Summary

This article describes how to take a Provisioning Server virtual disk (vDisk) and configure it with two partitions. In some cases, this pertains to XenApp (Presentation) Server environments that are streamed by the Provisioning Server.

Background

Note: For Linux clients using the Linux Boot Option (LBO) formatting the vDisk is not required.

After creating a new vDisk from the Provisioning Server console, you have several options for how to format the vDisk to prepare it for building an image of a workstation.

In addition to mapping the vDisk locally on the server and formatting it, the vDisk can be allocated to the master client computer and formatted from that computer’s local operating system.

Only two partitions are supported in a vDisk at any time.

Procedure

Creating a two partition vDisk

1. Be sure to have the Provisioning Server Target Device Software installed on the Master Target Device.

2. Create a new vDisk using the Provisioning Server Console on the Provisioning Server (and do not format the vDisk).

3. Assign the newly created vDisk to the Master Target Device.

4. From the Provisioning Server Console, configure the Master Target Device to boot to its local hard disk and assign the newly created vDisk.

5. PXE-Boot the Master Target Device.

6. Once started, confirm connectivity from the Master Target Device to the Provisioning Server. When the connection is inactive the Virtual Disk Status icon in the system tray has a red X on it, if there is no red X, then the connection is good.

7. Right click My Computer and click Manage.

8. The Computer Management service console will open.

9. Click Disk Management to view all disks associated with the Master Target Device.

10. Right click on the vDisk and select New Partition.

11. When the New Partition Wizard opens, click Next.

12. In Select Partition Type select Primary Partition for the type of partition to create and click Next.

13. In the Specify Partition Size dialogue box select a partition size. Typically it is recommended to take your Master Target Device system hard drive size and add twenty percent to it. Click Next.

14. In Assign Drive Letter or Path specify a drive letter (Note: If using remapped drives with XenApp, the specified drive letter must be greater than the Master Target Device system drive letter). Click Next.

15. In Format Partition specify the File System, Allocation unit size, and Volume label. It is recommended to specify a label and select Perform a quick format. When finished, click Next.

16. On the Completing the New Partition Wizard screen, click Finish.

17. Repeat the same actions on the Unallocated space of the vDisk to create the second partition (Note: Provisioning Server only supports two partitions per vDisk).

18. Before closing the Disk Management console, right click on the the vDisk that will act as the primary system drive and select Mark Partition as Active.

19. Once formatting is complete the disk will have a status of Healthy on the right window pane.

20. The vDisk is now formatted with multiple partitions and the Target Master Device is ready to be imaged (Note: When imaging vDisk, be sure to image to the lower drive letter of the vDisk).

21. Shut down the Target Master Device upon completion of building the image. The vDisk is ready to stream to other Target Dervices.

22. Upon completion of building the image, ensure the vDisk has the Active boot partition set. On the Provisioning Server, open the Provisioning Server Console and go to the multi-partition vDisk.

23. Right click on the vDisk and select Properties.

24. In the General tab, enable Active boot partition.

25. Click OK. The vDisk is now ready to be streamed to Target Devices.

XenApp Server with Remapped Drives

In some instances of XenApp Server, there are typically two drives. Above, the article explains how to create a two partition vDisk. The following procedure explains what happens when a XenApp Server has two remapped drives and how Provisioning Server can operate in this type of environment.

1. In a XenApp Server two-drive scenario, the default drive letters may appear as follows:

a. Drive 1: C

b. Drive 2: D

c. CD Drive: E

3. When running the Citrix Drive Remapping Utility on a XenApp Server environment, typically ,the defaults are as follows:

a. Drive 1: C turns to M.

b. Drive 2: D turns to N.

c. CD Drive: E turns to O.

3. After the remapping occurs, the drive letters (if the defaults are accepted) should appears as follows:

a. Drive 1: M

b. Drive 2: N

c. CD Drive: O

4. At this point in accordance with XenApp Server documentation, the server is ready to install XenApp Server.

5. When following the multi-partition procedure in a XenApp Server environment it is recommended the drive letters are configured as follows:

a. Local_System Drive: M

b. Local_Store (Programs) Drive: N

c. CD Drive: O

d. vDisk_System Drive: P

e. vDisk_Store (Programs) Drive: Q

6. Once the drive letters are configured properly, run PVS PS Integration Utility.msi and build your vDisk to the vDisk_System drive.

7. The Target Master Device is ready to be imaged (Note: When imaging vDisk, be sure to image to the lower drive letter of the vDisk).

8. Shut down the Target Master Device upon completion of building the image.

9. Upon completion of building the image, ensure the vDisk has the Active boot partition set. On the Provisioning Server, open the Provisioning Server Console and go to the multi-partition vDisk.

10. Right click on the vDisk and select Properties.

11. In the General tab, enable Active boot partition.

12. Click OK. The vDisk is now ready to be streamed to Target Devices.

13. Once the vDisk creation is complete and a target device is booted off the newly created vDisk, the two partitions in the vDisk take the place of M: and N: therefore making the XenApp Server operable in a typical scenario.