System requirements

System requirements

Before installing Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp, ensure your system meets the following minimum hardware and software requirements.

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Product licensing

Product licensing

Foglight includes a licensing capability that restricts access to those features that are defined in the license. Any Management Server installation requires a license that grants access to server-specific parts of the browser interface and the features associated with them. Foglight cartridges are also license-protected. While some cartridges are covered by the base Foglight license (such as Foglight Agent Manager cartridges and Foglight for Infrastructure), others may require an additional license.

Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp is license-protected. In this release, it comes with a trial license which is valid for 30 days. To activate your trial license, or to purchase or extend a commercial Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp license, use the Getting Started tab on the XenDesktop Environment dashboard. For complete information about this dashboard, see the Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp User Guide.

To activate, purchase, or extend a Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp license:

1. On the navigation panel, under Dashboards, choose XenDesktop > XenDesktop Environment.
2. On the XenDesktop Environment dashboard that appears, open the Getting Started tab.
3. The information appearing on this tab indicates the state of your license:
   • Click Here to Activate a Free 30-Day trial of Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp: This option appears if you just installed Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp. Click this button to activate your trial license.
   • Buy a Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp License Today: This option appears if you have a trial license that is either valid or expired. Click this button to purchase a full commercial license.
   • Renew your Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp License Today: This option appears if your commercial license expired. Click this button to renew your license. If you do not see any of the above options in the bottom-right corner of the Getting Started tab, you have a full commercial license with no expiration date.

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Getting started with Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp

Getting started with Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp

Contents of the release package

The Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp release package contains the following:

1. Cartridge file:
   • XenDesktop-5_7_2.car
2. Product Documentation, including:
   • Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp Release Notes (this document, in HTML format)
   • Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp User Guide (PDF and online help)
     Note: This document was not updated for this release. The previous version of this document is relevant for the current release as well.

Installation instructions

Foglight for Virtualization, Enterprise Edition 8.5.5 includes Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp 5.7.2. Once you installed Foglight for Virtualization, Enterprise Edition 8.5.5, Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp is also installed on the Foglight Management Server. You just need to go the XenDesktop Environment dashboard to activate the trial license or install a commercial license.

To add Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp to an existing Foglight 5.7.5.x or Foglight for Virtualization, Enterprise Edition installation, install it as you would a new cartridge. When done, navigate to the XenDesktop Environment dashboard and activate the trial license or install a commercial license.

Note: Citrix XenDesktop requires Foglight for VMware 5.7.2 to be installed on the same Management Server.

To install the cartridge file, activate a license, and deploy monitoring agents:

1. Download the following packages from Dell Support Portal:
   • Foglight for VMware version 5.7.2 (which includes the DRP-5_7_2.car, Virtual-VMware-5_7_2.car and Virtual-VMware-Admin-5_7_2.car cartridge files)
   • Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp version 5.7.2 (which includes the XenDesktop-5_7_2.car cartridge file)
2. On the Cartridge Inventory dashboard, install and enable the following cartridge files. The sequence of cartridge installation is important because of their dependencies:
   1. DRP-5_7_2.car
   2. Virtual-VMware-5_7_2.car
      Note: After installing the Virtual-VMware-5_7_2.car cartridge, existing vCenter agents (VC agents) must be updated using the Update Agent button in the VMware Environment > Administration tab.
   3. Virtual-VMware-Admin-5_7_2.car
   4. XenDesktop-5_7_2.car

   For cartridge installation instructions, see "Installing Foglight cartridges" in the Foglight Administration and Configuration Help.

3.  Navigate to the XenDesktop Environment dashboard, and activate the trial license, or install a commercial license, as required. For instructions, see Product Licensing.
4. On the XenDesktop Environment dashboard, on the Administration tab, run the XenDesktop and NetScaler discovery wizards to deploy XenDesktop and NetScaler agents and to start collecting data. For more information, see the Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp User Guide.

After installing the cartridge files, the following cartridge appears on the Cartridge Inventory dashboard:

• XenDesktop 5.7.2
• XenDesktop-Agent 5.7.2
• NetScaler-Agent 5.7.2

Configuration prerequisites

Configuring NetScaler https

To configure this, you need to specify the port and protocol in the FglAM configuration file:

vmparameter.0 = "-Dcom.dell.netscaler.10.30.180.70.protocol=https";

vmparameter.1 = "-Dcom.dell.netscaler.10.30.180.70.protocol.port=443";

Configuring your XenDesktop system for monitoring

To discover your XenDesktop environment for configuration, you must enable a remote connection to at least one of the XenDesktop Delivery Controllers in your XenDesktop site. Follow the instructions in Configuring a remote connection on a XenDesktop Delivery Controller to enable the remote connection for a XenDesktop Delivery Controller in each XenDesktop site.

To monitor the License Server, StoreFront Server, Database Server, Domain Controller Server, and Delivery Controllers that the XenDesktop Discovery Wizard detects in a XenDesktop environment, you must enable remote connections to the machines running these components. See Configuring remote connections on a License Server, StoreFront Server, Database Server, Domain Controller Server, and Multiple Delivery Controllers for instructions.

Monitoring process-level information for each virtual application requires that a remote connection to each virtual machine is enabled. To simplify the configuration process, it is recommended that you enable a remote connection on the XenDesktop virtual machine’s master image. For complete instructions on how to enable a remote connection on a master image and to update it, see Configuring XenDesktop Master Images for monitoring virtual applications.

XenDesktop agents rely on the Foglight Agent Manager services to collect data from the monitored system. These remote connections use Kerberos authentication. It is recommended that you verify the Kerberos configuration before creating XenDesktop agent instances. For more information, see Configuring the Agent Manager Kerberos settings.

Obtaining WinRM (or DCOM) scripts

Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp comes with scripts that allow you to automatically configure your WinRM or DCOM connection:

• WinRMConfig.zip: Use the script provided in this file to configure WinRM settings on a single host.
• DComConfig.zip: Use the script provided in this file to configure DCom settings on a single host.
• WinRMGPOConfig.zip: Use the script to quickly configure WinRM settings on multiple hosts within the same domain.

While both WinRM and DCOM connections are supported, WinRM is recommended. The scripts are available for download from the Foglight browser interface. Running a WinRM or DCOM script on the XenDesktop Delivery Controller allows you to automatically configure remote connections.

To configure a remote connection using a WinRM or DCOM script:

1. Log in to the Foglight browser interface.
2. On the navigation panel, under Dashboards, choose Administration > Cartridges > Components for Download.
3. On the Cartridge Inventory dashboard, locate the row containing WinRM PowerShell automation script or DCom PowerShell automation script, as required, and click to download it.
   For more information about the Cartridge Inventory dashboard, see the Administration and Configuration Help.
   Tip: The WinRM and DCOM scripts are also available for download from the XenDesktop Discovery Wizard. For more information about this wizard, see the Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp User Guide.

Configuring a remote connection on a XenDesktop Delivery Controller

After obtaining a WinRM or DCOM script, use it to configure a remote connection on your XenDesktop Delivery Controller.

To configure a remote connection on a XenDesktop Delivery Controller:

1. Log in to the XenDesktop Delivery Controller machine.
2. Copy the ZIP file containing the WinRM script to the XenDesktop Delivery Controller machine, and extract its contents, consisting of a readme file and a PowerShell script.
3. Review the instructions in the readme. Run the PowerShell script locally on the XenDesktop Delivery Controller machine.

Configuring remote connections on a License Server, StoreFront Server, Database Server, Domain Controller Server, and Multiple Delivery Controllers

After obtaining a WinRM or DCOM script, use it to configure a remote connection on your Citrix components, including the License Server, StoreFront Server, Database Server, Domain Controller Server, and multiple Delivery Controllers.

To configure remote connection on a License Server, StoreFront Server, Database Server, Domain Controller Server, and Delivery Controllers:

1. For each License Server, StoreFront Server, Database Server, Domain Controller Server, and Delivery Controller that you want to configure, log in to its machine.
2. Copy the ZIP file containing the WinRM script to each machine, and extract its contents, consisting of a readme file and a PowerShell script.
3. Review the instructions in the readme. Run the PowerShell script locally on each machine.

Configuring XenDesktop Master Images for monitoring virtual applications

To collect the performance metrics from a virtual application, Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp must connect to the virtual machines providing virtual application instances using a WinRM or DCOM connection in order to collect the virtual application process data.

Note: The configuration described in this step is optional. It is only required if you want to collect the virtual application process data.

To simplify this workflow, it is recommended to enable WinRM or DCOM connectivity on the XenDesktop machine’s master image. A master image is a template that you use to deploy your environment. Creating a master image involves installing and configuring the operating system and any software you want to include on your image.

Start by obtaining the WinRM or DCOM script. The scripts can be downloaded from the Components for Download dashboard. For more information, see Obtaining WinRM (or DCOM) Scripts.

Next, prepare a XenDesktop master image. This procedure must be applied to all master images that are the templates of those machines that you want to monitor (for virtual applications, more specifically).

Finally, update all master images that are the templates of the virtual machines that you want to monitor.

To prepare a new XenDesktop master image for configuration:

1. Find the virtual machine and snapshot for current master image.
2. Optional. If you do not need to keep the changes after the last master image, revert the virtual machine to the master image snapshot.
3. Start the virtual machine using a Remote Desktop Connection or the virtualization platform console, and follow instructions in the WinRM or DCOM script to enable a remote connection.
   Tip: The WinRM and DCOM scripts are available for download from the Components for Download dashboard. For more information, see Obtaining WinRM (or DCOM) scripts.
4. Create a new snapshot as the new template of the master image.

To update a XenDesktop master image:

1. Open the XenDesktop Studio.
2. In the XenDesktop studio, in the left pane, click the Machine Catalogs node. In the right pane, select a machine catalog, and click Update Machine.
3. On the Master Image page, select the newly prepared master image (a virtual machine snapshot), and click Next.
4. On the Rollout Strategy page, specify how the new or updated master image is applied to the users' desktops, and click Next.
5. On the Summary page, click Finish.

System permissions

After a successful configuration of your XenDesktop system for monitoring, ensure that the following account privileges are granted to the Delivery Controller, NetScaler, and VMware accounts that the monitoring agents will use to connect to these systems.

Performing network connectivity checks

To successfully you start monitoring your environment with Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp, ensure that there are no connectivity issues between the following connection points in your environment:

• Foglight Agent Manager and NetScaler®
• Foglight Agent Manager and XenDesktop Controller

Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp uses the following ports. Make sure they are not blocked by your firewall.

If you are using the Foglight for Virtualization, Enterprise Edition vApp, update the Foglight Management Server SuSE firewall UDP port setting before creating a NetScaler Agent instance.

To update the SuSE firewall UDP port:

1. In the vCenter, open the Foglight Management Server VM console vApp.
2. Open the SuSE firewall configuration file for editing by typing the following at the command prompt:
   vi /etc/sysconfig/SuSEfirewall2
3. In the SuSEfirewall2 file, locate the FW_SERVICES_EXT_UDP parameter and set it to the NetFlow listener port (9995 by default, this should be the same port number as the one you specify in the NetScaler Agent wizard) by typing the following:
   FW_SERVICES_EXT_UDP =”9995”
4. Save your changes to the SuSEfirewall2 file by pressing ESC and typing the following:
   wq!
5. Restart the SuSEfirewall service by typing the following:
   rcSuSEfirewall2 restart

From here, you can create a NetScaler Agent instance.

Configuring the Agent Manager Kerberos settings

Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp agents use Foglight Agent Manager services to run cmdlets and queries on monitored hosts to collect data. This interface relies on Kerberos authentication. In most cases, the Agent Manager automatically generates required Kerberos configuration files. To ensure these services work as expected, after installing Foglight for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp on the Management Server, and before running the Discover XenDesktop Infrastructure wizard, verify the Kerberos configuration on the Agent Manager. If you update any settings, restart the Agent Manager in order for these changes to take effect.

To check a Kerberos configuration file:

1. Open one of these files for editing:

   • <fgl_home>\fglam\state\default\config\fglam.config.xml (embedded Agent Managers)

   • <fglam_home>\state\default\config\fglam.config.xml (stand-alone Agent Managers)

2. In the fglam.config.xml file, locate the <config:krb5-config-file> element. It should point to the OS krb5.config file, or the Agent Manager's own krb5.config file, if the OS does not include one.

3. Locate and open the krb5.config file for editing. You can find this file in your Agent Manager installation directory: <fglam_home>/state/default/config.

4. In the krb5.config file, ensure that the target host’s domain (the XenDesktop Delivery Controller’s domain) is specified as the default realm. For example, if the domain is example.com, look for the following lines in the file.
   
   Tip: The KDC (Key Distribution Center) IP address (or hostname) is usually same as the Active Directory IP address (or host name).
   
   [libdefaults]
       default_realm = EXAMPLE.COM
   
   [realms]
       EXAMPLE.COM = {
       kdc = 192.0.2.0
       }
   
   [domain_realm]
       .example.com = EXAMPLE.COM

5. If you make any changes to the krb5.config file, restart the Agent Manager.

   1. Log in to the Foglight browser interface.

   2. On the navigation panel, under Dashboards, choose Administration > Agents > Agent Managers.

   3. Select the row containing the Agent Manger host, and click Restart.

   For more information about this dashboard, see the Administration and Configuration Help. For more information about the Agent Manager, see the Agent Manager Guide.

Sizing recommendations

This section presents the sizing formula used to calculate the memory needed for Foglight Agent Manager and Foglight Management Server to run stable.

Sizing formula and examples for Foglight Agent Manager

VMWare® = 512 MB + 0.50 MB * Desktop(VM)#

XenDesktop® and XenApp® = 256 MB +0.25 MB * Session#

Session/Process Collection = 0.5 MB * Desktop(VM)#  

Note: The VMware agent requires a minimum of 2.5 GB of memory.

Example: The first line in the following table shows a XenDesktop environment with 200 desktops.

The VMware agent was set up to collect full metrics, and consumes 512 MB + 0.5 MB * 200 = 612 MB for running stable.

XenDesktop consumes 256 MB + 0.25 MB * 200 = 306 MB for running stable. 

The total cost is 612 MB + 306 MB = 918 MB of total memory.

When the Session/Process Collection is enabled, addition memory is consumed for the same environment: 200 * 0.5 = 100 MB. The total cost in this case is 918 + 100 = 1018 MB.

After the total memory (MB) is determined, you have the following two options:

1. If "Total Memory" is less than or equal to 2560 MB, no changes are required in the Agent Manager, as the default memory of the VMware agent manifest should suffice.
2. If "Total Memory" is greater than 2560 MB, you must change the default Agent Manager settings. The amount of additional memory required is the total memory (see "Total Memory" column in the table below) minus the default value of 2560 MB.
   In example 5, the additional memory required is: 4518 – 2560 = 1958 MB.
   1. On the agent machine, open the baseline.jvmargs.config file for editing. The file is located in the <Agent_Manager_home>/state/default/config directory.
   2. Add the following lines in the Memory Settings section:
      vmparameter.0 = "-Xms1958m";
vmparameter.1 = "-Xmx1958m";
      Note: If this file has been previously edited, increment the numeric parameters accordingly.
   3.  Delete the existing deployed negotiation configuration settings directory: <Agent_Manager_home>/state/default/config/deployments.
   4. Restart the Agent Manager for these settings to take effect.

Sizing formula and examples for Foglight Management Server

VMWare® = 0.5 Unit Load * Desktop(VM)#

XenDesktop® = 0.13 Unit Load * Desktop(VM)#

Session/Process Collection = 0.1 Unit Load * Desktop(VM)#

Foglight Management Server with 4 GB memory could support 1K unit loads

Foglight Management Server with 16 GB memory could support 10K unit loads

Example: The first line in the following table shows a XenDesktop environment with 200 desktops.

The VMware agent was set up to collect full metrics, and consumes 0.5 Unit Load * 200 = 100 Unit Load for running stable.

XenDesktop consumes 0.13 Unit Load * 200 = 26 Unit Load for running stable. 

The total cost is 100 Unit Load + 26 Unit Load = 126 Unit Load. By following the sizing recommendation, Foglight Management Server needs 4 GB for running stable.

When the Session/Process Collection is enabled, addition memory is consumed for the same environment: 200 * 0.1 Unit Load = 20 Unit Load. The total cost in this case is 126 Unit Load + 20 Unit Load = 146 Unit Load. Foglight Management Server needs only 4 GB for running stable.

Once the "Total Memory" has been determined, the number (in megabytes) must be added to Foglight Management Server heap. For instructions on how to modify the heap, refer to "Setting memory parameters for the server" in the Foglight Installation and Setup Guide.

Additional resources

Additional information is available from the following:

• Online product documentation (http://documents.quest.com/ProductsAZ.aspx#F)
• Performance Management Community http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/performance-monitoring/

Globalization

This section contains information about installing and operating this product in non-English configurations, such as those needed by customers outside of North America. This section does not replace the materials about supported platforms and configurations found elsewhere in the product documentation.

This release is Unicode-enabled and supports any character set. In this release, all product components should be configured to use the same or compatible character encodings and should be installed to use the same locale and regional options. This release is targeted to support operations in the following regions: North America, Western Europe and Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Far-East Asia, Japan.

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