EdgeSight Monitoring for Citrix XenApp provides health and availability monitoring, problem diagnosis and trending analysis for your Citrix XenApp farm. This presentation gives you greater insight into how EdgeSight works and what it can do for you XenApp farms.

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You can get instructions on how to download the EdgeSight Evaluation Virtual Appliance here. Teh EdgeSight Install Guyide is here and the Admin Guide is here. You can also check out the EdgeSight Application Monitoring Guide here.

Now that we have this complete end-to-end product in XenApp Platinum loaded with features (like SmartAccess, SmartAuditor, Single-Sign-On, Health Assistant, Application Performance Monitoring, EasyCall, WAN Optimization), we need to work on what will really set us apart from the rest - Component Integration.   Aside from things like integrated console and install - the obvious things, what else can we do in terms of component (feature) integration?  We have some ideas, but I'd like to hear from you!   What are your ideas and what are the use cases?  To give you an example,

Idea:  Have SmartAcess trigger a recording with SmartAuditor
Use Case:  A SmartAccess end-point analysis fails; instead of denying access; trigger SmartAuditor to record the session.

Imagine, if customers are using different SSL VPN and recording solutions, they won't have the opportunity to use the two solutions together like Citrix can deliver - we just need to do it! 

Tell me what you think!

Another reason you should be using XenApp Platinum edition, Wan Optimization!  The newest feature just added to the complete application delivery system.

What is actually being added?  Now every Platinum license entitles you to use the WANScaler client.

What are the benefits of this feature? 

• Allows the home-based, mobile, or small office user to enjoy the benfits of Wan optimization in situatuions in which an appliance cannot be readily deployed
• Offers comprehensive TCP flow control, advanced compression, and advanced application protocol optimizations to ehnhance productivitiy fo PC users
• Compatible with a wide range of secure remote acess technologies included populat IPsec implementations and Citrix Access Gateway Standard and Advanced Editions.
• Read more here

Will this optimize ICA traffic?  This has been a little tricky.  ICA is already extremely optimized.  In fact, we all know that ICA is one of our biggest competitive advantages.  However, this is something that we are actively testing.  Stay tuned for more information on this soon.

How do I start using this feature? 

1. Again, you must have a XenApp Platinum license with valid subscription as of 1/1/08 (which all Platinum customers will have since it's only been in the market for just a year now)
2. Login to MyCitrix>Support>Downloads>Clients>WANScaler Client or simply click here to download the WANScaler client
3. Also, you will also need either the Citrix WANScaler 85xx or 88xx series appliance available for purchase seperately

When can I start using this feature?  NOW!

Watch for more information to come out in your customer newsletter and channel flash communications.

Without Single Sign-On, users are left to their own devices (such as yellow stickies) to retain the many different passwords they need.

Trouble was that security vendors were so eager to provide this functionality (starting about 10-12 years ago), and the hype was so great, and the technology was so immature, that early SSO projects often had tragic results.  Early implementers in some cases dumped millions in services dollars to coax the immature SSO product into actually working for a subset of their applications.

 Well, the technology is mature now, and SSO really works!

With the Citrix SSO product, Citrix Password Manager (CPM), we have a very successful install base of customers, with many implementations with more than 50,000 users.   Very conveniently, CPM is included as the SSO XenApp Platinum component, bringing more value to users as well as value to IT administrators in increasing actual security by eliminating bad user behavior.

Rich Crusco of Frameworkx.com has just posted a great three  four part review series of the Tech Preview of the Citrix WorkFlow Studio. Here is just a small portion of some of Rich's thoughts and screen shots from three very detailed and thorouugh posts on the Tech Preview.

In his introduction to Part 1 of his series Rich writes "This is part 1 in a series of articles to be released that will give you a preview of Citrix Workflow Studio, a powerful orchestration tool for a dynamic delivery center. This preview article, the first in many, will go into the overview of Citrix Workflow Studio and its role in Dynamic Delivery and Process Automation."

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Here are some quotes from Rich's post :

Rich pulled in screen shots from Citrix WorkFlow Studio as well -

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In Part 2 Rich states "Previously I have outlined what is Citrix Workflow Studio, and so in this article we are going to outline some of the Citrix Workflow Studio concepts, interfaces, and configurations. In this article I will give you a better working knowledge of the components that are needed to be able to create and compose workflows."

Rich does a great job of dissecting WorkFlow Studio and getting down into the guts of this Tech Preview.

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In Part3, Rich dives down into workflow creation.

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UPDATE: Rich has added a Part 4 specifically on Variable with WorkFlow Studio. 

Rich really digs down deep into the Tech Preview of Citrix Workflow Studio in this series, and includes a lot of visuals to help you get a better feel for what makes WorkFlow Studio tick and how this new program can be a valuable part in your tool kit. The little I have posted hear is just enough to whet your appetite, follow the links to get the three course meal.

Rich and Gus Pinto have a lot of interesting content and some very popular utilities for download (over 2.8 million downloads so far). Check it out at Frameworkx.com.

WOW....it's almost been a year since we launched the Platinum Edition of Presentation Server!  What has made this new top-level edition of Presentation Server so popular?  Well, several reasons I think:

1.  Complete end-to-end application delivery solution all-in-one offering.  No need to buy each of the piece parts separately and hope that you can get them to work together.  Now it's all from one vendor, Citrix, and they WILL work together else "one throat to choke".

2.  All of the cool new features!  Application Performance Monitoring, SmartAuditor, SmartAccess, Single Sign-On, Application Streaming, and EasyCall.

3.  The price it right!  It only takes interest in one or two of the new features to justify the ROI.  Most of the new features are available to expand your existing Enterprise or Advanced environment, but for the cost, you are better off upgrading to Platinum.  Take a look at the math.

4.  Existing customers are using Subscription Advantage renewal budget for upgrades.  See blog on "Presentation Server Upgrade Calculator" by Sridhar Mullapudi.  By adding a few additional dollars to the already planned Subscription Advantage renewal budget, customers are upgrading to Platinum and getting all of the additional value.

5.  The anticipation of what the future might bring.  Besides all of the value that Platinum currently has, what other cool technologies might Citrix add to the Platinum edition in the future - the possiblities are endless!  Remember, it only takes an active subscription advantage to be eligilbe for anything that gets added - so stay tuned!

As the Product Manager for Presentation Server Platinum, let me know what you think.   Have you moved to Platinum?  If so, what drove you there?  If not, are you planning to?  Why or why not?  Also let me know what technologies you'd like to see in this edition in the future.