Implementing Citrix XenDesktop on IBM Flex System

Implementing Citrix XenDesktop on IBM Flex System

Released January 2014
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: None

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Book description

The IBM® SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure offers robust, cost-effective, and manageable virtual desktop solutions for a wide range of clients, user types, and industry segments. These solutions help to increase business flexibility and staff productivity, reduce IT complexity, and simplify security and compliance. Based on a reference architecture approach, this infrastructure supports various hardware, software, and hypervisor platforms.

The SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure solution with Citrix XenDesktop running on IBM Flex System™ offers tailored solutions for every business, from the affordable all-in-one Citrix VDI-in-a-Box for simple IT organizations to the enterprise-wide Citrix XenDesktop. XenDesktop is a comprehensive desktop virtualization solution with multiple delivery models that is optimized for flexibility and cost-efficiency.

This IBM Redbooks® publication provides an overview of the SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure solution, which is based on Citrix XenDesktop running on IBM Flex System. It highlights key components, architecture, and benefits of this solution. It also provides planning and deployment considerations, and step-by-step instructions about how to perform specific tasks.

This book is intended for IT professionals who are involved in the planning, design, deployment, and management of the IBM SmartCloud® Desktop Infrastructure built on IBM Flex System running Citrix XenDesktop.

Table of contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. Preface
    1. Authors
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  4. Chapter 1. IBM SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure overview
    1. 1.1 Virtual desktop infrastructure overview
    2. 1.2 IBM SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure
    3. 1.3 IBM Flex System
    4. 1.4 Citrix XenDesktop
    5. 1.5 Integration with other IBM software products
  5. Chapter 2. IBM Flex System components for the virtual desktop infrastructure
    1. 2.1 Introduction to IBM Flex System
    2. 2.2 Planning for Flex System components
    3. 2.3 IBM Flex System compute nodes
      1. 2.3.1 IBM Flex System x222 Compute Node
      2. 2.3.2 IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node
      3. 2.3.3 IBM Flex System x440 Compute Node
      4. 2.3.4 IBM Flex System PCIe Expansion Node
      5. 2.3.5 IBM System x3650 M4
      6. 2.3.6 VMware ESXi 5.1 Embedded Hypervisor
    4. 2.4 Storage considerations
      1. 2.4.1 IBM Flex System V7000
      2. 2.4.2 IBM Flex System Storage Expansion Node
      3. 2.4.3 IBM FlashSystem 820 and IBM FlashSystem 720
      4. 2.4.4 Solid-state drives (SSDs) compared to hard disk drives (HDDs)
      5. 2.4.5 RAID considerations
    5. 2.5 Network considerations
      1. 2.5.1 Ethernet connectivity
      2. 2.5.2 Fibre Channel connectivity
    6. 2.6 Management considerations
      1. 2.6.1 Introduction to IBM Flex System Manager
      2. 2.6.2 Management Network
      3. 2.6.3 Chassis Management Module
      4. 2.6.4 Integrated Management Module II
      5. 2.6.5 Working with configuration patterns
  6. Chapter 3. VMware vSphere design considerations
    1. 3.1 ESXi and vSphere features
      1. 3.1.1 Hypervisor ESXi
      2. 3.1.2 VMware vCenter Server
      3. 3.1.3 vMotion
      4. 3.1.4 Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS)
      5. 3.1.5 High Availability (HA)
      6. 3.1.6 vSphere licensing considerations
      7. 3.1.7 IBM Flex System integration with VMware
    2. 3.2 Networking considerations
      1. 3.2.1 Virtual switch
      2. 3.2.2 Ports and port groups
      3. 3.2.3 Uplink ports
    3. 3.3 Storage considerations
      1. 3.3.1 Local or shared storage
      2. 3.3.2 Tiered storage
      3. 3.3.3 Redundancy and load balancing
  7. Chapter 4. Citrix XenDesktop design basics
    1. 4.1 Citrix XenDesktop components
    2. 4.2 Desktop and application delivery
    3. 4.3 Citrix XenDesktop provisioning
      1. 4.3.1 Provisioning Services (PVS) solution
      2. 4.3.2 Machine Creation Services
      3. 4.3.3 Personal vDisk
      4. 4.3.4 Image assignment models
    4. 4.4 Storage configuration
    5. 4.5 Network configuration
    6. 4.6 Operational model and sizing guidelines
      1. 4.6.1 VDI compute node configuration
      2. 4.6.2 Management services
      3. 4.6.3 Shared storage
  8. Chapter 5. IBM Flex System and Citrix XenDesktop lab environment
    1. 5.1 Lab environment
    2. 5.2 Use case for the lab environment
    3. 5.3 Component model
    4. 5.4 Operational model
    5. 5.5 Logical design
      1. 5.5.1 Ethernet segment
      2. 5.5.2 Storage disk and host mapping
  9. Chapter 6. Deploying IBM Flex System
    1. 6.1 Initial configuration of the Chassis Management Module
      1. 6.1.1 Connecting to the Chassis Management Module
      2. 6.1.2 Using the initial setup wizard
      3. 6.1.3 Configuring IP addresses for the chassis components
    2. 6.2 The IBM Flex System Manager setup wizard
    3. 6.3 Selecting the chassis to manage
    4. 6.4 Discovery and inventory collection
      1. 6.4.1 Discovery
      2. 6.4.2 I/O modules
    5. 6.5 IBM Flex System Fabric EN4093 10Gb Ethernet Switch configuration
    6. 6.6 IBM Flex System x240 Compute Node configuration
    7. 6.7 IBM Flex Storwize V7000 configuration
      1. 6.7.1 Flex System V7000 initial configuration
      2. 6.7.2 V7000 Storage Node setup wizard
      3. 6.7.3 MDisk configuration
      4. 6.7.4 Volumes configuration
      5. 6.7.5 Hosts configuration
    8. 6.8 VMControl configuration and virtual server deployment
      1. 6.8.1 Configure VMControl
      2. 6.8.2 Create virtual servers
  10. Chapter 7. Deploying Citrix XenDesktop
    1. 7.1 Configuring utility services and vSphere
    2. 7.2 Provisioning VMs for Citrix XenDesktop components
    3. 7.3 Installing the Citrix License
      1. 7.3.1 Configuring the licenses
    4. 7.4 Installing Citrix XenDesktop Controller
      1. 7.4.1 Installing the SSL certificate
      2. 7.4.2 Installing the XenDesktop Controller
      3. 7.4.3 Advanced settings
    5. 7.5 Installing Citrix XenApp
      1. 7.5.1 Specify licensing
      2. 7.5.2 Initial configuration
    6. 7.6 Installing Citrix Web Interface
      1. 7.6.1 Configure the website
    7. 7.7 Installing Citrix Provisioning Services
      1. 7.7.1 Install the Citrix Provisioning Console
  11. Chapter 8. Operating Citrix XenDesktop
    1. 8.1 Introduction
    2. 8.2 Configuring the gold image
      1. 8.2.1 Preparing the gold image for streaming services
      2. 8.2.2 Preparing the gold image for persistent desktops
    3. 8.3 Configuring desktop distribution
      1. 8.3.1 Configuring streamed desktops
      2. 8.3.2 Configuring streaming desktops with personal vDisk
      3. 8.3.3 Configuring persistent desktops
      4. 8.3.4 Assigning a catalog to a group
    4. 8.4 Roaming profiles and folder redirection
      1. 8.4.1 Configuring the roaming profile
      2. 8.4.2 Configuring folder redirection
      3. 8.4.3 Configuring the Citrix Receiver
      4. 8.4.4 Group Policy Object link
      5. 8.4.5 Configuring application distribution
    5. 8.5 Monitoring health
      1. 8.5.1 Hardware monitoring
      2. 8.5.2 Hypervisor monitoring
      3. 8.5.3 Monitoring performance with VMControl
      4. 8.5.4 Relocating the Virtual Server with VMControl
      5. 8.5.5 Host Maintenance Mode with VMControl
  12. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks
    2. Online resources
    3. Help from IBM
  13. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: Implementing Citrix XenDesktop on IBM Flex System
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: January 2014
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: None