Posts tagged ‘VPX’
Deploying Citrix Branch Repeater VPX is challenging when it comes to high availability
Yesterday Citrix annouced the free availability of Branch Repeater VPX (any model) for every new and existing Citrix XenDesktop Platinum customer. While this is a big addition for existing and new customers, implementing Branch Repeater VPX can be technical challanging.
Let my explain why:
First you need a physical server running Citrix XenServer or VMware ESX. This isn’t a big deal. But while the physical Branch Repeater appliances have file-to-wire network cards your virtualization host doesn’t. This means when your Repeater VPX or physical virtualization host are running into any trouble your connection which before was featured by Citrix Reapter is now offline.
What are the alternatives:
- Using the Repeater High-availability mode? No, you’re out of luck. This feature isn’t supported if you’re deploying Repeater as VPX.
- Using the high-availability features (NIC bonding, Restart HA) of the hypervisor? Again, you’re out of luck because it doesn’t help you if your Repeater VPX is crashing.
- Using Repeater WCCP or Virtual Inline mode? There you are.
In fact if you’re deploying Repeater in WCCP mode or Virtual Inline mode both have health checking capabilities. So if your Repeater isn’t available anymore your router is bypassing the Repeater and is sending the traffic another way.
For implementing WCCP or Virtual Inline mode you need to do some changes to your router, which in most cases shouldn’t be a problem but can also be very challenging when it’s managed by your ISP. 
Anyhow now you know how to deploy a fail-proof Repeater VPX in your environment and you now can enjoy all the advantages of having Citrix Branch Repeater around.
For more information about the product announcement visit:
http://community.citrix.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=160366748
For details on how to deploy Branch Repeater VPX in WCCP or Virtual Inline mode take a look at the admin guide:
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX126633
Citrix Synergy 2010 San Francisco Day 2 Keynote Summary
After we already summarized the first keynote of Citrix Synergy 2010 San Francisco today you get a summary of the second keynote from yesterday. The second keynote was focused on virtualization and the data center. Again we’re focusing on the technical content of the keynote and try to leave out the marketing stuff as much as we can.
Keynote speakers were Mark Templton (Citrix), Michael Dell (Dell) and Frank Gens (IDC).
Frank Gens kicked of the keynote by talking about the five game changers in the enterprise IT: cloud computing, pervasive mobility, social computing, the embedded Internet of things, and the ubiquitous analytics. If you want to know more just watch the recording of the first part of the keynote.
After Frank Gens, Mark Templeton came up on stage and talked about NetScaler and XenServer.
NetScaler
Citrix NetScaler is currently available for the most virtualization platforms (XenServer, ESX) and as hardware appliances as well. Citrix added some new, very powerful hardware appliance called NetScaler MPX 17500, 19500 and 21500. These models support throughput from 20 to 50 Gbps. In a matter of fact all three new models are based on the same hardware and the additional throughput is unlocked by a license key. Citrix calls this “pay-as-you-grow”. The NetScaler MPX family support throughput from 1 Gbps to 50 Gbps and you only have to buy a new hardware appliance if you want so switch from 1 – 3 Gbps to 5 – 15 Gbps or from 5 – 15 Gbps to 20 – 50 Gbps. Of course you could also jump from 1 to 50 Gbps as well. These appliances are already available.
Citrix also announced the PayGrow Burst Pack. You can buy a PayGrow Burst Pack licenses and if you need more throughput then you have currently licensed you just break open your Burst Pack when you need it and then you have more throughput 90 days. The PayGrow Burst Packs will be available in June this year.
The last announcement on NetScaler was the NetScaler VPX for Hyper-V appliance. With this announcement Citrix now supports every major virtualization platform for their NetScaler VPX virtual appliances.
Additionally with the release of NetScaler VPX for Hyper-V there will be a full integration of NetScaler in Microsoft System Center and also the support (through AppExpert templates) to use NetScaler with Microsoft applications like SharePoint and Exchange 2010. The VPX for Hyper-V and the tight Microsoft integration will be available in summer this year.
By the way, did you know that 75% of the internet users passing NetScaler systems every day? No wonder because Google and Amazon, for example, are using NetScaler.
XenServer
In the second keynote XenServer 5.6 was announced and will be available on May 28. XenServer 5.6 is powered by the following new features:
- Better density and scale
- Faster network performance
- Memory optimization (memory over-commitment)
- Host power management
- Role based administration
- Snapshot & revert
- Self service user portal
Also XenServer 5.6 will be available in four versions: free, advanced (1000$), enterprise (2500$) and platinum (5000$). More information on the XenServer release can be found in the official press release.
Mark T. also presented, together with Brad Anderson (Microsoft), the next version of Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) with full XenServer integration. Brad A. demonstrated some really cool features like the VMM design studio where you can manage the roll out for your new servers/applications through drag and drop. This is possible by using stuff like single image management, virtualizing server services with App-V and so on.
After Marks session Michael Dell came up on stage and talked about the future of the desktop and gave a sneak preview of the new Dell “streak” device which will available next month.
If you want to watch all three keynote session just visit citrix.com/tv or access the keynotes directly by using one of the following links:
Synergy Keynote May 2010 Day 2 – The Five Game Changers in Enterprise IT
Synergy Keynote May 2010 Day 2 – Virtualization and the Datacenter
Synergy Keynote May 2010 Day 2 – Dell and Citrix Systems