SUM307: NetScaler VPX Implementation and Troubleshooting Harvey Miller – Senior Escalation EngineerMay 11, 2010

• Introduction to NetScaler VPX

• Installation and Licensing

• Troubleshooting

• Use Cases

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Agenda

Introduction to NetScaler VPX

App delivery without the expensive tin

- Maxwell Cooter, TechWorld

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• Virtual NetScaler appliance

• Hardware requirements

• Hypervisors Supported

• Differences between VPX and hardware

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Introduction to NetScaler VPX

• XenServer

• XenCenter

• XenConvert

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XenServer components

XenServer Architecture

Xen Hypervisor

DomUDom0

NS VPXLinux

Drivers PV Drivers

Client ServerL2 /L3

eth1 eth0

L2/L3

DomU

Guest OS

Citrix XenServer

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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

Hypervisor Architecture - XenServer

Xen Hypervisor

DomainU DomainUDomain0

XenCenterClient

GuestOS2NS VPXLinux

Xen daemon(s)

DriversPV Drivers

Xen Tools

• 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

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Xen Hypervisor

NS VPX: Internals

Dom0 (Linux) DomU (NS VPX )

CPU Scheduler Memory

PV Front endDrivers

Real Drivers

Back-endDrivers Virtual CPU Virtual CPU

Virtual Memory Virtual Memory

Xen Tools

Xen daemon(s)

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• Virtual hardware assist

• CPUs

• Memory

• NIC

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Hardware requirements

Differences between VPX and hardware

Features of VPX Features of Hardware

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• 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

Installation and Licensing

Setting the VM memory and VCPUs for the NetScaler VPX

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Installation

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Identifying the VPX from the CLI and GUI

• 1 Mbps

• 20 Mbps

• 1000 Mbps

• Standard

• Enterprise

• Platinum

• http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx122426

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NetScaler VPX

• Free license

• Unlimited VMs• XenConvert (P2V and V2V)• Centralized multi-server manangement console• Live motion• Virtual infrastructure patch management• Intelligent server maintenance mode

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XenServer licenses

• Citrix Essentials

• High Availability• Advanced server virtualization management• Intelligent workload placement• Rapid provisioning of new VMs

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XenServer licenses (continued)

Troubleshooting

• Issues dealing with Networking

• Tracing

• Log file locations

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TroubleShooting VPX

• CPU from XenCenter is 100%

• VPX shows lower values

• Which is right?

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Why is my CPU so high?

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XenCenter View

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NetScaler VPX view

Lack of proper license while adding SSL certificates

NetScaler VPX missing a valid license

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:

Using Tagged VLANs With the NetScaler VPX

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XenServer Host (Dom0)

Virtual Machines (DomU)

Trunk Port(tagged VLANs)

ExternalSwitch

Virtual Switches

Vlan 1Vlan 53Vlan 128

NetScaler VPX

UntaggedVLANs

1/2 1/3 1/4 Virtual Interfaces

Identifying the NetScaler VPX interfaces

Reboot messages in the logs

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Reboot messages in the logs

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Reboot messages in the logs

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Use Cases

• Lab Environment

• Proof of Concept

• Separation of traffic

• Real world simulation

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Use Cases

Real World Simulation

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Virtual NetScalersVirtual Server

Virtual Router

North America

Europe

Asia

Africa

HyperVisor Real World

• 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

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Additional Resources

Before you leave…

• 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

Questions/Comments?

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