Users By Regions -OS Test

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) hosts desktop environments on a centralized server and deploys them to end-users on request. The virtual desktops in VDI are accessed by users from different cities, countries and regions of the world at any time. As VDI offers better user mobility, ease of access, flexibility and greater security, it is VDI administrator's responsibility to ensure a consistent experience for all users, regardless of their geographic location. When server resources are shared by users from multiple regions , excessive resource and bandwidth utilization by users from a specific region could impact the performance for users from other regions. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the activities of each and every region's users to the virtual desktops on the server is critical. Towards this end, the Users By Regions - OS test assesses the traffic between the virtual desktops on the server and the user terminals and reveals the experience of users from different regions.

This test continuously monitors the CPU and memory resources taken up by a user's session on the virtual desktop for each region. The results of this test can be used in troubleshooting and proactive monitoring. For example, when a user from a particular region reports a performance problem, administrators can quickly check the bandwidth utilized by that particular region's user, the CPU/memory usage as well as the resource usage of user sessions established from other regions. The administrator also has access to details on the number of application processes launched by the users from each region and time taken for the same. This information can be used to spot a particular region from which the maximum number of application processes are launched on the virtual desktop.

This test is disabled by default. To enable the test, go to the enable / disable tests page using the menu sequence : Agents -> Tests -> Enable/Disable, pick the desired Component type, set Performance as the Test type, choose the test from the disabled tests list, and click on the < button to move the test to the ENABLED TESTS list. Finally, click the Update button.

Target of the test : A ESX server host

Agent deploying the test : An internal/remote agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for each region from which users are logging in to a virtual desktop on the ESX server host.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameters Description

Test Period

How often should the test be executed. By default, this is 5 minutes.

Host

The host for which the test is to be configured.

Port

The port at which the specified Host listens. By default, this is NULL.

Measurements made by the test
Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

User sessions

Indicates the total number of user sessions established from this region.

Number

 

 

CPU usage for user sessions

Indicates the percentage of CPU utilized during the user sessions established from this region.

Percent

A high value for this measure is a cause of concern.

Comparing the value of this measure across regions helps administrators in identifying the region from which too much of CPU resources are being utilized.

Memory usage for user sessions

Indicates the percentage of memory utilized during the user sessions established from this region.

Percent

A high value for this measure is a cause of concern.

Comparing the value of this measure across regions helps administrators in identifying the region from which too much of memory resources are being utilized.

I/O reads for user sessions

Indicates the rate of I/O reads done during all user sessions established from this region.

KB/sec

Comparison across the regions helps identify the region from which the most I/O-intensive operations are performed during user sessions.

I/O writes for user sessions

Indicates the rate of I/O writes done during all user sessions established from this region.

KB/sec

Total reads and writes for user sessions

Indicates the rate at which the I/O reads and writes done during all user sessions established from this region.

KB/sec

 

Screen refresh latency - avg

Indicates the average time interval measured at the client between the first step (user action) and the last step (graphical response displayed) of the user's interactions with this Virtual desktop. The value reported is the average of the latencies for all the current user sessions established from this region. 

Seconds

This is a measurement of the screen lag that a user experiences while interacting with the virtual desktop. In other words, is the latency detected from when the user hits a key until the response is displayed.

Comparing the value of this measure across users from different regions will enable administrators to quickly and accurately identify if the screen lag is significantly higher for any of the regions when users from that particular are interacting with the virtual desktop.

Screen refresh latency - max

Indicates the maximum time interval measured at the client between the first step (user action) and the last step (graphical response displayed) of the user's interactions with this virtual desktop during the sessions established from this region.

Seconds

Ideally, the value of this measure is preferred to be low.

Client network latency - avg

Indicates the average latency experienced by a user from this region when transmitting/receiving data over the ICA channel. The value reported is the average of the latencies for all the current user sessions established from this region. 

Seconds

Ideally, the value of this measure is desired to be low.

Client network latency - max

Indicates the maximum latency experienced by a user from this region when transmitting/receiving data over the ICA channel.

Seconds

Ideally, the value of this measure is desired to be low.

Input bandwidth

Indicates the average bandwidth used for client to server communications for all the sessions of a user from this region.

Kbps

 

Output bandwidth

Indicates the average bandwidth used for server to client communications for all the sessions of a user from this region.

Kbps

 

Total bandwidth

Indicates the total bandwidth used for communication between the server and the client for all the sessions of a user from this region.

Kbps

 

Output bandwidth usage

Indicates the percentage of bandwidth used for server to client communications for all the sessions of a user from this region.

Percent

Compare the value of this measure across regions to know which region's users are consuming the maximum HDX bandwidth.

Frame rate

Indicates the rate at which frames are processed during user sessions established from this region.

Frames/sec

FPS is how fast your graphics card can output individual frames each second. It is the most time-tested and ideal measure of performance of a GPU. Higher the value of this measure, healthier is the GPU.

Framehawk frame rate

Indicates the rate at which frames are processed by the Framehawk virtual channel, if it is enabled for user sessions from this region.

Frames/sec

This is a good measure of the effectiveness of Framehawk in optimizing the bandwidth usage over the virtual delivery channel. A low value is desired for this measure.

Note:

This measure will report the value 0 if Framehawk is not enabled for a user from a region or if the device from which the user is accessing the application does not support Framehawk.

Framehawk latency

Indicates the latency experienced during user sessions established from this region when the Framehawk virtual delivery channel is used.

Seconds

This measure will report the value 0 if Framehawk is not enabled for a user from a region or if the device from which the user is accessing the application does not support Framehawk.

Total audio bandwidth

Indicates the total bandwidth used while transmitting and receiving sound/audio by users from this region.

Kbps

Comparing this value across regions will reveal which region's users are sending/receiving bandwidth-intensive sound/audio files over the ICA channel.

To minimize bandwidth consumption, you may want to consider disabling client audio mapping.

Total HDX media stream for flash data bandwidth

Indicates the total bandwidth used for flash data traffic between users from this region and this virtual desktop.

Kbps

 

Total printer bandwidth

Indicates the total bandwidth used by a user from this region to issue print jobs to a desktop printer and receive response from the desktop over the ICA channel.

Kbps

Comparing the value of this measure across different regions will reveal which region's users are issuing bandwidth-intensive print commands over the channel.

If bandwidth consumption is too high, you may want to consider disabling printing. Alternatively, you can avoid printing large documents.

Total application processes launch count

Indicates the count of application processes launched during the user sessions established from this region.

Number

By comparing the value of this measure across regions, administrators will be able to find out the region from which maximum number of application processes are launched.

Total application processes launch duration

Indicates the time taken for launching application processes during the user sessions established from this region.

Seconds

An unusually high value for this measure may require investigation.

Total user logons

Indicates the number of user logons to this virtual desktop from this region.

Number

 

Total user logon duration

Indicates the time that users from this region took to logon to the server.

Seconds

The value of this measure should be low.