SUM307: NetScaler VPX Implementation and Troubleshooting

1. SUM307: NetScaler VPX Implementation and Troubleshooting Harvey Miller – Senior Escalation Engineer May 11, 2010

2. Agenda • Introduction to NetScaler VPX • Installation and Licensing • Troubleshooting • Use Cases Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

3. Introduction to NetScaler VPX

4. App delivery without the expensive tin - Maxwell Cooter, TechWorld Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

5. Introduction to NetScaler VPX • Virtual NetScaler appliance • Hardware requirements • Hypervisors Supported • Differences between VPX and hardware Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

6. XenServer components • XenServer • XenCenter • XenConvert Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

7. XenServer Architecture Citrix XenServer DomU DomU Dom0 Guest OS NS VPX Linux PV Drivers Drivers Xen Hypervisor Client L2/L3 L2 /L3 Server eth1 eth0

8. VM Mechanism Binary Translation – Sensitive/Privileged CPU Instructions are replaced with hypervisor code or calls “on the fly” • Advantages: Unmodified Guest OS, No special hardware • Disadvantages: Performance Paravirtualization – The Guest OS is modified so that privileged/sensitive instructions are replaced with calls to the hypervisor • Advantages: Performance, no special hardware required, relatively easy for hypervisor • Disadvantages: Guest OS must be modified Hardware assisted – Sensitive/Privileged CPU Instructions executed by the Guest OS trap out to the hypervisor • Each processor vendor brands and implements this differently. • Intel: “VT-x” • AMD: “AMD-V” • Advantages: Unmodified Guest OS, Relatively easy for hypervisor • Disadvantages: Special hardware required Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

9. Hypervisor Architecture - XenServer • Bare metal. • Managed by “Domain0” • Domain 0 manages network and storage I/O of guest VMs • Hardware drivers run in Domain0 • Paravirtualized Guest OS or hardware assist VMs only – no Binary Translation DomainU DomainU Domain0 NS VPX Linux Xen Tools Xen daemon(s) GuestOS2 PV Drivers Drivers Xen Hypervisor XenCenter Client Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

10. Xen Hypervisor NS VPX: Internals PV Front end Drivers Real Drivers Back-end Drivers Dom0 (Linux) DomU (NS VPX ) Xen daemon(s) Xen Tools Virtual Memory Virtual Memory Virtual CPU Virtual CPU Memory CPU Scheduler Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

11. Hardware requirements • Virtual hardware assist • CPUs • Memory • NIC Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

12. Differences between VPX and hardware Features of VPX Features of Hardware Tagged VLANs not supported No LACP No hardware assists No nCore support (yet) Only version 9.1 & up Full L2 support Hardware assists nCore with MPX models All versions compatible with hardware Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

13. Installation and Licensing

16. Setting the VM memory and VCPUs for the NetScaler VPX

17. Installation Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

18. Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

19. Identifying the VPX from the CLI and GUI

20. NetScaler VPX • 1 Mbps • 20 Mbps • 1000 Mbps • Standard • Enterprise • Platinum • http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx122426 Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

21. XenServer licenses • Free license • Unlimited VMs • XenConvert (P2V and V2V) • Centralized multi-server manangement console • Live motion • Virtual infrastructure patch management • Intelligent server maintenance mode Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

22. XenServer licenses (continued) • Citrix Essentials • High Availability • Advanced server virtualization management • Intelligent workload placement • Rapid provisioning of new VMs Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

23. Troubleshooting

24. TroubleShooting VPX • Issues dealing with Networking • Tracing • Log file locations Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

25. Why is my CPU so high? • CPU from XenCenter is 100% • VPX shows lower values • Which is right? Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

26. XenCenter View Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

27. NetScaler VPX view Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

28. Lack of proper license while adding SSL certificates

29. NetScaler VPX missing a valid license

30. Some examples of problems with the license file(s) The shell command `cat /var/log/license.log` reveals a missing license: The shell command `cat /var/log/license.log` reveals an invalid license: The shell command `cat /var/log/license.log` reveals an expired license:

31. Using Tagged VLANs With the NetScaler VPX Virtual Machines (DomU) NetScaler VPX 1/2 1/3 1/4 Virtual Interfaces Vlan 1 Vlan 53 Vlan 128 Untagged VLANs External Switch Trunk Port (tagged VLANs) Virtual Switches XenServer Host (Dom0) Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

32. Identifying the NetScaler VPX interfaces

33. Reboot messages in the logs Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

34. Reboot messages in the logs Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

35. Reboot messages in the logs Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

36. Use Cases

37. Use Cases • Lab Environment • Proof of Concept • Separation of traffic • Real world simulation Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

38. Real World Simulation Virtual NetScalers Virtual Server Hyper Visor Real World North America Virtual Router Europe Asia Africa Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

39. Additional Resources • NetScaler Licensing: CTX122426 • NetScaler VPX 9.1 FAQ CTX12191 • NetScaler setup and configuring CTX124306 • How to video: importing and configuring CTX122721 • Importing VPX on ESX CTX123683 • Support.citrix.com (search for VPX) • Forums Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute

40. Session surveys are available online at www.citrixsummit.com starting Thursday, May 13 Provide your feedback and pick up your complimentary Starbucks or iTunes giftcard at the registration desk Download presentations starting Friday, May 21, from your My Schedule Tool located in your My Synergy Microsite event account Before you leave…

41. Questions/Comments? Citrix Confidential - Do Not Distribute