File services are a commonly overlooked component of a XenApp environment design. In this section, we will take a look at some considerations for file services.
Depending on your specific environment, you may be able to use existing shared file services. Other environments may leverage dedicated file services. The following elements generally require a Windows-type file share:
The Citrix Profile Store
Microsoft folder redirection
The Provisioning Services shared vDisk store
ISO / Installation Media Repository
These file shares may be hosted on a standalone Windows server, a Windows file cluster, a distributed filesystem that uses Microsoft DFS-R, or even on a Network-attached Storage (NAS) unit that hosts CIFS shares.
We discussed the vDisk store previously in Chapter 6, Designing Your Virtual Image Delivery. We will cover profile management and folder redirection next, in Chapter 8, Optimizing Your XenApp® Solution.