Join Citrix and Microsoft for this upcoming webinar on November 19th, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST-

Event Date: 11/19/2009 01:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Have you started planning to migrate to Windows 7? Struggling to continuously update and patch endpoint devices for new application releases and updates ? Data residing on end point devices creating potential security risks? Continuing to follow the decades-old PC refresh cycle and traditional distributed desktop model is a poor choice for IT departments that face reduced budgets and headcount. Join Citrix and Microsoft in this webinar to learn about the only industry leading desktop delivery solution that will enable you to:

• Radically simplify desktop management
• Increase business agility
• Reduce desktop and application management costs
• Right & wrong reasons to implement desktop virtualization
• Improve security
• Accelerate enterprise wide deployment of Windows 7
  
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Yesterday, Citrix announced the new Citrix Ready Open Desktop Virtualization program. Today, I would like to provide you with more details. The program is designed to ensure that organizations deploying virtual desktops have confidence that their deployments will deliver a true, high definition (HDX), multi-device experience for the end users as well as satisfy the security and management requirements of the IT organization

As you probably saw from our XenDesktop 4 announcement, Citrix's view of desktop virtualization is much broader than running a user's desktop in a hosted virtual machine (VDI) and is emerging in mainstream deployment with customers such as Emory Healthcare and Collier County Schools.  Citrix's FlexCast delivery technology enables the delivery of every major desktop virtualization model via XenDesktop. As IT organizations pilot and architect their the desktop virtualization solutions it quickly becomes evident that desktop virtualization requires a robust ecosystem of partners to ensure that, amongst other things, the deployment is fully supported in the desktop value chain, end user's USB devices that are attached to their desktops continue to work, user personalization of their desktops remains persistent and that their desktop are available via multiple modes of access.

At the center of the program is the open architecture of XenDesktop 4. XenDesktop 4 is the only desktop virtualization solution on the market with an open architecture that is designed, certified and tested to work with the wide variety of products customers already have in production, including all popular applications, servers, storage and backup systems, client devices (BTW, check out our new HDX Ready designation that ensures a truly awesome user experience), printers and desktop peripherals, security and desktop management software and systems management products. The Citrix Ready Open Desktop Virtualization Program incorporates over 200 Citrix Ready partners and covers more than 10,000 devices. The products are verified using the full reach of the Citrix Ready program... Citrix product engineering organizations; Citrix Ready partner engineering organizations; our community of technology partners, customer and resellers; as well some via third party venders who verify a range of products (for example, USB devices).

The program covers product categories from the data center to the desktop; from choice of virtualization infrastructure to choice of end user device as shown below. For more detailed information check out the Citrix Ready Open Desktop Virtualization program at http://www.citrix.com/ODV.

VDI is not stupid. Recently, Eric S. Perkins on his blog proclaimed that VDI is Stupid. Well, actually, the way our competitors have been treating VDI is problematic; which might have led to Eric's assertion that VDI is stupid. So, I want to take this opportunity to go over some of his concerns.

One important point on VDI - VDI is not merely another server workload and must not be treated as such. This is perhaps why many of our competitors' VDI implementations have failed and have also created significant costs for their customers. Furthermore, VDI is not for every user in the enterprise - it is best suited for certain environments.

Desktop virtualization, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive solution that encompasses VDI. By separating the three core components of the desktop - OS, apps, and user profile - into three different layers, desktops are managed centrally and dynamically assembled for users regardless of the location and device the users are logging in from. The separation of the three core layers provide tremendous flexibility for IT to manage users desktops.

Citrix has been in the desktop virtualization space for a long time (admittedly we never talked about it as desktop virtualization) and have various forms of it available to our customers. Beyond VDI, Citrix FlexCast allows IT to delivery desktops to all users desktops in different scenarios:

• For task workers sharing a similar set of applications, the most secure, cost-effective approach is Hosted Shared Desktops.
• For office workers who need more personalized desktops, Hosted VM-based VDI Desktops is often the best approach. By running each user's desktop in a dedicated virtual machine, this option combines the benefits of central management with full user personalization.
• For technical workers and power users who run professional graphics applications such as CAD/CAM, GIS; Hosted Blade PC Desktops ensures dedicated processing power for each user.
• Local Streamed Desktops leverage the local processing power of rich clients, while centralizing single-image management of the desktop. This is a quick and cost-effective way for anyone to get started with desktop virtualization by leveraging existing PC resources while keeping datacenter overhead to a minimum.
• Virtual Apps to Installed Desktops offer many of the ROI and management benefits of a fully virtualized desktop with minimal setup costs. Although virtual apps run on the local device, they managed centrally.

Regardless of what type of virtual desktop you pick for your users, user experience is the most important aspect of desktop virtualization. Based on Citrix's 20 years experience working with the end users, we are very sensitive to how users interact with their work environment. So when we created XenDesktop, a huge focus is placed on making the user experience much better than a local PC - with our HDX technology.

With regards to VDI being just another propaganda or niche solution. Gartner estimates by 2013, the desktop virtualization market will be at $65billion. And we are seeing this explosive growth at Citrix. There are real business issues our customers are addressing with desktop virtualization. You can see all these real world testimonials on our website.

My role allows me to speak with many different people (customers, technologists, coworkers, administrators, etc). I've been able to see presentations comparing the different desktop virtualization solutions out there.  One of the problems I see is that many of the solutions only focus on one aspect of desktop virtualization, and that is the VDI model. 

VDI is only one aspect of the entire desktop virtualization solution.  This is a concept that many fail to comprehend. For example, I attended Gartner ITExpo last week and was amazed at how many people I talked to only thought about the VDI scenario (you know VDI, allowing you to have a remote virtual desktop running on a hypervisor in the data center).  When I talked to people about the other options, I could see their eyes light up.  

If you are reading this and only know about the VDI version, the I suggest you take a look at FlexCast to get a better understanding at all of the different options out there (FYI, even the CIO magazine identifies there is more to desktop virtualization than VDI). But in a nutshell, here's the deal... desktop virtualization includes:

1. Hosted shared desktop
2. Hosted VM-based VDI desktop
3. Hosted blade PCs
4. Streamed local desktop
5. Virtual Apps to installed desktops
6. Local VM-based desktop

I want to focus on the Streamed local desktops scenario. This is the one that really got people's attention at Gartner.  Why?  Because most organizations do not do a big bang effect of replacing their end point devices. Instead, most have a rolling lifecycle where each year a portion of the endpoints are upgraded and over the course of 3-4 years the entire desktop environment has been upgraded. Once the process completes, it starts over, never ending.  
 
Let's now say you are embarking on a desktop virtualization project.  It seems like  a waste of resources and money to idle those desktops that are only 1 year old. They are powerful enough to run Windows 7 and the latest applications, so why would we not use the hardware we already have?  This is where the streamed local desktop comes in. It uses the same XenDesktop infrastructure, the same OS images, the same application layer and the same personalization layer.  The only thing that changed is the hardware layer.  
 
As money always seems to speak louder than words, think about it this way: If you have 3,000 desktops and they are replaced every 3 years on a rolling cycle, that means 1,000 of those desktop are less than 1 year old.  If you estimate 50-100 virtual desktops on a hypervisor (XenServer, ESX or Hyper-V) then you need 10-20 fewer physical servers, which is a substantial cost savings (and even greater if you are using a hypervisor that costs money).

So I encourage all of you to not think about the VDI-only solution but instead to look at your environment as a whole. Chances are you will see that VDI-only might work for you, but probably isn't the best way to run your business. Think about it this way... You can create documents in Notepad, but would you really base your business on a solution that only does one thing, or would you use a more complete solution like Microsoft Word that gives you options?  

Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions

• Twitter: @djfeller
• For the latest desktop virtualization information visit the Ask the Architect - Next-Generation site
• Questions - Then Ask The Architect

I have recently returned from Gartner ITExpo in Orlando.  It was quite interesting, especially some of the thoughts they had around the economy and impending recovery.  One thing stated during the conference should not be a surprise to anyone, during a recession you save your money by not taking on any new projects. By not implementing beneficial upgrades to your systems. By not delivering newer versions of your applications to users.  

This does have the benefit of saving money, but this can only go on for so long.  Eventually, your competitors will stop saving and start expanding. Where will you be?  

We are at a very unique inflection point that can have lasting ramifications to your IT infrastructure.  We are:

1. Coming out of a recession. We are very likely to see a slew of projects going across the tables to install this or upgrade that. So it is looking like the next 1-2 years will have IT taking on a lot of tactical projects.
2. Getting ready for a major operating system upgrade with Windows 7. Whether you are ready or not, Windows XP doesn't have much time left, and most people are skipping Windows Vista. How are you going to migrate?
3. Able to do things that were unheard of in previous years. We can virtualize a massive server into small chunks, we can do the same to an operating system, applications, and the user's personalization layer and deliver it to any type of device imaginable (phones, PCs, MACs).  

So what does this mean? It means you can continue running your environment like you have for the last 10-20-30 years, or you can ask yourself one simple questions: "Is there a better way?"

We have a very profound opportunity to correct the issues of the past.  And if we do it correctly, the resources required to update, maintain and support our environment will greatly reduce.  So when the next recession comes around, your organization will be ready with a fast and streamlined approach towards maintaining your IT environment as well as continuously providing new services.  But where to begin?  

Take a look at your infrastructure. What area requires a lot of time and resources to maintain?  Probably your desktop environment.  Let's investigate and fix it, but let's do it right.  Make sure you look at all aspects

1. The users: what do they need and how do they work
2. The devices: what type of devices, what capabilities
3. The locations: where are they located, what bandwidth pipes are available
4. The applications: how many are there, what level of dependencies do they have, who uses what

This information is critical.  This is what you need if you want to do the desktop virtualization solution correctly, from day 1.  Is it going to be something you can do in 10 minutes? No. Is it something you can implement in 1 hour? No. Why?  Because we are taking something that is seriously complex and trying to create a solution that can scale and simplify our lives. So during the next recession, we won't have to stop delivering new services, but can forge ahead and beat your competition with an entirely new delivery solution.  
Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions

• Twitter: @djfeller
• Ask the Architect - Next-Generation site
• Questions - Then Ask The Architect

We have had a great discussion going about user-installed applications and the need/risks associated with this type of solution. One of the comments I received in favor of allowing users to install applications was around Firefox. For those of you who don't use Firefox, there are thousands of add-ons a user can install to customize their browser experience. I personally have about five different add-ons configured with my Firefox implementation.

Now I've been advocating the need for IT to have a process in place that can handle the expansion of the application pool for the users as needed by:

1. Taking user requests for new applications/tools
2. Validating the need
3. Delivering in a timely manner

This is all well and good until we get to the topic of these add-ons. I don't expect any IT organization to have a requirement to support the add-ons. There are thousands of them. Think about it, do you really expect your IT to be spending time messing with these add-ons? And what would it look like for the user? A Firefox application with thousands of add-ons? CRAZY (I do wonder at what point that app would crash. Maybe need a MythBuster episode on it)

All of the sudden, I had a very enlightening experience. I just got my new XenDesktop 4 environment built. I went in an started to personalize my environment, including my 5 Firefox add-ons (remember I'm using pooled desktops from a single base image with roaming profiles). The next day, when I logged onto my virtual desktop, my Firefox starts up and BAM all of my add-ons are still there?!?!

I did some investigation into this. Well, this is an example of an intelligent application design. The add-ons are located within the user's profile (the roaming portion). User's are able to customize the Firefox application without any special tools/utilities. The discussion about Firefox and the add-ons is now a non-issue as the application manages this for us.

So, 1 application down, only 999,999 to go   The point is you need to test before deciding if something will or will not work.

Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions

• Twitter: @djfeller
• Ask the Architect - Next-Generation site
• Questions - Then Ask The Architect

There has been a lively discussion going on in the VDI related Blogosphere kicked off here by Dan Feller and Brian Madden here. This issue of whether or not to allow "User Installed apps "exemplifies the dichotomy that IT Pros struggle with architecting a system that meets the business challenges of security, cost, and compliance plus at the same time satisfying the needs of knowledge workers with high demands and expectations.

As VDI expands from task oriented deployments to broader general purpose PC replacement scenarios this issue is likely to gain more attention. Most companies don't condone user installed apps but many do allow users to have administrator rights to their work PC and may look the other way regarding what an individual installs on their own. When it comes time to virtualize everything for VDI however now they need to pay attention. But how big an issues it ?

Dan indicates from an IT best practice standpoint it is better to develop an effective workflow that speeds and automates the IT approval, packaging, and delivery of new apps that individuals need to be productive. Will knowledge workers accept this solution ? As the commenter's indicate, this works for some but not all situations. Brian Madden proposed another alternative, just give the power users a second VM for unique/personal apps. Keep the corporate VM pristine under IT control and let users have their own separate sandbox if warranted. This may be a bit of a brute force solution but would work If the costs are justified. I like it because I do it myself now, although I use lab VM's as a sandbox vs IT delivered VM's. The commenter's however also found issues with this solution due to costs plus compliance issues about what SW/data gets installed into those user VM's. Some offered up BYOC as a solution if users really needed their own environment. There are many 3rd parties looking to enable User Installed apps as well, however even if the technical challenges are solved will IT support/endorse/allow this? Let me put forth another option/proposal, sometimes when I'm on a system thats not mine or a thin client I connect to my home PC via GoToMyPC and keep it running as long as I need it. This gives me access to apps that are not provided by IT, I have all the freedom to install what ever I want and IT doesn't need to deal with infrastructure costs or compliance issues. Yes this assumes that the power user has their own powered on PC and GoToMyPC does not currently have all of the features I might want for this solution, but you get the idea.

Let us know what you situations you face, is it a problem and do you see a solution for it? If you have another idea or comments on the above, please share it.

It's been a very hectic week and a bit since Citrix announced XenDesktop 4. As owner of the Trade-up to XenDesktop 4 program for XenApp customers, I have been fielding lots of questions from partners, analysts, customers and Citrites as the word has been spreading rapidly. I thought it would be a good idea to follow up with a blog post series that captures many of the questions and answers.

Before I get into the first question, let me do a quick refresher on the program. First, the program is designed to make it very easy and attractive for any XenApp customer to trade-up to XenDesktop 4. Any customer, who is current on Subscription Advantage (SA) that Trades-up all their licenses to XenDesktop 4 at once, gets 2 XenDesktop 4 user or device licenses for every 1 XenApp concurrent license. The pricing is such that they save 80% off the purchase of new XenDesktop 4 licenses. If a customer doesn't want to trade up all their licenses at once, they can trade-up a portion of them and receive 1 XenDesktop 4 user or device license for every 1 XenApp CCU. Pricing is set such that the customer saves up to 70% off the purchase of new XenDesktop 4 licenses. In both cases, customers can use their existing SA renewal budget to fund the bulk of the Trade-up. This program is similar to the Upgrade to XenApp Platinum that we introduced to coincide with the launch of Platinum in Q1 of 2007 and was very well received by our customers. In fact approximately 70% of the upgrades to Platinum happened at SA renewal time.

If a customer has expired SA, no problem. They can Trade-up any Enterprise or Platinum licenses going back to MetaFrame XP. Pricing is set such that the customer saves up to 50% off the purchase of new XenDesktop 4 licenses.

In all cases, customers get another year of Subscription Advantage and when they renew, they do so at the lower XenDesktop 4 rate.

One of the first things that comes up is - "who should consider the Trade-up?" Before I answer, consider the following two key points. XenDesktop 4 contains all the functionality of XenApp (including the latest goodies introduces in XenApp 5 Feature Pack 2 like VM Hosted Apps, HDX enhancements for Flash and Power and Capacity Management) as well as all the latest XenDesktop 4 features (such as FlexCast Delivery Technologies). Customers who Trade-up and implement XenDesktop 4 can leverage all their XenApp experience to deliver apps the way they always have and full virtual desktops as well. What is even cooler is point two. If you Trade-up your licenses now, you don't have to implement XenDesktop 4 until you're ready. Your current XenApp implementation will run on your new XenDesktop 4 licenses. You can update your infrastructure when you're ready. One last little pitch. XenDesktop 4 works with any existing storage management and server virtualization infrastructure (including VMware).

All that said really any customer who has a concurrency ratio of 2:1 or less or multiple users per device should consider the Trade-up. If your organization is thinking about desktop virtualization now or in the future, you should consider the Trade-up. If you're about to embark on a desktop refresh with Win 7 and are looking at ways to reduce desktop management costs, consider the Trade-up.

Let's look at an example of a customer who has 1,000 licenses of XA Platinum at a 2:1 concurrency ratio and is considering Trade-up (Please note that prices here are SRP. No volume discounting has been applied). Of course, first thing they would do is go to the Trade-up calculator to check out the dynamics. If the customer Trades-up 100% of their licenses, they'd get the 2-for-1 and would have 2,000 XenDesktop 4 user or device licenses. To fund the Trade-up, they'd take their $50,000 of budgeted SA renewal and add $45,000. Now they have the ability to deliver full virtual desktops as well as applications. The renewal rate of SA the following year would be based on the $35/user or device and would be $70,000. Not bad considering they have more than twice the functionality they had before and double the number of licensed users or devices. Plus, the licensing flexibility gives the customer to provide access unlimited virtual devices per user or unlimited users per virtual device depending on whether they choose a per user or per device model.

We worked hard to make it easy for our customers to add desktop virtualization to their working XenApp implementations, to minimize risk and to reward them for their loyalty.

Probably enough for the first post. More to come.

Bill Hartwick, Sr. Director of Product Marketing for XenApp

Now that XenDesktop 4 includes numerous ways to deliver virtual desktops, (Greater description of the FlexCast technology), we need to take a look at how those applications are integrated into:

1. Hosted/Shared desktops
2. Hosted VM-based desktops (VDI)
3. Hosted Blade PC desktops
4. Local Streamed desktops
5. Virtual Apps to Installed desktops
6. Local VM-based desktops

(BTW, this also aligns with a CIO magazine article on Desktop Virtualization's 5 most important flavors) 

And this is a question that Cole M sent into Ask the Architect.  As always, the short answer is "It Depends", but I try to do a little better than that in the latest Ask the Architect Video. 

Daniel - Lead Architect

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    Three years ago, one of our premier customers came to us and asked us to build a platform that would allow them to deliver 3D applications remotely. There were a few products in the market at that time, both software and hardware based, that could support remote access for 3D graphics. But all of them required at least 5Mbps and latencies below 75 milliseconds. The customer's requirement was for us to build a solution that provided a usable experience with 2Mbps of bandwidth and tolerate up to 150ms round trip latency.    Thus began our journey to create the best 3D virtualization platform. The project has had many names over the years:  Pictor, Apollo and Prism. We have invested hundreds of man-years of effort and filed multiple patents. Today I am proud to say that we have accomplished what we set out to do three years ago. We have created XenDesktop 4 - a breakthrough desktop virtualization platform for 3D graphics.

    3D graphical applications, like CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, Autodesk, etc. are used daily by CAD/CAM designers in the manufacturing sector. Research scientists use 3D graphical applications for oil exploration in Oil and Natural Gas companies. These are computationally challenging applications that need high end GPUs (graphical processing units) manufactured by companies like nVIDIA and AMD. These applications often require the most advanced workstations - fastest possible CPU and GPU and the largest amount of memory.

    3D applications are difficult to virtualize because performance is key in these applications. The CPU-GPU interaction has been designed to optimally deliver the highest number of frames per second (fps). Any software that is inserted in the middle can reduce the fps delivered to the user and cause a poor user experience. For example, for some complex models with hundreds of thousands of rendering triangles the workstation may create 2-3 frames per second. If the virtualization platform reduces the display rate to 1-2 fps, the difference is perceptible, and the end user will not want to use the application.

    In XenDesktop 4, we have extended the latency tolerance optimizations already presented in our HDX technology and added a few new compression algorithms, including some that use the GPU itself to do compression. The result is a 3D virtualization platform that meets the market requirements and delivers the best possible user experience. On the LAN, our solution can perform even better than locally installed applications, because server side GPUs can be more powerful than desktop GPUs. On the WAN there is no other solution that can deliver a usable experience at 2Mbps with 150 ms round trip latency.

    You will see this technology platform bear fruit in other areas that affect larger numbers of users. The new Microsoft OS - Windows 7  - leverages the GPU to deliver cool 3D graphical user interfaces. Our experience with high-end 3D graphics will help us effectively solve these problems for millions of users as they migrate to Windows 7. Stay tuned.

Did Brian Maddenmake a valid point about VDI and desktop virtualization that most people missed?  

Brian discussed a VDI€‰challenge, user-installed applications, which was in response to a desktop virtualization postI recently wrote about the same topic. Brian's premise was that each user needs to be able to install their own applications and should be allocated 2 virtual desktops:

1. First one locked down by IT
2. Second one is open where users would have full control

When I first read this I thought, well yes that would work but talk about a nightmare situation.  Many of the comments posted were extremely funny and I encourage you to read them (especially the one that said "Steve Ballmer must be smiling"). But seriously, if you think about what Brian is saying, it does have validity, if done correctly.

Sure there are tools/solutions that can allow users to install their own applications but we should not open the flood-gates and allow users to install whatever they desire. Not only are you looking at a management nightmare, but you are also looking at security risks, legal risks, and productivity risks.  What I can see happening is an environment that is suited to what the user needs. Something like the following...

1. Each user gets their IT-delivered desktop that includes all known corporate applications.  These applications are delivered into the desktop either through installation, streaming or hosting.  Users will inevitably try to install apps/plugins/tools into the corporate-delivered desktop.  The app will work until the user reboots (assuming shared image mode).  Once rebooted, the app is gone and the cycle starts again.  If the application is a new business requirement, there must be an IT process in place where users can request a new application. IT must have SLA's in place that allows them to assess the validity of the request, profile the application and deliver it to the virtual desktop in a timely manner (a few days to a week). Until the application is ready for delivery by IT, the user can continue to install or request a second virtual desktop (step 2 below).
2. Each user has the "ability" to self-service a second virtual desktop that can be used as a "playground".  Many power users have a need to install, test, evaluate different tools to make their jobs easier. Most users only need these applications for a few days or weeks, at least until a project is complete. Other users only need the application until IT is able to properly deliver the application into their corporate-delivered desktop.   This is where a second virtual desktop, i.e. a self-service desktop, could be requested. This is something like Brian recommended, 2 desktops. But the second desktop is only used if it is needed and requested through a self-service process. Of course because IT does not know what users will do to this desktop, proper security precautions must be taken into account.  With this option, users would have the ability to:
   1. Select the OS
   2. Select the life of the desktop (days, weeks or months)
   3. In the background, workflows are initiated that creates a new desktop, assign it to the user, and allow changes to be stored within the writable, user image.  When the timeframe expires, the desktop is deleted from existence.  

This option solves many of the challenges users experience in a virtual desktop world.  How to install temporary applications. How to use a new business application until IT is able to assess and deliver it properly.  

The point is that we must understand the users and their needs.  Most users can get along perfectly well with the applications delivered from IT.  But a sizeable portion of the user group needs autonomy, freedom, experimentation... A Playground. The one size desktop does not fit all.  Some user's might have two different desktops, others only 1.  We need to change the way we think about delivering desktops to users.  And in order to meet user expectations, we need systems (technical and process oriented) in place that can accommodate the users in a timely manner.

• Twitter: @djfeller
• Ask the Architect - Next-Generation site
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Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions

Summary of announcement

Today Citrix announced XenDesktop 4 - a complete desktop virtualization solution to address the needs of all users across an enterprise. XenDesktop 4 includes on-demand apps by XenApp as well as FlexCast delivery technology offering different methods to deliver desktops tailored to meet the performance, security and flexibility requirements of each user. In the future we will also see XenClient to further extend our desktop virtualization strategy to include local VM-based desktops. XenDesktop 4 will be available under a new simpler per user license model more in line to support desktop deployments. XenApp will continue to be available standalone with today's CCU model. We are also providing incentives to move to a XenDesktop license. Since XenApp application virtualization is a critical component of our desktop virtualization strategy we will continue to invest in it with additional capabilities on the horizon as early as the first half of 2010. 

Wham! There you have it, finally a single product option.  Something that I have wanted for a long time to address a far broader range of use cases and truly enable desktop virtualization that goes beyond a simplistic one dimensional VDI view of the world.

So what are those use cases and drivers?

I've written in a past blog the time is now! about why I feel WIndows 7 is a long awaited stimulus to drive the next desktop refresh. In addition, the analyst data I have seen strongly indicates that 2010 will be the year of the PC refresh after years of skipped upgrades. This I believe will lead to many more people seeking to understand how desktop virtualization fits into to their strategic plans to ensure that they make the right investments in 2010 for their IT infrastructure as the economy begins to recover.

When I talk about drivers for desktop and application virtualization to customers from CIO to hardcore techie, I generally find that everything fits into three buckets. Here are some common perspectives that I have shared that resonate with our real world customers who are implementing at scale today.

Business Perspective

• Simplify business continuity and build it into the core architecture.
• Enable quicker and easier office moves and enable mobility from any connection from a broad device set.
• Invest in M & A and global expansion.
• Enforce stronger data standards and security through centralization.
• Drive increased consistency, more efficient staff based on location.
• Enable outsourcing.

User Experience Perspective

• Ensure consistency of user experience across any network. WAN and bandwidth matter.
• Improves performance when latencies are managed down by moving apps closer to the desktop.
• Enable telecommuting and access from any device/connection.
• Recover faster from faults to increase productivity.
• Introduce new productivity models like BYOPC.

Technology Perspective

• Leverage power and cooling efficiencies in the data center to reduce costs.
• Consolidate data centers and extend reach of existing data centers.
• Build greener user buildings in metropolitan areas and reduce carbon foot print.
• Reduce complexity in workplace and datacenter management OpEx by reducing the # of instances to manage.
• Ensure reliability of simple clients to reduce helpdesk calls and end user break fix visits.
• Reduce management costs and risk for infrequently connected devices such as laptops.

Once people start to understand the potential from their respective points of view, it usually boils down to desktop virtualization is a way to drive costs down over time and increase productivity very quickly.

To solve for the above use cases with the current distributed computing model is very difficult. Primarily this is because at scale distributed computing is complex to manage with a lot of overhead and many moving parts. This then leads to many points of control to make a change - flexibility is next to impossible. All this adds up to slow time to value for anything that needs to get done quickly, and hence the model is not very agile.

When it comes down to picking the right technology option to enable a new desktop model, the predictability and performance over a diverse network infrastructure become key considerations. Many customers realize that to reduce support complexity and achieve service delivery consistency it is better to use a technology that addresses the majority of your use cases.  If you truly understand the above use cases, it becomes obvious that to truly leverage your investment, WAN and smart utilization of bandwidth is a must. I'd argue it is the lowest common denominator, and  it takes more than a protocol to deliver the best possible user experience. For example, working in the office you may be on a LAN or MAN depending on the location of your data center, but when you travel or go home network latency and bandwidth matter. If you have to switch display protocols with varying bandwidth requirements from site to site then the complexity of supporting this when a user calls just erodes the cost benefits. In addition, some customers simply reject the idea of implementing solutions that lock them into proprietary client hardware solutions, or hypervisors as they lose price leverage. Many customers have told me that they want technologies that let them choose what type of client device to run on and hypervisor choice. That could be a Thinclient or simply a repurposed commodity PC, but with a mature protocol that is proven to run over diverse networks and uses bandwidth intelligently. Similarly these customers understand that hypervisor diversity is inevitable and so want to invest in management layers that support this coming trend.

Today Citrix has a range of HDX technologies to address a plethora of user experience use cases. We also run our solutions on multiple hypervisors and on physical hardware. This is why we are winning large XenDesktop customers including a 100,000 seat deal that we recently closed.

Is XenDesktop needed since XenApp also enables desktop and application delivery?

Not having XenDesktop 4 resulted in an artificial TS vs. VDI debate thanks to Citrix that has just continued to brew. Yes it's true, XenApp can host desktops and apps on a server operating system, so this leads to the logical question why do I need XenDesktop? In a blog last week on Brian Madden's site this sentiment was highlighted once again. I believe this is now a moot debate. With XenDesktop 4, it really does not matter which model you choose.  What's more important to understand is that you choose the right model to address your business need that fits the right economics and time to market for you.

Despite my pre-XenDesktop implementation experience and choices due to technology availability, I've always wanted and believed in a move towards a desktop OS. Why? It was largely driven by:

• It's a desktop.  It makes the most sense to deliver it with a desktop OS and avoid any issues or optimizations that may come up in the future that I may not have been aware of.
• App compatibility is not a problem on a single session desktop OS. Yes you can use 1-1 XenApp, but for reason 1 I still prefer a desktop OS.
• 3rd party vendor support is not an issue on a desktop operating system.
• Consistent service delivery of running a desktop OS across all use cases. This includes users being familiar with their Laptop OS - corporate or personal.
• Reason 3 above makes it easier for in house developers to adopt.

Now that said, I've lived through large scale XenApp desktop and application deployments and seen that the app compatibility issue is marginal after 20 years of Citrix pioneering the Server Based Computing model. Most vendors support their software on multi user operating systems like Window 2003 and 2008 and XenApp 5 Feature Pack 2 now addresses those edge cases by enabling VM hosted applications delivered from a desktop OS.

However there is a twist. In my opinion this is the advent of Windows 2008 R2 - only available as a x64 operating system. This presents several additional considerations.

First, how fast is the world going to move all their desktop applications to a x64 operating system and have the hardware on the backend to host x64 desktops and apps? Note I did not say application compatibility, because based on my experience most x32 applications run just fine on a x64 Windows operating system. There is some repackaging and testing to be done, and there are of course exceptions like apps with 16 bit installers etc. but in general I have not seen compelling evidence to suggest that this will not work for the vast majority of apps.

Second, Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 7 share the same code base. At the technical level their kernels are the same version. Thank you Microsoft for finally pulling this off! This will vastly improve application compatibility. At a very high level of assurance I can be confident that applications re-packaged for Windows 7 will run just fine on Windows 2008 R2. Now customers can choose what is most comfortable based on their requirements (well they will once we release XenApp for x64 which is slated for beta towards the end of 2009) because it really does not matter - their investment moving to either operating system is well protected from an application compatibility perspective.

Finally, for users on XP or Vista, I don't know of anybody new who at this point will adopt desktop virtualization by migrating to Windows 2003 given the effort to get all your applications re-certified and then do it again when Windows 2003 will reach end of life in a few years. It's just not worth it. Windows 2008 x32 is certainly an option, but again to ease the application migration effort it seems more prudent to me to get your applications ready for Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 to future proof yourself and have application portability between the operating systems.

Now I fully expect many people reading this to say, but I want to do X with operating system Y for reason Z. That's ok, and clearly as I elude to above, given the world is so diverse it's foolish to assume a single prescription and proclaim this is how you do it. As I illustrate below, XenDesktop 4 let's you choose the best model for solving real world business problems. I like to think of it as a sliding scale that is a pragmatic realization by Citrix that customers want many ways to skin a cat. I believe this flexibility will enable our products to be more easily consumed now that every use case can be addressed irrespective of your OS choice, application compatibility concerns or x32 vs x64 belief system - all with the most predictable user experience powered by HDX.

Key considerations and takeaways

Virtualization is already forcing a datacenter re-architecture. I would argue that those who do not believe virtualization is a force driving consolidation in the data center that has past the hype and inertia stage are in the minority. As this shift happens it is very important to design your virtual infrastructure and organization to handle desktop scale and service levels. I've blogged about this in the past desktop virtualization is not server virtualization. And I can't begin to emphasize enough how important this point is. It's a mistake to think desktop virtualization is a simple extension of your existing server virtual infrastructure.

The forces of globalization, offshoring, teleworking, mobility, and green are causing more users to be mobile. Forces such as consolidation, data security, business continuity, and green are driving us towards centralization. Business are becoming more complex and diverse, and the distributed computing model will only get more expensive to manage and is not designed to handle the needs of an agile organization that requires a lot of flexibility.

As a result, XenDesktop 4 is a landmark release in our history. It brings together the best technologies and reaffirms our commitment to enable customers to deliver IT as a service with desktop and application virtualization. XenDesktop 4 demonstrates how at Citrix we understand that desktop virtualization is so much more than just VDI. This is at the very heart of where we have come from as an organization over the last 20 years. It's in our DNA how to deliver user experience over diverse infrastructure, and this is just the beginning. We continue to innovate and expand our reach through diverse devices, HDX, new delivery models such as Dazzle, continued investment in application delivery and so much more to come. It's an incredibly exciting time for us at Citrix, now that we've stepped up to heal the broken hearts of TS vs. VDI and enable a new tomorrow that represents pragmatic choice.

The launch of Windows 7 fills me with dread and excitement. The dread comes from coordinating Citrix Global Platinum sponsorship of this launch with North America Roadshows, Virtual Live Events, TechEd EMEA and local launch events. The excitement comes from the promise of Windows 7 after the relative disappointment of Vista (I must stress the word "relative"), as the performance of Windows 7 is definitely promising to live up to the hype.  

So, why would Microsoft invite Citrix to be a Global Launch Partner for an operating system launch?

Normally when you want a new OS, you just go on the web, buy a new PC, and use the CD to install the OS or, if you are like me and technologically incompetent, you get your IT Department to install it. However, the technology landscape has shifted. Now there is an alternative way to get your instant Windows 7 desktop with Citrix and Microsoft Desktop Virtualization, which delivers Windows desktops as an on-demand service to any user, on any device, anywhere.

The combination of Citrix and Microsoft gives customers the fastest way to deliver Windows 7 realizing benefits of increased efficiency and simplified IT Management. In addition Citrix HDX Technology offers up to 10X better Flash multimedia performance compared to alternative solutions, delivering a user experience that is indistinguishable from a local PC.

7 Ways to get up to speed on Citrix and Microsoft Desktop Virtualization for Windows 7

1. Check out the Citrix Desktop Virtualization Live, "Secrets, Lies and VDI" event on the 20^th October - register here

2. Attend the "Harness The Power of Virtualization" events with guest speakers from Citrix, Microsoft, Intel and HP - register here

3. Microsoft New Efficiency Virtual Live Event

4. North America Windows 7 Roadshows in 65 Cities for Technical Decision Makers and IT Professionals

5. Microsoft Tech EMEA

6. Check out your local events

7. Check out Win7 Community Central to see how the Citrix Partner Ecosystem helps deliver Windows 7 - Click here

After my first blog, I received a few comments focused about user-installed applications and how there isn't much talk about them.  Faisal posted a comment that stated he was doing a pilot with XenDesktop.  Right now the biggest complaint is that users can't install their own "personal" applications  and this is one of the big questions regarding virtual desktops.  We had a few comments from others wanting to know the same thing (some really good posts). Well, here are my thoughts

With a physical desktop model, users could essentially do just about anything to their workstation.  How much of a good thing was this?  It makes the user happy, but what are the associated risks? 

1. Managing the endpoint became a nightmare. Hard to know what application conflicts will ensue with these unknown applications.
2. Introduction of viruses, malware, spyware, etc.  Many of the applications users install are freeware/shareware from untrustworthy sites.  If it is on the desktop, does it now have the freedom to inflict damage to the rest of the network?
3. Workstations became bloated and eventually slowed to a crawl resulting in IT having to completely rebuild the workstation.
   

Let's now move to the desktop virtualization model.  If we are using hosted virtual desktops, that typically means the desktop is now operating within the confines of the data center.  If you allow users to install applications onto their hosted virtual desktop, in my opinion, you might as well just open the doors to your data center and let anyone in because that is what you are doing if you let users install anything.  Doesn't that concern you?  If not, try telling this to a security person within the organization. After they recover from their stroke, they will tell you why this is not a good idea.

Now I'm not saying that we can't and shouldn't allow user-installed applications, I just want to make sure everyone understands the risks with doing such a thing.  With the 3rd party solutions that are out there (AppSense and Atlantis Computing were mentioned in the comments from a previous blog post), my question would be

1. How do we protect the data center from unknown apps.
2. How do we keep the virtual desktop optimized and supportable. I don't want manage more bloated desktops By the way, this makes a great case for a Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC or BYOPC) model.
   

I do just want to add one more point.  I've been using a hosted virtual desktop for about 2 months now with a shared disk, so any changes I make (application installs) go away after reboot.  Truthfully, I haven't had much of a problem.  I did need to download and install a few freeware tools to help me finish a project, but I only used those items for about 2 hrs.  The nice thing, in this instance, was after I rebooted, they were gone.  I don't plan on using them again. And if I do, I'll just re-install. Of course this isn't an application I need. 

So the final question is should we really allow user-installed applications to persist or should we have a process in place where IT can quickly virtualize and deliver these applications to the respective users through a standardized application delivery approach?   

Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/djfeller
Follow me in the Blogs: http://community.citrix.com/blogs/citrite/danielf
  

What's new in desktop virtualization?  Well, lots of announcements from different vendors trying to peddle their wares, but I haven't seen or read anything very thought provoking. 
<rant> (Man, I'm totally geeking out here)

I'm trying to keep abreast of the latest happenings in the desktop virtualization space from a design and architecture perpsective, but honestly, there isn't much.  There are tons of solutions out there, some better than others. There are many point solutions out there that solve 1 issue for desktop virtualization.  Heck, even Brian Madden commented about the one-hit wonders in a recent blog. 

I'm also on twitter (@djfeller) and I try to follow VDI/Desktop Virtualization, I have Google Reader alerts setup (You can follow my shared items but there isn't much I've found useful). What do I typically see? One post about a new feature, then I see it retweeted a zillion times (Ok, I'm exaggerating a little, but still).  I see articles about why companies aren't doing the VDI/Desktop Virtualization thing yet.  Why? It's not because there aren't solutions. There are. They might not solve every use case, but they can solve some for some users. So what's the holdup?   No one is showing them how to get it done. 

It's time for a REAL discussion. Let's start focusing on designing a desktop virtualization solution.

</rant>

I'm not going to lie to you and tell you desktop virtualization is easy. It won't be a walk in the park unless your park is full of mountains, rivers, mosquitoes, coyotes, wolfs and bears.  So, why would we attempt to do something like this? Because the alternative is even worse. With so many different user requirements you can quickly see how the current distributed desktop environment is a disaster waiting to happen (or already happened over and over again).

But let's not dwell on the ugliness of the current model. Let's instead focus on designing a better solution.  Let's start talking about design, and my oh my there is a lot to talk about, which is why I'm about to start a blog series on designing a desktop virtualization solution with XenDesktop.  I plan to focus on the main design decision areas and giving you my thoughts and recommendations based on what I've seen so far. I'm positive many of you have seen different things, which I encourage you to comment so we all can learn. 

This should be a great series and I can't wait to hear some of your comments.  (BTW, I got a lot of great comments for all of you during our Provisioning Services for XenApp blog series and hope to get the same level of feedback.)

Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/djfeller
Follow me in the Blogs: http://community.citrix.com/blogs/citrite/danielf
  

On the run up to VMworld 2009, there seems to be an increasing amount of activity on the subject of user personalization in VDI. Gartner has written about dynamic workspace includng user personalization as a key element of the stack. What does it mean? What is user personalization all about? And, where does it need to be? Let's take a closer look.

Aren't all PCs supposed to be personalized? What's the big deal?

Personalization of the desktop is really all about making the working experience for the user as effective as possible. Sure this means users have photos of their family or favorite sports team as their wallpaper, but personalization is more than that! Think about all the things you have done to make your personal computer your own - from toolbar settings to your email signature, to applications you have installed since being supplied with your machine. Then think about how IT is able to manage the user-specific component of this machine - corporate policy, user access rights, PC lifecycle management, patching and security updates. It's a constant struggle between IT who needs to manage the PC and the user to wants to personalize it. The more personal the PC, the less control IT has over that machine and the more expensive it becomes to manage.

Does desktop virtualization help or hurt the cause for users?

The emergence of desktop virtualization provides a real opportunity to address this long-standing struggle. Those assets of the desktop that are common to many users, including corporate OS and apps, can now be standardized and automatically delivered 'on-demand' to users from a central source. In fact, the only way to get scalable and cost effective virtual desktops is with single instance management of the corporate OS and applications - as with Citrix XenDesktop. A 'corporate' OS can be dynamically provisioned into a virtual image, and likewise, corporate applications can be delivered on-demand onto the virtual desktop as needed. The result? A scalable, low-management, low-storage, low-cost corporate desktop for all employees. The third key component of this scalable virtual desktop is personalization - so that you can make each user's virtual desktop personal.

So, how do you pick the right solution?

Based on my interactions with customers successfully implementing virtual desktops, I have come to a conclusion that there are 5 key requirements that you need to consider for delivering personalized virtual desktops:

1. Starting with managed user profiles or equivalent - A system that can store user settings and personalization changes. A system that can provide an easy and fast way to manage the settings for users. This is included as part of XenDesktop and gets you started with your personalized virtual desktops.
2. Getting On-demand 'personality' - To increase the responsiveness of the desktop and logon, only provide parts of the user personality required by the user at the time when needed. Why load what a user is not going to use?
3. Allowing user-centric configuration - This may be a bit counter-intuitive to personalization; however, role based configuration is a critical component of making every user's desktop 'personal'. It starts with configuring which applications a user has access to. XenDesktop (with XenApp as an application management system) offers the ability to control the applications. IT may need more granular control - such as what printers users will need and what drives they can access.
4. System self-healing from user errors - To be able to automatically roll back to pre-configured user settings in case any personalized changes made by zero conflict centralized configurations.
5. Ensuring visibility - Giving IT the ability to see into the user environment and solve potential problems before the user gets involved creates a continuously improving desktop estate as well as reducing costs

How do you get it going?

We have included #1 and parts of #3 in Citrix XenDesktop. To address other requirements that cover comprehensive enterprise-level control and management of personalization, I have seen customers successfully use the combined solution of Citrix XenDesktop and AppSense Environment Management to good effect. In addition, AppSense Environment Management is also able to offer Enterprise-level scale to cover not just your virtual desktops but also your physical environments, or environments where you may be using multiple technologies such as XenApp published/hosted or streamed apps to physical PCs and XenDesktop.

So when you hear about 'user personalization' or 'user profiles', look deeper into the details of what's being discussed. Successful (low-cost, high adoption) VDI requires the ability to use a single instance of OS and apps on demand across an entire company. I have seen that customers have successfully combined Citrix XenDesktop with AppSense Environment Management to ensure user adoption across all platforms for thousands of users, and it's being considered as the most complete solution for delivering personalized virtual desktops.

What to expect in coming weeks?

I expect to see more point solutions and some technology acquisitions and OEMs. However, they have two fundamental shortcomings, in my opinion:

• They are built only with the perspective of user personalization. Any user personalization product needs a solid desktop virtualization solution.

• They solve one of the requirements I listed above and may not be enough to address all of enterprise requirements.

As you are doing your assessment on personalization, I encourage you to review this list of requirements that I have seen in successful implmentations of virtual desktops. Also, I'd love to hear your comments on other requirements around personalization that I haven't covered here.

The question of VDI use cases, customer awareness, and Desktop Virtualization has been a hot topic lately at Citrix. Harry Labana's blog post did a great job describing the differences in Desktop Virtualization and Server Virtualization. In addition to the positive reviews a few commenter's have also brought up some scenarios we have been considering but have not made available to date. Specifically we have been discussing ways to make HDX more pervasive and useful to IT Pro's and users. HDX has significant benefits and we want the broader industry to try it out and get a taste of XenDesktop.

Many in the community may recall a Citrix project called PortICA which led to a component of XenDesktop providing a direct ICA connection from a Client OS ( XP or Vista ) to any endpoint with the ICA client. Outside of Citrix developers & testers ( and a few others ) who find this very useful, we have not opened up this stand alone capability to the world. If we did make this available, meaning an MSI including the enhanced HDX features that could be installed inside a client OS which could connect directly ( no broker ) to any device with the Citrix Receiver and proper network configuration. The question is what would you use it for ? Would this lead to increased XenDesktop adoption? Some of the XenDesktop product and demo scenarios we have considered or heard are listed below. Please let us know your vote and help describe some new use cases as well.

( Note that this is simply a survey and does not imply what plans we may or may not have )

Also check out Brian Madden's post on the topic and additional commenters views.

http://twitter.com/chrisfleck

In case you have not been following some of the recent news on VDI and desktop virtualization, here is a recap.

Two contradictory stories

It all started about 2 weeks ago when Citrix and VMware shared the status of VDI business. There were two contradictory stories - Citrix announced some large purchases and implementations for Citrix XenDesktop and VMware announced that larger projects are being pushed out to 2010.

VDI is doomed for failure

Then came some reports on how VDI projects have recently failed. I like calling these not so successful VDI projects as 'first generation' architectures that are destined for failure. As the author notes that these projects start 'innocently' - with the goal of putting a desktop on top of the existing server virtualization platofrm. In other words 'We have done server virtualization - we can now do the same for the desktop'. Unfortunately, that is where the problem starts. Recently, Brian Madden published a story highlighting the problem. Two weeks ago, I heard customers sharing their frustrations and concerns about why desktop virtualization is different from server virtualization.

The Truth

I spoke with our CTO, Harry Labana, and Harry walked me through the top 5 reasons why in his experience VDI projects will fail if they are done with a presumption that desktop virtualization is similar to server virtualization.

The fact is that implementing Desktop virtualization or VDI is mre like implementing any other server based computing technology, such as Terminal Services. The VDI infrastructure that may be resident in the data center; however, it goes beyond the data center to the network, the end points and the user. So, unless the implementations are planned with network, device and end users in mind they are destined to fail. Good design, on the other hand, will lead to successful implementations. But that means doing the right due-diligence of products up front - including network, end points and end users. Or else you will fall into the similar trap as others are falling into.

Follow me on Twitter

Well, for those of you who were able to attend Burton Catalyst 2009 in San Diego the other week, you probably noticed the number of sessions focused on VDI.  The first one I want to talk about is McHenry Savings Bank and their move to VDI.  Based on the discussion, their pre-VDI deployment consisted of the following:

• 130 Desktops purchased in 2001
• Windows 2000 SP4
• 1 Day desktop creation time
• No device consistency

 
Although this is not a large desktop environment, they do run very lean with 2 people managing the entire IT environment, which includes hardware, networking, IP phones, ATMs, desktops and software. As you can imagine, these two people have their hands full and probably had little time to focus on improving the environment because they were spending most of their time in a support fashion.
 
What I found particularly fascinating about their VDI story was not so much about the infrastructure and VDI solution they used but what they used as a success criteria: electricity.  Many of the benefits I've seen in VDI is based on simplification. Using a single desktop image for hundreds of users simplifies support.  But in their solution, they used a 1:1 relationship between user/VM (each user had their own unique VM).  Over 3 years they said they had cost savings of roughly $23,000 over 3 years just for the desktop device due to the low power consumption of the desktop appliance (I do question these numbers as they did not take into account the power consumption of their new servers that are used to virtualize the desktop).  
 
They also broke down the costs (including desktop hardware) and showed a net savings of $19,000 over 3 years, but again they failed to take into account the cost of the 8 servers that would host the virtual desktops.
 
From my perspective, one of the more interesting points were the challenges with VDI, which I believe is important for any one considering a move to VDI. Based on the solution they selected, the following were their challenges:

• Graphic intensive applications and speed issues across the WAN
• Centralization of virtual desktops not possible over limited WAN bandwidth
• No Central location of all VMs. (VM Sprawl)
• Some limitations on peripheral support
• Finding weaknesses in local LAN as it is now critical

I think when looking at a VDI solution, you need to consider the branch office. What impact will the WAN have on VDI plans? Can the transport protocol used provide enough resilience and responsiveness over WAN connections?  
 
But one thing is definite based on the story McHenry Savings Bank told, delivering a new desktop to a user is now as easy as plugging in a device.  That is truly a huge improvement. Nice work
 
Note: This blog was brought to you from a hosted XenDesktop virtual desktop with a XenApp-streamed Firefox browser.

Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/djfeller
Follow me in the Blogs: http://community.citrix.com/blogs/citrite/danielf

Do you have a desktop virtualization design or architecture question? Then Ask the Architect

What is it?

Many times when people are looking at a solution or trying to create a design, they have a question as it relates to their environment.  Although there are numerous documents and best practices on the Citrix knowledge base, many of these are based on a "recommended architecture" which typically does not look like many of your environments.  This is where Ask the Architect comes in.  If you have a question regarding your desktop virtualization project, send an email to AskTheArchitect@Citrix.com.  (HINT: Make your questions short and to the point.)  Based on your email question, we will strive to find you an answer and post a video on CitrixTV (because many other people will have similar questions).  The answers will be brief and to the point, less than 5 minutes (we don't want to bore you and we still have lots of other things to do too).

What it is not?

The desktop virtualization Ask the Architect is not a way to get a complete desktop virtualization design. For a full-scale design, I would recommend you get in touch with Citrix Consulting, who have already been instrumental in designing some of the largest desktop virtualization solutions. It is also not a troubleshooting forum, as there are already many forums for those items (plus I've never heard of any Citrix products having issues )

Who is Ask the Architect? 

This is a big question. You don't want to send in an email and have it answered by a marketing or sales person who tells you to buy another product. You want someone who has designed complex solutions.  This is why Ask the Architect is not 1 person, but many.  Based on the question submitted, the most experienced Citrix Architects from our Consulting organization will create an Ask the Architect video post and submit it to CitrixTV for all to see. 

How to Get Stared?

Start watching the Ask the Architect series on CitrixTV.

• Episode I: VDI and PVS for Multiple Remote Sites: http://www.citrix.com/tv/#video/882  

Email: AskTheArchitect@Citrix.com
Note: This blog was brought to you from a hosted XenDesktop virtual desktop with a XenApp-streamed Firefox browser.  

Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/djfeller
Follow me in the Blogs: http://community.citrix.com/blogs/citrite/danielf