Month: June 2010

PubForum – XenApp 6 Overview

This session is by Lait Kaushal from Citrix escalation in Dublin.  I’m totally out of touch with Citrix so I’m looking forward to this session.

This is normally a long 70 minute presentation but he only has 45 minutes.  The room has to be closed because this session is too popular.

XenApp6 is designed for Windows Server 2008 R2 application delivery.  Work on devices such as PC, Mac, Smartphone and netbook.  Android, iPhone 2.0 and Windows mobile supported.  So is Linux.  There is a plug-in for App-V.

HDX provides high quality real time media playing, e.g. CD quality audio.

AppCenter is built for W2008 R2.

XenApp provides session virtualization and application virtualization.  The former works with central servers or virtual machines.  Power and capacity management will power down and wake up servers that are not needed.  Thus you get power savings.  Physical machines require WOL.  Alternatively the servers can be virtualized – power up and power down the VM’s to save host resources.

There are advanced, enterprise and platinum versions, each with more features than the previous one.

Installation has been simplified greatly.  There is zero-config deployment, post-installation config and auto-config using GPO.  Pre-requisites are automatically installed (nice).

It includes the ability to do self-service application provisioning (the Dazzle feature).  The user goes to a website and subscribes to an application.  It can download and pre-cache apps.  Current support for Windows and Max.  Linux support on the way.

If you have apps that don’t support Terminal Services then you can run them from dedicated virtual machines and get the same effect.  That’s kind of a mix of VDI and application publishing.

XenApp provides three app delivery mechanisms:

  • Server hosted: Lowest TCO but requires bandwidth.
  • Locally running virtualized applications: Self service and offline execution.  More management.
  • VM hosted application publication: Centralized applications but requires more management.  Requires XenDesktop for the back end VDI infrastructure.

App-V packages can also be streamed by XenApp.

There’s a lot of common ground between MS and Citrix in the desktop delivery market.  ConfigMgr tramples all over Citrix’s toes, especially v.Next.

The licensing component will eventually be a virtual appliance, making it easier to manage and deploy.

“There is no backdoor to hack the license server if you forget the admin password”.  A delegate says that’s not true: there’s an XML file where you can delete the encrypted password string, thus setting it to blank.

Licensing has a WMI interface for reporting to OpsMgr.

HDX uses 90% less bandwidth to give CD audio quality.  Echo cancellation for VoIP.  WebCams are supported.  Tested wth MS OCS.  Plug’n’Play for USB devices is supported.  There is enhanced colour and multiple monitor support – basically, if Windows supports it – XenApp6 supports it.  Smart Card readers are supported. 

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PubForum: Virtualization Buzz – Comparing Products

This is the first session I am attending this morning.  It is being presented by Saša Mašić.

3 comments for ESX from the audience:

  • OS Support
  • Administration tools easier to use
  • Available appliances from third parties

Some incorrect comments from the audience about backup at the host level.  Claims that only VMware supports this with third party products.  Untrue.  You most certainly can do this with Hyper-V.  It’s even better because it has cascading VSS from the host/file system, into the VM and then into the VM’s VSS writers.  I make a brief response/correction but leave it there … I smell fanboyism and am not here for an argument.

The speaker rarely gets customer requests for XenServer implementations and asks the audience about their experiences.  It appears that it tends to be restricted to organizations who are heavily invested in Citrix licensing.

1 person has done Xen in production – using Essentials for management.  The conversation has switched to management.

Only a few of us (including me) think Storage VMotion is a valuable feature.

It turns out that I am the only Hyper-V user in the audience.  I’m not very surprised – PubForum folks are very ahead of the curve and they would have been invested in VMware a long time ago.

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My Hyper-V Presentations at PubForum Frankfurt 2010

I’m exhausted.  I’ve done 2 presentations this week at Pubforum, one after the other with a quick break.  3 hours of me talking.  Phew – those poor people who had to listen to me!

I’ve posted both presentations.  As usual, they are only my cue cards.  Most of the content is me speaking or answering questions.

This is the 2 hour class that I presented:

And this is the one hour class that I presented:
 
 
 

PubForum 2010: What Has Citrix Done Lately?

The theme is move work to a more optimal place.

We were going to get a demo of a Citrix client on an iPad but the projector interface just woulldn’t work.  Guess it’s dodgy hardware 😉 OH you know the fanboys will flame me over that.

XenClient

72% of corporate machines will be laptops.  Synchronized VDI VM’s will be critical.  Citrix launched XenClient, a client hypervisor.  Question/Comment: There are only a few models of computer that have support for the client hypervisor.  I guess it is monolithic.  No AMD support.  The adoption rates of this will be quite limited without massively expanding the supported hardware list.

Synchronizer allows you to check out a VDI VM to your laptop running XenClient.  Nice.  Imagine that with OVF – could check out a VM to any client virtualization then – assuming OVF support in all products.

XenClient can passthrough the graphics card for 3D.  This is experimental and only supports 1 VM at a time. 

CItrix pitch the idea of the user having a public and private VM.  Good luck with that.  A user will not do that.  They’re either too lazy, will forget or find it to be a waste of time.  Another idea is that the user can supply their own laptop and a corporate build VM can go onto it.  Uh uh! THe hardware list is too limited, mainly to pricey h/w I guess, and end users will bring non-supported hardware in.  Also, the drive will be wiped when a XenClient will be done.  A P2V must be done before hand of the user’s build because thew will have an OEM install with no media, not to mention their personal data.  There will be a compliance issue regarding access and retainment of that P2V image on the corporate network.

Nice idea – but it needs to be a complete solution that is fully thought out.  I don’t believe it is anywhere near that yet, based solely on what I am hearing here

XenApp 6

Windows applications on demand, anywhere.  Out since March.  Dazzle provides serlf0service apps.  HDX provides “RealTime” and plug’n’play.  We may see some System Center integration.

FlexCast for Apps is a streaming solution including support for services.  A next release may include support for streaming drivers.

HDX provides USB PNP, 3D graphics, etc. 

NetScaler VPX

I guess VPX is their network traffic optimisation solution?

NetScaler VPX for Hyper-V will run as a service for Hyper-V to accelerate it.  Hmm, interesting.

Virtual Appliances

Workflow Studio, XenApp EVA and XenDesktop EVA are appliances that are based on Hyper-V.

XenServer 5.6

Citrix have 11% of the market share.

I see XenServer for the very first time.  It appears to have something like Dynamic Memory: minimum and maximum RAM setting per VM.  No shared paging in XenServer – the response to a question from a VMware user I guess.

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My Lab is Remotely Accessible – TS Gateway

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while.  We’ve been using TS Gateway for remotely accessible solutions for our customers at work for a while now.  This evening, I set up my Hyper-V/Virtual Server/vSphere lab to be remotely accessible from anywhere.  This will allow me to access my lab and work on the book even if I am commuting on public transport or am in remote locations.

It was simple enough to configure.  I added the Remote Desktop Services role (I’m using W2008 R2.  Use Terminal Services on W2008), choosing only the TS Gateway Role Service, to my Hyper-V host (don’t add any roles other than Hyper-V to hosts in production!!!).  The TS RAP allows my user account to access all devices.  It’s all configured on my netbook so I can use it while at PubForum.

Yes, this would be all easier with Home Server but I have my reasons not to deploy that for a while yet.

Now I can RDP into the lab and work away, just as if I was sitting in front of it.  Pretty sweet!  It even works perfectly well over 3G connections.

Bridgeways Management Pack for Hyper-V

Matt Mc Spirit has just blogged about a new free Operations Manager 2007 R2 management pack for Hyper-V.  This is intended to give you additional monitoring functionality, including lots of performance metrics gathering.  Take a look at Matt’s blog to learn more.

Will I deploy it?  It’s unlikely.  We’re a “upgrade it as soon as it’s ready” company.  I don’t know that Bridgeways will be keeping up to date with a Windows 8 Hyper-V management pack or not.  But, if I work for one of the many upgrade-every-3-or-4-years companies then this management pack just makes sense.

How Not to be Interviewed

This morning I joined our MD and a member of sales to interview a new senior engineer to join the company.  Our desired skills list is pretty precise and far from a shopping list.  We got in a CV last week which appeared to meet most of it, so an interview was arranged for this morning with the chap. 

I review the CV a bit more.  It’s now I notice that he says “we did xyz” a lot in the CV (what is called a resume across the pond).  That makes me concerned at the last moment.  We agree a little system to secretly communicate to each other if we are going to continue with the applicant or not.

It starts off with the MD letting me know that he’s going to be late.  I know things happen; there are emergencies, traffic jams, etc, so a call ahead is good.  He eventually arrives in about 40 minutes late.  The excuse?  He lost track of time while out running.  Oh dear!

The MD starts things off.  As technology is briefly skirted over (bad when an engineer is being interviewed) I decide to ask for some details.

Q) What EMC SAN was used there? (When it was claimed he was a SAN administrator).

A) I don’t know. (He couldn’t even remember something like the word “Clarion”).

Q) What kind of replication would you use? (When we asked about a fault tolerant design)

A) The standard Windows one.

Q) Which one is that?

A) The standard Microsoft one.

I almost expected him to follow that up with “you know; the one … with the thing … that replicates”.  Without thinking too hard I immediately thought of 7 replications systems from MS.

Lots of things were talked about in his experience.  Every time we drilled for details he could give us no specifics.  It was bad.  5 minutes in and I had issued the signal – he was not suitable.  2 minutes after that and the sales guy sent up a flare.  The MD gave him one more chance, asking about networking.  Semaphore’s were waving almost instantly.

My opinion is that the guy “was there when that stuff was done”.  He really should not have submitted his CV.  He didn’t stand a chance when he could not name any specifics.

It was bad.  I was rooting for him because he’s been out of work for a while.  But is was a no-hoper.  No preparation, no being conscientious about making it on time, trying to fluff his was through stuff he didn’t know.  I never even got a chance to take out the big-gun questions – they are open ended scenarios to appraise the depth of knowledge on something.  I warn the interviewee that there is no “fix” or right answer.  I figure its better than my cousin who brings in mind-bending puzzles or the even the legendary Microsoft brain busters.

If you are interviewing then you need to do the work up front.  If you don’t do it then what are the interviewers to think of you?  Here you are at this most critical point and you’re unprepared.  What will you be like at a customer meeting?

By the way, unemployment reach just under 14% in Ireland last month.

Another Way to License Hyper-V: ECI

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I’ve just been going through some online sales training for MS virtualisation and I came across this.  I had no idea this new license set was launched.  The Enrolment for Core Infrastructure (ECI) licenses the host OS (and guests), System Center CAL’s (host and guests), and ForeFront Client Security.  Not a bad bundle!