What is new in VMware Horizon 7.7

Citrix have released a new version of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop 7 1811 is now available for download.

Citrix Virtual Apps (former name: XenApp) Citrix Virtual Desktop (former name: XenDesktop)

Microsoft Windows Server 2019 & Windows 10 1809 is supported with this release.

Another great thing is that now “infrastructure components for Citrix” can be installed on Microsoft Windows ServerCore, which means a minimum OS and only install what is required, no GUI just raw performance, something which a lot of service providers, customers are going to like. This is important for scalability and automation and having best TCO running a Citrix infrastructure. Citrix director & delivery controller now works and is supported on ServerCore (WS2012r2/WS2016/WS2019).

Citrix raises the bar of for user experience and new product release of following technologies:

• New Product names, versions, editions
• Director 1811
• Virtual Delivery Agents 1811 for ServerOS and ClientOS
• Virtual Delivery Agents 1811 for Desktop OS Core Services
• Virtual Delivery Agent 1811 for Linux
• Provisioning 1811
• Storefront 1811
• Session Recording 1811
• App Layering 1812
• Licensing 11.15.0.0 Build 26000
• HDX RealTime Optimization Pack 2.7
• Workspace App 1812 for Windows
• Workspace App 1812 for Mac
• Workspace App 1812 for Android

HPE Edgeline Engineering Workstation – Overview

Back in 2016 I wrote about the next generation workstation, and things have evolved and at HPE Discover in Madrid, 28th November 2018, HPE announced HPE Edgeline Engineering Workstation with AMD and Citrix Cloud. The new offerings have new enhanced GPU capability with the HPE m710x and providing a dedicated GPU from AMD more specific the AMD Radeon Pro WX4100. The solution requires no hypervisors and lowers complexity while enabling the mobility of users and enhancing user experience. This solution is designed to meet the requirements of power users such as designers, architects and visualizers that require high performance with reduced physical footprint, and targeted towards 4-100 users.

Benefits of replacing physically engineering workstations with HPE engineering workstations.

• Move physically workstation to a central location and unchain engineers from their desk
• Centralizing compute
• Benefit from central datacenter performance accessing the CAD/BIM files
• IT Security and IP Protection
• Providing mobility to work from any device such as tablet
• Providing engineers/designers a great experience thanks to dedicated compute and graphics resources
• Save up to 20% in operational cost

AMD have released an important new driver for their AMD Radeon Pro GPUs in November 2018 (18.Q4)

Today, AMD is releasing Radeon™ Pro Software for Enterprise Edition 18.Q4, introducing a new Day Zero Certification Program, updating the Remote Workstation feature, expanding the unified “One Driver” with support for AMD Radeon™ Graphics, boosting productivity with faster performance in some key professional applications, and updating AMD Radeon™ ProRender.

This release is fixing more issues that AMD identified with Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops (aka XenDesktop). The drivers works both with a physically machine with Radeon Pro + Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops (aka XenDesktop) or with a Virtual machine where the AMD Radeon Pro GPU are attached as GPU passthrough or sliced via SR-IOV with S7150/S7150x2 with Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops (aka XenDesktop). I haven’t tested with VMware Horizon yet.

AMD have expanded support for their Remote Workstation feature to include the AMD Radeon™ Pro WX 4100, WX 5100, and newly released WX 8200 graphics cards alongside the originally supported WX 7100 and WX 9100 graphics cards, giving users access to a full GPU-accelerated workstation experience from virtually anywhere with Citrix.

Radeon™ Pro Software for Enterprise’s unified “One Driver” simplifies deployment, and we are now including AMD Radeon™ graphics support in the downloadable Radeon™ Pro Software for Enterprise 18.Q4 unified driver package, bringing many benefits of Radeon™ Pro Software – including stability and better security – to knowledge workers.

The Radeon™ Pro Software for Enterprise is designed to deliver market-leading uptime and stability. Rigorous multi-wave testing and exhaustive ISV certifications help make this “the industry’s most stable driver”¹.  Radeon™ Pro Software is certified in over 100 workstation applications including Autodesk® AutoCAD®, Dassault Systèmes® CATIA®, Siemens NX™, Adobe® Premiere® Pro, Avid® Media Composer®, Autodesk® Maya®, PTC Creo® and many more

Built to help content creators make the best, every Enterprise Edition is designed to deliver more quality, performance, security, and simplicity