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Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions and Appsense: Whitepaper
Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions and Appsense: Whitepaper
Contents
Introduction 03
Target audience 04
Quick start guide to AppSense 04
AppSense workspace management 05
Key concepts 05
Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions (DVS) 07
Integrating AppSense with Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions
07
Pre-installation checklist 07
appsense.com
Introduction
Dells Desktop Virtualization Solutions (DVS) offer industry-leading virtual desktop architectures
built on high performance Dell Blade Servers and Dell Equal Logic storage. This architecture
is designed to deliver a consistent, predictable desktop experience to users while ensuring
the highest levels of availability and performance.
The manageability, performance, and user experience of a DVS environment can be further
optimized through the use of workspace management technology. By decoupling the userspecific components of a desktop from the underlying fabric, workspace management
enables a personalized experience even when the user is running on a standardized and
highly scalable DVS technology fabric.
Dell and AppSense have partnered to test, validate and certify AppSense workspace
management for use with the Dell DVS architecture. This implementation guide will detail
the requirements for integrating AppSense with Dell DVS, provide a working knowledge of
how to set up the AppSense workspace management components to support the DVSdelivered desktops and their users, and provide resources for architects and administrators
to obtain more information.
AppSense workspace management ushers in a new era for IT with the first complete solution
to unlock the user layer from devices, operating systems, and apps. For the first time, IT
needs to manage only a single instance of the user, eliminating the arduous task of running
unique configurations on every device.
This transformative technology profoundly simplifies the management of todays mobile
workers, migrations, and the exploding number of user devices. Isolating the user layer lets
IT precisely administer users without impairing their experience. Tens or hundreds of
thousands of users can now be easily managed with policy templates, and automatically
reconfigured by device, location, or application. The user experience remains secure,
predictable, and personalized, with bullet-proof reliability. Lockdown policies meant to constrain
configurations are no longer necessary. IT can give users complete freedom of choice to use
whichever devices suit them, and deploy a user-specific desktop to any device in any location
at any time. Furthermore, AppSense reduces operation costs as managing desktop
configuration is now automated, and fewer desktop images are required as standardized
components can be configured and personalized for each individual user.
AppSense solves user complexity by satisfying three essential requirements:
DE-COUPLE: Isolate the user layer and all user-specific information from applications, operating
systems, and devices
MANAGE: Centrally store and manage all aspects of the user, including user-based corporate
policy, personalization settings, user rights, and user-introduced applications
DEPLOY: Share each unique user instance on-demand with any device in any location and
delivered by any method
Please note that this architecture guide is not designed to provide step-by-step instructions
for the installation of AppSense workspace management. Installation guidance can be found
in the relevant AppSense Installation and Administration Guides. This architecture guide is
designed to provide guidance on the proper way to configure each component, including
prerequisites, storage placement, server sizing, and performance expectations after setup
is complete.
appsense.com
Target audience
appsense.com
user roaming between DVS and native Dell Desktop and Laptop machines.
By combining the high-performance infrastructure provided by Dell DVS with the deployment
flexibility of AppSense, IT organizations can deliver a high quality user experience without
maintaining tight control over IT operations and infrastructure costs.
Key concepts
AppSense workspace management includes a full suite of user-centric management capabilities
that address diverse capabilities such as:
n User
n Application
n Performance
The initial focus of Dell DVS and AppSense workspace management integration and testing
is on user personalization and policy management, so the technical details in the following
sections specifically refer to this element of AppSense workspace management.
The components introduced in this section should be well understood before beginning
an AppSense installation. More information can be found it the relevant Installation and
Administration Guide available from www.myAppSense.com (credentials can be obtained
by contacting your local AppSense sales representative, or requesting a product evaluation
from www.appsense.com).
The AppSense product set has been designed as a three-tier architecture to scale to meet
the needs of the most demanding enterprises. Depending upon the features being enabled,
one or more agents are installed on a managed endpoint device. In the case of DVS,
these agents will be installed in the base desktop image. An Application Server based on
Microsoft IIS serves as a communication tier, responsible for sending information between a
product agent on an endpoint and the third tier, a database based on Microsoft SQL Server
that is responsible for data storage and optimization.
This architecture offers tangible benefits to the enterprise. Microsoft SQL Server and IIS
are in widespread use, and industry best practices can be applied directly to an AppSense
infrastructure to provide for performance optimizations, high-availability, and disaster
recovery. Additionally, by investing in highly scalable solutions such as SQL Server, an
AppSense infrastructure can comfortably handle tens of thousands of concurrent users, and
reliably manage the deployment of tens of thousands of desktop sessions.
appsense.com
This architecture guide focuses on the AppSense Environment Manager and AppSense
Management Center products. The key components of this infrastructure are as follows:
1. AppSense Management Server: The AppSense Management Server (AMS) provides
centralized administrative functions for AppSense workspace management. The AMS is
responsible for the deployment of AppSense product agents and configurations, and if
configured serves as a central repository for AppSense event logging.
2. AppSense Personalization Server: The AppSense Environment Manager Personalization
Server (EMPS) delivers personalization settings into a running desktop session. When a user
opens an application managed by AppSense Environment Manager, the Personalization
Server retrieves any settings for that user related to the application, and streams them into
the desktop session via HTTP or HTTPS.
3. Client Communications Agent: The CCA allows for communication between a managed
endpoint device and the Management Server. The CCA ensures that the latest AppSense
Environment Manager Agent and configuration are correctly deployed and installed on the
endpoint. The CCA is also used to deploy other AppSense product agents and configurations
required for AppSense functionality added in the future. The CCA communicates with the
Management Server over either HTTP or HTTPS on standard defined ports. The CCA can be
deployed in several ways; please consult the Administration guide for guidance on proper
deployment of the CCA.
4. AppSense Environment Manager Agent: The EM Agent is responsible for the delivery of
both policy and personalization. Policy actions are stored in a local configuration (XML file),
which is processed by the agent to carry out the necessary actions such as drive mappings
or printer mappings. The EM Agent is also responsible for delivering personalization when a
user runs a managed application. EM Agents are stored in the Management Database so
that they can be downloaded to managed end points via the Management Server, or the
EM Agent can be pre-installed in a gold build. Every managed endpoint needs to have the
agent installed. The EM Agent once installed runs, amongst other processes, a primary
service called EMAgent.exe
5. AppSense Environment Manager Configuration: The AppSense Environment Manager
Configuration (EM Config) is a user-generated XML file that defines the behavior of the
Environment Manager product. A Config is generated by an administrator via the EM
Console, and deployed to an endpoint machine via the AMS. The EM Agent uses the EM
Config to enforce policy actions and to enable Personalization for the logged-in user.
See Figure 1 below for a graphical representation of an AppSense Environment Manager
infrastructure. Each of the key concepts above are identified in the picture.
appsense.com
Dell Desktop
Virtualization
Solutions (DVS)
To integrate AppSense workspace management into the Dell DVS architecture, first ensure
that the DVS architecture is configured to meet Dell best practices.
Organizations using DVS may elect to use foundational desktop virtualization software from
leading partners such as Citrix and VMware. The AppSense workspace management
environment is designed to work with heterogeneous desktop environments. Whether an
organization deploys Citrix, VMware, or even a combination of the two, AppSense will
function seamlessly even as users roam across disparate elements of the DVS environment
or even to and from native PCs.
Pre-installation checklist
An AppSense infrastructure requires two virtual machines to support the Management Server
and Personalization server roles. Additionally, each server requires a dedicated database.
The prerequisites for these systems are listed below.
Server Virtual Machines
n Windows
n IIS
n Windows
n BITS
n Microsoft
n 2
vCPUs
n 4GB
n Infrastructure
Datastore (SATA)
Databases required
n Personalization
n Management
Server database
Server database
n Dedicated
n Dedicated
n User
account with SA-level rights to the database server, for database creation during
AppSense Server Install2
n Service account with login permissions to database servers, for AppSense agent and
service use
n Database
n Two
n VMDK
n VMDK
n These VMDK / RDM disks should be on dedicated volumes as per DVS best practices for
databases
http://content.dell.com/us/en/enterprise/d/flexiblecomputing/vdi-integrated-solution-stack.aspx
2
To create the databases without providing SA-level credentials, see the document titled Installing AppSense
Personalization Server with Limited Database Privilege.pdf, available from AppSense
appsense.com
Service
Recommended
Port
Method
AppSense Environment
Manager Agent Service
8080
AppSense Environment
Manager Personalization
Server Console
AppSense Client
Communications Agent
(CCA) Service
8080
AppSense Management
Center Console;
AppSense CCA Installer
appsense.com
Minimum
Minimum response
Response
Average
response
Average Response
Maximum
Maximum response
Response
VSI
response
VSI index
Index Average
15000
10000
5000
0
0
10
20
30
40
Connected desktops
Figure 2: VSIMax for Dell DVS
appsense.com
Baseline testing with the LoginVSI tool leverages Microsoft Roaming User Profiles to keep
track of user personalization and per-user settings. The personalization server functionality
within AppSense workspace management replaces the need for roaming user profiles and
allows organizations to deploy locked-down, optimized, read-only mandatory profiles, which
greatly speeds user logon time as well as environment stability. The joint test project
revealed an 83% reduction in disk space needed for user information for the AppSense
Personalization Server solution versus roaming profiles, which represents a dramatic cost
savings for storage and user management infrastructure.
During full-load testing, the Dell DVS infrastructure provided ample computational and storage
resource to support the AppSense workspace management solution. The Dell EqualLogic
storage arrays and Dell M610 Blade Saervers, as configured for the DVS solution, provide
an ideal solution with which to integrate the workspace management feature set. AppSense
supports approximately 5,000 concurrent users per personalization server and approximately
5,000 managed desktops per management server, with both AppSense servers designed as in
Section 6. Full-load testing confirmed that the AppSense infrastructure specified in this
architecture guide will provide ample capacity for the DVS solution.
DellDVS
DVSand
and
AppSense
management
Dell
AppSense
Userworkspace
Virtualization
20000
Minimum
Minimumresponse
Response
Average
Average response
Response
Maximumresponse
Response
Maximum
VSI index
Index response
Average
VSI
15000
10000
5000
0
0
10
20
30
40
Connected desktops
10
appsense.com
Summary
Dells Desktop Virtualization Solutions take the guesswork out of VDI deployments by
providing fully tested and integrated solutions that enable anytime, anyplace access to
productivity resources without exposing those resources to outside threats. AppSense
workspace management allows for a fully personal user experience built on top of
standardized, high-performing Dell DVS architectures, resulting in improved security, high
user acceptance, and successful virtual desktop implementations.
11
appsense.com
appsense.com
Twitter:
@appsense
email us:
iwanttoknowmore@appsense.com
USA
100 Mathilda Place
Suite 200
Sunnyvale
California 94086
USA
T +1 408 343 8181
us-info@appsense.com
AppSense, Inc.
450 Seventh Avenue
Suite 1703
New York
NY 10123
USA
T +1 212 597 5500
us-info@appsense.com
United Kingdom
AppSense Ltd
3300 Daresbury
Business Park
Daresbury
Warrington, WA4 4HS
United Kingdom
T 0845 223 2100
uk-info@appsense.com
100 Longwater Avenue
Green Park
Reading
RG2 6GP
United Kingdom
T 0845 223 2100
uk-info@appsense.com
Australia
AppSense Sydney
Level 33, Australia Square,
264 George St,
Sydney, NSW
2000
Australia
T +61 (0) 2 9258 1862
australia-info@appsense.com
France
AppSense France
21 Boulevard Haussmann
75009 Paris
T + 33 01 5343 5148
france-info@appsense.com
Germany
AppSense GmbH
Werner-von Siemens Ring 17
85630 Grasbrunn/Mnchen
Deutschland
T +49 89 559 9970
de-info@appsense.com
Netherlands
AppSense Benelux Ltd
Entrada 501
1096 EH Amsterdam
The Netherlands
T +31 20 3701282
benelux-info@appsense.com
Nordic region
AppSense AS
Trudgata 1
2004 Lillestrm
Norway
T +47 41 43 23 30
nordics-info@appsense.com