Citrix and Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Citrix, the leading provider of virtualization and networking platforms to Public Clouds, and Amazon Web Services, have collaborated to deliver solutions that enable enterprises to seamlessly connect corporate datacenters to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Optimized Cloud Solutions for Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services and Citrix continue to collaborate to deliver optimized cloud solutions for Windows and Citrix customers using AWS.

Citrix products and AWS platform functionality are being enhanced and / or tested, to ensure interoperable solutions that combine the economic and scalability benefits of AWS, with the desktop and networking products that Citrix already delivers to over 250,000 enterprises worldwide.

Solutions included fall into three high level categories:

Cloud Networking and Extended Datacenter

Citrix and AWS are collaborating on improved interoperability for customers who have a combination of on-premises and cloud infrastructure. This includes both advanced cloud networking with NetScaler, CloudBridge and Repeater, as well as interoperability of virtual machines between the AWS cloud and Citrix’s on-premises XenServer and CloudStack.

Focus Solutions:

• NetScaler 10 for Amazon Web Services TECH PREVIEW
• NetScaler 10 brings the elasticity, simplicity and expandability of the cloud to both enterprise and carrier networks. NetScaler 10 for Amazon Web Services, now available as a technology preview, enables enterprises to rapidly and cost-effectively leverage world-class NetScaler application delivery capabilities within their Amazon Web Services deployments. NetScaler 10 for AWS combines the elasticity and flexibility of the cloud with the same power and control NetScaler provides for the most demanding websites and applications in the world.
• To access the NetScaler for AWS, click here to login to MyCitrix, goto the NetScaler for AWS TECH PREVIEW download page, and get started now.

Desktop Virtualization

AWS provides infrastructure to power Citrix desktops at a fraction of the investment cost of traditional methods.

Focus solutions:

• Recent research by Citrix shows that new AWS instance types can scale to greater desktop densities than ever before and may now provide infrastructure to power a Citrix farm of 1000 Windows desktops for as little as $6 per user per month.  
• And with the use of pre configured Cloud Formation stack templates, Citrix demo landscapes can be generated with a single button click, in just a few minutes.

Optimization for Windows

Citrix has extensive experience in optimizing Windows workloads on Citrix XenServer. This expertise makes Citrix the right partner to optimize the performance of Windows instances running in AWS, further enabling and accelerating enterprise-class deployments of Windows applications within AWS.

Support Policy for Citrix Desktop Virtualization on AWS

Citrix is pleased to offer Support for XenApp 6.0 and newer on AWS. Customers should understand that:

• Support Agreements must be entered into with Citrix, AWS and any applicable 3rd party SW vendors in the customer’s solution stack. Customers are responsible for compliance with support and license terms of any 3rd party products.
• Citrix Supports XenApp on AWS and will assist customers with ensuring that the features and functions operate as intended.  However, availability, security, performance and scalability are primarily determined by the infrastructure platform (servers, storage, network etc.)  and the maintenance of the underlying OS; these components are supported by AWS.
• Customers should initiate contact with either Citrix or AWS, depending the nature of the issue and the roles described above.
• Citrix and AWS have the ability to communicate between organizations during the course of issue resolution but it is possible that customers may also be requested to initiate a support incident with the other, or with an applicable 3rd party, for direct communication.
• Citrix and AWS will attempt to resolve (or provide guidance / information required to resolve) issues for XA running on AWS.  However it is possible that, in the course of isolating a root cause, a customer may be required to reproduce an issue on a physical server outside of AWS.
• Citrix customers who install their own XenApp licenses on AWS instances are free to subsequently move those licenses.
• Citrix may publish AWS AMIs and other AWS specific tools, tips and best practices. However, these are not part of the generally available XenApp product and are provided on an as-is basis. Questions regarding these can be directed to Citrix Support and to amazonalliance@citrix.com.  A community support forum is also available to provide guidance and community support.

More Information

The Citrix Developer Network community page for Amazon Web Services features product documentation, blogs, architectural diagrams, deployment guides and best practices for implementing Citrix solutions on AWS. 

This community site also includes a reference architecture that combines the individual capabilities of several Citrix product lines to offer a powerful, dynamic, secure and highly available virtualized, service-based infrastructure that is ideally suited to on-demand delivery of both IT infrastructure and application services.

For more information, contact Citrix at amazonalliance@citrix.com