What was Citrix XenApp Platinum Edition?

Written by Jas Singh in citrix

Citrix XenApp Platinum Edition was the most advanced version of XenApp, offering a comprehensive set of features for delivering virtual applications and desktops. It built upon the functionality provided by XenApp Advanced Edition and XenApp Enterprise Edition, introducing additional tools aimed at enhancing security, user experience, and management capabilities. This edition was designed to meet the needs of large enterprises requiring a high level of performance monitoring, security, and user control.

Key Features of XenApp Platinum Edition

1. HDX Seamless Local Apps

  • Blended User Experience: With HDX Seamless Local Apps, applications installed locally on the user’s device could be seamlessly integrated into the Citrix XenApp session. This created a unified experience where local and virtual applications appeared together, enhancing usability.

2. CloudBridge Plug-in

  • Accelerated Network Access: The CloudBridge Plug-in allowed users on laptops and workstations to benefit from accelerated network access when connecting across CloudBridge solutions. This applied to both private and public network connections, improving performance for remote users.

3. Self-Service Password Reset

  • User Account Management: Through the StoreFront interface, users could reset their passwords, unlock accounts, or set new passwords via security questions. This feature reduced the dependency on IT helpdesks, offering self-service capabilities and improving user productivity.

4. Common Criteria Certified

  • International Security Standard: XenApp and XenDesktop were certified with Common Criteria, a globally recognized security certification used by 25 countries. This ensured that XenApp met strict security standards, making it suitable for government and enterprise use.

5. SmartAccess

  • Granular Policy Management: SmartAccess allowed administrators to create individual user policies that controlled specific actions, such as printing, clipboard access (copy/paste), or drive mapping. These policies could be tailored based on the user’s session or device, improving security and flexibility.

6. SSL VPN

  • Secure Remote Access: Available through NetScaler, the SSL VPN feature provided users with secure, encrypted access to the corporate network from any device. It allowed users to initiate VPN sessions for safe remote connectivity.

7. SmartAuditor Session Recording

  • Session Monitoring: SmartAuditor enabled session recording for security and monitoring purposes. This feature was useful for auditing user activity and investigating security incidents by recording individual sessions.

8. Hosted App Usage Reporting & Trending

  • Application Usage Analysis: Administrators could analyze the usage of published applications by tracking specific users, servers, and time periods. This reporting feature helped optimize resource allocation, manage capacity, and address performance issues.

9. Advanced Performance Analytics

  • Comprehensive Monitoring: Through EdgeSight integration with Director, administrators gained access to advanced performance analytics. This allowed for trend analysis and environment health monitoring, helping identify and resolve performance bottlenecks.

10. User Experience Network Analysis

  • Network Performance Insights: By leveraging NetScaler HDX Insight, administrators could analyze user sessions and assess network issues that might be affecting performance. This tool allowed a detailed breakdown of network factors contributing to degraded performance, aiding in troubleshooting.

11. AppDNA

  • Application Compatibility Analysis: AppDNA provided a way to analyze applications for compatibility with Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop environments. It identified potential compatibility issues and helped ensure that applications would function properly in virtual environments.

12. Integrated AppDNA for AppDisk

  • AppDisk Compatibility Reporting: Integrated AppDNA provided instant compatibility analysis for applications layered through AppDisk. This allowed administrators to assess and resolve application compatibility issues by adjusting the order of application layers.

13. Citrix Connector for SCCM

  • Integrated Management with SCCM: The Citrix Connector allowed administrators to use the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) Console to manage Citrix Delivery Sites and published applications. This streamlined management by integrating Citrix Studio with SCCM tools.

14. NetScaler InSight Integration

  • User Connectivity Insights: The NetScaler InSight integration enabled deep analysis of user connections, providing administrators with an end-to-end view of user connectivity. This was valuable for diagnosing and resolving issues experienced by users accessing published resources.

Conclusion

Citrix XenApp Platinum Edition was the ultimate solution for enterprises that required advanced tools for managing virtual desktops and applications. It combined enhanced security, user experience, and monitoring capabilities, making it ideal for large-scale, performance-critical environments. With features like SmartAccess, SmartAuditor, AppDNA, and advanced performance analytics, XenApp Platinum Edition ensured that organizations could deliver a secure, efficient, and optimized virtual workspace.

Though XenApp Platinum Edition is no longer available, its comprehensive feature set contributed significantly to the development of modern virtual desktop and application delivery solutions.

Recent Posts