XenApp 6.5 Planning

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I always find when doing any kind of Citrix deployments whether it be test labs, pre-production or live systems there is an awful lot to consider before you even start to plan your roll out - and rightly so. A lot of this is for my own use and just to jog my memory form time to time and also to make sure i don't miss anything out of the planning side of things. If you would like to add something to this or let me know the way you go about planning a XenApp 6.5 please let me know.


Hardware and Software considerations

• What hardware will you be using? How much RAM does the server, what are the CPU's and their spec, what disks are going to be used and their speed.
• Windows licensing? What edition of OS are you going to be using? Std, Ent or DataCenter.
• Do you have your Windows RDS licensing?
• What OS do you plan to install XenApp on and is it 32bit of 64bit?
• What hypervisor do you plan on using? XenServer, VMware, Hyper-V?
• What Citrix Licensing do you have and what model do you have? Concurrent or user/device? 

Application/User Considerations

• How many users do I anticipate will want to connect to each application during peak and off-peak hours?
• Is there any compliance or security concerns/issues around your apps?
• Will any of the apps be graphically intensive?
• Do your apps require any USB peripherals? Digital dictation, scanners, CD burners, WebCams?
• How are you planning to deliver your apps?  All of which have pro's and con's.

• Do you required UAC?  If so do you need it to prompt or not?

Networking Considerations 

• What's your network topology like?
• Do you have any high latency links?
• What if any security measures are required?
• Consider your AD requirements if any and if there will be any trusts involved.
• If two-factor authentication required?
• Do you require single sign-on?
• Is pass-through authentication required?
• Will you require Branch Repeater?

XenApp Server Configuration Considerations

• How many farms are required? Do you have high latency?
• How many zones are required? Do you have multiple sites?
• What database product are you going to use?  SQL or Oracle?  Remember SQL Express cannot be used if you have more than one site.  Also consider your database hardware and your database maintenance - replication and backups. 
• Plan server loads and location that apps are installed.
• How many XenApp server's will be required?  Use Load Testing Services on the XenApp servers to simulate how your users run applications on your servers.
• How are you going to setup your XML broker and web interface?  What port will they run on and will they be installed on the same server?
• How are you going to setup your Data Collector? Do you need more than one?
• Where are you going to place your Apps?
• What server functions will be installed where? Will you install the license server on the same server as your Web Interface for example?
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Installing XenApp

• Will you be using the wizard based or command line installation?
• What roles will be installed on each XenApp server?  Will you put the data collector with the installation of AppCenter?
• Before you install XenApp have you meet the following? Latest updates are installed, no other instance of XenApp is installed and what are you doing with Citrix XML and IIS Integration.
• If you are using SQL or Oracle have you setup a DNS?
• Have you decided on a server mode?  Are all XenApp server's going to be a data collector's and available for election or are you going to use session-only servers?
• Do you want to Windows Desktop Experience Integration? Do you want a Windows 7 look and feel if you offer a desktop via XenApp?
• Have you setup a License server yet or are you going to use an existing License server?

Configuring XenApp

• When it comes to configuring XenApp make sure you have information such 

- Are you joining an existing farm or a new one?

- If creating a new farm have the name and domain ready.

- Select the data store database type and connection information.

- Do you have the database credentials?

- Are you going to use shadowing?

- What server mode and zone name?

- Do you have the licensing information?

• Do you want to configure XenApp via the comman-line?
• Are you going to use provisioning services as a XenApp server deployment method?
• How are you going to maintain, backup and restore the data store database?
• Who are going to be your Citrix administrators?
• If you are a service provider will you need the App Delivery Setup Tools?  This allows you to deploy XenApp farms quickly.
• What Citrix policies are you going to use? How are you going to apply the policies?

• How are you going to define the user environment?  Consider things like change user logons, what devices can they access, any folder redirections, audio.
• Are you going to enable workspace control?
• How are you going to maintain session activity?  Session Reliability, auto-reconnect and ICA keep alive.
• Are you going to use session linger?  This manages the launch times between apps.
• How are you going to optimize the users sessions?  HDX config, Flash content, video and audio playback.

XenApp Security

• Do you need to mark your data store secure? 
• Are you going to require SecureICS and SSL/TSL?
• Do you need to provide a Secure Gateway?
• Are smart cards a requirement?
• Do you need to log administrative changes?

Migration Considerations

• Do you plan migrate apps from an old farm such as a XenApp 5/6 farm.