Access Control

A feature, function or process that enables or disables access to enterprise resources or services based on the properties of a particular connection. Learn more

Application Acceleration

The process of speeding the performance and delivery of applications with purpose-built network componentry that leverages a variety of caching, compression and encryption methods along with application-aware intelligence to gain improved performance from application servers and faster delivery to end-point devices. Learn more

Application Accelerator

A network device that speeds the performance and delivery of applications by leveraging a wide variety of caching, compression and encryption methods along with application-aware intelligence. This offloads non-essential processing from application servers to optimize resource usage and reduce datacenter footprint. It also streamlines network communication to optimize bandwidth usage and overcome the effect of network latency to improve application performance and delivery to end-point devices. Learn more

Application Compatibility

The ability and level of support that a particular application may have within a specific run-time environment or operating system, such as the ability for a specific set of web browsers – for instance Internet Explorer or Firefox –to run on Linux. Application compatibility also refers to the methodology of testing an application’s ability to run properly within a specific run-time environment and the process of identifying and remediating challenges which prevent their proper function. Learn more

Application Delivery

Application delivery refers to solutions that enable applications, resources and data, whether executed remotely or locally, to be delivered in the most optimal fashion to end user devices or environments. It refers to all of the components between the datacenter and the end user including server infrastructure and network infrastructure such as firewalls, load balancers, application delivery controllers, WAN optimizers, SSL VPNs, Web servers, application storefronts and self-service interfaces, application and desktop virtualization farms, access controllers and even client-side access software. Learn more

Application Firewall

A network security device which controls input, output and/or access between an application and a service to protect applications from attacks. The firewall monitors input, output or system service calls, and blocks those which do not meet the configured firewall policy. Unlike a stateful network firewall, which requires additional software, an application firewall controls the execution of files or handling of data by specific applications. Application firewalls can be network-based or host-based. Learn more

Application Management

The tools that enable a continuous process of managing the life of an application through governance, development and maintenance. These tools facilitate and integrate requirements management, architecture, coding, testing, tracking, release management, compatibility testing, remediation, packaging, hosting, delivery and access control. Learn more

Application Migration

The activities and processes involved in moving from one application to another, from one application version to another, or of moving an application from one operating system to another. Migration usually entails many of the same steps as those common to the application lifecycle including testing, release management, compatibility testing, remediation, packaging, hosting and delivery. Learn more

Application Remediation

The process and tools that enable the correction of functional limitations or challenges associated with application delivery and application migration. For example, an application that is built for Windows Vista may not be fully compatible with Windows 7; however, a compatibility test can determine that these issues can be remediated with minor registry changes and the use of custom scripts, thus enabling the application to function when operating in a Windows 7 environment. Learn more

Application Virtualization

A method of abstracting an application from the underlying operating system on which is it being used such that it is no longer installed on the end-user device, but instead delivered to the end-user device. Application virtualization creates an isolated or “sandboxed” environment in which the application executes at run-time. The properties of the sandbox can be modified to control how this application interacts with the operating system and other applications running on the user device. The sandbox itself can also be adjusted to help remediate application compatibility, both between the operating system and other applications. For example, the sandbox provides the right environment to enable a legacy application to function within newer operating systems for which they were not originally intended. In another example, multiple versions of the same application can run in different sandboxes, enabling interference-free use on the same device. Learn more

Branch Office

A corporate office or facility consisting of one or more users, including some form of IT infrastructure, that is geographically separate from and behaves as an extension of the corporate headquarters and central IT datacenter. Learn more

Bring-Your-Own Device, BYOD

A corporate policy and user movement designed to give individuals the freedom to utilize any device, corporate-delivered IT service or personal service they choose to carry out their life’s work at their most productive level. Bring-your-own device is quickly gaining support and growing in popularity as a movement. Learn more

Business Continuity

The people, processes and technology involved in maintaining continuous operations via properly managed disaster recovery, disciplined planning of corporate outages, fail-over techniques, and preparation. Learn more

Caching

An area of computer memory devoted to the high-speed retrieval of frequently-used or requested data. In networking, caching refers to a network-attached resource that stores frequently-requested data for such rapid retrieval. In the case of application delivery controllers and WAN optimization solutions, a variety of caching methods, such as bit, packet and file caching, are employed to reduce network communications and bandwidth usage. This speeds up overall performance by storing frequently-accessed data at the edge of the network closest to requesting users, devices or services. Learn more

Client Virtualization

A method of abstracting or separating a user operating system from the underlying desktop or laptop device in order to increase security, manageability and supportability. Client virtualization enables multiple OS instances to run on a single device directly on top of the bare metal without interfering with one another and without the need for a fully functional operating system acting as a host layer. Learn more

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is technology that hosts computing services in centralized datacenters and provides access to them via the Internet. Cloud computing is very much a utility, like electricity: sold on-demand, instantly scalable to any volume and charged by use, with the service provider managing every aspect of the service except the device used to access it. Learn more

Cloud Convergence

Applications, computing, storage and networking delivered as a service from a dynamic cloud infrastructure, whether private or public. Compared to traditional hosted services, Cloud services are unique in that they are hosted and delivered from a dynamic environment, having no set server, data center or infrastructure home location. Rather than configuring a designated or assigned server or server farm to host a service, the environmental parameters in which a cloud service can operate are set and the cloud service is left to leverage and share the infrastructure with other services as needed within those parameters. The cloud service is then free to grow, expand, scale, load balance, contract and move as needed within its given parameters. Learn more

Cloud Networks

The combined solution of a private enterprise network with that of the global network footprint of cloud providers, Cloud networks enable businesses to serve end-users and customers all over the world without the need to maintain a global network footprint of their own. A key component of cloud converged infrastructure, cloud networks act as the glue that enables business to extend their infrastructure seamlessly to leverage cloud services securely and at high speed. It is also essential to service providers which must partition network infrastructure and capacity to ensure network security for their tenants. Learn more

Cloud Services

Applications, computing, storage and networking delivered as a service from a dynamic cloud infrastructure, whether private or public. Compared to traditional hosted services, Cloud services are unique in that they are hosted and delivered from a dynamic environment, having no set server, data center or infrastructure home location. Rather than configuring a designated or assigned server or server farm to host a service, the environmental parameters in which a cloud service can operate are set and the cloud service is left to leverage and share the infrastructure with other services as needed within those parameters. The cloud service is then free to grow, expand, scale, load balance, contract and move as needed within its given parameters. Learn more

Consumerization of IT

Refers to the growing trend of new information technology to be driven by consumer markets. This is a major shift in the IT industry, where large business and government organizations have long since dominated computer usage and development. As the consumerization of IT develops, new IT will spread from the consumer market into the business world. Learn more

Data Security

The technologies and controls used to protect data, in all its forms from theft, malicious activity or loss. This includes, but is not limited to, database records, file repositories and both centralized and mobile data caches. Learn more

Datacenter Automation

Refers to the technologies, processes and procedures implemented for the purpose of automating the management of a data center environment. Datacenter automation benefits organizations by reducing the manpower, time and resources needed to manage the entire life cycle of core IT infrastructure and resources as business needs change and evolve. Learn more

Desktop Management

The technology, processes and procedures for managing and supporting the laptops, desktops and other end-user computing devices that leverage enterprise IT services and resources. Modern desktop management approaches leverage a combination of traditional desktop management techniques as well as desktop and application virtualization technologies to serve a complete spectrum of user needs regardless of which devices they choose to use or the location in which they choose to work. Learn more

Desktop Virtualization

Desktop virtualization is technology that centralizes desktops in the datacenter and delivers it to users on demand. Desktop virtualization technology replaces traditional, costly, time-consuming PC desktop lifecycle management with a more efficient solution to meet today's demands for lower costs, tighter security and greater flexibility. Desktop virtualization separates the hard-coded components of a corporate desktop (i.e., operating system, applications, user profile, etc.) which allows IT to manage one instance of each and combine them to deliver an up-to-date, pristine and secure desktop to users on any device, anywhere, as an on-demand service. Learn more

Disaster Recovery

The plans and procedures related to the recovery of computer operations after a natural or man-made disaster such as a fire or an earthquake. Disaster recovery is a form a business continuity which focuses on bringing critical business services back online after a failure. Learn more

Enterprise Apps

The IT software and services that users interact with from both mobile and desktop devices (including smartphones and tablets) to perform work and collaborate to accomplish enterprise objectives. Learn more

Enterprise Network Solutions

The combined infrastructure that connects enterprise technology assets to users and to each other across both local and global footprints. These technologies enable both wired and wireless connectivity, optimize performance, protect communications and ensure reliable connectivity from both within and outside of the corporate network. These technologies must also provide the flexibility needed to leverage cloud services as a seamless extension of the enterprise network. Learn more

Executive Mobility

Solutions for enabling executives to work, meet and collaborate anywhere inside or outside the organization, on any of the latest devices, as easily as they would in their own office—simply and securely. Learn more

Free Server Virtualization

Fully-functional server virtualization software available at no charge for both personal and enterprise use. For example, XenServer, built on the open source Xen hypervisor, is enterprise-class server virtualization available for free. Enterprises should consider their automation and management needs as they seek to determine the value of paid versions to their organization. Learn more

Global Server Load Balancing, GSLB

Applies layer 4-7 load balancer capabilities and applies them worldwide across geographically distributed server farms to enable business continuity in the event of site-level failure. Combining these capabilities with application delivery features, such as is done with Citrix NetScaler, also enables geographic network proximity to provide the best performance for users based on their location, site level health monitoring and enterprise wide network optimization. Learn more

HTTP Compression

An optimization technique employed by application delivery controllers which leverages standard compression, such as gzip and deflate, to improve performance of HTTP requests between web servers and web clients. The compression algorithm used is negotiated at session initiation based on the compression methods supported by both the browser/client and those supported by app delivery controllers/web servers. Allowing application delivery controllers to manage HTTP compression off-loads such processing from web servers which improves their scalability and performance. This allows them to process HTTP requests and allows purpose built network appliances to handle their delivery to clients. Learn more

Independent Computing Architecture (ICA)

Independent Computing Architecture (Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) is a presentation layer protocol developed by Citrix. It is used to transmit the interface or display of applications and desktops running on central servers or server farms to mobile devices connecting from both local and remote networks. Users interact with applications and desktops as if they were running on their local device. Interactions such as mouse-clicks and keystrokes are then transmitted using Independent Computing Architecture (Independent Computing Architecture (ICA)) to the server where they are rendered and processed. The resulting feedback (e.g. mouse movements, display changes, keystrokes, etc.) are then transmitted back to the client device. Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) uses a number of virtual channels to support remote interaction of peripherals, sound devices, clipboards, COM devices, printers and more.

ICA acceleration

Optimization of the ICA (Independent Computing Architecture) protocol via Application-aware acceleration techniques including caching and compression. Learn more

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Laptop Security

Refers to the policies and procedures for protecting laptops connecting to and accessing enterprise data and services on a private network. Security techniques include various types of authentication, encryption and access control. Most recently, protection techniques have also come to include client virtualization such as Citrix XenClient. Client virtualization isolates the enterprise work environment from a users personal work environment to create a "sandbox" that can be centrally managed and controlled by IT. In the event a device is lost or stolen, remote wipe features can erase enterprise data to prevent theft or loss. Learn more

Load Balancer, Load Balancing

A core networking solution responsible for distributing incoming traffic among servers hosting the same application content. By balancing application requests across multiple servers, a load balancer prevents any application server from becoming a single point of failure, thus improving overall application availability and responsiveness. For example, when one application server becomes unavailable, the load balancer simply directs all new application requests to other available servers in the pool. Load balancers also improve server utilization and maximize availability. Load balancing is the most straightforward method of scaling out an application server infrastructure. As application demand increases, new servers can be easily added to the resource pool, and the load balancer will immediately begin sending traffic to the new server. Learn more

Local Virtual Machine

A virtual machine that is run on a user’s computing device as opposed to hosted in the datacenter. A user’s computing device may be enabled with multiple local virtual machines to enable them to have a personal computing space while maintaining a dedicated and secure virtual environment to perform work-related tasks, access IT-delivered applications and work with corporate data and intellectual property. More environments may be used to enable prototyping and testing by developers or even as demonstration environments for sales teams on the go. Learn more

Mobile Virtualization

Refers to a virtual environment that can be taken anywhere and is not dependent on a constant connection to centralized IT services. An example of such a virtual mobile environment would be a laptop running the Xen hypervisor as is the case with Citrix XenClient. Learn more

Mobile Workstyle

A category of work styles that encompasses the various ways in which mobile employees work. Mobile work styles empower individuals by allowing them to use whatever computing device they wish, from anywhere, to support the most optimal working conditions for their role and job. For example, a mobile executive needs the tools - preferably those which fit into their pocket - that help them to respond and direct an organization easily. Similarly, a different and sometimes overlapping segment of users may find it more productive to use their own personal computer (BYOD) when they work as it is custom-configured to support their personal work style. Learn more

Network Virtualization

Refers to networks that consist of resources being linked together into a cohesive communication group. Virtual networks can combine multiple external disparate networks or network resources - referred to as external virtual networks. Conversely, an internal virtual network would sub-divide a larger network into smaller groups of resources and communication groups. Virtual networks are used to sub-divide physical resource groups as a part of a larger network and can even be used to enable multiple virtual machines running on a single laptop to communicate with each other regardless of whether the the laptop itself is connected to a network. Learn more

Open-Source Cloud

A public or private cloud infrastructure that is built entirely, or mostly, from open-source componentry. This includes products that leverage open source technology such as Citrix CloudPlatform powered by Apache CloudStack and Citrix XenServer and Citrix XenDesktop, which both leverage the Xen hypervisor. Learn more

Open-Source Virtualization

Refers to virtualization technologies that are available as open-source software. Examples include the Xen hyper-visor from Xen.org which is leveraged by Citrix XenClient, Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix Server. Learn more

PCI-DSS

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) was created to increase controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraud. Learn more

Private Clouds

Private clouds are subscription based service infrastructure built and managed by IT and which are open for consumption by the enterprise, either by IT alone, by departments or business units within an organization or by individual users. Services might include on-demand infrastructure for a variety if use cases (e.g. testing, development, prototyping, calculations), subscription-based Windows, Web and Mobile applications and data storage services. A typical model would have enterprise, corporate or business IT even providing such private cloud services for a fee. Learn more

Public Clouds

Public clouds are subscription based services that are open for consumption to the general public. These include Software and Infrastructure as a Service. A typical model would have enterprise, corporate or business IT subscribing to public cloud services and extending their IT offerings using public cloud capacity. Learn more

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Remote Access

The act of connecting to IT services, applications or data from a location other than headquarters or other than that which is closest to the data center. Examples include connecting from a branch office, home office, hotel room or Internet cafe. While working via mobile access or via remote access are sometimes seen as one and the same, mobile access refers more to the ability to work from anywhere, whereas remote access refers more to the actual location of the user once a connection has been established. In this case, a mobile user can be working in HQ for a time whereas a mobile user accessing remotely would not be at HQ. Learn more

Remote Desktop

A user-targeted computing environment running somewhere other than a user’s physical location. For example, a virtual desktop being hosted and running in the data center, but being accessed by a user from their desk in another building may be considered a remote desktop. Learn more

Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network, SSL VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) is a private communication channel that interconnects networks through primarily public infrastructures (e.g. the Internet). SSL VPNs provide security and encrypted communications through the secure sockets layer tunneling protocols. Common use cases for SSL VPNs include enabling secure remote access for teleworkers and mobile users or securely connecting branch offices to a head office network through the public Internet. Learn more

Self-Service Apps

Technology that empowers users to select and subscribe to a portfolio of applications and IT services easily, quickly and on-demand. The concept of self-service apps is typically associated with that of a unified storefront for IT services. Learn more

Server Consolidation

Refers to processes and technologies that can reduce the amount of hardware and overall physical footprint of the datacenter. The benefits of server consolidation include lower energy and cooling costs, lower real-estate costs, reduced management burden, improved capacity usage and more. For larger organizations with a global footprint, as well as smaller organizations with a widely distributed IT infrastructure, server consolidation is actually a larger exercise in datacenter consolidation. Learn more

Server Virtualization

The act of separating server-class operating systems from the hardware on which they are traditionally installed through the use of a middle-ware layer. This enables the server hardware to be leveraged as a single pool of capacity such that any instance of a server operating system running as a virtual machine can be hosted anywhere in the pool. The virtual server instance is isolated from the actual hardware, giving it more mobility within the datacenter footprint and allowing it to tap into any available datacenter capacity on-demand. Further, server virtualization optimizes capacity usage within the datacenter and enables templates that facilitate faster implementation and configuration of new services. Learn more

Software as a Service, SaaS

Typically refers to Web-based applications enabled for delivery as a subscription-based service to any user with a browser. SaaS also refers to hosted application services that may not have a web front-end but which might simply have API's (Application Program Interfaces) that can be called remotely or which have a plug-in or installable component that is interacted with. Examples of API services include collaboration tools such as GoToMeeting and Podio, support tools such as GoToAssist and data storage tools such as ShareFile. Learn more

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Unified Storefront

A concept of enabling a single, unified experience for delivering enterprise Windows, Web and SaaS applications and data securely to any device. Driven by the consumerization of IT, this concept draws inspiration from digital stores that users browse to gain access to personal applications and services on smartphones and tablets. The unified storefront makes the consumer experience a reality for the enterprise, allowing IT to make applications, data and services accessible to users through a subscription based, store-like experience. Learn more

Virtual Desktop

Refers to any isolated desktop-class environment dedicated and provisioned for use by a specific user either as a virtual machine (e.g. as with XenClient, XenDesktop, XenServer) or as a session within an client-server environment (e.g. as with session virtualization in XenApp). Refers to a desktop-class virtual machine package that can be hosted on any physical machine running a compatible hypervisor (e.g. Xen) or operating environment. For example, a laptop running the Xen hypervisor in the form of XenClient or a server running the Xen hypervisor in the form of XenDesktop or XenServer. Learn more

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, VDI

A component of desktop virtualization, Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) refers to the part of the IT environment dedicated to hosting desktop operating systems within virtual machines (VM). These virtual machines can run on a hosted, centralized or remote server or servers. VDI is only one type desktop virtualization architecture. In order to serve the needs of all users while realizing the benefits of desktop virtualization, a number of different virtual desktop types must be supported. Examples of these include mobile virtual desktops which can be used while disconnected, shared-hosted virtual desktops which provide control and efficiency for IT, and even locally installed desktops with virtual applications which offer extreme mobility with application level control. All of these and more are supported and enabled by Citrix XenDesktop. Learn more

Virtual Machine

An operating system environment that has been abstracted from its physical machine such that it can leverage an intermediate software layer to run on any physical hardware. Examples of virtual machines include virtual desktops, virtual servers and virtual appliances.

Virtual Server

Refers to a server-class virtual machine package that can be hosted on any physical server running a compatible hypervisor (e.g. Xen). Sometimes used to refer to a physical server that has been enabled to host multiple virtual servers. Learn more

Virtualization

Virtualization refers to the method of abstracting all aspects of the physical IT infrastructure from the specific environments that it is charged with hosting (e.g. applications, desktops, servers, storage, networks, etc.); thus enabling improved management, control, flexibility, security and utilization of the overall service infrastructure - at a much lower cost in many cases. One of the most common examples of virtualization is the abstraction of desktop and server operating systems from the hardware on which they run through the use of an intermediate software layer. This intermediate software layer presents the operating system with a generalized environment in which to execute, making the hardware essentially irrelevant and transforming all available hardware into a pool of resources that can be leveraged as needed with fewer physical bounds. Virtualization can also be leveraged as a concept as is the case in networking where a protected private network (e.g. Virtual Private Network or VPN) operates within an open, public physical network or in the case of storage such as protected virtual storage devices partitioned within a physical storage area network (SAN) array. Virtualization is an increasing IT trend used to enable new topologies for datacenter automation, cloud-class infrastructure and software-as-a-service.

WAN Optimization

Also known as WAN acceleration, WAN optimization is a collection of techniques used to increase the efficiency of data transfer across a wide area network (WAN). Techniques used to achieve WAN optimization include deduplication, compression, latency optimization, caching, forward error correction, protocol spoofing, traffic shaping, equalizing, connection limiting and service-level rate limiting. Learn more

Workshifting

The ability to move the work of people and computing to a more optimal place, in which IT stops managing hardware and connections and begins to manage the work: getting control of it and moving it from one place or device to another. Virtualization enables workshifting. Learn more

Xen

The Xen® hypervisor, the powerful open source industry standard for virtualization, is a layer of software which replaces the traditionally installed operating system and which runs directly on a computers hardware, allowing it to run multiple guest operating systems concurrently. Support for x86, x86-64, Itanium, Power PC, and ARM processors allow the Xen hypervisor to run on a wide variety of computing devices and currently supports Linux, NetBSD, FreeBSD, Solaris, Windows, and other common operating systems as guests running on the hypervisor. The Xen.org community develops and maintains the Xen hypervisor as a free solution licensed under the GNU General Public License. Learn more

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No current terms. Suggest a term.

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