Citrix states in their article: CTX107406

CTX107406 - Server Cloning with Presentation Server 4.0

This document was published at: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX107406

Document ID: CTX107406, Created on: Nov 7, 2005, Updated: Mar 21, 2006

Products: Citrix Presentation Server 4.0 for Microsoft Windows 2003

* This article amends pages 56-59 of CTX107059 – Advanced Concepts Guide

Server Cloning

Server cloning can provide more rapid deployment than a scripted installation. A few steps are required for cloning servers. These steps vary depending on the type of data store used for the farm, and are described in the following sections. Presentation Server is compatible with server cloning, but cloning software can cause the operating system or its add-ons to function incorrectly after being cloned. When using server cloning, it is important to clone one server and test its functionality before deploying the rest of the farm. Also, although Citrix supports server cloning if done by documented procedures, it is considered a best practice to use an automated installation process for building and rebuilding servers so that a clean server build is assured.

Caution: Do not image a server with an SSL certificate installed because SSL certificates are unique to the hardware.

Issues to Consider Before Cloning a Server

Zone settings are not retained when cloning a server. When the Citrix IMA Service on the cloned server starts for the first time, the server joins the default zone. The name of the default zone is the ID of the subnet on which the cloned server resides. When deploying images to servers on multiple subnets, assign zone information for each server after the imaging process completes.

Before changing the Security ID (SID) on the machine used to access the Presentation Server Console, add one of the following user accounts as an administrator with full privileges:

* A domain administrator
* The local administrators group
* A local administrator from a machine where the SID is not being changed
* Note: You must complete the following tasks before re-imaging a server that is already a member of a server farm.
* CTX108361 – Adding a Second STA Overwrites the Existing Entry in the Access Gateway Administration Tool

To prepare a server in a server farm for re-imaging

1. From the Presentation Server Console, remove the list of servers configured to host any applications.

2. Remove the server from the server farm by uninstalling Presentation Server.

3. If the server entry still exists in the Presentation Server Console server list,

right-click the server name and remove it from the server list.

4. Apply the system image and add the server to the server farm.

Important: If a server is not removed from a server farm before a new system image is applied to it, performance problems can result. The Presentation Server Console can display invalid data if the server is returned to the same server farm because the old server’s host record in the data store is applied to the newly imaged server.

If cloning is not an option, you can create custom unattended installation scripts for both the operating system and applications, including Presentation Server.

Note: Removal of the WSID (workstation ID) line from the DSN file is no longer necessary when imaging and deploying Presentation Server.

Rapid Deployment with Microsoft Access or MSDE

When using Microsoft Access or MSDE, you must install the first server in the new server farm that hosts the data store. You can image the second server in the farm for the deployment of additional servers.

To image a server for rapid deployment with Access

1. Install the first server in the farm.

2. Install a second server in the farm with an indirect connection to the data store you created on the first server.

3. With the second server successfully installed and restarted, log on to the console of the second server as a local or domain administrator.

4. On the second server, delete the Wfcname.ini file, if it exists, from the root drive of the server.

5. Stop the Citrix IMA Service using the Services Control Panel. Set the start up type to manual.

6. If Presentation Server, Enterprise Edition components are installed, see the paragraph “Cloning Citrix Presentation Server Enterprise Edition Systems” further in this document.

7. Take the image of the second server and then restart the second server.

8. Deploy the image obtained in Step 7.

Important: It is important that some type of SID generation utility be executed when deploying Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 images.

To set up the server and verify that it is added

1. Set the SID of the server with your chosen SID generator.

2. Rename the new server with a unique name.

3. Start the Citrix IMA Service and set the service to start automatically.

4. Verify that the server is successfully added to the farm by executing qfarm at a command prompt. If the addition is successful, the newly imaged server appears in the list of servers.

5. Modify the following registry values:-

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA
change value “ServerHost” to “[newservername]”
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{BBBF5400-E091-11D8-AD76-005056C00008} – (note: this subkey may be alphanumerically different- you may need to search for Ctx_SmaUser to find the correct sub key)
change value “RunAs” to “ [newservername]\Ctx_SmaUser”

6. Reboot the server.

Rapid Deployment with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or IBM DB2

When using Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or IBM DB2 for the server farm’s data store, you can image the first server in the farm and use it to deploy all other servers.

To image a server for rapid deployment with SQL Server, Oracle, or IBM DB2

1. Install the first server in the farm.

2. When the server is successfully restarted, log on to the console as a local or domain administrator.

3. Delete the Wfcname.ini file, if it exists, from the root drive of the server.

4. Stop the Citrix IMA Service and set the start up type to manual.

5. If Presentation Server, Enterprise Edition components are installed, see the paragraph “Cloning Citrix Presentation Server Enterprise Edition Systems” further in this document.

6. Take the image of the server and then restart the server.

7. Deploy the image obtained in Step 6.

Important It is important that some type of SID generation utility be executed when deploying Windows 2000 Server.

To verify that the server is added

1. Set the Security ID of the
server with your chosen SID generator.

2. Rename the new server with a unique name.

3. Manually start the Citrix IMA Service and set the service to start automatically.

4. Verify that the server is successfully added to the farm by executing qfarm at a command prompt on any server in the farm. If the addition is successful, the newly imaged server appears in the list of servers.

5. Modify the following registry values:-

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA
change value “ServerHost” to “[newservername]”
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\{BBBF5400-E091-11D8-AD76-005056C00008} – (note: this subkey may be alphanumerically different- you may need to search for Ctx_SmaUser to find the correct sub key)
change value “RunAs” to “ [newservername]\Ctx_SmaUser”

6. Reboot the server.

Cloning Citrix Presentation Server Enterprise Edition Systems

If you are running Resource Manager on a server with Presentation Server Enterprise Edition, you must delete the local database used by Resource Manager (named RMLocalDatabase) so that the cloned server does not retain information from the server you are using as the cloning source. The RMLocalDatabase is installed in Citrix Resource Manager\LocalDB in the default installation directory, %Program Files%\Citrix. On the cloned server, the RMLocalDatabase file is recreated automatically when the Citrix IMA Service starts.