I. Overview:

This course provides students with the ability to successfully assess and design a XenApp and/or XenDesktop virtualization solution based on the top key projects and architectures that a majority of Citrix customers implement, across different industries and use cases. Students may also have an opportunity to build a design for their organization and will have access to all of the tools and reference materials required to support their work.

II.     Certification:

In addition to field experience, this course prepares candidates for the Citrix Certified Expert – Virtualization exam based on architecting, assessing, and designing.
III.  Duration:  05 days

IV. Objectives:

Key Skills Upon successful completion of this course, learners are able to:

• Identify the various components and communication protocols of the XenApp/XenDesktop architecture
• Apply architectural understanding to desktop virtualization solutions
• Conduct an organizational assessment focusing on business capabilities and requirements, applications, and users
• Design desktop virtualization solutions
• Verify and present design recommendations
• Troubleshoot desktop virtualization designs

V.    Intended Audience:

This course is recommended for desktop virtualization solution designers such as Architects, Consultants, and Engineers

VI. Prerequisites:

Before taking this course, Citrix recommends that students have:

• Intermediate knowledge of Citrix Desktop Virtualization Components/Concepts
• Basic understanding of project management and documentation best practices
• Basic presentation skills
• Windows Server Knowledge (Windows Server 2012 R2) including
  • Active Directory
  • DHCP
  • Basic Networking Knowledge
  • SQL Server - General understanding of databases, permissions, security, high availability
  • General understanding of physical and virtual storage
    • NAS, SAN, SSD
    • CIFS
    • Familiarity with hypervisor technologies (XenServer, Hyper-V, or vSphere)
    • Completed XenApp and/or XenDesktop Introduction and Deploying courses or can demonstrate equivalent knowledge.

VII.          Course outlines:

1.  Module 1: Architecture

• Identify the various components included in the XenApp/XenDesktop architecture
• Determine how the various components communicate and which protocols they are using
• Apply architectural understanding to desktop virtualization solutions
• Troubleshoot desktop virtualization design

2.  Module 2: Business Drivers

• Identify specific business drivers for multiple verticals
• Facilitate a discussion with the project team at an organization to prioritize business drivers

3.  Module 3: Data Capture

• Identify best strategy for data collection given a specific organizational environment.
• Identify the types of application data to collect, the method for collecting them, and application data collection tools

4.  Module 4: User Segmentation o Identify the different FlexCast models

• Identify considerations in selecting the most appropriate method for segmenting users

5.  Module 5: Application Assessment

• Understand the process of application assessment
• Demonstrate rationalization of applications in a given case organization
• Assess a suite of applications based on business needs and compatibility to a given XenApp/XenDesktop delivery model.

6.  Module 6: Project Management

• Understand the importance of project management for a successful implementation
• Identify roles for a project plan

7.  Module 7: User Design

• Make key decisions regarding user groups and device (endpoint) design
• Organize user groups for Design document
• Identify and prioritize top user issues
• Design user profile strategy
• Design a printing strategy

8.   Module 8: Receiver

• Define how applications will be delivered
• Design Citrix Receiver deployment and maintenance

9.  Module 9: Resource Req. Recommendations

• Identify recourse requirements
• Make key design decisions regarding resource recommendations

10.  Module 10: Access

• Design an authentication point strategy
• Determine session and access policies, including user authentication and remote access
• Design virtual desktop operating systems access
• Calculate bandwidth for the desktop virtualization solution

11.  Module 11: Desktop 3

• Make key design decisions regarding machine catalogs and groups
• Design a personalization strategy including user profiles, user policies and personal vDisk usage.  
• Design an appropriate printing strategy

12.  Module 12: Application Delivery

• Design a solution that meets application inventory and integration requirements
• Identify characteristics of the applications that will impact placement as well as the application delivery architecture for the XenApp/XenDesktop environment
• Design an application delivery strategy

13.  Module 13: Desktop Delivery

• Design a Desktop delivery topology, including Sites, XenDesktop Controllers per site, and load balancing
• Design the underlying infrastructure, including database selection, license servers and Active Directory Integration
• Identify the XenDesktop user and virtual desktop baseline policies

14.  Module 14: Networking Layer

• Make key high availability design decisions
• Integrate the XenApp/XenDesktop infrastructure with the network infrastructure
• Understand WAN optimization, Multistream ICA, and DHCP functionality

15.  Module 15: Storage and Provisioning Layer

• Make key design decisions regarding storage solutions
• Identify the features and differences between PVS and MCS
• Design a provisioning strategy with either PVS or MCS

16.  Module 16: Platform Layer

• Make key design decisions regarding the hypervisor to be used in desktop virtualization solutions
• Make accurate hardware calculations, including VDI hardware, shared hardware, application hardware, and control hardware

17.  Module 17: Operational

• Understand potential migration approaches
• Design a system monitoring strategy
• Make key design decisions regarding application delivery
  • Migration approach
  •  Backup and System Monitoring
  • Backup
  • System Monitoring

18.  Module 18: Verification

• Verify assess and design decisions using Citrix online tools
• Develop a complete stakeholder presentation
• Effectively present and support design decisions

19.  Capstone Exercise