Citrix XenDesktop offers high-definition to virtual desktops

In order to further differentiate itself in the crowded virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) market, Citrix Systems announced the introduction of Citrix HDX high-definition technology for Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix XenApp. The technology is said to improve the delivery of voice, video, and 3D graphics to virtual desktops and promises to lower costs associated with servers and storage in the datacenter.

A key component of the company’s Delivery Center is XenDesktop 3. Combined with HDX technologies, the two are said to provide a richer multimedia experience for users and should increase the number of desktops served per server — in fact, it is now possible to host twice as many virtual desktops from a single server.

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HDX compresses streams of data to and from servers and endpoint devices where they are then decompressed. Doing so greatly reduces the amount of traffic sent across the network and takes advantage of the processing power found at the endpoint. And using intelligence, HDX can decide whether to render the graphics on a centralized server or the endpoint, depending on which method will return the fastest response for the user. And in the case of branch offices, HDX caches frequently used data with its Branch Repeater 5 appliance.

Using a feature called Adaptive Orchestration, Citrix HDX senses the underlying capabilities in the datacenter, network, and device, and then dynamically applies the best combination of Citrix HDX technologies to ensure a high-definition experience to meet each unique user scenario.

Citrix said, “There are six categories of HDX technologies that work together in concert to provide the best experience for all user scenarios. Each of these six categories includes a broad range of new and existing technologies that extend throughout the Citrix Delivery Center product family.”

They are:

• HDX MediaStream – Accelerates multimedia performance by sending compressed streams to endpoints and playing them locally.
• HDX RealTime – Enhances real-time communications using advanced bi-directional encoding and streaming technologies to ensure a no-compromise end-user experience.
• HDX 3D – Optimizes the performance of everything from graphics-intensive 2D environments to advanced 3D geospatial applications using software- and hardware-based rendering in the datacenter and on the device.
• HDX Plug-n-Play – Enables simple connectivity for all local devices in a virtualized environment, including USB, multi-monitor, printers, and user-installed peripherals.
• HDX Broadcast – Ensures reliable, high-performance acceleration of virtual desktops and applications over any network, including high-latency and low-bandwidth environments.
• HDX IntelliCache – Optimizes performance and network utilization for multiple users by caching bandwidth-intensive data and graphics throughout the infrastructure and transparently delivering them as needed from the most efficient location.