Citrix XenServer

Citrix XenServer

Citrix XenServer™ is the only enterprise-class, cloud-proven virtualization platform that delivers the critical features of live migration and centralized multi-server management at no cost. XenServer is an open and powerful server virtualization solution that radically reduces datacenter costs by transforming static and complex datacenter environments into more dynamic, easy to manage IT service delivery centers.

By providing features like live migration, shared storage support, centralized multi-server management plus P2V and V2V conversion tools in the free version, XenServer enables any organization, no matter the size or budget, to immediately benefit from the power of server virtualization.

Features included at no cost	Citrix XenServer	VMware ESXi
Bare-metal hypervisor	64-bit	32-bit
Max virtual CPUs	8	4
Windows® and Linux guests
Unlimited servers, VMs, memory
P2V & V2V conversion
Shared SAN and NAS storage
Centralized multi-server management
Resilient distributed management architecture
Live motion
Shared VM template library
Centralized configuration management
Virtual infrastructure patch management
Intelligent initial VM placement
Intelligent server maintenance mode
Fine-grained CPU resource controls
Hot-swappable disks and NICs

Key benefits

XenServer has fast become a leading virtualization technology with over 5,000 customers and enterprise-class features that rival leading virtualization platforms. XenServer, as recently reviewed by Allan Stevens of ZDnet, "is very much a production-class virtualization solution with features that match, and in some cases exceed, what’s available on rival platforms."

• Best virtualization value – Starting with the virtualization power of the industry-leading Xen® hypervisor at no cost, users can extend their savings into capital equipment, space, power and cooling costs.
• Enterprise-class features – Centralized multi-server management and live migration using XenMotion enables users to manage the virtualized environment easily and intelligently while optimizing resource with zero-downtime to users.
• Easy setup and administration – Being easy to use is just one reason XenServer was named the Most Innovative Product of the Year for virtualization in 2008 by VARBusiness. XenServer can be installed and running in about 10 minutes (10 to Xen) and also has a unique management architecture that eliminates single points of failure. Easily manage hundreds of virtual machines with the included XenCenter management console that installs with only 4 megabytes of storage.

Available at no cost, Citrix XenServer gives organizations a way to widely adopt an enterprise-class, cloud-proven virtualization platform to dramatically affect the economics of delivering IT.

Step up to advanced virtualization management with Citrix Essentials

When you are ready, enhance the XenServer experience with advanced virtualization management by upgrading to Citrix Essentials for XenServer. This new solution helps customers transform virtualized datacenters into more dynamic delivery centers with capabilities like lab automation, dynamic provisioning, workflow orchestration and seamless integration with leading storage systems.

Features and Benefits

Easy setup and administration

Citrix XenServer™ can be installed and ready to run virtualized workloads in just a few minutes (the ten minutes to Xen experience). It has a unique management architecture that eliminates single points of failure. IT staff can manage hundreds of virtual machines easily with the included XenCenter centralized management console that installs on any Windows® desktop with only four megabytes of storage.

Bare-metal performance

Built on the open-source Xen® hypervisor, XenServer’s compact architecture has the lowest overhead of any virtualization solution, offering near bare metal performance.

Integrated storage architecture

Unlike other virtualization products that are built on closed proprietary systems, the open storage APIs in XenServer allow customers to leverage advanced functions such as snapshotting, cloning, replication, de-duplication and provisioning in their existing storage systems. This unique approach allows customers to fully leverage all the capabilities of their existing datacenter infrastructure rather than deploying and managing an entirely new set of tools and people that apply only to their virtual servers.

Open architecture

The foundation that powers the open architecture of XenServer is the popular Xen hypervisor. By incorporating the latest Xen hypervisor, XenServer benefits from the innovation, security and validation of hundreds of leading system developers from over 50 companies, including the world’s largest server and microprocessor manufacturers.

XenMotion

Get your weekends back by managing and maintaining your physical hardware during business hours. The live migration functionality of XenMotion™ can migrate virtual machines to other physical hardware, with zero downtime, allowing you to patch and update your machines without your users ever knowing.

XenCenter centralized management

XenCenter delivers scalable setup and administration to XenServer environments, with intuitive controls and easy-to-use wizards for advanced network and storage configuration. Unlike other management consoles, XenCenter distributes management data across servers in a resource pool to ensure there is no single point of management failure.

Upgrade to Citrix Essentials

XenServer can be upgraded in place to take advantage of the advanced virtualization management capabilities of Citrix Essentials. IT organizations can enhance their operations and application delivery dramatically with the addition of capabilities such as:

• Automated lab management
• Advanced storage integration
• Dynamic provisioning services
• Workflow orchestration
• High availability

Product specifications

System requirements

XenServer host:

64-bit x86 server-class system

• CPU: 1.5 GHz minimum, 2 GHz or faster multi-core recommended
• Intel® VT or AMD-V™ required for support of Windows guests
• Matching CPU family and stepping required for all systems in Enterprise Edition resource pool
• 1GB to 128GB physical memory
• 100Mb/s or faster NIC
• Local or Fibre Channel boot disk with 16 GB of space minimum, 60 GB or more recommended

XenCenter client:

• x86-based system
• Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista
• NET Framework 2.0 or above
• CPU speed: 750 MHz minimum, 1 GHz or faster recommended
• RAM: 512 MB minimum
• Disk space: 100 MB minimum
• Network interface card

Provisioning Services host (Essentials Platinum Edition only):

• CPU: Intel or AMD x86 or x64 compatible; 2 GHz minimum; 3 GHz preferred; 3.5 GHz Dual Core/HT or similar for loads greater than 250 target devices
• RAM: 2 GB minimum; 4 GB preferred; 4 GB required for >250 vDisks
• Disk space: 250 MB minimum; additional storage required if vDisks stored on Provisioning Services host
• Network interface card: Dual 1 GB Ethernet for 250+ clients (Note: Two NICs often perform better than dual-ported NIC)
• OS: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or 2008 (32 or 64-bit)

Provisioning Services management console (Essentials Platinum Edition only):

• CPU: Intel or AMD x86 or x64 compatible; 1 GHz minimum; 2 GHz preferred
• RAM: 1 GB minimum
• Disk space: 500 GB minimum
• OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Vista, or Server 2003/2008 with MMC 3.0

Lab Manager host (Essentials Platinum Edition only):

• CPU: Intel or AMD x86 or x64 compatible; 1 GHz minimum; 2 GHz preferred
• RAM: (will vary by number of managed physical hosts, number of users and number of deployed VMs)
• Disk space: 10 GB minimum for small labs and 30 GB for large labs (disk usage will vary by number of templates, ISOs, scripts and software packages)
• OS: Windows Server 2003
• Database: PostgresSQL 8.3 for data store installed locally on LabManager host

Lab Manager agent for XenServer (Essentials Platinum Edition only):

• One agent required per managed pool
• Can be installed on same server as LabManager host for single pool deployment
• RAM: 512 MB minimum
• Disk space: 1 GB minimum
• OS: Windows Server 2003

Supported guest operating systems

Microsoft Windows 64-bit:

• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003 Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter Edition SP2

Microsoft Windows 32-bit:

• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003 Web, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter SP0/ SP1/SP2/R2
• Windows Small Business Server 2003 SP0/SP1/SP2/R2
• Windows XP SP2, SP3
• Windows 2000 SP4
• Windows Vista original and SP1

Linux 64-bit:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0, 5.1, 5.2
• CentOS 5.0, 5.1, 5.2
• Oracle® Enterprise Linux 5.0, 5.1, 5.2
• Novell SUSE Enterprise Linux 10SP1, 10SP2

Linux 32-bit:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2
• CentOS 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2
• Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.0, 5.1, 5.2
• Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9SP2, 9SP3, 9SP4, 10SP1
• Debian sarge (3.1), etch (4.0)

Device configuration

• Physical NICs per server: 6
• Virtual NICs per VM: 7 (Windows), 3 (Linux)
• Virtual disks per VM: 7 (with XenServer Tools installed – 3 without Tools)
• Plus 1 virtual CD drive

When you are ready, enhance the XenServer experience with advanced virtualization management by upgrading to Citrix Essentials for XenServer. This new solution helps customers transform virtualized datacenters into more dynamic delivery centers with capabilities like lab automation, dynamic provisioning, workflow orchestration and seamless integration with leading storage systems.

Datasheets:

• Citrix XenServer Product Overview

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