What is Citrix XenApp?

Citrix XenApp, now part of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, is a product that extends Microsoft Remote Desktop Session Host (formerly known as Terminal Services) desktop sessions and applications to users through the Citrix HDX protocol.

XenApp and Remote Desktop Services allows IT departments to centrally manage Windows applications and computing resources in a secure data center. Users can access the Citrix XenApp applications from anywhere and from non-Windows clients.

XenApp uses SBC (Server Based Computing). SBC uses the same method as RDS (Remote Desktop Services) from Windows Server, in that multiple users can connect to and use a single server. With SBC, a single hardware instance can be shared with multiple users, thus enabling higher resource efficiency compared to VDI.

What is a Citrix XenApp Environment?

Citrix XenApp is composed of three main sections:

• A multiuser operating system: Microsoft Window Server with the Remote Desktop Session Host feature allows many users to access the same server. Users can connect to individual Citrix XenApp applications or session-based desktops.
• XenApp software: XenApp extended the Remote Desktop Services applications desktops to client services via the ICA/HDX protocols. The ICA/HDX channels provide remote display capabilities, multimedia redirection, USB redirection, and more depending on the client device.
• Client devices: Citrix XenApp applications and sessions can be accessed by endpoint devices using Citrix Receiver. Receiver is available for a very large array of client form factors and operating systems.

What does the Citrix XenApp do?

Citrix XenApp isolates applications from the underlying OS to provide access to remote users from any device. It streams applications from a centralized location into an isolated environment where they are executed on target devices.

• Security: Citrix XenApp applications live in the data center, where IT can better protect them. Because the applications don’t live on the endpoint, no data is at risk when a device is lost or stolen.
• Support for remote and mobile workers: IT can centrally manage Citrix XenApp applications, even when workers are distributed.
• PC refreshes and operating system upgrades: Users can continue to access their Citrix XenApp applications as usual when they get new PCs or migrate OSes. Previously, IT had to reconfigure and redeploy the applications to each new or updated machine.

Goliath Performance Monitor provides broad and deep visibility that allows you to troubleshoot Citrix XenApp with the most comprehensive performance data available. Now, support teams and administrators can quickly identify exactly where in the delivery infrastructure a problem is occurring and what specific factors are contributing to the issue. This means specific root cause is identified more quickly and problems are resolved with minimal impact on end users.