NetScaler Gateway (formerly Citrix Gateway) is an access gateway with SSL VPN solution, providing single sign-on (SSO) and authentication for remote end users of network assets.
$995
per month
XenServer
Score 7.2 out of 10
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XenServer (formerly Citrix Hypervisor) is a virtualization management platform optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization infrastructures.
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Pricing
NetScaler Gateway
XenServer
Editions & Modules
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No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
NetScaler Gateway
XenServer
Free Trial
No
No
Free/Freemium Version
No
No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No
No
Entry-level Setup Fee
No setup fee
No setup fee
Additional Details
The price for a Citrix Gateway (VPX) perpetual license is $995.00.
You must contact the sales team for subscription license pricing.
The best usage scenario for Citrix Netscaler Gateway is in enterprises with a high volume of telecommuting users or in situations where the user needs to access certain applications from anywhere. In our case as a hospital, we need our doctors to access the medical records of the patients and be able to carry out any required action, with a high level of security and with a certain agility.
It can be really helpful & useful if we are using Citrix Hypervisor with other provisioning tools. Here are some specific scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor (formerly Citrix XenServer) is well-suited: Server Consolidation, Virtual Desktops, Disaster Recovery, Development & Testing Environments. On the other hand, there are some scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor may be less appropriate: Small-scale Deployments, Highly Heterogeneous Environments, and Limited Virtualization Requirements.
allows seamless use of 2-factor authentication for heightened security within the VPN, and lowers risk of an external hack because of it.
it allows for differing levels of security. access can be set specifically through the VPN so 2 users can use the same site and get different results depending on their active directory security policy.
It can grant the ability to launch a single application or an entire VPN envelope
Adding or presenting additional storage to the host can often be a task that is far more involved than competitive products.
The product can require reboots more frequently than competitors due to the DOM kernel getting "hung up".
Sometimes when a virtual machine is deleted it still leaves behind orphaned vdisks.
Recovering from the loss of a host can sometimes cause virtual machines to require lengthy command prompt scripting to fix so they can be powered back on from another host.
With the knowledge and usage of solutions from VMware and Microsoft offering more compelling cloud integrated options it makes it more compelling in many environments which I consult. XenServer is a good product and fits the bill in many smaller environments but as clients look to the cloud or a hybrid cloud it can in some cases make it a bit more difficult.
XenServer is quite usable due to the simplicity the management and installation provide for an administrator. The console for management is very intuitive and can easily be installed on any Windows operating system. There is a relatively simple web console that can be implemented as well that enhances the usability to provide service to non-administrators.
It's been a little problematic in the past at larger VDI deployments requiring a bit more care and feeding than other vendors. But the latest releases (6.5.x) have brought about huge improvements in the stability and availability.
Support is pretty good and pretty fast to respond. I can't say I can really complain about the support experience I've had with them, as they've resolved issues within a reasonable time-frame. Of course, they could always be faster and better, but I think for what we pay, it's well worth the money.
The staff I've worked with are very knowledgeable or able to get a very well articulated and capable support team member on the phone or helping them if necessary and they always want to ensure the best experience possible for you on the platform. The ability for the support team to reach out to hardware vendors for assistance is a nice plus too.
Part of a training for certification to become a trainer for Citrix included an in-person training with a Master CCI. The XenServer training at this time was pretty simplified due to the product primarily being installed however you did have to work with it and mildly configure the system.
Haven't given it a real go with any online training however there are some options out there. I have taught a course following Citrix material for XenDesktop which leverages XenServer and it is pre-built so not the best for XenServer specifically for installation but configuration is mildly touched on
Ensure you review the HCL (hardware compatibility list) and reach out to the hardware vendors to ensure they support the platform and in case they have documentation that can be followed for the implementation. Also ensure the prerequisites are completed prior to implementation so that as few unexpected delays occur as you can control.
The only other SSL VPN type product I have used was Citrix Secure Gateway. Netscaler is a MUCH more feature filled product. CSG was a free add on to older versions of Citrix Metaframe and XenApp and was specifically just used for securing Citrix infrastructure. Netscaler excels in securing Citrix but can also be used to secure shared apps of all kinds regardless of how they are published. I did do a test run on 2X's product which did include a secure gateway but then base 2X product was not really comparable to Citrix so did not go too far with it.
Feature for feature they are neck and neck. I have used Hyper-V 2012 and 2016, VMware ESXi and XenServer evenly. XenServer is a fast install, good documentation, with enterprise features out the box that compare or exceed what VMWare offered with a higher cost of entry.
The servers latest versions have made massive improvements to scalability. But from past experience there have been issues when running workloads for extended periods of time without reboot on the hosts. I would need to run similar workloads on the 6.5 release which has changed much of the bottlenecks or issues so I'd imagine its far more capable now, Perhaps able to stand near the best in the market.
Our data is secure and protected from the outside world which is priceless.
It saves our business money as we can provide our clients with a safe and secure alternative to accessing their data remotely rather than having to take the more expensive route of travelling on-site to gather the data we need.
It gives us the opportunity to host on-site training using gated cloud based environments which enhances our business services. The ability to easily change access information, such as a password, after administering a training course gives us the flexibility we need to provide and subsequently restrict access to our training environments to suit our needs.
Xenserver is easy to learn. We paid for support only for installation and deployment in the first three years, and now our team has the knowledge to solve most problems.
Low CAPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
But paid support is necessary to solve critical problems. The open source community is not enough. Actually, we have difficulty solving some bugs without paying for support.
Medium OPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
