{{short description|Desktop virtualization product}} '''Citrix Virtual Desktops''' (formerly '''XenDesktop''') is a [[desktop virtualization]] product.
==History== The virtualization technology that led to XenDesktop was first developed in 2000 through an [[open-source software|open-source]] [[hypervisor]] research project led by [[Ian Pratt (computer scientist)|Ian Pratt]] at the [[University of Cambridge]] called [[Xen]] Project for x86.<ref name=Buytaert08>{{cite news |title=The Current State of Open Source Virtualization | first =Kris | last = Buytaert|url=http://virtualization.com/2008/03/26/open-source-virtualisation-today/ |work=Virtualization |date=March 26, 2008|accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref><ref name=Waters07>{{cite news|title=Virtualization topics covering definition, objectives, systems and solutions |first=John K |last=Waters |url=http://www.cio.com/article/2439494/virtualization/virtualization-definition-and-solutions.htm |work=[[CIO (magazine)|CIO]] |date=March 15, 2007 |accessdate=25 June 2015 }}{{deadlink|date=September 2023}}</ref> Pratt founded a company called XenSource in 2004, which made a commercial version of the Xen hypervisor.<ref name= Waters07 /> In 2007, Citrix acquired XenSource, releasing XenDesktop version 2.0 in 2008.<ref name= Virtualization08>{{cite news |title=Release: Citrix XenDesktop 2.0 | url= http://virtualization.info/en/news/2008/05/release-citrix-xendesktop-20.html |work=Virtualization |date=May 20, 2008 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref><ref name= Babcock07>{{cite news |title= Citrix Launches First Product From XenSource Acquisition | first = Charles | last = Babcock |url=http://www.informationweek.com/citrix-launches-first-product-from-xensource-acquisition/d/d-id/1060624? |work=[[InformationWeek]] |date=October 22, 2007 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref> The company continues to release updated versions, with XenDesktop 7.6 featuring HDX technology enhancements for audio, video and [[graphics]] user experience, as well as a reduction in [[Computer data storage|storage]] costs associated with virtual desktop deployments as a result of improvements to Citrix provisioning services.<ref name=CloudComputingIntelligence14>{{cite news |title=Citrix makes VDI faster, secure, more reliable and cheaper on storage with the latest XenApp and XenDesktop |url= http://www.cloudcomputingintelligence.com/news/item/1411-citrix-makes-vdi-faster-secure-more-reliable-and-cheaper-on-storage-with-the-latest-xenapp-and-xendesktop |work=Cloud Computing Intelligence |date= August 20, 2014 |accessdate=15 July 2015}}</ref><ref name=Cox14>{{cite news |title=New Citrix XenApp, XenDesktop releases to take down adoption barriers | first =Mark | last = Cox |url= http://www.channelbuzz.ca/2014/08/new-citrix-xenapp-xendesktop-releases-take-adoption-barriers-10528/ |work= Channel Buzz |date= August 25, 2014 | accessdate= 25 June 2015}}</ref>
In 2018, the software was renamed Citrix Virtual Desktops.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.itpro.co.uk/virtualisation/31128/citrix-quietly-ditches-xen-and-netscaler-brands-days-after-synergy-2018 |title=Citrix quietly ditches Xen and NetScaler brands days after Synergy 2018 |author=Keumars Afifi-Sabet |date=16 May 2018}}</ref>
==Product overview== The product's aim is to give employees the ability to work from anywhere while cutting [[information technology management]] costs because desktops and applications are centralized.<ref name= Ricknas08>{{cite news |title= Citrix sets price and release date for XenDesktop | first =Mikael | last = Ricknäs| url= http://www.networkworld.com/article/2278079/data-center/citrix-sets-price-and-release-date-for-xendesktop.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150925102811/http://www.networkworld.com/article/2278079/data-center/citrix-sets-price-and-release-date-for-xendesktop.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= September 25, 2015 |work= [[Network World]] |date= April 14, 2008 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref> XenDesktop also aims to provide security, because [[data]] is not stored on the devices of end users, instead being saved in a centralized datacenter or cloud infrastructure.<ref name=Howse15>{{cite news |title=Citrix brings full support for Windows 10 to its desktop virtualization products | first =Brett | last = Howsw |url= http://www.anandtech.com/show/9439/citrix-brings-full-support-for-windows-10-to-its-desktop-virtualization-products |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150715055305/http://anandtech.com/show/9439/citrix-brings-full-support-for-windows-10-to-its-desktop-virtualization-products |url-status= dead |archive-date= July 15, 2015 |work=[[AnandTech]] |date= July 14, 2015 |accessdate= 14 July 2015}}</ref> Citrix developed the software for use by medium to large [[company|enterprise]] customers.<ref name=McMillan08>{{cite news |title= Citrix's New XenDesktop Options Include Free Edition | first =Robert | last = McMillan|url= http://www.cio.com/article/2436183/virtualization/citrix-s-new-xendesktop-options-include-free-edition.html |work= [[CIO (magazine)|CIO]] |date=May 20, 2008 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref><ref name=Becker />
Citrix Workspace is able to manage and deliver applications and desktops using a [[connection broker]] called Desktop Delivery Controller.<ref name= Becker>{{cite news |title= Components, features and use cases for XenDesktop 7.5 | first = Randy | last = Becker |url= http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Components-features-and-use-cases-for-XenDesktop-75 |work=[[TechTarget]] | accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref><ref name=Ruest08>{{cite web |title= Xen and the Art of Hosted Desktops | first1 =Danielle | last1 = Ruest | first2 = Nelson | last2 = Ruest |url= https://virtualizationreview.com/articles/2009/01/01/xen-and-the-art-of-hosted-desktops.aspx |work= Virtualization |date=January 1, 2009 |accessdate=25 June 2015}}</ref> It supports multiple [[hypervisors]], including Citrix Hypervisor, VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V and Nutanix Acropolis to create [[virtual machine]]s to run the applications and desktops.<ref name=Becker/> The software allows for several types of delivery methods and is compatible with multiple architectures, including desktops and servers, datacenters, and private, public or hybrid clouds.<ref name=Ricknas08/><ref name=Rouse>{{cite web |url=http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/definition/Citrix-XenDesktop |title=Citrix XenDesktop | first =Margaret | last = Rouse | work= Search virtual desktop |publisher=[[TechTarget]] |accessdate=13 July 2015}}</ref><ref name= Cox14 /><ref name=Becker/> Virtualized applications can be delivered to virtual desktops using Virtual Apps.<ref name=McMillan08 />
== Release history == * Version 7.5 - March 26, 2014 * Version 7.6 - September 30, 2014 * Version 7.6 Feature Pack 1 - March 31, 2015 * Version 7.6 Feature Pack 2 - June 30, 2015 * Version 7.6 Feature Pack 3 - September 30, 2015 * Version 7.6 LTSR - January 11, 2016 * Version 7.7 - December 29, 2015 * Version 7.8 - February 24, 2016 * Version 7.9 - June 1, 2016 * Version 7.11 - September 4, 2016 * Version 7.12 - December 7, 2016 * Version 7.13 - February 23, 2017 * Version 7.14 - May 23, 2017 * Version 7.15 LTSR - August 15, 2017 * Version 7.16 - November, 2017 * Version 7.17 - February, 2018 * Version 7.18 - June, 2018
==See also== *[[EmbeddedXEN]], Type-1 (bare metal) hypervisor
==References== {{reflist |32em}}
[[Category:Citrix Systems]] [[Category:Cloud computing providers]] [[Category:Centralized computing]] [[Category:Remote desktop]]