Citrix Hypervisor is the complete server virtualization platform from Citrix. The Citrix Hypervisor package contains all you need to create and manage a deployment of virtual x86 computers running on Xen, the open-source paravirtualizing hypervisor with near-native performance. Citrix Hypervisor is optimized for both Windows and Linux virtual servers.
Citrix Hypervisor runs directly on server hardware without requiring an underlying operating system, which results in an efficient and scalable system. Citrix Hypervisor works by abstracting elements from the physical machine (such as hard drives, resources, and ports) and allocating them to the virtual machines running on it.
A virtual machine (VM) is a computer composed entirely of software that can run its own operating system and applications as if it were a physical computer. A VM behaves exactly like a physical computer and contains its own virtual (software-based) CPU, RAM, hard disk, and NIC.
Citrix Hypervisor lets you create VMs, take VM disk snapshots, and manage VM workloads.
Optimize experience for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops
Citrix Hypervisor is a comprehensive server virtualization platform with enterprise-class features built in to easily handle different workload types, mixed operating systems and storage or networking configurations. For the most demanding app, and desktop virtualization use cases, its industry-leading scalability and performance under load, can cater to the largest Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops deployments. IT gets the benefit of features unique to Citrix Hypervisor, such as enhanced virtualized graphics with NVIDIA and Intel, and enhanced workload security with Direct Inspect APIs, all of which reduce virtual infrastructure costs and complexity.
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops license holders are able to apply those product licenses directly to Citrix Hypervisor infrastructure via the license server; no separate or specific Citrix Hypervisor license is required.
Consolidate and contain data center servers
Citrix Hypervisor enables IT to consolidate and contain a significant number of datacenter servers. This increases overall utilization of existing hardware resources, while lowering infrastructure total cost of ownership. Administrators can maximize efficiencies within their infrastructure, eliminating planned outages and minimizing unplanned ones. Comprehensive server consolidation and containment with Citrix Hypervisor also allows for significant performance and capacity gains in CPU cores, host RAM, VM RAM and virtual disks per VM, as well as integration with Microsoft Windows Update Services for automatic Windows VM driver updates.
Deliver high-performance 3D graphics
Citrix Hypervisor is the leader server virtualization platform providing support for high-performance enhanced 3D graphics, with the widest variety of GPU pass-through and virtualized GPU vendor options. Only Citrix Hypervisor includes support for Intel’s Virtual Graphics Technology (GVT-g), a CPU embedded GPU with no extra hardware required to facilitate enhanced graphics workloads.
Citrix Hypervisor support of NVIDIA GRID vGPU has been extended for Linux graphical applications and desktops. With the latest NVIDIA GRID Maxwell-gen hardware integration, vGPU sessions per host have now increased to 128.