How to Move an Existing Desktop Delivery Controller Server to a New XenDesktop Farm

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RoyATokeshi

September 8, 2008 7:22 am

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How to Move an Existing Desktop Delivery Controller Server to a New XenDesktop Farm

Document ID: CTX117448 / Created On: Jun 23, 2008 / Updated On: Jul 18, 2008

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Summary

This article describes how to move an existing Desktop Delivery Controller (DDC) server to a new XenDesktop Farm.

Background

With XenDesktop, DDCs require a two step process when changing farms. This is because of the Active Directory (AD) integration that is unique to XenDesktop. Citrix provides two utilities for this process, the Active Directory Configuration Wizard, which handles the AD aspects of the move, and the Change Farm (chfarm) utility, which handles the database changes need to move a server. Both of these utilities are installed by default.

Procedure

The first task is to remove the server using the Active Directory Configuration Wizard. The second task is to use the chfarm utility to remove the server from the farm data store.

1. Launch the Active Directory Configuration Wizard from Start-Programs-Citrix menu. It defaults to the current farm OU. Click Next and a screen appears giving you the opportunity to mark a controller for removal.

2. Select the controller you wish to remove and click Next The program shows a summary screen of operations that it will perform:

3. Click Finish to have the Wizard perform the operations and display a results window showing actions that were done:

4. Run the chfarm utility to update the location of the server in the old and new farm databases. This utility can be launched from a command prompt window or by using the Run option in the Start Menu. Chfarm starts by displaying a warning as shown in the following screen shot:

5. Choose to create a new farm or join an existing farm. When a DDC is already a member of a farm, either one of these choices removes it from that farm and places it in a pre-existing farm or a new one that is created with the wizard.

6. Once you have completed the Chfarm wizard and entered the appropriate license server for the new farm, Chfarm has all the information it needs. It stops the IMA service, makes the necessary setting changes, and then restarts the IMA service. After the IMA service restarts, the server has joined the new farm.

7. Run the Active Directory Configuration Wizard after changing farms so that workstations can find the server in the new farm. Select the farm OU of the new farm, and then click Add local server.