Citrix released Provisioning server 5.0 on Aug. 21 and has many different features worth upgrading, such as the database can now be an Microsoft SQL database, and uses Microsoft VHD format. The one problem I have seen so far is the last one, Microsoft VHD is not seen by Citrix XenDesktop.
Citrix will be releasing a newer version of XenDesktop 2.1?? but will it work with Provisioning server 5.0? Not sure, but why wait? You can still use Provisioning 4.5, but more importantly here is a way to use both!
If you have a Provisioning 4.5 server create another Provisioning 5.0 server and set your targets to use the correct server via DHCP. Meaning migrate your vDisk to the new format if you want to just keep your XenDesktops using the old Provisioning 4.5 server or install a Provisioning 4.5 server just for your XenDesktop 2.0 server. As a best practice you should already be creating an DHCP Reservation for your targets, just make sure to create one for your XenDesktop targets and modify the “Configuration Options” for the target’s DHCP Reservation to include the correct DHCP options:
066 Boot Server Host Name “hostname of Provision Server 4.5”
067 Bootfile Name ARDBP32.bin
Make sure that you have don’t have any “Scope Options” or “Server Options” set and your targets set to use DHCP and you are good to go. Then again you could also create a boot iso as a fall back!
Citrix Provisioning 5.0 with XenDesktop 2.0?
XenServer - MPIO
Virtualization is a real hot topic as we all know but unless you do it right you can cause yourself a lot of grief that is all to real.
Using XenServer's native support for ISCSI you can have yourself a nice little robust virtual environment, with the use of Shared Resources if any hardware goes down you are but a click away to recovery (XenMotion).Dell's EqualLogic PS5000 Series
That is unless that hardware is your one and only NIC!
There is always an answer to IT woes however, and MPIO or Multipath for XenServer is the answer to NIC issues. Citrix's XenServer does natively support ISCSI but to get the Multipath to work it takes additional configurations, and I will help shine some light on this with some undisclosed documentation.
What you need:
- NIC for your XenCenter Management
- Redundant NICs for your ISCSI Data
- Some CLI experience
/etc/iscsi/iscsid.conf
Add a comment code out the line node.startup = manual
Remove the comment code to the line node.start = automatic
Save this file
Run the following commands to set the services (daemon) to start on startup
chkconfig open-iscsi on
chkconfig multipathd on
Next you will need to edit the following file:
/etc/multipath.conf
Add line under defaults {
path_checker readsector0
rr_min_io 100
Save this file
Run the service start commands
service open-iscsi start
service multipathd start
Run the following ISCSI discovery commands
Iscsiadm –m discovery –t st –p ipaddress of ISCSI device
Iscsiadm –m node –L all
multipath -l
*Noted the results for your wwid fields, yes it is a really long number
Open the following file
/etc/multipath.conf
Add iscsi device(s)
multipaths {
multipath{
wwid %multipath -l%
alias %friendlyname%
}
multipath{
wwid %multipath -l%
alias %friendlyname%
}
Save this file
Run the following command to confirm success
ls /dev/mapper
Citrix Presentation 4.5 - Unattended installation file
As we all know the faster that you can install and configure systems and/or applications the more billable we can be. Not to mention save yourself sanity!
Using the Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 UnattendedTemplate.txt can save you some of this much need billable time provided you have all of your prerequisites.
- Update the Windows installer*
- DotNet 2.0*
- Java Runtime*
- JSharp 2.0*
- msvcr71.dll**
The last prerequisite was a little know fact that I discovered just recently and thought I'd share. The Unattended install process does not seem to copy over this certain dll which without it will cause the unattended install to fail.
Keep in mind that additional dll maybe needed based upon your scenario, below is my case study.
- Complete Windows Server 2003 unattended installation using a DVD with Manufacture Support Tools
- Citrix MPS 4.5.1 with local access database
- New Citrix Farm
This scenario is set for minimal touch environment with very few customization needed to fit any environment i.e. Mass drivers, Manufacture Support Tools
[Citrix License Agreement]AcceptLicense=Yes
[Data Store Configuration]
CreateFarm=Yes
LocalDBType=Access
DirectConnect=No;
*Leave this blank to use the default zone name
ZoneName=
[Indirect Connect Settings]
IndirectServerName=
IndirectServerPort=2512
UserName=
DomainName=
****************************************************************
*Farm Settings This section specifies the settings for creating a farm.
*This section is used only if CreateFarm is Yes in the Data
* Store Configuration section.
* In this section you must specify:
* 1. The name of the farm you are creating.
* 2. A Windows NT user (user name and domain) who will be the
* administrator of this farm. This user can later designate
* other users as administrators of the farm using the
* Presentation Server Console.
***************************************************************
[Farm Settings]
FarmName=Farm
FarmAdministratorUsername=Administrator
FarmAdministrator
Domain=citrixtest
****************************************************************
*Shadowing Restrictions
*This section specifies whether or not shadowing is enabled. If
* shadowing is enabled, this section specifies shadowing
* restrictions.
***************************************************************
[Shadowing Restrictions]
AllowShadowing=Yes
ProhibitRemoteControl=No
ProhibitNotificationOff=No
ProhibitLoggingOff=No
[Citrix XML Service]
ExtendIIS=No
*This setting applies only if ExtendIIS is No
DedicatedPortNumber=80 *This setting applies only if ExtendIIS is Yes
EnableVirtualScripts=Yes
[Options]
RebootOnFinish=Yes
LogLevel=*v
LogFile=c:\msi.log
UILevel= BASIC_UI_NO_MODAL
IgnoreMCM=NoRemoveWITurnkey=No
[PresentationServer]
ServerType=Enterprise
[LicenseServer]
LicenseServerChoice=Point
LicenseServerName=citrixlc
LicenseServerPortDefault=Yes
LicenseServerPort=27000
[MFRDP]
DisableRDPPromptForPassword=Yes
[IMAEncryption]
EncryptionEnable=0
KeyType=file
NewKeyPath=
KeyPath=
*Note: D:\Support\
**Note: D:\Citrix Presentation Server\Program Files\Citrix\System32
Installation operation failed -- Note: 1: 1708
Citrix Presentation - Branding
Little know fact about Citrix Presentation Server is how to take advantage of some branding. I will go into that but first lets go into what we do know.
- Citrix Presentation recommends that you should disable Windows Wallpaper
- Windows Wallpaper uses additional resources per user if not disabled
- Default Windows Logon Wallpaper is disabled in a RDP session
- Windows Logon Wallpaper for an ICA session shows Citrix Branding
- Change the registry entry for the HKU\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Deskto "TileWallpaper" = 1 to Tile =0 to Center
- Renamed the %programfiles%\citrix\system32\ica256.bmp to company logo
- Finished
Leveraging Technology Mitigates Risks, Controls Costs and Helps Meets Demands of Growing Businesses
As a small business expands, the need to manage this growth with updated technology should rate high on a company’s list of priorities. Should an organization experience rapid growth in a short period of time and fail to advance its technology to meet these new demands, the business owner may face significant challenges in the future, including loss of revenues, waning market share and adverse customer perceptions.
Incorporating the following tips into the company business plan will help ensure a smooth transition.
Don’t do everything yourself
Most small businesses believe they can administer technology issues themselves without the support of an independent technology firm. The cost of maintaining an in-house IT operation is often beyond the means of most small to mid-sized companies. However, the risk of lost data, system crashes, spyware and slow-running systems may be far greater for these organizations in terms of financial loss, diminished customer goodwill and declining productivity. For many small businesses, outsourcing the IT function has proven to cut costs considerably.
Look for a professional and trusted advisor
Small business owners tend to utilize trusted advisors for many of their decisions. Relying on experts in a particular field will produce a higher overall advantage. Such is the case for companies seeking tax advice or legal counsel. However, with IT, many of these owners are baffled by technology and have difficulty finding the right resource. As a result, they often depend on a family member who may know how to repair a PC, but is not skilled in information technology.
Investigate managed services
Managed service offerings of many IT providers offer a way to cap IT costs and control spending while guaranteeing a solid delivery of technology services. Managed service options such as outsourcing, co-location, service desk and disaster recovery can help reduce time-to-repair while increasing reliability and uptime.
Employ scalable technology
Consider technology that will scale as the business grows. The overall cost of IT is much more in comparison to initial hardware and software purchases. To properly leverage information technology, business owners should evaluate their needs over an extended period of time – typically 24 to 36 months – and examine the specific use of IT within the organization. The analysis will help determine if a more or less sophisticated system is needed.
Virtualization
Virtualization technology solutions simplify IT and allow companies to leverage storage, network, and computing resources to control costs and respond more rapidly to business issues and needs. A small business owner who transitions to a virtualized environment – allowing a single server class machine to run multiple specialized application servers simultaneously – will experience a return on investment at every system upgrade.
Technology is complex. However, strategically leveraging today’s technology to meet the challenges of a budding business will streamline operations, improve efficiency and reduce costs in the long-term.
By Richard J. Reiffer, Trivalent Group
Richard J. Reiffer is the chief technology officer for Trivalent Group, a technology firm based in Grandville, Mich.
8 Signs You Need to Upgrade Your Server
Your server hardware is a ticking time bomb.
Don't be alarmed. It may never actually "blow up" — which is to say, melt down and take lots of data with it. But one day, sooner or later, it will become obsolete. And for your business, that's potentially an explosive liability.
"The older your hardware is, the more likely that a failure and loss of productivity will occur," warns Donald Hess, senior systems engineer at Entre Computer Services, a systems integrator based in Rochester, N.Y. "In general, a company can avoid big expenses by updating its servers every three years. If it waits five years, then there's a big risk of being compelled to upgrade many components simultaneously."
Ouch.
What exactly needs upgrading?
Most small businesses tend to think of their server as a whole, which is to say hardware (the computer it runs on) and software (the application that powers the server, such as Windows Small Business Server) are one.
Talk to experts and you're likely to conclude that this holistic approach to a server is correct for most businesses. Hardware and software generally age at about the same rate. In other words, the machines need to be modernized at roughly the same interval as the server operating system is updated, give or take a few months.
So is your server ready for a once-over?
Here are eight signs.
1.It crawls. "When your server gets slow, it's time for some new iron," says Alan Canton, president of the Adams-Blake Company, an information-technology consulting firm in Fair Oaks, Calif. He recommends taking a look at both disk and CPU (central processing unit) usage. "When you're at about 80%, it's time to start looking around," he advises. Slow servers, of course, mean a less productive work force. Can you afford that?
2.It sucks up your time. "If you're spending more time on dealing with server problems than you are willing to commit, it's time for an upgrade," says David Wilner, president of Rhino Imaging, a New York document imaging company. Ask yourself: If you weren't working on a particular server problem, how much money could you earn by doing something else?
3.It's noisy. "As fan drives and hard drives age, you will notice they will become noisier," says Will Luden, chief executive of Info Partners, a San Mateo, Calif., provider of outsourced IT. "This is typically a good indicator that hardware failure is just around the corner. Computers are like cars; they have only so much mileage before they start falling apart." Luden says if you can't spring for a complete upgrade when you hear funny noises, at least make sure everything is backed up.
4.It's out of warranty. "When the only people who know enough to support your server are retired and collecting Social Security, you know you have a problem," says Michael Bielski, an IT coordinator for the California Society of Enrolled Agents, a tax-professional association in Sacramento, Calif. He's not kidding. If the manufacturer has stopped supporting the hardware and software — which means it's more than three years old — then there's a good chance you need some kind of upgrade.
5.Something doesn't feel right. Maybe your hardware specifications don't match your vendor specs. "Maybe it takes longer and longer to do the same function," says Brent Kuchvalek, who manages infrastructure and security services for Optimus Solutions LLC, an IT services company based in Norcross, Ga. If you, or your IT person, have a sinking feeling about the server, chances are it could be ready for an upgrade of some kind.
6.There's no more room. "If the requirement of the software that runs on the server exceeds the servers' specifications, then you need a new server," says Kendall Tatum, manager of IT services at Frank & Company, an accounting and financial consulting services firm in McLean, Va. He says small-business users shouldn't just try to manage a space or memory crisis in the short term, but to think about the company's long-term needs. "Planning is the key," he says. "Will you be adding more staff that will need access to this machine? Will you be upgrading the software that runs on the server in the near future? These are questions that you have got to ask yourself."
7.Its performance is otherwise impaired. "Does your server seize up often?" asks Ho Lee, general manager for Chicago-based DedicatedCentral, a managed dedicated server hosting provider. "Does the box have problems resolving conflicts?" Even if things run smoothly otherwise, these occasional "hiccups" may be a sign that the server is running up against the limits of its performance. "Most businesses have a hard time tracking these issues until it's too late," Lee adds. "I recommend monitoring tools that report on the health and status of their servers. They provide information for capacity planning and alerts of trouble signs."
8.The big one happens. "There usually isn't a telltale sign that your server needs to be upgraded, in terms of hardware, until a catastrophic failure occurs," explains Robert Cashman, president of Cashman Computer Associates, an Old Lyme, Conn., IT consultancy. After a meltdown, there's normally a "scramble" to replace operating systems and applications. Frequently, those are discontinued, or support has been discontinued, and that's usually when a business discovers that it should have upgraded long ago. "It is much calmer to upgrade in a planned manner than to scramble at the last minute to resolve a crisis," he says.
One last disclaimer: "Oftentimes," says Michael Crowe, director for IT consulting firm Plante & Moran in Chicago, "there may be no signs or warnings that are apparent to the users on the network." But the time bomb is still ticking.
By Christopher Elliott
Reprinted with permission from Microsoft Small Business Center
Regulatory Compliance and Small Business
Learn about the new regulatory environment and what you should do to ensure that your small business is compliant.
A new regulatory environment is affecting the business landscape, and compliance standards such as Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) and HIPAA require businesses to adhere to enforceable standards set by the government. Many compliance standards require accountability on the part of businesses, especially in the areas of data integrity, security, and privacy. Small businesses, especially in the financial and healthcare sectors or those that handle contracts from businesses in these sectors or from government agencies, are more likely to be affected by a more stringent regulatory environment.
According to a study sponsored by the Office of Advocacy in 2005 titled "The Impact of Regulatory Costs on Small Firms," small businesses with fewer than 20 employees spent $7,647 per employee to adhere to federal regulations. In comparison to businesses with over 500 employees that spent $5,282 per employee to comply with the same regulations, small businesses spent approximately 45% more than their larger business counterparts. However, compliance is not only a necessary part of doing business in today's world, it also ensures a more secure business practice and can help enhance customer confidence and attract new contracts and business.
Initially however, policy compliance may appear to be a daunting task. Yet, it is possible to deal with government regulations in a timely and effective way once you understand that the aspect of compliance that is often most relevant to small businesses is protecting the information of your customers, employees, clients, and others whom you conduct business with. Once you understand how to create a secure infrastructure to protect how you collect, store, and use data, you can meet the required standards with greater ease.
Recommendations
Here are some steps you can take to keep your business compliant:
Learn about regulations: Staying informed about the regulatory climate is the first step in the process. New regulations are created every year, and understanding which ones affect your business will help you create a strategy, a timeline for meeting the regulations, as well what resources you already have so that you will not replicate controls already in place.
Assess your security controls: You probably have many security controls in place for the sake of creating a secure business environment. This will help you a great deal, since you may only need to add a few extra measures to stay compliant with a new law or regulation. Taking stock of the hardware, software, and other IT devices you currently use will help you understand what areas you need to add extra protection to.
Install security measures: You should always have a minimum set of security measures installed to protect your business' network and resources, such as customer contact lists. You should invest in a backup solution to serve as a security measure – especially a disk-based backup system that allows you to backup your files to an offsite location and retrieve them easily and quickly. You will then have access to important data if you experience data theft or loss and need to contact customers or vendors. You should also install and use antivirus software and firewall technologies. These security solutions are necessary for a variety of regulations, especially to comply with laws regarding customer data privacy.
Upgrade and update: Though you may have antivirus protection, backup solutions, and other IT security safeguards, outdated versions put your business at risk from the very threats you are trying to avoid. Additionally, proving to government agencies and other authorities that you have taken adequate measures to protect confidential data may require you to disclose the security measures you have taken. Keeping current is not only one of the most important ways you can demonstrate regulatory compliance, it is also a way to be sure that the measures you have in place are effective. Check regularly for patches and updates on antivirus and other software, and consider upgrading to newer versions periodically to take advantage of technology advances.
Install compliance technology: There are different ways you can deal with issues of compliance, depending on the nature of your business. Some businesses, especially those in the healthcare and financial sectors may need to take more precautionary measures than others. If your business is in one of these sectors, you may consider compliance software technology that can be used to meet IT compliance and record and report what controls your business uses. This can be especially useful for businesses in industries that have periodic audits of business security controls and processes.
Conclusion
Regulatory compliance is an important aspect of doing business in today's world. By taking steps to meet government regulations, you will also gain your clients' and customers' trust. It will also help you maintain a secure computing environment, saving time and resources in the future by protecting your business from various threats. The security measures you implement now will help keep your business compliant and make it easier to meet new regulations that arise.
Capital Network Solutions, Inc. is a authorized partner of Ecora Software which provides organizations visibility into the performance, security and compliance of r IT infrastructure through the agentless collection and reporting of detailed, enterprise-wide configuration information. Please contact us for more information.
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