Setup
Citrix is the most widely trusted way to deploy Epic Hyperspace. For those not familiar Epic Hyperspace is the application frontend for the most used patient health record system in the good old United States of America.
Lets take a quick look at a good setup for being agile and quick about getting things deployed.
Creating machines
Use machine creation services. The performance gains in memory, network, and disk space is noticeable over Citrix Provisioning. In addition this takes you one step closer to understanding and using Citrix Cloud.
When it becomes time again to refresh your design please approach the challenge with a 2022 mindset and not a 2000 mindset. So yes, these days I would advocate MCS over PVS.
Andreas van Wingerden
In this example we’ll have 3 parent computers. It is possible to have a single parent that would have all 3 releases install together. Though this is possible and cleaner you may find trouble down the road.
Windows Server VMs
Parent-Hyperspace-May2022
> Golden-Hyperspace-May2022-CP01-2022.09.01
> Golden-Hyperspace-May2022-CP02-2022.09.05
Parent-Hyperspace-November2021
> Golden-Hyperspace-November2021-CP09-2022.05.25
> Golden-Hyperspace-November2021-CP10-2022.07.28
Parent-Hyperspace-May2021
> Golden-Hyperspace-May2021-CP13-2021.11.01Machine catalogs and delivery groups
Keep in mind using machine creation services will provide for a more Citrix Studio focused management. Creating, adding to, and deleting both machine catalogs and delivery groups will be a natural thing and not something static or stuck as they are. Making fresh and new machines is easy.
Delivery group layout
Have a delivery group for each Hyperspace release + client pack. Having all of these resources available one can move environments around quickly.
Citrix Studio
-Delivery Group- -Applications-
Hyperspace-May2022-CP01 TST, ACE3, ACE4
Hyperspace-May2022-CP02 POC, REL
Hyperspace-November2021-CP09 MST, ACE1, ACE2,
Hyperspace-November2021-CP10 PRD, SRO, SUP
Hyperspace-May2021-CP13 HSTApplications
Move existing environment
Using the above example say someone would want TST to be moved to May2022-CP02. You'd simple change TST's delivery group settings to Hyperspace-May2022-CP02.
Install new client pack and deploy
If someone needs a new client pack installed into a hyperspace release you can:
- Power on parent computer
- Install client pack and power off
- Clone to new golden image to the desired hypervisor hosting the vda's
- Create machine catalog and delivery group named after release + client pack
- Move desired environment to the new delivery group
I've personally done this so many times I can't even count. The average turn around time from request to done is 30 minutes.
Once a given delivery group no longer has any Epic Hyperspace clients published off it, you can go into Citrix Studio and delete the delivery group and machine catalog. Or if you prefer keep it in place for as long as you feel comfortable, having it in your back pocket for any unforeseen rollback requests.
Conclusion
In addition to providing a great on premise setup the above layout is more akin to how Citrix Cloud functions and organizes machines. It must be said there is a multitude of ways to structure, design and deploy Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops resources this being one of many great ways.
Best Regards
Michael Wood
