1. Deep Dive on Personal vDisk
Stephan Pfister Jozsef Rozsahegyi
Conapro GmbH, Zug Conapro GmbH, Zug
stephan.pfister@conapro.net jozsef.rozsahegyi@conapro.net

2. Agenda
• Personal vDisk (PVD) overview
• Install and Config
• The disk in Personal vDisk
• Technical Internals
• Advanced Config
• Troubleshooting and Support

3. Personal vDisk Overview

4. VDI Desktop Models – Pooled Desktops
No personalization
Poor user acceptance
Limited scope/user base
Common Base Image
Operating System
Reduced storage requirements
BASE / PARENT VM
Centralized management
Uptime & predictability
4

5. VDI Desktop Models – Assigned Desktops
User Profile & User Profile & User Profile &
Increased storage
Settings Settings Settings
-------------
Departmental
-------------
Departmental
-------------
Departmental
High per user cost
Applications Applications Applications
-------------
User Installed
-------------
User Installed
-------------
User Installed
Increased management overhead
Applications Applications Applications
-------------
Local Peripherals
-------------
Local Peripherals
-------------
Local Peripherals
Complex and unique base images
Base Image Base Image Base Image
Operating Operating Operating
Highly personalized for users
System System System
Increased user acceptance
VM1 VM2 VM3
5

6. Citrix Personal vDisk
User Profile & User Profile & User Profile &
Settings Settings Settings
------------- ------------- ------------- Enterprise scope
Departmental Departmental Departmental
Applications Applications Applications
------------- ------------- ------------- Highly personalized for users
User Installed User Installed User Installed
Applications Applications Applications
------------- ------------- ------------- Increased user acceptance
Local Peripherals Local Peripherals Local Peripherals
PVD 1 PVD 2 PVD 3
Reduced infrastructure reqs.
Common Base Image Centralized management
Operating System Uptime & predictability
BASE PARENT VM
6

7. Delivering and Managing the PvD Desktop
1. Common Base Setup
» Install OS, common apps and VDA in base VM
» Create VM pool and entitle
2. User Access
User’s Workspace
» Login through Xen Desktop Client
» PVD assigned on first login
» Locally administered dept. apps
» User installed apps
Common Base Image
» Streamed apps
3. Image Update Operating System
» Update base VM without affecting any user personalization

8. Are PvD enabled desktops for everyone?
• Users needing control and personalization beyond a roaming profile
○ Today many opt for dedicated which is a poor on mgt and storage cost model
• A means to manage app sets beyond the base image
• Blindly deploying PvD as the default desktop could be costly
○ Over delivering on personalization capabilities will come at infrastructure costs
○ You don’t need to provide call center employees a PvD enabled desktop

9. Installation and
Configuration

10. Install
• New option in meta-installer (VDA) to
‘enable’ PvD
• Installs no matter selection
○ Disabled means PvD Service will be
running but will remain idle
○ Enable later by running inventory
• You cannot disable once enabled
○ Would need to revert to a snapshot when
PvD was disabled
10

11. What is installed
11

12. Program Data
12

13. Creating Machines
13

14. Host Setup
14

15. PvS XenDesktop Wizard
15

16. Using MCS
16

17. Inventory Reminder
• Shutdown/Reboot
○ Windows 7 – click cancel when prompted and update PvD inventory

18. Live Demo
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19. The User Disk (PvD)
19

20. PvD – The User’s Disk
• PvDs are created and attached by Studio, ViaB and PvS wizards
• They are formatted during first PvD boot
• UserData.v2.vhd (located on the root of the PvD)
○ Contain everything not in the user’s profile (aka not in c:users)
○ Sized according to the allocation split (default is 50/50)
○ A .thick_provision sparse file exists to display the correct amount of free space to user

21. The P: Drive …
Hidden and captures all
machine state (aka data not in
c:/users) – Merged as c: drive
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22. PvD Factory Reset
• Separating the user profile area from the
application area allows the App VHD to be
deleted and profile saved
• We call this “Factory Reset, and is available in
Desktop Director
App
Profile PvD
VHD

23. PvD Allocation Split (v5.6)
• Separates the user profile data from the application data
App
Profile PvD
VHD

24. PvD Allocation Splits (v5.6)
• Different allocation splits can be used
• For example …
15GB PvD with 30/70% ratio …
Profile App
PUD
(4.5GB) VHD (10.5GB)

25. NEW: Dynamic Allocation (v5.6.5+)
• Dynamically adjusting free space as needed
• For example …

26. NEW: Dynamic Allocation (v5.6.5+)
• As free space is reduced on one side, will shift space on a reboot
• Based on a free space threshold (configurable)
• For example …
App VHD grows into any
unused profile space,
until threshold reached

27. PvD Expansion
• Either expand on the hypervisor console …
○ Or use the PoSH script
• For example …
PvD increased to 15GB …
App
Profile (5GB) PUD
VHD (5GB)

28. PvD Expansion
• VHDs will adhere to allocation ratio on PvD when resizing …
• For example …
50/50 split preserves desired allocation ratio
App
Profile (7.5GB) PUD
VHD (7.5GB)

29. Machine Creation Services with PvD adds PVDisk
Windows 7
Master
VHD Chain
Diff Disk ID Disk
Virtual Desktop 1
• This part is seen by the Personal vDisk
• This part is hidden from
user as Drive P:
user
• Used for USERDATA e.g.
• Merged with the Diff Disk
My Documents
• Seen by user as Drive C:
• Free space is the split • PVDisk auto-created during • E.g. Installed apps
allocation catalog creation by copying PvD
template from Base VM
• 10GB by default with 50 / 50
split for User Data / App Data
Storage Subsystem

30. Provisioning Services with PvD
Windows 7
Master
Streamed vDisk
Streamed PVS Write
vDisk Cache
Streamed Desktop 1
• This part is seen by the Personal vDisk
• This part is hidden from
user as Drive P:
user
• Used for USERDATA e.g.
• Merged with the Diff Disk
My Documents
• Seen by user as Drive C:
• Free space is the split • PVDisk is auto-created during • E.g. Installed apps
allocation catalog creation by copying PvD
template from Base VM
• 10GB by default with 50 / 50
Storage Subsystem
split for User Data / App Data