Parallels RAS Provides Alternative to Citrix Infrastructure Migration

Citrix XenApp 6.5 – Citrix Infrastructure Changes

Citrix has been a leader within the realm of application virtualization and server-based desktop systems for several years with its notable Citrix XenApp product. But December 31, 2017, marked the end of maintenance (EOM) for Citrix XenApp 6.5, meaning no further upgrades or updates on this version. With the EOL on June 30, 2018, users faced an IT migration if they still wanted to continue with the Citrix product. The current IMA was replaced by FMA, requiring IT administrators to reconsider their digital infrastructure and ponder a complete redesign due to architectural differences.

Citrix XenApp 6.5 End of Life

Citrix scheduled End of Life for Citrix XenApp 6.5 for August 2016 for customers that were not current on their Software Maintenance or Subscription Advantage programs. For customers that were current, End of Life for Citrix XenApp 6.5 was scheduled for June 2018. For both types of customers, Citrix extended support until January 2020. Since that date has passed, Citrix customers that have yet to upgrade to the latest Citrix Virtual App version, as the successor to the Citrix XenApp is now called, are now left with the following options:

Do nothing and keep using 6.5
Migrate to the newest Citrix App
Migrate to an alternative – like Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Customers that choose to keep using Citrix XenApp 6.5 will inherit the potential issues and security risks that come with non-supported applications. Citrix will not be under any obligation to fix these issues.

As for migrating to the newest Citrix Virtual App, migration is not a trivial thing to do, especially since organizations still using Citrix XenApp 6.5 are already several versions behind the latest one.

One other option is to shift from XenApp to an alternative virtualization solution such as Parallels RAS, which offers flexible cloud deployment models and allows organizations to leverage their current infrastructures. With its advanced centralized management tool, Parallels RAS streamlines VDI deployment through an automated installation and configuration process. Organizations can define Remote Desktop Session Hots, hypervisors, hyperconverged systems, and hybrid and public clouds with relative ease, making this option far better than the other alternatives.

An Alternate to Citrix – Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Migration to a new infrastructure requires planning, scheduled downtime, and IT staff training, similar to moving to a brand-new solution provided by a different vendor. Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS) is an application and desktop delivery solution that is quick to install, easy to maintain, and affordable. In order to help more companies move to Parallels RAS, we have created a step-by-step guide that explains how to migrate from Citrix Virtual Apps (formerly Citrix XenApp).

Download the Parallels RAS trial to get started with the system.

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