Customers around the world trust Citrix to run their mission-critical workloads and deliver zero trust security. With feedback from our customers top of mind, we are continuously introducing innovations for Citrix workloads in the cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments. Learn more about the top highlights in our latest Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2203 LTSR.

As we continue to deliver the latest features and functionality to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, support for older versions will eventually end. Per our Product Lifecycle Matrix, Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop 7.15 is set to reach End of Life on August 15, 2022. Staying on this version can lead to the potential for compliance gaps and cause you to miss opportunities to apply the latest innovations to your business-critical workloads. With the end of support quickly approaching, now’s the time to start planning for your next deployment upgrade. (And we’re here to help!)

Servicing Options for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

Before you upgrade, it’s important to understand the different Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops servicing options that are available. You can deploy Citrix from one of our three release vehicles to deliver the latest features and updates in a cadence that best aligns with your business needs.

  • Long-Term Service Release (LTSR): This release vehicle is offered for on-premises Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops deployments delivered every two to three years, with five years of mainstream support. The LTSR offers an extended lifecycle, predictable maintenance, and meets high compliance standards.
  • Current Release (CR): This software release, put out every three months, delivers new functionality, feature updates, and fixes to the LTSR, with 18 months of support. CR customers gain fast access to the latest innovations from Citrix.
  • Citrix DaaS Cloud Release: For continuous support and our most up-to-date offerings, Citrix DaaS cloud releases are constantly updated with new features, fixes, security patches, and other improvements.

For more information on these release types, visit lifecycle milestones and servicing options.

Keep Workloads Secure by Choosing the Right Option for You

Now that you know the servicing options for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, you can begin to prepare for a smooth transition from XenApp and XenDesktop 7.15. We recognize every customer’s environment and business needs are unique. That’s why we’ve designed several options to help guide you toward a successful migration:

  • Migrate to Citrix DaaS to eliminate the need for patching, to streamline management, and to save on infrastructure costs while enhancing user experience and strengthening security.
  • Upgrade to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 2203 LTSR to get the latest security, performance, and hybrid capabilities. Upgrades directly from 7.15 LTSR are supported as long as you are on one of the latest cumulative updates. To get started, we recommend deploying the latest 2203 LTSR into your pre-production environments today. If you’re interested in simplifying and accelerating your upgrade, leverage Citrix Consulting Services to help you create a customized migration plan.
  • Purchase Extended Support through Customer Success Services for an additional five years of technical support and maintenance after the End-of-Life date — for an additional fee.

Know Before Your LTSR Upgrade

Supported Operating Systems

If you decide to upgrade your LTSR environment, you’ll need to ensure your VDA and server operating systems are supported with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2203.

With the 2203 LTSR, we support Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022 for our VDAs. For the platform, we support Server 2016, 2019, and 2022. In addition, Windows 10 and Windows 11 multi-session are also supported, exclusive to Microsoft Azure. For Linux VDAs, we are offering support for RHEL 8.1-.4, CentOS 7.8-7.9, Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04, SLES 12.5 and 15.3, and Debian 10. See the charts below, which outline the VDA and platform support across our LTSRs:

Current 7.15 LTSR administrators may notice that Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Server 2008 R2, and Server 2012 R2 are no longer supported in the 2203 LTSR. If you are running on an operating system that is no longer supported by the latest LTSR, you will need to first migrate your infrastructure and session hosts to a version that is supported before upgrading to the new LTSR. Please note that Server 2012 R2 is only supported on the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 1912 LTSR.

LTSR Compliance

To meet LTSR compliance and take full advantage of LTSR extended lifecycle and support benefits, you’ll need to ensure that all your baseline components are on the latest LTSR controller/VDA versions and are up to date with the latest CU. Refer to the LTSR product documentation for specific component or version criteria for compliance.

Meet Security Goals with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2203

Organizations worldwide have trusted Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops to handle their sensitive data with care. We are pleased to share that Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 2203 LTSR complies with Common Criteria, FIPS 140-2, Section 508 and WCAG 2.1. Please visit the Citrix Trust Center for more information on security and compliance.

For guidance on upgrades, migration, and best practices, please refer to our product documentation and LTSR FAQ. Additionally, use this Upgrade Guide to find the Citrix recommended options for upgrading your environment. Finally, to learn more about our latest 2203 LTSR release, dig into our recent What’s New blog post for more details.

Transition to Citrix DaaS to Modernize IT with Faster Time to Value

Too busy to keep up with deploying and updating Citrix infrastructure components? Not a problem! Migrate your infrastructure to Citrix DaaS and let us handle your day-to-day management and maintenance. We’ll take care of new feature updates, fixes, and security patches on a continuous basis, and you can spend more time focusing on your business initiatives. All the while, your users will always get the best experience and the latest functionality.

In a hybrid Citrix DaaS deployment, your VDAs remain under your control in the datacenter of your choice, either cloud or on premises, so your application data and corporate information are always managed by you. Additionally, you have the option to leverage either the current release VDA or supported versions of the long-term service release VDA with Citrix DaaS, reducing your time spent on image updates. Visit the Citrix Product Matrix for details about supported versions.

Interested in learning more? Connect with Citrix sales to hear how you can experience more with Citrix DaaS.

Next Steps

With so many new enhancements in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Citrix DaaS, customers are already using the latest releases to modernize their IT deployments. We encourage all our customers running XenApp and XenDesktop 7.15 LTSR to start planning for the end of life, verify application compatibility, and check out the new user and administrative enhancements we’ve made.

Kick-start your upgrade by speaking to Citrix sales about Citrix DaaS or testing the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2203 LTSR, available for download. And visit our feature matrix to compare features of the various Citrix DaaS and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops editions to determine which is right for your business.

Disclaimer: The development, release and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion and are subject to change without notice or consultation. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a commitment, promise or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions or incorporated into any contract.