Overriding Citrix VDI-in-a-Box "write reserve" for pooled desktops

It is possible to adjust the "write reserve" that is built into Citrix VDI-in-a-Box (ViaB) managers, in both 5.0 and 5.1 implementations.

Add the instruction:

config.vm.diskspace.reserved.existing=0.0

to the file

/home/kvm/kvm/install/servlet_container/webapps/dt/WEB-INF/etc/store/config.properties (5.0)

or

/home/kvm/kvm/install/servlet_container/webapps/dt/WEB-INF/etc/store/store.properties (5.1)

to remove all "write reserve" for a given manager. This value is read only at startup, so you must restart the manager for the change to take effect.

The default algorithm for ViaB is 10-15% of the image. The manager will assume that each desktop will use at least that much space and refuse to provision additional desktops if sufficient free space on the desktop drive is no longer available.

There are certain use cases where the default reserve is overly conservative; this gives the ViaB administrator additional control over the environment in those situations.

iOS device non-glare screens

I've never been happy with the high-gloss screens on iOS devices: in my opinion, they're fingerprint magnets, regardless of their "oleophobic" coatings.

Since getting my first iPad (the gateway device that suck[er]ed me into the clutches of iOS), I've put non-glare screen films on my devices. Not only does a good film improve the experience for me, I've saved an iPhone from serious damage thanks to it.

I haven't tried them all—they're awful pricey for much experimentation—but I have had both success and failure with various brand's implementation of the film. For the purpose of this post, I'll stick to making only positive recommendations, leaving out any negative reviews; you can find those all over the Internet...

The iLuv "Glare-free protective film" was the first I tried, based on an online recommendation. As it turns out, it was a great choice, and it gave me my first taste of the difficulties involved in getting screen protectors properly "installed" on a device—especially one with the square inches of coverage that an iPad represents. The only negative part of my experience was the lack of local purchase options for the various devices (iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone). Online was the only option for some of them, and after adding both tax & shipping, they were a bit of an investment.

That's when I was introduced to the Power Support HD Anti-Glare screen protectors, the only screen protector I've ever found sold in the Apple retail stores. While all screen protectors have some amount of impact on the original glossy screen—the stated reason why Apple didn't make matte screens a standard option—I've preferred the non-glare aspect of the Power Support film far more than any loss in color fidelity in the Retina display. Similarly, the Apple retail stores in my area only carried the iPhone version; getting them for iPod or iPad are also online experiences.

And with the introduction of a new form-factor—the iPad Mini—it becomes a waiting game to see who will support the new screen first (as of this writing, it was iLuv).

Links:

iLuv
Power Support