The document summarizes new features in Citrix XenApp 6.5 including: - Instant app access which allows for session pre-launching and lingering to reduce reconnect times. - Enhancements to App Streaming 6.5 including VHD streaming and RadeFastLaunch. - New HDX technologies and Flash for WAN v2 for improved performance over WAN. - Multi-stream ICA which provides granular quality of service for ICA sessions. - The enhanced desktop experience and service provider automation pack which bring a Windows 7 look and feel to hosted shared desktops.

1. Club des Experts Citrix
5th December 2011
Citrix XenApp 6.5
New features
Impact on production env.
Stephane Thirion - ACTIVLAN

2. Stephane Thirion
CTO - IT Architect in Activlan - France (Contractor / Consulting)
Blog : http://www.archy.net
Email : st@archy.net / sthirion@activlan.com
Twitter : @archynet

3. Summary
Single Sign On
AppCenter
Service Provider Automation Pack
Enhanced Desktop Experience
Desktop Director 2
Migration Center Power and Capacity Management
HDX Instant App Access
Printing Optimization
Service Monitoring
SmartAuditor
Receiver
Multi-Stream ICA
User Profile Management
App Streaming 6.5

4. People
shou*ng

5. Instant App Access
App Streaming 6.5
HDX
Multi-Stream ICA
EDE - SPAP

6. Instant App Access
Session Pre-launch
Linger
Fast-re-connect

7. Session Pre-Launch
• Can provide “better than local” experience
• Just-in-Time Pre-Launch
• Scheduled Pre-Launch
• Easily managed through policy settings

8. Session Linger & Reconnect
• Dramatically reduces time to reconnect to a
session
• Simple policy settings
• Linger disconnect timer
• Linger terminate timer
• Fast reconnect
• No policy settings required

9. From Powerpoint to reality
Configuration
• Pre-Launch / Session lingering and fast reconnect settings are
managed with policies (XenApp and Microsoft)

10. Demo / Stop motion

15. From Powerpoint to reality
Scheduled Pre-launch
Application name : App123 (Realtime trading / contribution)
Before XenApp 6.5
With XenApp 6.5
• 600 sessions initiated between • Schedule Pre-launch app
8h00am and 8h15am
configuration
• Logon storm
• Schedule between 05h30 and
• Profile loading is very long
08h30
• Filer (Profile store) is very busy
• Oracle database is overload
• 15 to 20 minutes to be able to
work
• Market is opening at 09h00

16. From Powerpoint to reality
Scheduled Pre-launch
Application name : App123 (Realtime trading and contribution)
+
-
• Latest Receiver 3.0 and up
• Latest Receiver 3.0 and up
• The load is spread on 3h00 • Receiver for Windows only
timeframe instead of 15 minutes
feature.
• Easy to setup
• Customizing the pre-launch
feature using the icaclient.adm file
is not supported.
• Registry setting to set on the
client device
• Session need to be open and lock
• Pre-launch application create
another published application
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARECitrixICA ClientPrelaunch
http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/topic/receiver-30-windows/ica-session-pre-launch.html

17. From Powerpoint to reality
Considerations and take away
• When a pre-launch session is created, it takes up a license
immediately
• When enable for an app, the setting applies to all users and
servers configured for the application
• When creating a Pre-launch app, a new app object is created in
the AppCenter console

18. App Streaming
What’s new with 6.5
Overview

19. App Streaming 6.5
• VHD Streaming
• RadeFastLaunch
• SHA2 signing (Still SHA1 for legacy Offline Plug-in support)
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX131338

20. HDX
New version
Overview

21. New HDX / Flash for WAN v2
• Faster HDX performance over the WAN
• Highly responsive up to 300ms network
latency
• Compresses, caches and prioritizes traffic
• Available on Receiver for Windows and
Linux (Fedora & Ubuntu)
• Flash for WAN v2
• Internet Explorer 9 support
http://citrix.g2planet.com/synergybarcelona2011/public_session_view.php?agenda_session_id=139&conference=synergy
http://blogs.citrix.com/2011/11/01/what-do-you-need-to-know-about-hdx-ready-system-on-a-chip-soc/

22. Multi-Stream ICA
Granular Quality of Service for ICA

23. “Classic” ICA
Citrix Receiver
Router
XenApp 6.5
ICA
14
Virtual
Streams
HTTP

24. Multi-Stream ICA
Citrix Receiver
Router
XenApp 6.5
ICA
Real*me
ICA
Real*me
ICA
Interac*ve
ICA
Interac*ve
ICA
Bulk
ICA
Bulk
ICA
Background
ICA
Background
HTTP

25. Setup

31. Enhanced Desktop Experience
Win-7 look and feel for hosted shared
desktops
Service Provider Automation Pack

32. Before Applying Windows 7 Desktop Experience
• Familiar to IT admins –
not users
• Unfamiliar server tools
• Missing Media Player,
Snipping tool, etc.
• Plain Start menu
• Plain Task Bar

33. After Applying Windows 7 Desktop Experience
• More familiar for users
• Support for themes
• Accessory apps
(Windows Media Player,
Snipping Tool, etc.)
• High-res, vibrant
wallpaper
• Win7 Start Menu and
Taskbar

34. Service Provider Automation Pack
• Windows 7 experience enabler
• GPO to lockdown the desktop
• Full XenApp farm automatic deployment
• Use a multi tenant farm with a broker
lockdown script
• This is not only for Cloud Providers (CSP)
• If you want to work on XenApp farm
automatic deployment (POC etc..)
This is an executable file to download, install it and you’ll find all the scripts in c:Program Files...
http://citrix.com/English/ss/downloads/details.asp?downloadId=2311403&productId=186

35. Service Provider Automation Pack
XenApp DVD
• Data Collector
• Backup DC
• Licensing Server
• WebInterface server (Configured to use an
Access Gateway)
• XenApp worker server
A lot more soon on http://www.archy.net stay tune !

36. Additional Features & Enhancements
• Power Capacity Management:
• Hyper-V and ESX support
• PCM Agent configuration via AD policy
• HDX Policy Templates
• EdgeSight 5.4
• Migration Center
• XenApp 6.5 Mobility Pack

37. Thanks !
Questions ?
it…

38. @archynet
Stéphane Thirion
http://www.archy.net
st@archy.net / sthirion@activlan.com