Question & Answer
Question
Customer would like to deploy the Controller client via thin client (Citrix or Microsoft Terminal Services). What are the recommended hardware specifications for deploying Controller via Citrix (or TS)?
Cause
In general, IBM Support Controller architecture and server installation best practices are freely available inside separate IBM Technote #1608353.
- Therefore, customers looking for general application server and database server sizing should read Technote #1608353.
More Information:
This Technote explains some best practice guidance, based on feedback to IBM Support.
The Excel link was redesigned from Controller version 10.2.1. One of the effects has been the ability to use more than one CPU core (multithreading).
- In some customer cases, this has caused the optimal specification of the Citrix server to be increased (more CPU cores and more RAM for the same number of concurrent users)
- As a ballpark estimate, IBM Support generally advice having 50% more CPU/RAM power when using Controller 10.2.1 (or later), compared to when using Controller 10.2.0 (or earlier).
For the sake of brevity, from now onwards this Technote shall refer to all thin-client servers (both Citrix and Microsoft Terminal-Servers/TS/Remote-Desktop servers) as simply 'Citrix' servers.
- However, the same advice applies to both Citrix and Microsoft TS.
Answer
IMPORTANT: Please read the following carefully:
- The following specifications are given as ballpark suggestions only, for typical/standard customers.
- This guidance is not a cast-iron guarantee of perfect performance. Instead, this information is supplied on a 'best endeavour' basis, to reduce the amount of 'blue sky' thinking necessary for customers to specify their server environment.
- Customers should be prepared to modify their Citrix server specifications according to their exact needs. For example, if they find that they are running extremely complex Excel spreadsheets, then they may need to increase the number of CPUs and/or amount of RAM accordingly.
Prerequisites:
Basic questions to ask yourself:
- What are the total number of Controller users?
- What is the maximum number of concurrent Controller users I expect to see using Citrix at any one time?
- For example, you may have 100 users in total, but only 40 concurrent users (actually logged into Controller)
- In general, this Technote refers to maximum number of concurrent (currently logged on) users.
- I.T. departments may prefer fewer (but more powerful) Citrix servers, or (alternatively) they may prefer many (but less powerful) Citrix servers.
- In general, most customers typically deploy via multiple ‘identical’ Citrix/TS servers (i.e. each based on the same hardware specification).
- In general, you should have at least one more Citrix server than you 'need'
- The main reason is to supply a method of redundancy (if one Citrix server fails, then you still have sufficient Citrix servers available to supply the user load).
- In general, these Citrix servers should be dedicated for Controller-only use.
- Again, the author reiterates that the examples below are only ballpark guidelines – exact Citrix server specifications will vary on what features the end user population will typically use day-to-day.
Recommended specifications:
As a general ballpark guide, IBM Support recommends the following:
Controller 10.2.1, 10.3.0:
Customer feedback suggests that (based on ‘standard/typical’ Controller usage) Citrix servers can host approximately 15 concurrent Controller sessions per 6 CPU cores and 12Gb RAM.
=> a sensible hardware specification (for each separate Citrix server) could be:
Number of CPU cores | Minimum RAM (Gb) | Minimum Hard Drive (C:) | (approx) Maximum Concurrent users per Citrix server |
6 | 12 | 72Gb (ideally more) | 15 |
8 | 16 | " | 23 |
12 | 24 | " | 30 |
18 | 32 | " | 40 |
24 | 42 | " | 50 |
Controller 10.2.0 (and earlier):
Customer feedback suggests that (based on ‘standard/typical’ Controller usage) Citrix servers can host approximately 20 concurrent Controller sessions per 6 CPU cores and 12Gb RAM.
=> a sensible hardware specification (for each separate Citrix server) could be:
Number of CPU cores | Minimum RAM (Gb) | Minimum Hard Drive (C:) | (approx) Maximum Concurrent users per Citrix server |
4 | 8 | 72Gb (ideally more) | 15 |
6 | 12 | " | 20 |
8 | 16 | " | 30 |
12 | 24 | " | 40 |
16 | 28 | " | 50 |
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Modified date:
15 June 2018
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