Virtualization.com

Citrix Systems announced yesterday that NASA has incorporated Citrix XenDesktop with high-definition HDX technology into the recently launched Crew Support LAN, which provides astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) with direct, private access to familiar desktop applications and websites from any location, including outer space.

The new network incorporates virtual desktops powered by XenDesktop and WAN optimization technology from Citrix Branch Repeater to ensure simpler communications that are both reliable and secure. The project is part of a broader effort to enhance the quality of life of astronauts during long-duration missions by helping to ease the isolation associated with life in a closed environment.

The system was first used last month by Expedition 22 Flight Engineer T.J. Creamer when he posted the first unassisted update to his Twitter account from space. Previously, limited bandwidth and significant latency meant that Tweets had to be emailed to the ground and shared manually with ground personnel before they could be sent to the astronaut’s family members. The new desktop virtualization solution gives the ISS crew unprecedented, direct access to vital personal communications tools such as Twitter and the ability to browse the web, while mitigating the existing latency of network communication from space.

With XenDesktop, virtual desktops are managed and secured centrally in the datacenter located on the ground, and can be accessed by the ISS crew using laptops located on the space station. XenDesktop with Branch Repeater help optimize the delivery of virtual desktops and applications to the ISS crew, dramatically reducing bandwidth requirements and optimizing performance for high latency satellite communications. Astronauts simply connect their laptop to a power source on board and log in to receive a familiar Windows desktop experience that’s personalized to each user, and makes it easy to securely access any application, including personal email as well as popular internet sites like Twitter.

From the Unidesk Virtual Desktop Management blog:

“Our new web site went live this week with complete information about Unidesk® virtual desktop management software! It’s no longer a secret how our desktop layering technology reduces VDI storage costs, delivers a fully personal user experience (including support for user-installed applications), and simplifies provisioning, patching, and application delivery – all with one solution.

Check out the videos, screen shots, and analyst reports. Sign up for one of our weekly demo webinars.Locate a Unidesk Solution or Consulting Partner. Or, find upcoming events featuring Unidesk so you can meet us in person.”

Leostream Corporation, a developer of virtual hosted desktop software, today announced enhancements to its vendor-neutral connection broker bringing greater support, management flexibility and branding control to hosted virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI).

The Leostream Connection Broker enables companies to deploy enterprise-class hosted VDI easily, while achieving the greatest return-on-investment from existing technology resources.

For IT managers, the Leostream Connection Broker deploys quickly, providing a rich set of policies for exact implementation of business rules for users and machines, while consolidating resources into a “single-pane-of-glass” view. It easily integrates existing management infrastructure, adding only the hosted VDI-specific policies necessary to complement established corporate ones.

No changes to certified systems such as authentication services and SSL VPNs are required.The Leostream Connection Broker is the software management layer that ties desktop images in the data center to appropriate end-user devices – thin clients, laptops, workstations or Web pages – delivering a user experience as good as or superior to that of a conventional desktop. The Leostream Connection Broker is vendor-independent, providing support for VMware, Citrix, Microsoft and Xen.org hypervisors, as well as for hosted applications and sessions, physical desktops, dedicated blades and other systems.

For IT decision makers, the Leostream Connection Broker offers the strategic flexibility to mix and match various solutions within a hosted VDI without fear of vendor lock-in: a key trait as virtualization technologies mature and new vendors continue to enter this rapidly expanding market.

Highlights among the new features of the Leostream Connection Broker 6.4 include:

• Updated SQL Server Support: The Connection Broker now fully supports external databases stored in Microsoft SQL Server 2008.
• Optimum Branding and Custom Web Browser Look-and-Feel: Custom logos and favicons can be specified on the Leostream Web Client and Administrator Web interfaces, allowing for seamless appearance and greater branding control. Leostream Connection Broker “skins” provide additional controls to specify colors used on forms, including all text and links.
• Greater Flexibility for Resource Assignment:
  • Policies: Desktop Filters can now be applied across all pools in a policy or on a pool-by-pool basis, providing fine-grained controls over which desktops are offered to each user.
  • Authentication: Policies can be assigned to users based on advanced LDAP filter expressions, providing policy assignment based on the user’s membership in multiple authentication server groups.
• More Powerful Monitoring Capabilities: New logging events allow SNMP servers and syslog to be used for tracking pool thresholds and Leostream Connection Broker metrics. System administrators are instantly alerted when pool levels reach lower thresholds.