First announced more than a year and a half ago, Citrix has finally released a 1.0 version of its client hypervisor. Citrix XenClient 1.0 narrows the gap between offline and online virtual desktops and extends the benefits of desktop virtualisation to mobile platforms by increasing flexibility for users and improving security and control for IT.
The new client hypervisor is offered as a free download, but it also comes packaged into Citrix XenDesktop 4.0 Feature Pack 2.
XenClient Express, the free edition, is being made available so individuals and organisations can download and use XenClient on as many as 10 machines. However, Citrix support for Express will be limited and there is no centralised management available with this version. Official support is being offered only when XenClient is used within the Enterprise or Platinum editions of Citrix XenDesktop. In addition to increased support, XenDesktop offers XenClient centralised management, image delivery, and backup, which is performed by a server component called Citrix Synchroniser.
Citrix announced the following new enhancements to XenClient 1.0 and Synchroniser since the last release candidate:
- Integrated Disk Encryption -- VMs that are delivered to XenClient from the Synchroniser can now be protected with AES-XTS disk encryption. This allows sensitive data to be fully protected when deployed on XenClient systems. In the event that a system is lost or stolen, all data can remain protected from unauthorised access.
- External Monitor/Project Support -- The latest generation of Intel Core i5 and i7 vPro systems provide support for external monitors and projectors, which previously required running a VM with 3D graphics support enabled.
- XenClient to Synchroniser Communication Hardening -- XenClient systems will now use client-side digital certificates along with user credentials to authenticate to the Synchroniser. All VHD files are encrypted with AES CBC encryption to allow secure delivery and caching of components over HTTP.
- VM Switching Enhancements -- The in-guest VM switcher bar has been re-skinned with updated graphics and new pull-down behaviour.
- Revamped Synchroniser Web Interface -- The Synchroniser for XenClient has a revamped UI and refreshed graphics showing off the latest Citrix UI standards.
Now that Citrix is offering this new type of client hypervisor, will it make things easier or more difficult for organisations trying to decide their future desktop virtualisation plans?
There are limitations with XenClient, as you might expect with any 1.0 release, and some of these limitations can prove quite frustrating.
The first limitation is the hardware support. Much like VMware ESX back in the early days of server virtualisation, Citrix XenClient has a small number of supported platforms, according to the XenClient hardware compatibility list. There are 23 products officially supported; however, the system model alone does not imply support. There are nine different laptops in that list from Dell, eight from HP, and six from Lenovo. These laptops range from Intel Core 2 Duo to Intel Core i7 -- but the one thing they all have in common is that they must have Intel vPro technology in order to be considered compatible.
In a world where we have contract workers with their own machines and employees operating under "buy your own PC" initiatives, client-side virtualisation could be a great way to isolate and keep the organisation's applications and information separate from users' personal files and apps. But the hardware and support restrictions currently imposed by XenClient 1.0 are probably going to be way too restrictive to generate wide acceptance.