Limited Citrix Connection 1

[w33mhz]

I have a server that I am testing on how many users I can get on it before it starts having issus. It is a Dell PE 1950 with 8GB of RAM with Dual Dual Core Intel Xeon Processors, 1333 MHz FSB, running Windows Adv Server. I also have dual broadcomm nics that I have bonded together for load balancing.
My problem is that I am publishing a desktop, and I can only get 50 users logged on. Sometimes more, but usually right around 50 users. After that it gives a connection has been reset by peer error. Now I have the number of ICA connections to that server set to unlimited. One my citrix session start getting the errors I can RDP into the server with no issue. When I look at the task manager it seems to be running very smooth, it spikes to 70% for a second every couple of minutes or so.
Now I have a goal I am trying to reach of close to 100 users, I know I am streaching it, but I would like to try. This server shouldn't realisticly have an issue with holding atleast 70 users, but once I hit that magic 50 users mark it craps out on me. What could be my problem?

 

[enigma99]

w33mhz,
If you have this server using a load-evaluator...make sure you don't have the CPU, memory or user count to low.

I would remove any load-evaluator from the server and try it out. This way you can see if its a license issue or load-balancing issue.


Hope that helps.

 

[w33mhz]

I am using a Load Evaluator, it is only user count and the user count is 100 users. I am not using any cpu or memory counters. I can definitely tell you that it is not a license issue, because when I change the load evaluator to 50 and place my other servers back in the application pool they log right in.

 

[Dublin73]

To confirm, your OS is Windows 2000 Advanced Server? When the server bombs out, what is the size of your registry? I don't have Windows 2000 in front of me, but if I remember right, you check this by right clicking on "My Computer" from the desktop, select "properties", then have a look around from there.

The registry expands as each user logs in. Once the registry hits its threshold, or limit (a.k.a. RSL for Registry Size Limit), new users cannot log in.

Are your processors 64-Bit? If so, installing Windows Server 2003 64-Bit will, at the very least, double the amount of users that you can get onto your server.

 

[w33mhz]

AAAhhh yes, I did check that. My reg limit is 250 MB when it bombs out on the citrix side it is around 64-70MB. It is located @ properties of "My Computer" >> Advanced Tab >> "Preformance Options" button, then click change.

This server is one of 11 that I have for citrix, I can't just upgrade it to 2003 because I don't have the licensing for 2003.

This issue is not a windows issue, I can use RDP to logon to the server while it is erroring on the citrix side and have no issue. I know that people have citrix servers that can get that many people on a server at a time, but they are using application silos instead of publishing the full desktop. I have searched citrix website and didn't find anything, as far as patches for this issue.

 

[Dublin73]

This still may be a Windows issue.... related to the registry. If not the size of the registry, then the registry paged pool. When you reach your Citrix limit, how many RDP sessions can you then create afterwards? More than a handful?

Regarding how many users that you can get onto a published desktop through Windows 2000 Terminal Server... obviously this will vary on your users' application usage etc.

One key thing to remember is... with Windows 2000, you're limited to accessing only 4 GB of RAM, regardless of how much RAM is actually installed (you don't want to mess around with PAE etc. to access more RAM in a terminal services environment).

Once your RAM availability drops to 500 MB free, you'll have a hard time squeezing any more users onto the server. You'll also likely see, that your page file is maxed out.

When you reach the user limit, do you see unable to load user profile error messages in your Event logs? I think the Event ID is 1000

 

[w33mhz]

Well I can start a handful of RDP sessions yes, I haven't maxed out on RDP sessions yet. My paging usage wasn't maxed out either. My total page file size is 6141 MB, it wasn't maxed out as well.
But you did bring up a good point with the 4GB of RAM limit, that maybe the limiting factor you're right. My only thing with that is that usually everything the users are doing seems to still go pretty fast, usually I have found out that when I get maxed on users, on my other servers anyways, that the sessions start to sloooo

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Well anyway, I will accept the fact that I am still limited to the 4GB memory limit regardless of how much is really in the machine. Thanks for your posts I appreciate it.