Dell Inc. announced new solutions in its desktop virtualization portfolio that are geared to work well in Citrix Environments. These new offerings include the Dell Appliance for Wyse – Citrix, Dell Wyse Device Manager (WDM) 5.5 and a new release of Foglight for Virtualization for application and infrastructure monitoring.
Dell Inc. announced new solutions in its desktop virtualization portfolio that are geared to work well in Citrix Environments. These new offerings include the Dell Appliance for Wyse – Citrix, Dell Wyse Device Manager (WDM) 5.5 and a new release of Foglight for Virtualization for application and infrastructure monitoring.
Dell and Citrix have work well together for some time. The new solutions make it easier for small to medium businesses to adopt Citrix-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). These solutions are for any organization’s VDI, whether it is just beginning or it is currently being used but could be optimized. Dell is a true end-to-end VDI solution provider from data center infrastructure through to the endpoint, as well as services and support.
Dell Appliance for Wyse – Citrix
This appliance leverages Citrix XenDesktop, is easy to install, deploy, and run VDI for up to 200 users. Being paired with Wyse Xenith thin clients gives small businesses a complete enterprise-ready desktop virtualization solution that delivers full XenDesktop functionality. The appliance gives smaller companies the benefits of VDI and allows them to be managed by the same IT resources currently managing their computers.
For larger organizations that wish to use Citrix-based VDI, Dell is offering Dell XC Web-scale Converged Appliance for VDI. Customers will get enterprise storage, compute, and hypervisor in a single solution that can easily be deployed with XenDesktop. The new appliance is built on 1U Dell PowerEdge XC630 server and supports more virtual desktop users at a lower cost and in less rack space than previous versions.
Key features include:
- Reduced complexity: The appliance has an option of two configurations with compute and storage in the same enclosure, scripts to simplify deployment and software built-in. This means that no separate storage array is required.
- Easy to purchase: The appliance is a pre-designed configuration in a single SKU that is as easy to order as a PC. There's no design cycle required, nor a long list of individual components to assemble.
- Easy to deploy: The appliance includes a unique Dell-designed set of wizards to speed the deployment of the infrastructure and Citrix XenDesktop, reducing the number of tasks to configure and install by more than 90 percent compared to manual deployment. As a result, it enables smaller organizations to self-deploy their virtual desktop environment.
- Comprehensive Citrix-Based VDI Portfolio
Dell Wyse Device Manager 5.5
Dell WDM is a solution for centralized management of Dell Wyse thin and zero clients. IT is able to issue software images, patches, updates and add-ons from a single console. WDM delivers effective VDI support while helping to minimize downtime. It is available in a free Workgroup Edition for small businesses or a paid Enterprise Edition. WDM can scale up to 50,000 devices.
New features include:
- WDM Health Monitor: New health monitor interface offers an easy and consolidated view of critical performance statistics.
- Workgroup Edition scalability: Smaller organizations using the free WDM Workgroup Edition can now simultaneously update up to 250 images — ten times more than in previous versions.
- Simplified installation: Version 5.5 offers more pre-requisite checks and fewer steps so it’s faster and easier to get it up and running; configuration of peripherals such as keyboards and mice can also be accomplished within WDM.
Foglight for Virtualization 8.2
The latest release of Foglight for Virtualization enables Citrix administrators to pinpoint and resolve performance bottlenecks, improving all aspects of the user experience. Administrators will have a complete view of the underlying XenDesktop and XenApp infrastructure. Administrators will be able to capture analyses of virtual desktops and streaming application sessions, as well as performance data from platforms such as Active Directory, storage and network infrastructure. The latest version of Foglight for Virtualization shows the end-to-end topology of the Citrix environment.
Availability and pricing
- The Dell Appliance for Wyse – Citrix is expected to be available in the summer of 2015 and stats at $410 per user
- The latest version of Dell Foglight for Virtualization is available now and starts at $7 per seat.
- Dell Wyse Device Manager version 5.5 has no set release date but is expected in the coming months.
