Do you support XenServer on end-of-life hardware?

Hardware that was certified and supported with a specific version of XenServer can reach EoL with the hardware vendor before the corresponding version of XenServer reaches its EoL.

We recommend that you do not install XenServer on EoL hardware. Instead source hardware that is supported by its vendor and XenServer. However, if the hardware was certified with your version of XenServer before its EoL date, we will attempt to investigate any reported issues with XenServer. While investigating a reported issue, if we determine that the issue directly relates to the EoL hardware, we will not investigate the issue further. This policy applies to constituent hardware components as well as to the overall system.

Ensure that you track the EoL dates of your hardware vendors and plan ahead to upgrade your hardware to later versions that are also certified and supported with the required versions of XenServer.

How can I submit new hardware to this site?

For servers and storage not specifically listed on the HCL, XenServer provides a self-certification test kit and program which includes the necessary tools and instructions for validating hardware against XenServer. This can be used by hardware vendors to certify their own hardware in order to be listed on this HCL. It may also be possible to submit hardware certifications on behalf of a vendor, however agreement from the vendor will need to be acquired before embarking on the certification process. If you are unsure, then please get in touch with the HCL team first.

Completed self-certification test results can be submitted by signing up at XenServer Tracker website and creating an issue in the project "XenServer Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)" with issue type set to "HCL Submission". Once the submission has been reviewed and accepted by the XenServer HCL team, the hardware can be added to the HCL and will be eligible for full support.

If you have any XenServer HCL-related questions or comments, please use create an issue in the same project using the Issue Type "Enquiry".

How do XenServer cumulative updates and hotfixes impact certification?

Unless specifically mentioned, if a piece of hardware is supported for a base product release (e.g. Citrix Hypervisor 8.2) it will be fully supported by XenServer with any applied cumulative updates or hotfixes (e.g Citrix Hypervisor 8.2 CU1).

What does it mean if hardware is listed as verified under another hardware?

All hardware listed in the HCL (Hardware Compatibility List) for XenServer is supported by XenServer. When a specific hardware component is marked as “verified” under another hardware, it indicates that the vendor has certified and confirmed the compatibility of these two components to work seamlessly according to XenServer standards.

However, if a particular hardware combination is not explicitly listed as “verified” under another, it doesn’t imply lack of support. It’s recommended to check the HCL for the specific hardware to ensure its support and consult the server vendor for confirmation on its compatibility with XenServer. The “verified” status simply provides an additional layer of assurance that the specified combination of hardware components has certified and validation.

Additionally, the “verified” list is continually updated with new certifications. If there’s no information listed as verified, it doesn’t imply non-support or failure in certification tests.

What does it mean if hardware isn't listed?

The HCL lists hardware that has been tested in accordance with XenServer standards (For more details see the answer to "How can I submit new hardware to this site?" below) and which has explicit support agreement from the OEM. In most cases hardware is not listed either because it has not yet been tested or because the OEM no longer wishes to support it, not because it is incompatible.

For hardware which is not listed on the HCL we recommend that you raise your interest directly with the OEM and your XenServer sales contact. Unfortunately we are unable to proactively certify all hardware but we will do our best to resolve all cases which are brought to our attention. However even if the hardware is not listed XenServer provides best effort support, for full details see: https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX123355/.

What driver versions should I use?

XenServer supports only drivers that are provided by us being installed directly in the host’s control domain. Drivers provided by third-party websites, including drivers with the same name or version number as those we provide, are not supported.

The following exceptions are supported:

• Software supplied as a supplemental pack and explicitly endorsed by us.

• Drivers that NVIDIA provides to enable vGPU support. For more information, see NVIDIA vGPU.

Other drivers provided by NVIDIA, for example, the Mellanox drivers, are not supported with XenServer unless distributed by us.

What is XenServer?

XenServer is the new name for Citrix Hypervisor.

Where can I find software based products and solutions supported with XenServer?

You can find these on the Citrix Ready Marketplace.

Where do I find the XenServer certification kits?

You can download the hardware certification kits for XenServer from here.