Cloning a XenApp 6 Server

One of the many enhancements Citrix made in XenApp v6 is that cloning a server is now much easier that it was in previous versions. Here’s a step-by-step guide, with lots of screen caps:

  1. Install the updated XenApp Server Configuration Tool.
  2. Run the XenApp Server Role Manager (Start – All Programs – Citrix – XenApp Server Role Manager – XenApp Server Role Manager):
    XenApp Server Role Manager

    XenApp Server Role Manager

  3. Select “Edit Configuration:”
    Edit Configuration

    Edit Configuration

  4. Select “Prepare this server for imaging and provisioning:”
    Choose a Task

    Choose a Task

  5. On the next screen, check “Remove this current server instance from the farm,” as shown below, then click “Next.” As the pop-up tip indicates, this will save you from having to do it manually later. The server will automatically join the farm when you bring it back on-line.
    Provisioning Options

    Provisioning Options

  6. On the next screen, click “Apply:”
    Ready to Configure

    Ready to Configure

  7. The server runs through the items that are needed to prepare XenApp for cloning. Note the informational warning that the settings will be applied when you clone or reboot the server. This means that once your new server comes on-line, it will automatically join the farm that the original server was in (before you removed it in Step 5).
    Configuring Server

    Configuring Server

  8. Back at the XenApp Server Role Manager screen, you can choose to reboot the server (which you probably don’t want to do just yet), or simply close the window and proceed with any additional tasks you may need to perform before cloning, such as Sysprep.
    XenApp Server Role Manager

    XenApp Server Role Manager

  9. After you’ve finished any additional tasks, you can shut the server down, and clone it to your heart’s content. When your clones come back on-line, if they have a network connection on the correct IP subnet, they will automatically join the farm. However (“gotcha” alert), if you didn’t Sysprep them, they will all try to join the farm under the same machine name – the one your original server had. So if you didn’t change the name of the server, it’s best to disconnect it from the network, change the name and IP address, reconnect to the network, join it to the AD Domain, and then reboot it so it can join the XenApp farm using the correct name.

If you’re a Citrix “old-timer,” you’ve got to agree that it doesn’t get much easier that this!

4 replies
  1. Ryan Parlee
    Ryan Parlee says:

    Hi Kevin,

    Sounds like you’re on the right track! However, there are a few things to look for:

    1) Make sure that you’ve run the Provisioning Services Device Optimization Tool on your XenApp server. Citrix recommends running this each time you make changes to your vDisk. In particular, you want to make sure that the box is checked for “Disable Machine Account Password Changes”.

    2) Make sure the vDisk is enabled for AD Machine Account Password management.

    3) Make sure you have created a machine account in your AD for that new machine first. I will usually fire up the new machine, let it register in the PVS console and then force-shutdown the machine before it boots up all the way. Now that it has registered in your console, you can right-click the machine, select “Active Directory” and choose “Create Machine Account”. Make sure you put it in to the correct OU (Assuming you have a dedicated OU for your XenApp machines).

    Are you running this new VM in Standard or Private image mode?

    Good luck!

    Ryan

    Reply
  2. Kevin
    Kevin says:

    I am current using Citrix Provisioning Server 6.0 for the XenApp6.0 vm provisioning. The template XenApp image has been already joined the domain. It FQDN is for example xatpl.test.com. When the new XenApp vm is provisioned based on the this template, its FQDN is for example xanew.test.com. It seems that the new one joined the domain but the fact is it is not. I have to manually re-join it to the domain after provisioned. I just run the option “Prepare this server for imaging and provisioning” on the template XenApp server and after that, started on the imaging process. I did not run the normal sysprep process after the done with the updated XenApp Server Configuration Tool. Is that a correct behavior? In the resealing process of the updated XenApp Server Configuration Tool, does Citrix not provide the functionality of let the client streamed from the image template to automatically join the domain on its first boot process?

    Reply
  3. A-P
    A-P says:

    Hi,

    As if You run sysprep for Your server, there will be mini-setup run at first boot. There You’ll rename server, join to domain as desired (this all could be scripted) and all should be set for joining to farm when server is restarted. And all without user intervention!

    So basically sysprep is first in tasklist, and after that (reboot comes first) joining to farm.

    Reply
  4. Sam
    Sam says:

    Something is missing here i think ? If you need to rejoin the domain the server will require another reboot to join the domain so will it join the domain and join the farm on the same boot up process ? Is it ok to rename the server after its in the farm ?

    Reply

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