Direct and Indirect Data Store Connection

Direct and Indirect Data Store Connection

A MetaFrame Presentation Server can connect to the IMA Data Store in two ways. Depending on the type of database software you decide to use, MPS servers make either a direct connection or an indirect connection.

A direct connection to the IMA Data Store means that the database software resides on a dedicated server and all the MetaFrame servers connect directly to this dedicated database server and plug into the IMA Data Store. This type of connection is associated with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and IBM DB/2 databases.

An indirect connection to the IMA Data Store means that the first MetaFrame server you install in the farm hosts the Data Store, which is in the format of a Microsoft Access or an MSDE database. All MPS servers added thereafter will connect to the first MPS server, which hosts the IMA Data Store and will then connect to the Data Store, thereby making an indirect connection. The MPS servers can’t connect directly to the Data Store database but first have to connect to the MPS server and then to the Data Store it hosts.

CAUTION

When in indirect mode, all the servers explicitly rely on the first MPS server in the farm because it holds the IMA Data Store. This renders the first server very critical, and thus it should be properly backed up and maintained to avoid any potential issues from the loss of the database it hosts in the event of a disaster.

CAUTION

You are expected to clearly understand the differences between a direct and an indirect Data Store connection. Given a farm configuration, you should be able to determine whether the Data Store is directly or indirectly available to Presentation Servers in the farm.

Determining Which Server Contains the Data Store

Document ID: CTX105257   /   Created On: Dec 29, 2004   /   Updated On: Jan 28, 2008

Average Rating:  (14 ratings)

View products this document applies to 

Symptoms

An administrator is unfamiliar with the farm structure and needs to identify which server contains the Access or SQL data store.

Resolution

Investigate the properties of C:\Program Files\Citrix\Independent Management Architecture\MF20.dsn.

The following is an example of an MF20.dsn file from a server using an Access data store on the local machine:

[ODBC]
DRIVER=Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)
PageTimeout=5
MaxBufferSize=2048
FIL=MS Access
DriverId=25
DBQ=C:\Program Files\Citrix\Independent Management Architecture\MF20.mdb

[ODBC]
DRIVER=SQL Server
UID=useraccount
Address=MySqlServer,1433
Network=DBMSSOCN
DATABASE=myfarmdb
WSID=MyMfServer
APP=Citrix IMA
SERVER=MySqlServer

If the MF20.dsn file is not present, it means the server is doing an indirect connection to the data store. Check the value of server with the direct connection to the registry under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA\PSServer,

Check the MF20.dsn on that server.

For Access data stores, only one server in the farm (the one hosting the data store) shows imaacces.dll under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA

To know which server is the Data Collector, use the command Qfarm on one of the Presentation Servers. The result should show a * to indicate which server you ran the command from and a D to indicate the data collector (one per zone).

Data collector election preference can be set in the Presentation Server Management Console. Select Farm Properties > Zones tab.