Deliver DaaS and Virtual Apps and Desktops with Citrix Workspace
Citrix Workspace is the multitenant cloud service that replaces StoreFront, which is the single-tenant, on-premises app store that aggregates Citrix DaaS apps and desktops. The Citrix Workspace platform is the cloud component that provides the tools, services, and capabilities needed for remote working, extensibility, and customization through Citrix Workspace.
You have different options for aggregating your DaaS with Citrix Workspace. The option you choose depends on:
- Whether you want to fully migrate to the cloud or to adopt a hybrid solution.
- Whether you plan to allow external access to DaaS.
Full migration to the cloud
You can migrate your on-premises configuration to the cloud, allowing subscribers to access DaaS through Workspace, by moving your IT-managed infrastructure into a Citrix-managed environment. Full migration to the cloud means that there are fewer components for you to manage.
Citrix recommends that you use the Automated Configuration tool to simplify the migration process from one or more on-premises sites to a cloud service. The main steps involved in this process include the following:
- Ensure that you meet the prerequisites for migrating your configuration.
- Export your on-premises configuration. For information on this process, visit Exporting your Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops on-premises configuration.
- Import your configuration to the cloud. For information on this process, visit Importing your configuration to Citrix DaaS
For more information on Automated Configuration, visit Migrate to the cloud and the Tech Zone deployment guide.
Site aggregation for hybrid solutions
You can transition to Citrix Workspace with your existing on-premises Virtual Apps and Desktops deployment. This process is called site aggregation and involves substituting your IT-managed infrastructure with a Citrix-managed infrastructure.
You might choose site aggregation to slowly transition to Workspace, or if you want a hybrid solution that hosts some, but not all, components in the cloud. A hybrid model allows you to manage cloud capacity alongside on-premises resources and offers a unified end-user experience without fully migrating to the cloud.
Before you transition from StoreFront to Workspace with site aggregation, you must have an Active Directory (AD) configuration and Cloud Connectors installed in your resource locations.
There are three broad steps involved in site aggregation:
- Discover site. A site comprises the components that make up a production deployment. You might have different sites for different locations and branch offices.
- Verify Active Directory (AD) connection. Subscribers must authenticate to Citrix Workspace with AD. Ensure that subscribers can authenticate by detecting the AD domains in which your Cloud Connectors are installed.
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Choose deployment type. There are three connectivity options for this step:
- IT-managed gateways
- Citrix-managed gateways
- No gateway
For more information, see Connectivity options.
Connectivity options
The following three options provide access to DaaS through Citrix Workspace, designed for different business requirements.
| Connectivity option | Scenario |
|---|---|
| Traditional (IT-managed) gateways | Choose this option if you would like to use your own gateway for external connectivity to your DaaS. This allows you to take advantage of your current investment in on-premises gateways. |
| Citrix-managed gateways | Choose this option if you would like to use the Citrix Gateway service for external connectivity to your virtual apps and desktops. HDX connections between clients and VDAs are proxied through the Citrix Gateway service. |
| No gateway (internal only) | Choose this option if you want subscribers to launch to DaaS only using clients inside your corporate network. Subscribers won’t have external access to DaaS if you choose this option. |
For more information on the site aggregation process and the steps involved, visit Aggregate on-premises virtual apps and desktops in workspaces.
Configure workspace resiliency and optimization
For information on improving the efficiency and availability of your DaaS through Citrix Workspace, visit Optimize DaaS in Citrix Workspace. Citrix provides instructions on how to:
- Optimize connectivity with Direct Workload Connection.
- Ensure service continuity during an outage for offline resilience.
- Configure single sign-on (SSO) to virtual apps and desktops with Citrix Federated Authentication Service (FAS).