Citrix - Designing XenDesktop v7

Architecture   

• Various components included in the XenDesktop 7 architecture
• How the various components communicate and which protocols they are using
• Apply architectural understanding to desktop virtualization
• Troubleshoot desktop virtualization design

Business Drivers   

• Specific business drivers for multiple verticals
• Facilitate a discussion with the project team at an organization to prioritize business drivers

Data Capture   

• Best strategy for data collection given a specific organizational environment
• Types of application data to collect, the method for collecting them, and application data collection tools

User Segmentation   

• FlexCast models
• Selecting the most appropriate method for segmenting users

Application Assessment   

• Process of application assessment
• Rationalization of applications in a given case organization
• Assess a suite of applications based on business needs and compatibility to a given XenDesktop delivery model

Project Management   

• Importance of project management for a successful implementation
• Roles for a project plan

User Design   

• Make key decisions regarding user groups and device (endpoint) design
• Organize user groups for design document
• Identify and prioritize top user issues
• Design user profile strategy
• Design a printing strategy

Receiver   

• Define how applications will be delivered
• Design Citrix Receiver deployment and maintenance

Resource Req. Recommendations   

• Identify recourse requirements
• Make key design decisions regarding resource recommendations

Access   

• Design an authentication point (Storefront and NetScaler Gateway) strategy
• Determine session and access policies, including user authentication and remote access
• Design virtual desktop operating systems access
• Calculate bandwidth for the desktop virtualization solution

Desktop   

• Make key design decisions regarding machine catalogs and groups
• Design a personalization strategy including user profiles, user policies, and personal vDisk usage
• Design an appropriate printing strategy

Application Delivery   

• Design a solution that meets application inventory and integration requirements
• Identify characteristics of the applications that will impact placement as well as the application delivery architecture for the XenDesktop environment
• Design an application delivery strategy

Desktop Delivery   

• Design a Desktop delivery topology, including Sites, XenDesktop Controllers per site, and load balancing
• Design the underlying infrastructure, including database selection, license servers and Active Directory Integration
• XenDesktop user and virtual desktop baseline policies

Networking Layer   

• Make key high availability design decisions
• Integrate the XenDesktop infrastructure with the network infrastructure
• WAN optimization, Multistream ICA, and DHCP functionality

Storage and Provisioning Layer   

• Make key design decisions regarding storage
• Features of and differences between PVS and MCS
• Design a provisioning strategy with either PVS or MCS

Platform Layer   

• Make key design decisions regarding the hypervisor to be used in desktop virtualization
• Make accurate hardware calculations, including VDI hardware, shared hardware, application hardware, and control hardware

Operational   

• Potential migration approaches
• Design a system monitoring strategy
• Make key design decisions regarding decisions regarding application delivery
  • Migration approach
  • Backup and System Monitoring

Verification   

• Verify assess and design decisions using Citrix online tools
• Develop a complete stakeholder presentation
• Effectively present and support design decisions

Capstone Exercise