Desktop Virtualization Using Citrix XenDesktop

Cass City Public Schools

Why?

extend the life of existing PC's decrease management increase uptime control costs

Cass City Public Schools

Proof of Concept

2 day Boot Camp on XenDesktop/XenApp Conducted with Async Associates Mind Melting (and humbling) experience Jump started the process and made it a reality

Cass City Public Schools

Client PC's

HP d325 (7 years old) Athlon 2600 1-2 GB RAM 100 Mb NIC PXE boot capable

Cass City Public Schools

Client PC modifications

“Vandalism protection”

Cass City Public Schools

Master Image PC

-Used to create and/or modify images-For Windows XP, it must have same HAL as Client PC's

-No hard drive is necessary once the image has been created and captured to the server

Cass City Public Schools

-Both a PS/2 and a USB mouse are plugged in

Client Operating System

–Our production OS is Windows XP–Windows 7 on these PC's worked well

The OS can be changed in a matter of a few mouse clicks (by changing the Image)

Cass City Public Schools

Image Modes

Images have two modes:–Standard (Read-Only)•No changes possible• Available to client PC's

–Private (Read/Write)• Accessible by 1 PC•Changes can be made–New Software–Updates–Adjustments

Cass City Public Schools

Client Images

Cass City Public Schools

Examples of Images–Original XP Image with base software–Original Image + PhotoShop Elements–Original Image with different NIC–Window 7 Image

Client Images

– Images can be duplicated on the fly• Software variations• Hardware variations

Cass City Public Schools

Servers

Two servers are required–Delivery Control/Licensing Server–Provisioning Server•Clients receive their image from the provisioning server

Cass City Public Schools

Xen Client

–There is a small utility that is installed on the image that interfaces with the Provisioning Server and Administration Console

Cass City Public Schools

CCPS Server Environment

Fujitsu SAN

XenServer Farm

Provisioning ServerVirtual Servers

Desktop Delivery Server

MANY other virtual servers

Cass City Public Schools

Administration of PC's

For each physical PC, a “device” must be created

Cass City Public Schools

Administration of PC's

Each “device” requires:-Name-MAC Address

Cass City Public Schools

Administration of PC's

Each “device” must have an associated Machine Account in Active Directory

Cass City Public Schools

Administration Console

Cass City Public Schools

Administration Console

Cass City Public Schools

PC's can be controlled from Console•Reboot•Shutdown•Wake on LAN

Templates or Copy/Paste can be used for Mass Creation of PC's

Desktop Virtualization

Cass City Public Schools

Pros–Clean boot every time–PC's can be updated by modifying a

single image–Boot time is equivalent or even faster–Deployment of OS/software upgrades

are effortless

Questions

Cass City Public Schools

Anyone?...Anyone?