It is a characteristic feature of XenDesktop, applying NetBoot to virtual machines while simplifying large-scale deployment and master image management. Provisioning Services provides desktops to be provisioned and re-provisioned in real time, from a single shared disk image. This allows the user to connect to their virtual desktop or applications from any device.
Receiver is compatible with many different operating systems, including Windows and Mac, and even iOS and Android.
Citrix ReceiverĬitrix Receiver is the client software that provides access to XenDesktop and XenApp.
The user can connect to their desktop and applications by simply clicking on the icon that appears on the portal screen. After accessing the StoreFront portal and receiving authentication, the user is provided with information on all available desktops and applications assigned to them. StoreFront is a component that acts as a gateway to access virtual desktops and virtual applications. Administrators can use Citrix Studio or Citrix Director to manage settings and operations. Delivery ControllerĪs the core component of this software, Delivery Controller stores configuration and setting information in the website configuration database. XenDesktop is comprised of multiple components, and an outline of their main points is provided below. Each user is assigned a single virtual machine, which they can utilize the same way they would their own PC. The screen capturing the desktop and applications is then transmitted to the thin client, allowing users to access these via a network connection. Here, virtual machines with Windows client operating systems (Windows 10 or Windows 7) are delivered from server-based infrastructure. XenDesktop, as a VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) software solution, offers one such method. There are several ways to implement desktop virtualization. From the administrator’s perspective, this eliminates the need to centrally manage the environments of traditionally physically-distributed client PCs, allowing for greater operational flexibility and more thorough management capabilities. With such a wide range of terminal options available, users can choose the device that best suits the situation. However, it is not necessary to utilize a thin client, as you can detach the work environment from the local environment using an ordinary PC, or a tablet device other than Windows.
In a virtualized desktop environment, one can connect to a local terminal and access their desktop with just a network connection, including thin client terminals. Moreover, since only the screen is being transmitted and all data is left on the terminal, it has the additional benefit of security against information leaks and other risks. This allows the user to access their desktop from anywhere on any device and from any network connection. In desktop virtualization, desktop OS and applications are integrated on the server and executed users access a desktop remotely via a network connection. This approach utilizes virtualization technology and a separation of virtual and physical configurations to realize greater resource efficiency, organization and flexibility.ĭesktop virtualization is a slightly different concept. With storage virtualization, we can virtually integrate storage from multiple hard drives, thereby optimizing resources via the creation of one larger storage pool.
With server virtualization, for example, we can install virtualization software on a single hard drive, manage multiple configurations of virtual machines, operate multiple server instances with a single physical server, and ultimately increase resource efficiency. With that in mind, what do we mean by the “virtualization” of a desktop?Įarlier, we mentioned a few examples of virtualization. In a manner of speaking, this is the user’s workspace. When we say “desktop,” we are referring to the operating environment of the OS or applications on the user’s client terminal. In this post, we will go over the basics of XenDesktop and how it differs from XenApp. However, this is often confused with a similar virtualization software solution, Citrix XenApp. While virtualization can apply to several areas, including the virtualization of servers, storage, as well as networks, XenDesktop is specifically designed for the configuration of virtual desktops. Citrix XenDesktop is a dedicated software solution for configuring virtual environments.