Brokering Machines Test

Collections of desktops or physical computers are managed as a single entity called a machine catalog. To deliver desktops and applications to users, the machine administrator creates a catalog of machines and the assignment administrator allocates machines from the machine catalog to users by creating delivery groups.

For each catalog managed by the brokers of this site, this test reports the number of machines available, the number of registered machines, those machines that are not registered, the machines that are currently powered on, powered off, those in Agent error state etc. In addition, using this test, you can figure out the number of sessions on each catalog, the sessions that are established and the sessions that are currently pending. The load on each catalog can thus be ascertained.

Target of the test : A Citrix Delivery Controller 7.x

Agent deploying the test : An internal agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for each catalog that is to be monitored.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameter Description

Test Period

How often should the test be executed.

Host

The IP address of the host for which this test is to be configured.

Port

Refers to the port at which the specified host listens to. By default, this is 80.

Username

In order to monitor the target Delivery Controller 7, eG requires a special user with the following privileges;

  • The All scope and read-only privileges
  • The Allow log on locally security privilege on the Delivery Controller host

The steps for assigning such privileges to a user are discussed in the Pre-requisites for monitoring the Citrix Delivery Controller 7.x. Specify the name of such a user, here.

Password

Specify the password for the user specified in the Username text box, here.

Confirm Password

Confirm the Password by retyping it here.

Domain

Here, specify the domain to which the user specified in the Username text box belongs to.

Report By Machine Type

By default, this flag is set to Yes indicating that the  individual descriptors of this test - i.e., the delivery groups - are classified based on their machine type; in other words, the delivery groups will be listed either under Server OS Machines or Desktop OS Machines based on their machine type. If you do not want to group the delivery groups based on their machine types, set this flag to No.

Show Site Wide Information

By default, this flag is set to Yes, indicating that the monitored server is the site server of a broker site. For a site server, this test will report metrics at the site-level - accordingly, a set of metrics will be reported for each delivery group managed by every broker in the site. On the other hand, if the monitored broker is only a member of a site and not the site server, then set this flag to No. In this case, the test will not report any metrics.

Show Total Machines DD

By default, this flag is set to No. This implies that by default, detailed metrics will not be available for the Total machines measure of this test. To enable detailed diagnosis for this measure, you can set this flag to Yes. In this case, you will be able to view the complete details of all the machines in each catalog of every broker in the target site.

Show Total Sessions DD

By default, this flag is set to No. This implies that by default, detailed metrics will not be available for the Total sessions measure of this test. To enable detailed diagnosis for this measure, you can set this flag to Yes. In this case, you will be able to view the complete details of all the sessions related to each catalog of every broker in the target site.

Show Registered Machines DD

By default, this flag is set to No. This implies that by default, detailed metrics will not be available for Registered machines measure of this test. To enable detailed diagnosis for this measure, you can set this flag to Yes. In this case, you will be able to view the complete details of the machines (in each catalog) that are currently registered with a broker in this site.

Show Powered On Machines DD

By default, this flag is set to No. This implies that by default, detailed metrics will not be available for Powered on machines measure of this test. To enable detailed diagnosis for this measure, you can set this flag to Yes. In this case, you will be able to view the complete details of the powered on machines in each catalog configured on a broker in this site.

Detailed Diagnosis

To make diagnosis more efficient and accurate, the eG Enterprise embeds an optional detailed diagnostic capability. With this capability, the eG agents can be configured to run detailed, more elaborate tests as and when specific problems are detected. To enable the detailed diagnosis capability of this test for a particular server, choose the On option. To disable the capability, click on the Off option.

The option to selectively enable/disable the detailed diagnosis capability will be available only if the following conditions are fulfilled:

  • The eG manager license should allow the detailed diagnosis capability
  • Both the normal and abnormal frequencies configured for the detailed diagnosis measures should not be 0.
Measurements made by the test
Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

Total machines

Indicates the total number of machines that are currently available in this catalog.

Number

The detailed diagnosis of this measure, if enabled, reveals the details of each of the machines in a catalog.

Entitled machines

Indicates the total number of machines that are currently assigned to users in this catalog.

Number

Users can be explicitly assigned to the machines or can be assigned based on the first use of the machine.

The detailed diagnosis of this measure if enabled, lists the name of the machine, the delivery group and catalog to which the machine belongs, the zone to which the catalog belongs, the power state of the machine., the IP address, the OS on which the machine operates and the version, the location where the changes made by the user is stored, the user active on the session, the version of the agent, the applications published on the machine etc.

Machines not entitled

Indicates the number of machines in this catalog that are not assigned to any users.

Number

Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure to know which machines in this catalog are not assigned to any user.

Registered machines

Indicates the number of machines that are currently registered with the broker of this catalog.

Number

If the detailed diagnosis of this measure is enabled, then you can use it to quickly identify the machines in this catalog that are currently registered with the broker.

Unregistered machines

Indicates the number of machines that are currently not registered with the broker of this catalog.

Number

A high value for this measure indicates that the virtual desktops are not provisioned to the users and the applications are not published which eventually results in a poor end user experience.

Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure to know which machines in this catalog are not registered with the broker.

Machines with agent errors:

Indicates the number of machines that are currently in the AgentError state during the registration process with the broker.

Number

An AgentError is reported if the Virtual Desktop Agent itself is experiencing issues in its operations.

Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure to know which machines in this catalog are currently in the AgentError state.

 

Powered on machines

Indicates the number of machines that are currently powered on in this catalog.

Number

If the detailed diagnosis of this measure is enabled, then you can use it to quickly identify the machines in this catalog that are currently in the powered on state.

Powered off machines

Indicates the number of machines that are currently powered off in this catalog.

Number

The detailed diagnosis of this measure if enabled, lists the name of the machine, the delivery group and catalog to which the machine belongs, the zone to which the catalog belongs, the desktop kind, the hypervisor on which the machine is hosted, the location used for storing the changes made by the user, the user who is currently active on the session, the agent version, the applications published on the machine etc.

Machines with suspended power state

Indicates the number of machines in this catalog that are currently in the Suspended state.

Number

Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure to know which machines in this catalog are currently in the Suspended state.

Machines with unknown power state

Indicates the number of machines in this catalog that are currently in Unknown/Unmanaged/Unavailable states.

Number

Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure to know which machines in this catalog are currently in the Unknown/Unmanaged/Unavailable states.

Machines in maintenance mode

Indicates the total number of machines that are currently under maintenance i.e, the maintenance mode of the virtual desktop is enabled.

Number

Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure to know which machines in this catalog are currently under maintenance.

Total sessions

Indicates the total number of user sessions across all the machines available in this catalog.

Number

This measure is a sum of the Established sessions and the Pending sessions measures.

If the detailed diagnosis of this measure is enabled, then you can use it to quickly view the complete details of the sessions on all machines in this catalog.

Established sessions

Indicates the number of user sessions that are currently established on the machines of this catalog.

Number

The detailed diagnosis of this measure if enabled, lists the name of the machine, the delivery group and catalog to which the machine belongs, the zone to which the catalog belongs, the number of sessions established through each machine, the IP address, the OS on which the machine operates and the version, the location where the changes made by the user is stored, the user active on the session, the version of the agent, the applications published on the machine etc.

Pending sessions

Indicates the number of user sessions that are pending or waiting to be established on the machines of this catalog.

Number

Use the detailed diagnosis of this measure for the complete details of the pending sessions.

The detailed diagnosis of the Entitled machines measure if enabled, lists the name of the machine, the delivery group and catalog to which the machine belongs, the zone to which the catalog belongs, the power state of the machine., the IP address, the OS on which the machine operates and the version, the location where the changes made by the user is stored, the user active on the session, the version of the agent, the applications published on the machine etc.

Figure 1 : The detailed diagnosis of the Entitled machines measure for the site

The detailed diagnosis of the Established sessions measure if enabled, lists the name of the machine, the delivery group and catalog to which the machine belongs, the zone to which the catalog belongs, the number of sessions established through each machine, the IP address, the OS on which the machine operates and the version, the location where the changes made by the user is stored, the user active on the session, the version of the agent, the applications published on the machine etc.

Figure 2 : The detailed diagnosis of the Established sessions measure of the site

The detailed diagnosis of the Machines with unknown power state measure if enabled, lists the name of the machine, the delivery group and catalog to which the machine belongs, the zone to which the catalog belongs, the desktop kind, the hypervisor on which the machine is hosted, the location used for storing the changes made by the user, the user who is currently active on the session, the agent version, the applications published on the machine etc.

Figure 3 : The detailed diagnosis of the Machines with unknown power state measure