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The XenServer host is a 64-bit x86 server-class machine devoted to hosting multiple VMs. This machine runs a stripped-down Linux operating system with a Xen-enabled kernel which controls the interaction between the virtualized devices seen by VMs and the physical hardware.

XenServer can make use of:

• up to 128 GB of RAM
• up to 6 NICs
• up to 32 CPU cores

The following are the system requirements for the XenServer host:

XenServer requires at least two separate physical x86 computers: one to be the XenServer host, and the other to run the XenCenter application. The XenServer host machine is dedicated entirely to the task of hosting VMs and is not used for other applications.

The installation of any third party software directly on the XenServer host is not supported.

The computer that runs XenCenter can be any general-purpose Windows computer that satisfies the hardware requirements, and can be used to run other applications simultaneously.

XenServer 5.5.0 includes a number of new features and ongoing improvements, including:

This document is an installation guide for XenServer™, the platform virtualization solution from Citrix®. The XenServer package contains all you need for creating a network of virtual x86 computers running on Xen®, the open-source paravirtualizing hypervisor with near-native performance.  This document contains procedures to guide you through the installation, configuration, and initial operation of XenServer. This document also contains information about troubleshooting problems that might occur during installation, and where to get further information.

1. Insert the Desktop Delivery Controller installation media in the appropriate drive. If the Welcome page does not appear automatically, use Windows Explorer to open Autorun.exe.
2. On the Welcome page, click Install Server Components. The End User License Agreement appears.
   

The first server you install in the farm automatically becomes the data collector. This server manages all user launch requests and all requests to start and stop desktops. If this server fails, one of the other controllers in the farm takes over this functionality.

You cannot install Desktop Delivery Controller on a domain controller.

If you are creating a new farm and plan to use Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, or Oracle for the farm data store, you must create the data store before installing Desktop Delivery Controller.

For more information, see the topics about planning and setting up the farm data store in XenApp.

After purchasing XenDesktop, you receive two emails with instructions specific to your license(s).

The following components require the use of a Citrix License Server:

• Desktop Delivery Controller
• Provisioning Services for Desktops
• Access Gateway
• EdgeSight
• XenApp
• Password Manager
• StorageLink

Licensing for the remaining components is as follows:

For a new installation of XenDesktop, Citrix recommends that you carry out the following tasks in the order shown below.