System requirements
The App Layering virtual appliance runs on the supported hypervisors listed in this article. The appliance is where you deploy the Enterprise Layer Manager (ELM) during installation.
You can create layers to use on virtually any hypervisor or provisioning software. For the best user experience, publish images to the supported platforms.
Hypervisors for the appliance
The Enterprise Layer Manager (ELM) runs on a virtual appliance deployed to a supported hypervisor.
- XenServer, versions 6.5, 7.0–7.6, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2
- Azure Resource Manager
- Google Cloud
- Microsoft Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, or Windows Server 2025.
- Generation 2 Virtual machines are supported when you use the Offload compositing feature.
- Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV), versions 5.0–5.5 (Prism Element only), 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.15 (long-term support release), 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.19, 6.5 (long-term support release)
- vSphere vCenter, version 7.0 or 8.0 (including subsequent updates)
- Generation 2 Virtual machines are supported on vSphere vCenter version 7.0 or 8.0 (and subsequent updates) when you use the Offload compositing feature
Network file share protocol
- Server Message Block (SMB)
Network Connection
- Citrix recommends a 10 Gbps connection between the appliance and the file share.
Directory service
- Microsoft Active Directory
Internet browser for management console
The management console supports the following web browsers:
- Edge version 94 or later (version 102 officially tested)
- Chrome (version 90 and 102 officially tested)
- Firefox (version 45 - 52.9 officially tested)
Operating system for layered images
You can layer the following versions of the Windows operating system. Windows Store apps work on all supported Windows versions.
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Windows Server operating systems - The following session host versions are supported:
- Windows Server 2025, 64-bit (Standard and Datacenter Editions)
- Windows Server 2022, 64-bit (Standard and Datacenter Editions)
- Windows Server 2019, 64-bit (Standard and Datacenter Editions)
- Windows Server 2016, 64-bit (Standard and Datacenter Editions)
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Desktop operating systems - The following desktop versions are supported:
- Windows 11, version 24H2, supported in App Layering version 2409 and later.
- Windows 11, version 23H2, supported in App Layering version 2312 and later.
- Windows 11, version 22H2, supported in App Layering version 2211 and later.
- Windows 10, version 22H2, supported in App Layering version 2211 and later.
- Windows 11, version 21H2. Supported in App Layering version 2112 and later.
- Windows 10, version 21H2. Supported in App Layering version 2110 and later.
- Windows 10, version 21H1. Supported in App Layering version 2107 and later.
- Windows 10, version 20H2. Supported in App Layering version 2011 and later.
Caveat: If you upgrade the OS layer to Windows 10 20H2 from an earlier release, upgrade directly to Build 19042.630, or later. Upgrading to builds of Windows 10 20H2 released before 11/16/2020 can result in inconsistent image deployments.
- Windows 10, 64-bit, versions 2004, 1909, 1903, 1809, 1803, 1709, 1703, and 1607 (Education and Enterprise Editions)
- Windows 10, 64-bit, versions 2004, 1909, 1903, 1809, 1803 (Professional edition)
App Layering supports single-byte language packs for the base US English Windows operating system. It supports multi-byte language packs when the OS layer is deployed on supported versions of:
- XenServer
- VMware vSphere
- Microsoft Hyper-V
User layers
Full User layers are supported on the following platforms:
- Operating systems:
- Windows 10, 64-bit
- Windows 11, 64-bit (only if deployed to a platform enabled for offload compositing)
- Publishing platforms:
- Citrix Virtual Desktops
Layered images
Layered Images are bootable images composited from Layers. Each Layered Image contains an OS Layer, a Platform Layer, and any number of App Layers. You can publish layered images to these platforms:
- Machine Creation for XenServer (formerly Citrix MCS for XenServer)
- Machine Creation for Azure and Azure Government
- Machine Creation for vSphere
- Machine Creation for Nutanix AHV
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Citrix Provisioning, versions 2203, 2106, 2012, 2009, 2006, 2003, 1912, 1909, 7.15 CU6, 1912 CU3, and Provisioning Service (PVS), versions 7.15 LTSR (any version)
Notes:
- Citrix recommends network speeds of 10 Gbps to the Provisioning store.
- Provisioning Service (PVS) versions 7.1, 7.6–7.9, 7.11–7.18, and 1808 are no longer supported.
The appliance and connectors run in the following environments:
- Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, versions 7: 1808, 1811, 1903, 1906, 1909, 1912 (LTSR, CU1- CU5), 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2103, 2106, 2112, 2203 (LTSR), 2206, 2209, 2212
- Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop, versions 6.5, 7.0–7.18, and 7.15 (LTSR, CU3 - CU7)
- Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Essentials for Azure
- XenServer
- Google Cloud
- Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- Nutanix Acropolis
- VMware vSphere
Desktop provisioning and application delivery
You can use layered images for Persistent desktops, as long as you do not enable Elastic layering or User layers (Full or Office 365).
To enable User layers or Elastic layers, you must use Non-persistent machines.
Note:
Elastic layering does not support View Persona Management.
App Layering features by edition
Per the Citrix DaaS and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) Feature Matrix, Citrix App Layering is available in all editions. This means that you can do the following across any number of Citrix DaaS and CVAD sites in your environment:
- Create an unlimited number of OS, platform, and application layers
- Create an unlimited number of layered images
- Create an unlimited number of elastic layers