Platforms - Citrix XenDesktop

Citrix XenDesktop provides the complete suite of virtualization tools needed for Pano System deployments.  XenDesktop 4 or 5, supplemented by optional Citrix products like NetScaler, provides a platform for Panos that is highly modular, scalable and efficient.  Pano System is Citrix Ready Community Verified.

Key benefits of deploying the Panos on the Citrix XenDesktop platform include:
  • Scale: modular architecture can support large deployments using multiple XenDesktop connection brokers load-balanced by NetScaler.
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  • Flexibility: supports hybrid deployments that mix Pano Zero Clients along with thin clients, PCs running the Citrix Online Plug-in and other HDX clients like thin clients, iPads and PCs.
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  • Efficiency: reduced desktop image storage needs using a single master image streamed to multiple desktop virtual machines (DVMs).
Pano stack on Citrix XenDesktop


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Details on Citrix XenDesktop Support

For most Pano System deployments, the only Citrix products needed is XenDesktop VDI Edition, which includes the XenDesktop Desktop Delivery Controller, Citrix Provisioning Services, and the XenServer hypervisor. Either the Enterprise or Platinum Editions of XenDesktop can also be used with the Pano System and add advanced monitoring, management, application delivery, and security capabilities.

XenDesktop 5 Controller (or XenDesktop 4 DDC) acts as the primary connection broker and management interface for Pano System deployments.  Pano Controller is linked to the XenDesktop Controller and is still used to delivery client login screens and monitor the Pano Zero Client endpoints.  Multiple Controller instances can be deployed for scalability and redundancy. 

Citrix NetScaler can be used to provide load-balancing between Pano Controller and multiple XenDesktop Controller instances, using the NetScaler MPX hardware appliance or the NetScaler VPX virtual appliance.

Citrix Provisioning Services and Machine Creation Services are optional, but are commonly used to efficiently provision DVMs.  They enable you to stream a single master image to multiple virtual desktop images on one or more servers. This can greatly reduce the required storage. And the ability to manage and patch just a single master image rather than hundreds or thousands of individual virtual desktop images can significantly reduce the cost, effort, and complexity of desktop administration and support.

Pano Zero Clients don’t use XenDesktop's HDX-ICA protocols but instead use the Pano Direct Protocol. Both types of protocols can be used on the same network without conflicts but note that DVMs used by HDX-ICA clients need to be kept separate from DVMs used by Pano Zero Clients by using distinct desktop pools.  This also prevents roaming of a user's virtual desktop session between HDX clients and Pano clients.

Within Pano Controller only a single special DVM collection of type “XenDesktop” can be configured in Pano Controller and device-based DVM collections are not available within XenDesktop.  See the online help for more details on Pano System running on Citrix XenDesktop.

More Information

More information on XenDesktop can be found on the Citrix website at www.citrix.com/xendesktop/