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Advanced PVS Implementation & Troubleshooting Guide

This guide covers planning, implementing, and troubleshooting Provisioning Services (PVS), including database configuration, hardware requirements, network considerations, installation steps, and PVS configuration details. It provides in-depth knowledge from an escalation engineer to enhance your PVS skills.

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Advanced PVS Implementation & Troubleshooting Guide

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  1. Implementing & Troubleshooting PVS Gareth O’Brien October 2012

  2. Introduction • Gareth O’Brien, escalation engineer • Intermediate to advanced PVS knowledge expected

  3. Agenda • Planning • Database, storage, network, farm layout • Installing • Configuring • Files needed for booting, boot process • Troubleshooting • Stream Service • Console, MAPI and IPC

  4. Implementing PVS

  5. Planning • Planning the database configuration • Hardware requirements • Client & Server considerations • Network • Farm layout considerations

  6. Database • Size of farm determines database server choice • Fault tolerance and failover • Mirroring • dbOffline – if all else fails • SQL native client needed for mirroring • Permissions • Dbcreator & securityadmin for Configuration Wizard • Db_datareader, db_datawriter & execute permissions on stored procedures

  7. Hardware Requirements • Supported Operating systems • Windows Server 2003 R2, 2008, 2008 R2 • Minimum spec of the PVS server • Known hardware issues • http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX131611 • NIC Teaming • Make sure hardware is not on above list • If streaming doesn’t work with team, try break the team Processor: 3GHz RAM: 4GB NIC: 1GB per 250 targets

  8. Network • Configure UDP & TCP Ports • Server to server ports must be the same on all servers • Target device communication ports • 6910-6930 • SOAP Server • 54321 & 54322 • TFTP & TSB • 69 & 6969 • Firewall must be configured to allow all these ports • If in doubt, allow ANY/ANY to test • PortFast must be enabled

  9. Provisioning Servers Provisioning Servers Plan the farm Provisioning Services Farm MSSQL Server Database License Server Shared Storage Site 2 Site 1 DeviceCollection DeviceCollection DeviceCollection DeviceCollection DeviceCollection

  10. Installing PVS

  11. Installing PVS • Server installation • If installing a new version of .NET, reboot when prompted • Specify the mirror failover if applicable • Console installation • Needs PowerShell 2.0 • If upgrading, make sure you remove the old version • Target installation • Make sure you set the target to boot from network first • If imaging fails • Start with a vanilla install & try to image. Remove any teams • XenConvert & BNImage are other options

  12. Configuring PVS

  13. Configuring PVS • PXE Boot • Two Stage Boot (TSB) • Boot Process • Stores • IPC Key

  14. PXE Boot • Must configure DHCP • Option 66: IP of PVS Server • Option 67: Name of bootstrap (ardbp32.bin) • Uses TFTP Protocol • TFTP listens on one NIC only • Configure using c:\program Files\citrix\provisioning services\tftpcpl.cpl • TFTP Downloads bootstrap, ARDBP32.BIN • Other TFTP servers can be used

  15. Two Stage Boot (TSB) • Used in situations where DHCP or PXE cannot be used • Uses ISO burned from PVS Server • Uses a boot strap called tsbbdm.bin • Listens on NIC configured for streaming in configuration wizard • Uses port 6969 • Uses Two Stage Boot service on PVS server

  16. Boot Process • Target device either uses DHCP to obtain an IP or loads static IP (for TSB) • Once it has an IP, it will contact the 1st logon server specified in the bootstrap • The logon server will then create a context for the device, determine which vDisk the target is assigned and the least loaded server • This calculation is based on both RIMS information and the load information in the database • RIMS uses notifier and inventory service to update load information • If subnet affinity is enabled, this will alter the calculation • Once a server has been selected, a streaming IP and port will be provided • IP information will be in HEX, not decimal

  17. Boot Process (cont) • Excerpt from log of a target logging on

  18. Boot Process (cont) • As streaming begins, the boot control device (BCD) is downloaded • This phase is referred to as single I/O • Once Single I/O has finished, we enter the admin phase • BNIStack handshake • Vdisk configuration (name, mode, write cache type) is requested and provided • Target device requests personality string • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\BNIStack\Parameters • DWORD EnableGetComputerName set to 1 • AD information requested • Multi I/O phase entered

  19. Stores • Configure vDisk stores • Centralised vs Distributed stores • Centralised • Works well in HA environment  • Low storage overhead  • High cost  • Potential SAN/Storage issues  • Distributed • Low implementation cost  • High storage overhead  • Configuration  • IPC is the method for communication between servers for stores

  20. IPC Key • Defines which NIC to use for IPC communication in a multi NIC environment • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Citrix\ProvisioningServices\IPC\ • Reg_sz called IPv4Address with the IP of the NIC for IPC • Without it, stores, replication, load balancing etc won’t work • Affects stream service • Manager key for MAPI works the same way • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ProvisioningServices\Manager • RegSZ called GeneralInetAddr with the IP of the NIC and port • Eg 10.1.1.2:6909

  21. Troubleshooting PVS

  22. A more structured method of troubleshooting PVS

  23. Troubleshooting PVS • Stream service troubleshooting • The basics • Tracing • Dumps • Log Analysis • Common Issues • SOAP/Console • Unable to validate • Console timeouts

  24. Stream Service Basics • The devil is in the detail. • Network Topology • Hardware of target, server & database • Storage type & location • Write cache type • Database location, version, HA • MSInfo32 • Bluescreens • Common Image • 7B • What does it mean • Common causes

  25. Stream Service Tracing • Network traces • Wireshark trace on the server • Tcpdump on the target • Make sure you always use –s 0 to not limit capture size • PVS Logs • Set to trace level • C:\programdata\Citrix\Provisioning Services\Logs • Target side logging also • All logs and traces should be capture simultaneously, while the issue is happening.

  26. Stream Service Tracing (cont)

  27. Stream Service Tracing (cont)

  28. Stream Service Tracing (cont)

  29. Crash Dumps • If possible, take it in private mode • In 2008, it’s possible to redirect to a non system drive • http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX123642 • Not possible on 2003 • Configure citrix symbols • Live debugging can be done, but difficult without symbols • Use live debugger to help set it up http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX131945 • Check for BNIstack being loaded • !devnode 0 1 • On 5.6 check for bnns • !ndiskd.miniports

  30. Common issues • Imaging • Let the wizard do the work for you • Always revert to a clean install as a first step • If the wizard doesn’t work, pre-create the disk and use xenconvert • BNImage can work well if all else fails • Computer Account • Is AD Management configured on the vDisk? Is Active directory correctly configured? • GPO disabling password update, and password age • Reset the password within the PVS console • Check all relevant Microsoft hotfixes are installed – Google! • BNDevice 1015 in the event viewer – unable to negotiate a new password • Trace logs will show you the requests

  31. Performance • Follow the best practice guide • http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX127549 • http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX117374 • Intermediate buffering • Generally enabled if free space on target device disk is greater than vDisk, otherwise disabled • Toggling the state is always worth trying to see the performance impact • Check interrupt safe mode is not enabled • Check the network with a network monitor

  32. SOAP & Console • Console timeout • The console timeout can be set in the registry • Use DWORD ConnectionTimeout in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ProvisioningServices. Default value is 120s • Can’t communicate with other servers • Check IPC and manager keys • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ProvisioningServices\IPC\IPv4Address • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ProvisioningServices\Manager\GeneralInetAddr • Mentioned above • Load Balancing issues • Check the StreamProcess & Inventory logs to make sure there are no issues around RIMS

  33. Questions?

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