Overview

• Active Directory (Sites)

• Citrix Sites
• Citrix Zones
• GSLB (Global Server Load Balancing)
Active Directory (Sites)
Active Directory (Sites)
• Two topologies are in network design
• Physical Topology
Physical Topology represents the structure of the network. i.e. topology,
hardware etc.

• Logical Topology
Logical Topology represents the local boundaries of the network. i.e.
security, policies, services etc. Logical structure can be seen in AD users and
computers.

In Active Directory infrastructure setup, DOMAIN represents the logical

topology and SITE AND SERVICES represents the physical topology
Active Directory (Sites) – Cont..
• A site can be defined as Physical location or network.
• It can be separate building, datacentre, city or even in separate
country.
• Sites are typically composed of fast and reliably connected
computers.
• Sites can be added, modified, and deleted at any time.
• Default-First-Site-Name site is default local for domain controllers
• First domain controller is always placed into this site.
Active Directory (Sites) – Cont..
• Site Link configurations
Active Directory (Sites) – Cont..
• Site Link configurations

• Cost
• Defines the routes replications
• Lower cost routes are used first
• Default is 100: range is 1 to 99,999

• Schedule
• Default is 7 days per week, 24 hours a day
• Can be modified by the administrator
Active Directory (Sites) – Cont..
• Replication
• Two types of routes replication is available in Sites links
• Intra-site
• Inter-site
• Intra-Site
• Replication traffic is not compressed
• Replication partners notify each other changes of 5 to 15 minutes.
• RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is used
• Inter-Site
• Replication traffic is compressed
• Replication partners notify each other site changes of 80 minutes
• RPC (Remote Procedure Call) over IP or SMTP is used
Citrix Site & Zones
Citrix Sites & Zones
SITES

• Citrix Site is a logical boundary of all objects defined XenApp /

XenDesktop architecture
• It is also an administrative boundary
• Each site has one or more delivery controllers and requires its own
site configuration database
• In Citrix site always have one primary zone by default
Citrix Sites & Zones – Cont..
ZONES

• Zones are defined within a site to keep applications and desktops

close to the user location
• It also simplify administrations by a single instance of Studio, Director,
and configuration database
• Within zones, Users in remote regions can access their resources
Citrix Sites & Zones – Cont..
• There are two types of zones in Citrix:
• Primary Zone
• Satellite Zone

• Primary Zone: Primary zone typically have two or more controllers and
have the site configuration database locally
• Satellite Zone: Satellite zone have a single controller or more but connect
database with Primary zone

* Zones In new FMA architecture 7.x is not same as XenApp 6.5. as the
concept of zone data collector is no longer exists.
Citrix Sites & Zones – Cont..
• By Zone configurations, users can be
homed to specified zones, when
accessing their apps and desktops
based on predefined conditions and
rules.
• This method improves the user experience
Citrix Sites & Zones – Cont..

• Designing a XenApp/XenDesktop infrastructure for an environment with

multiple datacenters with latency

• The number of users per satellite zones is a factor

• The resource that users connect to can be controlled based on zone

preferences
 GSLB
(Global Server Load Balancing)
GSLB
• Global Server Load Balancing is the way to manage and control traffic
flow between two or more physical locations (datacentres)
• This can be used for load balancing purpose, high availability or
disaster recovery options.
• The mechanism behind GSLB is based on Microsoft DNS
GSLB – Cont..
• GSLB can do some things that DNS server can’t do
• Don’t give out an IP address unless it is up (monitoring)
• If the active IP address is down, then give out the passive IP address
• Give out the IP address that is closest to user
GSLB – Cont..
• GSLB Deployment Types:
• Active-Active Site Deployment
GSLB – Cont..
• GSLB Deployment Types:
• Active-Passive Site Deployment