One of the things I love most about being part of Citrix is the excitement around our latest innovations. It is rewarding to see how our customers leverage them to capture new opportunities to create the next frontier in their digital transformation. In this blog post, I’ll share recent enhancements that we’ve brought to Citrix DaaS and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops that empower our customers with the flexibility to deliver apps and desktops quickly and securely with our robust desktop as a service (DaaS) and VDI solutions.
We have a lot of exciting enhancements to cover, so use the following links to help you quickly navigate between sections:
- Now Available: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 2206 Current Release
- Citrix DaaS cloud provider updates
- Citrix DaaS enhancements
- Workspace Environment Management (WEM) enhancements
Now Available: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 2206 Current Release
We’re pleased to announce the release of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 2206. This on-premises release will help you deliver the IT agility you need for your next phase of flexible work. For a comprehensive view of all the technical enhancements and new features we’ve introduced, check out our product documentation.
Here are some highlights of what’s new in the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 2206 CR:
Citrix HDX Optimizations for Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams has become a central collaboration and communication tool as organizations accelerate the adoption of hybrid and remote work in their digital experience strategy. With Citrix optimization for Microsoft Teams, we optimize users’ audio and video performance through endpoint offload, which in turn reduces the server-side load. This quarter, we introduced new optimizations that continue to empower our users to stay connected in their conversations and bring a new way to meet face-to-face.
- Microsoft Teams background blur and effects (Preview): One of the most popular features of Microsoft Teams is now optimized for Teams within Citrix DaaS and VDI environments! Users can make meetings more personalized and avoid unexpected distractions by applying a background image or blur. Read more about this feature.
- Microsoft Teams multi-window support: Users in Citrix sessions can now use multiple windows for chat and meetings from the main Microsoft Teams client.
- Microsoft Teams Give/Take control: We’ve optimized Teams support for Give/Take control so VDI users can request or give control of the keyboard and mouse during calls and meetings. When in control, users can make selections, edits, and other modifications to the shared screen.
- Microsoft Teams support for live captions: Teams users on Citrix can enable live captions to display the text version of audio during meetings.
The Microsoft Teams features above are dependent on our partner Microsoft for support. See the Microsoft roadmap for release details.
Enhancing Linux VDA solutions
We are always looking to make enhancements for our Citrix user base leveraging Linux VDAs for improved performance and ease of use. Here are the latest features included in this release:
- Hardware encoding extended to selective codec: 264 hardware encoding now supports selective use for actively changing regions. This offloads CPU video compression consumption to hardware and improves image quality and the number of frames per second (FPS).
- Rendezvous V2 HDX traffic support: Linux VDA now extends SOCKS5 proxy support and Transparent HTTP proxy for establishing Rendezvous connections, allowing VDAs to bypass the Citrix Cloud Connectors to connect directly to the Citrix DaaS control plane.
- Azure AD integration: Organizations can now integrate Azure AD with their Linux VDAs to provide user authentication. This exciting next step allows users to log on to non-domain joined Linux desktops using their Azure AD credentials.
- DPI mapping and session scaling: We’ve added support for automatic DPI scaling for Linux VDAs. When a user initiates a virtual session, the DPI value in the session will automatically change to match the DPI setting on the client-side.
- Client battery status display: The Linux VDA can now redirect and display the battery status of the client device in the virtual desktop session. This feature is enabled by default.
- Support for Debian 11.3: This highly anticipated release is now available and adds support for Debian 11.3 for both VDI and multi-session.
- Multi-monitor enhancements for Remote PC Access VDAs using non-GRID 3D cards: With this new feature enhancement, in addition to NVIDIA GRID 3D cards, the Linux VDA now supports non-GRID 3D cards, such as AMD and Intel 3D card drivers.
Session Recording on-premises updates
Citrix Session Recording continues to bring new features to help accelerate problem identification and simplify troubleshooting. For example, Session Recording now includes new event responses within the policy console for admins to take actions on specific event triggers (e.g., disconnect, log-off, locking a session). Additionally, we’ve introduced a new storage notification report that provides clear insight into how Session Recording consumes storage. The report gives users clarity around data such as how many sessions are being recorded, the amount of storage consumed, and the recording size.
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service is now Citrix DaaS
In April, we announced that we had repackaged our Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service offerings with a new set of features and capabilities that can be personalized to fit your organization’s needs and align with your distinct business use cases. These new feature-rich desktop as a service (DaaS) offerings are now available as Citrix DaaS. Our new, modernized DaaS solutions make it easier than ever to accelerate your cloud journey and manage secure workloads that increase business agility and deliver an excellent user experience at scale.
Please refer to our feature matrix for a complete list of features available across the Citrix DaaS cloud editions. And if you would like to stay informed on new and upcoming technologies, check out our Citrix Cloud Updates page for the most up-to-date information.
Updates and Key Integrations with Leading Public Cloud Providers
New Citrix Capabilities on Microsoft Azure
For decades, Citrix and Microsoft have delivered robust technology solutions that support business needs and IT modernization initiatives. Citrix and Microsoft are working together to extend the Windows 365 Cloud PC experience with Citrix HDX high-end graphics technology; support for a broader range of endpoint devices and peripherals; advanced security and policy controls; and third-party identity integrations. Sign up here to be the first to learn about the upcoming Citrix offering for Windows 365 Cloud PC.
We have also made the following enhancements for Citrix on Azure:
- Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops now supports Azure Stack HCI: For customers looking to leverage on-premises hardware, Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops now supports workload provisioning and power management capabilities on Azure Stack Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI). Reference this article for more information.
- Support for Linux license types: When creating a Linux machine catalog on Azure, MCS can now correctly determine the master image OS type and provide support to set the correct Linux license type.
- Removed requirement of installing third-party plug-ins on every Citrix cloud connector: When creating hosting connections in Azure, you’re required to select a zone before choosing a connection type. Now, you can install third-party plug-ins, such as Nutanix, only in the required zone, enabling greater IT efficiency.
- Enable ARM template spec as Machine Profile input: Administrators can now use Azure Resource Management template specs as machine profiles and when creating Azure machine catalogs.
- Track progress of catalog creation: When creating a machine catalog, Citrix Studio displays the status of the task and how much time remains before the task is complete.
New Citrix Capabilities on Google Cloud
Our new Citrix DaaS for Google Cloud offerings are now available through the Google Cloud Marketplace, enabling organizations to secure customized terms and pricing without the complexity and time-consuming process of traditional purchasing. Additionally, Citrix DaaS spend purchased through the Google Cloud Marketplace counts toward a customer’s Google Cloud commitment and is included in their Google Cloud invoice, saving even more time and simplifying the transaction to just one bill.
In addition to our new offerings and simplified transaction process, Citrix and Google Cloud are continuing to develop tools and resources that make it easier than ever to simplify your cloud deployment and management, including:
- Image Portability Service for Google Cloud: Streamline your VDI on-premises migrations to Google Cloud with Citrix’s Image Portability Service for Google Cloud, now generally available.
- Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS) for Google Cloud: We’ve brought our flagship provision-on-demand technology, Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS), to Google Cloud! By taking advantage of our PVS technologies, you can now rapidly provision and stream cloud-hosted VMs in a matter of minutes with comprehensive lifecycle-management controls.
- Suspend/Resume Virtual Machine (VM) Instances in Google Cloud: VM hibernation features included in Citrix DaaS for Google Cloud enable users or admins to suspend the VM instance to disk when not in use, thus preserving the memory, device state, and application state, reducing the Google Cloud instance costs.
Contact us to learn more about how you can make the transition to Citrix and Google Cloud today.
New Citrix Capabilities on AWS
We’ve also been continuing to grow our work with AWS and expand the capabilities available to our joint customers. Here are three enhancements that we have released this quarter:
- Removed the volume worker requirement for ID disk creation: AWS now provides an API supporting direct upload or download from your EBS volume. You can now leverage this API to eliminate the volume worker requirement for catalog creation and VM additions. For information on AWS permissions required for this functionality, see our product documentation.
- MaximumConcurrentProvisioningOperations now configurable in AWS: Citrix DaaS now supports MaximumConcurrentProvisioningOperations as a configurable custom property for Citrix Machine Creation Services (MCS) on AWS. Configuring this property allows you to control the number of parallel tasks you can perform when creating or deleting VMs.
- AWS Support Machine Profile: When you create a catalog to provision machines using MCS in AWS, you can now use MachineProfile property to capture hardware properties from a virtual machine and apply them to newly provisioned VMs in the catalog.
Enhanced Support on IBM Cloud
Citrix now offers support for the provisioning and power management of Windows workloads with Citrix Machine Creation Services (MCS) on IBM Cloud. When creating a new connection type in MCS, admins will now have the option to select IBM Cloud.
Citrix DaaS Enhancements
Over the past few months, we’ve introduced several new capabilities that we’ve built into Citrix DaaS to help our customers drive innovation across their organization and improve their end-user experience.
Citrix DaaS Achieves FedRAMP Moderate Status
Citrix DaaS and Citrix Cloud Government are authorized as FedRAMP Moderate status on the FedRAMP Marketplace, listed as Citrix for Government. Now, organizations requiring FedRAMP can manage and deploy virtual apps and desktops in Citrix Cloud Government with Citrix DaaS on Microsoft Azure Government.
Introducing Citrix Adaptive Authentication
Adaptive Authentication is an advanced identity and access management solution that provides secure access to Citrix DaaS. Adaptive Authentication verifies user identity and implements the right level of authentication security based on factors such as location, device status, and end-user behavior. Using these contextual factors, Adaptive Authentication intelligently chooses how a user must authenticate. Because the factors are continually assessed throughout the user session, rather than just once, this authentication method delivers zero trust, strengthens security, and supports your business scenarios within a single solution.
If you are entitled to DaaS Premium, DaaS Premium Plus, or Secure Private Access Advanced, you can use Adaptive Authentication today! For more information, read our Adaptive Authentication blog announcement, visit our product documentation for configuration details, and sign up here to request a trial.
Streamline Your Connection to Citrix DaaS with Rendezvous V2
New enhancements to our Rendezvous protocol enable VDA traffic to bypass Citrix Cloud Connectors to connect directly and securely with the Citrix DaaS control plane. With Rendezvous V2, admins leveraging Azure AD-joined or non-domain joined workloads are no longer required to deploy Cloud Connectors within these resource locations, creating opportunities for simplified infrastructure management and greater deployment efficiency.
Support for Azure AD-Joined and Non-Domain Joined Workloads
Citrix DaaS has extended its flexibility to support Azure Active Directory and non-domain joined workloads, made possible with the latest release of the Rendezvous V2 protocol. Now, customers have the option to select their preferred machine identity platform — Active Directory (AD), Azure Active Directory (AAD), or none. Support is available for both Windows and Linux desktops. Check out our new step-by-step guide to get started with your Azure AD joined and non-domain joined deployment.
Other new features and capabilities you can immediately leverage in your Citrix DaaS deployment include:
- Expanded partner cloud support for Image Portability Service: Citrix Image Portability Service now supports on-premises VMware to Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS! This service automates the deployment of a master image from an existing on-premises PVS/MCS-provisioned Citrix environment, targeting a Citrix DaaS resource location hosted within a public cloud.
- VDA Upgrade Service (Preview): This cloud-based service simplifies the VDA upgrade process for admins by automating upgrades to the latest version of the VDA (either CR or LTSR), depending on your machine catalog type. Sign up for the preview.
- Stay resilient with service continuity: Service continuity offers industry-leading design-for-failure cloud resiliency by enabling users to connect to their Citrix resources during an outage. In addition to the platforms already made available, it is now supported for Citrix Workspace app for iOS, Workspace for Web within Citrix Workspace app for Mac and Safari (Preview), and Citrix Workspace app for Chrome OS (Private Preview). To share feedback or request a private preview, email servicecontinuity@citrix.com.
- Creating tenancy within single DaaS instances: You can now create mutually exclusive partitions within a single Citrix DaaS instance and associate configuration objects, such as machine catalogs and delivery groups, within those tenants. This streamlines admin management and helps keep sites separate when migrating to the cloud.
Introducing Session Recording Service (Preview)
We are excited to deliver the power of Citrix Session Recording to the cloud globally across our U.S., EMEA, and APS control planes! With the Session Recording policy console and web player in the cloud, take advantage of offloaded maintenance and ease of management of Citrix resources from one location. Read more about how you can benefit from Citrix’s Session Recording service.
This preview release is rich with new features, including granular playback access control, logging administrative activities from the cloud service, management of load-balanced sites, and additional actions available in response to logged events in recorded sessions.
Extend ServiceNow capabilities with the Citrix ITSM Adapter
We’ve developed tighter integrations with ServiceNow to help bring greater manageability and operational efficiency to our joint customers.
- Push Citrix VDA information into ServiceNow Citrix ITSM tables: This highly requested feature allows Citrix virtual asset information to seamlessly integrate into a customer’s ServiceNow instance, enabling greater visibility into their environments in one centralized location.
- Alert and incident creation policy engine for ADM events: Take advantage of a new rule-based policy engine for Citrix Application Delivery Management (ADM) events for greater alert management and monitoring flexibility.
- Additional ITSM remote PowerShell support: We’ve introduced new PowerShell scripts that customers can leverage to execute various activities, such as terminating specific applications running within a virtual desktop session.
Enhancing Workspace Environment Management (WEM)
Enhancements to Workspace Environment Management (WEM) this quarter include:
WEM Cloud Items in the New Web Console
- Scheduling for Scripted Tasks: You can now have greater control over when scripted tasks run. In addition to the hourly recurring cadence, you can set daily, weekly, and monthly recurrence patterns and specify the time and date you want the scripted tasks to run.
- Power Actions: This update makes it easier for you to navigate to Power Management in the web console, and we’ve added shutdown, restart, sleep, and hibernate power management options.
- Conditions and Rules: The new ‘Filters’ page supports conditions and filter functionalities for the WEM web console. Using this page, you can add filters to control when to assign actions to users.
WEM On-Premises Feature Additions
- RAM Optimization Threshold: Already available on WEM Cloud, this feature allows admins to specify an upper threshold limit that WEM uses to optimize idle application RAM usage.
- Process Hierarchy Control: Admins can control whether child processes can be started through their parent processes.
Get Started
Ready to take advantage of the latest release? Download Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 2206 CR today, or contact Citrix Sales to find out how you can get even more by transitioning to Citrix DaaS.
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.
