TechPreview “Project Aruba” NextGen VDI-in-a-box

Citrix is developing on next generation of Citrix VDI-in-a-box. Next version of VDI-in-a-box “Project Aruba” will have updated HDX components and fixed bugs and Citrix Personal vDisk and much more. Some of the new components are “Optimization pack for Google Earth”, New HDX ADGroup Policy Mgmt, Profile Management 4.1.

Technology preview of Project Aruba is now available.

Project Aruba

Project Aruba delivers a simple, complete  VDI solution with personalized and pooled desktops available both on-premise and as a cloud-service.  Project Aruba extends Citrix VDI-in-a-Box with personal vDisk layering technology to preserve personalization of end-user applications and data while IT only has to manage a single instance of the master image.  This saves time and costs while delivering a highly personalized end-user experience.

Key features in Project Aruba

• Personalized virtual desktops: You no longer have to choose between consolidating management using desktop pools versus delivering end-users the flexibility to install their own applications and data.  Project Aruba eliminates the need to create separate static desktops to carry forward end-user customization by coupling single-instance management with the ability to have individual user workspaces for their applications and data.
• Single instance management: Rather than juggling many persistent desktops, IT can maintain one master copy of desktop images while preserving the personalization of user applications and data. This dramatically reduces maintenance efforts and cuts datacenter storage costs up to 90 percent.
• Support for Windows 2008 R2: Project Aruba manages Windows 2008 R2, Windows 7 and Windows XP –based virtual desktops – enabling customers to select the ideal virtual desktop environment based on compatibility and costs.
• Cost-effective Windows-as-a-Service with VDI: Project Aruba extends the Citrix vision of enabling Windows-as-a-Service and adds a simple yet highly cost-effective VDI option based on Citrix VDI-in-a-Box to the already successful Citrix Service Provider (CSP) portfolio of hosted-shared desktops with XenApp, and enterprise-class desktop virtualization with XenDesktop.  The newly released reference architecture for Desktops-as-a-Service provides a validated blueprint for service providers looking to deliver VDI-based Desktops-as-a-Service at a fraction of the costs of other alternatives while complying with Microsoft licensing.
• Windows 8 support (Beta): Project Aruba runs Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 virtual desktops.  All features of Windows 8 including the new Metro interface are fully supported.  Since Windows 8 is not yet generally available, this feature is currently in Beta.
• Simpler, more flexible: Project Aruba makes management even simpler and more efficient with added features such as access to multiple data stores for optimizing storage, and a touchless DTAgent that updates the desktop agent on all golden images and their desktop instances  automatically when the VDI-in-a-Box software is upgraded.

Source

Download here (Require MyCitrix ID)