We are sending a huge thank you to all who attended the What’s New and What’s Next in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops webinar on March 20th. If you didn’t get a chance to tune in to the webinar, you can watch it on demand now.
While we tried to answer as many questions as we could during the allotted time, we weren’t able to get to everyone. So, we wanted to write this blog post to address the remaining questions and key topics from the webinar.
Long Term Service Release (LTSR)
Citrix provides Long Term Service Releases of our Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix Hypervisor solutions to better align your long-term support, security and enterprise systems planning goals with the rapid, feature-rich releases of our innovative, market-leading app and desktop virtualization solutions.
Q: When are we targeting the next Long Term Service Release (LTSR) of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
A: Citrix typically provides a Long Term Service Release every 2-3 years, and we are projecting our next LTSR for the end of 2019 or early 2020.
Q: How does the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service integrate with LTSR?
A: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service customers can leverage the LTSR VDA for their virtual app and desktop workloads. More guidance is available in the LTSR FAQ.
Q: When should we expect the next Citrix Hypervisor LTSR?
A: Soon, we will release the next current release of Citrix Hypervisor 8.0. That will bring support for Windows Server 2019, greater than 2TB disks and full snapshot support for vGPU enabled VMs. But most importantly it will be based on a new Linux kernel that will pave the way for our next LTSR. Currently we are exploring the possibilities to launch the next LTSR in the latter half of 2019 or early 2020.
Secure Browser
Citrix Secure Browser service provides users a safe space to browse and be productive without touching your internal data center. It does this by isolating web browsing in a virtual browser running inside a locked-down Linux virtual machine on Microsoft Azure
Q: How does Citrix Secure Browser integrate with existing Citrix solutions?
A: You can deploy Citrix Secure Browser service via a specified URL, Citrix StoreFront, or Workspace app. Additionally, there is the ability integrate the Secure Browser published browsers with an on-premises StoreFront that grants access external web sites. Should you need access to internal web sites, you should look into solutions like Citrix Virtual Apps service or Workspace Standard.
Q: What are the latest updates to Citrix Secure Browser service functionalities?
A: The latest improvements of the service are auto-selecting regions and improved support for smaller form factor devices.
App Layering
Citrix App Layering simplifies application and OS management by enabling you to manage apps, users, and operating systems as individual layers.
Q: What’s a good App Layering best practices resource?
A: Here are some great resources for you.
- Video from Tech Insights:
- Citrix Product Documentation: https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-app-layering/4.html
- Longer Master Class on App Layering:
- Citrix Knowledge Base article: https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX225952
Q: With Citrix App Layering, are App Layers linked to OS Layers?
A: Yes. You must publish layers against a previously created/imported OS image. This is a key advantage with Citrix App Layering as each layer have visibility into the other layer making almost all apps compatible with Citrix App Layering.
Q: Can I utilize Citrix App Layering in public clouds like Azure or Amazon?
A: Yes. Citrix App Layering can be used in conjunction with Machine Creation Services on Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Additionally, App Layering as a standalone technology fully supports Azure and Azure Government as well, and we are working towards adding standalone support for AWS too.
Upcoming new Citrix cloud services and capabilities
Q: What is on the horizon for the new Citrix Managed Desktops, our upcoming DaaS offering?
A: As announced in the webinar, the upcoming Citrix DaaS offering is now officially named Citrix Managed Desktops. It will be an end-to-end managed desktop solution that makes it easy to deploy virtual apps and desktops to your end users. If you are interested in knowing more, you can sign up for our Citrix Managed Desktops newsletter or attend Citrix Synergy for more insights, labs, and demos on this offering.
To our CSP and partner community, you will be eligible to provide Citrix Managed Desktops directly to customers or leverage the service to build your own custom DaaS solution. Citrix values our partners, and we have developed this solution to give them another solution to sell to customers.
Q: What will the transition from Citrix Smart Scale to Citrix AutoScale look like?
A: Citrix AutoScale is replacing Citrix Smart Scale. Unlike Smart Scale, AutoScale will be built within Studio and Broker service. At its core, AutoScale will also be available for all cloud platforms that Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Service supports.
Did you miss out on the webinar? Take a look at the on-demand recording for the inside scoop. Also, stay on the lookout for our monthly what’s new blog on all things new in Citrix Workspaces, including Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
For Citrix Investors
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