XenClient 2.1

Citrix have released 1 day earlier XenClient 2.1 for web, i predicted earlier in an article that Citrix would release it in December 2011, but it was close and X-mas is soon.
I am going to update my Lenovo to XenClient 2.1 from 2.0. I have been using XenClient since it was released as a technical preview, and i can recommend that you start trying and using it.

What’s new in XenClient 2.1? 

• SIMPLIFIED WINDOWS IMAGE MANAGEMENT with dynamic layering provides an easier, more reliable, and more cost effective way of managing system updates with minimal impact to end users and more control and agility for IT. Today, IT managers typically deploy an initial Windows image to employees who then often add their own applications and changes. This causes a mismatch from the originally deployed IT image and can introduce application conflicts and system incompatibilities which may lead to increased costs by triggering more helpdesk calls. The new dynamic layering feature in XenClient changes this paradigm by ensuring that IT defined images are enforced on a continual basis. This can greatly reduce helpdesk break/fix calls. With this new feature, an IT admin can now simply apply the changes they want to a single image in the datacenter and have it automatically sent out to their XenClient devices. This feature also reduces the risk of making changes to the desktop environment. If there are problems with an update, the dynamic Image Management capability can simply undo the change – something difficult to do today in traditional environments. This feature can also decrease disruptions and performance degradations to users during updates. Rather than experiencing an often lengthy local install process, changes are downloaded in the background and applied to the user’s system in the time it takes to reboot Windows.

• XENCLIENT IS NOW LOCALIZED which allows end users around the globe to experience a more engaging and familiar experience when using the product. This release introduces client side support for German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese languages.  Citrix has seen tremendous traction with XenClient in international markets and this reaffirms our commitment to delivering capabilities our customers require to expand their use of the solution on a global basis

• XENCLIENT XT GOES MOBILE which extends the extreme security, isolation, and performance benefits of the XT edition of XenClient to laptop systems. The first release of XenClient XT was designed to deliver unmatched isolation on desktop systems for multi-level security use cases. This release extends those capabilities to laptops to allow untethered use of XenClient XT in both secure campus and in field environments.

• DYNAMIC IMAGE ASSEMBLY allows the Synchronizer for XenClient to deliver a layered image that is dynamically assembled at runtime on a local XenClient system. This technology allows for single image management in the datacenter of a dynamic local virtual desktop running on many XenClient systems

• DELTA IMAGE UPDATES allows the Synchronizer for XenClient to intelligently delver only the changes between Windows image versions to a XenClient system. This system also allows administrators to roll forward multiple versions at a time. This ensures that dynamic local virtual desktops on XenClient endpoints are moved to the latest administrator defined Windows desktop automatically and efficiently.

• FAST SYSTEM UPDATES allows for minimal end user downtime when updating dynamic Windows images. Updates are transferred in the background to XenClient systems via the Synchronizer for XenClient. Once the update has been delivered locally, the next time the end user starts up their system they are instantly moved to the latest version of the IT delivered Windows image. Even large changes such as new Microsoft Office versions or Windows service packs are applied in the time it takes to restart Windows, giving users immediate productivity.

• AUTOMATIC IMAGE LOCKDOWN will ensure that only IT approved changes and IT approved applications are installed on a dynamic local virtual desktop image running on XenClient. User changes outside of their user data and user profile are automatically purged by the system ensuring a clean, consistent environment on every boot.

• WINDOWS IMAGE ROLLBACK enables the undo button for Windows. This capability allows administrators to roll-back to a previous version of a Windows image in the time it takes to restart Windows. This reduces the risk of making changes to an environment as they can easily be rolled back.

• SELF-SERVICE INSTALL allows end users the flexibility to customize their environments by installing IT approved applications via Citrix Receiver for Windows. Citrix Receiver provides users with an integrated, easy-to-use storefront for Windows, web and SaaS applications.

• ENHANCED RELIABILITY through fixes and improvements for a number of issues identified after the original release such as 3D graphics stability, virtualized USB support, enhanced handling of multi-partition Windows images by the Synchronizer, and support for connecting Synchronizer to Active Directory systems with non-standard OU structures.

XenClient XT 2.1 

As a reminder XenClient XT is an edition of XenClient specifically designed for enabling multi-level, secure local virtual desktops. It was built to meet the most extreme isolation, security, and performance requirements for local virtual desktops in public sector customer environments.

• XENCLIENT XT REFRESHED to the XenClient 2 code base which allows this edition of XenClient to inherit the many enhancements delivered by XenClient 2. This includes a revamped and simplified user experience, larger VM memory support, and additional hardware support for Intel’s latest generation Core vPro platform on both laptops and desktops.
• MULTIPLE MONITORS AND GPUS allows XenClient XT to run multiple Windows local virtual desktops each with their own dedicated graphics adapters and monitors with native 3D graphics performance. An innovative seamless mouse system provides a simple user experience where a simple mouse movement to the edge of the monitor securely remaps the keyboard and mouse to neighboring monitors and local virtual desktops.

XT is not available yet.

Source

Download Citrix XenClient 2.1 here
Download Citrix XenClient 2.1 Synchronizer  here