Providing Cloud Computing Solutions
for Federal Government
efficiently as possible. Additional concerns including security risks, disaster response and recovery, a retiring workforce and aging infrastructure only add to the pressure to deliver uninterrupted service on a daily basis.
Citrix helps government agencies and departments overcome these challenges through the freedom of cloud computing—a virtual desktop working environment that stores and manages computer resources on a remote server while providing a flexible and scalable infrastructure. This on-demand service can be easily accessed by any user in an organization, on any type of device, in any location in a rapid and highly secure manner, and all while maintaining employee productivity and low IT costs. Cloud represents a quantum leap forward in achieving federal government mandates to reduce its carbon footprint, realize new levels of cost reduction and provide enhanced data security.
Cloud Computing and the Virtual Desktop
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is an on-demand, Internet-based form of computing that offers shared applications, resources, software and information to individual computers and other devices as needed, much in the same manner that electricity is provided by a utility. Its innate versatility allows government to respond and adapt to evolving business needs while maintaining value, peak efficiency and simplicity of use.
The Virtual Desktop Solution
Citrix desktop virtualization is an evolving technology that delivers a full, personalized set of applications and other resources to laptops, tablets, smartphones, thin clients and more. Instead of installing and running the operating system and software locally on each PC or other device, these components, plus the user’s personalizations, run on servers in the datacenter. They’re delivered “virtually” to users—either a desktop image is transmitted to the user’s computer, or the desktop is streamed down to the device.
Each time an employee logs on to a government network, a virtual desktop is dynamically assembled in the datacenter utilizing the latest applications and operating system. IT teams can easily and efficiently manage multiple desktops since the virtual desktop solution is centralized on servers. Desktop virtualization also offers the ability to individually tailor the desktop. Certain workers look for simplicity and standardization, while others require high performance and personalization. Customizing the virtual desktop in the datacenter minimizes IT administration and helps to ensure a high level of end-user satisfaction. For strong security, application data remains in the datacenter behind a firewall, and desktop images are encrypted over the network; even when the virtual desktop is streamed to the device, no data is left behind once the user session ends.
VDI Defined
VDI, or “virtual desktop infrastructure,” is one form of desktop virtualization that Citrix recommends for federal agency and department use— the process of running an end-user desktop inside a virtual machine that lives on a server in the datacenter. VDI is a
Cloud computing
is an on-demand,
Internet-based
form of computing
that offers shared
applications,
resources, software
and information
to individual
computers and
other devices as
needed, much in
the same manner
that electricity is
provided by a utility.
depending on individual user requirements.
How Server Virtualization Facilitates a Speedy Recovery
from Interruptions
One of the most important roles of the federal government is to ensure continuity of operations, including rapid response to a disaster situation. Citrix server virtualization, which allows more than one virtual machine to run on the same physical server, is an invaluable tool for disaster recovery. Provisioning capabilities of a server virtualization solution enable server workloads on a failed system to be restarted quickly on another available server, thus dramatically reducing your downtime.
Through this technology, an IT team can transmit a virtual machine over the network and make it available on another server in an alternate location for employees to access. This capability alone can cut lost time in the event of system failure from days to hours, or less. Server virtualization makes it possible to run multiple, non-compatible workloads on the same server in “isolation,” helping to minimize the number of physical machines that are needed in a disaster recovery facility—or the main datacenter.
Ensuring Maximum Security Through Access Control
In today’s era of computer hacking and cyberterrorism, one of the greatest causes of concern for federal government agencies and departments is data security. The Citrix XenDesktopTM virtual desktop solution creates granular, scenario-based access control
which ensures that only authorized users can connect and access specific resources if their role, location, network and specific device allow. A secure ticketing authority also verifies that the user is allowed to login. Once an employee connects, IT can control the flow of data so that only screen updates, mouse clicks and keystrokes— as opposed to actual data—traverse the network. Smart cards are fully supported in XenDesktop, with seamless authentication into applications and device-to-device roaming capabilities. While users are connected, XenDesktop creates secure and searchable visual records of user activity in critical applications; this information can be used for regulatory compliance and litigation support.
Federal Government Operations Made More
Responsive and Flexible
Cloud computing and virtual desktop tools allow government agencies to become more adaptive, cost-efficient and secure while responding to the operational challenges of tomorrow. Without disruption to everyday functions, federal IT can provide an expanded range of desktops and applications to employees while ensuring heightened security and cost reduction.
The cloud computing approach accelerates performance and substantially reduces load on servers. Government agencies stand to save millions in management costs over the long run and eliminate data security risks by installing applications in a Citrix datacenter and virtualizing them for end users. What’s more, they can reduce the expense and security risk
VDI is a powerful
form of desktop
virtualization
that enables fully
personalized
desktops for each
government user
with all the security
and simplicity
of centralized
management.
Citrix virtual computing solutions help federal agencies build simpler and more cost-effective environments that deliver IT as a service and make it easy for government staff to work in the most optimal way—anytime, anywhere and on any device.
Citrix® XenDesktop™ is a desktop virtualization solution that delivers Windows desktops as an on-demand service to any user, anywhere.
Citrix® XenApp™is an on-demand application delivery solution that enables applications to be centralized and managed in the datacenter and instantly delivered as a service to users anywhere.
Citrix® XenServer™ is an enterprise-ready, cloud-proven virtualization platform with all the capabilities needed to create and manage a virtual infrastructure at half the cost of other solutions.
Citrix® NetScaler®, available as a network device or as a virtualized appliance, makes web applications run 5x better by accelerating application performance, optimizing application availability, and enhancing web application security while substantially lowering costs.
Citrix® Access Gateway™ is a secure desktop and application access solution that provides administrators granular application-level control while empowering users with access from anywhere.
Citrix® Branch Repeater™ is a branch optimization solution that provides a high-definition desktop and application experience to branch and mobile users while dramatically reducing bandwidth costs and simplifying branch infrastructure.
Citrix Receiver™is a high performance, universal client technology that enables on-demand delivery of virtual desktops, Windows, web and SaaS applications and IT services to any device.
About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) transforms how businesses and IT work and people collaborate in the cloud era. With market-leading cloud, collaboration, networking and
virtualization technologies, Citrix powers mobile workstyles and cloud services, making complex enterprise IT simpler and more accessible for 260,000 organizations. Citrix products touch 75 percent of Internet users each day and it partners with more than 10,000 companies in 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2011 was $2.21 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com.
©2012 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix® is a trademark of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or
one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Government
agencies stand
to save millions
in management
costs over the long
run and eliminate
data security
risks by installing
applications in a
Citrix datacenter
and virtualizing
them for end users.
Datacenter consolidation
for federal government
Executive summary
In times of economic pullback, nowhere are the calls for fiscal responsibility heard louder than in the halls of the federal government. Public servants entrusted with taxpayer dollars find themselves more under the gun than ever to satisfy the needs for increased services while operating with less funding, thereby bringing about the daily question: Is it even possible to spend less while delivering more?
Through the power of server virtualization from Citrix, the answer is now a resounding “yes.” With the federal government’s datacenter consolidation initiative now fully underway, Citrix can help agencies realize their goals through an enterprise-ready, cloud-proven virtualization platform that contains all the capabilities required to create and manage a virtual infrastructure. And, with the government on mark to close more than 1,000 datacenters by 2015, there has never been a better time to turn to virtual computing for solutions.
This white paper explains how virtual computing from Citrix provides an effective tool for the datacenter consolidation process. Citrix virtual computing allows federal IT departments to transform static and complex IT environments into more dynamic, easily managed virtual datacenters, leaving the cumbersome and inefficient legacy model of one server, one application behind. As a central component of this transition, Citrix XenServer is a virtualization platform that enables agencies to cut costs, bolster IT efficiency and agility and improve user productivity.
Read on to learn how virtual computing solutions
from Citrix help federal agencies reduce their physical
footprint, slash expenses, enhance performance and
optimize the datacenter.
Introduction
With the rollout of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI), the federal government has laid out an aggressive program that dovetails with the White House’s “cloud first” policy for IT. The ultimate goal is to close 40 percent of the 3,000 or so federal datacenters currently in use, including those of large server users like the Departments of Defense, State, Interior and Energy. Already, the effort is well ahead of its original schedule.
The datacenter consolidation movement provides agencies with a speedy and effective means for cutting IT costs while still providing the public with a high level of service. Moreover, this approach furnishes timely and inexpensive access to powerful tech resources, freeing IT departments to focus on key initiatives and tasks as opposed to their network infrastructures. tasks as opposed to their
network infrastructures.
The move to server virtualization is bringing about a multitude of benefits for the federal government, including:
• Reduced energy, cooling, administration and real estate expenditures • Better security through a smaller, more defensible digital footprint • Augmented service levels and information availability
• Easier deployment of IT resources • Reduced management staffing
Along with the clear advantages of consolidation, however, comes a unique set of challenges. IT managers are commonly faced with the tasks of efficiently supporting ongoing data migration, accurately determining return on investment (ROI), minimizing downtime, increasing resource utilization and consolidating data in heterogeneous storage environments, making the pathway to datacenter consolidation a tricky one. Regardless, the march toward a leaner, meaner federal IT infrastructure must continue on pace for the 2015 deadline no matter what the potential stumbling blocks are.
The march toward a leaner, meaner federal IT
infrastructure must continue on pace for the 2015
deadline.
Why do datacenter consolidation: ROI and beyond
The standard aims of a consolidation effort include lessening server or storage sprawl, cutting power use and simplifying IT, all of which have their own financial advantages. The federal government has a goal of saving $3 billion each year by shuttering facilities as part of its datacenter consolidation initiative, thereby maximizing tax dollars spent on IT management.
Identifying and overseeing metrics like energy cost savings is not where the ROI discussion ends, however. Return on investment for datacenter consolidation and optimization should also take into account the added value of a more versatile dynamic agency that can roll out new services to the public in a timely and efficient manner. In this sense, increased customer satisfaction is a benefit that can’t be fully measured, but remains invaluable nevertheless.
Looking ahead, the case for doing more with less is only becoming more urgent. Driven mostly by a reduction in military IT expenditures, the President’s fiscal 2013 budget aims to cut information technology spending by 1.2%, with nearly $300 million in Department of Defense (DOD) savings coming from datacenter consolidation alone. Instead of increasing IT spending over the last few years, in fact, the White House has kept its tech budget essentially flat while asking managers to make up the shortfall by trimming costs through better operational efficiency.
Datacenter consolidation starts with Citrix server virtualization
For federal IT managers, any discussion on consolidation should begin with how to virtualize agency servers. Server virtualization is a proven technology that enables multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical server; each virtual machine is completely isolated from other virtual machines and is decoupled from the underlying host by a thin layer of software known as a hypervisor. This allows each machine to run a wide range of different operating systems and applications within a federal agency. Because the virtual machines are decoupled from the underlying host, the guest can also be moved from one physical server host to another while running; this is known as live migration. These attributes are fast transforming how the federal government approaches virtual computing.
Citrix XenServer is a complete, managed server
virtualization platform built on the powerful
Xen hypervisor.
Citrix XenServer is a complete, managed server virtualization platform built on the powerful Xen hypervisor. Xen technology is widely acknowledged as the fastest and most secure virtualization software in the industry. XenServer is designed for efficient management of Windows® and Linux® virtual servers and delivers
cost-effective server consolidation and business continuity. It is an enterprise-ready, cloud-proven virtualization platform that contains all the capabilities required to create and manage a virtual infrastructure. It is trusted by demanding organizations to run the most mission critical applications and used by the largest clouds. Use of XenServer for server virtualization:
• Cuts costs. By reducing the number of physical servers required in the datacenter, federal government entities are able to save on power and cooling expenses.
• Increases IT agility and efficiency. Federal customers can easily adapt to changing datacenter and computing needs by dynamically flexing capacity, optimizing VM placement, and automating repetitive management tasks.
• Improves performance and user productivity. By enabling “zero-downtime” maintenance, automatically recovering from hardware failure, and providing failover capabilities in disaster situations, an agency’s end users are ensured access to mission-critical application in all scenarios.
The free edition of XenServer starts with a 64-bit hypervisor and centralized management, live migration and conversion tools to create a virtual platform that maximizes guest density and performance. Its premium editions extend the platform to enable agencies of any size to integrate and automate management processes, delivering a virtual datacenter solution.
The XenServer advantage
As a true virtual computing solution, XenServer helps federal IT departments achieve cloud-like economics through datacenter automation, increased administrative efficiency, high reliability and business continuity, and the ability to leverage the cloud as an extension of one’s infrastructure.
The power and capabilities of XenServer allow agencies to:
Streamline datacenter operations through automation. By consolidating server workloads, XenServer reduces power, cooling and management costs and helps make optimized use of existing hardware—but shrinking the overall number of servers is only one of the benefits of XenServer. Administrators can also automate key IT processes to improve application service delivery, saving both time and money. Improved IT reliability and the ability to adapt to ever-changing IT environments help you deliver optimal support to the business.
Adapt to increasing IT demands for administrative efficiency.
Virtualization gives the flexibility to adapt a datacenter to meet constantly evolving IT requirements. For example, XenServer optimizes the location of server workloads to improve performance and utilization while increasing server readiness within resource pools. This ensures that application requirements and expected performance levels are always met and helps deliver new applications into production more quickly.
Reduce unplanned downtime. Natural disasters and other man-made disruptions can cripple any agency—but downtime and data loss are not acceptable in today’s working environment. To keep the programs moving and protect the bottom line, the federal government must protect its IT and data investments and keep the infrastructure running so users always have access to the IT resources their work depends on. With server virtualization, servers are separated from underlying hardware and delivered as virtual machines (VM), making the protection of VMs and associated data easier than in a physical infrastructure. This makes server virtualization a key strategy to protect IT infrastructure against all types of disruptions, helping agencies reduce downtime and increase worker productivity.
Leverage the cloud. Now more than ever, federal enterprises are moving to cloud computing to lower capital costs and deliver more responsive and timely IT services to taxpayers. With the growth of both public and private clouds, IT is rapidly expanding beyond traditional datacenter boundaries and exposing new concepts such as platform as a service (PaaS) or infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to users via an enterprise network. Inherent in the promise of cloud computing is an IT infrastructure that is extremely flexible and can be quickly customized to the meet needs of the government agency, rather than having the agency bend to the needs of IT.
How XenServer works
Citrix XenServer provides all of the enterprise-class features needed to integrate, manage, and automate a virtual datacenter at half the cost of other solutions. Here’s how:
1. Download at www.citrix.com and Activate: Dedicate a 64-bit system with either Intel® VT or AMD
V™ technology and a Windows® OS computer
to install XenServer and the XenCenter management console. Easy-to-follow steps will guide you through the entire installation process.
2. Convert and Consolidate: Convert existing physical servers to virtual machines using XenConvert and create new virtual machines from the XenCenter management console. Establish virtualization templates to further facilitate the creation of new virtual machines. Reduce the number of physical servers required by migrating virtual machines.
3. Operate and Manage: Perform key datacenter and management virtualization tasks using the features of XenServer Free Edition in your live production environment. See how these features such as XenConvert, XenMotion, and XenCenter provide the necessary tools to manage a virtual datacenter.
A trusted leader in server virtualization
XenServer has fast become a leading server virtualization technology with over 50,000 customers and enterprise-class features that rival competing virtualization platforms. XenServer is a production-class virtualization solution with features that match and exceed those on rival platforms:
Best virtualization value. Offering the power of industry-leading server virtualization at no cost, the Xen hypervisor extends government’s server consolidation savings into capital equipment, space, power and cooling costs.
Enterprise-class features. Centralized management and live virtual machine migration enables federal agencies to manage their environment easily and intelligently while optimizing resources with zero-downtime to users.
XenServer is a production-class virtualization solution
with features that match and exceed those on rival
platforms.
Easy setup and administration. XenServer can be installed and running in 10 minutes and has a unique management architecture and console that eliminates single points of failure, allows IT managers to centrally manage hundreds of virtual servers and installs with only four megabytes of storage.
Available at no cost, Citrix XenServer gives government IT a way to widely adopt an enterprise-class, cloud-proven server virtualization platform—to leverage server consolidation and dramatically affect the economics of delivering IT.
Tale of the tape: XenServer vs. VMware
By providing features like live migration, shared storage support, centralized multi-server management plus P2V and V2V conversion tools in the free version, XenServer enables any federal agency, no matter the size or budget, to immediately benefit from the power of server virtualization for datacenter consolidation, business continuity, and overall agility.
Technology Features Included at No Cost
Hypervisor Platform Citrix XenServer VMware
Live motion ✓
Shared SAN and NAS
storage ✓ ✓
Unlimited servers, virtual
machines, memory ✓
Windows and Linux guests ✓ ✓
Management Console
Centralized configuration
management ✓ Centralized multi-server
management ✓ Intelligent server
maintenance mode ✓ Physical-to-virtual and
virtual-to-virtual conversion ✓ ✓ Resilient distributed
management architecture ✓ Shared virtual machine
template library ✓ Virtual infrastructure patch
The U.S. Army Shared Services Center improves
ERP performance, security and cost efficiency with
Citrix XenServer and Dell X64 servers.
U.S. Army Shared Services Center
The U.S. Army Shared Services Center (SSC), part of the Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), leads the planning, design, build, test, training, deployment and sustainment of Army ERP solutions. Serving the soldier in the field as its ultimate customer, the U.S. Army SSC is constantly focused on innovation and process improvement, achieving results that helped earn ARDEC the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2007.
The challenge: Improving utilization and efficiency for an SAP infrastructure
Located in Picatinny, New Jersey, the U.S. Army SSC is committed to innovation, both in the solutions it delivers to ARDEC and the Army and the way it manages its own infrastructure. In recent years, the Army SSC has replaced a wide range of legacy applications with SAP systems, including the FI/FM/CO, PS, AM, CATS, HCM, MM and PLM modules of the SAP Business Suite, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), Netweaver Enterprise Portal and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence. Having reduced cost and conserved IT resources associated with its software applications environment, the Center turned its attention to its datacenter hardware infrastructure, beginning with the replacement of Oracle/ Sun SPARC servers with commodity Intel-based servers. When the Army SSC changed its platform, it recognized an opportunity to leverage server virtualization to maximize the utilization of it server resources, reduce acquisition and
maintenance costs, and lower administrative overhead while actually improving the performance of its SAP systems which support 4,700 users.
After analyzing its options for server virtualization solutions, the Army SSC found that Citrix® XenServer® best met its requirements.
Implementing Citrix server virtualization
At the time the ARMY SSC selected XenServer, the platform stack formally supported by SAP and Citrix combined XenServer with Novell SUSE Linux Server—a slight complication, given that the U.S. Army had standardized on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Nevertheless, the Army SSC decided to go with XenServer and Red Hat anyway, and accept any technical risk associated with that stack. As it happened, the difference in Linux versions made no significant difference in the implementation or the resulting platform. After an initial process to update its hardware infrastructure, the Center migrated and virtualized its entire SAP implementation, including 61 SAP systems, to the XenServer platform in only 11 weeks. What made this particularly impressive was that the Army SSC didn’t need to bring in a special project staff for its XenServer initiative—the IT team loves what they do, and they enjoyed doing something that was so leading-edge. These dedicated individuals worked long hours and over weekends to accomplish the virtualization task in addition to their regular responsibilities for maintaining the production system.
Reducing costs and energy consumption through server consolidation
The virtualization of its SAP server environment enabled the ARMY SSC to replace 21 Oracle/Sun SPARC servers with only four Dell Intel X64 servers; four additional servers, also running XenServer, support the network file system (NFS), LDAP services and provide backup services. Along the way, the Center actually increased the processing power available to its users. The difference can be seen using the SAP Application Performance Standard (SAPS), a hardware-independent performance benchmark developed by SAP. Before virtualization, the Army SSC’s 21 Sun SPARC servers had a processing capacity of 45,510 SAPS. After implementing XenServer on commodity hardware, they had a processing capacity of 147,600 SAPS on only four Dell Intel X64 servers—giving the Army SSC almost 300 percent more processing capacity with 17 fewer servers. At the same time, the Army SSC was using 83 percent fewer watts, so they achieved a dramatic improvement in processing power per watt. Together, the Center’s reduction in operating costs (e.g., hardware maintenance, power, cooling and server administration) yielded savings of $414,181 in the first year (after initial server acquisition costs) and $471,649 per year thereafter. The Datacenter footprint has also been dramatically reduced since there are fewer servers.
Increasing performance and availability
The ARMY SSC’s technology upgrade, including the replacement of its 10-year-old Oracle/Sun SPARC servers as well as its implementation of server virtualization, has helped the Center realize significant improvements in performance. Dialogue steps inside SAP that used to take 900 or 1000 milliseconds are now completed in 350 milliseconds or less, for a 300 percent improvement. Batch processing jobs such as bulk data processing have seen similar or greater improvement. The inherent availability of the XenServer platform ensures the consistency of this performance.
Improving security, business continuity and disaster preparedness
XenServer has delivered value for several elements of the ARMY SSC’s security strategy. Any server deployed in an U.S. Army network must conform to a set of rules and regulations called the Security Technical Implementation Guidelines (STIG) spelled out in a 482 page manual. The Army SSC went through the STIG process once, on one RedHat Linux VM, and now it can use that VM as a XenServer template for every other VM it deploys. This both saves a lot of work and eliminates human error. The ability to live migrate VMs aids business continuity by enabling the ARMY SSC to shut down physical servers for maintenance without incurring downtime. The Center is now exploring the built-in disaster recovery capabilities in XenServer to upgrade current methods based on offsite tape storage.
Expanding virtualization throughout the environment
The ARMY SSC is building on its success with SAP by virtualizing additional systems on its XenServer platform, including Oracle Collaboration Suite, Adobe LiveCycle and Microsoft Enterprise Project Management. By consolidating more
benefit from that as well. An initiative is already underway to explore desktop virtualization with Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix XenApp to enhance access for additional ARDEC sites, the Pentagon and other organizations to the SAP systems at the ARMY SSC lab, including new functionality and prototypes developed at the Center.
Helping the ARMY SSC increase the value of its SAP implementation while reducing costs, XenServer now plays an important role in the Center’s mission to deliver the innovations the U.S. Army needs, from the datacenter to the field.
Key benefits
• Increased SAP processing capacity by almost 300% (in terms of SAPS) • Improved SAP performance by 300% or more
• Reduced power consumption by 83%
• Produced almost $472,000 in annual operational savings (power, cooling, hardware maintenance and server administration)
• Improved security, disaster preparedness, and availability
Applications delivered
• SAP Business Suite
• SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence • Adobe LiveCycle
• Oracle Collaboration Suite (OCS)
Networking environment
• Citrix XenServer running on 4 Dell X64 servers • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Doing more with less through Citrix virtual computing
For federal government agencies, the era of datacenter consolidation is in full swing. Cost savings, enhanced performance, and a reduced IT footprint can all be realized through a partnership with Citrix, a recognized leader in server virtualization. With XenServer, government IT gets the speed, agility, flexibility, scalability and ease of use that meet today’s taxpayer service demands, while helping to achieve datacenter consolidation goals in the future. Doing more with less was never so easy. For more information, visit us online at
About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) transforms how businesses and IT work and people collaborate in the cloud era. With market-leading cloud, collaboration, networking and virtualization technologies, Citrix powers mobile workstyles and cloud services, making complex enterprise IT simpler and more accessible for 260,000 organizations. Citrix products touch 75 percent of Internet users each day and it partners with more than 10,000 companies in 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2011 was $2.21 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com.
Citrix Public Sector
7735 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814, USA T +1 301 280 0800
Worldwide Headquarters
851 West Cypress Creek Road Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309, USA T +1 800 393 1888
Citrix® XenApp™is an on-demand application delivery solution that enables applications to be centralized and managed in the datacenter and instantly delivered as a service to users anywhere.
Citrix® XenServer™is an enterprise-ready, cloud-proven virtualization platform with all the capabilities needed to create and manage a virtual infrastructure at half the cost of other solutions.
Citrix® NetScaler®, available as a network device or as a virtualized appliance, makes web applications run 5x better by accelerating application performance, optimizing application availability, and enhancing web application security while substantially lowering costs.
Citrix® Access Gateway™ is a secure desktop and application access solution that provides administrators granular application-level control while empowering users with access from anywhere.
Citrix® Branch Repeater™ is a branch optimization solution that provides a high-definition desktop and application experience to branch and mobile users while dramatically reducing bandwidth costs and simplifying branch infrastructure.
Citrix Receiver™ is a high performance, universal client technology that enables on-demand delivery of virtual desktops, Windows, web and SaaS applications and IT services to any device.
Providing Telework, Workforce
Mobility, and Disaster Recovery
Solutions for Federal Agencies
government telework programs across the country. The Telework Enhancement Act directs federal agencies to appoint their own telework managers and assimilate teleworking into contingency operations. No one knows the power of telework than U.S. General Services
Administration (GSA) Administrator Martha Johnson, who was sworn in by President Obama from her home via telephone during the paralyzing mid-Atlantic snowstorms of February 2010. This record-setting weather event underscored the need for continuity of operations in the case of any emergency or disruptive event. And, with an emphasis on reducing government’s environmental and geographical footprint, the President has made telework programs a priority for the federal government.
According to a recent Office of Personnel Management (OPM) survey of more than 250,000 workers, about 22% of the federal workforce already telework, with more joining every day. Newly expanded programs allow employees to telework to the maximum extent possible, which in turn leads to fewer cars on the road, reduced absenteeism, consolidated workspace, increased flexibility, better staff retention, and higher worker morale. A recent study by the Telework Exchange showed that the average federal worker spends nearly $140 per month on gas—but can save more than $55 a month by taking advantage of a robust teleworking program. Not only does teleworking reduce travel costs while boosting productivity, but it also helps to build and maintain work relationships when individuals must remain productive away from the office for extended periods or permanently. Despite this renewed commitment to telework and its related scenarios— workforce mobility and disaster recovery—federal agencies continue to express concerns about such issues as data security and worker productivity. New advances in information technology from Citrix Systems, Inc. offer agencies improved solutions for telework and mobile work, both during normal conditions and in a disaster situation.
These technologies, including application, desktop and server virtualization, provide a high level of data security; are easy and cost-effective to
implement, use, and support; and deliver excellent reliability and consistent performance across different usage cases. They also allow the freedom to use a wide variety of computing devices, network connections, and existing agency software and infrastructure.
The following discussion will describe best-practice technologies offered by Citrix for telework, workforce mobility and disaster recovery that have been proven successes in private industry. They enable federal agencies to expand current initiatives with the least expense and staff resources, while giving employees simple, secure and reliable solutions for connecting to the information and tools they need to remain productive while working remotely.
“
Work is what you do,
not where you do it.
”
How Citrix implements technology
best practices
Control and secure applications and data through application
virtualization.
Citrix simplifies security challenges by centralizing applications and data in the datacenter where they are easier to protect. All data transmission is secured through high-performance, standards-based encryption from the datacenter through the network to the user. User access is controlled through a single point of access that ensures proper authentication for the
applications and data specific to their role. Application-level security is built in and facilitates compliance with federal government regulations and protection from zero-day attacks.
Introduce desktop virtualization to provide a full user desktop
as an on-demand service.
Ensuring maximum flexibility for an agency’s remote users is key. One of the best solutions for telework is desktop virtualization, a technology that delivers a full, personalized set of applications and other resources to each government computer, laptop, home computer, tablet and more over the network. Instead of installing and running software and the operating system and software locally on each PC or other device, these components, plus the user’s personalizations, run on servers in the datacenter. They’re delivered “virtually” to users—either a desktop image is transmitted to the user’s computer, or the desktop is streamed down to the device.
Each time an employee logs on to the agency’s network, a virtual desktop is dynamically assembled in the datacenter utilizing the latest application as an operating system version. IT teams can easily and efficiently manage multiple desktops since the virtual desktop solution is centralized on servers. Desktop virtualization also offers the ability to individually tailor the desktop. Some workers look for simplicity and standardization, while others require high performance and personalization. Customizing the virtual desktop in the datacenter minimizes IT administration and helps to ensure a high level of user productivity and satisfaction.
One of the best
solutions for telework is
desktop virtualization...
users the freedom to choose a PC, Mac, thin client, or smartphone—or to use any available device with a network connection during a disaster situation. For strong security, application data remains in the datacenter behind a firewall, and desktop images are encrypted over the network; even when the virtual desktop is streamed to the device, no data is left behind once the user session ends. Managed centrally, instituting telework programs becomes that much easier for the federal workforce.
Ensure quick recovery from any interruption using server
virtualization.
The government’s first essential function is to ensure continuity of operations, including rapid response to a disaster situation. Citrix
XenServerTM, which allows more than one “virtual machine” to run on the
same physical server, is an invaluable tool for disaster recovery. Provisioning capabilities of a server virtualization solution enable server workloads on a failed system to be restarted quickly on another available server, thus dramatically reducing downtime.
Through this technology, an IT team can transmit a virtual machine over the network and make it available on another server in an alternate location for employees to access. This capability alone can cut lost time in the event of system failure from days to hours, or less. Server virtualization makes it possible to run multiple, non-compatible workloads on the same server in “isolation,” helping to minimize the number of physical machines that are needed in a disaster recovery facility—or the main datacenter.
Making telework concerns a thing of the past
Ensure maximum productivity.
Sustained productivity is one of the top concerns for agencies that are implementing or expanding telework initiatives. There are several aspects to optimal user productivity that can be resolved using technology solutions— including a more positive user experience with specific applications, resolving network latency and fixing IT issues. In addition, teleworking staff members can be given the flexibility to use laptops, tablets and more for their daily routine while experiencing the same computing environment they use in the office.
Optimize wide-area networks (WAN).
Especially when employees are traveling or are displaced due to a disaster or other interruption, slow performance of desktops over wide-area networks can pose a challenge to productivity and overall job satisfaction. Latency
Provisioning
capabilities of a server
virtualization solution
enable server
workloads on a failed
system to be restarted
quickly on another
available server, thus
dramatically reducing
downtime.
wait for software to launch or actions to be implemented.
New technology can now optimize desktop and application delivery over IP-based WANs, including private leased lines, public Internet VPNs, and satellite and wireless WANs. Installed in the datacenter, it automatically and dynamically applies to each data flow the best combination of performance-boosting techniques depending upon the application, the data, and the network conditions. Teleworkers and mobile employees will experience LAN-line application performance over the WAN, which means less time waiting and more time using their desktop applications and other resources.
Bring on a high-definition experience.
Federal employees who require sophisticated, specialized software— including audio, multimedia or 3D graphics—need the same high performance and responsiveness at home or on the road that they would enjoy in the office. New desktop virtualization technologies from Citrix deliver a high-definition user experience over any network connection. By cutting bandwidth requirements by up to 90 percent, these technologies ensure high availability and reliability.
Strengthening data security
Another major telework and mobile work concern expressed by federal agencies is data security, especially when workers are using home computers that may not be equipped with the latest antivirus and other protections.
Implement policy-based IT controls.
Delivering applications over the network (particularly the Internet) demands a security solution that can safeguard data from hackers and other
cyberspace threats. For telecommuting security, it’s extremely difficult to ensure that remote devices—especially public terminals—have full and up-to-date protection. Therefore, it is critical to have a method for remotely controlling the degree of user access to applications based on how secure each device is.
Teleworkers and
mobile employees will
experience LAN-line
application
performance over the
WAN, which means
less time waiting and
more time using their
desktop applications
and other resources.
For practical reasons, IT staff must be able to enforce these controls from the datacenter.
Virtual private networks (VPNs) based on the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol can provide secure access to specific application resources. They use a downloadable Web software client that does not require on-site installation or updating by IT staff. In addition to stringent encryption of application data over the network and support for two-factor authentication devices such as tokens, these SSL VPNs offer centralized, dynamic controls over user actions including viewing, downloading, saving, editing or printing based on the security level of each individual.
Protect against theft and loss.
Widely publicized recent events have highlighted the potential exposure of highly confidential data, such as Social Security numbers, after a computer brought home by a federal employee was either stolen or lost. To avoid this, application and desktop virtualization keeps sensitive applications and data behind the agency firewall instead of on individual laptops, PCs or other devices. If a computer turns up unaccounted for, data is not placed at risk because it remains securely in the datacenter.
Incorporate single sign-on access and password
management.
The use and management of application passwords can pose a major security issue for federal agencies and a giant headache for users and IT staff alike. Many applications are password-protected, forcing users to remember multiple logins and attend to password changes on a regular basis. To simplify things over time, employees may write them down or use weak passwords, increasing security risks—especially when working from an untrusted device. They also may overload the help desk with requests for password assistance and resets.
Implementing an enterprise single sign-on (ESSO) solution reduces the burden of application passwords for users and IT staff while strengthening security. With an ESSO solution, the logon process for individual
applications is automated; users log on just once to the agency’s system and the solution authenticates them to each application. This means a single password to remember instead of many, and consequently, fewer help desk calls.
An ESSO solution typically provides powerful, centralized management tools for IT staff, allowing them to specify strong passwords, automate application password changes and quickly terminate user access. These solutions also support the use of two-factor authentication tokens, biometrics and other technologies.
...application and
desktop virtualization
keeps sensitive
applications and data
behind the agency
firewall...
Fairfax County’s Telework Breakthrough
The late-winter blizzard of 2010 brought the Washington, DC region to a standstill and temporarily halted the work of state and local government. This event, along with the fact that the national capital area is routinely one of America’s worst traffic regions, has since gone a long way toward spotlighting the virtues of telecommuting.
Fairfax County, Virginia, has been well ahead of the teleworking curve. With its staff driving in from all parts of Virginia, the District, Maryland and even far-off West Virginia, the time came for the implementation of a robust telecommuting system. Approximately 1,400 county workers currently telework at least once a month, and some telework as frequently as once a week. The push to “go green” has also placed a premium on telework adoption. By keeping cars off the road, Fairfax County has become a model agency for its energy conservation policies.
The Citrix Solution
For the past 10 years, the Fairfax County Executive and County Board of Supervisors have laid the groundwork for making telecommuting a more accessible and user-friendly option for employees. They adapted technical infrastructure to better support telework, launching Citrix XenAppTM thin
client for remote access to centralized applications. Fairfax County presently has about 50 servers hosting roughly 140 applications, including Microsoft Office and departmental business applications. Teleworkers use home computers or county-issued notebook computers with their own Internet access; PCs must have antivirus software installed, and employees log in to an SSL virtual private network through a web browser. A portal provides access to everything employees need to work remotely and to communicate with their colleagues—including instant messaging communication,
document collaboration, and submitting online help-desk requests.
Fairfax County’s network operations center functions around the clock, so if employees choose to work at night or early in the morning, they can still find troubleshooting help at any time via remote-control software. In addition, the county expects to add video capability to its collaborative software suite so that employees can hold videoconferences, and a softphone
implementation will let staff use the county’s phone system from home.
Leading the Way Through IT Innovation
The benefits of Fairfax County’s groundbreaking telework program are clear, and provide an example for federal agencies to follow. The increase in telecommuting has enhanced employee satisfaction and retention, aided in recruiting and raised daily productivity while ensuring data security, cost controls and continuity of operations. The effects are also being felt outside the county as well—Fairfax’s success in taking cars off the road and reducing its carbon footprint has aided in the overall movement to make government more eco-friendly in the DC metro area. In a time of rising fuel costs, cutting down on wasted hours in traffic and trips to the pump is an additional plus
...Fairfax County has
become a model
agency for its energy
conservation policies.
instant. As a result, addressing this cultural shift is a critical component of any telework program. Citrix provides on-demand solutions that work for the entire staff, and can be leveraged over and over—thus saving time and money, while making for easier user implementation.
Still, an array of issues must be resolved before a federal telework, workforce mobility or disaster recovery initiative can succeed. One key enabler is having the right IT system. A simple, secure and high-performance means for accessing desktops and teammates and getting technical support from any location, on any device or connection, enables federal workers to focus on getting their jobs done. Similarly, the right technology can ease the IT challenge of managing an increasingly distributed user environment. A number of federal agencies have already successfully implemented technologies providing the latest in virtual desktop delivery, data security, WAN optimization, and remote support and collaboration. These best-practice solutions make it feasible and cost-effective for federal employees to work productively from anywhere, anytime and on any device. Ultimately, the results are clear: Citrix can help government achieve the advantages of improved staff retention and satisfaction; reduced costs, congestion and environmental impact of commuting and other travel; and greater workplace flexibility.
The Citrix Delivery Center™ product family is composed of virtualization and networking product lines for an end-to-end system that virtualizes servers, applications and desktops, centralizes them in the datacenter and broadcasts them to users over any network as an on-demand service.
Citrix® XenDesktop™ is a desktop virtualization solution that delivers
Windows desktops as an on-demand service to any user, anywhere.
Citrix® XenApp™ is an on-demand application delivery solution that
enables applications to be centralized and managed in the datacenter and instantly delivered as a service to users anywhere.
Citrix® XenServer™ is an enterprise-ready, cloud-proven virtualization
platform with all the capabilities needed to create and manage a virtual infrastructure at half the cost of other solutions.
Citrix® NetScaler®, available as a network device or as a virtualized
appliance, makes web applications run 5x better by accelerating
application performance, optimizing application availability, and enhancing web application security while substantially lowering costs.
Citrix® Access Gateway™ is a secure desktop and application access
solution that provides administrators granular application-level control while empowering users with access from anywhere.
Citrix® Branch Repeater™ is a branch optimization solution that provides a
high-definition desktop and application experience to branch and mobile users while dramatically reducing bandwidth costs and simplifying branch infrastructure.
Citrix Receiver™ is a high performance, universal client technology that enables on-demand delivery of virtual desktops, Windows, web and SaaS applications and IT services to any device.
About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leading provider of virtual computing solutions that help companies deliver IT as an on-demand service. Founded in 1989, Citrix combines virtualization, networking, and cloud computing technologies into a full portfolio of products that enable virtual workstyles for users and virtual datacenters for IT. More than 230,000 organizations worldwide rely on Citrix to help them build simpler and more cost-effective IT environments. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies in more than 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2009 was $1.61 billion.
©2011 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix® is a trademark of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
