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Citrix XenDesktop 4 Single Server Scalability
Test Results on Citrix XenServer 5.5


2

Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 3
Test Environment ...................................................................................................................... 4
Test methodology ..................................................................................................................... 5
Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 6
Summary of Results ................................................................................................................... 7
Appendices ............................................................................................................................. 9


3


Executive Summary

Objectives of the Testing
The purpose of this test was to provide the data needed to substantiate the maximum number of
Windows XP virtual desktops per host for XenServer 5.5 using XenDesktop 4). This information
provides a data point that customers may reference in designing their own implementations. It is not
intended to provide a comprehensive set of tests, workloads, hardware evaluations, etc., and many
factors can influence whether other tests will experience the same results.
Methodology
Testing was done in Citrix test labs and utilizing servers with Intel Nehalem processors. The Nehalem
utilizes Hyperthreading technology, providing an ideal environment for producing high VM densities per
CPU core. Our test results with these servers suggest the possibility that they may well be the sweet
spot for VDI. Additionally, we chose to use a load test program provided by Login Consultants, known
for their expertise in testing VDI and terminal services.
Findings
Under these test conditions, XenDesktop 4 with XenServer 5.5 is able to host 130 Windows XP virtual
desktops, each one performing a complex series of real-world user simulations, on a dual socket Intel
Xeon x5570 (Nehalem) server with 72GB RAM. The testing was all conducted on the currently shipping
version of XenServer software, and no non-publicly available software improvements were used to
demonstrate this scale. Although efforts were made to simulate real desktop user workloads, results can
and will vary based on a wide variety of factors, including the OS and especially the demands of the
workload used, as well as choice of server hardware. These tests results are an example of what is
possible under specific conditions, and do not present the full characterization of XenDesktop scalability
with XenServer.


Dual socket, quad core, 2.93GHz,
72GB
XenServer 5.5 133 XP Desktops
Started
VMs per host 130
VMs per CPU core 16.25

Results are detailed in the appendices section of this document.



4


Test Environment

8GB vDisk
1.5GB
1.5GB 1.5GB
N
e
t
A
p
p
3
0
5
0
Citrix Provisioning Server
Citrix
XenServer
5.5
Citrix Desktop 4.0
Delivery Controller
XP Pooled Desktop
XP Pooled Desktop
XP Pooled Desktop
XP Pooled Desktop
XP Pooled Desktop
NFS
Virtual Desktop (1vCPU 512MB)
Windows XP SP3
Login VSI 2.0:
Outlook 2007
Word 2007
Excel 2007
PowerPoint 2007
Internet Explorer 8
Bullzip PDF Printer & Acrobat Reader
PvS Write Cache Disks
PvS Write Cache Disks
PvS Write Cache Disks
ICA
Clients
ICA
Clients
ICA
Clients
ICA
Clients
ICA
Clients
ICA
Clients
Windows 2003 Servers
Windows 2003 Servers
Windows 2003 Servers
ICA
V
H
D
Windows 2003 Roaming Profile
Server
Windows 2008 Server
SQL Server 2005
for PVS and STAT databases

Figure 1: Citrix XenDesktop 4 Test Environment
Desktop Delivery Controller 4.0
XenServer 5.5
Provisioning Server 5.1.1.2950
Host Server:
o Dual socket Dell PowerEdge R710, x5570, 2.93GHz/72GB RAM
Network: Four GigE NICs used:
o 2 NIC bond used for all guests
o 2 NIC bond used for management and storage.
Clients: Windows XP, 1 vCPU/512MB each
o Storage: Shared, NetApp FAS 3050, NFS

5

Test methodology

Tests were conducted a total of three times. Results were collected and averaged. Since all factors were
considered to be nearly identical with no external factors involved, results were expected to be relatively
consistent from one test to the next. In the event that a given test result was more than 20% off from
the other two results, it was deemed that the environment was compromised and repeated.
Workload Simulation
The tests used simulated desktop workloads generated by Login VSI 2.0, from Login Consultants,
Netherlands. Using a Citrix tool to automate desktop launches every 15 seconds, the desktop then ran a
medium heavy workload that ran for 12 minutes and repeated. Like real users, the scripted session will
leave multiple applications open at the same time. Every session will average about 20% minimal user
activity, similar to real world usage. Note that during each loop, users open and close files a couple of
times per minute, which is probably more intensive that most users. During each loop the response time
is measured every 2 minutes.
Each loop consisted of:
Outlook 2007, browse 10 messages & type new message.
Internet Explorer, one instance is left open, one instance is browsed to Microsoft, VMware and
Citrix (locally cached copies of these websites).
Word 2007, one instance to measure response time (9 times), one instance to review, edit and
print a random document.
Solidata PDF writer & Acrobat Reader, the word document is printed to PDF and reviewed.
Excel 2007, a very large randomized sheet is opened and edited.
PowerPoint 2007, a random presentation is reviewed and edited.
3 Breaks (40, 20 & 40 seconds) are included to emulate real world usage

The version of Login VSI used in these tests is freeware and can be downloaded from
www.loginconsultants.com.



6

Data Analysis

Login VSI: Corrected Optimal Performance Index (COPI)
The Corrected Optimal Performance Index (COPI) is a calculated from specific measurements during
test runs to determine how many desktops can be run simultaneously without excessively impacting user
experience.
The corrected optimal performance index is based on these measurements:
The Uncorrected Optimal Performance Index (UOPI) is based on the first 5 consecutive
sessions that hit the Optimal Performance Max Reached threshold The Optimal
Performance Max Reached value is calculated on the response time average of four sessions
higher than 2000ms (4 session average response time > 8000 ms).
The Stuck Session Count (SSC) represents sessions which have become stuck before UOPI,
and must therefore be accounted for in the Optimal Performance Index.
The Lost Session Count (LSC) is a count of completely missing log files; these tests are
discarded completely in the corrected index.
The Corrected Optimal Performance Index (COPI) is then calculated:
Incorporating the SSC and LSC into a corrected index ensures that the test results are fair and
comparable. Therefore, the COPI is calculated as:
COPI=UOPI - (SSC*50%) LSC

In each case, we ran three individual tests. We then threw out the lowest test score and averaged the
remaining top two when recording the overall COPI results. This was done to account for the fact that
initial test runs produced lower scores as a result of profiles being established this was a one-time
impact and not representative of ongoing results.

7

Summary of Results

To achieve the test result of 130 Windows XP VMs per host server, some key adjustments were made to
the XenServer configuration.
Increased the amount of RAM assigned to Dom0 to 2.94GB. The default is 752MB; increasing it
enabled us to launch more desktop clients.
Increased the Xen-heap setting to take into account the large number of VMs on this single
server host. This was done by adding "xenheap_megabytes=24" to the Xen command-line in
/boot/extlinux.conf which resulted in an increase from the default of 16MB to 24MB.

Note: Additional information about how to perform these adjustments can be found in the KB article
CTX124259.

These adjustments enabled the test to accommodate 133 VMs per host in total. The following is an
example of the COPI index report for the one of the test runs:
Total Sessions Launched 133
Uncorrected Optimal Performance Index (UOPI) 133
Stuck Session Count before UOPI (SSC) 2
Lost Session Count before UOPI (LSC) 1
Corrected Optimal Performance Index (COPI = UOPI -
(SSC*50%) - LSC)
131

Another way of looking at VM density per host is in terms of the density per CPU, one of if not the
most expensive part of the host server itself. Testing with Intel servers using Hyperthreading technology
has proven to yield the highest CPU density numbers to date.

Host Server
RAM
Host Server
CPU cores
# Desktops
Launched
COPI Result
VM Density
Per CPU Core
72 GB 8 (2x4) 133/Windows XP 130 16.25

While this test demonstrates the ability to support 130 VMs per host, the following considerations
should be taken into account:
1. Testing was limited to Windows XP clients. Results for other client OS such as
Windows 7 may be different due to the requirement of 1GB per client VM.
2. Testing required modification to Dom0 RAM and Xen-heap sizing to optimize
performance. Maintaining these at their default settings will likely result in lower density
levels.

8
3. VM density results are highly dependent upon workload characteristics. We used a
workload called Login VSI, created by an independent company, Login Consultants.
Login VSI, is well known in the VDI and terminal services community with testing of
various terminal services and VDI solutions from multiple vendors in a comprehensive,
ongoing test project called Project Virtual Reality Check
http://www.virtualrealitycheck.net/. We used the 0default settings in Login VSI 2.0,
which called for a medium workload. Customers who may have requirements to test
workloads that are either heavier or lighter than those used here, or who may have host
servers, storage and other components in their environment which are different from
those used here are encouraged to repeat these tests to determine what their VM density
per host may be as compared to these results. More information about Login VSI 2.0 can
be obtained at: www.loginconsultants.nl.
4. The launch interval used to launch all VMs in these tests was 15 seconds. Changes to
launch intervals will likely have an effect on results. Longer intervals will generally
improve results while shorter intervals will lead to diminished results.
5. These tests are for XenServer 5.5 and should be revisited as newer releases become
available. While Citrix conducted comparative tests with competitors products, and
determined a very favorable result for XenDesktop on XenServer, Citrix is not at liberty
to publish these results due to competitors license agreements.
6. All decisions, including which host server platforms to run their virtual desktops on will
affect the actual number of VMs per host that any given customer will realize. These
tests are simply an example of what is possible under one specific condition




















9

Appendices
Test data

Dell PowerEdge r710, Dual Quad Core Intel x5570 72GB RAM
TEST ID: 104 XenServer 133 XP desktop Users@15 secs R710 #1
Total Sessions Launched 133
Uncorrected Optimal Performance Index (UOPI) 133
Stuck Session count before UOPI (LSC) 2
Lost Session Count before UOPI (LSC) 1
Corrected Optimal Performance Index (COPI = UOPI -
(SSC*50%) - LSC)
131









10


TEST ID: 105 XenServer 133 XP desktop Users@15 secs R710 #2
Total Sessions Launched 133
Uncorrected Optimal Performance Index (UOPI) 133
Stuck Session Count before UOPI (SSC) 3
Lost Session Count before UOPI (LSC) 1
Corrected Optimal Performance Index (COPI = UOPI -
(SSC*50%) - LSC)
130.5



11
Hardware/software information
Citrix XenServer Host Various
OS: Citrix XenServer 5.5 Service
Pack:
xxx
Make: Dell Model: See various configuration descriptions
CPU: See various configuration descriptions RAM: 72-256GB
Disk: See various configuration descriptions Network: 4 x 1GbE

XenDesktop Virtual Desktops various
OS: Windows XP 32bit Service
Pack:
3
Make: n/a Model: n/a
CPU: 1 x vCPU RAM: 512MB
Disk: 1 x 8GB vDisk, 1 x 1.5GB write
cache
Network: 1 x 1GbE
Citrix XenDesktop VDA 4.0.4094
Citrix Provisioning Server Target Device 5.1.1
Login VSI 2.0
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 SP2
Internet Explorer 8.0.6001.18702
Adobe Reader 9.1.0
Adobe Flash Player 10.0.22.87
Adobe Shockwave Player 10.2.0.23
Bullzip PDF Printer 6.0.0.865
XenServer tools

Citrix Provisioning Server R900
OS: Windows 2003 64bit Service
Pack:
2
Make: Dell Model: R900
CPU: 4 x Intel E7310 1.6GHz RAM: 32GB
Disk: 2 x 73GB 15k SAS Network: 8 x 1GbE (4 in use)
Citrix Provisioning Server 5.1.2950

12

SQL Server for PVS R210
OS: Windows 2008 64bit Service
Pack:
1
Make: Dell Model: R210
CPU: 1 x Intel X34xx 2.13GHz RAM: 4GB
Disk: 2 x 50GB 10k SAS Network: 2 x 1GbE
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 64bit Service Pack 2
Databases for PVS/STAT

Citrix XenDesktop DDC 1950B
OS: Widows 2003 R2 64bit Service
Pack:
2
Make: Dell Model: PowerEdge 1950
CPU: 1 x Intel Xeon E5310 1.6GHz RAM: 16GB
Disk: 2 x 146GB 15k SAS Network: 2 x 1GbE
Citrix XenDesktop DDC 4.0.4094.0
Citrix Web Interface 5.2.0.36

Citrix License Server 1950B
OS: Windows 2003 R2 64bit Service
Pack:
2
Make: Dell Model: PowerEdge 1950
CPU: 1 x Intel Xeon E5310 1.6GHz RAM: 16GB
Disk: 2 x 146GB 15k SAS Network: 2 x 1GbE
Citrix Licensing 6.8.920

ICA Client Hosts (Specification A)
OS: Widows 2003 R2 32bit Service
Pack:
2
Make: Dell Model: Vostro 220
CPU: 1 x Intel E2160 1.8GHz RAM: 2GB
Disk: 1 x 75GB SATA Network: 1 x 1GbE
Citrix ICA Client 11.1.0.19460

13

ICA Client Hosts (Specification B)
OS: Widows 2003 R2 32bit Service
Pack:
2
Make: Dell Model: Vostro 200s
CPU: 1 x Intel E7500 2.93GHz RAM: 3GB
Disk: 1 x 80GB SATA Network: 1 x 1GbE (1 used)
Citrix ICA Client 11.1.0.19460

Infrastructure: XenServer for License Servers Did not use. Used 1950B(DDC)
for licensing
OS: Service
Pack:

Make: Model:
CPU: RAM:
Disk: Network:


Infrastructure: Active Directory SmokeDC1
OS: Widows 2003 R2 64bit Service
Pack:
2
Make: Dell Model: Vostro 200
CPU: 1 x Intel E2160 1.8GHz RAM: 2GB
Disk: 1 x 60GB SATA Network: 1 x 1GbE
Domain Functional level: Windows 2000 mixed


14

Infrastructure: User Profile Server Xen1U
OS: Windows 2003 64bit Service
Pack:
2
Make: Intel Model: Schoffner
CPU: 2 x Intel L5335 2.00GHz RAM: 16GB
Disk: 6 x 60GB SAS Network: 2 x 1GbE

Infrastructure: File Sever ISV3050A
OS: Ontap 7.2.5 Service
Pack:

Make: NetApp Model: FAS 3050
CPU: unknown RAM: unknown
Disk: 4x 67GB 15K Network: 4 x 1GbE

Test Tool Infrastructure: STAT Database This is listed above. We used
one SQL Server for both PVS
and STAT
OS: Service
Pack:

Make: Model:
CPU: RAM:
Disk: Network: