Create and manage connections

Introduction

Configuring a connection includes selecting the connection type from among the supported hypervisors and cloud services and the storage and network you select from the resources for that connection.

You must be a Full Administrator to perform connection and resource management tasks.

Where to find information about connection types

System requirements lists the supported hypervisor and cloud service versions, and includes links to host-specific articles.

Host storage

A storage product is supported if it can be managed by a supported hypervisor. Citrix Support assists those storage product vendors in troubleshooting and resolving issues, and documents those issues in the knowledge center, as needed.

When provisioning machines, data is classified by type:

• Operating system (OS) data, which includes images.
• Temporary data, which include all non-persistent data written to MCS-provisioned machines, Windows page files, user profile data, and any data that is synchronized with Content Collaboration (formerly ShareFile). This data is discarded each time a machine restarts.

Providing separate storage for each data type can reduce load and improve IOPS performance on each storage device, making best use of the host’s available resources. It also enables appropriate storage to be used for the different data types. Persistence and resilience are more important for some data than others.

• Storage can be shared (located centrally, separate from any host, used by all hosts) or local to a hypervisor. For example, central shared storage can be one or more Windows Server 2012 clustered storage volumes (with or without attached storage), or an appliance from a storage vendor. The central storage might also provide its own optimizations such as hypervisor storage control paths and direct access through partner plug-ins.
• Storing temporary data locally avoids having to traverse the network to access shared storage, and it also reduces load (IOPS) on the shared storage device. Shared storage can be more costly, so storing data locally can lower expenses. These benefits must be weighed against the availability of sufficient storage on the hypervisor servers.

Storage shared by hypervisors

The storage shared by hypervisors method stores data that needs longer-term persistence centrally, providing centralized backup, and management. That storage holds the OS disks.

When you select this method, you can choose whether to use local storage (on servers in the same hypervisor pool) for temporary machine data. This data does not require persistence or as much resilience as the data in the shared storage. This is called the temporary data cache. The local disk helps reduce traffic to the main OS storage. This disk is cleared after every machine restart. The disk is accessed through a write-through memory cache. Keep in mind that if you use local storage for temporary data, the provisioned VDA is tied to a specific hypervisor host. If that host fails, the VM cannot start.

Exception: If you use Clustered Storage Volumes (CSV), Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager does not allow temporary data cache disks to be created on local storage.

If you store temporary data locally, you can then enable and configure nondefault values for each VM’s cache disk and memory size when you create a machine catalog that uses that connection. However, the default values are tailored to the connection type, and are sufficient for most cases.

The hypervisor can also provide optimization technologies through read caching of the disk images locally. For example, Citrix Hypervisor offers IntelliCache. This can also reduce network traffic to the central storage.

Storage local to the hypervisor

The storage local to the hypervisor method stores data locally on the hypervisor. With this method, images and other OS data are transferred to all the hypervisors used in the site, both for initial machine creation and future image updates. This results in significant traffic on the management network. Image transfers are also time-consuming, and the images become available to each host at a different time.

Create a connection and resources

Important:

The host resources (storage and network) in your resource location must be available before you create a connection.

1. Sign in to Citrix Cloud.
2. In the upper left menu, select My Services > DaaS.
3. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
4. Select Add Connections and Resources in the action bar.
5. The wizard guides you through the following pages. Specific page content depends on the selected connection type. After completing each page, select Next until you reach the Summary page.

Step 1. Connection

On the Connection page:

• To create a new connection, select Create a new Connection. To create a connection based on the same host configuration as an existing connection, select Use an existing Connection and then choose the relevant connection.
• Select a zone in the Zone name field. The options are all resource locations you configured.
• Select a hypervisor or cloud service in the Connection type field. The options are hypervisors and cloud services that have their plug-ins installed properly in the zone. Alternatively, you can use the PowerShell command Get-HypHypervisorPlugin -ZoneUid to get the list of hypervisor plug-in available with the selected zone.
• Enter a connection name. This name appears in the Manage display.
• Choose the tool to create virtual machines: Machine Creation Services or Citrix Provisioning.

Information on the Connection page differs depending on the host (connection type) you’re using. For example, when using Azure Resource Manager, you can use an existing service principal or create a new one. For details, see the virtualization environment page listed in System requirements for your connection type.

Step 2. Storage management

For information about storage management types and methods, see Host storage.

If you are configuring a connection to a Hyper-V or VMware host, browse to and then select a cluster name. Other connection types do not request a cluster name.

Select a storage management method: storage shared by hypervisors or storage local to the hypervisor.

• If you choose storage shared by hypervisors, indicate if you want to keep temporary data on available local storage. (You can specify nondefault temporary storage sizes in the machine catalogs that use this connection.) Exception: When using Clustered Storage Volumes (CSV), Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager does not allow temporary data cache disks to be created on local storage. Configuring that storage management setup in the Manage console fails.

If you use shared storage on a Citrix Hypervisor pool, indicate if you want to use IntelliCache to reduce the load on the shared storage device. See Citrix Hypervisor virtualization environments.

Step 3. Storage selection

For more information about storage selection, see Host storage.

Select at least one host storage device for each available data type. The storage management method you selected on the previous page affects which data types are available for selection on this page. You must select at least one storage device for each supported data type before you can proceed to the next page in the wizard.

The lower portion of the Storage Selection page contains more configuration options if you chose storage shared by hypervisors and enabled Optimize temporary data on available local storage. You can select which local storage devices (in the same hypervisor pool) to use for temporary data.

The number of currently selected storage devices is shown (in the graphic, “1 storage device selected”). When you hover over that entry, the selected device names appear (unless no devices are configured).

1. Select Select to change the storage devices to use.
2. In the Select Storage dialog box, select or clear the storage device check boxes, and then select OK.

Step 4. Region

(Appears only for some host types.) The region selection indicates where VMs will be deployed. Ideally, choose a region close to where users will access their applications.

Step 5. Network

Enter a name for the resources. This name appears in the Manage console to identify the storage and network combination associated with the connection.

Select one or more networks that the VMs will use.

Some connection types (such as Azure Resource Manager) also list subnets that VMs will use. Select one or more subnets.

Step 6. Summary

Review your selections; if you want to make changes, use return to previous wizard pages. When you complete your review, select Finish.

Remember: If you store temporary data locally, you can configure nondefault values for temporary data storage when you create the catalog containing machines that use this connection.

Note:

A scope is not shown for Full access administrators. For more information, see Administrators, roles, and scopes.

Edit connection settings

Do not use this procedure to rename a connection or to create a connection. Those are different operations. Change the address only if the current host machine has a new address. Entering an address to a different machine breaks the connection’s machine catalogs.

You cannot change the GPU settings for a connection, because catalogs accessing this resource must use an appropriate GPU-specific image. Instead, create a new connection.

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select the connection and then select Edit Connection in the action bar.
3. Follow the guidance for the settings available when you edit a connection.
4. When you are finished, select Apply to apply any changes you made and keep the window open, or select OK to apply changes and close the window.

Connection Properties page:

• To change the connection address and credentials, select Edit settings and then enter the new information.
• To specify the high-availability servers for a Citrix Hypervisor connection, select Edit HA servers. Citrix recommends that you select all servers in the pool to allow communication with Citrix Hypervisor if the pool master fails.

Advanced page:

The throttling threshold settings enable you to specify a maximum number of power actions allowed on a connection. These settings can help when power management settings allow too many or too few machines to start at the same time. Each connection type has specific default values that are appropriate for most cases. Usually, they do not need to be changed.

• The Simultaneous actions (all types) and Simultaneous Personal vDisk inventory updates settings specify two values: a maximum absolute number that can occur simultaneously on this connection, and a maximum percentage of all machines that use this connection. You must specify both absolute and percentage values. The actual limit applied is the lower of the values.

  For example, in a deployment with 34 machines, if Simultaneous actions (all types) is set to an absolute value of 10 and a percentage value of 10, the actual limit applied is 3 (that is, 10 percent of 34 rounded to the nearest whole number, which is less than the absolute value of 10 machines).

• The Maximum new actions per minute is an absolute number. There is no percentage value.

Enter information in the Connection options field only under the guidance of a Citrix Support representative.

Turn maintenance mode on or off for a connection

Turning on maintenance mode for a connection prevents any new power action from affecting any machine stored on the connection. Users cannot connect to a machine when it is in maintenance mode. If users are already connected, maintenance mode takes effect when they log off.

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select the connection. To turn maintenance mode on, select Turn On Maintenance Mode in the action bar. To turn maintenance mode off, select Turn Off Maintenance Mode.

You can also turn maintenance mode on or off for individual machines. You can turn maintenance mode on or off for machines in machine catalogs or delivery groups.

Delete a connection

Caution:

Deleting a connection can result in the deletion of large numbers of machines and loss of data. Ensure that user data on affected machines is backed up or no longer required.

Before deleting a connection, ensure that:

• All users are logged off from the machines stored on the connection.
• No disconnected user sessions are running.
• Maintenance mode is turned on for pooled and dedicated machines.
• All machines in machine catalogs used by the connection are powered off.

A machine catalog becomes unusable when you delete a connection that the catalog references. If this connection is referenced by a catalog, you can delete the catalog. Before you delete a catalog, make sure it is not used by other connections.

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select the connection and then select Delete Connection in the action bar.
3. If this connection has machines stored on it, you are asked whether to delete the machines. If they are to be deleted, specify what to do with the associated Active Directory computer accounts.

Rename or test a connection

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select the connection and then select Rename Connection or Test Connection in the action bar.

View machine details on a connection

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select the connection and then select View Machines in the action bar.

The upper pane lists the machines accessed through the connection. Select a machine to view its details in the lower pane. Session details are also provided for open sessions.

Use the search feature to find machines quickly. Either select a saved search from the list at the top of the window, or create a new search. You can either search by typing all or part of the machine name, or you can build an expression to use for an advanced search. To build an expression, select Unfold, and then select from the lists of properties and operators.

Manage machines on a connection

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select a connection and then select View Machines in the action bar.

3. Select one of the following in the action bar. Some actions might not be available, depending on the machine state and the connection host type.

   • Start: Starts the machine if it is powered off or suspended.
   • Suspend: Pauses the machine without shutting it down, and refreshes the list of machines.
   • Shut down: Requests the operating system to shut down.
   • Force shut down: Forcibly powers off the machine, and refreshes the list of machines.
   • Restart: Requests the operating system to shut down and then start the machine again. If the operating system cannot comply, the desktop remains in its current state.
   • Enable maintenance mode: Temporarily stops connections to a machine. Users cannot connect to a machine in this state. If users are connected, maintenance mode takes effect when they log off. (You can also turn maintenance mode on or off for all machines accessed through a connection, as described earlier.)
   • Remove from Delivery Group: Removing a machine from a Delivery Group does not delete it from the machine catalog that the Delivery Group uses. You can remove a machine only when no user is connected to it. Turn on maintenance mode to temporarily prevent users from connecting while you are removing the machine.
   • Delete: When you delete a machine, users no longer have access to it, and the machine is deleted from the machine catalog. Before deleting a machine, ensure that all user data is backed up or no longer required. You can delete a machine only when no user is connected to it. Turn on maintenance mode to temporarily stop users from connecting while you are deleting the machine.

For actions that involve machine shutdown, if the machine does not shut down within 10 minutes, it is powered off. If Windows attempts to install updates during shutdown, there is a risk that the machine will be powered off before the updates are complete.

Edit storage

You can display the status of servers that are used to store operating system, temporary, and personal (PvD) data for VMs that use a connection. You can also specify which servers to use for storage of each data type.

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select the connection and then select Edit Storage in the action bar.
3. In the left pane, select the data type: operating system or temporary.
4. Select or clear the check boxes for one or more storage devices for the selected data type.
5. Select OK.

Each storage device in the list includes its name and storage status. Valid storage status values are:

• In use: The storage is being used for creating machines.
• Superseded: The storage is being used only for existing machines. No new machines are added in this storage.
• Not in use: The storage is not being used for creating machines.

If you clear the check box for a device that is currently In use, its status changes to Superseded. Existing machines will continue to use that storage device (and can write data to it). So, that location can become full even after it stops being used for creating machines.

Delete, rename, or test resources

1. From Manage > Full Configuration, select Hosting in the left pane.
2. Select the resource and then select the appropriate entry in the action bar: Delete Resources, Rename Resources, or Test Resources.

Connection timers

You can use Citrix policy settings to configure three connection timers:

• Maximum connection timer: Determines the maximum duration of an uninterrupted connection between a user device and a virtual desktop. Use the Session connection timer and Session connection timer interval policy settings.
• Connection idle timer: Determines how long an uninterrupted user device connection to a virtual desktop is maintained if there is no input from the user. Use the Session idle timer and Session idle timer interval policy settings.
• Disconnect timer: Determines how long a disconnected, locked virtual desktop can remain locked before the session is logged off. Use the Disconnected session timer and Disconnected session timer interval policy settings .

When you update any of these settings, ensure they are consistent across your deployment.

See the policy settings documentation for more information.

Where to go next

If you’re in the initial deployment process, create a machine catalog.