DHCP configurations for PVS
Article ID: CTX135500
Updated On:
Description
Citrix recommends DHCP configuration which ensures that a PVS target device receives the same IP address for all DHCP requests during its booted lifespan. The end result should be a target device using the same IP address it received at boot time, for the entirety of its booted lifespan.
DHCP requests for PVS target devices
The first IP addresses received at PVS target device boot time in response to the first DHCP request ( during the PXE boot phase or Firmware boot phase), is persisted by default in the PVS target device network adaptor for the booted lifespan of the target device.
If a PVS target devices during later DHCP requests receives a different IP addresses, so changes its IP address during its booted lifespan, it usually results in the streaming network adaptors having two IP addresses. The persisted IP from the boot phase, and the other IP address received later during windows DHCP requests. This will lead to instability in the environment, as only the later one of those IP addresses would retain an active DHCP lease.
PVS target device software will complete a PVS high availability reconnect when the network adaptor used for streaming traffic changes its IP address, this may result in a momentary pause/freeze from a users perspective while the high availability reconnect occurs. Normal Windows DHCP renewal of an existing IP address would not lead to a PVS high availability reconnect.
DHCP configurations:
By default DHCP solutions will usually provide the same IP address to a network adaptor during and after boot time, and windows will renew its DHCP lease during its booted lifespan.
However some DHCP solutions may differentiate between DHCP requests by PXE clients and DHCP requests by Windows clients. These DHCP solutions need to be configured to ensure they provide the same IP address during both phases of a PVS target device boot, windows on the target device should then continue to renew the same IP address. The DHCP server must use only the MAC address of the target to determine the lease. Depending on the DHCP solution, there are usually mechanisms available to DHCP administrators to ensure this occurs, so that PVS targets devices get the same IP address for all DHCP requests.
In environments which have restricted configuration options for the DHCP solution, there are two options which PVS administrators might use when they have exhausted all other possibilities within their environment; DHCP reservations and unlimited DHCP lease times. While both of these options will ensure a target device will receive the same IP address for all DHCP requests during its booted lifespan, they are not required for most customer environments.
Issue/Introduction
Additional Information
