1. Introduction to XenServer 6.1
Citrix XenServer server virtualization system makes data centers more flexible and efficient through faster application delivery, higher IT resource availability and utilization. XenServer provides advanced features required for critical workloads (operating systems, applications, and configurations) without sacrificing the ease of operation required for large-scale deployments. Using unique streaming technology, XenServer can quickly deliver a variety of workloads through virtual or physical servers, making it an ideal virtualization platform for every server in the enterprise.
On October 17, 2012, Beijing - Citrix announced the launch of XenServer 6.1, the industry-leading enterprise-level virtualization platform, which can create and manage virtualization infrastructure for servers, desktops and cloud computing. The new version of XenServer has enhanced server virtualization capabilities for data center integration, providing shortcuts for enterprises to migrate to cloud computing through advanced virtual machine migration technology, enhanced network connectivity and security features, better vendor compatibility and automated virtual machine conversion tools. It can efficiently manage Windows and Linux virtual servers, realize server resource integration with higher cost-effectiveness, and provide good business continuity. XenServer has also added a rich set of management and automation functions, enhanced cloud management integration capabilities and security to help users optimize the future cloud computing data center platform.
The new version of XenServer 6.1 has added the following features compared to the previous version (6.0.2):
1. Enhanced integration with leading cloud platforms: It can be directly integrated with Apache CloudStack and Citrix CloudPlatform with Apache CloudStack technology, making firewall partitioning and workload balancing easier, making public and private cloud platforms free from attacks, and improving the security and scalability of various types of enterprise IT systems.
2. "Shared-free" storage real-time migration: The new version of XenServer adopts the new storage technology XenMotion, which allows IT personnel to migrate running virtual machines in real time without the help of shared storage. XenMotion storage function enables real-time migration of "shareless" architecture. The storage space as a virtual disk can be freely migrated within and between server resource pools, improving storage utilization, simplifying backup and maintenance operations, and realizing virtual machine flexibility on cloud infrastructure.
3. Batch conversion from VMware to XenServer: XenServer Transformation Manager is a simple and easy-to-use tool that can automatically and batch convert VMware virtual machines into XenServer virtual machines, minimizing costs and improving efficiency. This tool helps customers ensure that applications installed in their data centers and cloud infrastructure can be used at any time with the best virtualization platform.
In this blog, we will mainly introduce Citrix XenServer server virtualization, and we will understand another virtualization platform of the VMware vSphere virtualization platform from all aspects.
1. Introduction to XenServer 6.1
2. Install XenServer 6.1
3. Install and set up XenCenter
4. Use Active Directory (AD) to verify users
5. Apply for XenServer 6.1 license
6. Establish a Citrix Licensing server
XenServer is a complete server virtualization platform based on the open source Xen hypervisor. XenServer is another server virtualization platform besides VMware vSphere. It has powerful and rich functions, with excellent open architecture, performance, storage integration and total cost of ownership. Citrix XenServer is a free virtualization platform based on open source Xen hypervisor. The platform introduces XenCenter, a multi-server management console, with key management capabilities. Through XenCenter, you can manage virtual servers, virtual machine (VM) templates, snapshots, shared storage support, resource pools and XenMotion real-time migration. Citrix XenServer is a complete server virtualization platform launched by Citrix. The XenServer package contains all the things you need to create and manage a virtual x86 computer deployment running on Xen (an open source paravirtualized hypervisor with performance close to native performance). XenServer has been optimized for Windows and Linux virtual servers. Citrix XenServer is a comprehensive enterprise-level virtualization platform for integration, management and automation of virtual data centers. A complete set of server virtualization tools enable cost savings throughout the data center. Higher data center flexibility and reliability provide high performance support for your business. In addition, a variety of new features can effectively manage virtual networks, connect all virtual machines together, and assign virtual machine management access permissions to each application user.
XenServer version 6.1 provides four versions, namely the free version, the premium version, the enterprise version and the platinum version. All XenServer versions include XenCenter management capabilities.
2. Install XenServer 6.1
Although XenServer is usually deployed on server-level hardware, XenServer is also compatible with many workstation and laptop models. The XenServer host should be a 64-bit x86 server-level computer dedicated to hosting VMs. The computer should run an optimized and enhanced Linux partition and control the interaction between VM-oriented virtualization devices and physical hardware through a Xen-enabled kernel. Before installing XenSerer, turn on the Inter-VT function in the host BIOS.
1. You can download the XenServer installation file from the Internet and burn it to a CD. Insert the main installation CD into the DVD drive of the main computer. Select Boot from DVD drive. Reboot the computer, and the initial boot message and Welcome to XenServer interface will be displayed. Under this interface, there are two options: Press the F1 key to perform standard installation; press the F2 key to perform advanced settings.
2. After selecting and pressing F1 to enter the standard installation, enter the installation settings interface. On the Select Keyboard Layout page, select the keyboard layout to be used during the installation process.
3. After selecting the keyboard, the Welcome to XenServer Setup interface will be displayed. As shown in Figure 13-5, it informs the user that the local hard disk will be reformatted when installing Xenserver, and all the original data will be lost, and the user is required to confirm whether there is important data. After confirm, select OK. Throughout the installation process, you can quickly advance to the next screen by pressing the F12 key. To get general help information, press F1.
4. In the citrix user agreement, read and accept the XenServer End User License Agreement (EULA). Because the kernel version of Xen is Linux, an open source system, you must choose to agree to the user license agreement.
5. If you have multiple local hard disks, please select the main disk for installation. Select OK. The following is to enable the local cache function, which can reduce the storage pressure. In the DDC server configuration, it must also be enabled when selecting host, mainly for the virtual desktop of Citrix.
6. Select Local media as the installation source in the selection installation media.
7. When the system asks if you want to install any supplement packages, select No to continue.
8. Select Skip Verification in the Verification Installation Source Interface, and then select OK. If you encounter problems during installation, it is recommended that you verify the installation source.
9. Set and confirm the root user password, and the XenCenter application will use this password to connect to the XenServer host.
10. Set up the main management interface that will be used to connect to XenCenter. If the computer has multiple network interface cards (NICs), select the network card used to implement management, configure the IP address of the management NIC as a static IP address or use DHCP. Manually specify the hostname and DNS configuration automatically via DHCP.
11. If you configure DNS manually, enter the IP addresses of the primary (required), secondary (optional) and tertiary (optional) DNS servers in the provided fields.
12. Select the time zone, first select the geographical area, and then select the city.
13. Specify the method used by the server to determine the local time: use NTP or manually enter the time. Select OK, as shown in Figure 13-16. If using NTP, you can specify whether to set the time server by DHCP, or enter at least one NTP server name or IP address in the fields below.
14. After the setup is completed, select Install XenServer.
15. After selecting installation, XenServer will be installed, and the server needs to be restarted during the installation process.
16. If you select to manually set date and time, the system will prompt you to enter local time information.
17. In the Installation Complete screen, eject the installation CD from the drive and select OK to reboot the server.
18. After the server reboots, XenServer will display xsconsole, which is a system configuration console. At this point, the Citrix Xenserve installation is over.
3. Install and set up XenCenter
Installing XenCenter requires the operating system to be Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 (all versions) or .NET Framework 3.5 version.
The hardware configuration required for installation of XenCenter: CPU frequency is 750 MHz, it is recommended to use a CPU with a minimum of 1 GHz or faster; RAM is 1 GB, it is recommended to use 2 GB or higher capacity RAM; disk space is 100 MB; network card is 100 MB/s or faster; screen resolution is 1024x768 pixels.
Download XenCenter to access the XenServer installed previously, you can access the download XenCenter through IE, and IE access the XenCenter that provides installation files and iso files. After downloading, insert the xenserver main installation CD into the DVD drive of the computer to run XenCenter. Open the client_install folder on the CD. Or download the XenCenter installation file from Citrix's official website. Double-click to start the installation.
1. In IE browser, enter the address of XenServer and click Continue browsing.
2. You can download the corresponding format XenCenter according to your needs.
3. Start the Citrix XenCenter installation wizard operation. The wizard allows you to modify the default destination folder and then install XenCenter.
4. Select the installation directory of Citrix XenCenter and click Browse to change the installation directory. Click the user who uses Citrix XenCenter
5. On the ready to install Cirtix XenCenter page, click Install to start installing Citrix XenCenter.
6. Follow the installation wizard prompts to install until the installation is completed.
7. With XenCenter, you can manage the XenServer environment from a Windows desktop computer and deploy, manage, and monitor virtual machines. Monitoring and managing activity on a server from XenCenter requires that the server be added to the "hosted" resource collection of XenCenter. When connecting to the server for the first time (via the Add new server or server menu on the toolbar)
8. Click the Add Server icon to open the Add New Server dialog box.
9. In the Server box, enter the IP address or DNS name of the server you want to add. If there are multiple XenServer servers, you can add multiple servers with the same login credentials by entering a semicolon-delimited name or IP address in the Server box. Type the user name (for example, root) and password that was set during XenServer installation. If Active Directory (AD) authorization is enabled in the XenServer environment, you can enter your AD credentials here. Click Connect to display the Connection Progress Monitor. To cancel the connection, click Cancel.
10. After successfully adding the XenServer server, you can see the information and virtual machines in the XenServer server.
4. Use Active Directory (AD) to verify users
If you want to use multiple users and user groups to manage the XenServer server, you must use the Active Directory user account for authentication. XenServer users are able to log in to the pool's XenServer using their Windows domain credentials. Different access levels can be configured for specific users. Access can be controlled by the user. A topic in XenServer corresponds to an entity (user or group) on the directory server. When external authentication is enabled, the credentials used to create the session are first checked against the credentials of the local root user (in case the directory server is unavailable), and then checked against the consumer list. To allow access, a consumer must be created for the authorized access user or group.
The following describes how to add XenServer server to the domain and add administrators in the domain.
1. Click the XenServer to select the domain to be joined, and select the user in the operation interface. AD is not currently configured. To enable AD authentication, click the "Join Domain" button.
2. Enter the domain name and domain administrator in the dialog box that enables AD authentication.
3. After successfully joining the domain, the local administrator root currently has the XenServer server managed. To add an administrator in the domain, click the Add button.
4. Enter the user or user group into the "Name" text box, and you can enter multiple entries and separate them with commas or semicolons. After the input is complete, click Grant Access.
5. Use the domain added by Xenserver to parse the entered username and add it to XenServer.
6. After successful addition, it will be displayed in users and user groups with access permissions. You can also delete and change roles.
7. In the change role, you can set the permissions of users in the domain, including pool administrator, pool operator, VM super administrator, VM administrator, VM operator and read-only.
5. Apply for XenServer 6.1 license
Citrix XenServer is a free virtualization product, but if users want to use the advanced features of XenServer, they must purchase the corresponding version. Citrix has formulated corresponding versions for different enterprise users. Xenserver is authorized through authorization files. The authorization file ends with lic or licx. The free version is activated slightly differently than the paid version.
Citrix provides a free version of XenServer, and both enterprises and individuals can install and use the free version of XenServer. Citrix XenServer is available for free for production, without constraints or time limits. To use XenServer, just activate the product, and during the activation process Citrix collects records of the intention to use the product. The validity period of a license to apply for a free version is one year. If the license expires one year later, you can still apply for use. The software will start reminding the administrator to expire within one month when the license expires. It can run as XenServer (free version) for 30 days before the XenServer host is licensed. After 30 days, any new, suspended or shutdown VMs will not be started until the host is activated or Citrix license is configured for it.
1. First, in the menu bar of XenCenter, click Tools > License Manager (License Manager) in turn
2. After clicking, enter the License Manager Manager, which will display the version and authorization period of XenServer's server. Since no license is applied for, the default is to use it for 30 days. Select one or more hosts to activate. Click Activate Free XenServer and select Request Activation Key.
3. Select the Request Activation Key
4. XenCenter will open a web browser and enter the Citrix XenServer Activation page, and fill in the relevant information according to the opened page. Remember to fill in the formal email address, and the permission key is sent to the applicant through the email address.
5. Enter the details on the activation form and click Submit. The license key will be sent through the email address filled in by the registrant. Typically, the activation key is generated within 10 minutes and emailed to you. However, in some cases, it can take up to 30 minutes.
6. The content of the email received containing the activation key (file extension .xslic) is how to activate the key to XenServer. The license you applied for can be used by multiple servers.
6. Establish a Citrix Licensing server
Citrix Premium, Enterprise, and Platinum XenServer requires a license for each XenServer host used. Licenses are no longer stored on the host server, but license files must be added and managed on a separate license server. XenServer now uses the same licensing method as other Citrix products, meaning that license servers can be shared across products. It can also license Citrix products such as XenServer, XenApp, XenDesktop, etc. Creating a license server is for enterprises and individuals who have purchased Citrix XenServer, using the license server to activate the XenServer server.
The first thing is to install the Citrix Licensing server. Download the Licensing server from the Citrix Internet. Citrix Licensing can install a license server on the server running the Microsoft operating system. Includes Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 to be installed, and the browser supports Internet Explorer versions 6.0 to 9.0.
1. Run the CTX_Licensing.msi installer, agree to accept the terms of the license agreement, and click Next.
2. The default installation path or click Change to change the installation directory and click Install.
3. Installation is underway until the installation is completed.
4. After completing the installation of Citrix Licensing, a simple setting interface will pop up to accept or change the default port number used by the licensed component. If necessary, you can change these port numbers after installation, the license server port number is 27000, the vendor background program port number is 7279, the console web port is 8082, and the admin password is set.
5. Open IE browser and enter the address of Citrix Licensing plus port number 8082. Click the "Manage" button in the upper right to set up the Licensing and import the license.
6. You can view system information related to the license server and the system running the license server. Click the Management Options located in the upper right corner of the License Management Console and click the System Information tab to view the information.
7. In the License Management Console, local users, Active Directory users and groups are managed through the console and stored in the console. These users do not connect to local users of the computer. Active Directory users and groups are part of the Active Directory/Network Authentication System. To provide support to Active Directory users and groups, the Windows License Server must be a member of the Microsoft Active Directory domain and must run the License Management Console. Windows NT domains are not supported. Users are equipped with local roles or Active Directory roles so that they can add users and groups.
8. Click Import License to browse to the license file. If you copy the file directly into the MyFiles directory, or if the file has the same name as the existing file, select Overwrite the license file on the license server. Click Import License. The import process copies this file from its existing location to the MyFiles directory from which the license server can read it.
9. Click the "OK" button after successfully importing the information.
10. So far, the license file has been successfully uploaded to C:Program Files (x86)CitrixLicensingMyFilesxendesktop_xenserver. You can also copy lic to this folder directly. After the import is successful, since the daemon is required to restart the daemon before it can take effect, in the system service, find Citrix Licensing and select Restart. After restarting the Citrix Licensing service, you can see the relevant information about lic and concurrent licenses in the control panel.
11. After restarting the Citrix Licensing service, you can see the relevant information about lic and concurrent licenses in the control panel.
12. The four versions of Citrix are authorized, the fourth is to purchase the Xenserver enterprise version that is equipped with Xendesktop, select the corresponding version according to the purchased authorization, and enter the Citrix Licensing server address and port number.
After successful activation, the management of the virtualization series of this chapter - Citrix XenServer 6.1 virtual machine is introduced here. Thanks.
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