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Many organizations have a need to give certain remote workers access to 3D graphics and imaging applications, but that has been a big challenge in the past. Managing high-end graphics workstations at remote locations isn't easy. And even if the user has the right equipment, pulling up large design drawings (potentially millions of vertices) from a central database over a network connection can be agonizingly slow. On top of that, the company's intellectual property may be exposed because the data has to be sent over the network to the user's workstation.
Citrix solved these challenges for 2D and lightweight 3D graphics with the introduction of SpeedScreen Progressive Display in XenApp PS 4.5 (also included in XenDesktop), and since then we have been working on combining our remoting technologies with 3D graphics hardware acceleration. One of the new technologies being developed under the Citrix Multimedia Virtualization Initiative is Apollo Accelerated Bitmap Remoting (ABR), and we're about to unveil our second Tech Preview of Apollo ABR on October 27, 2008. Whereas our first Tech Preview release was focused on demonstrating the ability to deliver DirectX applications and Vista Aero desktops with full animation and glass effects, this new release is all about delivery over DSL-like WAN/Internet connections. This will allow organizations to effectively deliver high-end 3D graphics and imaging applications to remote users who have standard PCs or recent-model desktop appliances. Centralization allows organizations to protect their intellectual property and reduce IT management costs and complexity. It even opens up the potential for organizations to recruit professionals from around the world.
Apollo ABR is a XenDesktop-based technology that leverages a graphics processing unit (GPU) on the host workstation in the delivery center to render 3D graphics. Users connect through the XenDesktop Desktop Delivery Controller. A special version of the XenDesktop plugin (client) has been created for Apollo ABR to optimize the user experience over DSL-like network connections (2-6 Mbps).
If your organization would like to evaluate Apollo ABR Tech Preview 2, please review the information on our web page and complete the application form. Applications will be evaluated according to match against Citrix's objectives for the Tech Preview program, variety and graphics-intensity of applications, and resource availability for support.
Derek Thorslund
Product Strategist, Multimedia Virtualization
Comments (5)
Oct 22, 2008
Blair Robinson says:
Hi Derek, Are you saying that the Host end of the Apollo technology is hardware...Hi Derek,
Are you saying that the Host end of the Apollo technology is hardware-based? Does this imply that physical machines must be used to host the workstation O/S?
BR
Oct 22, 2008
Derek Thorslund says:
Hi Blair, Currently, none of the hypervisors enable guest VMs to access a GPU....Hi Blair,
Currently, none of the hypervisors enable guest VMs to access a GPU. The hypervisor and graphics vendors are working on GPU Virtualization technology to support that. In the mean time, you need a physical workstation (e.g. blade or rack workstation) at the host end if you require GPU hardware acceleration.
Derek
Oct 26, 2008
Blair Robinson says:
Thanks, Derek, very interesting indeed. Would it theoretically be possible...Thanks, Derek, very interesting indeed. Would it theoretically be possible to use GPU hardware acceleration and Apollo-style graphics delivery on Terminal Services / XenApp, if the server was physical?
BR
Oct 27, 2008
Derek Thorslund says:
Actually, that's what project Pictor has been developing. Citrix Virtual Design ...Actually, that's what project Pictor has been developing. Citrix Virtual Design Studio, based on our Pictor technology for OpenGL graphics, uses GPU hardware acceleration on the XenApp platform on Windows Server 2003 64-bit Terminal Services. See citrix.com/vds or check out my video blog post with Lee Laborczfalvi.
Feb 07, 2009
Anonymous says:
You should try www.StreamMyGame.com they have free software to make games and 3D...You should try www.StreamMyGame.com they have free software to make games and 3D apps available remotely. You can go from NTSC up to 3200 pixel but i'm guessing you will need some serious hardware for these really high resolutions.
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