Blog posts tagged with 'blogosphere'

When Citrix first acquired XenSource it wasn't immediately obvious how the company's NetScaler line of application accelerators was going to be relevant to the deal.
But this week Citrix took some folks by surprise with the announcement of a new MPX line of accelerators that leverages virtualization technology to allow the MPX devices to dynamically provision the server assets in the data center based on the traffic demands that the application accelerator sees on the network.

In effect, Citrix has stolen a march on Cisco's evolving data center strategy be leveraging XenSource software to allow networking devices to manage the rest of the data center. As virtualization continues to evolve it is becoming clearer that the convergence of networking, server and storage assets is going to happen a lot faster than previously thought.

From the 'aaah now I get it' files:
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What really peaked my interest is how the NetScaler MPX ties into Citrix's XenSource virtualization technology assets to dynamically scale up or scale down virtual servers on demand to meet network traffic demand.

"If there is a surge of traffic NetScaler informs the XenServer which then provisions an additional server," Uppal explained to InternetNews.com. "This goes beyond load balancing with a pool of servers, as this solution will actually power up a server that wasn't on."

Is this a game changer for application acceleration?

I think it could be, since a fundamental part of acceleration is availability. It's something that stands out amongst all the similar commoditized messages and pitches that I've heard over the years.

If you're looking at a NetScaler solution primarily because of the benefits provided by dynamic provisioning, you're looking at a lot more cost than just a pair of NetScaler MPX. You'll also have to factor in the cost of XenServer and annual maintenance, as well as the time investment to move to the right architecture to support the idea. If you've got the time and money, however, it's going to be worth a look-see.

The prospect of dynamic provisioning has long been a "dream" in the application delivery market. The idea has been around for a long time, but it has been difficult for anyone to execute on that vision primarily because the data centers of the world weren't quite ready for it and executing on the concept required partnerships. But now IT is ready, with virtualization technologies like VMWare and XenSource such a hot IT item, and Citrix doesn't necessarily need a partnership to integrate with its own product.

Citrix is finally answering the charge that it has long been unable to execute despite holding all the right pieces of the puzzle - and its answer is "Oh yes, we can." If the total solution works as advertised, this is a huge leap forward for Citrix and the ADN market in general.

"This is where PortICA comes in. For the first time, it will be possible to host ICA on Windows XP. This makes it possible to use existing ICA clients and infrastructure to access Windows XP desktops.

The project started early this year with a team from Sydney, Australia. I'm a part of this team. Members of the team have worked on a number of projects like Application Isolation (AIE) and Access Gateway in the past."

"Just Like Being There". What does that mean to you? To me it means being able to use all the aspects of my computer system even though I am not there. It means I can run advanced 3D graphics and have it perform well. It means that it can support all my devices remotely and integrate with my local client. It means I have the latest technology to make the remote experience that much more real.

The goal: "To attain parity with local system performance and functionality".

The vision: "To provide full spectrum coverage of user applications without noticeable degradation".

The point: "To continue evolving the Citrix story to include more of the possible uses".

To be completely honest, it is impossible to match the parity of local system performance due to bandwidth restrictions and built in latency due to routing. However, having an impossible goal is often the starting point for impossible things to become more possible. It is possible that technology solutions would provide enough improvements to guarantee that the link is not perceptively degraded for a certain threshold of latency and bandwidth. For example, a fully managed network (LAN or WAN) could guarantee enough performance to justify a "Just Like Being There" presence.

My first impressions are favourable. It seems a well rounded solid solution. Now we wait for the Ardence/Provisioning Server components to be released, and if what we have already is anything to go by, then we have a very neat, tidy solution.

I have withdrawn the Xendesktop Demo. Thanks guys, 260 testers and nobody even tried to break it. I hope to put something new out ASAP.

Features

Desktop Connector - Dynamic Desktop Delivery

Provides integrated method to connect end users to 3 different types of data-center provided compute power. Virtual Machine desktops provide full user personalization while offering the security and reliability of a centrally managed desktop. Terminal Server-based desktops offer the greatest possible scalability with extremely high reliability to users performing repeatable/predictable tasks. Blade based systems can serve the needs of CAD designers or other users who have very high performance requirements for their computing environment.

XenCenter - Virtualization Infrastructure

Provides virtualization infrastructure for desktop images in the datacenter. This is the hypervisor that allows many desktops to run from a single server in the data center. Offers real time and trended graphing of virtual machine and total server performance metrics including CPU, memory, plus disk and network I/O.

Virtual Desktop Provisioning

Provisions multiple virtual machines in the datacenter using a single desktop image. This will save up to 90% of storage capacity that would be required from competing virtual machine-based desktop solutions.

XenMotion - Desktop Pooling

Enables several users to share a common pool of desktops that are allocated on-demand, then returned to the pool after logoff. User personalization is captured and applied so for a consistent familiar experience each time.

SpeedScreen™ - Speedy Desktops

Based on Citrix's ICA protocol, SpeedScreen ensures that screen images on XenDesktop clients are updated at up to twice the speed of competing technologies. This will ensure that the desktop user will experience performance that will match or exceed that of a traditional individual PC system.

Instant On - Desktops on Demand

This enables users to quickly log on and begin desktop use, ensuring immediate productivity for workers, facilitates user acceptance, and ensures workforce continuity in case of business interruptions.

For new employees, Instant On also means that a brand new desktop can be made available from the minute they are given userid and password.

Univeral Printing

XenDesktop allows any user to print to all network connected printers, eliminating the guesswork of driver installs, locally connected printers, and peer-to-peer networking configuration.
Products and Packaging

How is this related to desktop virtualization? Desktop virtualization involves putting desktops in the data center. That just means you are moving the whole app deployment problem in the data center. Not good! My recommendation would be that while you are taking the action of putting desktop in the data center, have a strategy on you will separate your apps and desktops. Keeping your desktops clean - no apps deployed, you will be able to sustain the high performance of Windows like it comes out of the box and cut down on the IT operations on app compatibility significantly. What I mean by separation of app and desktop is - you should virtualize all your windows apps, either by client side app virtualization (a.k.a isolation environments ) or server side app virtualization (a.k.a Server Based Computing). Separating/isolating/virtualizing your apps will make your virtual desktops humming.

What am I missing here? Are you thinking about separating your apps and desktops as you move to virtual desktops?

So, without getting too Shakespearean --though I was tempted to say, "Oh virtual desktop, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Shall I compare thee to a..." but, even I was reluctant to get into that much hyperbole. So, let us consider a few metaphors your rank and file users, and senior management, may be able to appreciate.

1. Virtual desktops are like living in a luxury condominium with maid service. It's your home, but it feels like new every day.
2. Virtual desktops are like being able to open a door in any building and walk into your office. Everyone can be a day extender or telecommuter when needed.
3. A virtual desktop is a car whose mileage automatically resets to zero every time you turn it on.
4. Having a virtual desktop is like always getting to be first in line at the show. Instant on means no waiting.
5. Upgrading a virtual desktop is like calling your mechanic to ask for an extra 100 horse power for the day, and getting it while you are out driving.