Getting Started Guide for PVS 7.x - How to prepare Master image, etc.

[Benjamin Bartels]

With PVS there are a million ways you can possibly configure your environment. The purpose of this discussion is to try to simplify the most common configurations so that you can get up and running quickly.

 

 

Plesae reference edocs for a deeper dive:

 

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/provisioning-7/pvs-provisioning-7.html

 

This is not a complete guide, but meant to be helpful in many use cases. Please feel free to comment and add your thoughts.

 

I am going to assume at this point that the infrastructure is already in place including:

 

• AD domain
• SQL database
• XenDesktop Controllers with active Site
• PVS Servers with active site
• Hypervisor
• Licensing
• etc.

 

Once you infrastructure is in place you will need to begin by creating a Master image.

How to Prepare Provisioning Services 7.x Master Target Device to be Captured on a Vdisk

 

Complete the following tasks on the master target device you are preparing to capture the image of an operating system. Consult Citrix Product Documentation for more details on configuring your master image: Preparing a Master Target Device for Imaging.

 

1.     Create a new VM to be used as the Master Image for PVS with a HDD attached that is large enough to handle a full OS installation and any apps and updates. Make sure the hardware allocated is suitable for the deployment as this machine will eventually be converted to a VM template that will be used to provision future VMs using the the XenDesktop Setup Wizard or the Streamed VM Setup Wizard.

 

2.     Install OS, Hypervisor tools such as Hyper-V, XenServer, or VMware, any required drivers, and restart the target device.

 

3.     Install any operating system updates and/or application updates. Restart the target device if required.

 

4.     Install the Provisioning Services Target Device Software. Restart the target device.

 

5.     Run the Imaging Wizard to capture the OS on a new virtual disk. For details, refer: Using the Imaging Wizard to Create a New vDisk.

Note: It is considered best practice to run the PVS Optimizer tool during this process.

 

6.     Before the target device is rebooted, change the boot order in the hypervisor for the target device to boot from network. On VMware, select the option to enter into the BIOS the next time it reboots. On XenServer, the selection can be made while the machine is on.

 

7.     The machine will reboot. When it is up, it will automatically begin to image the HDD to a new Vdisk (if that option was selected in the Imaging Wizard) using XenConvert.

 

8.     Shut down the target device after the virtual disk is successfully captured.

 

9.     Clone the Master VM and Remove the HDD from the clone. Create a template from the newly created clone. This template will eventually be used by the XenDesktop and Streaming Setup Wizards to provision new VMs on the Hypervisor.

 

10.  Set the target device to boot from the network in the hypervisor and set it to boot to Vdisk in the PVS console.

 

11.  Set the newly created virtual disk to Private Mode.

 

12.  Boot the target device. You should now be streaming the newly created Vdisk in Read/Write Mode.

 

13.  If you are using XenDesktop, install the XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent software. Restart when prompted.

 

14.  After the target device is started in private mode again, reboot the target device again to ensure that no other “Found new hardware” or “Restart required” messages appear.

 

15.  Set the virtual disk to Standard mode.

 

16. You can now use the XenDesktop Setup Wizard or the Streamed VM Setup Wizard to provision new machines from the newly created Template that will be associated to the newly created vdisk.

 

If you are using XenDesktop you can simplify the deployment by using  the XenDesktop Setup Wizard:

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/provisioning-7/pvs-xendesktop-setup-wizard-readme.html

 

If you are not using XenDesktop you can simplify the deployment by using Streamed VM setup Wizard:

http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/provisioning-7/pvs-vm-wizard-using.html

 

Once you have vdisks, Target devices, Catalogs etc., you may need to deal with activation. Here are some useful links for that as well:

 

 

KMS Activation:

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX128276

http://blogs.citrix.com/2014/05/01/demystifying-kms-and-provisioning-services/

 

MAK (not supported for PVS and Microsoft Office):

 

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX129105

 

I may add to this post in the future, but let's leave it here for now and see how it goes.

 

 

 

[Benjamin Bartels]

I was finally able to get a version of this published as a CTX Article:

 

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX200813

[John Francis1709160537]

On 3/26/2015 at 4:19 PM, Benjamin Bartels said:

I was finally able to get a version of this published as a CTX Article:

 

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX200813

 

Hi Benjamin,

 

Thank you for the wonderful article which I was searching for a very very long time. I have been successful from step 1 yoto 8. But, after I clone the Master VM and remove the HDD from the clone, I get stuck as you need to boot from the cloned machine through the vdisk to install the VDA correct? When I do this, by putting the Target device in maintenance mode and also when I keep the image in private mode which is default it actually, boots and DHCP request does not go through and it fails.66 and 67 are enabled and not sure where it fails.

 

If I can get this to boot up and install the VDA and shut it down and then have to create the template is that correct?

 

This is where I get stuck is it possible to provide like a screenshot and step by step after the Master VM is cloned what needs to be done please?

 

Thank you in advance

 

9.     Clone the Master VM and Remove the HDD from the clone. Create a template from the newly created clone. This template will eventually be used by the XenDesktop and Streaming Setup Wizards to provision new VMs on the Hypervisor.

 

10.  Set the target device to boot from the network in the hypervisor and set it to boot to Vdisk in the PVS console.

 

11.  Set the newly created virtual disk to Private Mode.

 

12.  Boot the target device. You should now be streaming the newly created Vdisk in Read/Write Mode.

 

13.  If you are using XenDesktop, install the XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent software. Restart when prompted.

 

14.  After the target device is started in private mode again, reboot the target device again to ensure that no other “Found new hardware” or “Restart required” messages appear.

 

15.  Set the virtual disk to Standard mode.