
Important features such as High Availability Load Balancing (HALB) and printer/scanner redirection come out of the box.

Parallels 2X RAS is the only virtualization solution that offers advanced features in the standard edition. Parallels 2X RAS is the best alternative to Citrix for three reasons: It is affordable, it provides advanced features in the standard edition, and it is easy to install and manage. Why is Parallels 2X RAS the best alternative? Parallels 2X RAS fits neatly into this space. This is the time for businesses to evaluate whether they should opt for a Citrix upgrade or for an alternative virtualization solution. Small and medium-sized businesses cannot afford these costs. IT teams will have to constantly monitor Citrix EOL news so as not to miss out on any migration solutions. The Citrix software upgrade process itself is complex, but things get even more complicated post-upgrade, as you have to spend time and expertise going through hundreds of hotfixes. Also, you can’t create mixed farms based on XenApp 4.5/5.0, 6.0 and 6.5 owing to fundamental differences, so you have to build farms in parallel before migrating farm resources. For instance, if you migrate from Server 2003 to Server 2008 R2 or 2012 R2, you will face application compatibility issues as you move from 32-bit to 64-bit. Secondly, the complexity of adjusting the VDI for new software is a big concern. Businesses will have to invest in hardware to run the new version, while also paying for new versions of office software, and in the meantime the old system will have to be maintained. Moreover, the infrastructure expenses-including personnel training costs-that might be incurred after migration are unclear. According to an article published in Computer Weekly, a company in Europe with 2,500 Citrix Virtual Apps (formerly Citrix XenApp) platinum licenses was asked to pay $121,000 for six months.

However, Citrix does not state the exact cost of this extended support-this varies depending on individual company needs.

Citrix software upgrade concernsįirst, if you wish to continue managing your infrastructure with the existing Citrix software versions, you have to pay an extra amount for extended support. To get support after the XenApp EOL, businesses have to enroll in an extended support contract program offered by Citrix. XenApp v4.5 and v5 will be supported until the end of 2015, while v6 will be EOL in the next three years. Citrix software upgrade: Ever since Citrix announced the End-of-Life (EOL) of Citrix Virtual Apps (formerly Citrix XenApp) for August 2016, IT administrators have been under immense pressure to make their migration plans as soon as possible.
