Citrix launches OpenStack-based cloud platform

Citrix this week launched its major cloud infrastructure initiative, one based on OpenStack.

At its annual conference known as Synergy, Citrix announced Project Olympus, which consists of a Citrix-certified version of OpenStack and a cloud-optimized version Citrix XenServer.

Citrix's platform is based on Xen, the open source hypervisor and open source project it sponsors. By supporting OpenStack, the Ft Lauderdale, Fl-based company ensures that its SaaS platform will support all top virtualization hypervisors. Virtualization is a key enabler of cloud computing.

The platform will be available later this year. OpenStack is an open source cloud project founded by Rackspace and backed by Dell.

Cirix announced several cloud-related products and services at synergy.

Netscaler Cloud Bridge, which will be available in the first half of this year, "transparently connects enterprise datacenters to any off-premise cloud, making the cloud a seamless extension of the enterprise network," Citrix maintains.

It will be available as a VPX virtual appliance or MPX physical appliance, and will be available as part of the NetScaler Platinum Edition.

Cloud Bridge improves upon the L4-7 traffic management capabilities of NetScaler with "four key network services that make the cloud appear as a native extension of the enterprise datacenter: L2 network bridging, a secured tunnel via encryption, network acceleration, global server load balancing and application flexibility, Citrix said.

The company also announced major enhancements to its HDX technology, which improves the performance of video, audio and 3D graphics when delivered over wide area networks or from external cloud environments, Citrix said.