Citrix Project Accelerator – Design Phase

After the assess stage comes the design phase. This is where a picture starts being drawn of the type of environment is recommended based on the feedback derived in the Assess stage. In this page will see it broken into 3 steps

Step 1: FlexCast – providing the recommendations for model based on inputs

Step 2: User Groups

Steps: DataCenter

If we click on the down arrow under Step 1 we can take a look at the FlexCast Model recommendation made by Citrix. As you can see in the instance below Citrix have made a recommendation for Assigned VDI to be used by the Game Developers group. This is very much a sensible decision based on the inputs I provided in the Assess stage. In it I included detail that the Game Developers user group would require ability to install applications for instance. In this instance an assigned VDI is a good choice as that will allow users’ that ability

Next decision under the Personalization which was primary end point

Next was vCPU and RAM per Desktop – might in the instance of a developer want more memory but vCPU count was fine

Next was User Profile Type, as the expectancy within our fictional Game Developer group was to retain settings between sessions Citrix User Profile was a sensible choice.

Next up User Policy

Based on my priorities listed in the Assess section I place a high priority on security and the users were remote based as well so again sensible suggestions made here

Next section was Applications. Under it Application Deployment Method.

For this in the Assess section had stated the Game Developer application of choice (Unity) would be required to be self-installed. Based on that Citrix makes the recommendation below

Under the Desktops section a few decisions where to be made, namely the following. Interesting with Citrix that they don’t make a decision for us for image selection based on our inputs. This does make sense as given we are empowering the user base (Game Developers) with the ability to install applications. That said with Personal vdisk and the like the options still be there to employ a PVS image or MCS image into the mix. What is also is interesting is for Desktop OS it recommends Win 8.1 – it does give the feeling that the accelerator hasn’t been updated recently in light of Win 10 being out quite a while now

Below seem sensible (maybe a little snug for Image size (perhaps 50gb)

For decision points relating to Computer Policy – these are identical to the recommendations made for User Policy

Step 3: Covers DataCenter and the recommendations for it based on our inputs in the Assess stage

The next subsection is Control – this looks to cover delivery solution. Interesting in that it does give a recommendation to use PVS yet previously for desktop image it didn’t give a recommendation to use either PVS or MCS

Last is Hardware giving broad recommendations for hypervisor type ( interesting it went with vSphere ) and makeup of the hardware insofar vCPU/RAM etc. This covers 3 sub-sections –

VDI Pool Hardware Design, Shared Pool Hardware Design and Control Pool Hardware Design