If you're using XenApp to provide remote access to your applications its likely you'll be using the free  software-based Secure Gateway feature. You may well also know that Citrix have Access Gateway which, as a hardened appliance - makes it easier to install and maintain than locking down a Windows server to host the CSG services. 

However, as an appliance you might have been put off about putting a specific device into your server room/datacentre. Citrix have now released Access Gateway VPX. Access Gateway VPX is a virtual appliance that delivers the same features and functionality as the Model 2010 physical appliance.

You can deploy Access Gateway VPX as a virtual workload on your own hardware, in addition to or as an alternative to using a physical appliance.

Citrix suggest that this virtual device  is ideal for:

• Environments with limited rack space and infrastructure where consolidation of physical appliances is required. An Access Gateway VPX instance can be co-located with other virtual machines on a single server to reduce the overall infrastructure requirements.
• Reducing costs by cutting power consumption and standardizing all hardware in the data center to get the best pricing from server vendors.
• Minimizing downtime. XenServer capabilities such as XenMotion (dynamic workload relocation) and NIC bonding offer an ideal way to lessen the impact of hardware failures. Virtual appliances also eliminate the need for appliance replacements when failures occur.
• Creating a non-production environment for training and testing.
• Creating a highly available architecture.
• Future proofing your Citrix investment - bear in mind Secure Gateway does not support Citrix Receiver and XenDesktop where as Access Gateway VPX does.

Access Gateway VPX includes the new Access Gateway Platform License, plus one year of Subscription Advantage.

The initial release of Access Gateway VPX is based on Access Gateway 4.6.2, Standard Edition and is compatible with Citrix XenServer version 5.5

For more information catch up on:

Citrix Access Gateway VPX Reference Architecture

Getting Started with Access Gateway VPX  

You can download the appliance from your mycitrix site (mycitrix account required) with the following link:

Download CAG Appliance