Citrix CC-VAD-CC key terms

Central site component that brokers user connections, manages machine registration, and coordinates communication between StoreFront, the VDA, and the site database. Multiple controllers in a site provide redundancy and load sharing.

Software installed on each machine that hosts sessions or desktops. It registers with a Delivery Controller, accepts brokered connections, and enforces HDX and policy settings for the session.

SQL Server database holding site configuration such as catalogs, delivery groups, policies, and machine registration data. All controllers in a site connect to it; high availability depends on SQL mirroring or availability groups.

Top-level Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops configuration boundary containing controllers, a database, machine catalogs, delivery groups, and policies. A single site can span multiple physical locations and hypervisors.

A collection of identical or similar machines that share an image and provisioning method. Catalogs define machine type (static or random), assignment (dedicated or pooled), and how machines are created and updated.

A logical grouping of machines from one or more catalogs that users access as a unit. It controls which users get access, which applications or desktops are published, and session power and time limits.

Citrix provisioning method that clones a master image on the hypervisor to create catalog machines. It uses a snapshot and identity disk per machine, requires no separate provisioning server, and supports rollback to earlier images.

Streaming provisioning service that boots target devices from a shared vDisk image over the network. It suits large fleets and physical devices, requires Provisioning Servers, and supports write cache in RAM or on disk.

The base image file that PVS streams to target devices. It is typically stored in standard image or private image mode and paired with a write cache so changes do not alter the shared base.

Storage area where a PVS target device writes changes at runtime so the shared vDisk stays unmodified. It can reside in device RAM, on local disk, or on a network share, with different performance and persistence trade-offs.

A machine that boots from a PVS-streamed vDisk rather than local storage. It is registered in the provisioning database and associated with a device collection and a specific vDisk version.

The prepared virtual machine snapshot MCS uses as the template for all catalog machines. It must contain the VDA and required drivers, and is usually generalized before cloning.

Small per-machine disk that MCS attaches to each clone to store unique identity information such as hostname and computer account details. It keeps cloned machines distinct while sharing one base image.

Web front end that authenticates users and displays the stores, applications, and desktops they are entitled to. It communicates with Delivery Controllers and can aggregate resources from multiple sites or farms.

A StoreFront configuration object that defines which Delivery Controllers are contacted, which users may access it, and how resources are enumerated and displayed. Users connect to a store URL through Workspace app or a browser.

Client software installed on user devices that connects to a store, authenticates the user, and launches published applications and desktops. It supports self-service, workspace aggregation, and multiple authentication methods.

Cloud-based workspace interface that aggregates Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops resources alongside SaaS and web apps. It uses Citrix Cloud identity and can connect to on-premises sites through a Cloud Connector.

Software installed in the resource location that maintains an outbound connection to Citrix Cloud. It lets cloud-hosted workspace services reach on-premises Delivery Controllers without inbound firewall openings.

Reverse proxy appliance that provides secure remote access to published resources. It authenticates users, terminates TLS, and applies SmartAccess and session policies before forwarding traffic to StoreFront.

Capability that passes user environment attributes from Citrix Gateway, such as device type or network location, to the Delivery Controller. Policies then filter which resources or settings apply to that session.

Rule set that controls session behavior such as HDX graphics, drive mapping, clipboard, printing, and timeouts. Policies are assigned by priority and filtered by users, groups, machines, or access conditions.

Condition that limits when a policy applies, such as client IP range, user group, machine name, or SmartAccess tag. Filters let one site deliver different behavior to different user populations.

Citrix set of technologies that optimize the user experience over varying network conditions, covering graphics, multimedia, and adaptive transport. HDX policy settings tune bandwidth, latency tolerance, and rendering quality.

HDX feature that uses the Enlightened Data Transport protocol over UDP to improve throughput and resilience on high-latency or lossy links. It falls back to TCP when UDP is unavailable.

Citrix user profile solution that captures and redirects profile data across sessions. It uses policies to decide which folders and registry keys to include or exclude and where profiles are stored.

Network share where Profile Management keeps user profile data. It must be reachable by all VDAs that host the user's sessions and is typically configured through policy.

Technique that moves user folders such as Documents and Desktop to a network location so data persists outside the machine image. It complements profile management and reduces profile size.

Web-based monitoring and troubleshooting console for a site. It shows session and machine status, historical trends, and failure detail, and lets administrators shadow sessions or restart machines.

Feature that lets an authorized administrator view or control a user's active session for support. It is initiated from Director or Studio and can require user consent depending on policy.

Collection of performance and health data from controllers and VDAs, surfaced in Director and stored in the monitoring database. It covers connection failures, logon duration, and load and capacity trends.

Management console used to configure a site: create catalogs and delivery groups, publish applications, assign administrators, and set policies. It connects to a Delivery Controller.

StoreFront component that verifies user credentials against Active Directory or another identity provider and issues the token used for subsequent resource enumeration and launches.

Configuration where StoreFront trusts an external identity provider, such as SAML or an OpenID Connect provider, to authenticate users. It enables single sign-on across cloud and on-premises resources.

Assignment that determines which users or groups can see and launch a published application or desktop. Entitlements are set on delivery groups and refined by SmartAccess filters where configured.

An application made available to entitled users through a store rather than a full desktop. It can run in a shared session host or be delivered as a seamless window from a single-session machine.

Catalog setting where users are not tied to a specific machine; each logon may land on any available machine. It suits stateless workloads and works with profile management to preserve personal settings.

Catalog setting where each user is permanently associated with a particular machine. Changes persist on that machine, which suits users who need installed applications or local customization.

Delivery group setting that schedules machine shutdown and startup to save hypervisor resources. It can also use peak and off-peak hours to keep enough machines running for demand.

Process by which a VDA contacts a Delivery Controller and becomes available to broker sessions. Unregistered machines cannot accept connections and are a common troubleshooting focus.