Load administration

[antoniomarugan]

I posted this question several days ago, but nobody answered. I would be very thankful if someone can help me, I am lost and I don't know what to do.
I have a two servers farm. I have assigned a load evaluator with only one rule, Memory usage, with 10 and 90 percent threshold values, it have been assigned both servers.
The users launch several published applications and all of them are open in the same server (not the main one). Then the server is overloaded but these changes are not gather for Load Manager tool, then new users open new applications and always are open in the same server. The main server, however, is working with a very low load (none application). I have checked this using Windows Task Manager.
Thaks in advance.

 

[CitrixEngineer]

I guess the problem is that Load-Balancing is a bit of an inexact art.

If the load-balancing license has not been activated on all servers, then a scenario like the one you describe will come about.

Try using perfmon instead of Task Manager to monitor memory usage.

Use the qserver [servername] /load command to see whether the load-balancing criteria are configured correctly.

I hope this helps

 

[antoniomarugan]

I have installed MetaFrame XPe in a W2K Advanced Server environment. I have checked that easier rules work properly, like Server User Load (then I suppose I have not problems with the licenses). Always, when I run the command "qfarm /load" I get the same result: the load of the second server is 0, although a lot of user are running a lot applications. I have checked using CMConsole, these users are connected to this second server.
In Load Manager Monitor nothing is gathered.
I am waiting for your answer
Thanks a lot

 

[chjinmind]

Hi!
I load balanced XPa (two servers) and had the same problem. What seems to be working for me is to put the Data Collector as the primary server in ICA client and the other as backup.
Load evaluator I used is a custom one based on processor, memory load and context switches.

Give it a try, and good luck!

//Chris

 

[antoniomarugan]

Thank you very much, but I tried it and it does not work. I supposing you are talking about the Application Set Settings, adding the main server IP address to the Primary Server Group and the secondary server IP address to Backup 1 Server group.
If you have any other idea, I will thank you.
Regards
Antonio

 

[CitrixEngineer]

OK, I tried to repro this in a test environment - here's what I did;

I built 2 MF XPe servers, with FR1 enabled.

I then created a load evaluator purely for Memory usage, based on the same 10% and 90% thresholds.

Next, I copied some files over the network in a session on the DCS, to generate some memory usage. Task Manager showed around 35% usage, and the Graph for the DCS showed around 30% ish (it's not a very precise graph!).

I then attached the Evaluator to the 2nd server, and ran the same test. This peaked at around 25%, although the servers are identical. Hmm.

I ran query farm [servername] on each server (qserver is, of course, the MF1.8 command). This showed as 2500 on each server when the users were logged off, 2540 when a user logged into a desktop, but 2240 when a user logged into a published app on the DCS.

Are you sure you added the load evaluator to each server, since you were seeing 0?

I notice that sometimes Load evaluators don't seem to be removed unless you restart the IMA service, or wait about 15 minutes. This is probably due to information being put into the PS - although I was under the impression that the DC took care of all of this. The Admin guide says that LEs come into effect immediately, but there does seem to be a slight delay.

Keep us informed as to how you get on. I hope some of my findings are helpful, even if somewhat inconclusive.

 

[antoniomarugan]

I have been testing, but the system does not work. I have re-started the IMA service in both servers. I assign the Load Evaluator both server again. I have checked the Load Evaluator was been properly assigned by me in the Load Evaluator tree (Usage Report /By Server or Evaluator).
Several users have run several apps and get the same results. All of them are connected to the second computer, while the memory usage in this computer is much higher than the main server (only the administrator is connected).
When I use qfarm command always get 0 for the second server.
I know this is a strange case, I hope you can help me.
Thank you very much.
Regards
Antonio

 

[antoniomarugan]

I know that this is very strange. Maybe, I could make something you connect to my farm from your office and this way you could check my issue. I will be thankful.
My email address is antonio.latorre@accenture.com.
If you are agree, give me your email address and I will contact you.

I have launched this issue in several forums and nobody has found the solution.

Thanks in advance.
Antonio

 

[ATCal]

Just to eliminate the obvious, what are your clients accessing when they connect? Is it a published desktop or application, or are they just connecting to the server? Are these PCs with the ICA client or thin clients?
Al
atc-computing@home.com

 

[antoniomarugan]

They are accessing to published applications, using ICA clients.
Thank you very much
Antonio

 

[CitrixEngineer]

Have you tried enabling the log, so that you can check that users are logging onto these applications? If so, maybe the log file has become too big on one server - it can only hold up to 16K. After that, it stops storing load management information. Try saving the log under a different filename and clearing the existing one. Maybe the log contents will provide a clue. To enable, click Actions/Log/Enable Logging in the Log tab in the Load Evaluators node.

Have you tried attaching the LE to individual published applications?

I hope this helps.

 

[antoniomarugan]

Good morning,
I followed your instructions and I have information to give you. But the issue is no resolved.
I hadn't enabled the Log in the Load Evaluator node. Now it is enabled.
Firstly, I wanted to tell you I am the only person who is using this farm, I am testing the system creating in my laptop different Application Sets with different users. And I'm using an evaluation XPe version.
I have connected with different users y different applications, and I have noticed that the log, in the Load Evaluator node, only registers the first launched application of each user. Not the following. I don't know if this is the usual behaviour. It happens all users.
I tried to load the Memory Usage rule in the second server launching a application for each user, but I didn't got it. It follows working in a bad way. All applications were launched in the second server.
I would be very grateful if you can connect to my farm to review our configuration. Or maybe, if yo give your email I can send you different snapshots.
I need solve this issue as soon as possible because we want give this solution to our client in a very short time, we wold like do it this week. But we are fearful it doesn't work in production. And we want to show this pilot to the client before selling our solution with Citrix
Thanks a lot
Regards
Antoio

 

[CitrixEngineer]

Did you try chjcomit's suggestion?

It's just struck me that the solution given in that posting is a symptom of incorrect DNS configuration (don't ask where, you'll have to locate it - it could be in the client, the Citrix Servers, the DNS servers or even a router). If this worked for chjcomit, then there is in all likelihood a name resolution issue here. Maybe it's the same for you?

Mail me with your server url and I'll take a quick look - but can't promise a reply today.

Have you tried contacting anyone at Citrix about this?

Good Luck! CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk

 

[antoniomarugan]

Hi CitrixEngineer, I have sent you the software and the information needed to connect our farm, but I haven't got answer about it.
Could you tell me anything?
My issue is not resolved yet!

Thanks in advance

 

[CitrixEngineer]

Sorry - there's nothing from you in my in-box.

A couple more thoughts - the DCS is going to be more heavily loaded from the out, because of the extra functions it has to do. Using a load evaluator based on memory on the DCS will cause it to accept connections later than a non-DCS server. How many pilot users are you using?

Which brings me on to the second point; Once a user has started a session, load is calculated on that session. Subsequent connections that share that connection are not affected - as you have observed. This is in the Load Manager Getting Started Guide, downloadable from Citrix's knowledge base. This is a very useful document, despite its unauspicious title.

Please resend your URL.

Thanks CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk

 

[antoniomarugan]

Hi again, this time I have good news, my Citrix farm is working now, the load administration is working.
W2K was the guilty of my issue. I don't know why, but the memory counter of the Windows 2000 Performance Monitor wasn't installed during installation process. For this reason, the Load Manager couldn't size the memory used.
I downloaded a application called Exctrlst from Microsoft site (

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/exctrlst-o.asp)

which let enable or disable the Performance Monitor DLLs.
I had to activate the PerfOS DLL.
I'm very gratefull for your help.
Regards