NSVPX GettingStartedGuide Rev2

Citrix NetScaler VPX
Getting Started Guide
Citrix® NetScaler® VPX 9.1

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Last Updated: November 2009
C ONTENTS
Contents
Preface
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
New in This Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Formatting Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Related Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Getting Service and Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Documentation Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Chapter 1 Citrix NetScaler VPX Overview

NetScaler VPX Setup for Citrix XenServer Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Citrix XenServer™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Citrix XenCenter™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
NetScaler VPX Setup for VMware ESX Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
VMware ESX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
VMware vSphere Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Example of a NetScaler VPX Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Chapter 2 Installing NetScaler VPX on XenServer

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
XenServer Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
XenCenter System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Installing NetScaler VPX by using XenCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Chapter 3 Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX

2 Citrix NetScaler VPX Getting Started Guide
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
VMware ESX Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
VMware vSphere Client 4.0 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
OVF Tool 1.0 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Downloading the NetScaler VPX Setup Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Labelling the Physical Network Ports of VMware ESX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 3.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Chapter 4 Configuring the Basic System Settings

Setting Up the Initial Configuration by using the NetScaler VPX Console . . . . . .17
Configuring the NetScaler VPX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Configuration Using the Command Line Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Configuration Using the Configuration Utility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
P REFACE
Preface
Before you begin to install the Citrix NetScaler VPX Web application delivery
solution, review this chapter to learn about related documentation, other support
options, and ways to send us feedback.
In This Preface
About This Guide
New in This Release
Audience
Formatting Conventions
Related Documentation
Getting Service and Support
Documentation Feedback
About This Guide

The Citrix NetScaler VPX Getting Started Guide is a conceptual reference for
NetScaler VPX. This guide also provides the installation steps and initial
configuration information.
This guide provides the following information:
• Chapter 1, “Citrix NetScaler VPX Overview.” Describes how NetScaler
VPX works in XenServer or VMware ESX to provide a virtual Web
delivery application solution for distributing, optimizing, and securing
Layer 4-7 network traffic.
• Chapter 2, “Installing NetScaler VPX on XenServer.” Provides hardware
specifications and instructions on how to install and configure NetScaler
VPX on XenServer.
• Chapter 3, “Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX.” Provides
hardware specifications and instructions on how to install and configure
NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX.
ii Citrix NetScaler VPX Getting Started Guide
• Chapter 4, “Configuring the Basic System Settings.” Describes the basic

system settings for getting NetScaler VPX up and running.
New in This Release

NetScaler VPX is now supported on VMware ESX or ESXi version 3.5 and
version 4.0. To perform the NetScaler VPX installation on VMware ESX version
4.0, you use VMware vSphere client. On VMware ESX version 3.5, you use the
VMware Open Virtualization Format (OVF) tool. After the installation, you can
manage the instances of NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 3.5 by using the
VMware Infrastructure (VI) client 2.5 or on VMware ESX 4.0 by using the
vSphere client 4.0.
Audience
This guide is intended for the following audience:
• System administrators
• Network administrators
The concepts and tasks described in this guide require you to have a basic
understanding of network design, operation, and terminology.
This documentation uses the following formatting conventions.
Convention Meaning
Boldface Elements in the user interface.
<Angle Bracket> Placeholders for information or parameters that you
provide. For example, <FileName> in a command means
you type the actual name of a file.
Monospace System output or characters in a command line. User input
and placeholders also are formatted using monspace text.
Related Documentation
A complete set of documentation is available on the Documentation tab of your
NetScaler and from http://support.citrix.com/. (Most of the documents require
Adobe Reader, available at http://adobe.com/.)
Preface iii
To view the documentation
1. From a Web browser, log on to the NetScaler VPX.

2. Click the Documentation tab.
3. To view a short description of each document, hover your cursor over the
title. To open a document, click the title.
Getting Service and Support

Citrix offers a variety of resources for support with your Citrix environment,
including the following:
• The Knowledge Center is a self-service, Web-based technical support
database that contains thousands of technical solutions, including access to
the latest hotfixes, service packs, and security bulletins.
• Technical Support Programs for both software support and appliance
maintenance are available at a variety of support levels.
• The Subscription Advantage program is a one-year membership that gives
you an easy way to stay current with the latest product version upgrades
and enhancements.
• Citrix Education provides official training and certification programs on
virtually all Citrix products and technologies.
For detailed information about Citrix services and support, see the Citrix Systems
Support Web site at
http://www.citrix.com/lang/English/support.asp.
You can also participate in and follow technical discussions offered by the experts
on various Citrix products at the following sites:
• http://community.citrix.com
• http://twitter.com/citrixsupport
Documentation Feedback
You are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions so that we can enhance
the documentation. You can send email to the following alias or aliases, as
appropriate. In the subject line, specify “Documentation Feedback.” Be sure to
include the document name, page number, and product release version.
• For NetScaler documentation, send email to nsdocs_feedback@citrix.com.
iv Citrix NetScaler VPX Getting Started Guide
• For Command Center documentation, send email to

ccdocs_feedback@citrix.com.
• For Access Gateway documentation, send email to
agdocs_feedback@citrix.com.
You can also provide feedback from the Knowledge Center at http://
support.citrix.com/.
To provide feedback from the Knowledge Center home page
1. Go to the Knowledge Center home page at http://support.citrix.com/.

2. On the Knowledge Center home page, under Products, click NetScaler
Application Delivery, and click NetScaler VPX 9.1.
3. On the Documentation tab, click the guide name, and then click Article
Feedback.
4. On the Documentation Feedback page, complete the form, and then click
Submit.
C HAPTER 1
Citrix NetScaler VPX Overview
NetScaler VPX is a virtual NetScaler appliance that is hosted on a virtualization

platform, either Citrix XenServer™ managed by Citrix XenCenter™ client or
VMware ESX and ESXi managed by VMware vSphere client.
NetScaler VPX distributes, optimizes, and secures Layer 4 - Layer 7 (L4-L7)
network traffic for Web applications. NetScaler VPX performs application-
specific traffic analysis to provide an effective implementation of the enabled
features. For example, NetScaler VPX makes load balancing decisions based on
individual HTTP requests instead of long-lived TCP connections. Therefore, the
failure or slowdown of a server is managed quickly and with less disruption to
clients. Other features can be used to reduce load, simplify server-farm
management, and accelerate end-user performance.
A NetScaler VPX instance supports all the features of a physical NetScaler,
except interface related events and tagged VLANs.
In This Chapter
NetScaler VPX Setup for Citrix XenServer Platform
NetScaler VPX Setup for VMware ESX Platform
Example of a NetScaler VPX Setup
NetScaler VPX Setup for Citrix XenServer Platform

The NetScaler VPX setup for the XenServer platform has the following
components:
Citrix XenServer™
XenServer is a server virtualization platform that offers near bare-metal
virtualization performance for virtualized server and client operating systems.
XenServer uses the Xen hypervisor to virtualize each server on which it is
installed, enabling each to host multiple virtual machines simultaneously.
The following diagram depicts the bare metal solution architecture of NetScaler
VPX on XenServer.
The bare metal solution architecture has the following components:

• Hardware or physical layer: Physical hardware components including
memory, CPU, network cards, and disk drives.
• Xen™ hypervisor: Thin layer of software that runs on top of the hardware.
The Xen hypervisor gives each virtual machine a dedicated view of the
hardware.
• Virtual machine: Operating system hosted on the hypervisor and
appearing to the user as a separate physical computer. However, the
machine shares physical resources with other virtual machines, and it is
portable because the virtual machine is abstracted from physical hardware.
A NetScaler VPX virtual machine is installed on the Xen hypervisor and uses
paravirtualized drivers to access storage and network resources. It appears to the
users as an independent NetScaler appliance with its own network identity, user
authorization and authentication capabilities, configuration, applications, and
data. The paravirtualization technique enables the virtual machines and the
hypervisor to work together to achieve high performance for I/O and for CPU and
memory virtualization.
For more information about XenServer, see the XenServer documentation at
http://support.citrix.com/product/xens/v5.0/#tab-doc
Citrix XenCenter™
XenCenter is a graphical virtualization-management interface for Citrix
XenServer, enabling you to manage servers, resource pools, and shared storage,
and to deploy, manage, and monitor virtual machines from your Windows
desktop machine.
Use XenCenter to install NetScaler VPX on Xenserver.
Chapter 1 Citrix NetScaler VPX Overview 3
For more information about XenCenter, see the XenServer documentation at

http://support.citrix.com/product/xens/v5.0/#tab-doc
NetScaler VPX Setup for VMware ESX Platform

The NetScaler VPX setup for the VMware ESX platform has the following
components:
VMware ESX
VMware ESX and ESXi are virtualization products based on bare metal
architecture, offered by VMware, Inc. The Citrix NetScaler VPX can be hosted
on a VMware ESX or ESXi server.
For more information about VMware ESX, see:
http://www.vmware.com/support/product-support/vsphere/
VMware vSphere Client

The vSphere client is a graphical interface for managing virtual machines on
VMware ESX server. You use the vSphere client to allocate resources on the ESX
server to the instances of NetScaler VPX installed on the server, or to deallocate
resources. For example, you can allocate virtual network ports to an instance of
NetScaler VPX.
For more information about VMware vSphere client, see:
Example of a NetScaler VPX Setup

A NetScaler VPX setup provides greater application availability by ensuring that
client requests are directed to the appropriate servers.
The following diagram shows how NetScaler VPX running on XenServer can be
used to load balance application traffic to application servers.
As shown in the figure, NetScaler VPX, when deployed in front of application

servers, ensures optimal distribution of traffic by the way in which it directs client
requests. The load balancing feature distributes client requests across multiple
servers to optimize resource utilization. NetScaler VPX uses load balancing
criteria to prevent bottlenecks by forwarding each client request to the server best
suited to handle the request when it arrives.
Administrators can segment application traffic according to information in the
body of an HTTP or TCP request, and on the basis of L4-L7 header information
such as URL, application data type, or cookie. NetScaler VPX uses a number of
algorithms, called load balancing methods, to determine how to distribute the
load among the servers. These load balancing algorithms, and extensive server
health checks, provide greater application availability by ensuring that client
requests are directed to the appropriate servers.
For more information about the various features supported on NetScaler VPX,
see the eDocs Web site at
http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/netscaler/ns-gen-wrapper_1.html
C HAPTER 2
Installing NetScaler VPX on

XenServer
To install NetScaler VPX on XenServer, you must first install XenServer on a

machine with adequate hardware resources. To perform the NetScaler VPX
installation, you use XenCenter, which must be installed on a remote machine
that can connect to the XenServer host through the network. After you install
NetScaler VPX, you can create virtual hardware components on XenServer and
allocate them to NetScaler VPX by using XenCenter.
In This Chapter
Prerequisites
Installing NetScaler VPX by using XenCenter
Prerequisites
Before you begin installing NetScaler VPX, do the following.
• Install XenServer version 5.0 or above on hardware that meets the
minimum requirements.
• Install XenCenter on a management workstation that meets the minimum
system requirements.
XenServer Hardware Requirements

The following table describes the minimum specifications for the hardware on
which XenServer runs NetScaler VPX.
Minimum Hardware Requirements for XenServer Running NetScaler VPX
CPU One or more 64-bit x86 CPUs with virtualization

assist (Intel-VT or AMD-V) enabled.
Note: To run NetScaler VPX, hardware support

for virtualization must be enabled on the XenServer
host. Make sure that the BIOS option for
virtualization support is not disabled. Consult your
BIOS documentation for more details.
RAM At least 2 GB.

Disk space Locally attached storage (PATA, SATA, SCSI) with
minimum 40GB of disk space.
General disk space requirements for NetScaler
VPX: Xenserver installation creates a 4 GB
partition for the XenServer host control domain;
remaining space is available for NetScaler VPX and
other VMs.
Network One 1 Gbps NIC required; Recommended: Two
NICs of 1 Gbps each.
For installing XenServer, see XenServer Installation Guide at

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX120714
The XenServer must provide adequate virtual computing resources to the
NetScaler VPX as listed in the following table.
Virtual Computing Resources of NetScaler VPX
Memory Minimum of 1 GB memory.

For additional caching capacity, you can use
up to 4 GB.
Virtual CPU (VCPU) One VCPU.
Virtual Network Interfaces Seven.
XenCenter System Requirements

XenCenter is a Windows client application. It cannot run on the same machine as
the XenServer host. The following table describes the system requirements.
Chapter 2 Installing NetScaler VPX on XenServer 7
System Requirements for XenCenter Installation
Operating system Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Windows

Vista.
Dot NET framework Version 2.0 or above.
CPU 750 MHz minimum, 1 GHz or faster recommended.
RAM 1 GB Minimum, 2 GB recommended.
Network 100 Mbps or faster NIC.
For installing XenCenter, see XenServer Installation Guide at

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX120714
Installing NetScaler VPX by using XenCenter

After you have installed and configured XenServer and XenCenter, you can use
XenCenter to install one or more instances of NetScaler VPX on XenServer. Each
instance is a virtual NetScaler appliance. The number of instances that you can
install depends on the amount of memory available on the hardware that is
running XenServer.
To install NetScaler VPX on XenServer
1. Start XenCenter on your workstation.

2. On the Server menu, click Add.
3. In the Add New Server dialog box, in the Hostname text box, type the IP
address or DNS name of the XenServer that you want to connect to.
4. In the User Name and Password text boxes, type the administrator
credentials, and then click Connect.
The XenServer name appears in the left pane with a green circle, which
indicates that the XenServer is connected.
5. In the navigation pane, click the name of the XenServer on which you want
to install a NetScaler VPX instance.
6. On the VM menu, Click Import.
7. In the Import dialog box, in Import file name, browse to the location at
which you saved the NetScaler VPX .xva image file. Make sure that the
Exported VM option is selected, and then click Next.
8. Select the XenServer on which you want to install a NetScaler VPX, and
then click Next.
9. Select the local storage repository in which to place the NetScaler VPX,
and then click Import to begin the import process.
10. You can add, modify, or delete virtual network interfaces as required. When
finished, click Next.
11. Click Finish to complete the import process.
Note: You can click the Log tab to view the status of the import process.
12. If you want to install another NetScaler VPX instance, repeat steps 5
through 11.
C HAPTER 3
Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware

ESX
Before installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX, make sure that VMware ESX
server is installed on a machine with adequate hardware resources. To perform
the NetScaler VPX installation on VMware ESX version 4.0, you use VMware
vSphere client. On VMware ESX version 3.5, you use the VMware Open
Virtualization Format (OVF) tool. The client or tool must be installed on a remote
machine that can connect to VMware ESX through the network.
After the installation, you can use vSphere client 4.0 to manage instances of
NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 4.0, or VMware Infrastructure (VI) client 2.5 to
manage instances on VMware ESX 3.5.
In This Chapter
Prerequisites
Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 4.0
Prerequisites
Before you begin installing NetScaler VPX, do the following:
• Install VMware ESX version 3.5 or above on hardware that meets the
minimum requirements.
• Install VMware client on a management workstation that meets the
minimum system requirements.
• Install VMware OVF tool (required for VMware ESX version 3.5) on a
management workstation that meets the minimum system requirements.
• Download the NetScaler VPX setup files.
• Label the physical network ports of VMware ESX.
VMware ESX Hardware Requirements

The following table describes the minimum specifications for the hardware on
which VMware ESX runs NetScaler VPX.
Minimum Hardware Requirements for VMware ESX server Running NetScaler VPX
CPU One or more 64-bit x86 CPUs with virtualization

assist (Intel-VT or AMD-V) enabled.
Note: To run NetScaler VPX, hardware support

for virtualization must be enabled on the VMware
ESX host. Make sure that the BIOS option for
virtualization support is not disabled. For more
information, see your BIOS documentation.
RAM At least 2 GB.

Disk space Locally attached storage (PATA, SATA, SCSI) with
minimum 40GB of disk space available.
Network Two 1 Gbps NICs.
For installing VMware ESX, see:

The following table lists the virtual computing resources that the VMware ESX
server must provide for each NetScaler VPX instance.
Virtual Computing Resources of NetScaler VPX
Memory Minimum of 1 GB memory.

Virtual CPU (VCPU) One.
Virtual Network Interfaces Minimum Two. Maximum of four if the VPX
instance is installed on ESX 3.5 or ESXi 3.5.
Maximum of ten, if the VPX instance is
installed on ESX 4.0.
VMware vSphere Client 4.0 System Requirements

VMware vSphere is a client application that can run on Windows and Linux
systems. It cannot run on the same machine as the VMware ESX server. The
following table describes the system requirements.
Chapter 3 Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 11
System Requirements for VMware vSphere Client Installation
Operating system Refer to section Operating System Compatibility

for vSphere Client, vCenter Server, and VMware
vCenter Update Manager, in the vSphere
Compatibility Matrixes doc at:
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40/
vsp_compatibility_matrix.pdf

For installing vSphere client 4.0, see:

Note: When you connect the vSphere client 4.0 to ESX 3.5, the vSphere client
downgrades to VMware Infrastructure (VI) client version 2.5, which is the only
version that is compatible with ESX 3.5.
OVF Tool 1.0 System Requirements

OVF Tool is a client application that can run on Windows and Linux systems. It
cannot run on the same machine as the VMware ESX server. You need to use the
VMware OVF tool version 1.0 for installing one or more instances of NetScaler
VPX on ESX 3.5. The following table describes the system requirements.
System Requirements for OVF Tool Installation
Operating system Refer to section Supported Operating Systems, in the

OVF User Guide at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/ovf10/
ovftool_10_userguide.pdf
For installing OVF, see the OVF User Guide at:

http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/ovf10/ovftool_10_userguide.pdf
Downloading the NetScaler VPX Setup Files

The NetScaler VPX setup package for VMWare ESX follows the Open Virtual
Machine (OVF) format standard. You can download the files from MyCitrix.com.
You will need a MyCitrix account to log on. If you do not have a MyCitrix
account, access the home page at www.mycitrix.com, click the Log In link, and
follow the instructions for New Users.
Once logged in, navigate the following path from the MyCitrix home page:
MyCitrix.com > Downloads > NetScaler > Virtual Appliances
Copy the following files to a workstation on the same network as the ESX server.
Copy all three files into the same folder.
• NSVPX-ESX-<release number>-<build number>-disk1.vmdk (for
example, NSVPX-ESX-9.1-99.8-disk1.vmdk)
• NSVPX-ESX-<release number>-<build number>.ovf (for example,
NSVPX-ESX-9.1-99.8.ovf)
• NSVPX-ESX-<release number>-<build number>.mf (for example,
NSVPX-ESX-9.1-99.8.mf )
Labelling the Physical Network Ports of VMware

ESX
Before installing an instance of NetScaler VPX, you need to label at least one
physical network port of VMware ESX in a particular format. The labelling
format is NS_NIC_1_1, NS_NIC_1_2, and so on. These ports will be used by the
NetScaler VPX instance or instances that you install. An interface can be used by
more than one instance.
To label the physical network ports of VMware ESX server
1. Log on to the VMware ESX server by using the vSphere client.

2. On the vSphere client, select the Configuration tab and click Networking.
3. Click on Add Networking, at top right corner, to start the Add Network
Wizard.
4. Select Virtual Machine as the Connection Type, and then click Next.
5. Scroll down the list of vSwitch physical adapters, and choose the physical
port that will map to interface 1/1 on your Netscaler VPX instances(s).
6. Enter NS_NIC_1_1 as the name of the vSwitch that will be associated with
interface 1/1 of the NetScaler VPX instance.
7. Click Next to finish the vSwitch creation. Repeat the procedure, beginning
with step 2, to add any additional interfaces to be used by your NetScaler
VPX instance(s). Label the interfaces sequentially, in the correct format (for
example, NS_NIC_1_2).

After you have installed and configured VMware ESX 4.0, you can use VMware
vSphere client to install one or more instances of NetScaler VPX on the VMware
ESX. Each instance is a virtual NetScaler appliance. The number of instances that
you can install depends on the amount of memory available on the hardware that
is running VMware ESX.
To install NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 4.0 by using VMware vSphere

Client
1. Start the VMware vSphere client on your workstation.

2. In the IP address / Name text box, type the IP address of the VMware ESX
server that you want to connect to.
3. In the User Name and Password text boxes, type the administrator
credentials, and then click Login.
4. On the File menu, click Deploy OVF Template.
5. In the Deploy OVF Template dialog box, in Deploy from file, browse to
the location at which you saved the NetScaler VPX setup files, select the
.ovf file, and click Next.
6. Map the networks shown in the VPX OVF template to the networks that
you configured on the ESX host. Click Next to start installing VPX on
VMware ESX. When installation is complete, a pop-up window informs

you of the successful installation, and the following screen appears:
7. You are now ready to start the NetScaler VPX. In the navigation pane,
select the NetScaler VPX that you have just installed and, from the right-
click menu, select Power On. Click the Console tab to emulate a console
port.
8. If you want to install another NetScaler VPX instance, repeat steps 4
through 6.

To install an instance or instances of NetScaler VPX on ESX 3.5, you need to use
the VMware OVF tool, version 1.0. The number of instances that you can install
depends on the amount of memory available on the hardware that is running
VMware ESX. After installation, you can use VMware Infrastructure (VI) client
2.5 to manage the VPX instances on VMware ESX version 3.5.
Note: You cannot use version 4.0 of the vSphere client for installing an instance
of VPX on ESX 3.5. If you connect the vSphere client 4.0 to ESX 3.5, the
vSphere client downgrades to VI client version 2.5, which supports only the OVF
0.9 standard. The NetScaler VPX installation package is based on the OVF 1.0.
To install NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 3.5 by using the VMware OVF Tool
1. On your workstation, open the command-line interface and execute the

following command:
ovftool <path of the NetScaler VPX OVF file> vi://
<Username>:<Password>@<IP address of the ESX
server>
For example, in Windows command shell, type:

ovftool c:/NetScalerVPX vi://
root:free@<10.217.20.14>
ovftool c:/NetScalerVPX vi://root@<10.217.20.151>
2. When the OVF tool has installed the NetScaler VPX instance or instances
on the ESX server, use the VI client to log on to the VMware ESX server on
which you performed the installation.
3. In the navigation pane, select the NetScaler VPX that you have just
installed and, from the right-click menu, select Power On.
4. Click the Console tab to emulate a console port.
C HAPTER 4
Configuring the Basic System

Settings
After installing an instance of NetScaler VPX, you need to access it to configure

the basic settings. Initially, you must access the NetScaler command line through
the respective management application of the virtualization host (either Citrix
XenCenter for Citrix XenServer or VMware vSphere client for VMware ESX) to
specify a NetScaler IP (NSIP) address, subnet mask, and default gateway. The
NSIP is the management address at which you can then access the NetScaler
command line through an SSH client or access the configuration utility. You can
use either of these access methods, or the console, to continue with basic
configuration.
To access the configuration utility, type the NSIP into the address field of any
browser (for example, http://<NSIP_address>). You need Java RunTime
Environment (JRE) version 1.4.2_04 or later.
In This Chapter
Setting Up the Initial Configuration by using the NetScaler VPX Console
Configuring the NetScaler VPX
Setting Up the Initial Configuration by using the

NetScaler VPX Console
Your first task after installing a NetScaler VPX instance on a virtualization host is
to use the NetScaler VPX console in the XenCenter client or vSphere client to
configure the following initial settings:
• NetScaler IP address (NSIP): The IP address at which you access a
NetScaler or a NetScaler VPX instance for management purposes. A
physical NetScaler or NetScaler VPX can have only one NSIP. You must
specify this IP address when you configure the NetScaler VPX for the first
time. You cannot remove an NSIP address.
• Netmask: The subnet mask associated with the NSIP address.
• Default Gateway: You must add a default gateway on the NetScaler VPX
if you want access through SSH or the configuration utility from an
administrative workstation or laptop that is on a different network.
To add an NSIP address, a subnet mask, and a default gateway on the

NetScaler VPX through the VPX Console by using the management
application
1. Connect to the XenServer or VMware ESX server on which the NetScaler

VPX instance is installed, by using XenCenter or vSphere client,
respectively.
2. In the details pane, select the Console tab.
3. On the Console tab, log on to the NetScaler VPX, using the administrator
credentials.
4. In the initial configuration menu, enter the NSIP address, subnet mask, and
default gateway, and then save the configuration.
Configuring the NetScaler VPX

After you have set up an initial configuration through the NetScaler VPX Console
in the management application, you can use either the NetScaler command line
interface or the configuration utility to complete the configuration, or to change
the initial settings.
Configuration Using the Command Line Interface

You can use the NetScaler command line to set up the NSIP, Mapped IP (MIP),
Subnet IP (SNIP), and hostname. You can also configure advanced network
settings and change the time zone.
For information about MIP, SNIP, other NetScaler owned IP addresses, and
network settings, see the Citrix NetScaler Getting Started Guide or the Citrix
NetScaler Networking Guide.
To complete initial configuration by using the NetScaler command line
1. Use either the SSH client or the NetScaler VPX Console in the
management application to access the NetScaler command line.
1. Log on to the NetScaler VPX, using the administrator credentials.
2. At the NetScaler command prompt, type config ns to run the
configuration script.
3. To complete the initial configuration, follow the prompts.
Chapter 4 Configuring the Basic System Settings 19
You have now completed the basic configuration of the NetScaler VPX. To
continue the configuration process, choose one of the following options:
• Citrix NetScaler Load Balancing Switch. If you are configuring your
NetScaler VPX instance as a standard NetScaler load-balancing switch
with other licensed features, see the Citrix NetScaler Traffic Management
Guide.
• Citrix Application Firewall. If you are configuring your NetScaler VPX
instance as a standalone application firewall, see the Citrix Application
Firewall Guide.
Configuration Using the Configuration Utility

To use the Setup Wizard to set up the NetScaler VPX instance, you must access
the configuration utility from your Web browser. You can use the Setup Wizard to
configure the NSIP, MIP, SNIP, hostname, and default gateway. You can also
configure settings for a Web application by using an application template. You
can also configure the NetScaler VPX as a load balancer for Citrix XenDesktop™
or Citrix XenApp™.
For information about MIP, SNIP, and network settings, see the Citrix NetScaler
Getting Started Guide or the Citrix NetScaler Networking Guide.
For information about application templates, see the Citrix NetScaler AppExpert
Guide.
For information about the Load Balancing feature of NetScaler VPX, see the
Citrix NetScaler Traffic Management Guide.
To configure initial settings by using the Configuration Utility
1. In the address field of a Web browser, type:

http://<NSIP address>
2. In User Name and Password, type the administrator credentials.
3. In Start in, select Configuration, and then click Login.
4. In the Setup Wizard, click Next and follow the instruction.
You have now completed the basic configuration of the NetScaler VPX. To
continue the configuration process, choose one of the following options:
• Citrix NetScaler Load Balancing Switch. If you are configuring your

NetScaler VPX instance as a standard NetScaler load-balancing switch
with other licensed features, see the Citrix NetScaler Traffic Management
Guide.
• Citrix Application Firewall. If you are configuring your NetScaler VPX
instance as a standalone application firewall, see the Citrix Application
Firewall Guide.

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Citrix NetScaler VPX

Getting Started Guide

Citrix® NetScaler® VPX 9.1

Chapter 1 Citrix NetScaler VPX Overview

Chapter 2 Installing NetScaler VPX on XenServer

Chapter 3 Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX

Chapter 4 Configuring the Basic System Settings

About This Guide

• Chapter 4, “Configuring the Basic System Settings.” Describes the basic

New in This Release

To view the documentation

1. From a Web browser, log on to the NetScaler VPX.

Getting Service and Support

• For Command Center documentation, send email to

To provide feedback from the Knowledge Center home page

1. Go to the Knowledge Center home page at http://support.citrix.com/.

Citrix NetScaler VPX Overview

NetScaler VPX is a virtual NetScaler appliance that is hosted on a virtualization

NetScaler VPX Setup for Citrix XenServer Platform

The bare metal solution architecture has the following components:

For more information about XenCenter, see the XenServer documentation at

NetScaler VPX Setup for VMware ESX Platform

VMware vSphere Client

Example of a NetScaler VPX Setup

As shown in the figure, NetScaler VPX, when deployed in front of application

Installing NetScaler VPX on

To install NetScaler VPX on XenServer, you must first install XenServer on a

XenServer Hardware Requirements

Minimum Hardware Requirements for XenServer Running NetScaler VPX

CPU One or more 64-bit x86 CPUs with virtualization

Note: To run NetScaler VPX, hardware support

RAM At least 2 GB.

For installing XenServer, see XenServer Installation Guide at

Memory Minimum of 1 GB memory.

XenCenter System Requirements

System Requirements for XenCenter Installation

Operating system Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Windows

For installing XenCenter, see XenServer Installation Guide at

Installing NetScaler VPX by using XenCenter

To install NetScaler VPX on XenServer

1. Start XenCenter on your workstation.

Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware

VMware ESX Hardware Requirements

CPU One or more 64-bit x86 CPUs with virtualization

Note: To run NetScaler VPX, hardware support

RAM At least 2 GB.

For installing VMware ESX, see:

Memory Minimum of 1 GB memory.

VMware vSphere Client 4.0 System Requirements

System Requirements for VMware vSphere Client Installation

Operating system Refer to section Operating System Compatibility

CPU 750 MHz minimum, 1 GHz or faster recommended.

For installing vSphere client 4.0, see:

OVF Tool 1.0 System Requirements

Operating system Refer to section Supported Operating Systems, in the

For installing OVF, see the OVF User Guide at:

Downloading the NetScaler VPX Setup Files

Labelling the Physical Network Ports of VMware

To label the physical network ports of VMware ESX server

1. Log on to the VMware ESX server by using the vSphere client.

Installing NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 4.0

To install NetScaler VPX on VMware ESX 4.0 by using VMware vSphere

1. Start the VMware vSphere client on your workstation.