Choosing the Best Application Delivery Option(s) for XenApp and/or XenDesktop

Transcription

1 Choosing the Best Application Delivery Option(s) for XenApp and/or XenDesktop Jo Harder Senior Architect, Technical Readiness joharder

2 Does app installation follow standards? Does app install into c:\program Files or other location? How will app be delivered? Hosted, streamed, locally installed? Special requirements? Printers, database connection, etc.? User data? App data? Can unique data be stored in home directory? If stored in App Data folder, use folder redirection If stored in other location, can it be moved, copied, or rerouted to folder?

3 What is the best way to deliver virtual apps to users? It depends.

4 Agenda Application Delivery Options Application Delivery Criteria 3D Apps Resources

5 Application Delivery Options for XenApp and XenDesktop

6 Demystifying FlexCast Technologies Type Description Example Streamed Hosted VM Hosted Shared Local VM Streamed VHD Online or offline apps delivered into isolated environments Single-user app installed into fully segregated environment Apps delivered via a shared server Virtual desktops that can be accessed offline Local streamed desktops Streamed app to physical desktop VM Hosted Apps XenApp published app or desktop XenClient Local desktops streamed via Provisioning services

7 Many Options for Delivering Apps to Users XenApp XenDesktop Install on XenApp Stream to XenApp App-V to XenApp Stream to Windows client App-V to Windows client VM Hosted Apps Install on virtual desktop Stream to virtual desktop App-V to virtual desktop Access XenApp from virtual desktop: Installed on XenApp Streamed to XenApp App-V to XenApp VM Hosted Apps

8 OS User Profile Apps User Environment OS

9 XenApp: User View of Applications Which apps are installed? Streamed? VM Hosted Apps?

10 XenDesktop: User View of Applications Which apps are installed? Streamed? VM Hosted Apps? Streamed Installed From the user s perspective, how the app is delivered doesn t matter... So long as it works efficiently!

11 Installed vs. Streamed Apps

12 I'm a current XenApp customer, and I've been using hosted apps for years. Why should I consider application streaming? Isolated applications can be enabled on a XenApp server or Windows virtual/physical desktop What is in the isolated environment? Windows, System32, Program Files, Registry and everything needed to run an app normally

13 Installed on XenApp or XenDesktop Install on XenApp and present as published apps or published desktops same way you ve been doing it for years! And now can be administered via XenApp Connector for System Center Configuration Manager Embed within virtual desktop Best Practices Ascertain application compatibility/sociability Install apps via an automated method, not manually

14 XenApp or XenDesktop Installed Applications Pros Easy, familiar process for administrators Installed into operating system and/or vdisk Apps without MSI or EXE can be installed Cons Potential app conflicts App may not be multi-user aware Testing may be required

15 Streamed Apps: Citrix or App-V Creates an isolated environment within: XenApp server Windows client Virtual desktop Physical device Best Practices Pre-cache applications for faster startup (RadeDeploy) Enable dual mode streaming so that the app can be delivered as a hosted app if the Windows client delivery fails

16 XenApp or Windows Desktop Streamed Applications Windows desktop is virtual or physical Pros Cons No app conflicts Can segregate base OS and customize with isolated apps Additional effort and resources to profile/sequence apps Not all apps can be profiled/sequenced Fetched and installed into isolated environment on first request unless pre-cached Additional bandwidth and/or extra distribution points compared to hosted

17 Example of Base OS + Apps Default corporate users Customer care call center Finance Manufacturing employees Windows 7 Apps: Microsoft Office SAP Internet Explorer Windows XP Apps: ERP (based on IE6) CRM Windows XP Apps: Microsoft Office SAP ERP (based on IE6) Internet Explorer Windows XP Apps: ERP (based on IE6)

18 How to Deliver Apps? Stream Apps Don t Stream Apps Base OS; no apps App cannot be profiled/sequenced Multiple versions of an app App startup or performance is unacceptable Application conflicts Heavy network impact

19 Tips for Profiling/Sequencing Apps Create profile or sequence based on same operating system as the target device Dissimilar operating systems may work Consider space on target devices Minimize application options if space on target devices unknown Profiling/sequencing problems may relate to runtime such as.net Framework version Pre-load runtime on profiler/sequencer and target machine

20 VM Hosted Apps

21 VM Hosted Apps XenApp adds app delivery via Windows client OS One application published Can be a consolidation of multiple apps Can contact helper apps XenApp Hosted VM Hosted

22 VM Hosted Apps Architecture Application runs in workstation virtual machine (Windows XP/Vista/7) Uses XenDesktop infrastructure to host a single app Sample use case: resource-intensive app only supported on workstation Appears as a XenApp application and based upon XenApp Enterprise/Platinum licensing XenDesktop Infrastructure Hosted apps on virtual PC s and blades Enterprise Storage Images and vdisks XenApp Web or Services Site Connection Broker Desktop Delivery Controller Enterprise Database VDA Citrix Licensing (XenApp) Account Authority User accounts,

23 Application Delivery Criteria

24 Application Decision Criteria: Questions to Ask Packaging Backend Data Resources Operating System Licensing Usage User Data User Experience Is the app based on a standard MSI or EXE? Does the app install follow Microsoft standards, including installation location? Where is the backend data repository? Are communications with the data resource bursty and/or intensive? Are CPU or memory heavily utilized? Are resource requirements consistent or bursty? Are there limitations or support requirements based on operating system? What is legal within the boundaries of Microsoft, Citrix, and application vendor licensing? How many users require this app? Are they task-based, power users, or light users? Do users require access to the application when offline? Where are user settings and data saved, including home directory and user profile? Does the app have any unique requirements that impact the user profile? How does the user expect the app to perform? Has the user experience been validated?

25 Installation Package Most apps... Install into C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) Some apps install into C:\WINNT\System32 or elsewhere Can be packaged as MSI or EXE Some apps that deviate Older apps Internally-developed apps Potential problems for non-standard apps App compatibility/sociability Isolation packaging

26 Backend Data Locate XenApp/XenDesktop apps physically and logically near backend data resources for responsiveness Application data fetches across a WAN link may be latent Consider Branch Repeater

27 Citrix and Microsoft Licensing Does not include application licensing OS = Operating System TS/RDS = Terminal Services/Remote Desktop Services Client Access License MDOP = Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack SA = Software Assurance (Windows client) VDA = Virtual Desktop Access (non-windows) App Delivery Option Citrix Product/Edition Microsoft Licensing* Host on XenApp XenApp (all) or XenDesktop (E/P) OS, TS/RDS Stream to XenApp XenApp (all) or XenDesktop (E/P) OS, TS/RDS App-V to RDS (XenApp) XenApp (all) or XenDesktop (E/P) OS, TS/RDS Stream to Windows client XenApp (all) OS App-V to Windows client XenApp (all) OS, MDOP VM Hosted Apps XenApp (E/P) OS, TS/RDS, (SA or VDA) Embed in XenDesktop XenDesktop (all) OS, (SA or VDA) Streamed to XenDesktop XenDesktop (E/P) OS, (SA or VDA) App-V to XenDesktop XenDesktop (E/P)** OS, MDOP, (SA or VDA) Hosted on XenApp accessed via virtual desktop XenDesktop (E/P) OS, TS/RDS, (SA or VDA) Streamed to XenApp accessed via virtual desktop XenDesktop (E/P) OS, TS/RDS, (SA or VDA) App-V to XenApp accessed via virtual desktop XenDesktop (E/P) OS, TS/RDS, (SA or VDA) *Licensing requirements effective July 1, 2010; please contact your Microsoft representative for more details.

28 That One Last Solitary App That Lives On Good candidate for user desktop-based streaming No testing! No requirements to incorporate patches/updates that impact greater user community Ensure redundancy Enable dual-mode streaming and consider isolating on at least two XenApp servers

29 Impact on User Profiles and Folder Redirection User profile is loaded on each XenApp or XenDesktop resource as part of user logon User Settings User Data User Profile Settings from HK Current User such as left/right mouse setting Data such as AppData folder contents User personalization settings Can be redirected to networkbased folders

30 What If...? Logon is slow? Redirect folders such as AppData, Documents, etc., so that folder data is not loaded with profile, resulting in faster user profile load App makes frequent calls to AppData folder? Don t redirect AppData folder in particular because it will generate frequent calls to redirected folder repository during user session Each data fetch makes the app appear slow

31 What If...? User needs to access only one resource concurrently? Any profile solution should suffice User needs to access multiple resources concurrently? Roaming profile should not be used because of last writer wins issues Mandatory profiles, Citrix Profile management, and/or third-party solutions such as AppSense, LiquidWare, or Tricerat should be considered

32 How to Determine Best Solution Test or use third-party tool to identify issues that impact the user profile Example: App-DNA When testing app, review calls from XenApp or XenDesktop to folder data Use tool such as Process Monitor from SysInternals:

33 User Experience: Isolated Apps User is frustrated if: App launch or performance is slow App functionality differs Example: Eric s administrator enables offline access to Citrix streamed apps Each app is profiled separately Inter-isolation communication (IIC) is not used Apps are not pre-cached

34 Special Requirements

35 What About My Fussy Applications? Special Needs? All applications are NOT created equal, and neither are their users Some have special printing needs, some have special hardware modules Can I have my 3D applications? What about my creative type applications? What about rendering? Example: AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD Inventor, Autodesk 3Ds, ESRI ArcGIS, CaseMap, Primavera, Adobe Creative Suite

36 HDX Technologies RichGraphics Optimize the performance of graphics-intensive 2D and 3D and media-rich apps, including Microsoft RemoteFX MediaStream Deliver rich local-like Flash and MediaPlayer audio and video content Plug n Play Simple access to peripherals such as scanners, USB devices, special printers, or smart cards Broadcast Optimize ICA protocol via compression, caching/supercache, session reliability WAN Optimization Optimize performance by compressing, caching, and prioritizing traffic RealTime Bi-directional audio, Office Communicator, and VoIP support

37 Example: Microsoft Office Communicator Enterprise adopts Office Communicator as a standard Administrator offers app through Dazzle Users collaborate using instant messaging and voice chat XenDesktop 4 adds webcam support via isochronous USB remoting

38 Impact on Enterprise/Platinum Components Single sign-on (Password Manager) Does the app follow standards and/or can password fields be identified? CPU/Memory Optimization (XenApp only) Does the app function with CPU and/or Memory Optimization? SmartAuditor (XenApp only) If application selected as the criteria, is it the only or first app opened?

39 Presenting the Applications

40 Options for Presenting Apps Published apps or published desktop Published desktop or virtual desktop XenApp Web or XenApp Services site Also requires respective Citrix Online plug-in Access XenApp-based apps via physical workstation or virtual desktop Dazzle

41 XenApp + XenDesktop Web Interface can present applications, desktops, and content together Will users be confused by multiple resources? XenApp resources can be presented through XenDesktop

42 Published Desktop vs. Virtual Desktop Windows Server 2008 R2 Session Virtualization - - With Desktop Experience enabled Windows 7 Desktop or Virtual Desktop (VDI) Operating System One Operating System Two

43 Published Desktop Suggested Lockdowns Use GPOs to lockdown: Registry editor Command prompt TSSHUTDOWN Administrative Tools Many Control Panel settings Internet browser settings Access to unnecessary locations such as Event Log To test: Log on with a user account and act like a malicious user Probably disallow Application installation Driver installation Script execution

44 Dazzle Self-service app storefront Allows the user to select needed apps Requires Citrix Merchandising Server and Citrix Receiver Merchandising Server: Virtual machine that houses and manages plug-ins Citrix Receiver plug-in for Dazzle: Enables app store

45 3D Use Case and Apps

46 Scenario: 3D-Based Application Licensed based on single-user workstation May or may not even work in a multi-user environment XenApp Platinum licensing Microsoft SA licensing Probable solution: VM Hosted Apps based on: Blade PCs equipped with dual CPUs, abundant RAM, and powerful graphics card Compliance with app, Citrix, and Microsoft licensing requirements

47 3D-Based Apps Such as AutoCad, ArcGIS, Pro-E Consider PC Blades for VM Hosted Apps or XenDesktop Provides a single user instance on each blade Minimize engineering workstation requirements Use HDX SmartRendering Bandwidth to check endpoint for resources (CTX124777) Use HDX 3D for Professional Graphics for apps that demand the power of a GPU for hardware acceleration For 3D cards, use video cards that are nvidia CUDA enabled is suggested

48 ArcGIS, AutoCAD and 3D Apps Considerations For top-end graphics rendering, use multiple nvidia processing cores Compression based upon bandwidth HDX 3D can leverage 96 or more CUDA cores Capable of DirectX/Direct3D or OpenGL

49 Application Example: Adobe Creative Suite Components of this application require high color Higher than 16-bit in Illustrator or Photoshop HDX RichGraphics feature within ICA allows for rendering of images and changes Creative Suite can be installed on the virtual desktop image or on XenApp Although Creative Suite is supported on Windows XP, Vista, or 7, customers have installed on Windows Server 2003/2008

50 Resources

51 Testing Process Always in a Test Farm! Standalone OS compatibility Data calls Resource requirements Peripherals Multi-user (XenApp) Sociability Compatibility with other apps (hosted or streamed) Resource / peripheral sharing Pre- Production Expert users Impact on data (profiles, user, backend) Scalability Network impact Citrix tools that may be helpful: EdgeSight and EdgeSight for Load Testing Citrix Ready site, including Community Verified

52 Testing in Your Own Environment

53 App-DNA AppTitude Automates pre-migration application testing and intelligently remediates compatibility issues XenApp hosted Citrix streaming App-V 64-bit Windows 7 Best in Show and Process Improvement at Synergy 2010

54 visionapp Package Templates Part of visionapp Server Manager A collection of more than 2,500 certified package templates for applications, hot fixes and service packs Include optimizations for multi-user Windows environments Automates application installation and configuration

55 Resources White paper CTX125515: Technical Guide to Application Delivery Options for XenApp and/or XenDesktop http//: Resources and Support White Papers: Citrix XenApp on Microsoft Remote Desktop Services: Feature Analysis TechTalk: Solving User Profile Challenges for XenApp and/or XenDesktop on Thursday, June 17 th : TechTalk: Designing a Virtual Desktop Solution for 20,000 Concurrent Users on Friday, June 18 th :

56 Summary Citrix offers many options for app delivery Make an informed decision regarding which option is best for your unique set of apps and environment Test to the extent possible/necessary Especially when evaluating hundreds of apps, consider use of third-party products Ensure that the user experience is optimal Delivery Network

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