technical migration from physical pcs to virtual...

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Technical migration from Physical PCs to Virtual Desktops

Technical migration from Physical PCs to Virtual Desktops

Tarkan Koçoğlu

Senior Architect, WW Technical Readiness

Tarkan Koçoğlu

Senior Architect, WW Technical Readiness


What Will You Get From This Session?

• A process ensuring a successful migration to Citrix XenDesktop

• Insights how to decouple logical layers for:

• Efficient administration

• Dynamic desktop assembly


Agenda

Desktop Virtualization

Planning & Performing the Migration

Session Wrap-up

Useful Tools & References

Questions & Answers

Desktop VirtualizationDesktop Virtualization


Why Desktop Virtualization?

Data

Cen

ter

Users

Green ITLower Cost of Desktop

Ownership

Complianceand

data security

VirtualWorkforce


Typical Challenges

• Resistance to change

• User dissatisfaction and downtime

• Negative impact on productivity

• Perceived IT service levels

• Requirement for proper planning

• Meeting ROI without planning

Planning & Performing the MigrationPlanning & Performing the Migration


PC

Simple WayData Center

Backend

DDC

VM Host

1. Migrate physical desktop to data center2. Install Desktop Delivery Controller3. Install Virtual Desktop Agent4. Publish Virtual Desktop

Simple Way is not very effective since it

just moves existing desktop

management process to data center!


Analysis

Right Way – Plan for Migration

Design Test Rollout

• Assessment• Planning• Proof of Concept

• Decouple• OS• Apps

• User Profile

• Verify Design• Test Migration

• Pilot• Production


Assessment Areas

• Why virtual desktops?

• What needs to be migrated?

• Can existing hardware be leveraged?

• Is a Proof of Concept required for evaluation?

• How will users access their desktops?

• What is the rollback option?

• …


Lifecycle Management

Analyze existing physical endpoint devices and categorize

• Replace PCs

• Replace with Desktop Appliances

• Provide virtual desktops

• Re-purpose PCs

• Extend lifecycle by repurposing with Desktop Receiver Embedded

• Retain PCs

• No need to touch these devices

• Consider streaming of Operating System to PC

• Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC)


User Types

• Location

• Connection type

• Job requirements

• Applications

• Device types

• Mobility


Decouple Logical Layers

•Tightly coupled

•locally installed apps•Local user data

Decouple

Layers

On-demand

assembly &

delivery


Operating System

• Determine OS type

• Before and after

• Identify corporate OS settings

• Appearance

• Restrictions

• Services

• Hardware requirements

• CPU, network, memory

• Storage space

• Objective: Definition of a standardized OS for "golden" image


Streaming Desktop OS

Virtualize• XenServer tools• Corporate local settings

• XenApp Plugin for Hosted & Streamed

Apps• Profile Management Agent

• Antivirus / Malware / Spyware

• Virtual Desktop Agent

• Provisioning services Agent

• Optional components

• Applications

• Browser Plugins

Store Store vDisk on network storage device

StreamStream desktop OS on-demand to physical or

virtual machines


Provisioning Physical & Virtual from Single Image

Maximum flexibility with the minimum

amount of images to manage

Provisioning services Network Storage

OS and workload are streamed from

network storage to virtual AND physical

desktops

XenServer

Virtual Desktops

Physical Desktop

A

B


Applications

• Creation of application inventory

• Prioritization of applications to be migrated

• Redeployed to virtual desktops or retired?

• Usage

• Complexity

• Business criticality

• Determine and locate application settings

• Objective: Definition of application delivery method

• XenApp (hosted/streamed)

• Installed


Comparison of App Delivery Methods

Installed Streamed Hosted

Description Applications part

of OS

Executed locally,

but not installed

Executed remotely

on XenApp server

User access Every user

receives app

Only authorized

users

Only authorized

users

Updates Update of base OS image required

App Hub XenApp

Performance Directly impacts

CPU & Memory

Directly impacts

CPU & Memory

Consumes network

bandwidth lightly

Only Citrix

Receiver impacts CPU & Memory

Resource usage Bound to desktop Bound to desktop Bound to XenApp


Which App Delivery Method To Use?

Base AnomalousResource

Intensive

Technically

Challenging

Description

Common apps

needed by all

users

Home-grown

apps

Unique with

limited Terminal

Services support

Have heavy

system

requirements

Large, complex

apps with many

moving parts and

dependencies

Example

Microsoft Office

(Word, Excel,

PowerPoint,

Outlook), Adobe

Acrobat

CAD/CAM, data

processing

Epic, Cerner,

SAP

Primary Delivery Stream Stream Stream Host

Secondary

DeliveryHost Host Host


User Settings

• User related data

• User profile and OS type

• Local documents and folders

• Local emails (i.e. PST files)

• Understand differences between OS specific user settings

• Required space for storing information centrally

• Consider growth of environment

• Objective: Implement profile management to simplify migration


What Comprises User Personalization?

•Enforced Policy

•Preferred Settings•Mapped Drives etc.

•\Documents and Settings

•\Users•C:\BadApp

•Streamed, isolated and

installed apps and settings•Printer settings

•Multi-monitor settings

Environment

PreferencesPolicy

User Files

App Files

Registry(HKCU)

User Profile

User Apps

Local Apps

StreamApps

Registry(HKLM)

Apps & Devices

Impacts logon time!


Profile Management Best Practices

• Choose the right number of profiles per user

• User Store design

• Plan for one user store per user

• Use subfolders to segregate data from different platforms

• Leverage folder redirection

• Install UPHClean for profile cleanup

• Do not mix different OS types

• Windows XP and Window Vista

• Migrate profiles with Profile management function


Other Planning Areas

• User Privileges / Active Directory

• Printing

• Virtualization Infrastructure and/or Blades

• Network (DHCP, DNS, Firewall)

• Storage (vDisk and write cache placement)

• Desktop OS Tuning


Performing the Migration

• Always test migration in a laboratory environment!

• Conduct pilot migration with small group of users

• Sequence migration• Hardware refresh rates

• OS upgrade plans

• Maintenance schedules


Benefits of Planning a Migration

• Minimizing risks for failure and rollback

• Accelerates the migration process

• Opportunity to create a better managed environment

• Standardization of operating system

• Establishes a proven process for future migrations

• OS available as Master Image

• Applications delivered by XenApp

• User settings segregated from OS and stored centrally

• Flexibility

Session Wrap-upSession Wrap-up


Session Wrap-Up

• Plan your migration!

• Assess all relevant areas for a successful migration

• Leverage available Citrix Services Toolkit for your work

• Decouple logical layers – separate OS, apps, user settings

• Test the migration process

• Perform migration to Citrix XenDesktop

Useful Tools & ReferencesUseful Tools & References


Useful Tools

• Citrix Profile management

• Microsoft• Windows Easy Transfer (Windows Vista)

• User State Migration Tool

• Microsoft Office Resource Kits

• 3rd Party profile solutions• AppSense User Environment Manager

• rto Software

• P2V Tools


Useful References

• Citrix Knowledge Center

• CTX120760 “XenDesktop – Design Handbook”

• CTX119849 “Best Practices for Citrix XenDesktop with Provisioning Server”

• Simplifying Application Delivery to the Virtual Desktop• Getting Started Guide (CTX120515)

• Implementation Guide (CTX120514)

• Reference Architecture (CTX120516)

• CTX119186 “Using Citrix Profile Manager with XenDesktop”

Questions & AnswersQuestions & Answers