Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a comprehensive solution that enables organizations to securely deliver applications and desktops to users, regardless of location or device, and empowers organizations to enhance productivity and adapt to evolving business needs. Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops support various deployment models, including on-premises, cloud-hosted, or hybrid environments. This page lists articles related to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

Tech Insights

Tech Insights are short, 10-15-minute videos explaining a technology, a feature, a function with foundational technical insights, and a visual walkthrough of the technology.

App Layering - User Layers - User layers persist user profile settings, data, and user-installed applications in non-persistent VDI environments.

Citrix Profile Management - Storage Management - Profile management solutions provide a flexible way to virtualize user profile data and face challenges. Citrix Profile Management provides three storage features (File deduplication, Profile Containers, and Container sizing and auto expansion) to help utilize profile storage more effectively.

Citrix Terraform Provider - Learn how using the Citrix Terraform provider can help you manage and deploy Citrix resources, including Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops (CVAD) and Citrix Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solutions.

Federated Authentication Service - Single Sign-on to Windows-based virtual apps and desktops using a non-Active Directory-based Citrix Workspace identity.

HDX - A set of technologies ensuring an unparalleled user experience when accessing virtual Windows/Linux applications and desktops.

Remote PC Access - Remote PC Access allows users to access their physical, office-based Windows PC from remote locations.

Workspace Environment Management - Workspace Environment Management monitors and analyzes user and application behavior in real time, then intelligently adjusts system resources to improve the user experience.

Tech Briefs

Tech Briefs are short overview documents that explain a technology, feature, or function in addition to a technical diagram.

Autoscale - Explore the various ways Citrix enables admins to save on cost when hosting workloads in the cloud. Learn about different load-balancing algorithms and scaling methodologies and how much they can save in an environment based on our tests.

User Layer Management Utility - VHD to VHDX Conversion - Learn how the User Layer Management Utility converts VHD to VHDX.

Citrix Provisioning - Overview of Citrix Provisioning architecture and deployment options for both on-premises and cloud resource locations.

Optimizations for Citrix DaaS and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops - Cost - Explore how Citrix enables admins to strike the right balance between delivering a great end-user experience and optimizing costs.

Workspace Environment Management - Learn how Workspace Environment Management uses intelligent resource management and Profile Management technologies to deliver the best possible performance, desktop logon, and application response times for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops sessions and enhance the deployment's security.

Workspace Environment Management - Security -  Provides an overview of WEM’s security features, designed to empower IT administrators with the tools they need to enforce security measures effectively.

Workspace Environment Management Tool Hub - Learn how the Citrix Workspace Environment Management (WEM) Tool Hub is a versatile suite designed to streamline the configuration and management of Citrix environments for administrators.

PoC Guides

PoC guides provide step-by-step instructions to learn about solution functionality by following these guides in a test environment.

Automated Configuration Tool - Learn how to use the Automated Configuration tool to automate moving your Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops configuration to your Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Service deployment, as well as moving your configuration between Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Service deployments.

Microsoft Azure Active Directory Federated Authentication for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops with Citrix ADC - Learn how to use Microsoft Azure Active Directory as an identity provider for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops with Citrix ADC using SAML.

Microsoft Teams optimization in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environments - Learn how to deliver the Citrix HDX Optimization for Microsoft Teams in a Citrix environment. The optimization offers clear, crisp, high-definition video calls, audio-video or audio-only calls to and from other Teams users, optimized Teams users, and other standards-based video desktop and conference room systems. Support for screen sharing is also available.

Citrix Session Recording - Learn how to start with Citrix Session Recording within your Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops site.

Citrix Profile Management with Workspace Environment Management - Learn how to configure Citrix Profiles using Citrix Workspace Environment Management and the WEM Tool Hub.

Diagrams and Posters

Virtual Apps and Desktops On-prem - Conceptual architecture drawing for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop on-premises deployment.

Reference Architectures

Reference architectures are comprehensive guides that assist organizations in planning their Citrix implementations. They include use cases, recommendations, and more.

App Layering—This course will help you Gain a deep understanding of Citrix Layering technology, which simplifies image management for VDI and hosted-shared environments, including use cases and technical concepts.

Image Management - Understand Machine Creation Services (MCS) and Citrix Provisioning (PVS) offerings for building, delivering, and maintaining virtual machine images in your environment.

Optimizing Unified Communications Solutions - Learn how to optimize unified communication solutions' voice, video, and other capabilities in virtualized Citrix environments.

Remote PC Access—Discover the use cases and learn about the detailed architecture of the Citrix Remote PC Access solution, which uses a layered approach for on-premises and Citrix Cloud deployments.

Design Decisions

Design decisions help guide the process of configuring, optimizing, and deploying your solution effectively.

Autoscale Design - Helps answer FAQs on Autoscale to achieve the best cost optimization. Provides guidance for configuring Autoscale for different admin use cases and their infrastructure and technical requirements.

Baseline Policy Design - Policies provide the basis to configure and fine-tune Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environments, allowing organizations to control connection, security, and bandwidth settings based on various combinations of users, devices, or connection types. Learn about the different decisions related to the baseline policy design.

Baseline Printing Design - Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops supports various printing solutions. Understanding the available technologies and their benefits and limitations is essential to plan and successfully implement the proper printing solution.

Delivery Model Comparison - A Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops solution can take on many delivery forms. The organization’s business objectives help select the right approach as the different models impact the local IT team’s management scope. Learn how Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops management scope changes based on using a locally managed deployment, a cloud service deployment, and a cloud-managed deployment.

Designing StoreFront and Gateway Integration - Learn about the different integration decisions involved when integrating StoreFront with Citrix Gateway for secure remote access.

Designing StoreFront and Multi-Site Aggregation - Learn the different decisions when aggregating and de-duplicating applications and desktops from multiple sites.

Disaster Recovery Planning - Learn more about different decision factors and recommendations for business continuity and disaster recovery planning.

HDX Graphics Overview - The Citrix HDX protocol allows for different graphics modes to be configured to meet different user requirements. Learn about the different HDX modes and how they are configured.

Provisioning Model for Image Management - Learn about the different decision factors in choosing the right provisioning model for image management. Learn more about Citrix Provisioning and Machine Creation Services solutions.

Remote PC Access - Remote PC Access is easy to deploy. These design decisions help maintain security, availability, and performance.

Single Server Scalability - Learn about the magic formula to calculate how many users you can have on a single server, the different variables that impact scalability, and recommendations to improve it.

VDI Model Comparison - Selecting the best VDI model starts with properly defining user groups and aligning the requirements with the capabilities of the VDI models. Learn how different factors play a role in selecting the correct VDI model for a user group.

Deployment Guides

Deployment guides provide step-by-step instructions on performing key tasks around installing and configuring real-world Citrix solutions.

Microsoft 365 with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops - Learn how to deploy Microsoft 365 in a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environment.

Windows 10 Deployment Guide - Learn how to deploy Windows 10 with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

Citrix Profile Containers - Learn how to create, configure, and deploy Citrix Profile Containers.

Citrix Profile Management OneDrive Container - Learn how to deploy the Citrix Profile Management OneDrive container.

Simplifying the move to 2402 LTSR with the Automated Configuration Tool - Learn how to use the Automated Configuration Tool (ACT) to migrate a CVAD deployment from 1912 LTSR to 2402 LTSR

Image Management - A new way of deploying Machine Catalogs and reducing Master Image Complexity - Learn how to prepare MCS-Image versions from a single Master image and use them across multiple, different MCS-based Machine Catalogs, bringing both version management and logical grouping. 

Citrix CVAD and Terraform - Installing Terraform and Configuring the Citrix Terraform Provider - Learn how to install Terraform and Configuring the Citrix Terraform Provider

Citrix CVAD and Terraform - Using Terraform to deploy Citrix Policies and Delegated Administration on a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2402 LTSR CU1 Site -  Learn how to use the Citrix Terraform Provider for creating Policy Sets and Delegated Administration and how to keep the Infrastructure in a desired state

Citrix CVAD and Terraform - Automatic Deployment of a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) LTSR 2402 site on vSphere 8 - Learn how to use Terraform to automatically deploy a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) LTSR 2402 site on vSphere 8

Citrix CVAD and Terraform - Automatic Deployment of a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) LTSR 2402 site on Nutanix AHV - Learn how to use Terraform to automatically deploy a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) LTSR 2402 site on Nutanix AHV

Citrix CVAD and Terraform - Automatic Deployment of a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) LTSR 2402 CU1 site on XenServer 8 - Learn how to use Terraform to automatically deploy a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) LTSR 2402 CU1 site on XenServer 8

Using Terraform for Daily Administrative Operations - Learn how to use Terraform for daily administrative operations and compliance checks with automatic remediation.

Tech Papers

Tech papers are deep dives into specific problems, technology, or solution, providing details, leading practices, and architectural insights.

Analyzing Citrix Provisioning RAM Cache with Overflow - Tech paper covering information about accurately determining the Citrix Provisioning RAM cache size when using the feature RAM cache with overflow to disk.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops LTSR Parallel Migration - Tech paper covering how to perform a parallel migration to a new LTSR site.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops - Zones Deep Dive - Tech paper exploring zone concepts, architecture, limits, tips, and more, which is essential knowledge for most sites.

Citrix VDA/OS Hardening - Tech paper focused on the recommended approach to secure the Citrix VDA/OS.

Citrix VDI Handbook -  The VDI Handbook provides customers with best practices on how to assess, design, and monitor their Citrix environment. 

Communication Ports Used by Citrix Technologies - Overview of ports used by Citrix components and must be considered part of networking architecture.

End User Communications - Tech paper focused on how to handle end-user communications for upcoming changes.

Improving ICA File Security - This tech paper covers the various launch methods available for ICA files, information recommendations, and best practices for hardening this critical part of your infrastructure. 

Security best practices for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops - Tech paper focused on security recommendations and security practices for administrators. Use this guide to navigate security planning, implementation, and ongoing operations.

SQL Server and CVAD databases - Learn about key considerations for architecting and maintaining your databases in CVAD environments, including performance and HA.

Utilizing Local Host Cache for Nondisruptive Database Upgrades - This tech paper covers using the Local Host Cache feature for a streamlined upgrade process. This process can help to reduce or eliminate maintenance windows.

Zones Latency and Brokering Performance - Learn about the latency and launch rates and how they impact end-user experience.