Citrix released the first part of the Project Avalon with the codename Excalibur at Citrix Synergy 2013 in [Los Angeles](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=34.05,-118.25&spn=0.1,0.1&q=34.05,-118.25 (Los%20Angeles)&t=h “Los Angeles”). Project Avalon was announced as the Giant step into Cloud Transformation, so what is it really? Citrix invested heavily in their existing product infrastructure with the question: “What could  XenDesktop & XenApp look like if we re-imagined them for the cloud era?”. If Citrix started over, how would they design virtual apps & desktops for the mobile cloud era? The result of project Excalibur is Citrix XenDesktop 7. Let’s dig deeper into the phases:

1. Install

First of all Citrix XenDesktop 7 is the chosen architecture and platform, where they have consolidated the following products:

• XenDesktop as the base platform
• XenApp
• StoreFront
• Profile Manager
• EdgeSight

In previous releases all components were installed and managed separately.

The installation integrates the following components which simplifies the way to get all components into place:

• Delivery Controller
• Citrix Studio
• Citrix Director
• License Server
• StoreFront
• Profile Manager
• Personal vDisk

2. Configure

The goal was to minimize configuration/ setup errors.

At completion of:

• Full deployment
• creating a host, catalog, delivery group
• Joining a site & more

3. Manage

a. Citrix Studio

• Primary management console for administrators for
  • delegated admin & config, logging
  • apps & desktop publishing
  • user computer policies
  • licensing, StoreFront
• Windows Server 2008R2/ 2012
• MMC snap-in

b. One of the most impressive abstract concepts at Citrix Synergy was the new delegated administration in XenDesktop 7 which allows a granular administration by using roles & scopes:

• Roles
  • Full admin
  • Host admin
  • Delivery group admin
  • Catalog
  • Read-only
  • Help desk admin
  • Custom admin
• Scopes
  • Delivery groups
  • Machine catalog
  • Host connection
  • Application

c. The configuration logging allows two tiers: high level & detail task

• High level logging summary + detailed resulting tasks
• Integrates with director/ root analysis
• Powerfull search feature
• Reports available in HTML/ CSV format

d. The application & desktop delivery made simple & scalable

• Deliver apps/ desktops from servers & desktops Os’es
• MCS for server and desktop OS workloads
• Publish 10′s of apps at one
• Integrated App-V 5 support

4. Support

Use Citrix Director for troubleshooting & monitoring for your help desk.

• Help Desk (today)
  • Help desk only
  • Real time troubleshooting
• Troubleshooting/ Monitoring
  • day 2 operations
  • site health
  • end2end visibility
• Performance Management
  • Auto baselining specific to customer environment
  • historical analytics
• Advanced Analytics
  • Deep network analysis
  • capacity mgmt

Further features

• Realtime monitoring assessment
• Contextual troubleshooting
• Logon performance
• Load evaluation trends: Application server load and impact on users

Citrix Director offers a complete 360-view with network analysis in the Platinum edition:

• ICA deep packet analysis
• latency & bandwidth effects
• application & desktop usage

5. End user

HDX goes mobile: Optimze for a mobile world

• Designed for 3G/4G networks
• Tablet and smartphone codec acceleration
• Smooth, native touch experience
• H.264-based compression algorithm
  • 2x increase in frame rate
  • Half the bandwidth
  • Up to 10x reduction in bit rate when playing HD videos over a low speed connection

Integrated PC Remote Access: Integrated remote access assignment of users to corporate PCs

HDX Seamless Local Apps: Seamless integration of local Windows apps

• Citrix Receiver for nested apps
• DVD burners
• Non-secure web browsers
• Cloud based video collaboration

6. Citrix XenDesktop App Edition/ XenApp 6.5 FP2

Citrix XenApp is transitioned into Citrix XenDesktop 7 App Edition. The XenDesktop App Edition deliver server-based apps & desktops:

• Delivers server-hosted desktops & apps, VM-hosted apps from FMA architecture
• Enables use of MCS to provisioning, deliver apps & desktops from Windows Server 2012 with latest HDX enhancements
• Works along side existing XenApp-IMA deployment
• Available to XenApp Enterprise and Platinum customers
• Built for cloud

But Citrix did not discontinue XenApp as a stand-alone while introducing the Citrix XenDesktop 7 App Edition, instead announced the new feature pack 2 with new features:

• Experience
  • Unified app store for desktops, apps, mobile & data (XenMobile & ShareFile)
  • New support for audio & video on mobile devices
• Acceleration
  • OpenGL support
• Compatibility
  • AppDNA usage
  • Lync 2013 optimization pack
  • XenApp connector SCCM 2012
  • Hyper-V support
  • XenDesktop 7 Apps edition
• Performance
  • 4X faster downloads/uploads

7. XenDesktop/ XenApp changes

XenDesktop changes

• Desktop dropped from components names
  • Desktop Delivery Controller = Delivery Controller
  • Desktop Studio = Studio
  • Desktop Director = Director
• Windows Server 2012 & SMB 3.0 storage support
  • Enable CredSSP from Delivery Controllers to Hyper-V Hosts
• StoreFront Services replaced web interface
  • Desktop Appliance Sites
  • Database as a Service
• More granular delegated administration through roles and scopes
• Configuration logging & monitoring data stored in site db by default
• KMS support for MCS
• Deprecated support for Windows XP & Vista

XenApp changes

• IMA replaced FMA
  • Singel architecture for XA & XD
  • Farm concept replaced by sites
    • No more Zones
    • No more Zone Data Collectors
    • No more Local Host Cache
  • SQL Server DB only
  • Application publishing workflow
• MCS for Windows Server OS
• Remote Assistance for shadowing
• StoreFront services replaces Web INterface
  • Access Gateway replaces Secure Gateway
• Microsoft App-V 5 replaces Citrix Application Streaming
• Smart Auditor replaced by Citrix Ready solutions
• Single Sign-on – Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 only

Check out more videos at Citrix TV.