Server Sizing Tool

This tool suggests the number of servers, server components, options and sizing required to support the specified number of desktops you wish to deploy. It is defaulted to a simple 30-user
configuration
Concurrent USERS: 50
Pooled Desktops

XP

Enter number of Knowledge Workers

Enter number of Task Workers

Win 7, 8, WinSvr 2008

R2 or 2012

VDI-in-a-Box supports Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2 Desktops and Windows
Server 2012 Desktops.

40

VDI-in-a-Box is licensed per concurrent user, so you need only license the maximum number of users at any one
time, not all the endpoints.

Personalized Desktops
Enter number of Knowledge Workers
Enter number of Task Workers
Enter size (GB) of Personal Virtual Desktop

IMAGES
Number of Images
Total size of all image(s)
Enter up to 6 image sizes (GB)

10
10

Personal Virtual Disk size may be 10GB to 60GB - the default size is 10GB.

2
50
20
30

The maximum individual size is 60GB.

The tool allows the entry of up to six images. VDI-in-a-Box is not limited to the amount of images it supports.

SERVERS
XenServer
Hypervisor to be used
Yes
Hyper-threading CPU
Yes
High-Availability

Hyper-V

DATASTORES
Select the datastore(s) where you will store the VDI-in-aBox components
Golden Images on
Desktop Instances must be on Datastore 1
Personal vDisks on
Select the Disk Type and Raid Configuration for each
datastore used
Disk Type
RAID Configuration

vSphere

Determines amount of RAM reserved for Hypervisor.

Assumes 2 hyper-threads per core.
Uses the N+1 model: adds one additional server.

Datastore 1

Datastore 2

Datastore 3
VDI-in-a-Box now supports up to 3 datastores. If you only have a single datastore, you can use it for everything golden images, desktop instances and personal vDisks. For increased performance, store the desktop instances
on Datastore 2 using SSDs, and the personal vDisks on Datastore 3, also using SSDs.

Datastore 1
SAS 15K RPM
RAID 0

Datastore 2

Datastore 3

Using a disk controller with 2GB of on-card cache saves money by allowing the use of less expensive 10K rpm
drives. Raid 1, 0+1 or 1+0 do not significantly affect SSD IOPS.
IOPS requirements for the desktops are allocated as follows:
* Windows XP Task worker: 5; Knowledge worker: 10
* Windows 7/8/WS2008 R2/WS2012 Task worker: 10; Knowledge worker: 20

Redundant copies of all of the golden images, desktops, and system state information are stored on every server
in your grid to protect against loss of system data due to server failure. Therefore, Raid 0 is sufficient, requires
smaller disks and provides better performance. The Raid 1, 0+1 or 1+0 advantage is it reduces the probability of
server failure due to a disk outage.

Notes

USERS
###
###
###
###
###
###

MEMORY
XP
Pooled
Task
Personalized
Task
###
IOPS
XP
Pooled
Task
Personalized
Task

Hypervis
###
###
Raid
Datastore 1
###
###

Server Sizing Tool - Recommended Base Configuration for 50 Concurrent Users

The configuration provided should be used as a starting point for sizing your server. The performance of the desktops will depend on many factors including the user workload,
the applications, the hypervisor, and the type of server components (e.g. type of CPU and its clock speed, amount of L1/L2 cache, cache size of disk controllers, and so on).
The tool will configure a server to handle up to 100 desktops. Above that it will calculate the desktops over multiple, identically configured servers.

SERVER
Total number of servers required
Maximum desktops per server
Total number of users
- Total number of Pooled Desktops
- Total number of Personalized Desktops

2
50
50
40
10

CPU
Minimum number of cores required

MEMORY
Pooled/Personalized desktops
VDI-in-a-Box vdiManager
Hypervisor: Citrix XenServer
Reserve set-aside for server operations
Minimum Total Memory Required
DISK
Datastore 1 - Golden images
- Disk Type (SAS or SSD)
- Raid Type (0, 1, 0+1,1+0)
- Speed
- Minimum IOPS required
- Minimum storage required
- Minimum number of disks required

40 GB
1 GB
3 GB
4 GB
48 GB

Each server in the grid will support up to 50 users. The total desktops to be deployed (50) will require 2 server(s), including
one for High-Availability (N+1 Model).
Pooled desktops use only 15% of the size of the image per desktop (savings due to linked clones). Personalized desktops
require a minimum of an additional 10GB of storage each.

This is the minimum amount of cores required for the desktops being deployed.

Memory for the pooled desktops is allocated as follows:

* Windows XP Task worker: 0.5GB; Knowledge worker: 1.0GB
* Windows 7/8/WS2008 R2/WS2012 Task worker: 1.5GB; Knowledge worker: 2.0GB
This may be adjusted through the vdiManager.

Storage configured for Golden Images, Desktop Instances, Personal vDisks

SAS 15K RPM

RAID 0
15000 RPM
400 IOPS
1070 GB
3

Datastore 2 - Desktop Instances

- Disk Type (SAS or SSD)
- Raid Type (0, 1, 0+1,1+0)
- Speed
- Minimum IOPS required
- Minimum storage required
- Minimum number of disks required

NOT SELECTED

Datastore 3 - Personal vDisk

- Disk Type (SAS or SSD)
- Raid Type (0, 1, 0+1,1+0)
- Speed
- Minimum IOPS required
- Minimum storage required
- Minimum number of disks required

NOT SELECTED

If you only have a single datastore, all components are stored here - golden images desktop instances and personal vDisks.
15K SAS drives are recommended for the storage of golden images.
Using Raid 1, 0+1 or 1+0 doubles the amount of disks required. The tool automatically adjusts the number of disks.

SSDs are recommended for the best Desktop Instance and Personal vDisk performance.

0
0
0

Using Raid 1, 0+1 or 1+0 doubles the amount of disks required. The tool automatically adjusts the number of disks.

SSDs are recommended for the best Personal vDisk performance.

Using Raid 1, 0+1 or 1+0 doubles the amount of cards required. The tool automatically adjusts the number of cards.

STORAGE
Golden Image(s)
VDI-in-a-Box appliance
Image space for Pooled desktops
Swap and transient activity storage
Thin clone expansion buffer
Storage for Personalized desktops
Minimum Total Disk Storage Required

200 GB
75 GB
150 GB
63 GB
125 GB
100 GB
1069 GB

NETWORK BANDWIDTH
User bandwidth required (65Kbps/User)
Network card bandwidth required

3250 Kbps
3.25 Mbps

Using Raid 1, 0+1 or 1+0 doubles the amount of storage required. The tool automatically adjusts the amount of storage.
The minimum amount of disk storage includes an additional 50% of storage for growth.

Citrix VDI-in-a-Box Reverse Server Sizing Calculator

Your Server's Specifications
Number of Desktops for:
Wondering how many virtual desktops that spare server can support? Enter its
specifications below, and the key components of a server to be used with VDI-in-a-Box
(CPU cores, RAM, Disk IOPS and storage) will be displayed on the right. The tool displays
how many of each desktop type can be supported by each key hardware component (e.g.
EITHER 80 Windows XP Task workers OR 25 Windows 7 Knowledge workers, not both).

Your server can handle this amount of desktops (limiting Knowledge

component is RAM)
Workers

Task
Workers

Win XP Desktops

24

56

Win 7 & 8, WinServer 2008 R2 & 2012 Desktops

20

27

Individual Component Capacities

Which hypervisor will be used?
How many CPUs (cores)?
Are the CPUs Hyper-threaded?
How much Memory (GB)?
Datastore 1 - What type of drives?
How many disks?
What speed?
What RAID level?
How much storage (GB)?
Datastore 2 - What type of drives?
How many disks?
What speed?
What RAID level?
How much storage (GB)?
Datastore 3 - What type of drives?
How many disks?
What speed?
What RAID level?
How much storage (GB)?
Golden image size (GB)?
(Up to six image sizes may be entered)

Citrix XenServer
6

*
*

Key Component: CPU (Hyper Threaded)

24

60

Yes
48
SAS

*
*
*

Key Component: RAM

XP Desktops
Win 7 & 8, WinServer 2008 R2 & 2012 Desktops

39
20

72
27

3
15K

*
*

Key Component: DISKS (Total disk IOPS capacity)

XP Desktops

53

105

RAID 0
1000

*
*

Win 7 & 8, WinServer 2008 R2 & 2012 Desktops

Datastore 1 IOPS Capacity

26

53

Datastore not selected

XP Desktops
Win 7 & 8, WinServer 2008 R2 & 2012 Desktops

53
26

105
53

Datastore not selected

Datastore not selected

Datastore 2 IOPS Capacity

XP Desktops

Datastore not selected

Win 7 & 8, WinServer 2008 R2 & 2012 Desktops

Datastore 3 is only used for PVD, not desktops

XP Desktops
Win 7 & 8, WinServer 2008 R2 & 2012 Desktops
Datastore 2

54
44

56
52

XP Desktops
Win 7 & 8, WinServer 2008 R2 & 2012 Desktops

0
0

0
0

Datastore 3
Personal desktops (Min 10GB)

Personal desktops (Max 60GB)

N/A
N/A

Key Component: STORAGE

Datastore 1

Datastore not selected

Datastore not selected
20

30

% of Pooled desktops

80%

% of Personal desktops
* Required fields

20%

NOTE: Usually it is not easy to upgrade or add CPUs to an existing server, so its desktop support becomes the number the other components need to match. Increase the amount of RAM, the
number of disk drives, and/or the amount of storage to match the amount of VDI-in-a-Box virtual desktops your server's CPU cores can support.

VDI-in-a-Box Server Sizing Formulas

CPU Requirements
For standard CPUs:
3 desktops per core for knowledge workers
6 desktops per core for task workers
For CPUs with hyper-threading (2 threads per core):
4 desktops per core for knowledge workers (3 desktops plus 50% rounded down)
10 desktops per core for task workers (6 desktops plus 80% rounded down)

Knowledge workers
Task workers

Standard CPU
(No hyper-threading)
3
6

Hyper-threading CPU
(2 hyper-threads per core)
4
10

Personal desktops consume up to 15% CPU overhead compared to pooled desktops.

- Be more conservative when sizing CPUs for grids with a large number of personal desktops.
At least 1 core is required for the hypervisor

RAM Requirements
0.5 - 1 GB for Windows XP desktops
1.5 - 2 GB for Windows 7 and Windows 8 desktops
1.5 - 2 GB for Windows Server 2012 and Server 2008 R2 desktops
Hypervisor RAM varies with hypervisor type see next page
At least 1 GB for the VDI-in-a-Box appliance
10% reserved for server operations

Knowledge workers
Task workers

Windows XP
1 GB
0.5 GB

Windows 7 / 8
2 GB
1.5 GB

Hypervisor RAM Requirements

Citrix XenServer
128MB for Hypervisor + 752MB for Dom0 + 20MB * 1024 * 1% per virtual machine (VM)
- The 752MB Dom0 size should be increased to 2940MB if there are more than 50 VMs per server.
Required hypervisor memory overhead: 961MB
Hypervisor
128MB
Dom0
+ 752MB
1GB VM
+ 20MB + (1024*1%) = 30.24MB
3GB VM
+ 20MB + (3072*1%) = 50.72MB
Microsoft Hyper-V
300MB for Hypervisor + 32MB for first 1GB of RAM, then 8MB for every 1 GB of RAM thereafter per VM
Required hypervisor memory overhead: 380MB
Hypervisor
300MB
1GB VM
+ 32MB
3GB VM
+ 32MB + (2*8) = 48MB
VMware vSphere ESX/i:
800MB for Hypervisor + 25MB for first 1GB of RAM, then 8MB for every 1 GB of RAM thereafter per VM
Required hypervisor memory overhead: 866MB
Hypervisor
800MB
1GB VM
+ 25MB
3GB VM
+ 25MB + (2*8)= 41MB

Disks Required
Hard drives

SAS - 15K (preferred) or SSD

- Minimum: SAS - 10K
IOPS are calculated with a 40-60 split between Read & Write OPS during end-user desktop
RAID 1, 0+1, and 1+0 reduce IOPS and increase the number of disks and storage required
- See next page for Raid IOPS formula
Desktop IOPS requirements
Minimum shown
Number of disks required
Approximate shown
Hard Drive RPM
SSD
15,000
10,000

IOPS (Raid 0)
6000
175
125

IOPS (Raid 10)

Desktop IOPS

Windows XP

Task Worker
Knowledge Worker

5 IOPS
10 IOPS

Windows 7 / Windows 8 / 2008

R2
10 IOPS
20 IOPS

Desktops
25
50
75

Disks (Raid 0)
~4
~6 to 8
~10 to 12

Disks (Raid 10)

~8
~12 to 16
~20 to 24

122.5
87.5

RAID Configuration
VDI-in-a-Box uses disks to maintain
Golden images
Disk space for pooled and personal desktops
System state information
Redundant copies stored on other servers in the grid
Exception: No redundant copies of personal desktops
Raid 0 is sufficient for server-level HA with pooled desktops and provides the best performance
Disk failures are common & can reduce MTBF of a server
Use Raid 1 or Raid 10 to protect server from disk-level failure
Using Raid 1 or Raid 10 halves the storage capacity
For 1TB per server, provide 2 TB of disk capacity
RAID 1, 0+1 and 1+0 effect on IOPS
Raid 1, 0+1 and 1+0 must write twice for every OPS
This reduces the write performance to half
The Split between Read and Write is 40-60
Disk IOPS capacity formula:
(Read ops * 40%) + (Write ops * 60%) x 0.5
Example
Assume you have: 15K SAS drive; 175 IOPS; Raid 10 configuration
IOPS calculation: (175 * 40%) + (175 * 60%) * 50% = 122.5 IOPS
To SSD or not to SSD?
SSD is roughly 30 times faster
Many customers are using it with very positive results
Eliminates disk I/O bottlenecks
Price is coming down fast!
Reliability has improved leaps and bounds

Use multiple datastores to get the performance benefit of SSD at lower cost
Datastore 1: golden images on SAS drive
Datastore 2: pooled desktops on a small SSD
Datastore 3: personal desktops on a small SSD

Storage Requirements
Capacity is determined by the number of images, the number of desktops and the type of desktops
Formula:
Golden Image: 2 * Golden Image size * number of Golden Images
VDI-in-a-Box Appliance: 75 GB for VDI-in-a-Box appliance (can be reduced)
Per Pooled Desktop: 15% of golden image size per desktop (savings due to linked clones)
Per Personal Desktop: Size assigned per template, between 10~60GB
Swap Space: VM RAM size * number of VMs
Thin Clone Expansion Buffer: golden image size * 10% * number of desktops
Assumptions:
Assumption: user and profile data stored externally
Desktops are refreshed frequently (at least weekly or bi-weekly). If that is not the case
in your deployment, or if you have applications that you feel will require more write space,
you should allocate larger than 15% per pooled desktop.
Example 1: Assume 2 golden images of 20 GB and 50 pooled desktops
Golden image: 2 * 20GB * 2 = 80GB
VDI-in-a-Box appliance space: 75GB for XenServer and vSphere; or 9GB for Hyper-V
Image space per desktop: 20GB * 15% * 50 = 150GB
Swap space: 2GB * 50 = 100GB
Thin clone expansion buffer: 20GB * 10% * 50 = 100GB
Recommendation (for per server storage): 505GB; Recommended: 750GB ~ 1 TB
Example 2: Assume 2 golden images of 20 GB, 40 pooled desktops and 10 personal desktops (80/20 split)
Golden image: 2 * 20GB * 2 = 80GB
VDI-in-a-Box appliance space: 75GB for XenServer and vSphere; or 9GB for Hyper-V
Image space per desktop: 20GB * 15% * 50 = 150GB
Pooled: 20GB * 15% * 40 = 120GB
Personal: 8GB * 10 = 80GB
Swap space: 2GB * 50 = 100GB
Thin clone expansion buffer: 20GB * 10% * 50 = 100GB
Recommendation (for per server storage): 555GB; Recommended: 850GB ~ 1 TB

workers (3 desktops plus 50% rounded down)

2012 / 2008 R2
2 GB
1.5 GB

it between Read & Write OPS during end-user desktop access

and increase the number of disks and storage required

image size per desktop (savings due to linked clones)

d per template, between 10~60GB

t least weekly or bi-weekly). If that is not the case

pplications that you feel will require more write space,

B for XenServer and vSphere; or 9GB for Hyper-V

rage): 505GB; Recommended: 750GB ~ 1 TB

B for XenServer and vSphere; or 9GB for Hyper-V

rage): 555GB; Recommended: 850GB ~ 1 TB