Citrix Environments

Citrix Applications (XenApp) and Citrix Desktop (XenDesktop) provide a significant advantage for the management of organizations’ IT infrastructure by providing control and access for multiple users connecting to applications or session-based desktops on a shared Remote Desktop Services server. Features of Citrix XenApp include: 

• Enhanced security through centralization and access control. 
• Increase employee productivity with high performance anywhere access. 
• Simplify support and enable choice of BYO device. 

• Reduce cost and complexity of app and desktop management. 
• Check more info @ https://www.citrix.com/en-in/products/citrix-virtual-apps-and-desktops/feature-matrix.html 

Bentley Licensing in Citrix Applications Environment 

Bentley Systems does permit the use of validated Desktop products in Citrix, but some care does need to be taken to ensure that the organization remains in compliance with Bentley Systems’ Terms of Use. It is the responsibility of the organization using the Bentley product to ensure that Citrix environments are configured and used in a manner that is compliant. 

To stay in compliance with the Terms of Use, please keep the following things in mind: 

• A stable network connection is required 
• The product must be on the validated list of Desktop products 
• Update to the latest CONNECTION Client is required
• Each user should have their own unique Citrix ID
• Bentley product will continue logging usage for the duration of the active session

A stable network connection is required 

Citrix requires a stable connection to continue to use a virtualized application.  For Bentley licensing, a stable network connection to Bentley’s Cloud services is required to properly entitle and record usage of an application. 

The product must be on the validated list of Desktop products 

To see the list of Desktop products that have been validated for use with Citrix Applications, please see Bentley Products Validated For Use With Citrix Applications

Update to the latest CONNECTION Client is required

CONNECTION Client 11.00.01.109 is the minimum version that needs to be installed to properly comply with the Terms of Use.  This version has important changes especially for logging of application usage in the virtual environment. To learn more about this change, please see How Remote Usage Is Recorded

Important fixes to the CONNECTION Client and Licensing client are released regularly.  It is important to stay current with these releases as they may have fixes that relate directly to use of Bentley products in virtual environments such as Citrix.   

Please see the CONNECTION Client Release Notes for more information about these important fixes. 

 Each user must have their own unique Citrix ID 

Citrix offers several options to manage credentials to access their environments. Some, such as Active Directory, naturally help maintain user security. Other options may allow more sharing of credentials among users, but that should be avoided.  

Citrix has recommendations for how to discourage or stop users from using the same ID.  

• https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX208379 

Bentley products will continue logging usage for the duration of the active session 

Citrix has many controls to allow for the management of sessions to achieve different behaviors.  Some of those controls can extend the duration of a session beyond when the application is actually visible to a user.  This could lead to longer than expected durations of usage.   

• Citrix Product Documentation - Manage - Sessions 
• Citrix Product Documentation - Configure Prelaunch and Session Linger 

This includes when the network connection to the Citrix environment is severed.  As the application session may continue to run even if a user is not connected, usage will continue to be logged against that active session. 

To understand how usage is going to be looked in this environment, please see  How remote usage is recorded.