application delivery experience over satellite connections. ... user experience and performance metrics from EdgeSight f
Enterprise Networks that Deliver
Deployment Best Practices for Citrix XenApp® over Galaxy Managed Network Services
Developed by Hughes Network Systems
Enterprise Networks that Deliver
Galaxy Broadband Communications Inc. 1.877.463.9728 galaxybroadband.ca
[email protected]
Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................... 1 Best Practices & Recommendations ................................................................ 2 Appendix A – Lab Environment – Detailed Diagram ....................................... 6 Appendix B – Citrix WAN Policy Configuration Instructions ......................... 7 Appendix C – SpeedScreen Configuration Instructions ............................... 11 Appendix D – Sample DEFAULT.ICA FILE with SpeedScreen Settings ...... 16
Galaxy Contact Information: NOC Support 1-877-863-8439
[email protected]
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Executive Summary Broadband networks offer high-bandwidth but can often exhibit high-latency and/or higher jitter with certain wireless technologies. The unique nature of high-latency networks causes poor performance amongst latency-sensitive applications. Citrix XenApp, when used with Galaxy Managed Network Services, can provide an effective application delivery experience over satellite connections. Utilizing Citrix policies to regulate and optimize XenApp features in conjunction with proper implementation of SpeedScreen Latency Reduction provides a desirable end-user experience for satellite network subscribers. This article will provide an overview on how to optimize Citrix XenApp to effectively deliver applications to broadband satellite users.
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Best Practices & Recommendations General High-Latency Network Considerations In a low-latency, high-bandwidth environment, administrators rarely have to take latency into account. Administrators utilizing satellite (and in some circumstances other wireless) based Galaxy Managed Services for IT service delivery can improve end user experience by reducing client-to-server round trip times, caching data, batching records and packets, and leveraging compression and acceleration technology. Here are some general best practices on how to optimize network communications over highlatency networks: Limit the number of client to server round trips - Every round trip from a remote client, through the satellite network and back will typically take between 600 – 800 milliseconds, and occasionally more. While the approximate one second round trip seems almost trivial, a process that makes multiple round trips will become an issue. On a LAN this is not a concern. It is definitely a problem when multiple transactions must take place sequentially over a satellite or other high latency wide area network. Cache Infrequently Changing Data Locally - Cached data does not have to be fetched over the network, thus decreasing total network traffic and making the user experience better – increasing user productivity: clients will not have to wait on an operation to complete before performing another one. Batch Data Records Together - Multiple ‘records’ transfer, either upload or download, to/from a server over the network are almost always best batched together rather than sent individually. This may seem like antithetical advice to keep network payload small, but pushing on a record by record basis will entail a heavy price in communication overhead involving multiple server requests and round trips. The real saving is in reducing these round trips. Leverage Galaxy Performance Enhancing Protocol (PEP) and TurboPage - Galaxy’s comprehensive package of acceleration and compression technologies is embedded in every HN router. The result is dramatically improved throughput and response time through mitigation of satellite delay, meaning Hughes customers experience wire-line or better performance of broadband IP applications. Galaxy routers utilize Galaxy’s patented Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP) to optimize the performance of many widely used Internet protocols.
Citrix XenApp Recommendations The SpeedScreen Latency Reduction and Citrix Policy features of Citrix XenApp provide an effective solution to Galaxy Managed Services by effectively delivering applications over high-latency networks.
The following diagram depicts the testing environment used for this engagement:
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Figure 2 – Lab Environment Layout
Citrix XenApp was tested to evaluate the delivery of bandwidth-demanding applications over high-latency connections for several different application types, including productivity, client/server, and browserbased applications. EdgeSight for Load Testing was scripted with Microsoft Office (Productivity), Internet Explorer (Browser), and Hyperion (Enterprise Client/Server) applications to ensure a consistent experience when using a LAN-based connection versus a satellite-based link. Visual observation of enduser experience and performance metrics from EdgeSight for Load Testing from both types of network connections were gathered and analyzed. Results from integration testing show that Citrix policies optimized for satellite communications in conjunction with the SpeedScreen Latency Reduction features of XenApp provided the best end user experience for Galaxy Managed Network subscribers. Other features, such as the Citrix Access Gateway, were also tested to measure their effectiveness when used with XenApp server.
Testing Strategy
Configuration
Performance
Basic Citrix Configuration
Citrix Configuration: Bitmap caching enabled. SpeedScreen, Native Compression and Citrix Policies Disabled,
Users experienced connection difficulties, random session interruptions, intermittent screen freezing, and frequent pauses (5-7 seconds) during typing and for all applications.
Galaxy Configuration: No PEP
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Basic Citrix Configuration with Galaxy PEP
Citrix Configuration: Bitmap caching enabled. SpeedScreen, Native Compression and Citrix Policies Disabled, Galaxy Configuration : PEP enabled
Citrix Enhancements & PEP
Users were able to maintain connections to the Citrix XenApp server. Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and Hyperion applications accessing data through XenApp improved. Experienced frequent screen freezing and pauses in typing, but applications were functional. Average 2 to 4 second delay in typing characters in all applications Reliable connections maintained to XenApp servers. Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and Hyperion applications end-user experience significantly improved. Typing pauses and delays minimized (
