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Citrix reveals containerised version of NetScaler ADCs

Struggling to do containers at scale? Struggling company thinks it has the answer

Citrix has decided the time is right to containerise its NetScaler application delivery controllers.

NetScaler is Citrix's effort at going beyond WAN optimisation and load balancing with products that try to deliver the performance applications need to deliver a fine users experience wherever – and on whatever networks - users find themselves. AS with everything Citrix does these days, the product is tuned to ensure it plays nicely with Xen Desktop and Xen App, but is also entirely applicable to anyone who wants to speed and secure traffic.

Citrix offers physical and virtual versions of the NetScaler line, but has now decided it needs a containerised version, called “CPX”, too.

In a shout-out to would-be testers of a tech preview, the company explains that making a containerised version of the appliances should make it easier for developers to adopt the platform.

“When an application developed using CPX is ready for production deployment, you can continue to use CPX or cutover to a larger, scaled version of NetScaler that is run by the central infrastructure team.”

The new cut of NetScaler looks to be a vanilla Docker container that “can be provisioned and deployed using the Docker command line just like any other Container in the system.”

Citrix reckons that doing a containerised version of NetScaler gets it into early discussions about how to build containerised applications at scale, something it feels customers aren't yet sure how to consider. It even comes right out and says that “As the first major player in our market to deliver this functionality, we also hope to use this as an opportunity to continue to stay ahead of our competition.”

Citrix needs such opportunities: the company's selling off its software-as-service business and axing staff as it pursues growth and grapples with activist investors.

Want to play with NetScaler CPX? You need to be a Citrix customer, as the company says a chat with an account manager or channel partner is required to be considered for the limited tech preview. ®

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