What Is Citrix XenServer and How Does It Work?
Citrix XenServer is software that enables server virtualization (i.e. the process of taking one physical server and dividing it up into multiple isolated virtual servers). Because virtualization decouples operating systems and applications from their underlying physical servers, XenServer is essentially an operating system that allows you to run multiple virtual operating systems on top of it. Each “Virtual Machine” or VM, runs as if it has its own set of hardware.

Once installed (a very quick process), XenServer creates a thin software layer called a “hypervisor.” The system administrator then uses the hypervisor to control and manage all of the organization’s virtual machines. XenServer includes a management console called XenMotion for controlling virtual machines across multiple XenServer instances. XenServers run on a different box from XenMotion, with the virtual machines “living” on the XenServers. Once things are properly set up this hierarchy lets you easily move your virtual machines around to any XenServer in the system, enabling both fail-over and load balancing.

What Are the Benefits of Citrix XenServer and Virtualization?
As we’ve discussed in a previous article (see An Introduction to Server Virtualization), virtualization in general offers a few key benefits:

• Efficient Use of Resources – Virtualization’s efficiency can decrease your costs. For example, instead of having 10 servers in your data-center, with none more than 10% utilized, you can consolidate into one server that’s 100% utilized. You save money on hardware, hardware storage space, administration, and more.
• Excellent High Availability - Virtual servers can be copied and clustered, allowing you to create an extremely good High Availability environment.
• Quicker and Easier Testing – Virtualization can be used to create automated and consolidated testing environments that are agile enough to accommodate your organization’s constantly changing requirements.

In addition, Citrix XenServer gives you numerous options regarding how you deploy a given virtual machine, and it makes it easy to add memory or disks, move a virtual server to a different physical server, and accomplish a myriad other tasks.

What Is Citrix XenApp?
Citrix XenApp is an application virtualization and delivery system that lets you run your applications (such as Microsoft Office) on a virtual machine on XenServer instead of on each of your user’s individual desk top or lap top computers. Instead of managing 100’s or 1000’s of copies of each application you can now centrally manage a single instance of each application and then provide on-demand “anytime/anyplace” delivery to your users.

Many people consider this to be Cloud Computing at its finest, as it combines virtualized servers with the provision of software as a service.

What Are the Benefits of Citrix XenApp?
Using Citrix XenApp to deliver your applications to your end users offers many benefits, including:

• Faster and Easier Application Management – One installation or update covers all of your users.
• Less Money Spent on Desktops - Because you aren’t running your applications on your local desktops, your desktops can be much smaller and less robust. With all of the computational power on the server, all you need at the desktop level is enough horsepower to run the Citrix client.
• Access from Anywhere - With Citrix XenApp your end users can enjoy smooth roaming and the ability to log in from anywhere to access their data and applications. Whether they’re at home or the office, at their own desk or someone else’s, on a desktop, laptop, or portable device, all of their files are always available.
• Improved Security - Centralizing all of your applications on XenApp gives you better control over who is accessing what. For example, your marketing department can be given access to one set of tools, while your accounting folks have access to another.
• Happy Mac Users - With Citrix XenApp you can run “Windows-only” applications from a Mac.

Getting Citrix XenServer and XenApp Up and Running
If you’re thinking of implementing XenServer and/or XenApp, Coyote Creek Consulting can help. We follow a disciplined methodology for each project, which is designed to accelerate delivery of a fully tested, documented project. Call us for assistance with:

• Flexible Project Services – Coyote Creek will work with you in any capacity required. For example, we can help with the design of your XenServer and XenApp system. We can perform design, testing, and piloting. Or we can take full responsibility for the project from start to finish.
• Architecture Design - We combine best practices with extensive experience to provide you with a real-world plan that includes recommendations for resources, priorities, and required expertise.
• Installations, Conversions, Upgrades - Whether a greenfield installation, migration to a new XenServer virtualization solution, or upgrades with potential extensive impact to your users, we work within your existing IT architecture to make the transition as smooth as possible.
• Infrastructure Assessments - We can assess virtualization hardware, software, application architectures, and existing stand-alone server infrastructures that may be migrated to virtualization in order to evaluate performance, identify issues, or recommend adaptations for supporting new business requirements.
• Project Management - Don’t have the staff, bandwidth, or project management rigor to confidently undertake your project? No problem. Coyote Creek can handle all aspects of project management for you.
• Application Development - Coyote Creek provides custom software development for Citrix XenServer, XenApp, and XenMotion.
• Training - Coyote Creek can get both your users and your administrators up to speed on XenServer, XenApp, and XenMotion – either in conjunction with our other services or separately.

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