Just about a year ago, we released a new way to try XenApp—hosted in Microsoft Azure and initiated through the Azure Marketplace. One year and four releases later, it’s still the most efficient way to set up a XenApp proof of concept.
Why try XenApp in Azure?
Standing up a trial in Azure simplifies the evaluation process. You can quickly check out what’s new in the latest version of XenApp (7.13 as of this writing) without the manual setup time an on-premises evaluation can require. If that’s not enough a reason to ty in Azure, here are a few more:
- Test out the Cloud. If you’re thinking about moving to the Cloud, this is a great way to start. Hosting XenApp in Azure allows you a hybrid-cloud approach to managing your apps.
- Deliver apps close to your users. Microsoft is making massive investments in Azure, which now has a larger footprint than Google and AWS combined! Trying XenApp in this environment allows you to experience the difference keeping apps close to the user can make. And of course, XenApp has been fully tested and validated to conform to the Citrix on Azure reference architecture.
- Accelerate app compatibility testing. Test the hosting and end-user experience of delivering virtualized apps from the Azure cloud.
How do I get started?
To start trying XenApp in the Azure Marketplace, you just need an Azure subscription. Fill out some basic information in the Azure portal and Citrix will take care of the rest.
- Sign up to Try XenApp.
- Login to the Azure Portal with your Microsoft credentials.
- Enter your Azure setting information, including subscription, location, credentials and machine sizes.
- Click “create.”
- Watch for an email letting you know your deployment is ready.
Heads-up, it typically takes about an hour to deploy. Once your environment is ready you will receive a notification email with a link to your StoreFront for the front-end deployment. Everything you need to try out basic administration of the XenApp environment will be read on login. Note that you’ll use the same credentials that you provide in step 2, above.
Additional resources to help with your trial
A common question we get is “how much Azure consumption will I need to account for?” To help figure that out, we’ve created an Azure Consumption Calculator to use with XenApp and XenDesktop. This calculator will help estimate costs of deploying in Azure.
The XenApp Reviewer’s Guide is another great reference tool. It contains step-by-step instructions for deploying apps, setting up users, and more!
Tell us what you think
We’re looking forward to your feedback to help us continuously improve. Please use the Citrix discussion forums or even the comments section within this blog post to start a conversation. Thank you!
Get started: now.citrix.com/azure/xenapp
