Jarian Gibson

Citrix has recently released a NetScaler VPX tech preview for VMware.  NetScaler VPX is the VMware ESX virtual appliance version of a NetScaler hardware appliance that is installed on the VMware ESX platform.  With the release of this VMware ESX virtual appliance, NetScaler VPX Express is must for all VMware environments whether you are using other Citrix products or not in your environment.  In a previous post, NetScaler VPX Express is a must of all XenServer Environments, I went over NetScaler VPX and why the Express edition is a must for all XenServer environments.  Now NetScaler VPX Express is a must for VMware environments. 

What is NetScaler VPX?

NetScaler VPX is a VMware virtual appliance that is installed on the VMware ESX platform.  It has all same features and functionality as a NetScaler hardware appliance in a simple virtual appliance that converges virtualization and networking.  NetScaler VPX can be easily and dynamically deployed on a single VMware ESX host or across multiple VMware ESX hosts in your environment.  Like the hardware version, NetScaler VPX comes in three editions – Express, Enterprise, and Platinum.  The Express edition of NetScaler VPX is the same as the Standard edition of the NetScaler hardware appliance.  To see a complete list of features for each NetScaler edition see the Citrix NetScaler Product Line Feature Matrix.  You can also get a free NetScaler VPX Platinum evaluation license from MyCitrix that gives you full NetScaler features and unlocks the 1MB bandwidth throughput limitation of NetScaler VPX Express Edition. 

Why is NetScaler VPX Express a must for all VMware ESX environments?

NetScaler VPX Express edition is FREE.  NetScaler VPX Express edition gives you a NetScaler Standard edition license for FREE.  The license is good for one year and will have to be renewed each year in your MyCitrix account.  You can also get multiple Express edition licenses for use of multiple NetScaler VPX virtual appliances for high availability across your VMWare ESX environment.  NetScaler VPX Express edition gives you a FREE load balancer and Access Gateway Enterprise to use in XenApp and/or XenDesktop environments.  If you don’t have any Citrix products in your environment, NetScaler VPX Express is FREE load balancer with monitoring to use with your web application servers or any other servers in your environment.  You can also use the Access Gateway Enterprise functionality for remote SSL VPN access to your environment.  The only requirements for NetScaler VPX Express edition are a MyCitrix account and the VMware ESX platform.  NetScaler VPX can be installed and up in running in minutes once it has been downloaded.  It’s a very simple install to start getting the benefits of a FREE load balancer. 

NetScaler VPX Installation Procedure:

1. Download the NetScaler VPX for ESX virtual appliance zip file package.
2. Extract the NetScaler VPX for ESX virtual appliance zip file package.
3. Import the NetScaler VPX virtual appliance in the vSphere client to an ESX host or import on multiple ESX hosts for high availability.  In the vSphere client use File > Deploy OVF Template to install the NetScaler VPX virtual appliance on your ESX host.
4. Get and activate your free NetScaler VPX Express license from MyCitrix.  Multiple licenses will be needed for multiple virtual appliances.  They are allocated by the MAC address of each NetScaler VPX virtual appliance.
5. Power on the NetScaler VPX virtual appliance and go thru the configuration process for IP address, subnet mask, gateway.
6. Connect to the NetScaler VPX from a web browser, finish the configuration process, and upload your Express license. 

You are now ready to configure and use your NetScaler VPX virtual appliance in your VMware environment.

If you need additional NetScaler VPX features that are not in the Express edition, the NetScaler VPX can be easily upgraded to Enterprise or Platinum edition with a license upgrade.  Giving you more great NetScaler VPX features on the VMware platform.  NetScaler VPX Express is a great FREE load balancer to use in your VMware environment whether you are using other Citrix products or not in your environment.  I think this is a great move by Citrix to have their virtual appliances across multiple hypervisors.  Hopefully they will soon have one for Hyper-V.  To see even more usage scenarios for NetScaler VPX Express with Citrix products see my previous blog post NetScaler VPX Express is a must for all XenServer Environments.  Another thing to note is that the NetScaler VPX Express Edition is limited to 1MB throughput but can be upgraded to 10MB, 200MB, or even 1GB throughput.  Before going into production with the NetScaler VPX Express Edition your bandwidth requirements should be evaluated and the correct bandwidth license file should be purchased.  The NetScaler VPX Express Edition is unsupported unless your purchase a bandwidth license.  Pay as you grow with NetScaler VPX.  Also see my follow-up blog post Choosing a NetScaler: Hardware Appliance or Virtual Appliance for more information on NetScaler VPX. 

If you have found this article interesting or if you have any other insights, please feel free to leave comments on this article.