Citrix XenApp - VM Hosted Apps

Citrix XenApp - VM Hosted Apps

原文地址：http://blogs.virtualizationadmin.com/conger/2009/09/28/citrix-xenapp-vm-hosted-apps/

Citrix recently released XenApp Feature Pack 2. There is a very intriguing new feature in the released called VM Hosted Apps. VM Hosted Apps lets you host applications on centralized Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Win 7 virtual machines - thus removing compatibility issues with Terminal Server. Think of it like this - suppose you have an application that just won’t run in a multi-tenant TS environment - we’ll call this AppX. Now, also suppose you know AppX runs just fine on a single Windows XP workstation. Well, VM Hosted Apps let you install AppX on a virtualized Windows XP workstation and deliver AppX seamlessly to the end user via ICA (just like your other multi-tenant applications). The end user is non the wiser, and AppX is happy since it is running from a single instance Windows XP machine.

Keep in mind though that VM Hosted Apps isn’t just the flip of a switch. There is a lot of planning/infrastructure to support VM Hosted Apps. Stacy Scott posted a nice in-depth look at what you need to successfully implement this feature in your environment.

 Citrix 最近发布了Xenapps 特色包2。有一个非常吸引人的新特色叫VM hosted APPs。VM hosted APPs允许你在host应用在windows XP，VISTA以及windows 7虚拟机-这样就解决了与termial server的兼容性问题。想象一下，假如你有一个应用程序（我们称它为AppX）无法在在多租户终端服务器环境运行。现在假设你知道AppX可以在一台windows xp上很好的运行。VM hosted APPs允许你将Appx安装在虚拟的windows xp然后通过ICA（如同其他多租户应用程序一样）无缝的交付给用户使用。终端用户对此毫不知情，而AppX很高兴因为它运行在windows XP上。

记住，VM Hosted apps并不像打开开关那样简单。它需要仔细规划。Stacy Scott 发表了一篇非常好的具有深度文章：根据你的公司情况，关于如何成功部署该特色。

VM Hosted Apps

原文：http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp?topic=/xenapp5fp2-w2k3/ps-vmha-wrapper.html

VM hosted apps allows you to isolate applications and host them from virtual machines or physical computers, including blade servers, running Windows single-user desktop operating systems. Users access these applications through a Web browser, the Citrix online plug-in, or Citrix Receiver, just as they would applications hosted from XenApp servers running Microsoft Terminal Services. VM hosted apps allows you to host applications that otherwise must be installed locally or require extensive compatibility testing on XenApp servers.

You can publish any Windows application as a VM-hosted application, but ideal candidates include applications that:

• Are incompatible with or not supported by Terminal Services
• Require special hardware devices, such as USB, special keyboards, or biometric devices
• Consume large amounts of computing or graphics resources
• Require a single-user environment

VM hosted apps uses Citrix XenDesktop technology to deliver applications hosted on desktops, but unlike XenDesktop, it gives users no direct access to the desktops themselves.

To use VM hosted apps, you create a VM hosted apps farm and populate it with desktop groups configured with applications you want to deliver. You give users access using the Web Interface. Although VM hosted apps cannot share a farm with XenApp servers, a VM hosted apps farm can share a Web Interface site with XenApp server farms. Applications from both types of farms appear the same to users.

Components of VM Hosted Apps

• Desktop Delivery Controller. The Desktop Delivery Controller authenticates users, manages the assembly of user virtual desktop environments, and brokers connections between users and their virtual desktops. It controls the state of the desktops, starting and stopping them based on demand and administrative configuration.
• Management Consoles. VM hosted apps includes two management consoles: the Delivery Services Console and the Presentation Server Console. These are similar to the consoles you use to manage XenApp server farms.
  • The Delivery Services Console enables you to create, update, and manage desktop groups in VM hosted apps farms. You can also use it to configure and manage VM hosted apps farms, create and modify Citrix administrators, configure access to desktops, manage user sessions, monitor the health and performance of the farm, create reports, and view hotfix information, as you would on a XenApp server farm.
  • The Presentation Server Console enables you to set Citrix policies and configure printers.
• Virtual Desktop Agent. You install the Virtual Desktop Agent on the desktops in your farm. It manages communication between the desktops and the Desktop Delivery Controller and between the desktops and user devices.

Using VM Hosted Apps With Other XenApp Features

VM hosted apps performs best when virtual machines are hosted using XenServer. However, other hosting infrastructures are supported.

Use Provisioning services to provision desktops for VM hosted apps.

Use Profile manager to manage user personalization settings for VM hosted apps.

Service monitoring and Edgesight resource manager are not compatible with VM hosted apps, but application performance monitoring can be used with VM hosted apps by downloading Edgesight for Desktops.

SmartAuditor is not compatible VM hosted apps.

Licensing and VM Hosted Apps

VM hosted apps uses XenApp licenses. No additional Citrix licenses are required. Each user consumes one XenApp license for all application sessions, regardless of whether applications are hosted using VM hosted apps or XenApp server.