Tag: Tech preview

Project Thor Tech Preview 2

Citrix has released the second Tech Preview of Project Thor.

The Project Thor Tech Preview enables administrators to orchestrate the tasks required to deliver applications both to end-users and XenApp Servers seamlessly with Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.  With the Project Thor Connector, administrators can:

  • Extend the Configuration Manager 2012 user-centric and rules-based application delivery capabilities to deliver applications to users in the most appropriate manner for the device they are using: MSI, App-V, CAB, or XenApp
  • Orchestrate the process of deploying applications to XenApp servers, farms, and worker groups from within the Configuration Manager console, both directly, for traditionally managed farms, as well as for streamed farms when used in conjunction with Provisioning Services Continue reading “Project Thor Tech Preview 2”

How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 5)

In the previous posts I have explained to you how to install the software and how you can create your first environment. Here’s the overview of the previous, current and yet to come posts and the Excalibur Tech Preview.

  1. What is Excalibur, prerequisites and overview of test lab setup
  2. Installation of Excalibur
  3. Configuring Excalibur (Studio)
  4. Configuration StoreFront
  5. Install Agent software on Windows 2012 machine <<Current page >>
  6. Configure Application
  7. Test published application and desktop (old XenApp)

In this post we are going to configure the Agent software for use with Excalibur on a Windows 2012 machine.

In this post I assume you already have installed a Windows 2012 server and are ready to install the Excalibur agent now.

Mount the Excalibur ISO in your VM and (if everything is correct) the auto launch will show this screen. Select the “Delivery Agent for Windows Machines” and let the installation begin. Continue reading “How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 5)”

What’s new with Provisioning in Excalibur

Patrick Carey wrote a nice blog on the Citrix blogs about the new features in provisioning that comes with the Excalibur Tech Preview available at this time.

One of the benefits of the updated FlexCast Management Architecture is that XenApp farms can now be deployed and managed from within Studio.  This also means they can be provisioned using the Machine Creation Services linked-clone delivery model that has been available within XenDesktop for a few releases now.  One of the primary benefits of MCS is the ease in which new catalogs of machines (virtual desktops and now virtual XenApp servers) can be created.  Updates to the catalog creation wizards in Studio guide you though the initial roll-out of a virtual XenApp farm.  The MCS model provides many of the same single image management benefits of Provisioning Services, but works directly on the storage managed by your hypervisor, so there is no need to deal with PXE or build-out a Provisioning Services deployment.  However, this capability is limited to the new Excalibur version of XenApp.

PVS streaming for XenApp farms and desktop catalogs is still an option in Excalibur, providing the enhanced image management capabilities and storage IO optimizations beneficial in larger, more complex environments, though management of the Provisioning Services infrastructure remains in a separate management console. Provisioning Services will continue to provide a centralized image library for mixed environments where multiple “sites” or “farms” of XenDesktop and XenApp are used.

Read more here.

How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 4)

In the previous posts I have explained to you how to install the software and how you can create your first environment. Here’s the overview of the previous, current and yet to come posts and the Excalibur Tech Preview.

  1. What is Excalibur, prerequisites and overview of test lab setup
  2. Installation of Excalibur
  3. Configuring Excalibur (Studio)
  4. Configuration StoreFront <<Current page >>
  5. Install Agent software on Windows 2012 machine
  6. Configure Application
  7. Test published application and desktop (old XenApp)

In this post we are going to configure the StoreFront for use with Excalibur.

Go to the bottom left of the screen and open the tiles interface (or use Windows key ). Select the StoreFront tile which will show by know. Open StoreFront now. Continue reading “How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 4)”

How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 3)

In my previous posts I covered the prerequisites and the installation of the next generation of XenApp and XenDesktop called “Excalibur”.

In this post I will cover the “Studio” part of the configuration of Excalibur.

  1. What is Excalibur, prerequisites and overview of test lab setup
  2. Installation of Excalibur
  3. Configuring Excalibur (Studio) <<Current page >>
  4. Configuration StoreFront
  5. Install Agent software on Windows 2012 machine
  6. Configure Application
  7. Test published application and desktop (old XenApp)

When the installation is complete and you launch the “Studio” application you are presented with this screen. From this “Welcome” page you can create an empty site , create a full deployment or join an existing deployment. As this is the first installation the latter option obviously doesn’t apply. Continue reading “How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 3)”

How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 2)

In the previous post I explained what the prerequisites are and what Excalibur is. In this post I’ll be showing you the basic installation of Excalibur. This setup is a single server with all options installed on 1 server. This is good for a test or PoC environment but never for a production environment. Always separate the database, StoreFront and delivery controller from each other.

  1. What is Excalibur, prerequisites and overview of test lab setup
  2. Installation of Excalibur <<Current page >>
  3. Configuring Excalibur (Studio)
  4. Configuration StoreFront
  5. Install Agent software on Windows 2012 machine
  6. Configure Application
  7. Test published application and desktop (old XenApp)

Continue reading “How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 2)”

How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 1)

Citrix has released the Tech Preview of Excalibur recently (beginning of November). This new version is a melt between XenDesktop and XenApp as we know it now. So for all of the XenApp fans I must disappoint you…. No more XenApp!!!

My idea is to cut it up in a couple of blog posts to keep it from being one big long, and not fun to read, post. So I split it up in a couple of posts which I will be spreading over a few days.

  1. What is Excalibur, prerequisites and overview of test lab setup <Current page >>
  2. Installation of Excalibur
  3. Configuring Excalibur (Studio)
  4. Configuration StoreFront
  5. Install Agent software on Windows 2012 machine
  6. Configure Application
  7. Test published application and desktop (old XenApp)

So to begin with the first part of the series straight away is a brief overview of what Excalibur is, the prerequisites and how my little test lab is setup.

What is Excalibur Continue reading “How to install Citrix Excalibur Tech Preview (part 1)”

Project Excalibur (Avalon) Tech Preview available

Citrix has released today the Tech Preview of the new XenDesktop/XenApp version.

Project (Avalon) Excalibur Technology Preview is our next-generation, unified desktop and app virtualization technology that is reinventing the delivery of Windows apps and desktops for mobility in the cloud-era.  The availability of this tech preview will allow Citrix customers and partners to have a first-hand look at a new unified FlexCast infrastructure combining VDI and Hosted Shared desktops and apps from a single platform.

New features include:

VDI-in-a-Box project Bermuda Tech Preview

Citrix has released the Tech Preview of Project Bermuda. This release delivers a simple, complete VDI solution with personalized and pooled desktops. It runs on latest Windows operating systems, supports latest hypervisors, and integrates  with your existing Citrix environment. Project Bermuda extends Citrix VDI-in-a-Box with several features:

  1. Support for Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V, enabling you to stay current with Windows Server technologies
  2. Deliver central storefront through Citrix Cloud Gateway, providing single point access to virtual desktops from any device
  3. Optimization pack for Microsoft Lync, offering unified communications platform for  high-definition user experience

Note: This software is not supported in a production environment

You can download the Tech Preview here. You require a valid MyCitrix ID to download this Tech Preview.

Citrix XenClient 4.5 announcement and Tech Preview

At Synergy Citrix has announced the next release of XenClient Enterprise. Version 4.5 will be generally available in December of this year. But for those who can’t wait the Tech Preview is available for download now.

Here’s a little peak off the new features this version will have:

  • Broader hardware compatibility provides for support for the latest 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ processors including Ultrabooks. The current hardware compatibility list can be found here and will be updated when XenClient 4.5 becomes generally available.
  • XenClient Enterprise is now localized allowing end users around the globe to experience a more engaging and familiar experience when using the product. This release introduces client side support for French, Italian, German Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. The Synchronizer includes support for German and Simplified Chinese.  Citrix has seen tremendous traction with XenClient in international markets and this reaffirms our commitment to delivering capabilities our customers require to expand their use of the solution on a global basis.
  • VLAN tagging support enables administrators to extend the notion of virtual machine isolation by tagging and routing network traffic to specific virtual machines.  VLAN tagging policies are configured on the Synchronizer Continue reading “Citrix XenClient 4.5 announcement and Tech Preview”