not be installed on.
The user account that is used to access the data store on Microsoft SQL Server:
* Haspublic anddatabase owner (db_owner) roles on the server and database.
System administrator account credentials arenot needed for data store access;
Do not use a system administrator account as it poses a security risk.
Microsoft Access and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP1 databases:
* Do not support replication.
* Are better suited for smaller implementations.
Preferably located in one physical location.
* Require much less administration than enterprise-level databases.
* Can be installed on the same server as the first XenApp server in the farm.
If using Microsoft SQL Server Express, you must create the database on the same server on which you will install XenApp andbefore you install XenApp.
If using Microsoft Access, XenAppautomatically creates and configures the database on thefirst XenApp server installed in the farm.
DSMAINT is used to perform XenApp data store maintenance tasks, including:
* Data store parameter changes, such as:
Password (config /pwd)
Access database backup (backup)
Access database compacting (compactdb)
Migrating the database (migrate)
Recreating and verifying the local host cache of XenApp servers (recreatelhc andverifylhc)
Recreating the Application Streaming offline database (recreaterade)
And much more
DSCHECK:
* Validates the integrity of the data in the XenApp data store.
* Repairs any inconsistencies.
* Is often used after runningDSMAINT.
RunQUERYHR to display information about member servers in a farm.
* ExecutingQUERYHR with no parameters lists all servers in the farm.
RunQFARM /APP to display the load for all applications and servers in the farm.
RunQFARM /LOAD to display the load for all servers in the server farm.
RunQUERYDS to view dynamic store tables.
* Shows the actual load along with the additional information as reported to the data collector.
Patching and Recovery
In XenApp 5.0,Installation Manager requires the following components:
* 1) Atask manager computer.
The system on which theMicrosoft Management Console (MMC) is installed and is used to manage and schedule tasks with theWindows Task Scheduler.
* 2) AWindows file share (SMB) folder.
Located on any Windows server and is used to transfer task files to be deployed by Installation Manager and store cache files containing previously-scheduled tasks and results.
* 3) Atarget server.
The server on which tasks are deployed.
Must be a XenApp serveror be running Windows Server 2008.
AMicrosoft Windows Installer Patch (.MSP) file is a package format type created by a software manufacturer topatch or update installations that werepackaged using the Windows Installer Service.
Following the creation of a task or operation using Windows Task Scheduler, an administrator can distribute thetask XML file to a XenApp environment.
The ability to save and recall user's personalized settings on a XenApp server is available because of theshadow key replication process.
* XenApp creates a shadow key when an application is installed.
Installation Managereliminates the need for a shadow key if theInstall MSI/MSPoption is used.
Hotfix Management
WithHotfix Management:
* Check which hotfixes are applicable to your Citrix products,
* Search for particular updates on your system
* Identify servers where up-to-date hotfixes must be applied.
To use Hotfix Management:
* In theAccess Management Console left pane, selectCitrix Resources >Configuration Tools >Hotfix Management.
Single- and Multi-Server Reboot Schedules
To schedule amulti-server reboot:
* In the left pane of theAccess Management Console, select theServers folder.
* In theContents display in the right pane, press theSHIFT key and select the servers to restart.
* From theAction menu, chooseSelect All Tasks >Set restart options >Set restart schedule.
This starts theSet Restart Schedule wizard.
Use the wizard to configure your restart options.
To schedule asingle-server reboot:
* In the left pane of theAccess Management Console, select a server.
* From theAction menu, selectAll Tasks >Modify server properties >Modify all properties.
* In theServer Properties dialog box, selectRestart Schedule and configure your restart options.
Tostop restarts for servers that are scheduled to restart:
* In theAccess Management Console, select the servers that you do not want to restart.
* In the center pane, selectOther Tasks >Set restart options >Disable restarts.
Load Evaluators
Load evaluators can be assigned to:
* Servers
All servers must have a load evaluator applied to them.
Servers can only have one load evaluator applied to them at a time.
* Applications
Each published application must have only one load rule assigned to it.
Load evaluator rules:
* Moving Average rules:
CPU Utilization defines the range of processor utilization for a selected server.
The default loads for theCPU Utilization rule: Full load is 90%.
No load is 10%.
Memory Usage defines the range of memory (RAM) usage for a server.
The default loads for theMemory Usage rule: Full load is 90%.
No load is 10%.
* Moving Average Compared to High Threshold rules:
Context Switches defines the number of times the operating system is allowed to switch from one process to another.
Disk Data I/O defines the range of data throughput in Kbps for a selected server.
Disk Operations defines the range of disk operation (read and write cycles per second) for a selected server.
Load Throttling limits the number of concurrent connection attempts a server is expected to handle.
Must be attached to a server.If it is attached to a published application, the rule is ignored.
Page Fault defines the range of page faults (transfers of data between physical memory and the page file) per second for a selected server.
Page Swap defines the range of page swaps (transfers of data between physical memory and the page file) per second for a selected server.
* Incremental rules:
Application User Load limits the number of users allowed to connect to a selected hosted or streamed application.
Monitors the number of active and disconnected sessions using the hosted or streamed application.
Server User Load limits the number of sessions allowed to connect to a selected server.
Cannot be applied to an individual application.
* Boolean rules are based on conditions being true or false and must be used in conjunction with at least one other rule because they do not return actual load values for a server:
IP Range defines the range of allowed or denied client IP addresses for a published application.
Scheduling schedules the availability of selected published applications.
Load evaluators:
* TheDefault load evaluator is based on the following rules:
Load Throttling
Server User Load
* TheAdvanced load evaluator is based on the following rules:
CPU Utilization
Memory Usage
Load Throttling
Page Swap
Acustom load evaluator:
* May be created by an administrator if the Default or Advanced load evaluators are not adequate.
Create a new load evaluator orcopy and existing load evaluator and modify it.
Tocreate a custom load evaluator:
* Open theXenApp Advanced Configuration tool, right-click theLoad Evaluatorsnode and clickNew Load Evaluator.
* Type the name for the custom load evaluator in theName field.
* Optionally, type a description in theDescription field.
* Click a rule in theAvailable Rules list and clickAdd.
* Configure the parameters for the selected rule and clickOK.
Whencreating a custom load evaluator:
* Thefull load threshold value should beset below the value determined as themaximum sever load.
To determine themaximum server load, an administrator must firstdetermine the baseline and peak values for key metrics on the server.
Tocopy an existing load evaluator:
* Open theXenApp Advanced Configuration tool and click theLoad Evaluatorsnode.
* Right-click the load evaluator in theContents tab.
* ClickDuplicate Load Evaluator.
* Optionally, type the name for the custom load evaluator in theName field.
* Optionally, type a description in theDescription field if desired.
* Customize the load evaluator by removing an existing rule from theAssigned Rulesfield or adding a rule from theApplications Rules field.
* Configure parameters for the newly added rules and clickOK.
Virtual Memory Optimization
Schedule virtual memory optimization at a time when yourservers have their lightest loads.
