Traducida de Citrix-Xenserver-7.6

Citrix XenServer 7.
Documentación del producto Citrix | docs.citrix.com 17 de abril de 2019

Citrix XenServer 7.6
Contenido
Citrix XenServer 7.6 Versión actual 3 Novedades 3 Problemas resueltos 8 Problemas conocidos
9 Requisitos del sistema 11 Límites de configuración 16 Compatibilidad con sistemas
operativos invitados 20 Inicio rápido 27 Descripción técnica 49 Licencias 57 Instalación 65
Instalación y escenarios de implementación 74 Actualizar desde una versión existente 79
Actualizar sus hosts 88 Solucionar problemas de instalación 100 Arrancar desde entornos SAN
101 Instalaciones de arranque de red 104 Diseño de partición de host 110 Instalar en
dispositivos pequeños 112 Hosts y grupos de recursos 113 Grupos en clúster 126 Administrar
usuarios 129 Basado en funciones control de acceso 137
© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 2

138 Usar RBAC con CLI 149 Configurar redes 154 Administrar redes 170 Solucionar problemas
de redes 193 Configurar almacenamiento 197 Formatos de repositorios de almacenamiento 202
Administrar repositorios de almacenamiento 218 Rutas múltiples de almacenamiento 230
IntelliCache 232 Caché de lectura de almacenamiento 236 PVS-Accelerator 239 Descripción
general de gráficos 247 Preparar host para gráficos 250 Crear máquinas virtuales habilitadas
para vGPU 261 Uso de memoria 266 Supervisar y administrar su implementación 268
Administrar máquinas virtuales 291 Máquinas virtuales Windows 296 Máquinas virtuales Linux
312 Configurar la memoria de la máquina virtual 331 Migrar máquinas virtuales 337 Importar y
exportar máquinas virtuales 341 Bromium Secure Platform 358

Administración de contenedores 360 vApps 368 Dispositivo virtual Linux de demostración 371
Notas avanzadas para máquinas virtuales 373 Habilitar VNC para máquinas virtuales Linux 385
Solucionar problemas de VM 397 Configurar alta disponibilidad 399 Recuperación ante
desastres y copia de seguridad 407 Habilitar recuperación ante desastres 410 vApps 414 Copia
de seguridad y restauración de hosts y máquinas virtuales 416 Instantáneas de VM 420 Hacer
frente a fallas de máquinas 428 Solución de problemas 432 Descripción general de la
integración 435 Paquete complementario de arranque medido 437 Equilibrio de carga de
trabajo 441 Introducción a Equilibrio de carga de trabajo 443 Administrar el dispositivo virtual
de Equilibrio de carga de trabajo 453 Configurar certificados para Equilibrio de carga de trabajo
523 Administrador de conversiones 531 vSwitch y controlador 556 Administrar vSwitch 561
Visibilidad y control de redes virtuales 567

Administrar y mantener vSwitch Controller 584 Interfaz de línea de comandos 589 Solucionar
problemas de vSwitch Controller 592 Interfaz de línea de comandos 597 SDK y API 727
Citrix XenServer 7.6 Versión actual
15 de marzo de 2019
Citrix XenServer 7.6 es la última versión de versión actual de Citrix XenServer (en transición a Citrix
Hypervisor en 2019). Esta documentación refleja las características y configuraciones de esta última
versión. Para conocer las nuevas funciones de XenServer 7.6, consulte Novedades.
Para obtener documentación sobre la consola de administración de XenCenter
7.6, consulte XenCenter 7.6 Para obtener documentación sobre versiones
actuales anteriores, consulte:
• XenServer 7.5
• Documentación heredada
La estrategia de ciclo de vida del producto Citrix XenServer para versiones actuales y versiones de
servicio a largo plazo se describe en Hitos del ciclo de vida para XenServer.
Nota:
A partir de XenServer 7.6 ya no ofrecemos la documentación de XenServer como guías PDF

individuales. La documentación del producto XenServer ahora se proporciona como un
conjunto de documentación HTML. Use la tabla de contenido a la izquierda para navegar a la
información que necesita. En dispositivos móviles, se puede acceder a la tabla de contenido
haciendo clic en el ícono de menú.
Para obtener más información, consulte Nueva estructura para la documentación del producto.
Novedades
1 de abril de 2019
Acerca de esta versión
XenServer 7.6 es una versión actual (CR). El modelo de versión actual permite a los clientes
consumir nuevas funciones lo antes posible. Una versión actual contrasta con la versión de servicio
a largo plazo (XenServer 7.1 LTSR), que garantiza la estabilidad en términos del conjunto de
características dentro de XenServer.
XenServer 7.6 está disponible en las siguientes ediciones:
• Enterprise Edition
• Standard Edition
• Free Edition
Para obtener información sobre las funciones disponibles en cada edición, consulte la Matriz
de funciones de XenServer. XenServer 7.6 está disponible para descargar desde la página de
descarga de productos de XenServer.

Nuevas funciones y mejoras en XenServer 7.6
XenServer XenServer presenta funciones y funciones mejoradas para casos de uso de virtualización
de aplicaciones, escritorios y servidores. Todas las funciones de XenServer 7.6 están disponibles
para todos los clientes con licencia de Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (anteriormente XenApp y
XenDesktop).
Networking SR-IOV: Passthrough of Virtual Functions (Enterprise Edition)
XenServer ahora puede usar la virtualización de E/S de raíz única (SR-IOV) que permite que un único
dispositivo PCI aparezca como varios dispositivos PCI en el sistema físico.
Puede asignar una o más funciones virtuales de NIC a una máquina virtual, lo que permite que su
tráfico de red pase por alto el conmutador virtual. Cuando se configura, cada VM se comporta como
si estuviera usando la NIC directamente, lo que reduce la sobrecarga de procesamiento y mejora el
rendimiento.
Para obtener más información, consulte Uso de NIC habilitadas para SR-IOV.
Aprovisionamiento delgado para almacenamiento en bloque compartido: GFS2 (Enterprise

Edition)
XenServer pone el aprovisionamiento delgado a disposición de los clientes que usan

almacenamiento basado en bloques al que se accede a través del iniciador de software iSCSI o
Hardware HBA. El aprovisionamiento ligero se implementa mediante GFS2.
El aprovisionamiento ligero hace un mejor uso del almacenamiento disponible al asignar espacio de
almacenamiento en disco a los VDI porque los datos se escriben en el disco virtual, en lugar de
asignar el tamaño virtual completo del VDI por adelantado. El aprovisionamiento ligero le permite
reducir significativamente la cantidad de espacio requerido en un arreglo de almacenamiento
compartido y, con ello, su costo total de propiedad (TCO).
Los siguientes casos de uso pueden beneficiarse del aprovisionamiento delgado:
• Virtualización de servidores
• Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (persistentes y no persistentes)
• Implementaciones en la nube a gran escala El
aprovisionamiento delgado para el almacenamiento en bloque compartido es de particular interés en

los siguientes casos:
• Si desea una mayor eficiencia del espacio, porque las imágenes se asignan escasamente y no
de forma densa. • Si desea reducir la cantidad de operaciones de E/S por segundo en su matriz
de almacenamiento. El GFS2 SR es el primer tipo de SR que admite almacenamiento en caché
de lectura en almacenamiento de bloque compartido. • Si utiliza una imagen base común para
varias máquinas virtuales, porque las imágenes de las máquinas virtuales individuales suelen
utilizar incluso menos espacio.
• Si usa instantáneas, porque cada instantánea es una imagen y ahora cada imagen es
dispersa. Para obtener más información, consulte Almacenamiento.

No es posible actualizar o actualizar desde la versión experimental de la función proporcionada en

XenServer 7.5 a la función totalmente compatible en XenServer 7.6. Si anteriormente usó esta
función como una función experimental, complete los siguientes pasos cuando actualice a
XenServer 7.6:
1. Exporte cualquier dato que desee conservar de estos SR.
2. Separe y destruya cualquier GFS2 SR de su grupo antes de actualizar.

3. Deshabilite la agrupación en clústeres en su grupo.
4. Complete la actualización a XenServer 7.6
5. Una vez completada la actualización, ejecute el siguiente comando en todos los hosts de su
grupo:
1 rm /var/opt/xapi-clusterd/db
6. Ejecute el siguiente comando en el maestro del grupo:

1 systemctl restart xapi-clusterd
7. Al crear un SR GFS2 para su grupo actualizado, asegúrese de seleccionar Formatear y no Reat

tach. No puede volver a conectar un SR GFS2 que se creó con XenServer 7.5 a un grupo de
XenServer 7.6.
Cambios en la compatibilidad con el sistema operativo invitado
XenServer ahora admite los siguientes invitados Linux nuevos:
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.5

• CentOS 7.5
• Oracle Linux 7.5
• Scientific Linux 7.5
• Ubuntu 18.04
Para obtener más información, consulte Compatibilidad con el sistema operativo invitado.
La aplicación automática de revisiones durante la actualización o actualización de
XenServer simplifica el mecanismo de aplicación de revisiones al actualizar sus hosts o grupos de

XenServer a una versión más nueva. Los asistentes mejorados de actualización de grupo continuo e
instalación de actualización en XenCenter le permiten instalar las revisiones disponibles al
actualizar a una versión más nueva de XenServer. Esto le permite actualizar sus hosts o grupos
independientes con una cantidad mínima de reinicios al final. Debe estar conectado a Internet
durante el proceso de actualización para que funcione esta característica.
Puede beneficiarse de la función de aplicación automática de revisiones cuando utiliza XenCenter

emitido con XenServer 7.6 para actualizar desde cualquier versión compatible de XenServer a
XenServer 7.0 y versiones posteriores.

Nota:
Rolling Pool Upgrade es una función de Enterprise Edition. La actualización de sus hosts de
XenServer mediante el asistente de actualización de grupo continuo está disponible para los
clientes de XenServer Enterprise Edition o para aquellos que tienen acceso a XenServer a través
de su autorización de Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
El uso del asistente Install Update en XenCenter para actualizar su versión de XenServer está
disponible para todos los usuarios de XenServer. Para obtener más información sobre las
licencias de XenServer 7.6, consulte Licencias.
Nueva estructura para la documentación del producto
La documentación del producto XenServer ahora se proporciona como un conjunto de documentación

HTML.
• Use la tabla de contenido a la izquierda para navegar a la información que

necesita • Use el cuadro de búsqueda en la parte superior derecha para buscar
información específica
• Vea un resumen de la información en cada artículo en el cuadro 'En este artículo'
• Descargue todo el contenido en formato PDF para verlo sin conexión mediante el botón "Ver PDF".
Toda la información de las guías en PDF se incluye en la nueva estructura de documentación. Por
ejemplo, el contenido de la Guía de instalación está disponible en la Instalar y el contenido de la
Guía del usuario de VM está disponible en la VM . Los temas principales de la Guía del administrador
no se incluyen en una sección separada de 'Administrar' y, en cambio, se enumeran en la tabla de
contenido.
Compatibilidad con nuevos procesadores
Los siguientes procesadores ahora son compatibles con XenServer 7.6:
• Familias de procesadores Intel E-21xxG/21xx (Coffee Lake S)
Para obtener más información, consulte la Lista de compatibilidad de hardware.
Opciones de instalación
XenServer 7.6 está disponible para descargar desde la página de descarga de productos de
XenServer en los siguientes paquetes:
• ISO de actualización de XenServer 7.6. Utilice este archivo para actualizar una instalación
existente de XenServer 7.5 o 7.4 CR.
• ISO de instalación básica de XenServer 7.6. Use este archivo para crear una instalación nueva
de XenServer 7.6 o para actualizar desde XenServer 7.0 o 7.1 Cumulative Update 2.
Nota:
• Si usa XenCenter para actualizar sus hosts, actualice su instalación de XenCenter a la última
© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. . Reservados todos los derechos. 9
proporcionada en la página de descarga de XenServer 7.6 antes de comenzar.

• Siempre actualice el maestro del grupo antes de actualizar cualquier otro host en un grupo.
La siguiente tabla muestra las opciones disponibles si se pasa de una versión compatible existente
de XenServer a XenServer 7.6.
Actualizar con XenServer 7.6 Actualizar con XenServer 7.6
Actualizar ISO Instalación básica ISO
Versión instalada
XenServer 7.5 Sí No XenServer 7.4 Sí No
XenServer 7.1 Actualización No Sí

acumulativa 2
XenServer 7.0 No Sí
Actualizar desde XenServer 7.1 con CU 1 aplicado. Asegúrese de actualizar su XenServer 7.1 a la
actualización acumulativa más reciente antes de actualizar a XenServer 7.6.
Antes de comenzar la instalación, revise los Requisitos del sistema y instalación e implementación.
Cambio de la versión de servicio a largo plazo a la versión actual
Si está ejecutando un XenServer LTSR, pero desea aprovechar las nuevas funciones, puede decidir
cambiar a la transmisión XenServer CR. El uso de las versiones de XenServer del flujo CR requiere
que adopte nuevos CR regularmente para mantener el soporte.
Pase a esta versión actual actualizando desde XenServer 7.1 Cumulative Update 2 LTSR.
Cambio de la versión actual a la versión de servicio a largo plazo
Si está ejecutando un XenServer CR, pero desea pasar a una versión de XenServer con un conjunto
de características estables y garantizadas, puede cambiar a un XenServer LTSR. La versión más
reciente de XenServer LTSR está disponible para descargar desde la página de descarga de
productos de XenServer.
Pase a la versión LTSR más reciente creando una instalación nueva de XenServer 7.1 Cumulative Update 2
LTSR.
Para obtener más información sobre LTSR y CR, consulte Opciones de servicio de Citrix Virtual Apps,
Citrix Virtual Desktops y XenServer.

Licencias
Los clientes deben actualizar su servidor de licencias de Citrix a la versión 11.14 o superior para
utilizar todas las funciones con licencia de XenServer 7.6.
Para obtener más información sobre las licencias de XenServer 7.6, consulte Licencias.
Compatibilidad de hardware
Para obtener las adiciones más recientes y consejos sobre todas las preguntas sobre compatibilidad
de hardware, consulte la Lista de compatibilidad de hardware.
Interoperabilidad con productos Citrix

XenServer 7.6 es interoperable con Citrix XenApp y XenDesktop 7.15 (LTSR), y Citrix Virtual Apps and
Desktops 7 1808.
XenServer 7.6 es interoperable con Citrix Provisioning 7.15 y 1808.
Los nombres de productos Citrix están cambiando a medida que unificamos nuestra cartera de
productos. Para obtener más información, consulte
https://www.citrix.com/about/citrix-product-guide/.
Soporte
de localización La versión localizada de XenCenter (chino simplificado y japonés) también está disponible en
esta versión.
Documentación del producto
Para acceder a la documentación del producto XenServer 7.6, consulte Documentación del
producto XenServer 7.6. Para ver las preguntas frecuentes sobre XenServer, consulte Descripción
técnica.
La documentación se puede actualizar o cambiar después del lanzamiento inicial. Le sugerimos que
visite regularmente la documentación del producto Citrix para conocer las actualizaciones.
Problemas
21 de agosto de 2018
Este artículo enumera los problemas presentes en versiones anteriores que se corrigen en esta versión.
• Para los grupos de XenServer que usan determinados destinos de almacenamiento, una
condición de carrera en el módulo iSCSI puede provocar que los hosts del grupo fallen.
(CA-287658)

• Una VM con Windows 10 con los controladores de E/S instalados puede fallar con el código de
verificación de errores 139. Esto se debe a un problema de Windows que genera un estado
incoherente durante la asignación de memoria no paginada. (CA-290852)
• Al reiniciar, las máquinas virtuales pueden fallar al iniciarse con el código de error
SR_BACKEND_FAILURE_453. (CA-292268) • La migración en vivo de máquinas virtuales recién
creadas en XenServer 7.5 no es compatible con agregar o eliminar un dispositivo de red de una
máquina virtual de Windows configurada con has-vendor-device para que sea verdadera (para
habilitar Windows Update para controladores PV). Las máquinas virtuales migradas en vivo
desde una versión anterior de XenServer no se ven afectadas por este problema. (CA-286948)
• Después de reiniciar, un host XenServer puede fallar al conectarse a destinos iSCSI en arreglos
Compellent. (CA 288738)
• Cuando se apaga, el host de XenServer puede bloquearse en "apagado de destino alcanzado".
Esto sucede si XAPI no puede desconectar limpiamente los PBD de los iSCSI SR antes del
apagado. (CA-288738) • Al actualizar el paquete complementario del acelerador de PVS, la
actualización puede fallar con el siguiente error en XenCenter: UPDATE_APPLY_ERROR.
(CA-292633)
• XenCenter puede fallar después de volver a conectarse automáticamente a un grupo al que
anteriormente había perdido la conexión. (CA-289150)
• Cuando un usuario con la función de Operador de grupo intenta crear un nuevo SR del tipo
HBA de hardware o FCoE de software mediante XenCenter, la búsqueda de LUN puede fallar.
(CA-290064)
• No se admitía la importación de un tipo VHD de archivo VDI de más de 1 TiB y generaba un
VDI_IO_ERROR. (CA-292288)
• Cuando intenta migrar una VM entre grupos de recursos, la migración puede fallar con el
siguiente error: Storage_interface.Internal_error(”Jsonrpc.Parse_error(_)”).
Este error de migración puede provocar errores en algunas versiones de XenCenter.
(CA-291048)
• Una condición de falta de memoria en el módulo PV-IOMMU del hipervisor Xen puede provocar
que el host XenServer falle. (CA-290664)
Problemas conocidos
5 de febrero de 2019
Este artículo contiene avisos y problemas menores en la versión XenServer 7.6 y cualquier solución
alternativa que pueda aplicar.
General
• El conjunto de características de la CPU de un grupo puede cambiar mientras se ejecuta una

máquina virtual (por ejemplo, cuando se agrega un nuevo host a un grupo existente o cuando
la máquina virtual se migra a un host en otro grupo). Cuando cambia el conjunto de funciones
de la CPU de un grupo, la VM continúa usando el conjunto de funciones que se aplicó cuando
se inició. Para actualizar la VM para usar el nuevo conjunto de funciones del grupo, debe
apagar y luego iniciar

la máquina virtual. Reiniciar la máquina virtual, por ejemplo, haciendo clic en "Reiniciar" en
XenCenter, no actualiza el conjunto de funciones de la máquina virtual. (CA-188042)
• No asigne más de 32 GB de memoria a Dom0, ya que pueden ocurrir bloqueos intermitentes de

VM, a menudo durante el arranque de las VM. (CA-236674)
Internacionalización
• Los caracteres que no son ASCII, por ejemplo, los caracteres con acentos, no se pueden usar en
la consola host. (CA-40845)
• Las contraseñas raíz de XenServer no deben contener caracteres que no sean ASCII. (CA-47461)
• En una máquina virtual de Windows con herramientas XenServer instaladas, copiar y pegar
caracteres de doble byte puede fallar si se usa la consola de escritorio predeterminada en
XenCenter. Los caracteres pegados aparecen como signos de interrogación (?).\
Para solucionar este problema, puede usar la consola de escritorio remoto en su lugar. (CA-281807)
Instalación
• Si anteriormente actualizó su instalación de XenServer desde XenServer 6.5 o anterior, con

máquinas virtuales que usan el repositorio de almacenamiento de "Almacenamiento local"
del servidor, o cuando una partición de utilidad del proveedor está presente en su disco, está
usando una diseño de disco heredado. El diseño de disco heredado significa que el dominio
de control tiene menos espacio disponible que el diseño actual (4 GB frente a 18 GB).
Al aplicar la actualización de XenServer 7.6 a la instalación de XenServer 7.4 o 7.5, recibe el

mensaje de error "el servidor no tiene suficiente espacio". El mensaje de error aparece porque
la instalación de la actualización de XenServer 7.6 requiere suficiente espacio libre para evitar
llenar el disco, lo que no es posible con el diseño heredado.
Cuando recibe este error, no puede actualizar a XenServer 7.6. En su lugar, debe realizar una
nueva instalación. (CA-268846)
• Para clientes con hardware AMD, no puede migrar en vivo una máquina virtual desde un host
que ejecuta una versión anterior de XenServer a un host que ejecuta XenServer 7.6. Por
ejemplo, al actualizar o actualizar hosts en un grupo a XenServer 7.6.
Este problema se debe a un cambio en el nivel de microcódigo de AMD entre las dos versiones
de XenServer. Para obtener más información, consulte CTX237585: no se pueden migrar
máquinas virtuales en vivo en hardware AMD.
Para solucionar este problema, apague las máquinas virtuales que desee migrar desde la
versión anterior de XenServer y reinícielas después de que el host se actualice o se actualice a
XenServer 7.6. (CA-293595)
Almacenamiento
• Las operaciones en todos los GFS2 SR pueden atascarse si tiene un conflicto de direcciones IP
(múltiples hosts con la misma dirección IP) en su red de agrupación en clústeres que involucre
al menos un host con la agrupación en clústeres habilitada. En este caso, los anfitriones no
esgrimen. Para solucionar este problema, resuelva el conflicto de direcciones IP. (CP-28758)
XenCenter
• Si cambia el tamaño de fuente o dpi en la computadora en la que se ejecuta XenCenter, la

interfaz de usuario puede aparecer incorrectamente. El tamaño de fuente predeterminado es
96 ppp; Windows 8 y Windows 10 se refieren a este tamaño de fuente como 100 %. (CA-45514)
(CAR-1940)
• Cuando XenCenter está instalado en Windows Server 2008 SP2, puede fallar al conectarse a un
host XenServer con el mensaje "No se pudo crear el canal seguro SSL/TLS". Para resolver este
problema, asegúrese de que una de las siguientes actualizaciones de Windows esté instalada
en el sistema Windows Server 2008 SP2: KB4056564 o KB4019276. Para obtener más
información, consulte http://support.microsoft.com/kb/ 4019276. (CA-298456)
Invitados
• En los hosts de XenServer que usan el bnxt_en , las VM de Oracle 6.x pueden bloquearse
cuando se conectan a una red. Asegúrese de que su bnxt_en esté actualizado instalando el
siguiente disco de controlador: Disco de controlador para Broadcom bnxt_en-1.8.29 - Para
XenServer 7.x CR. (CA-288010)
• Al instalar XenServer PV Tools, XenServer PV Tools puede solicitar reiniciar con /quiet
/norestart o /quiet /forcerestart especificado después de que la VM ya se haya
reiniciado una vez como parte de la instalación. (CA-290693)
• La suspensión o migración de una máquina virtual Linux con transacciones xenstore
pendientes puede bloquearse debido a un problema en el kernel de Linux de la máquina
virtual. Si su VM experimenta este bloqueo, fuerce el apagado de la VM y reiníciela. (CP-30551)
vSwitch Controller
• Al cambiar el modo de asignación de direcciones IP de DHCP a estático, debe reiniciar el

dispositivo virtual vSwitch Controller. (CA-293927)
Requisitos del sistema
4 de octubre de 2018

XenServer requiere al menos dos equipos x86 físicos separados: uno para ser el host de XenServer y
el otro para ejecutar la aplicación XenCenter o la interfaz de línea de comandos (CLI) de XenServer.
La computadora host de XenServer está dedicada por completo a la tarea de ejecutar XenServer y
alojar máquinas virtuales, y no se usa para otras aplicaciones.
Advertencia:
Citrix Systems, Inc. no admite la instalación de software de terceros directamente en el dominio

de control de XenServer. La excepción es para el software suministrado como un paquete
complementario y respaldado explícitamente por Citrix Systems, Inc.
Para ejecutar XenCenter, use cualquier sistema Windows de propósito general que cumpla con los
requisitos de hardware. Este sistema de Windows se puede utilizar para ejecutar otras aplicaciones.
Cuando instala XenCenter en este sistema, también se instala la CLI de XenServer.
Se puede instalar una CLI de XenServer remota e independiente en cualquier sistema Linux de
propósito general.
Requisitos del sistema host de XenServer
Aunque XenServer generalmente se implementa en hardware de servidor, XenServer también es

compatible con muchos modelos de estaciones de trabajo y computadoras portátiles. Para obtener
más información, consulte laLista de compatibilidad de hardware (HCL).
La siguiente sección describe las especificaciones de hardware de XenServer recomendadas.
El host XenServer debe ser una máquina de clase de servidor x86 de 64 bits dedicada a alojar
máquinas virtuales. XenServer crea una partición de Linux optimizada y reforzada con un kernel
habilitado para Xen. Este kernel controla la interacción entre los dispositivos virtualizados vistos por
las máquinas virtuales y el hardware físico.
XenServer puede usar:
• Hasta 5 TB de RAM
• Hasta 16 NIC físicas
• Hasta 288 procesadores lógicos por host.
Nota:
La cantidad máxima de procesadores lógicos admitidos difiere según la CPU. Para
obtener más información, consulte la Lista de compatibilidad de hardware (HCL).
Los requisitos del sistema para el host XenServer son:
CPU
Una o más CPU x86 de 64 bits, 1,5 GHz como mínimo, se recomienda una CPU multinúcleo de 2 GHz
o más rápida. © 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 15
Para admitir máquinas virtuales que ejecutan Windows o versiones más recientes de Linux, necesita
un sistema basado en Intel VT o AMD-V x86 de 64 bits con una o más CPU.
Nota:
Para ejecutar máquinas virtuales de Windows o versiones más recientes de Linux, habilite el
soporte de hardware para la virtualización en el host de XenServer. El soporte de virtualización
es una opción en el BIOS. Es posible que su BIOS tenga deshabilitado el soporte de
virtualización. Para obtener más información, consulte la documentación de su BIOS.
Para admitir máquinas virtuales que ejecutan Linux paravirtualizado compatible, necesita un
sistema estándar basado en x86 de 64 bits con una o más CPU.
RAM
2 GB mínimo, se recomiendan 4 GB o más
Espacio en disco
• Almacenamiento conectado localmente (PATA, SATA, SCSI) con 46 GB de espacio en disco

mínimo, se recomiendan 70 GB de espacio en disco
• SAN a través de HBA (no a través de software) cuando se instala con rutas múltiples
arranque desde SAN. Para obtener una lista detallada de las soluciones de almacenamiento
compatibles, consulte la Lista de compatibilidad de hardware (HCL).
Red
NIC de 100 Mbit/s o más rápida. Se recomienda una o más NIC Gb o 10 Gb para transferencias de
datos P2V y de exportación/importación más rápidas y migración en vivo de VM.
Le recomendamos que utilice varias NIC para la redundancia. La configuración de las NIC difiere
según el tipo de almacenamiento. Para obtener más información, consulte la documentación del
proveedor.
XenServer requiere una red IPv4 para el tráfico de administración y almacenamiento.
Notas:
• Asegúrese de que la configuración de la hora en el BIOS de su servidor esté establecida en la hora

actual en UTC.
• En algunos casos de soporte, se requiere acceso a la consola serie para fines de

depuración. Al establecer la configuración de XenServer, le recomendamos que configure
el acceso a la consola serie. Para los hosts que no tienen un puerto serial físico o donde la
infraestructura física adecuada no está disponible, investigue si puede configurar un
dispositivo de administración integrado. Por ejemplo, Dell DRAC o HP iLO. Para obtener
más información sobre la configuración de la consola serie

, consulte CTX228930 - Cómo configurar el acceso a la consola serie en XenServer y versiones posteriores.
Requisitos del sistema XenCenter
XenCenter tiene los siguientes requisitos del sistema:
• Sistema operativo:
– Windows 10
– Windows 8.1
– Windows 7 SP1
– Windows Server 2012 R2
– Windows Server 2012
– Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
– Windows Server 2008 SP2 (ver nota)
– Windows Server 2016
• .NET Framework: versión 4.6
• Velocidad de CPU: 750 MHz mínimo, 1 GHz o más rápido recomendado
• RAM: 1 GB mínimo, 2 GB o más recomendado
• Espacio en disco: 100 MB mínimo
• Red: 100 Mbit/s o más rápido NIC
• Resolución de pantalla: 1024x768 píxeles, mínimo
XenCenter es compatible con todas las versiones admitidas de XenServer.

Nota:
Cuando XenCenter está instalado en Windows Server 2008 SP2, asegúrese de que esté instalada
una de las siguientes actualizaciones de Windows en el sistema Windows Server 2008 SP2:
KB4056564 o KB4019276. Para obtener más información, consulte
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/4019276.
Sistemas operativos invitados compatibles
Para obtener una lista de los sistemas operativos de máquinas virtuales compatibles, consulte
operativos.
Requisitos
del grupo Un grupo de recursos es un agregado homogéneo o heterogéneo de uno o más servidores,
hasta un máximo de 64. Antes de crear un grupo o unir un servidor a un grupo existente, asegúrese
de que todos los servidores del grupo cumplan con los siguientes requisitos .

Requisitos de hardware
Todos los servidores de un grupo de recursos de XenServer deben tener CPU ampliamente
compatibles, es decir: • El proveedor de CPU (Intel, AMD) debe ser el mismo en todas las
CPU de todos los servidores.
• Para ejecutar máquinas virtuales HVM, todas las CPU deben tener la virtualización habilitada.
Otros requisitos
Además de los requisitos previos de hardware identificados anteriormente, existen otros requisitos
previos de configuración para que un servidor se una a un grupo:
• Debe tener una dirección IP coherente (una dirección IP estática en el servidor o una concesión
de DHCP estática). Este requisito también se aplica a los servidores que proporcionan
almacenamiento NFS o iSCSI compartido.
• Su reloj del sistema debe estar sincronizado con el maestro del grupo (por ejemplo, a
través de NTP). • No puede ser miembro de un grupo de recursos existente.

• No puede tener máquinas virtuales en ejecución o suspendidas ni operaciones activas en
curso en sus máquinas virtuales, como apagar o exportar. Apague todas las máquinas
virtuales en el servidor antes de agregarlo a un grupo.
• No puede tener ningún almacenamiento compartido ya configurado.
• No puede tener una interfaz de gestión enlazada. Vuelva a configurar la interfaz de

administración y muévala a una NIC física antes de agregar el servidor al grupo. Una vez que
el servidor se ha unido al grupo, puede volver a configurar la interfaz de administración.
• Debe estar ejecutando la misma versión de XenServer, con el mismo nivel de parche, que los
servidores que ya están en el grupo.
• Debe configurarse con los mismos paquetes complementarios que los servidores que ya están
en el grupo. Los paquetes suplementarios se utilizan para instalar software complementario
en el dominio de control de XenServer, dom0. Para evitar una experiencia de usuario
inconsistente en un grupo, todos los servidores del grupo deben tener instalados los mismos
paquetes complementarios en la misma revisión.
• Debe tener la misma licencia de XenServer que los servidores que ya están en el grupo. Puede
cambiar la licencia de cualquier miembro del grupo después de unirse al grupo. El servidor
con la licencia más baja determina las funciones disponibles para todos los miembros del
grupo.
Los hosts de XenServer en grupos de recursos pueden contener diferentes números de interfaces de
red físicas y tener depósitos de almacenamiento local de diferentes tamaños. En la práctica, a
menudo es difícil obtener varios servidores con exactamente las mismas CPU, por lo que se
permiten variaciones menores. Si desea que su entorno tenga hosts con distintas CPU en el mismo
grupo de recursos, puede forzar la unión de un grupo mediante la CLI. Para obtener información
sobre cómo forzar la operación de unión, consulte Hosts y grupos de recursos.

Nota:
Los servidores que proporcionan almacenamiento NFS o iSCSI compartido para el grupo
deben tener una dirección IP estática o ser direccionables por DNS.
Grupos homogéneos
Un grupo de recursos homogéneo es un agregado de servidores con CPU idénticas. Las CPU de un
servidor que se une a un grupo de recursos homogéneo deben tener el mismo proveedor, modelo y
características que las CPU de los servidores que ya están en el grupo.
grupos
CPU enmascaramiento o nivelación. Estas características permiten configurar una CPU para que
parezca que proporciona una marca, un modelo o un conjunto de características diferente al que
realmente tiene. Estas capacidades le permiten crear grupos de hosts con diferentes CPU, pero aún
admiten migraciones en vivo de manera segura.
Para obtener información sobre cómo crear grupos heterogéneos, consulte Hosts y grupos de recursos.
Límites de configuración
4 de octubre de 2018
Citrix recomienda usar los siguientes límites de configuración como guía al seleccionar y configurar
su entorno virtual y físico para XenServer. Citrix admite totalmente para XenServer los siguientes
límites de configuración probados y recomendados.
• Límites de máquinas virtuales
• Límites de host de XenServer •
recursos
Factores como el hardware y el entorno pueden afectar las limitaciones que se enumeran a
continuación. Puede encontrar más información sobre el hardware compatible en la Lista. Consulte
los límites documentados de los fabricantes de su hardware para asegurarse de no exceder los
límites de configuración admitidos para su entorno.
Límites de máquinas virtuales (VM)

Elemento Límite
Compute
CPU virtuales por VM (Linux) 32 (ver nota 1) CPU virtuales por
VM (Windows) 32
Memoria
RAM por VM 1.5 TB (ver nota 2) almacenamiento
(VDI) (incluyendo CD- ROM) por 255 (ver nota 3)

VM
Unidades de CD-ROM virtuales por VM 1

Tamaño de disco virtual (NFS) 2 TB menos 4 GB
Tamaño de disco virtual (LVM) 2 TB menos 4 GB
Redes
NIC virtuales por VM 7 (ver nota 4 )
Notas:
1. Consulte la documentación de su sistema operativo invitado para asegurarse de no

exceder los límites admitidos.
2. La cantidad máxima de memoria física direccionable por su sistema operativo varía.

Setting the memory to a level greater than the operating system supported limit may lead
to performance issues within your guest. Some 32-bit Windows operating systems can sup
port more than 4 GB of RAM through use of the physical address extension (PAE) mode.
The limit for 32-bit PV Virtual Machines is 64 GB. For more information, see your guest
operating system documentation and Guest operating system support.
3. The maximum number of VDIs supported depends on the guest operating system. Con sult
your guest operating system documentation to ensure that you do not exceed the sup
ported limits.
4. Several guest operating systems have a lower limit, other guests require installation of the
XenServer Tools to achieve this limit.
© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 20

XenServer host limits
Item Limit
Compute
Logical processors per host 288 (see note 1) Concurrent VMs per
host 1000 (see note 2)
Concurrent protected VMs 500

per host with HA enabled
Virtual GPU VMs per host 128 (see note 3)
Memory
RAM per host 5 TB (see note 4)
Storage
Concurrent active virtual disks per host 4096
Networking
Physical NICs per host 16
Physical NICs per network bond 4
Virtual NICs per host 512
VLANs per host 800
Network Bonds per host 4
Graphics Capability
GPUs per host 12 (See note 5)
Notes:
1. The maximum number of logical physical processors supported differs by CPU. For more
information, see the Hardware Compatibility List.
2. The maximum number of VMs/host supported depends on VM workload, system load, net- ©
1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 21
work configuration, and certain environmental factors. Citrix reserves the right to deter
mine what specific environmental factors affect the maximum limit at which a system can
function. For systems running over 500 VMs, Citrix recommends allocating 8 GB RAM to the
Control Domain (Dom0).
For information about configuring Dom0 memory, see CTX134951 - How to Configure
dom0 Memory in XenServer 6.2 and Later.
3. For NVIDIA vGPU, 128 vGPU accelerated VMs per host with 4xM60 cards (4x32=128 VMs), or
2xM10 cards (2x64=128 VMs). For Intel GVT-g, 7 VMs per host with a 1,024 MB aperture size.
Smaller aperture sizes can further restrict the number of GVT-g VMs supported per host.
This figure might change. For the current supported limits, see the Hardware
Compatibility List.
4. If a host has one or more 32-bit paravirtualized guests (Linux VMs), running a maximum of
128 GB RAM is supported on the host.
5. This figure might change. For the current supported limits, see the Hardware Compatibility
List.
Resource pool limits
Item Limit
Compute
VMs per resource pool 4096
Hosts per resource pool 64 (See note 1)
Networking
VLANs per resource pool 800
Active hosts per cross-server private network 64
Cross-server private networks per resource
16
pool
Virtual NICs per cross-server private network 16
resource pool
Cross-server private
256
network virtual NICs per
Hosts per vSwitch controller 64

Virtual NICs per vSwitch controller 1024
VMs per vSwitch controller 1024

Item Limit Disaster recovery
Integrated site recovery storage repositories

8
per resource pool
Storage
Paths to a LUN 8 Multipathed LUNs per host 256 (See note 2)
Multipathed LUNs per host (used 256 (See note 2)

by storage repositories)
VDIs per SR (NFS, SMB, EXT, GFS2) 20000

VDIs per SR (LVM) 1000
Storage XenMotion
(non-CDROM) VDIs per VM 6
Snapshots per VM 1
Concurrent transfers 3
XenCenter
Concurrent operations per pool 25
Notes:
1. Clustered pools that use GFS2 storage support a maximum of 16 hosts in the resource
pool. 2. When HA is enabled, Citrix recommends increasing the default timeout to at least 120
sec onds when more than 30 multipathed LUNs are present on a host. For information about
increasing the HA timeout, see CTX139166 - How to Change High Availability Timeout Set
tings.
Guest operating system support
November 5, 2018
When installing VMs and allocating resources such as memory and disk space, follow the guidelines
of the operating system and any relevant applications.
Virtualization Maximum RAM
Operating System mode Minimum RAM Minimum Disk Space
recommended)
Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
(32-bit)
HVM 2 GB 192 GB 24 GB (40 GB or more
Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit)
recommended)
Windows 8.1
recommended)
(64-bit)
HVM 2 GB 1.5 TB 24 GB (40 GB or more
recommended)
Windows 10
(64-bit) HVM 512 MB 64 GB 24 GB (40 GB or more
recommended)
Windows Server 2008 SP2 HVM 512 MB 1 TB 24 GB (40 GB or more

(32-bit) recommended)
Windows Server 2008 SP2 HVM 512 MB 1.5 TB 24 GB (40 GB or more

(64-bit) recommended)
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 HVM 1 GB 1.5 TB 24 GB (40 GB or more

recommended)
Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

(64-bit),
Windows Server 2016, Windows Server Core
2016 (64-bit)
CentOS 5.x
PV 512 MB 16 GB 8 GB
(32-bit)

Citrix XenServer 7.6 System
Virtualization
Operating mode Minimum RAM Maximum Minimum Disk Space
RAM
GB PV 1 GB 8 GB 8 GB PV 512 MB 32 GB 8
CentOS 5.0–5.7 (64-bit)
CentOS 5.8–5.11 (64-bit) GB PV 512 MB 16 GB 8 GB PV 1 GB 128 GB
CentOS 6.0, 6.1 (32-bit)
CentOS 6.0, 6.1 (64-bit) 8 GB HVM 2 GB 1.5 TB 10 GB
CentOS 6.2–6.9 (32-bit)
CentOS 6.2–6.9 (64-bit) PV 512 MB 16 GB 8 GB PV 512 MB 16 GB 8
CentOS 7.x
(64-bit)
Red Hat GB PV 512 MB 128 GB 8 GB PV 512 MB 8 GB
Enterprise Linux 5.x (32-bit)

Red Hat
8 GB PV 1 GB 32 GB 8 GB PV 512 MB 16 GB
Enterprise Linux 5.0–5.7 (64-bit) Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 6.0, 6.1 (32-bit) Red Hat
8 GB
Enterprise Linux 6.0, 6.1 (64-bit) Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 6.2–6.9 (32-bit)
PV 512 MB 16 GB 8 GB PV 512 MB 128 GB 8

Virtualization
RAM
Linux
Red Hat
Enterprise
Server 12 SP3 (64-bit)
Enterprise Linux 7.x (64-bit)
SUSE Linux
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Enterprise Desktop 11 SP3 (64-bit)
Server 11 SP3, 11 SP4 (32-bit)
SUSE Linux
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Enterprise Desktop 12, 12 SP1, 12 SP2
Server 11 SP3, 11 SP4 (64-bit) (64-bit)
SUSE Linux SUSE Linux
Enterprise Enterprise
Server 12, 12 SP1, 12 SP2 (64-bit) SUSE Desktop 12 SP3 (64-bit)
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB HVM 2 GB 1.5 TB 10 HVM 1 GB 1.5 TB 8 GB PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB
GB PV 1 GB 16 GB 8 GB
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB
HVM 1 GB 1.5 TB 8 GB

Virtualization
RAM
Oracle Linux
5.0–5.7, 5.10, 5.11 (32-bit)
PV 512 MB 16 GB 8 GB PV 512 MB 128 GB 8
Oracle Linux 5.8, 5.9 (32-bit)
Oracle Linux 5.x (64-bit)
GB PV 512 MB 8 GB 8 GB PV 1 GB 32 GB 8
Oracle Linux 6.x (32-bit)
Oracle Linux 6.0, 6.1 (64-bit) GB PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB HVM 2 GB 1.5 TB
Oracle Linux
6.2–6.9 (64-bit) Oracle Linux 7.x (64-bit) 10 GB
Scientific Linux 6.6–6.9 (32-bit) Scientific
Linux 6.6–6.9 (64-bit) Scientific Linux 7.x PV 512 MB 16 GB 8 GB PV 1 GB 128 GB 8
(64-bit)
Debian Squeeze 6 (32-bit/64-bit) Debian GB HVM 2 GB 1.5 TB 10 GB PV 128 MB 32
Wheezy 7 (32-bit)
Debian Wheezy 7 (64-bit) GB 8 GB PV 512 MB 32 GB 8 GB PV 512 MB
Debian Jessie 8 (32-bit)
Debian Jessie 8 (64-bit) 128 GB 8 GB HVM 128 MB 64 GB 8 GB HVM
Debian Stretch 9 (32-bit/64-bit)

PV 512 MB 64 GB 8 GB
128 MB 1.5 TB 8 GB HVM 256 MB 1.5 TB 10 GB

Virtualization
RAM
GB HVM 512 MB 64 GB 8 GB HVM 512 MB
Ubuntu 12.04 (32-bit)
Ubuntu 12.04 (64-bit) 192 GB 8 GB HVM 512 MB 64 GB 10 GB
Ubuntu 14.04 (64-bit) HVM 512 MB 1.5 TB 10 GB HVM 512 MB 1.5
Ubuntu 16.04 (64-bit) TB 10 GB HVM 1 GB 512 GB 8 GB
CoreOS Stable (64-bit) [Latest tested
version is 1632.3.0]
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB PV 1 GB 1.5 TB 10 GB
NeoKylin Linux Advanced Server 6.5
(64-bit)
NeoKylin Linux Advanced Server 7.2
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB
(64-bit)
NeoKylin Linux Security OS V5.0 (64-bit)
Asianux Server 4.2 (64-bit)
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB
PV 128 MB 32 GB 8 GB PV 128 MB 128 GB 8

Virtualization
RAM
GreatTurbo Enterprise Linx Linux v6.0 (64-bit)

Server 12.2 Linx Linux v8.0 (64-bit)
(64-bit) Yinhe Kylin 4.0 (64-bit)
10 GB HVM 1 GB 900 GB 10 GB
Important:
PV 1 GB 128 GB 8 GB
HVM 1 GB 900 GB 10 GB HVM 1 GB 900 GB
• RHEL, OL, and CentOS 5.x guest operating systems with the original kernel fail to start on
XenServer 7.6. Before attempting to upgrade XenServer hosts to 7.6, update the kernel to
version 5.4 (2.6.18-164.el5xen) or later.
• Individual versions of the operating systems can also impose their own maximum limits on
the amount of memory supported (for example, for licensing reasons).
• When configuring guest memory, do not to exceed the maximum amount of physical mem
ory that your operating system can address. Setting a memory maximum that is greater
than the operating system supported limit might lead to stability problems within your
guest.
Notes:
• To create a VM of a newer minor version of RHEL than is listed in the preceding table, use
the following method:
– Install the VM from the latest supported media for the major version
– Use yum update to update the VM to the newer minor version
This approach also applies to RHEL-based operating systems such as CentOS and Oracle
Linux.
• Some 32-bit Windows operating systems can support more than 4 GB of RAM by using phys
ical address extension (PAE) mode. To reconfigure a VM with greater than 4 GB of RAM, use
the xe CLI, not XenCenter, as the CLI doesn't impose upper bounds for memory-static
max.

Long-term guest support
XenServer includes a long-term guest support (LTS) policy for Linux VMs. The LTS policy enables you
to consume minor version updates by one of the following methods:
• Installing from new guest media

• Upgrading from an existing supported guest
Quick start
October 17, 2018
This article steps through how to install and configure XenServer and its graphical, Windows-based
user interface, XenCenter. After installation, it takes you through creating Windows virtual machines
(VMs) and then making customized VM templates you can use to create multiple, similar VMs
quickly. Finally, this article shows how to create a pool of hosts, which provides the foundation to
migrate running VMs between hosts using XenMotion.
Focusing on the most basic scenarios, this article aims to get you set up quickly.
This article is primarily intended for new users of XenServer and XenCenter. It is intended for those
users who want to administer XenServer by using XenCenter. For information on how to administer
XenServer using the Linux-based xe
commands through the XenServer Command Line Interface (CLI), see Command-line interface.
Terminology and abbreviations
• Host: a physical computer that runs XenServer
• Virtual Machine (VM): a computer composed entirely of software that can run its own operating
system and applications as if it were a physical computer. A VM behaves exactly like a physical
computer and contains its own virtual (software-based) CPU, RAM, hard disk, and NIC.
• Pool: a single managed entity that binds together multiple XenServer hosts and their VMs
• Storage Repository (SR): a storage container in which virtual disks are stored
Major components
XenServer
XenServer is a complete server virtualization platform, with all the capabilities required to create
and manage a virtual infrastructure. XenServer is optimized for both Windows and Linux virtual
servers.

XenServer runs directly on server hardware without requiring an underlying operating system,
which results in an efficient and scalable system. XenServer abstracts elements from the physical
machine (such as hard drives, resources, and ports) and allocating them to the virtual machines
(VMs) running on it.
XenServer lets you create VMs, take VM disk snapshots, and manage VM workloads.
XenCenter
XenCenter is a graphical, Windows-based user interface. XenCenter enables you to manage

XenServer hosts, pools, and shared storage. Use XenCenter to deploy, manage, and monitor VMs
from your Win dows desktop machine.
The XenCenter Online Help is also a great resource for getting started with XenCenter. Press F1 at any
time to access context-sensitive information.
Install XenServer and XenCenter
In this section, you set up a minimum XenServer installation.
What you'll learn
You'll learn how to:
• Install XenServer on a single physical host

• Install XenCenter on a Windows computer
• Connecting XenCenter and XenServer to form the infrastructure for creating and running
virtual machines (VMs).
Requirements
To get started, you need the following items:
• A physical computer to be the XenServer host

• A Windows computer to run the XenCenter application
• Installation files for XenServer and XenCenter
The XenServer host computer is dedicated entirely to the task of running XenServer and hosting
VMs, and is not used for other applications. The computer that runs XenCenter can be any
general-purpose Windows computer that satisfies the hardware requirements. You can use this
computer to run other applications too. For more information, see System Requirements.
Install the XenServer host
All hosts have at least one IP address associated with them. To configure a static IP address for the
host (instead of using DHCP), have the static IP address on hand before beginning this procedure.
Tip:
Press F12 to advance quickly to the next installer screen. For general help, press
F1. To install the XenServer host:
1. Burn the installation files for XenServer to a CD.

Note:
For information about using HTTP, FTP, or NFS as your installation source, see Install
XenServer.
2. Back up data you want to preserve. Installing XenServer overwrites data on any hard drives
that you select to use for the installation.
3. Insert the installation CD into the DVD drive of the host computer.
4. Restart the host computer.
5. Bootfrom the DVD drive (if necessary, see your hardware vendor documentationfor
information on changing the boot order).
6. Following the initial boot messages and the Welcome to XenServer screen, select your key
board layout for the installation.
7. When the Welcome to XenServer Setup screen is displayed, select Ok.
8. Read and accept the XenServer EULA.
Note:
If you see a System Hardware warning and suspect that hardware virtualization assist
support is available on your system, see your hardware manufacturer for BIOS upgrades.
9. Select Ok to do a clean installation.
10. If you have multiple hard disks, choose a Primary Disk for the installation. Select Ok.
Choose which disks you want to use for virtual machine storage. Choose Ok. 11. Select
Local media as your installation source.
12. Select Skip Verification, and then choose Ok.
Note:
If you encounter problems during installation, verify the installation source.

13. Create and confirm a root password, which the XenCenter application uses to connect to the
XenServer host.
14. Set up the management interface to use to connect to XenCenter.
If your computer has multiple NICs, select the NIC which you want to use for management
traffic (typically the first NIC).
15. Configure the Management NIC IP address with a static IP address or use DHCP. 16. Specify
the hostname and the DNS configuration manually or automatically through DHCP.
If you manually configure the DNS, enter the IP addresses of your primary (required),
secondary (optional), and tertiary (optional) DNS servers in the fields provided.
17. Select your time zone.
18. Specify how you want the server to determine local time: using NTP or manual time entry.
Choose Ok.
If using NTP, you can specify whether DHCP sets the time server. Alternatively, you can enter
at least one NTP server name or IP address in the following fields.
19. Select Install XenServer.
20. If you selected to set the date and time manually, you are prompted to do so.
21. If you are installing from CD, the next screen asks if you want to install any supplemental packs
from a CD. Choose No to continue.
22. From the Installation Complete screen, eject the installation CD from the drive, and then
select *Ok to reboot the server.
After the server reboots, XenServer displays xsconsole, a system configuration console.
Note:
Make note of the IP address displayed. You use this IP address when you connect XenCen
ter to the host.
Install XenCenter
XenCenter is typically installed on your local system.

To install XenCenter:
1. Mount the XenCenter installation ISO on the computer that you want to run XenCenter.
2. Open the client_install folder.
3. Double-click XenCenterSetup.exe to begin the installation.
4. Follow the Setup wizard, which allows you to modify the default destination folder and then to
install XenCenter.
Connect XenCenter to the XenServer host
This procedure enables you to add a host to XenCenter.
To connect XenCenter to the XenServer host:
1. Launch XenCenter.
The program opens to the Home tab.

2. Click the ADD a server icon to open the Add New Server dialog box.

3. In the Serverfield, enter the IP address of the host. Enter the root username and password that
you set during XenServer installation. Choose Add.
Note:
The first time you add a host, the Save and Restore Connection State dialog box appears. This
dialog box enables you to set your preferences for storing your host connection information
and automatically restoring server connections.
License XenServer
You can use XenServer without a license (Free Edition). However, this edition provides a restricted
set of features.
If you have a XenServer license, apply it now.
For more information, see Licensing.
Create a pool of XenServer hosts
A resource pool is composed of multiple XenServer host installations, bound together as a single
man aged entity.
Resource pools enable you to view multiple hosts and their connected shared storage as a single uni
fied resource. You can flexibly deploy of VMs across the resource pool based on resource needs and
business priorities. A pool can contain up to 64 hosts running the same version of XenServer
software, at the same patch level, and with broadly compatible hardware.
One host in the pool is designated as the pool master. The pool master provides a single point of
contact for the whole pool, routing communication to other members of the pool as necessary.
Every

member of a resource pool contains all the information necessary to take over the role of master if
necessary. The pool master is the first host listed for the pool in the XenCenter Resources pane. You
can find the pool master's IP address by selecting the pool master and clicking the Search tab.
In a pool with shared storage, you can start VMs on any pool member that has sufficient memory
and dynamically move the VMs between hosts. The VMs are moved while running and with minimal
downtime. If an individual XenServer host suffers a hardware failure, you can restart the failed VMs
on another host in the same pool.
If the high availability feature is enabled, protected VMs are automatically moved if a host fails. On
an HA-enabled pool, a new pool master is automatically nominated if the master is shut down.
Note:
For a description of heterogeneous pool technology, see Hosts and resource pools.
What you'll learn
• Create a pool of hosts

• Set up a network for the pool
• Bond NICs
• Set up shared storage for the pool
While XenServer accommodates many shared storage solutions, this section focuses on two
common types: NFS and iSCSI.
Requirements
To create a pool with shared storage, you need the following items:
• A second XenServer host, with similar processor type.

Connect this host to your XenCenter application.
• A storage repository for IP-based storage
To get you started quickly, this section focuses on creating homogeneous pools. Within a homoge
neous pool, all hosts must have compatible processors and be running the same version of
XenServer, under the same type of XenServer product license. For a full list of homogeneous pool
requirements, see System requirements.
Create a pool
To create a pool:

1. On the toolbar, click the New Pool button.
2. Enter a name and optional description for the new pool.

3. Nominate the pool master by selecting a host from the Master list.
4. Select the second host to place in the new pool from the Additional members list.
5. Click Create Pool.

The new pool appears in the Resources pane.
Set up networks for the pool
When you install XenServer, you create a network connection, typically on the first NIC in the pool
where you specified an IP address (during XenServer installation).
However, you may need to connect your pool to VLANs and other physical networks. To do so, you
must add these networks to the pool. You can configure XenServer to connect each NIC to one
physical network and numerous VLANs.

Before creating networks, ensure that the cabling matches on each host in the pool. Plug the NICs
on each host into the same physical networks as the corresponding NICs on the other pool
members.
Note:
If the NICs were not plugged in to the NICs on the host when you installed XenServer:
• Plug the NICs in

• In XenCenter, select <your host> > NICs tab
• Click Rescan for them to appear
For additional information about configuring XenServer networking, see the XenCenter Help and Net
working.
To add a network to XenServer:

1. In the Resources pane in XenCenter, select the pool.
2. Click the Networking tab.
3. Click Add Network.
4. On the Select Type page, select External Network, and click Next.
5. On the Name page, enter a meaningful name for the network and description.
6. On the Network settings page, specify the following:
• NIC: Select the NIC that you want XenServer to use to send and receive data from the net
work.
• VLAN: If the network is a VLAN, enter the VLAN ID (or “tag”).

• MTU: If the network uses jumbo frames, enter a value for the Maximum Transmission Unit
(MTU) between 1500 to 9216. Otherwise, leave the MTU box at its default value of 1500.
If you configure many virtual machines to use this network, you can select the Automatically
add this network to new virtualmachines check box. This option adds the network by
default.

7. Click Finish.
Bonding NICs
NIC bonding can make your server more resilient by using two or more physical NICs as if they were a
single, high-performing channel. This section only provides a very brief overview of bonding, also
known as NIC teaming. Before configuring bonds for use in a production environment, Citrix
Systems, Inc. recommends reading more in-depth information about bonding. For more
information, see Net working.
XenServer supports the following bond modes: Active/active, active/passive (active/backup), and
LACP. Active/active provides load balancing and redundancy for VM-based traffic. For other types of
traffic (storage and management), active/active cannot load balance traffic. As a result, LACP or
multipathing are better choice for storage traffic. For information about multipathing, see Storage.
For more information about bonding, see Networking.
LACP options are not visible or available unless you configure the vSwitch as the network stack. Like
wise, your switches must support the IEEE 802.3ad standard. The switch must contain a separate
LAG group configured for each LACP bond on the host. For more details about creating LAG groups,
see Networking.
To bond NICs:
1. Ensure that the NICs you want to bind together (the bond slaves) are not in use: shut down any
VMs with virtual network interfaces using the bond slaves before creating the bond. After you
have created the bond, you will need to reconnect the virtual network interfaces to an
appropri ate network.
2. Select the server in the Resources pane then open the NICs tab and click Create Bond.
3. Select the NICs you want to bond together. To select a NIC, select its check box in the list. Up to
four NICs may be selected in this list. Clear the check box to deselect a NIC. To maintain a
flexible and secure network, you can bond either two, three, or four NICs when vSwitch is the
network stack. However, you can only bond two NICs when Linux bridge is the network stack.
4. Under Bond mode, choose the type of bond:
• Select Active-active to configure an active-active bond. Traffic is balanced between the

bonded NICs. If one NIC within the bond fails, the host server's network traffic automati
cally routes over the second NIC.
• Select Active-passive to configure an active-passive bond. Traffic passes over only one of
the bonded NICs. In this mode, the second NIC only becomes active if the active NIC fails,
for example, if it loses network connectivity.

• Select LACP with load balancing based on source MAC address to configure a LACP
bond. The outgoing NIC is selected based on MAC address of the VM from which the
traffic originated. Use this option to balance traffic in an environment where you have
several VMs on the same host. This option is not suitable if there are fewer virtual
interfaces (VIFs) than NICs: as load balancing is not optimal because the traffic cannot be
split across NICs.
• Select LACP with load balancing based on IP and port of source and destination to con
figure a LACP bond. The source IP address, source port number, destination IP address,
and destination port number are used to allocate the traffic across the NICs. Use this op
tion to balance traffic from VMs in an environment where the number of NICs exceeds the
number of VIFs.
Note:
LACP bonding is only available for the vSwitch, whereas active-active and active
passive bonding modes are available for both the vSwitch and Linux bridge. For
information about networking stacks, see Networking.
5. To use jumbo frames, set the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) to a value between 1500 to
9216.
6. To have the new bonded network automatically added to any new VMs created using the New
VM wizard, select the check box.
7. Click Create to create the NIC bond and close the dialog box.
XenCenter automatically moves management and secondary interfaces from bond slaves to
the bond master when the new bond is created. A server with its management interface on a
bond is not permitted to join a pool. Before the server can join a pool, you must reconfigure
the man agement interface and move it back on to a physical NIC.
Setting up shared storage for the pool

To connect the hosts in a pool to a remote storage array, create a XenServer SR. The SR is the storage
container where a VM's virtual disks are stored. SRs are persistent, on-disk objects that exist indepen
dently of XenServer. SRs can exist on different types of physical storage devices, both internal and
external. These types include local disk devices and shared network storage.
You can configure a XenServer SR for various different types of storage, including:
• NFS
• Software iSCSI
• Hardware HBA
• SMB

• Fibre Channel
• Software FCoE
This section steps through setting up two types of shared SRs for a pool of hosts: NFS and iSCSI. Be
fore you create an SR, configure your NFS or iSCSI storage array. Setup differs depending on the type
of storage solution that you use. For more information, see your vendor documentation. Generally,
before you begin, complete the following setup for your storage solution:
• iSCSI SR: You must have created a volume and a LUN on the storage array.
• NFS SR: You must have created the volume on the storage device.
• Hardware HBA: You must have done the configuration required to expose the LUN before run
ning the New Storage Repository wizard
• Software FCoE SR: You must have manually completed the configuration required to expose a
LUN to the host. This setup includes configuring the FCoE fabric and allocating LUNs to your
SAN's public world wide name (PWWN).
If you are creating an SR for IP-based storage (iSCSI or NFS), you can configure one of the following
as the storage network: the NIC that handles the management traffic or a new NIC for the storage
traffic. To configure a different a NIC for storage traffic, assign an IP address to a NIC by creating a
management interface.
When you create a management interface, you must assign it an IP address that meets the following
criteria:
• The IP address is on the same subnet as the storage controller, if applicable • The IP address is
on a different subnet than the IP address you specified when you installed XenServer
• The IP address is not on the same subnet as any other management interfaces.
To assign an IP address to a NIC:
1. Ensure that the NIC is on a separate subnet or that routing is configured to suit your network
topology. This configuration forces the desired traffic over the selected NIC.
2. In theResource pane of XenCenter, select the pool (or standalone server). Click
theNetworking tab, and then click the Configure button.
3. In the Configure IP Address dialog, in the left pane, click Add IP address.
4. Give the new interface a meaningful name (for example, yourstoragearray_network). Select the
Network associated with the NIC that you use for storage traffic.
5. Click Use these network settings. Enter a static IP address that you want to configure on the
NIC, the subnet mask, and gateway. Click OK. The IP address must be on the same subnet as
the storage controller the NIC is connected to.

Note:
Whenever you assign a NIC an IP address, it must be on a different subnet than any other NICs
with IP addresses in the pool. This includes the primary management interface.
To create a new shared NFS or iSCSI storage repository:
1. On the Resources pane, select the pool. On the toolbar, click the New Storage button.
The New Storage Repository wizard opens.

2. Under Virtual disk storage, choose NFS or iSCSI as the storage type. Click Next to continue. 3. If
you choose NFS:
a) Enter a name for the new SR and the name of the share where it is located. Click Scan to
have the wizard scan for existing NFS SRs in the specified location.
Note:
The NFS server must be configured to export the specified path to all XenServer
hosts in the pool.
b) Click Finish.
The new SR appears in the Resources pane, within the pool.

4. If you choose iSCSI:
a) Enter a name for the new SR and then the IP address or DNS name of the iSCSI target.
Note:
The iSCSI storage target must be configured to enable every XenServer host in the
pool to have access to one or more LUNs.
b) If you have configured the iSCSI target to use CHAP authentication, enter the user name
and password.
c) Click the Scan Target Host button, and then choose the iSCSI target IQN from the Target
IQN list.
Warning:
The iSCSI target and all servers in the pool must have unique IQNs.
d) Click Target LUN, and then select the LUN on which to create the SR from the Target LUN
list.
Warning:
Each individual iSCSI storage repository must be contained entirely on a single LUN
and cannot span more than one LUN. Any data present on the chosen LUN is de
stroyed.
e) Click Finish.
The new SR appears in the Resources pane, within the pool.
The new shared SR now becomes the default SR for the pool.
Create virtual machines
Through XenCenter, you can create virtual machines in various ways, according to your needs.
Whether you are deploying individual VMs with distinct configurations or groups of multiple, similar
VMs, XenCenter gets you up and running in just a few steps.
XenServer also provides an easy way to convert batches of virtual machines from VMware. For more
information, see Conversion Manager.
This section focuses on a few methods by which to create Windows VMs. To get started quickly, the
procedures use the simplest setup of XenServer: a single XenServer host with local storage (after
you connect XenCenter to the XenServer host, storage is automatically configured on the local disk
of the host).
This section also demonstrates how to use XenMotion to live migrate VMs between hosts in the pool.
After explaining how to create and customize your new VM, this section demonstrates how to
convert that existing VM into a VM template. A VM template preserves your customization so you can
always use it to create VMs to the same (or to similar) specifications. It also reduces the time taken to
create multiple VMs.
You can also create a VM templatefrom a snapshot of an existing VM. A snapshot is a record of a
running VM at a point in time. It saves the storage, configuration, and networking information of the
original VM, which makes it useful for backup purposes. Snapshots provide a fast way to make VM
templates. This section demonstrates how to take a snapshot of an existing VM and then how to
convert that snapshot into a VM template. Finally, this section describes how to create VMs from a
VM template.
What you'll learn
• Create a Windows 8.1 VM

• Install XenServer Tools
• Migrate a running VM between hosts in the pool
• Create a VM template
• Create a VM from a VM template
Requirements
To create a pool with shared storage, you need the following items:
• The XenServer pool you set up

• XenCenter
• Installation files for Windows 8.1
Create a Windows 8.1 (32-bit) VM
Note:
The following procedure provides an example of creating Windows 8.1 (32-bit) VM. The default
values may vary depending on the operating system that you choose.
To create a Windows VM:
1. On the toolbar, click the New VM button to open the New VM wizard.
The New VM wizard allows you to configure the new VM, adjusting various parameters for CPU,
storage, and networking resources.

2. Select a VM template and click Next.
Each template contains the setup information for creating a VM with a specific guest operating
system (OS), and with optimum storage. This list reflects the templates that XenServer
currently supports.
Note:
If the OS you're installing on your new VM is compatible only with the original hardware,
check the Copy host BIOS strings to VM box. For example, use this option for an OS
instal lation CD that was packaged with a specific computer.
3. Enter a name for and optional description of the new VM.
4. Choose the source of the OS media to install on the new VM.
Installing from a CD/DVD is the simplest option for getting started. Choose the default instal
lation source option (DVD drive), insert the disk into the DVD drive of the XenServer host, and
choose Next to proceed.
XenServer also allows you to pull OS installation media from a range of sources, including a
pre-existing ISO library.
To attach a pre-existing ISO library, click New ISO library and indicate the location and type of
ISO library. You can then choose the specific operating system ISO media from the list.
5. The VM runs on the installed host. Choose Next to proceed.

6. Allocate processor and memory resources.
For a Windows 8.1 VM, the default is 1 virtual CPU, 1 socket with 1 core per socket and 2 GB of
RAM. You may choose to modify the defaults if necessary. Click Next to continue.
Note:
Each OS has different configuration requirements which are reflected in the
templates. 7. Assign a graphics processing unit (GPU).
The New VM wizard prompts you to assign a dedicated GPU or a virtual GPU to the VM. This
option enables the VM to use the processing power of the GPU. It provides better support for
high-end 3D professional graphics applications such as CAD, GIS, and Medical Imaging applica
tions.
Note:
GPU Virtualization is available for XenServer Enterprise Edition customers, or those cus
tomers who have access to XenServer through their Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops enti
tlement.
8. Configure storage for the new VM.
Click Next to select the default allocation (24 GB) and configuration, or you might want to:
a) Change the name, description, or size of your virtual disk by clicking Properties. b)
Add a new virtual disk by selecting Add.
Note:
When you create a pool of XenServer hosts, you can configure shared storage at this point
when creating a VM.
9. Configure networking on the new VM.
Click Next to select the default NIC and configurations, including an automatically created
unique MAC address for each NIC, or you can:
a) Change the physical network, MAC address, or Quality of Service (QoS) priority of the vir
tual disk by clicking Properties.
b) Add a new virtual network interface by selecting Add.
XenServer uses the virtual network interface to connect to the physical network on the
host. Be sure to select the network that corresponds with the network the virtual
machine requires. To add a physical network, see Setting Up Networks for the Pool
10. Review settings, and then click Create Now to create the VM and return to the Search tab.
An icon for your new VM appears under the host in the Resources pane.
On the Resources pane, select the VM, and then click the Console tab to see the VM console. 11.
Follow the OS installation screens and make your selections.
12. After the OS installation completes and the VM reboots, install the XenServer Tools.
Install XenServer Tools
XenServer Tools provide high performance I/O services without the overhead of traditional device
em ulation. XenServer Tools consists of I/O drivers (also known as Paravirtualized drivers or PV
drivers) and the Management Agent. XenServer Tools must be installed on each VM in order for the
VM to have a fully supported configuration. A VM functions without them, but performance is
hampered. XenServer Tools also enable certain functions and features, including cleanly shutting
down, reboot ing, suspending and live migrating VMs.
Warning:
Install XenServer Tools for each Windows VM. Running Windows VMs without XenServer Tools
is not supported.
To install XenServer Tools:

1. Select the VM in the Resources pane, right-click, and then click Install XenServer Tools on the
shortcut menu. Alternatively, on the VM menu, click Install XenServer Tools.
Or
On the General tab of the VM, click Install I/O drivers and Management
Agent. Note:
When you install XenServer Tools on your VM, you are installing both I/O drivers (PV
drivers) and the Management Agent
2. If AutoPlay is enabled for the VM's CD/DVD drive, installation will start automatically after a few
moments. The process installs the I/O drivers and the Management Agent, and reboots the VM
as required.
3. If AutoPlay is not enabled, the XenServer Tools installer displays the installation options. Click
Install XenServer Tools to continue with the installation. The XenServer Tools ISO (guest
tools.iso) is mounted on the VM's CD/DVD drive.
4. Click Run setup.exe to begin XenServer Tools installation and restart the VM when prompted
to complete the installation process.
After you have installed the XenServer Tools, you can customize your VM by installing applications
and performing any other configurations. If you want to create multiple VMs with similar
specifications, you can do so quickly by making a template from the existing VM. Use that template
to create VMs. For more information, see Creating VM Templates.
Migrate running VMs between hosts in a pool
Using XenMotion (live migration), you can move a running VM from one host to another in the same
pool, and with virtually no service interruption. Where you decide to migrate a VM to depends on
how you configure the VM and pool.
To migrate a running VM:
1. On the Resources pane, select the VM that you want to move.
Note:
Ensure that the VM you migrate does not have local storage.
2. Right-click the VM icon, point to Migrate to Server, and then select the new VM host.
Tip:
You can also drag the VM onto the target host.

3. The migrated VM displays under the new host in the Resources pane.
Create VM templates
There are various ways to create a VM template from an existing Windows VM, each with its
individual benefits. This section focuses on two methods: converting an existing VM into a template,
and cre ating a template from a snapshot of a VM. In both cases, the VM template preserves the
customized configuration of the original VM or VM snapshot. The template can then be used to
create new, similar VMs quickly. This section demonstrates how to make new VMs from these
templates.
Before you create a template from an existing VM or VM snapshot, Citrix Systems, Inc. recommends
that you run the Windows utility Sysprep on the original VM. In general, running Sysprep
prepares an operating system for disk cloning and restoration. Windows OS installations include
many unique elements per installation (including Security Identifiers and computer names). These
elements must stay unique and not be copied to new VMs. If copied, confusion and problems are
likely to arise. Run ning Sysprep avoids these problems by allowing the generation of new, unique
elements for the new VMs.

Note:
Running Sysprep may not be as necessary for basic deployments or test environments as it is
for production environments.
For more information about Sysprep, see your Windows documentation. The detailed procedure of
running this utility can differ depending on the version of Windows installed.
Create a VM template from an existing VM
To create a VM template from an existing VM:
Warning:
When you create a template from an existing VM, the new template replaces the original VM.
The VM no longer exists.
1. Shut down the VM that you want to convert.
2. On the Resources pane, right-click the VM, and select Convert to Template.
3. Click Convert to confirm.
Once you create the template, the new VM template appears in the Resources pane, replacing
the existing VM.
Create a VM template from a VM snapshot
To create a template from a snapshot of a VM:
1. On the Resources pane, select the VM. Click the Snapshots tab, and then Take Snapshot.
2. Enter a name and an optional description of the new snapshot. Click Take Snapshot. 3.
Once the snapshot finishes and the icon displays in the Snapshots tab, select the icon.
4. From the Actions list, choose Save as a Template.

5. Enter a name for the template, and then click Create.
Create VMs from a VM template
To create a VM from a customized VM template:
1. On the XenCenter Resources pane, right-click the template, and select New VM wizard.
The New VM wizard opens.
2. Follow the New VM wizard to create a VM from the selected template.
Note:
When the wizard prompts you for an OS installation media source, select the default and
continue.
The new VM appears in the Resources pane.
If you are using a template created from an existing VM, you can also choose to select Quick Create.
This option does not take you through the New VM wizard. Instead this option instantly creates and
provisions a new VM using all the configuration settings specified in your template.

Technical overview
October 5, 2018
XenServer is an industry leading, open-source platform for cost-effective desktop, server, and cloud
virtualization infrastructures. XenServer enables organizations of any size or type to consolidate and
transform compute resources into virtual workloadsfor today's data center requirements.
Meanwhile, it ensures a seamless pathway for moving workloads to the cloud.
The key features of XenServer are:
• Consolidating multiple virtual machines (VMs) onto a physical server

• Reducing the number of separate disk images to be managed
• Allowing for easy integration with existing networking and storage infrastructures • Enabling
you to schedule zero downtime maintenance by using XenMotion to live migrate VMs between
XenServer hosts
• Assuring availability of VMs by using high availability to configure policies that restart VMs on
another server in case one fails
• Increasing portability of VM images, as one VM image works on a range of deployment infras
tructures
Virtualization and hypervisor
Virtualization, or to be more specific, hardware virtualization, is a method of running multiple inde

pendent VMs on a single physical computer. Software executed on these virtual machines is
separated from the underlying hardware resources. It's a way of fully utilizing the physical resources
available in modern powerful servers, which reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) for server
deployments.
A hypervisor is the basic abstraction layer of software. The hypervisor performs low-level tasks such
as CPU scheduling and is responsible for memory isolation for resident VMs. The hypervisor
abstracts the hardware for the VMs. The hypervisor has no knowledge of networking, external
storage devices, video, and so on.
Key components
This section gives you a high-level understanding of how XenServer works. See the following illustra
tion for the key components of XenServer:

Hardware
The hardware layer contains the physical server components, such as CPU, memory, network, and
disk drives.
You need an Intel VT or AMD-V 64-bit x86-based system with one or more CPUs to run all supported
guest operating systems. For more information about XenServer host system requirements, see Sys
tem requirements.
For a complete list of XenServer certified hardware and systems, see the Hardware Compatibility
List (HCL).
Xen Hypervisor
The Xen Project hypervisor is an open-source type-1 or bare-metal hypervisor. It allows many in
stances of an operating system or different operating systems to run in parallel on a single machine
(or host). Xen hypervisor is used as the basis for many different commercial and open-source applica
tions, such as: server virtualization, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), desktop virtualization, security
applications, embedded, and hardware appliances.
XenServer is based on the Xen Project hypervisor, with extra features and supports provided by
Citrix. XenServer 7.6 uses version 4.7 of the Xen hypervisor.

Control domain
The Control Domain, also called Domain 0, or dom0, is a secure, privileged Linux VM that runs the
XenServer management toolstack known as XAPI. This Linux VM is based on a CentOS 7.2
distribution. Besides providing XenServer management functions, dom0 also runs the physical
device drivers for networking, storage, and so on. The control domain can talk to the hypervisor to
instruct it to start or stop guest VMs.
Toolstack
The Toolstack, or XAPI is the software stack that controls VM lifecycle operations, host and VM net
working, VM storage, and user authentication. It also allows the management of XenServer resource
pools.
XAPI provides the publicly documented management API, which is used by all tools that manage
VMs, and resource pools. For more information, see https://developer-docs.citrix.com.
Guest domain (VMs)
Guest domains are user-created virtual machines that request resources from dom0. The guest do
main in XenServer supports full virtualization (HVM), paravirtualization (PV), and PV on HVM. For a
detailed list of the supported distributions, see Supported Guests, Virtual Memory, and Disk Size Lim
its.
Full virtualization
Full virtualization, or hardware-assisted virtualization uses virtualization extensions from the host
CPU to virtualize guests. Fully virtualized guests do not require any kernel support. The guest is
called a hardware virtual machine (HVM). HVM requires Intel VT or AMD-V hardware extensions for
memory and privileged operations. XenServer uses Quick Emulator (QEMU) to emulate PC
hardware, including BIOS, IDE disk controller, VGA graphic adaptor, USB controller, network adapter
etc. To improve the performance of hardware-sensitive operations like disk or network access, HVM
guests are installed with the XenServer tools. For more information, see PV on HVM.
HVM is commonly used when virtualizing an operating system such as

Microsoft Windows where it is impossible to modify the kernal to make it
virtualization aware.
Paravirtualization (PV)
Paravirtualization is an efficient and lightweight virtualization technique originally introduced by

the Xen Project, and later adopted by other virtualization platforms. PV does not require
virtualization

extensions from the host CPU. However, PV guests require a PV-enabled kernel and PV drivers, so the
guests are aware of the hypervisor and can run efficiently without virtual emulated hardware.
PV-enabled kernels exist for Linux, NetBSD, FreeBSD, and Open Solaris. For a list of supported distri
butions in PV mode, see PV Linux distributions.
For a PV guest, Xen Hypervisor forwards the I/O operation requests to the control domain. The guest
is aware of the hypervisor and sends privileged instructions to the hypervisor.
PV on HVM
PV on HVM is a mixture of paravirtualization and full hardware virtualization. The primary goal is to
boost performance of HVM guests by using specially optimized Paravirtualized drivers. This mode al
lows you to take advantage of the x86 virtual container technologies in newer processors for
improved performance. Network and storage access from these guests still operate in PV mode,
using drivers building to the kernels.
Windows and some Linux distributions are available in PV on HVM mode in XenServer. For a list of
supported Linux distributions using PV on HVM, see HVM Linux distributions.
XenServer Tools
XenServer Tools, or guest tools provide high performance I/O services without the overhead of tradi
tional device emulation. XenServer Tools consist of I/O drivers (also known as Paravirtualized drivers
or PV drivers) and the Management Agent.
The I/O drivers contain front-end storage and network drivers, and low-level management
interfaces. These drivers replace the emulated devices and provide high-speed transport between
VMs and XenServer product family software.
The Management Agent, also known as the guest agent, is responsible for high-level virtual machine
management features. It provides full functionality to XenCenter (for Windows VMs), including qui
esced snapshots.
Notes:
• XenServer Tools must be installed on each Windows VM in order for the VM to have a fully
supported configuration. A VM will function without the XenServer Tools, but performance
will be significantly hampered when the I/O drivers (PV drivers) are not installed.
• For Windows VMs, XenServer Tools are called Windows guest tools, which include
Windows PV drivers and the Management Agent.
• For Linux VMs, PV drivers are already included in the Xen Kernel.
For more information, see XenServer Tools.

Key concepts
Resource pool
XenServer allows you to manage multiple servers and their connected shared storage as a single
entity by using resource pools. Resource pools enable you to move and run virtual machines on
different XenServer hosts. They also allow all servers to share a common framework for network and
storage. A pool may contain up to 64 servers running the same version of XenServer software, at the
same patch level, and with broadly compatible hardware. For more information, see Hosts and
resource pools.
XenServer resource pool adopts a master/slave architecture, implemented by XAPI. XAPI calls are for
warded from the pool master to pool members. Pool members make DB RPCs against the pool
master. The master host is responsible for co-ordination and locking resources within the pool, and
processes all control operations. Member hosts talk to the master through HTTP and XMLRPC, but
they can talk to each other (over the same channel) to:
• Transfer VM memory images (VM migration)

• Mirror disks (storage migration)
Storage repository
XenServer storage targets are called storage repositories (SRs). A storage repository stores Virtual
Disk Images (VDIs), which contains the contents of a virtual disk.
SRs are flexible, with built-in support for IDE, SATA, SCSI, and SAS drives that are locally connected,
and iSCSI, NFS, SAS, and Fibre Channel remotely connected. The SR and VDI abstractions allow ad-

vanced storage features such as thin provisioning, VDI snapshots, and fast cloning to be exposed on
storage targets that support them.
Each XenServer host can use multiple SRs and different SR types simultaneously. These SRs can be
shared between hosts or dedicated to particular hosts. Shared storage is pooled between multiple
hosts within a defined resource pool. A shared SR must be network accessible to each host. All hosts
in a single resource pool must have at least one shared SR.
For more information about how to operate with SRs, see Configure storage.
Networking
On an architecture level, there are three types of server-side software objects to represent
networking entities. These objects are:
• A PIF, which is a software object used within in dom0 and represents a physical NIC on a host.
PIF objects have a name and description, a UUID, the parameters of the NIC that they
represent, and the network and server they are connected to.
• A VIF, which is a software object used within in dom0 and represents a virtual NIC on a virtual
machine. VIF objects have a name and description, a UUID, and the network and VM they are
connected to.
• A network, which is a virtual Ethernet switch on a host used to route network traffic on a net
work host. Network objects have a name and description, a UUID, and the collection of VIFs
and PIFs connected to them.

XenServer management APIs allow following operations:
• Configuration of networking options
• Control over the NIC to be used for management operations
• Creation of advanced networking features such as virtual local area networks (VLANs) and NIC
bonds
For more information about how to manage networks on XenServer, see Networking.
Related add-ons and applications
While Xen Hypervisor works at the very core level, there are XenServer specific add-ons related
hypervisor-agnostic applications and services available to make the virtualization experience
complete.

• XenCenter
A windows GUI client for VM management, implemented based on the management API. Xen
Center provides a rich user experience to manage multiple XenServer hosts, resource pools,
and the entire virtual infrastructure associated with them.
• Workload Balancing (WLB)
An appliance that balances your pool by relocating virtual machines onto the best possible
servers for their workload in a resource pool. For more information, see Workload balancing
(/en-us/xenserver/current-release/vswitch-controller.html).
• Distributed Virtual Switch Controller (DVSC)
A Debian based appliance that is used to create Open Flow rules that are XAPI aware. The im
plementation consists of the following:
– A virtualization-aware switch (the vSwitch) running on each XenServer and the vSwitch
Controller.
– A centralized server that manages and coordinates the behavior of each individual
vSwitch to provide the appearance of a single vSwitch.
For more information, see vSwitch and controller.
• Citrix Licensing Server
A Linux based appliance that XenCenter contacts to request a license for the specified server.
• XenServer Conversion Manager (XCM)
An virtual appliance with a console that enables users to convert existing VMware virtual ma
chines into XenServer virtual machines, with comparable networking and storage
connectivity. For more information, see Conversion manager.
• Measured Boot Supplemental Pack

A supplemental pack that enables customers to measure key components of their XenServer
hosts at boot time, and provides APIs that enable remote attestation solutions to securely col
lect these measurements. For more information, see Measured Boot Supplemental Pack.
• Citrix Provisioning
Provisioning services that support PXE boot from common images. Used widely with Citrix Vir
tual Desktops and Citrix Virtual Apps. For more information, see Provisioning.
• Citrix Virtual Desktops
A Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) product specialized to Windows desktops. Citrix Virtual
Desktops uses XAPI to manage XenServer in a multi-host pool configuration. For more informa
tion, see Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
• OpenStack/CloudStack
Open-source software for building public/private clouds. Uses the management API to con trol
XenServer. For more information, see https://www.openstack.org/ and https://cloudstack.
apache.org/
Licensing
September 11, 2018
XenServer 7.6 is available in the following editions:
• Enterprise
• Standard
• Free (Unlicensed)
The Standard edition is our entry-level commercial offering. It has a range of features for customers
who want a robust and high performing virtualization platform, but don't require the premium fea
tures of Enterprise Edition. Meanwhile, they still want to benefit from the assurance of
comprehensive Citrix Support and Maintenance.
The Enterprise edition is our premium offering, optimized for desktop, server, and cloud workloads.
In addition to the features available in the Standard edition, the Enterprise Edition offers the
following features:
• Automated Windows VM driver updates

• Automatic updating of the Management Agent
• Support for SMB storage
• Direct Inspect APIs
• Dynamic Workload Balancing
• GPU virtualization with NVIDIA GRID and Intel GVT-g
• VMware vSphere to XenServer conversion utilities

• Intel Secure Measured Boot (TXT)
• Export pool resource data
• In-memory read caching
• PVS-Accelerator
• Automated Updates using XenCenter
• XenServer live patching
• AMD MxGPU
• Enablement for Citrix Virtual Desktops tablet mode
• Changed block tracking
• IGMP snooping
• USB passthrough
• SR-IOV network support
• Thin provisioning for shared block storage devices
Customers who have purchased Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops have an entitlement to
XenServer, which includes all the features listed previously.
The Free edition provides a reduced set of features and is not eligible for Citrix Support and Mainte
nance. Hosts that are running the Free edition of XenServer are labeled as “Unlicensed” in
XenCenter.
For more information, see the XenServer Feature Matrix.
XenServer uses the same licensing process as other Citrix products, and as such requires a valid li
cense to be installed on a License Server. You can download the License Server from Citrix Licensing.
XenServer (other than through the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops licenses) is licensed on a
per-socket basis. Allocation of licenses is managed centrally and enforced by a standalone Citrix
License Server, physical or virtual, in the environment. After applying a per socket license, XenServer
displays as XenServer Per-Socket Edition.
Note:
Mixed pools of licensed and unlicensed hosts behave as if all hosts were unlicensed.
Unlicensed hosts are subject to restrictions. For more information, see Other Questions.
Licensing steps overview
You need the following items to license XenServer Enterprise or Standard Edition:
• A XenServer License
• A Citrix License Server

• A XenServer host
• XenCenter

The following steps provide an overview of the process:
1. Install Citrix License Server or import the Citrix License Server Virtual Appliance into a
XenServer host.
2. Download a license file
3. Add the license file to the Citrix License Server
4. Using XenCenter, enter the License Server details and apply them to hosts in your resource
pool For more information about Citrix Licensing, see the Citrix Licensing documentation.
Licensing XenServer
Q: Where can I purchase a XenServer license?
A: You can purchase a XenServer License from http://citrix.com/buy.
Q: How do I apply a XenServer license?
A: XenServer requires a License Server. After licensing XenServer, you are provided with a .LIC license
access code. Install this license access code on either:
• A Windows server running the Citrix License Server software

or
• The Citrix License Server Virtual Appliance.
When you assign a license to a XenServer host, XenServer contacts the specified Citrix License
Server and requests a license for the specified servers. If successful, a license is checked out and the
License Manager displays information about the license the hosts are licensed under.
For instructions on applying a XenServer license to a Citrix License Server Virtual Appliance, see
CTX200159 – How to Apply a XenServer License File to Citrix License Server Virtual Appliance
(CLSVA).
Q: How many licenses do I need to license my resource pool?
A: XenServer is licensed on a per-CPU socket basis. For a pool to be considered licensed, all
XenServer hosts in the pool must be licensed. XenServer only counts populated CPU sockets.
You can use the Citrix License Server to view the number of available licenses displayed in the
License Administration Console Dashboard.

Q: Do I need a per-socket license for sockets that are not populated?
A: No, only populated CPU sockets are counted toward the number of sockets to be licensed.
Q: Do I lose my Virtual Machine (VM) when my license expires?
A: No, you do not lose any VMs or their data.
Q: What happens if I have a licensed pool and the License Server becomes unavailable?
A. If your license has not expired and the License Server is unavailable, you receive a grace period of
30 days at the licensing level that was applied previously.
Q: I am upgrading to XenServer 7.6 from a previous XenServer version with a per socket
license; do I have to do anything?
A: No. You can upgrade your hosts to XenServer 7.6 Enterprise Edition using the previously
purchased per socket licenses, provided Customer Success Services is valid at least until May 16,
2018.
If you have renewed your Customer Success Services after the original purchase, you might need to
refresh the license file on the License Server to ensure it displays the Customer Success Services eligi
bility.
Q: I am moving from XenServer 7.5 unlicensed edition to XenServer 7.6. Do I have to

do anything?
A: No. You can upgrade or update your hosts to XenServer 7.6. You remain ineligible for support and
premium features are inaccessible until an appropriate license is applied.
Q: I am a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops customer moving from XenServer 7.5 to
XenServer 7.6. Do I have to do anything?
A: No. Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops customers can update to XenServer 7.6
seamlessly. Your existing installed Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops license grants you
entitlement to XenServer without requiring any other changes.

Q: I am a Citrix Service Provider licensed for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. Can I use this
license for XenServer when I upgrade to XenServer 7.6?
A: Yes. XenServer 7.6 supports your license. With this license, you can use all of the premium features
provided by the Enterprise Edition of XenServer. To apply this license to your pools, first upgrade or
update all hosts within the pool to run XenServer 7.6.
Q: I am customer with a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Service subscription. Am I entitled to
use XenServer 7.6?
A: Yes. If you have a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Service subscription that enables the use of on
premises Desktops and Apps, you are entitled to use XenServer to host these Desktops and Apps.
Download a license through the licensing management tool. Install this license on your License
Server to use on-premises XenServer with your Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Service
subscription.
With this license you can use all of the same premium features as with an on-premises Citrix Virtual
Apps and Desktops entitlement. To apply this license to your pools, first upgrade all hosts within the
pool to run XenServer 7.6.

Q: What are the constraints on the use of the XenServer Enterprise Edition advanced
virtualization management capabilities delivered as part of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
A: Every edition of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops has access to XenServer Enterprise Edition ad
vanced virtualization management features. A complete list of all features enabled by a Citrix Virtual
Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops license can be found in the XenServer Feature Matrix.
XenServer entitlements permit virtualization of any infrastructure required to deliver Citrix Virtual
Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops feature components. These features must be accessed exclusively by
Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops licensed users or devices.
Extra infrastructure support servers, such as Microsoft domain controllers and SQL servers are also
covered by this entitlement, providing they are deployed in the same XenServer resource pool as
the Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops infrastructure covered by this license, and providing
those support servers are used to support the Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops
infrastructure only.
The XenServer entitlement in the Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops license cannot be used
for XenServer pools that don't host Citrix Virtual Apps or Citrix Virtual Desktops infrastructure or
Virtual Deliver Agents (VDAs). You also cannot use this entitlement for hosting virtual machines not
covered by the permissions above. XenServer must be purchased separately for these uses.
Citrix License Servers
Q: Which License Servers can I use with XenServer?
A: You can either use the Citrix License Server software version 11.14 or later (on a server running Mi
crosoft Windows), or the Linux-based Citrix License Server virtual appliance.
Q: How do import my license onto the Citrix License Server?

A: For information on importing a license file, see the Licensing documentation on the Citrix Product
Documentation website.
• Install licenses by using Citrix Licensing Manager
• Import license files by using the Licensing Administration Console

• Install license files by using the command line
Q: Can I run the License Server on my XenServer pool?
A: Yes. You can install the Citrix License Server software on a Windows VM or import the Linux-based
Citrix License Server virtual appliance. For ease of deployment, the Citrix License Server software is

pre-installed on this virtual appliance, and it can run as a VM in your XenServer pool.
XenServer operates with a 'grace' license until the License Server is able to boot. This behavior
means, after you have licensed the XenServer hosts in your pool, and you reboot the host that has
the Citrix License Server running on it, a grace period is applied to that host until the appliance is
restarted.
Q: Can I use the Windows version of the Citrix License Server with
XenServer? A: Yes.
Q: Can I install Licenses for other Citrix products on a Citrix License Server virtual appliance, or
on the Citrix License Server software installed on Windows?
A: Yes, you can license other Citrix products using the Citrix License Server virtual appliance or
through the Citrix License Server software installed on Windows. For more information, see
Licensing on the Citrix Product Documentation website.
Licensing a XenServer pool
Q: How do I apply a license to all the hosts using XenCenter?
A: Follow this procedure to apply a license:
1. On the Tools menu, click License Manager.
2. Select the Pool or Hosts you would like to license, and then click Assign License.
3. In the Apply License dialog, specify the Edition type to assign to the host, and type the host
name or IP address of the License Server
Q: Can I apply a license without using XenCenter?
A: Yes, you can use the xe CLI. Run the host-apply-edition command. For example, enter the
following to license a host:
1 xe host-apply-edition
edition=enterprise-per-socket|desktop-plus|
desktop|standard-per-socket
2
3 license-server-address=<*licenseserveraddress*
host-uuid=<*uuidofhost* 4
5 license-server-port=<*licenseserverport*
To license a pool, use the pool-apply-edition command. For example:

1 xe pool-apply-edition
edition=enterprise-per-socket|desktop-plus|
desktop|standard-per-socket\
2
3 license-server-address=<*licenseserveraddress*>
pool-uuid=<*uuidofpool *>\
4
5 license-server-port=<*licenseserverport*>\
Q: How can I discover the license status of my hosts and pools?
A: XenCenter displays the license type of a server or pool.
To see the license type of a server or pool, select that server or pool in the tree view. XenCenter
displays the license status in the title bar for that server or pool, after the server or pool name.
Mixed pools of licensed and unlicensed hosts behave as if all hosts were unlicensed. In the tree view,
XenCenter displays unlicensed pools with a warning triangle icon.
Other questions
Q: How do I get a license to evaluate XenServer?

A: You do not need a license to evaluate XenServer. You can use XenServer in an unlicensed state.
How ever, you do not have access to premium features. In addition, you are not eligible for Citrix
Support or maintenance.
You can get a trial license to try the Enterprise Edition features. For more information, see Get started.
Q: Can I use XenServer without a license?
A: If you use XenServer in an unlicensed state (Free edition), you are not eligible for Citrix Support or
maintenance. In addition, the following features are restricted and require a license:
• Pools of more than three hosts

Note:
This restriction does not impact existing pools that contain three or more hosts until you
attempt to add another host to the pool
• High Availability
• Dynamic Memory Control

• Storage Motion
• Role-Based Access Control
• GPU Passthrough
• Site Recovery Manager
• Active Directory Integration
• Rolling Pool Upgrade
You can get a trial license to try XenServer Enterprise Edition. For more information, see Getting
started with XenServer.
More information
• For more information about the XenServer 7.6 release, see XenServer 7.6 Release Notes. • To
access XenServer 7.6 product documentation, see XenServer 7.6 Product Documentation. •
For an overview of the XenServer product, see Technical Overview.
• CTX200159 – How to Apply a XenServer License File to Citrix License Server Virtual Appliance
(CLSVA).
• Raise any non-technical issues with XenServer including, Customer Success Services program
support, licensing, administrative support, and order confirmation through Citrix Customer
Ser vice.
Install
April 1, 2019
This section contains procedures to guide you through the installation, configuration, and initial op
eration of XenServer. It also contains information about troubleshooting problems that might occur
during installation and points you to extra resources.
This information is primarily aimed at system administrators who want to set up XenServer hosts on
physical servers.
XenServer installs directly on bare-metal hardware avoiding the complexity, overhead, and perfor
mance bottlenecks of an underlying operating system. It uses the device drivers available from the
Linux kernel. As a result, XenServer can run on a wide variety of hardware and storage devices. How
ever, Citrix recommends that you use certified device drivers.
For more information, see the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).

Important:
The XenServer host must be installed on a dedicated 64-bit x86 server. Do not install any other
operating system in a dual-boot configuration with the XenServer host. This configuration is
not supported.
Before you start
Before installing XenServer 7.6, consider the following factors:
• Which release stream of XenServer do you want to use?
• What is the appropriate installation method?
• What are the system requirements?
XenServer release streams
XenServer releases are in one of following release streams: Current Release (CR) or Long Term
Service Release (LTSR). XenServer 7.6 is a Current Release. When you choose whether to install a
version of XenServer from the CR stream or the LTSR stream, consider the following:
• How often do you want to update your version of XenServer?

• Do you prefer a stable feature set or the latest feature set?
Current Release
Current Releases of XenServer enable you to consume new features at the earliest possible opportu
nity. New versions of XenServer from the CR stream are released each quarter. If you are on the CR
stream, you must regularly adopt new CRs to remain in support. Most issues discovered in XenServer
CR are fixed in a subsequent current release. Security issues are fixed in hotfixes that can be applied
to the CR.
If you have XenServer 7.5 or 7.4 installed, you must update to XenServer 7.6 to continue to receive
support.
Long Term Service Release
Long Term Service Releases of XenServer guarantee stability in terms of the feature set within
XenServer. New versions of XenServer from the LTSR stream are released every two years and are
supported for up to 10 years. Any issues in XenServer LTSR are fixed in hotfixes or cumulative
updates that can be applied to the XenServer LTSR.

If you currently have XenServer 7.1 Cumulative Update 2 LTSR installed, you can upgrade to the
XenServer Current Release stream to take advantage of its new features.
Installation methods
XenServer 7.6 is provided in the following forms:
• As an update that can be applied to the previous CR of XenServer

• As a base installation that can be used to upgrade an earlier version of XenServer or to create a
fresh installation
The file that you use to get XenServer 7.6 depends on the existing version XenServer that is installed.
Existing version of XenServer How to get XenServer 7.6 ISO File to use
None Fresh installation Base Installation ISO 7.5, 7.4 Update Updates ISO 7.1
Cumulative Update 2, 7.0 Upgrade Base Installation ISO
Fresh installation
If you are creating a fresh installation of XenServer 7.6:
• Use the XenServer 7.6 Base Installation ISO file.
You can download this file from the download site
• Review the information in System Requirements, Licensing, and Install the XenServer host be
fore installing XenServer.
Update
If you are updating a previous current release of XenServer 7.4 or 7.5 to XenServer
7.6: • Use the XenServer 7.6 Update ISO file.
• Review the information in Update before updating XenServer.
Upgrade
If you are upgrading from XenServer 7.1 Cumulative Update 2 or 7.0 to XenServer 7.6: © 1999-2019
Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 70
• Use the XenServer 7.6 Base Installation ISO file.
• Review the information in System Requirements and Upgrading from an existing version
before upgrading XenServer.
Install locations
Install the XenServer host by using one of the following methods:
• From a CD
You can download the installer (ISO file format) and burn it to a CD.
To download the installer, visit the downloads page.
The main installation file contains the basic packages required to set up XenServer on your
host and install XenCenter on your Windows computer.
• Set up a network-accessible TFTP server to boot.
For details about setting up a TFTP server to boot the installer using network, see Network
Boot Installation.
• Install XenServer to a remote disk on a SAN to enable boot from SAN
For details, see Boot From SAN.
Supplemental packs
You can install any required supplemental pack after installing XenServer. Download the supplemen
tal pack (filename.iso) to a known location on your computer and install the supplemental pack in
the same way as an update.
For more information, see Supplemental Packs and the DDK Guide.
Upgrades
The installer presents the option to upgrade when it detects a previously installed version of
XenServer. The upgrade process follows the first-time installation process, but several setup steps
are bypassed. The existing settings are retained, including networking configuration, system time
and so on.
Important:

Upgrading requires careful planning and attention. For detailed information about upgrading
individual XenServer hosts and pools, see Upgrading from an existing version.
Install the XenServer host

Tip:
Throughout the installation, quickly advance to the next screen by pressing F12. Use Tab to
move between elements and Space or Enter to select. Press F1 for general help.
Warning:
Installing XenServer overwrites data on any hard drives that you select to use for the
installation. Back up data that you want to preserve before proceeding.
To install or upgrade the XenServer host:
1. Boot the computer from the installation CD or, if applicable, network-boot from your TFTP
server.
2. Following the initial boot messages and the Welcome to XenServer screen, select your keymap
(keyboard layout) for the installation.
Note:
If a System Hardware warning screen is displayed and hardware virtualization assist sup
port is available on your system, see your hardware manufacturer for BIOS upgrades.
3. The Welcome to XenServer Setup screen is displayed.
XenServer ships with a broad driver set that supports most modern server hardware configura
tions. However, if you have been provided with any additional essential device drivers, press
F9. The installer steps you through installing the necessary drivers.
Warning:
Only update packages containing driver disks can be installed at this point in the instal
lation process. However, you are prompted later in the installation process to install any
update packages containing supplemental packs.
After you have installed all of the required drivers, select OK to proceed.
XenServer enables customers to configure the XenServer installation to boot from FCoE.
Press F10 and follow the instructions displayed on the screen to set up FCoE.
Note:
Before enabling your XenServer host to boot from FCoE, manually complete the
configura tion required to expose a LUN to the host. This manual configuration includes
configuring

the storage fabric and allocating LUNs to the public world wide name (PWWN) of your
SAN. After you complete this configuration, the available LUN is mounted to the CNA of
the host as a SCSI device. The SCSI device can then be used to access the LUN as if it were
a locally attached SCSI device. For information about configuring the physical switch and
the array to support FCoE, see the documentation provided by the vendor.
When you configure the FCoE fabric, do not use VLAN 0. The XenServer host cannot find
traffic that is on VLAN 0.
Warning:
Occasionally, booting a XenServer host from FCoE SAN using software FCoE stack can
cause the host to stop responding. This issue is caused by a temporary link disruption in
the host initialization phase. If the host fails to respond for a long time, you can restart
the host to work around this issue.
4. The XenServer EULA is displayed. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through and
read the agreement. Select Accept EULA to proceed.
5. Select the appropriate action. You might see any of the following options:
• Perform clean installation
• Upgrade: If the installer detects a previously installed version of XenServer, it offers the
option to upgrade. For information about upgrading your XenServer host, see Upgrading
from an existing version.
• Restore: If the installer detects a previously created backup installation, it offers the
option to restore XenServer from the backup.
Make your selection, and choose OK to proceed.

6. If you have multiple local hard disks, choose a Primary Disk for the installation. Select OK.
7. Choose which disks you want to use for virtual machine storage. Information about a specific
disk can be viewed by pressing F5.
If you want to use thin provisioning to optimize the use of available storage, select Enable thin
provisioning. This option selects the local SR of the host to be the one to be used for the local
caching of VM VDIs. Citrix Virtual Desktops users are recommended to select this option for
local caching to work properly. For more information, see Storage.
Choose OK.
8. Select your installation media source.
To install from a CD, choose Local media. To install by using network, select HTTP or FTP or
NFS. Choose OK to proceed.
If you select HTTP or FTP or NFS, set up networking so that the installer can connect to the
XenServer installation media files:

a) If the computer has multiple NICs, select one of them to be used to access the XenServer
installation media files. Choose OK to proceed.
b) Choose Automatic configuration (DHCP) to configure the NIC using DHCP, or Static con
figuration to configure the NIC manually. If you choose Static configuration, enter
details as appropriate.
c) Provide VLAN ID if you have your installation media present in a VLAN network.
d) If you choose HTTP or FTP, provide the URL for your HTTP or FTP repository, and a user
name and password, if appropriate.
If you choose NFS, provide the server and path of your NFS share.
Select OK to proceed.
9. Indicate if you want to verify the integrity of the installation media. If you select Verify instal
lation source, the SHA256 checksum of the packages is calculated and checked against the
known value. Verification can take some time. Make your selection and choose OK to proceed.
10. Set and confirm a root password, which XenCenter uses to connect to the XenServer host. You
also use this password (with user name “root”) to log into xsconsole, the system
configuration console.
11. Set up the primary management interface that is used to connect to XenCenter.
If your computer has multiple NICs, select the NIC which you want to use for management.
Choose OK to proceed.
12. Configure the Management NIC IP address by choosing Automatic configuration (DHCP) to
configure the NIC using DHCP, or Static configuration to configure the NIC manually. To have
the management interface on a VLAN network, provide the VLAN ID.
Note:
To be part of a pool, XenServer hosts must have static IP addresses or be DNS

addressable. When using DHCP, ensure that a static DHCP reservation policy is in place.
13. Specify the hostname and the DNS configuration, manually or automatically via DHCP.
In the Hostname Configuration section, select Automatically set via DHCP to have the
DHCP server provide the hostname along with the IP address. If you select Manually specify,
enter the hostname for the server in the field provided.
Note:
If you manually specify the hostname, enter a short hostname and not the fully qualified
domain name (FQDN). Entering an FQDN can cause external authentication to fail, or the
XenServer host might be added to AD with a different name.

In the DNS Configuration section, choose Automatically set via DHCP to get name service
configuration using DHCP. If you selectManually specify, enter the IP addresses of your
primary (required), secondary (optional), and tertiary (optional) DNS servers in the fields
provided.
Select OK to proceed.
14. Select your time zone by geographical area and city. You can type the first letter of the desired
locale to jump to the first entry that begins with this letter. Choose OK to proceed.
15. Specify how you want the server to determine local time: using NTP or manual time entry.
Make your selection, and choose OK to proceed.
16. If using NTP, selectNTP is configured by my DHCP server or enter at least one NTP server
name or IP address in the fields below. Choose OK.
Note:
XenServer assumes that the time setting in the BIOS of the server is the current time in
UTC.
17. Select Install XenServer.
If you elected to set the date and time manually, you are prompted to do so during the installa
tion. Once set, choose OK to proceed.
18. If you are installing from CD, the next screen asks if you want to install any supplemental packs
from a CD. If you plan to install any supplemental packs provided by your hardware supplier,
choose Yes.
If you choose to install supplemental packs, you are prompted to insert them. Eject the
XenServer installation CD, and insert the supplemental pack CD. Choose OK.
Select Use media to proceed with the installation.
Repeat for each pack to be installed.
19. From the Installation Complete screen, eject the installation CD (if installing from CD) and se
lect OK to reboot the server.
After the server reboots, XenServer displays xsconsole, a system configuration console. To ac
cess a local shell from xsconsole, press Alt+F3; to return to xsconsole, press Alt+F1.
Note:
Make note of the IP address displayed. Use this IP address when you connect XenCenter
to the XenServer host.

Install XenCenter
XenCenter must be installed on a Windows machine that can connect to the XenServer host through
your network. Ensure that .NET framework version 4.6 or above is installed on this system.
The XenCenter installation media is bundled with the XenServer installation media. You can also
download the latest version of XenCenter from the download page.
To install XenCenter:
1. Before installing XenCenter, be sure to uninstall any previous version.
2. Launch the installer.
If installing from the XenServer installation CD:
a) Insert the CD into the DVD drive of the computer which you want to run XenCenter.
b) Open the client_install folder on the CD. Double-click XenCenter.msi to begin

the installation.
3. Follow the Setup wizard, which allows you to modify the default destination folder and then to
install XenCenter.
Connect XenCenter to the XenServer host
To connect XenCenter to the XenServer host:
1. Launch XenCenter. The program opens to the Home tab.
2. Click the Add New Server icon.
3. Enter the IP address of the XenServer host in the Server field. Type the root user name and
password that you set during XenServer installation. Click Add.
4. The first time you add a host, the Save and Restore Connection State dialog box appears. This
dialog enables you to set your preferences for storing your host connection information and
automatically restoring host connections.
If you later want to change your preferences, you can do so using XenCenter or the Windows
Registry Editor.
To do so in XenCenter: from the main menu, select Tools and thenOptions. TheOptions dialog
box opens. Select the Save and Restore tab and set your preferences. Click OK to save your
changes.
To do so using the Windows Registry Editor, navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\

Software\Citrix\XenCenter and add a key named AllowCredentialSave with the
string value true or false.

Installation and deployment scenarios

August 15, 2018
This section steps through the following common installation and deployment scenarios:
• One or more XenServer hosts with local storage
• Pools of XenServer hosts with shared storage:
– Multiple XenServer hosts with shared NFS storage
– Multiple XenServer hosts with shared iSCSI storage
XenServer hosts with local storage
The simplest deployment of XenServer is to run VMs on one or more XenServer hosts with local stor
age.
Note:
XenMotion live migration of VMs between XenServer hosts is only available when they share
stor age. However, Storage XenMotion is still available.
Basic hardware requirements
• One or more 64-bit x86 servers with local storage
• One or more Windows systems, on the same network as the XenServer hosts
High-level procedure
1. Install the XenServer host software on the servers.

2. Install XenCenter on the systems.
3. Connect XenCenter to the XenServer hosts.
After you connect XenCenter to the XenServer hosts, storage is automatically configured on the local
disk of the hosts.
Pools of XenServer hosts with shared storage
A pool comprises multiple XenServer host installations, bound together as a single managed entity.
When combined with shared storage, a pool enables VMs to be started on any XenServer host in the

pool that has sufficient memory. The VMs can then dynamically be moved between hosts while run
ning (XenMotion) with minimal downtime. If an individual XenServer host suffers a hardware failure,
you can restart the failed VMs on another host in the same pool.
If the High Availability (HA) feature is enabled, protected VMs are automatically moved if there is a
host failure.
To set up shared storage between hosts in a pool, create a storage repository. XenServer storage
repositories (SR) are storage containers in which virtual disks are stored. SRs, like virtual disks, are
persistent, on-disk objects that exist independently of XenServer. SRs can exist on different types of
physical storage devices, both internal and external, including local disk devices and shared network
storage. Several different types of storage are available when you create an SR, including:
• NFS VHD storage
• Software iSCSI storage
• Hardware HBA storage
This following sections step through setting up two common shared storage solutions – NFS and
iSCSI – for a pool of XenServer hosts. Before you create an SR, configure your NFS or iSCSI storage.
Setup differs depending on the type of storage solution that you use. For details, see your vendor
docu mentation. In all cases, to be part of a pool, the servers providing shared storage must have
static IP addresses or be DNS addressable. For further information on setting up shared storage, see
Storage.
We recommend that you create a pool before you add shared storage. For pool requirements and
setup procedures, see the XenCenter Help or Hosts and Resource Pools.
XenServer hosts with shared NFS storage
• Two or more 64-bit x86 servers with local storage
• A server exporting a shared directory over NFS
2. Install XenCenter on the systems.
4. Create your pool of XenServer hosts.

5. Configure the NFS server.
6. Create an SR on the NFS share at the pool level.
Configuring your NFS storage
Before you create an SR, configure the NFS storage. To be part of a pool, the NFS share must have a
static IP address or be DNS addressable. Configure the NFS server to have one or more targets that
can be mounted by NFS clients (for example, XenServer hosts in a pool). Setup differs depending on
your storage solution, so it is best to see your vendor documentation for details.
To create an SR on the NFS share at the pool level in XenCenter:
1. On theResources pane, select the pool. On the toolbar, click theNew Storage button. TheNew
Storage Repository wizard opens.
2. Under Virtual disk storage, choose NFS VHD as the storage type. Choose Next to continue.
3. Enter a name for the new SR and the name of the share where it is located. Click Scan to have
the wizard scan for existing NFS SRs in the specified location.
Note:
The NFS server must be configured to export the specified path to all XenServer hosts in
the pool.
4. Click Finish.
The new SR appears in the Resources pane, at the pool level.
Creating an SR on the NFS share at the pool level using the xe CLI
1. Open a console on any XenServer host in the pool.
2. Create the storage repository on server:/path by entering the following:

1 xe sr-create content-type=user type=nfs name-label=sr_name=
\ 2 shared=true device-config:server=server \ 3
device-config:serverpath=path
The device-config-server argument refers to the name of the NFS server and the
device -config-serverpath argument refers to the path on the server. Since shared is
set to true, the shared storage is automatically connected to every host in the pool. Any hosts
that later join are also connected to the storage. The UUID of the created storage repository is
printed to the console.
3. Find the UUID of the pool by using the pool-list command.

4. Set the new SR as the pool-wide default by entering the following:

1 xe pool-param-set uuid=pool_uuid \
2 default-SR=storage_repository_uuid
As shared storage has been set as the pool-wide default, all future VMs have their disks
created on this SR.
XenServer hosts with shared iSCSI storage
• Two or more 64-bit x86 servers with local storage
• A server providing a shared directory over iSCSI
2. Install XenCenter on the Windows systems.
4. Create your pool of XenServer hosts.
5. Configure the iSCSI storage.
6. If necessary, enable multiple initiators on your iSCSI device.
7. If necessary, configure the iSCSI IQN for each XenServer host.
8. Create an SR on the iSCSI share at the pool level.
Configuring your iSCSI storage
Before you create an SR, configure the iSCSI storage. To be part of a pool, the iSCSI storage must
have a static IP address or be DNS addressable. Provide an iSCSI target LUN on the SAN for the VM
storage. Configure XenServer hosts to be able to see and access the iSCSI target LUN. Both the iSCSI
target and each iSCSI initiator on each XenServer host must have a valid and unique iSCSI Qualified
Name (IQN). For configuration details, it is best to see your vendor documentation.

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Citrix XenServer 7.

Documentación del producto Citrix | docs.citrix.com 17 de abril de 2019

9 Requisitos del sistema 11 Límites de configuración 16 Compatibilidad con sistemas

operativos invitados 20 Inicio rápido 27 Descripción técnica 49 Licencias 57 Instalación 65

Instalación y escenarios de implementación 74 Actualizar desde una versión existente 79

usuarios 129 Basado en funciones control de acceso 137

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 2

de redes 193 Configurar almacenamiento 197 Formatos de repositorios de almacenamiento 202

Administrar repositorios de almacenamiento 218 Rutas múltiples de almacenamiento 230

IntelliCache 232 Caché de lectura de almacenamiento 236 PVS-Accelerator 239 Descripción

exportar máquinas virtuales 341 Bromium Secure Platform 358

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 3

de seguridad y restauración de hosts y máquinas virtuales 416 Instantáneas de VM 420 Hacer

frente a fallas de máquinas 428 Solución de problemas 432 Descripción general de la

integración 435 Paquete complementario de arranque medido 437 Equilibrio de carga de

Visibilidad y control de redes virtuales 567

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 4

Citrix XenServer 7.6 Versión actual

7.6, consulte XenCenter 7.6 Para obtener documentación sobre versiones

actuales anteriores, consulte:

A partir de XenServer 7.6 ya no ofrecemos la documentación de XenServer como guías PDF

Acerca de esta versión

XenServer 7.6 está disponible en las siguientes ediciones:

descarga de productos de XenServer.

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 6

Networking SR-IOV: Passthrough of Virtual Functions (Enterprise Edition)

Aprovisionamiento delgado para almacenamiento en bloque compartido: GFS2 (Enterprise

XenServer pone el aprovisionamiento delgado a disposición de los clientes que usan

Los siguientes casos de uso pueden beneficiarse del aprovisionamiento delgado:

aprovisionamiento delgado para el almacenamiento en bloque compartido es de particular interés en

dispersa. Para obtener más información, consulte Almacenamiento.

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 7

No es posible actualizar o actualizar desde la versión experimental de la función proporcionada en

1. Exporte cualquier dato que desee conservar de estos SR.

2. Separe y destruya cualquier GFS2 SR de su grupo antes de actualizar.

6. Ejecute el siguiente comando en el maestro del grupo:

7. Al crear un SR GFS2 para su grupo actualizado, asegúrese de seleccionar Formatear y no Reat

Cambios en la compatibilidad con el sistema operativo invitado

XenServer ahora admite los siguientes invitados Linux nuevos:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.5

XenServer simplifica el mecanismo de aplicación de revisiones al actualizar sus hosts o grupos de

Puede beneficiarse de la función de aplicación automática de revisiones cuando utiliza XenCenter

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 8

Nueva estructura para la documentación del producto

La documentación del producto XenServer ahora se proporciona como un conjunto de documentación

• Use la tabla de contenido a la izquierda para navegar a la información que

Los siguientes procesadores ahora son compatibles con XenServer 7.6:

• Familias de procesadores Intel E-21xxG/21xx (Coffee Lake S)

Para obtener más información, consulte la Lista de compatibilidad de hardware.

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. . Reservados todos los derechos. 9

Citrix XenServer 7.6

proporcionada en la página de descarga de XenServer 7.6 antes de comenzar.

XenServer 7.5 Sí No XenServer 7.4 Sí No

XenServer 7.1 Actualización No Sí

Cambio de la versión de servicio a largo plazo a la versión actual

Cambio de la versión actual a la versión de servicio a largo plazo

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 10

Interoperabilidad con productos Citrix

XenServer 7.6 es interoperable con Citrix Provisioning 7.15 y 1808.

Documentación del producto

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 11

• El conjunto de características de la CPU de un grupo puede cambiar mientras se ejecuta una

© 1999-2019 Citrix Systems, Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. 12