Citrix XenServer Enterprise Edition is a powerful platform managing virtualization as a flexible aggregated pool of compute and storage resources, for dynamic managed virtualization environments for the enterprise. A dedicated virtualization platform based on the Xen hypervisor, Citrix XenServer Enterprise Edition v4 delivers an open, proven and supported solution for server virtualization.

The Xen hypervisor introduced a powerful virtualization architecture, called paravirtualization (also known as “enlightenment”), pioneered by the XenSource founders.  Widely acknowledged as “the right architecture” for virtualization, paravirtualization delivers near “bare metal” performance to virtual machines while ensuring that resources are fairly shared between them. It is the key to widespread adoption of virtualization as a standard component of the enterprise software stack.

The XenServer product family includes:

·         XenEnterprise – Windows/Linux Platform Virtualization for Enterprise IT

·         XenServer – Windows Virtualization for Windows IT Professionals

·         XenExpress – Free Starter Package - Perfect for Developers, Testers, and Support

The v4 release of XenServer contains the following new features:

·         64-bit hypervisor This release incorporates Xen 3.1, which exploits 64-bit servers to tap the large memory capability of these machines, up to a maximum of 128 GB

·         Resource Pools, shared storage, and XenMotionTM: live and static relocation of Virtual Machines XenServer now includes shared storage support, with a new administration model. You can now pool XenServer Host machines together to share storage devices, enabling live relocation of VMs between XenServer Hosts. A Resource Pool can contain up to sixteen (16) XenServer Hosts. This provides the XenCenter administrative interface with a way to address a single IP address to manage any XenServer Host within the Pool.

Enhanced storage support includes:

§  XenServer formerly supported a single Storage Repository (SR) on a XenServer Host. This release supports multiple SRs, which can be attached or detached dynamically.

§  Local and iSCSI LVM Storage Repositories

§  File-based virtual disks in VHD format stored locally and on NFS shares

§  Pool-attached shared storage (iSCSI and NFS), accessible from multiple hosts, enabling XenMotion

§  Thin provisioning of virtual disks for appropriate storage types using sparse files, so storage allocated to a Virtual Machine is not instantiated until required

§  Fast Snapshot of virtual disks (via the CLI and API only, and for file-backed virtual disks only)

·         A new API and SDK XenAPI, implemented in both open source Xen and XenServer, is an extensible, upwardcompatible API providing the programmable management interface to the XenServer product family. It is remoteable, and is used by XenCenter and the CLI. XenAPI is published for ISVs

A software development kit (SDK) and a driver development kit (DDK), both packaged as VMs, are provided with this release to enable ISVs and IHVs to rapidly develop their products. The SDK and DDK run only on XenServer-based systems

·         A new, renamed administrative interface and new CLI XenCenter, formerly called the Administrator Console, is now a nativeWindows application and makes use of the Xen API. The xe CLI has been extended to provide even more fine-grained control of the system. A backward-compatible mode enables

About Chas Setchell

Chas Setchell is a senior consultant at 2virtualize.com and focuses on virtualization assessments and solutions around enterprise virtualization.

Chas has been working with VMware since it came onto the market in 1999. Since then Chas has continued to work with virtualization technologies in various capacities at many clients. He has developed very strong relationships with VMware personnel while working to raise the influence of VMware. He was instrumental in becoming one of the first VAC’s (VMware Authorized Consultants) as well a being of the very select few certified on XenSource Xen Enterprise 3 and 4. In that time frame he has also completed multiple VMware related projects and assessments across the USA and Canada. He has been working in the Information Technology field for 12 years and currently holds the following certifications  VMware VCP, Citrix CCEA and XEN XCP. Email: csetchell@2virtualize.com

About Douglas Brown (Host of DABCC Radio)

Douglas Brown worked at Citrix Systems, Inc. as a Senior Systems Engineer from 2001 to 2004 at which time he was voted Systems Engineer of the Year 2002 by his peers and management at Citrix. He was awarded the Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) by Microsoft Corporation in 2005, 2006, and 2007 for his contributions to the industry. He was also a charter award winner of the Citrix Technology Professional (CTP) for his continued support of the Citrix community.

Mr. Brown authored the popular “Methodology in a Box” book covering best practice project management in a Citrix deployment and developed Advanced Print Manager, a software application for the management of printers in a server based computing environment.

Mr. Brown has earned worldwide recognition for his dedication to providing server-based computing and virtualization professionals with proven solutions for implementation, infrastructure design, time-saving utilities, performance tips and best practices. DABCC.com is one of the most frequently visited sites internationally for virtualization and server-based computing information and networking opportunities.

NOTE: DABCC-TV is dedicated to providing you will tons of "how to", overview, and deep dive videos detailing how to use some of the best software in the virtualization market today so stay tuned to DABCC TV for many more videos

• 00:05 - DABCC-TV - Citrix XenServer Enterprise v4 Technical Overview and Introductions
• 01:00 - Chas Setchell intro and Chas's intro of XenServer and discussion about the XenSource certification
• 03:55 - XenServer's XenCenter introduction and technical overview
• 15:55 - How to create a new XenServer Virtual Machine in XenCenter
• 21:50 - Attributes of a Virtual Machine node in XenCenter.  Items such as: storage, network, console, performance, logs tabs
• 30:42 - XenMotion!  - An overview and demo of XenMotion
• 35:30 - XenServer dynamic virtual machine startup feature

Of course there is much more in the above video that I could never add to this list so I hope you will find that it is well worth your time!

With Citrix's acquisition of virtualization provider XenSource and the release of XenSource v4.0 the DABCC-TV staff thought it would be time to give everyone a technical walkthrough of Citrix's new virtualization solution, XenServer Enterprise v4. In this DABCC-TV video, host Douglas Brown and XenSource Certified Engineer Chas Setchell walks you through the XenSource XenCenter management console with the goal of showing you 1) how easy it is to use and 2) some of the new features found in Citrix XenSource Enterprise v4.0. Doug and Chas will also discuss and demo such features as a deep technical dive in to the XenCenter management tool, how to create a Virtual Machine in XenCenter and of course we they will show off XenMotion!