a22 prep guide

Citrix Education © 2012 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

EXAM PREPARATION GUIDE | Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced Administration

Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced Administration

1Y0-A22 Exam

Preparation Guide 1.0

25 January 2012



Notice

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Disclaimer This exam preparation guide is designed to provide candidates with necessary

information about the exam, including listing study resources and samples which

enable candidates to assess the types of items that may be asked during the Citrix

certification exam. Please be aware that the content of this guide in no way ensures a

passing score on the certification exam.

Authors Alejandra Garcia, Senior Measurement Specialist, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Charlene Bobb-Smith, Exam Project Manager, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Psychometrician of

Record Eric Jenson, Ph.D, Psychometrician, TestToolbox

Editor Kathryn Morris, Ph,D.

Item Development Team Mark Ma, Systems Engineer, CentriNet Corp.

Carl Webster, Independent Consultant, Carl Webster Consulting

Allen Furmanski, Senior Readiness Specialist, Citrix Systems

Kai Guettner, Senior Systems Engineer, Citrix Lead, ProSys Information Systems

Karla Stagray, Curriculum Specialist, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Jo Harder, Senior Systems Architect, Claros Systems, Inc.

Samir Tocchetto, Citrix Architect, IBM

Jeff Rohrer, Owner, Citrixxperience.com

Glenn L. Porter, Director, Lewis Learning Ltd.

Jared G. Hoover, The Citrix Engineer, Lancaster General Hospital

Stephane Thirion, CTO/IT Architect, Activlan

Neil Spellings, Independent Virtualisation Consultant, neil.spellings.net

Arnd Kagelmacher, Arnd Kagelmacher IT-Schulung & Beratung

Ralf Donkers, Senior Technical Consultant, Gen-i

Subject Matter Experts Robert Morris, Consultant and Citrix Certified Master Instructor, Advantec Global

Services Inc

Daniel Seltzer, Software Test Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Al Mata, Sr. Technical Relationship Manager, Citrix Systems

Steve Allen, Systems Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Nuno Alves, Citrix Consultant, HP

Greg Lirette, Sr. Systems Integrator, Universal Data Inc

Hariprasad S. Chowlur, Manager, Software Development, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Tony Zhang, Consultant



Ramon O. Scott, Lead Escalation Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Rob Blincoe, Citrix Principal Technologist, QA

André Navoizat, Infrastructure Architect, IBM

Johannes Norz, Citrix consultant and trainer, Austria

Jon Schaubhut, Lead Test Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Shane Sorensen, Senior Systems Administrator, Intermountain Healthcare

Ramesh Krishnaram, Lead Software Test Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Danny van Dam, Senior Consultant, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Scott Novack, Senior Software Development Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Alexander Simanov, Senior Software Development Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Mark Howell, Sr. Sales Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Blaise Cacciola, Principal Technical Writer, Citrix Systems, Inc. Mark Ma, Systems Engineer, CentriNet Corp.

Carl Webster, Independent Consultant, Carl Webster Consulting

Allen Furmanski, Senior Readiness Specialist, Citrix Systems

Kai Guettner, Senior Systems Engineer, Citrix Lead, ProSys Information Systems

Karla Stagray, Curriculum Specialist, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Jo Harder, Senior Systems Architect, Claros Systems, Inc.

Samir Tocchetto, Citrix Architect, IBM

Jeff Rohrer, Owner, Citrixxperience.com

Glenn L. Porter, Director, Lewis Learning Ltd

Sharin Yeoh, Senior Systems Engineer, CSG Limited

Stacy Scott, Senior Manager, WW Technical Readiness, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Adam Mandelbloom, Sr Technical Relationship Manager, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Jared Brummer, Solutions Architect, World Wide Technology

Robert Huie, Architect, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Jenny Berger, Senior Technical Writer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Ruben Centeno, Technical Relationship Manager, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Andrea Rutherfoord, Lead Technical Writer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Neil Spellings, Independent Virtualisation Consultant, neil.spellings.net

Haydn Davies, Senior Systems Engineer, Middletons

Albert Hols, Software Support Consultant, Hewlett-Packard

Nestor Castro Quintero,System Engineer,Sinergia D3 SLU

Arnd Kagelmacher, Arnd Kagelmacher IT-Schulung & Beratung

Patrick Coughlin, Lead Citrix Administrator, Great American Insurance

Guillermo Torres Benes, Senior Virtualization Architect, Knowlity Corporation

Edward Villanueva, Software Developer in Test, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Ralf Donkers, Senior Technical Consultant, Gen-i

Jane Cassell, Virtualization Consultant/Architect, RealServeIT

Alpha & QA Testers Brian Sheppard, Lead Software Test Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Konstantin Akimov, Lead Software Test Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Victor Cataluna, Senior Software Test Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Richard Martinez Jr, Sr. XenApp Operations Engineer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Tawnisha Reynolds, Exam Project Manager, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Orlando Martinez, Sr. Courseware Developer, Citrix Systems, Inc.

Charlene Bobb-Smith, Exam Project Manager, Citrix Systems, Inc.



Acknowledgement

The Citrix Exam Development team would like to recognize Alexander Simanov

who passed away in 2011 for his outstanding work on this and other exam projects.

Alex was very supportive of our projects, volunteering his time to help with the

design and development of the exams and helping to ensure the high quality of the

releases. Unfortunately, he did not live to see this exam published. Our team will be

forever grateful to him for his professionalism, camaraderie and selfless

contributions.



Table of Contents

Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced Administration ..................................................... i

1Y0-A22 Exam .................................................................................................... i

1 The Exam ....................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Purpose of the Preparation Guide and the Exam ......................................... 1 1.2 Beta Testing of an Exam ............................................................................. 2

1.3 Number of Items .......................................................................................... 2 1.4 Passing Score ............................................................................................... 3

1.5 Time Limit ................................................................................................... 3

1.6 Registration and Administration ................................................................. 3

1.7 Certification Tracks ..................................................................................... 4 1.8 Citrix Exam Retake Policies ........................................................................ 4

2 The Intended Audience .................................................................................. 5

2.1 Intended Audience ....................................................................................... 5 2.2 Defining the Role Being Tested .................................................................. 5

3 Preparatory Recommendations for the Exam ................................................ 6

3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 6 3.2 Recommended Knowledge, Skills and Abilities ........................................ 6

3.3 Recommended Product Experience ............................................................. 7 3.4 Recommended Course ................................................................................. 7

4 Exam Sections and Weights .......................................................................... 8

4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 8

4.2 Section Titles and Weights .......................................................................... 8 4.3 How Section Weights Relate to Items on the Exam ................................... 9

5 Exam Objectives and Resources for the Exam ............................................ 11

5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 11 5.2 Resources Used to Develop the Exam ...................................................... 11 5.3 Recommended Experience ....................................................................... 13 5.4 Objectives ................................................................................................. 13 5.4 How Objectives Relate to Items on the Exam ........................................... 16

6 Interactive Item Usage ................................................................................. 17

6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 17

7 Simulation Item Types ................................................................................. 18

7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 18 7.2 Helms in the Exam at VUE ....................................................................... 18

7.3 Description of Simulation Items ................................................................ 19 7.4 Citrix Simulation Item Demo .................................................................... 22



8 Scoring and Answering Process .................................................................. 23

8.1 Scoring ....................................................................................................... 23 8.2 Answering Process for Simulation Items .................................................. 23

9 Time Matters for this Exam ......................................................................... 24

9.1 System Clock versus Actual Time ............................................................ 24

10 Types of Questions ...................................................................................... 25

Multiple Choice with Scenario ........................................................................ 25 Multiple Choice with Fill in the Blank ............................................................ 25 Multiple Response ........................................................................................... 26

Multiple Choice with an Exhibit ..................................................................... 27

11 Appendix: FAQ ............................................................................................ 29

11.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 29

11.2 FAQ ......................................................................................................... 29

Citrix Education © 2011 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 1


1 The Exam

1.1 Purpose of

the Preparation

Guide and the

Exam

This guide was developed to assist candidates with their preparation for the

Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced Administration (1Y0-A22) exam. It consists

of information on the exam structure including topics such as section

weighting, exam duration, and intended audience. Objectives, a list of the

content areas for the exam, are also included. Finally, this guide includes a

list of resources and topics which were used as references during the

development of the exam. Links to additional Knowledge Base documents

and other support documents links are provided to help candidates gain in-

depth knowledge of the product. Candidates should read this guide carefully

before attempting this exam.

The A22 exam was developed to address the features that a candidate

should know in order to perform the advanced job tasks of a XenApp 6.5

administrator. By passing this exam, candidates can show they have at least

the basic knowledge and skills needed to monitor, maintain, optimize and

troubleshoot an enterprise environment that contains a farm running Citrix

XenApp 6.5 on Windows Server 2008 R2 in accordance with best practices

as defined by Citrix Subject Matter Experts. This exam also certifies that

the candidate has hands-on experience with the XenApp 6.5 product.



1.2 Beta Testing

of an Exam Citrix Education regularly conducts beta testing of the content of all high

stakes certification exams. Once the items are developed for an exam,

Citrix Education releases them as a beta exam, which may be taken at no

cost. A beta exam counts toward Citrix certifications, but candidates are

only allowed to take it once while it is in beta.

The A22 beta was an operational beta as the participants received their

score immediately after completing the exam. The cut score for the beta

was set in a workshop where subject matter experts provided feedback and

rated each item based on the perceived difficulty for the intended audience.

This workshop was led by a psychometrician who also compiled the results

and recommended an appropriate score. Beta testing was conducted for the

Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced Administration (A22) exam from October 21

- November 19, 2011. A total of 304 candidates (35% from the Americas,

61% from EMEA, and 4% from APAC) took the exam.

During the beta, candidates also completed a survey to indicate how much

experience they had with XenApp 6.5. After the beta exam closed, a

psychometrician analyzed the exam and survey results along with the

Angoff results to determine which items should be kept in the final

versions of the exam. This analysis provided the basis for the current

passing score and time limit for the exam.

If you are interested in participating in future beta exams, please visit the

Citrix Education SME Hub to create a profile and indicate that you are

interested in taking beta exams.

1.3 Number of

Items The A22 exam contains 62 items and is written in English. Of the 62 items,

54 are multiple choice/multiple response and 8 are simulations. Some of

the items on the exam are scored and will be used to determine a

candidate‘s score on the exam. Other items on the exam are unscored.

Candidates will not be able to identify whether an item is scored or

unscored. However, these items will not affect a candidate‘s final exam

score.

Candidates will also not be penalized for skipping or leaving an item

blank:

If the item is a scored item, candidates will receive zero (0) points

for the item.

If the item is an unscored item, a candidate‘s final score will not

reflect this item.

http://www.citrix.com/SMEHub



1.4 Passing

Score The passing score for this exam is 65%.

1.5 Time Limit Native English speakers have 210 minutes to complete the exam. Non-

Native English speakers who take the exam in English have 240 minutes.

Non-native English speakers who take the test in countries where English

is not the major language—for example France, China, and Brazil— will

automatically receive the time extension; a list of these countries is defined

and maintained by Pearson VUE. However, non-native English speakers

taking the test in countries where English is deemed to be the major

language—for example US, UK, and/or Australia—are not automatically

granted time extensions. To obtain a time extension, candidates in these

countries must register either over the phone or in person and explicitly

request the time extension. Note: A $7 USD surcharge will be added to phone

registrations.

1.6 Registration

and

Administration

This exam is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers worldwide. For

details on the rules and procedures associated with registering for and

taking the exam, please visit the Citrix Exams web page at

http://citrixtraining.com/content/index.cfm/cgroup_id:85.

Visit the Pearson VUE web site (www.vue.com/citrix) to locate a testing

center in your area and register for an exam. To register in the United

States and Canada, you may also register in person at any Pearson VUE

testing center or call 1-800-931-4084. Note: A $7 USD surcharge will be

added to phone registrations.

http://citrixtraining.com/content/index.cfm/cgroup_id:85

http://www.vue.com/citrix



1.7

Certification

Tracks

The A22 exam is a requirement for the Citrix Certified Advanced

Administrator (CCAA) credential in XenApp 6 track. Unlike previous

versions of this certification, there are no courseware requirements for this

version of the certification.

CCAA Path

Become a CCA in

XenApp 6

Pass the A18 Basic Administration for

Citrix XenApp 6 exam

OR

Pass the A20 Citrix XenApp 6.5

Administration exam

Become a CCAA in

XenApp 6

Pass the A22 Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced

Administration exam

The A22 exam may also fulfill requirements for other certification tracks,

such as the Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer (CCEE) and/or the Citrix

Certified Integration Architect (CCIA).

For the most up-to-date information on the CCAA certification and other

Citrix certifications, including required exams and associated

recommended courses visit http://www.citrixtraining.com.

Note: Citrix Education does not prescribe a specific order in any

certification path as exams and courses may be taken in any order.

1.8 Citrix Exam

Retake Policies If a candidate fails an exam on the first attempt, they must wait 24 hours

from their original appointment time before they can register to retake the

exam. If a candidate fails on a second attempt or any attempt thereafter, he

or she must wait 14 calendar days to retake the exam. Beta exams may only

be taken once. Citrix Education monitors retake activity for breaches of this

policy. Breaches result in sanctions up to and including a temporary ban

from taking Citrix exams and/or revocation of current certification.

To learn more about the Citrix Education Exam policies, see the Exam

Policies page on the Citrix Education web site. All candidates of Citrix

Certifications must agree and be bound to the Citrix Candidate Conduct

Policy. For the most current copy of this policy, please visit the Candidate

Conduct page on the Citrix Training web site.

http://www.citrixtraining.com/

http://www.citrixtraining.com/content/index.cfm/cgroup_id:85

http://www.citrixtraining.com/content/index.cfm/cgroup_id:85





2 The Intended Audience

2.1 Intended

Audience The A22 exam is focused on advanced topics that are most important to

those who perform the role of a Citrix XenApp Administrator. Citrix

Education selected these topics based on feedback from subject matter

experts (SMEs) who perform this role in the field. Those who serve as

administrators may hold various job titles, including but not limited to:

Systems Administrators

Help Desk 2 and above

Citrix partners

Consultants

Architects

Sales/Systems Engineers (SEs)

2.2 Defining the

Role Being

Tested

Field experts discussed the duties of the administrator role during a job task

analysis workshop (JTA). Depending on the job title, individuals in this role

could have different responsibilities. The experts who participated in the JTA

arrived at a consensus about which tasks were the most important for

administrators and selected those as objectives for this test. The experts also

selected those areas that were most important to test hands-on experience

with simulation items.

.



3 Preparatory Recommendations for the Exam

3.1

Introduction It is recommended that prior to taking this exam, candidates have the

knowledge, skills and abilities required to monitor, maintain, optimize and

troubleshoot an enterprise environment that contains a server farm running

XenApp 6.5 on Windows Server 2008 R2. This includes hands-on

experience with the product as that will be tested by the simulation items.

3.2

Recommended

Knowledge,

Skills and

Abilities

Candidates should have the following knowledge, skills and abilities prior

to taking this exam:

Basic Knowledge of Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Active Directory 2008

Intermediate network administration skills, including the ability to:

Create users, manage permissions and administer rights

Configure operating system options

Configure protocols (TCP/ICA)

Administer firewalls

Create shares and give access to shared folders/files

Administer e-mail and account creation

Basic Knowledge Microsoft SQL Server database administration

Experience using Microsoft PowerShell when working with

XenApp



3.3

Recommended

Product

Experience

Citrix Education recommends that candidates be familiar with the

differences between XenApp 6 and XenApp 6.5 and have at least six

months of experience with the following:

Monitoring and managing a XenApp 6 or 6.5 environment

Scaling a XenApp 6 or 6.5 environment to meet business needs

Maintaining data and server integrity

Optimizing a XenApp 6.5 environment including:

Using Citrix Access Gateway

Using Citrix EdgeSight

Optimizing the network

Troubleshooting a XenApp 6 or 6.5 environment

3.4

Recommended

Course

Citrix Education recommends that candidates have hands-on experience

with XenApp 6.5 prior to taking this exam. While it is NOT a

requirement, taking formal Citrix training courses will provide some

hands-on experience with the product. The following courses provide

basic training on administrative tasks.

CXA 301-1I: Citrix XenApp 6.5: Advanced Administration

(Instructor-led training course or self-study)

CXA 301-1W: Citrix XenApp 6.5: Advanced Administration (Self-

paced online training course)

As with all Citrix exams, it is recommended that candidates get hands-on

experience by working directly with the products covered on the exam.

This includes setting up a XenApp 6.5 environment with at least one farm,

multiple applications published using various methods, at least one Web

Interface site, Access Gateway for some access scenarios and EdgeSight

for reporting. While this hands-on experience can be done on the job,

Citrix Education‘s certification courses offer a safe and robust

environment in which to learn these tasks.



4 Exam Sections and Weights

4.1

Introduction The 1Y0-A22 exam is divided into five (5) sections.

4.2 Section

Titles and

Weights

Each section of the exam is weighted as follows, totaling 100%.

Section Weight

Maintaining Data and Server Integrity 21%

Monitoring and Managing the Environment 21%

Scaling the Environment to Meet Business

Needs

17%

Optimizing the Environment 11%

Troubleshooting 30%

Total 100%



4.3 How Section

Weights Relate

to Items on the

Exam

Section weights correlate directly to the number of items on the exam. For

example, if an exam has 60 items, and Section 1 is weighted at 50%, then

30 of the items on the exam will relate to Section 1 (60*50% = 30).

Section weights are NOT used to calculate an exam-taker‘s score. Section

weights are meant to indicate the percentage of the exam that covers

certain content. Because some items may be assigned different point

values, section weights and exam scores do not always have a one-to-one

correlation.

Please be aware that section weights are NOT used to calculate your

score. Each item is assigned a point value based on its importance and

weighting; therefore, section weights and exam scores do not always have

a one-to-one correlation.

For example, let's assume you took an exam where each item was worth a

point (1 point). If you calculate your final score using the average, your

final score will be:

Section Number

of Items

Maximum

Points Per

Item

Number

of Items

Correct

Percentage

Score per

Section

Average Score

((Section 1 +

Section 2)/2)

Section 1 10 1 7 70% =(70%+30%)/2 =

50% Section 2 10 1 3 30%

In the example above, the average worked. Let‘s take the same concept

and add in items that are weighted differently, that is, they have different

maximum point values.

This scenario is similar to how the A22 exam final score is calculated. Section Number

of Items

Maximum

Points Per

Item

Number

of Items

Correct

Percentage

Score per

Section

Arithmetic

Means Score

((Section 1 +

Section 2)/2)

Section 1 10 1 7 70% =(70%+30%)/2 =

50% Section 2 10 10 3 30%

The final score produced above is incorrect because 30 points in Section 2

weigh far more than 7 points in Section 1.

On Citrix exams, as a practice the final score is calculated as a percentage

of:



Total Points Earned

Total Points Possible

Which means, the correct score should be:

(7 * 1) + (3 * 10)

(10 * 10) + (10 * 1)

Which is equal to 37

110

So for the example above, the final score that is reported to the candidate is 34%.

For more information on how scoring works in Citrix exams read the blog

The Scoring Secrets for Citrix Exams - Divulged.

http://community.citrix.com/display/ocb/2009/08/25/The+Scoring+Secrets+for+Citrix+Exams+-+Divulged

http://community.citrix.com/display/ocb/2009/08/25/The+Scoring+Secrets+for+Citrix+Exams+-+Divulged



5 Exam Objectives and Resources for the Exam

5.1

Introduction The items for the exam were developed directly from the exam objectives.

The exam objectives are used to test candidates‘ knowledge, skills and

abilities related to each section of the exam.

Some of the exam objectives will correspond, or map, to field experience.

Candidates should have practical hands-on experience in monitoring,

optimizing and troubleshooting Citrix XenApp 6 or 6.5 in enterprise

environments and understand the differences between XenApp 6 and 6.5 to

increase their likelihood of passing this exam.

Citrix Education recommends that candidates obtain hands-on experience

and attend the CXA 301-1I: Citrix XenApp 6.5: Advanced Administration

course if possible to prepare for the A22 exam.

5.2 Resources

Used to

Develop the

Exam

The following resources were used to develop this exam:

Resource How to Obtain

Citrix Knowledge Base

Articles:

How to Configure

Windows Network

Load Balancing and

Web Interface

(CTX108812)

Error: IMA Service

Error Message -

2147483647

(CTX032712)

Troubleshooting IMA

Service Failure To

Start (CTX105292)

How to Configure

Single Sign-on for

Web Interface Using

Version 10, 11, and

12x Plug-ins

(CTX113004)

Knowledge Base articles are available at:

http://support.citrix.com/

Citrix eDocs:

Planning for the Web

Interface and XML

Broker

Applying Policies to

eDoc articles are available at:






Access Gateway

Connections

Publishing Resources

Using the AppCenter

Session Limits Policy

Settings

XenAppCloud.com http://xenappcloud.com/index.php/201007072384/C

itrix/Xenapp/xenapp-commands-reference.html

*Links are subject to change.

http://xenappcloud.com/index.php/201007072384/Citrix/Xenapp/xenapp-commands-reference.html

http://xenappcloud.com/index.php/201007072384/Citrix/Xenapp/xenapp-commands-reference.html



5.3

Recommended

Experience

5.4

Objectives

For all sections, practical hands-on experience in monitoring, optimizing

and troubleshooting Citrix XenApp 6.5 in enterprise environments is

recommended.

In particular, candidates should have hands-on experience:

Backing up, restoring and migrating databases in a XenApp 6.5

environment

Backing up and repairing Web Interface sites

Performing server maintenance including applying hot fixes,

conducting manual installations, updating SSL certificates and

installing drivers

Using Resource Manager and EdgeSight to monitor a XenApp 6.5

environment

Using the .ADM template to configure clients and deploying

clients using Merchandising Server

Configuring logon scripts, policies and profiles as well as moving

servers, configuring multi-farm sites and configuring worker

groups

Optimizing the XenApp environment by adjusting bandwidth

consumption, configuring Quality of Service (QoS), configuring

Session Prelaunch, and integrating XenApp 6.5 with other

products

Troubleshooting issues related to IMA, user connectivity, client

performance, Web Interface, printing, applications and HDX

policies

Note: Field experience is considered technical and practical experience

with Citrix XenApp 6.5 in a pilot or production environment. Hands-on

experience is considered technical or practical experience with Citrix

XenApp 6.5 in a lab or proof-of-concept (POC) environment.

Section Objectives

Maintaining Data

and Server

Integrity

Determine when to perform data store

maintenance to maintain data store integrity.

Based on a scenario, determine how to back up

and/or repair a Web Interface site.

Identify valid reasons to migrate a data store

database from a Microsoft SQL Express 2008 R2

to a Microsoft SQL Server database.

Identify the methods and process to secure a

XenApp 6.5 environment using Access Gateway.

Determine how to create high availability for



Web Interface.

Given stated requirements, determine which

actions to perform in order to maintain the server.

Monitoring and

Managing the

Environment

Based on a scenario, determine which services

should be monitored to meet the requirements.

Determine how to configure monitoring of the

network for a given environment.

Determine how to configure clients centrally

using the ICAClient.ADM template.

Given a scenario and possibly necessary reports,

identify the root cause of issues in the

environment.

Given an EdgeSight report, interpret the results

for the XenApp 6.5 environment.

Describe how to configure alerts for XenApp

monitoring through EdgeSight.

Determine how to deploy and/or send updates to

clients centrally using Merchandising Server.

Given a configuration log or XenApp log data,

identify what the information means in the

XenApp 6.5 environment.

Scaling the

Environment to

Meet Business

Needs

Determine how to define the user experience

based on stated requirements.

Based on a scenario, determine how to configure

printer management to meet stated needs.


farm management to meet stated needs.


multi-farm sites, high availability, fault tolerance

and/or disaster recovery for a XenApp 6.5

environment.

Given a scenario, determine when to use

provisioning and/or cloning options for a XenApp

6.5 environment.

Based on a scenario or stated requirements,

determine how to configure worker groups to

meet the needs of the environment.

Optimizing the

Environment Given a scenario, determine how to optimize the

network by enhancing bandwidth.

Given a scenario, optimize the network for a

XenApp 6.5 environment, taking QoS into

consideration.

Based on stated requirements, determine how to



configure XenApp to integrate with another Citrix

product and/or non-Citrix virtualization platform.

Determine the impact of using session prelaunch

[options] and/or session lingering.

Troubleshooting Given a description of a troubleshooting problem,

identify the components that use IMA that could

be related to the problem.

Based on a scenario, determine which part of the

IMA communication process is malfunctioning.

Based on a scenario describing an IMA startup

issue, determine what is causing the issue.

Determine how to troubleshoot general

(HDX/ICA) connectivity issues having to do with

application launch and/or enumeration.

Given a scenario describing an issue with ICA

connectivity, determine what the Access control

settings should be for Web Interface.

Given a scenario, determine how to troubleshoot

client performance.

Given a description of an issue, determine how to

troubleshoot Web Interface.

Given a described printing issue, determine how

to resolve it.

Based on a scenario, determine how to

troubleshoot applications including using external

tools when appropriate.

Based on a scenario, determine how to

troubleshoot an application streaming issue.

Based on a given scenario, determine what is

causing the HDX policy issue.

Given a scenario in which a resultant policy is

displayed or described, determine the factors

leading to the resultant policy.

Given a scenario, determine what is causing

session prelaunch and/or session lingering to

malfunction.



5.4 How

Objectives

Relate to Items

on the Exam

Objectives summarize what the test is designed to measure. These objectives

were developed by Exam Developers and SMEs based on identified tasks that

relate to the job of monitoring, managing, maintaining, scaling,

troubleshooting and optimizing a Citrix XenApp 6.5 implementation. The

number of items for each objective relates directly to the importance of that

task in doing the job, and is proportional to how frequently that task is

performed.



6 Interactive Item Usage

6.1

Introduction The A22 Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced Administration exam consists primarily

of traditional multiple-choice items. This exam also includes simulation

items. These types of items allow candidates to answer items by interacting

with the interface.

All traditional multiple-choice items and non-traditional simulation items

store the selected answers so that candidates may revisit the item and see their

chosen answers.



7 Simulation Item Types

7.1

Introduction This exam includes eight simulation items. The purpose of this section is to

describe simulation items as they are less common to Citrix exams. This

section of the preparation guide provides a tutorial on the user interface,

scoring and answering rules, and timing matters for these unique item types.

The A22 exam consists of some unique features that candidates need to know

before attempting the exam. The user interface for this exam has been

customized to meet the needs of the unique items. However, this exam also

contains some standard exam components.

All of the simulation items in the A22 exam open in the main window.

The main window in the exam may contain item scenarios, requirements or

multiple-choice items, as well as the helms. The navigation helm, which is

found at the lower portion of the screen, consists of the ‗Previous‘,

‗Comment‘, and ‗Next‘ buttons. These buttons can be used to navigate

forward and backward as well as to make comments related to the item.

7.2 Helms in

the Exam at

VUE

In the left margin of the screen is the counter helm. This helm contains a

counter, which displays the number of the item being tested. In the top margin

is the title helm. The title helm of the exam includes a ‗Select for Review‘

checkbox and the time remaining for the exam. The select for review and time

remaining options in this exam function the same way they do in traditional

multiple choice exams. See Figure 1 for an example.



7.3 Description

of Simulation

Items

Simulation items are used to test candidates‘ abilities to complete specific

configuration tasks. When this type of item is delivered, candidates are

expected to read and synthesize information included in the scenario and then

complete configurations in accordance with best practices.

The main window is the first window presented for this type of item. In

addition to the buttons in the helm, the main window contains a ‗Simulation‘

button. Clicking this button opens the simulated environment.

Figure 1 is an example of the main window for a simulation item in the VUE

environment.

Figure 1: Main window for a simulation item

Once the ‗Simulation‘ button is clicked and the simulated environment is

launched, candidates are presented with a console. A floating window with all

the relevant information from the main window is also presented. This

floating window has an additional marking functionality. It is resizable and

movable; it can be closed or reopened by simply clicking the ‗X‘ button in the

upper right corner.



Figure 2 shows an example of the simulated environment with a floating

window.

Figure 2: Simulated environment with a floating window

The simulated environment looks identical to the real user interface of the

product with which candidates are familiar. Consoles can be minimized or

closed; desktops and alternate applications, including administrative tools,

can be accessed from the ‗Start‘ menu of the server as in a real environment.

Citrix Education worked closely with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to

ensure that the most relevant features and settings available in the real

products are also available within the simulated environments. However,

features such as Help menu items and other settings deemed irrelevant to the

task(s) candidates are being asked to address or settings otherwise outside the

typical path taken were not included in the simulated environments.

By default, the floating window resides in the upper-right corner of the

simulated environment. Candidates can move or resize the floating window as

needed. When candidates complete the required tasks or want to return to the

main window, they should click the ‗Done‘ button in the floating window.

Clicking the ‗Done‘ button saves the final configurations made and closes the

simulation window. Whether or not candidates configure any settings or

complete the required configurations, they still have to click the ‗Done‘

button to exit the simulated environment. Candidates can go back into the

simulated environment after clicking the ‗Done‘ button as many times as they



wish and make changes as desired. Whenever they click the ‗Done‘ button,

whatever new configurations they make will be saved. If they did not

configure anything, their original configuration will remain as-is.

Note: Whenever candidates try to visit the simulated environment for a

simulation item that has been visited on a previous occasion, the following

warning message appears:

Figure 3: Standard Warning Message

Clicking the ‗Done‘ button prompts the simulated environment to save its

state for scoring and results retention. Depending on the number of

configuration steps or the system resources on the test center‘s computer,

candidates may experience a slight delay after clicking the ‗Done‘ button.

While such delays are rare, if they occur, Citrix recommends that candidates

refrain from using the mouse or keyboard while the simulation saves its state,

as these actions may prolong the delay. Delays of this type are rare and

usually last no longer than 20 seconds.

If candidates choose to mark an item incomplete before exiting the simulated

environment, they can do so by checking the ‗Incomplete‘ checkbox at the

bottom of the floating window. At the end of the exam, candidates may

review the items they marked as incomplete.

Candidates can also reset the simulated environment by clicking the ‗Reset‘

button. Clicking the ‗Reset‘ button clears any configurations made within a

particular simulated environment. This restores the simulated environment to

a clean state; the state it was in when it was first visited. Candidates should

only use the ‗Reset‘ button if they want to reconfigure the simulated

environment from scratch. Otherwise, they can delete or undo unwanted

configurations and they will still get the appropriate score. A ‗Help‘ button is

also provided in the floating window. This button provides basic help text to

guide candidates on how to use simulations. This help text is not customized

to the specific items and will not guide candidates on how to make specific



configurations for an item.

Figure 4 is an example of the floating window.

Figure 4: Floating window

7.4 Citrix

Simulation

Item Demo

If you would like to view a demonstration of a Citrix simulation item, please

go to http://citrixtraining.com/456_demo2/

http://citrixtraining.com/456_demo2/



8 Scoring and Answering Process

8.1 Scoring In order to receive points for a simulation item, candidates must complete all

the tasks in accordance with the requirements in a manner that is deemed

acceptable. For this exam, SMEs defined ―acceptable‖ as actions that meet the

requirements without rendering harm to the environment. In those items in

which a best practice is identified, candidates are expected to adhere to the

best practice.

Based on the nature of what is being tested, candidates may receive partial

credit for completing some of the required tasks. The exam was designed to

allow for partial scoring. Candidates can earn points for items in which all

critical tasks are correctly configured rather than only gaining credit when all

tasks, critical and non-critical, are configured correctly.

8.2 Answering

Process for

Simulation

Items

SMEs identified multiple ways that candidates could respond to the

simulation items in order to meet the requirements of scenarios and best

practices while configuring or interacting with those items. As such,

candidates will find that most actions that could be taken to configure a real

implementation to meet the requirements are also available in the simulations.

Examples of possible ways to answer items include using various menu

options, mouse clicks, keyboard inputs and multiple consoles as needed.

While the Exam Development team endeavored to ensure that the most

common ways to complete a task were available in the simulation items,

some actions may be excluded or otherwise unavailable within the simulation.

In those limited cases in which an action is not allowed in a simulation,

candidates will need to use an alternative, correct action to complete the

required configurations.

Candidates are required to create and/or configure specific settings and/or

policies within the simulated environments. Some of the simulation items

contain specific instructions that specify how candidates should name these

settings and policies. However, if not specified, candidates are not penalized

for misspelling the names of these settings and/or policies. For some of the

simulation items, Citrix did not specify how the settings and/or policies

should be named. In such cases, candidates can name the settings and/or

policies whatever they choose.



9 Time Matters for this Exam

9.1 System

Clock versus

Actual Time

The time remaining is displayed in the top right corner of the main window

for all the item types; however, it is not visible from within the simulation

items once the simulated environment is launched. The time displayed on the

task bar of the simulated environment desktop is part of the simulation. It is

the time of the simulated server and, therefore, may not be accurate.

Candidates configuring a simulation item can use the Alt + Tab combination

keys to toggle between the simulated environment and the main window in

order to view the time remaining.



10 Types of Questions

Multiple Choice

with Scenario

This is the most common type of question in the A22 exam. The scenario

provides information that is necessary to correctly answer the question.

Scenario: A company recently deployed Citrix XenApp for all mobile sales

engineers. The sales engineers connect from a variety of fixed, wireless and

mobile connections when visiting customers. Some users have commented

that their sessions sometimes become unresponsive for minutes at a time.

This only happens when they are printing customer contracts.

Which policy settings can an administrator apply to stop a session from

becoming unresponsive during printing?

o Set the maximum printer bandwidth to 50%. (correct)

o Execute the Stress Printers Utility on each XenApp Server.

o Set the default print driver to the Citrix universal print driver.

o Enable the "Wait for printers to be created (desktop)" policy.

Objective: Given a scenario, determine how to optimize the network by

enhancing bandwidth.

The resources used for this question is:

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp?topic=/xenapp6-w2k8-

admin/ps-printing-limiting-printing-bandwidth-all.html

Multiple Choice

with Fill in the

Blank

The answer options are meant to be placed in the blank within the sentence.

This type of question will also prompt you with the directions in the

parentheses.

A XenApp Web site, which contains modified images and scripts, is NOT

working.

The administrator must back up the _________ and use the repair site task,

which is listed under the Site Maintenance in the Citrix Web Interface

Console. (Select the option that correctly completes the sentence.)

o conf folder

o custom files (correct)

o global.asax file

o Web.config file

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp?topic=/xenapp6-w2k8-admin/ps-printing-limiting-printing-bandwidth-all.html

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp?topic=/xenapp6-w2k8-admin/ps-printing-limiting-printing-bandwidth-all.html



Objective: Based on a scenario, determine how to back up and/or repair a

Web Interface site


http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/web-interface-impington/wi-

admin-wrapper-gransden.html

Multiple

Response

A multiple response question is very similar to a multiple choice question.

The difference is that a multiple response question requires more than one

answer option. This type of question will always tell you the amount of

answers that are necessary – in this example two. Multiple response

questions also have the answers displayed with check boxes instead of

radial buttons.

Scenario: Employees at a remote office have begun using a new application

which produces high quality real time imagery of weather systems. There

are currently no WAN optimization technologies in use between the

datacenter and the remote site. The WAN utilization has NOT exceeded

40% utilization since it was installed. Users have reported that their session

performance is poor when viewing real time imagery.

Which two ways can the administrator improve the session performance?

(Choose two.)

Enable ICA Multi-stream (correct)

Disable ICA compression

Configure QoS on the router (correct)

Configure ICA encryption to 40 bit-Logon only

Objective: Given a scenario, optimize the network for a XenApp 6.5

environment, taking QoS into consideration


http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/xenapp65-admin/ps-ref-policies-

multistream.html

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/web-interface-impington/wi-admin-wrapper-gransden.html

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/web-interface-impington/wi-admin-wrapper-gransden.html

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/xenapp65-admin/ps-ref-policies-multistream.html

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/xenapp65-admin/ps-ref-policies-multistream.html



Multiple Choice

with an Exhibit

A question that includes an exhibit will have a button in the helm to view

the exhibit. Questions with multiple exhibits will have the same single

exhibit button; however, once viewing the exhibit, you will see tabs to

switch from one exhibit to the next.

Scenario: Recently the Access Gateway Enterprise Edition (AGEE)

Administrator configured access for mobile tablet devices and smart

phones. Due to security concerns, the XenApp Administrator is asked to

prevent these mobile devices from remotely accessing the published

application belonging to the Finance department.

The AGEE Administrator provided the XenApp Administrator with the

following information:

Public URL: https://access.company.com

Virtual Server IP: 192.168.195.20

Virtual Server Name: ssl_vsrv_access

The following policies and profiles are configured :

sess_pol_default - default Session policy

sess_pol_mobile - session policy configured for mobile devices

Click the Exhibit button to view the attached exhibit.

Based on the attached exhibit, the XenApp Administrator needs to

configure the __________ as the Access Gateway Filter. (Choose the

correct option to complete the sentence.)

o Public URL

o Virtual Server IP

o Mobile session policy

o Default session policy (correct)



Objective: Based on stated requirements, determine how to configure

XenApp to integrate with another Citrix product and/or non-Citrix

virtualization platform.


http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp?topic=/xenapp6-w2k8-

admin/ps-console-policies-config-all.html

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp?topic=/xenapp6-w2k8-admin/ps-console-policies-config-all.html

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp?topic=/xenapp6-w2k8-admin/ps-console-policies-config-all.html



11 Appendix: FAQ

11.1

Introduction Due to the uniqueness of this exam, a FAQ section has been added to address

some of the items frequently asked by candidates.

11.2 FAQ

Item Answer

How is the exam graded? When a candidate selects an option as

the correct response to a item or

configures a setting or set of settings,

those settings are saved in the exam

when the candidate clicks the ‗Next‘ or

‗Done‘ button. At the end of the exam,

when candidates click the ‗End Exam‘ or

‗Exit Exam‘ button, the final responses

to the items on the exam are graded

using scripts and scoring logics.

How are my grades calculated? A complex but thorough grading

algorithm is used to calculate your final

score. Your grades are calculated using

the scores you receive for each item.

Note: Calculating your final score using

the averages for the sections on the exam

will, in most cases, vary from the final

score indicated on your score report.

Please see section 4.3 ―How Section

Weights Relate to Items on the Exam‖

for more details.

What happens when I configure

a setting in the simulated

environment and click the

‗Done‘ button?

When you configure a setting in the

simulated environment and click the

‗Done‘ button, the setting you configured

is saved and you are returned to the main

window of that item.



environment, check the

‗Incomplete‘ check box, and

click the ‗Done‘ button? Will

the item be scored?

Yes, the configured setting will be saved,

but the item will be flagged as

‗incomplete‘ so that you may revisit it at

the end of the exam. Since you have

already configured the environment, you

do not have to remove the incomplete

check mark in order to get credit. You



will be graded according to your

response, regardless of whether the item

is marked as ‗Incomplete‘ or not.


the simulated environment, but

then make a change to a

particular setting in the

environment and click the

‗Done‘ button?

The particular setting you change will be

updated, but all the other settings will

remain the same.



environment, click the ‗Done‘

button, go back into the

simulated environment and

configure new settings?

The old setting and the new settings are

saved and graded at the end of the exam.

What is the function of the

‗Reset‘ button?

The ‗Reset‘ button clears the simulated

environment of a full-screen item and

returns the item to a clean state. It returns

the item to the same state it was in before

you made any configurations to it.


‗Done‘ Button?

The ‗Done‘ button saves whatever

configurations or changes you make

within the simulated environment and

returns the item to the main window.


‗Incomplete‘ checkbox?

The ‗Incomplete‘ checkbox marks or

flags an item as incomplete so that you

may edit that item at the end of the exam.

You may click the ‗Review Incomplete‘

button on the review screen at the end of

the exam to review all the items marked

‗Incomplete‘ in a sequential order, or

you may double-click a single item

marked ‗Incomplete‘ to review that item

from the review screen at the end of the

exam.


‗Return to Item‘ button?

The ‗Return to Item‘ button returns the

simulated environment item to the main

window for that item.

What happens if I launch a

simulated environment, do not

perform any configurations,

click the ‗Done‘ button, and

move to another item? Is it

marked incomplete?

No, the item is saved, and it does not

appear as an incomplete item unless you

mark it as incomplete using the

‗Incomplete‘ checkbox in the floating

window.

How can I speed up the loading There is no way to speed up the loading



of items during the exam? of items. The simulation items are large

and require a short but noticeable period

to load. When you notice that an item is

loading, please do not interact with the

item until it is fully loaded. If you

continuously click the ‗Done,‘ ‗Next‘ or

any buttons while an item is loading or

while [the state of] an item is being

saved, this could delay the processing

time, which will, in turn, cause a longer

waiting time for you. If you click a

button continuously for a very long

period, you may cause your exam to

crash. Citrix suggests that candidates

refrain from clicking buttons when the

exam is loading items or saving

configurations.

What should I do when the

exam screen looks blank?

When the exam screen goes blank, do

not touch the mouse or keyboard for a

couple of seconds, and the exam will

load/reload. The exam screen may go

blank for a couple of milliseconds when

navigating from one item to another

because the exam is trying to load the

new or next item. The exam screen may

also go blank when it is saving certain

configurations. However, if the exam

screen goes blank for more than 20

seconds on any given instance, please

contact the test center administrator.

How do I know how much time

I have remaining to complete

the exam?

In the exam, there is a ‗Time Remaining‘

clock. However, the clock is only

available from the main window. You

can use the Alt + Tab keys to toggle

between the simulated environment and

the main window in order to view the

‗Time Remaining‘ clock.

What happens if I miss only

one configuration step?

Citrix worked with Subject Matter

Experts (SMEs) to identify critical

configuration steps for each of the

simulation items on the exam. Critical

configurations steps are those steps that

if not configured properly would result in

the task required not being completed at



all, not even partially. If you miss one of

those critical steps, you could lose all the

points for that item. However, if you

miss some of the non-critical steps, you

may still get some points for the other

steps you configured or answered

correctly.

How many steps can I miss

before failing an item?

You could fail an item by missing one or

several steps depending on the nature of

the step or steps you miss. Some steps

are considered critical, and as such,

missing a critical step could result in

partial credit or no credit at all. However,

candidates could miss one or several

non-critical steps and still receive partial

credit depending on the item.

How do I know if the

simulation is functioning

correctly?

If the navigational buttons are

responding correctly, the simulated

environment is launching correctly and

all the icons in the wizard or console are

displaying correctly as well, then the

simulation is working.

Note: If you are trying to configure

something and you notice that the

simulation is not allowing you to

configure as you would like, STOP, re-

read the scenario and tasks and try to

configure the item again.

What should I do if I cannot

find what I am looking for

within the simulated

environment?

Everything you need to address the full-

screen items on the exam are provided in

the scenarios and in the simulated

environments of those items. If you

cannot find what you are looking for,

please go back and re-read the scenario.

If you are convinced that there is a

problem, please use the ‗Comment‘

button and comment on the problem.

Can I explore in the simulated

environment and will I be

penalized for doing so?

Yes, you can explore the simulated

environment. And no, you will not be

penalized by any means for ―hunting-

and-pecking.‖

Will I be penalized for doing

more than is requested to

No, you will not be penalized for doing

more than is required; however, Citrix



answer a particular item? advises that you do not ―over configure‖

any settings, as this will not give you

extra credit and could result in errors,

which could decrease your score.

Are the items on the A22 exam

conditional?

No, the A22 exam items are not

conditional. Your response to each item

is treated independently and will not

affect your response to the next item.

a22 prep guide

Documents