XenClient Enterprise 4.5

1. XenClient Enterprise 4.5 What’s New in Version 4.5

2. Table of Contents

3. Localization • The Engine and Synchronizer user interfaces have been localized into the following languages. • Engine: • English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Japanese. • Synchronizer: • English and German

4. Engine Localization • The language is selected early in the Engine installation process.Note: It is possible to change the language later.

5. Engine Localization: Changing the Language • The language might be changed after the Engine is installed. • This requires restarting the computer. The language and/or keyboard layout can be changed. Open the Engine control panel and select “Tools by Category”. Start the “Language and Keyboards” applet.

6. Synchronizer Installer Localization • The Synchronizer installer can be run in either English or German language. • The selected language is also used to localize several database entries such as policy names and descriptions.

7. Synchronizer Database Localization • In version 4.5, the database collation language can be specified when Synchronizer is installed. • This language determines the character set and collation sequence for many string fields in the Synchronizer database. • The language can be specified for: • MSSQL 2005 Express bundled with the Synchronizer installer. • A new database created in an existing MSSQL Server instance.

8. Synchronizer Localization: Database Updates • When upgrading Synchronizer to 4.5 from a previous version, the database tables must be converted to handle multi-byte characters. • This might take several minutes to complete. • The database will grow significantly during the conversion process (some large tables will double in size). • MSSQL 2005 Express only supports databases up to 4 GB in total size. • If Synchronizer uses MSSQL 2005 Express for a database, the upgrade will fail if the pre-upgrade database is too large. • It might be possible to reduce the size of the database by purging old events. • But the best solution is to migrate to a production version of MSSQL 2008.

9. Synchronizer Console Localization • The language of most Synchronizer console text is determined by the locale. • The default locale is determined by Internet Explorer configuration. • IE running in English Windows will render the console in English. • IE running in German Windows will render the console in German. • IE language preferences can be configured to render the Synchronizer console (and all other web pages) into a different language if desired. • The locale can also be specified in the URL: • Default: https://synchronizer-hostname:8443 • German: https://synchronizer-hostname:8443?locale=de • English: https://synchronizer-hostname:8443?locale=en • Some console text is not translated if the locale changes. • For example, default policy names and descriptions. • These text elements are based on database entries and will always be displayed in the language chosen when Synchronizer was installed.

10. Dual External Monitors for Laptops • In version 4.5, the Engine supports dual external monitors connected to video ports on a laptop docking station. • USB docking stations are still not supported at all. • In this configuration, the built-in laptop LCD screen cannot be used (it will be a black screen).

11. Display Manager The Display Manager offers a new way of managing monitor orientations and configurations. To access the Display Manager: Start the Engine control panel. Choose “Tools by Category”. Start “Displays” applet from the “Devices” group.

12. Display Manager: Mirrored vs. Extended Mode • Mirrored Mode • The same image is displayed on both monitors at the same resolution. • Virtual Machines (VMs) only see a single monitor attached. Mirroring is handled in the Engine. • Click “Exit Mirror Mode” to switch to extended desktop mode. • Extended Desktop Mode • One monitor is set as the primary display. The desktop is extended to the other display. • Displays might have different resolutions. • Click “Enter Mirror Mode” to go back to mirrored mode.

13. Display Manager: Screen Orientation • In Extended Desktop mode, the Display Manager allows the orientation of the two monitors to be configured. • Select a monitor and drag it to a location that matches how the monitors are physically oriented. • Mouse cursor movement should track across the monitors in the expected manner. To re-orient an external monitor to the right of a laptop, select the external monitor and drag it to the desired location. The mouse cursor will track horizontally across the two monitors as expected.

14. Windows 8 Support (Phase 1) • Support for Windows 8 VMs will be implemented incrementally over multiple versions of XenClient Enterprise. • Phase 1 for Windows 8 VMs in version 4.5, but there are limitations: • Only a single monitor is supported in the Virtual Machine. • Fixed monitor resolution of 1024x768. • No optical drive support.

15. PV Drivers Installation • This chain of events illustrates the life cycle of a shared VM image update. • In previous versions: • Drivers are injected into image during Publish phase by Synchronizer. • PV Drivers in final VM matched the Synchronizer version. • In version 4.5: • Drivers are injected into image during Install phase by Engine. • PV Drivers in final VM should always match the Engine version. Author The Administrator makes updates to a VM image. Publish The VM image is published, creating a new version. Deploy The new version is deployed as Current or Staged. Synchronizer Download The new version is downloaded by Engine. Ready The new version is installed on Engine and ready to run. Install Engine runs NxPrep to install the new version. Engine

16. PV Drivers and Engine Updates • The Engine will automatically detect if the PV drivers in a VM must be updated. • This will usually happen when the Engine is upgraded to a new version. • If so, the VM will enter “Upgrading for New Engine” status while the Engine runs NxPrep to update the PV drivers in the VM. • Advantage: The PV drivers are always kept up to date. • Disadvantage: The VM will be unavailable for a few minutes after an Engine update while the PV drivers are updated.

17. PV Drivers Installation and Synchronizer Upgrades • Prior to version 4.5: • After upgrading the Synchronizer, all shared VM images should be republished to pick up the new PV drivers. • This was the only way to update the PV drivers in shared VM images. • In version 4.5 and later: • Not required to republish shared VM images just because the Synchronizer was upgraded. • The new PV drivers will automatically be installed into the deployed VM when the Engine is updated. • Special case for Windows XP VMs: The VM image must still be republished once after the Synchronizer is upgraded to 4.5. This is necessary to initialize the VM so the Engine can inject the PV drivers correctly.

18. Licensing • Elimination of Standalone Engine License Keys • This is for running Engine in standalone mode (not registered to Synchronizer). • There is no longer an expiring trial license for standalone Engine. • Standalone Engine might run indefinitely with no license key. • Built-In Synchronizer Evaluation License • When Synchronizer is installed, an evaluation license is automatically activated. • Allows up to 10 managed endpoints and 2 remote servers. • Expires at the end of 2013. • No Integration With Citrix License Server Yet • Synchronizer still uses its own licensing mechanism. • This is a high-priority feature for a future version of XCE.

19. The Dock In previous versions, the Dock was called the Connect VM and appeared as a VM that could be started and stopped. The VM entry has been removed in version 4.5. The Dock can now be started, stopped, and configured in the Engine control panel Dock applet. The “Enable” checkbox is used to start or stop the Dock. If “Show Over All VMs” is selected, the Dock can be accessed even if a VM is in the foreground.

20. Accessing The Dock • To access the dock, access the launcher screen and move the mouse cursor to the top of the screen. • This is the default Dock position. • The Dock can be configured to appear at the bottom of the screen if desired. • The Dock can also be configured to appear over the top of VMs that are in the foreground.

21. The Dock Is Still a VM • Although it no longer appears with other VMs on the Engine launcher screen, the Dock is still a VM. • Enabling the Dock in the Engine control panel starts the Dock VM. • The Dock VM requires 512 MB of memory to run. • The Dock would not start if sufficient memory is not available. • The Dock might prevent other VMs from starting, or it might prevent installation of VM updates, if the Engine is low on memory.

22. The Dock In Engine Policy • The Dock is configurable in the Engine policy. • If the Dock is not enabled in Engine policy, the Dock cannot be started on the Engine.

23. The Dock: Before and After Registering Engine • Before Registering Engine to Synchronizer: • The Dock is enabled by default. • It will be running until the user disables the Dock in the Engine control panel. • After Registering Engine to Synchronizer: • Enablement of the Dock is controlled by the engine policy. • Default engine policy does not have the Dock enabled. • Therefore, the Dock will not be available after the Engine is registered. • Unless the Engine policy is configured to enable it.

24. VLANs • Version 4.5 supports connecting deployed VMs to specific VLANs. • Computer networking requirements: • Must be a wired network connection (VLANs not supported for wireless networks). • Must be in bridged mode (VLANs not supported in NAT mode). • Computer must be connected to a trunked switch port carrying tagged VLANs. • Can only be configured through Synchronizer policy. • This feature was back-ported to version 4.1.4.

25. VLANs and the Windows Settings Policy • VLANs are configured in the Windows Settings policy. • This allows different VMs deployed to the same computer to use different VLANs.

26. VLANs and the Engine Policy If VLANs are in use, the Engine policy should be configured for bridged network addressing mode (VLANs are not supported in NAT mode). Select the Engine policy. Select “Network”. Set the address mode to Bridged.

27. Follow-The-Display Device Assignment • This is a new way of assigning USB devices in the Engine device manager. • The “Follow the Display” option means: • The device is automatically assigned to any VM brought to the foreground. • The device is unassigned from any VM it was assigned to previously. • The device can only be assigned to one VM at any time. • This feature is primarily intended for touchscreen devices. • Most touchscreens are USB devices. • Engine has limited native support for touchscreens. • Setting the touchscreen assignment to “Follow the Display” allows: • Native interaction between Windows and the touchscreen. • Multiple VMs to use the touchscreen (one at a time).

28. Server Status Dashboard A dashboard summarizing the status of primary and remote Synchronizer servers is now available in the Synchronizer console. Expand “Overview”. Open “Synchronizer”. Select “Servers”. Select the “Summary” tab. The Synchronizer server status dashboard is displayed.