Solutions Brief

Cisco and Citrix:

Building Application
Centric, ADC-enabled
Data Centers
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) integrates Citrix NetScaler
Application Delivery Controller (ADC) appliances to reduce deployment
complexity and better align applications with dynamic business
requirements in existing and next-generation data centers.

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Solutions Brief

Cisco and Citrix

New paradigm shifts are re-defining IT, as the web economy shifts
to a mobile and application centric economy. IT consumption
models are increasingly becoming cloud based, with a DIY
approach, with increasing focus on Dev/Ops integration and the
concept of anything as a service. The changing landscape of
applications, and the evolving requirements for the development
and management of these applications is leading Enterprise and
Service Provider IT leaders to expect a simple, flexible, automated
and agile infrastructure that better aligns with the needs of the
entire application lifecycle from development to deployment.
To address the changing requirements in the data center, Cisco is delivering a new architecture and
operation model based on the Application Centric Infrastructure. With tight integration between
physical and virtual elements, an open ecosystem model, and innovation spanning ASICs, hardware and
software, Ciscos Application Centric Infrastructure takes a holistic system-based approach. This unique
approach leverages a common policy-based operational model across ACI-ready network, compute,
storage and security elements, overcoming silos and drastically reducing cost and complexity.
With Cisco ACI, applications drive networking behavior, not the other way around. This redefines
the power of IT to be more responsive to changing business and application needs, enhancing
agility and adding business value.
Cisco and Citrix share a common vision for network simplification and rapid network service
provisioning. Both companies believe in an app-centric approach that will help solve key customer
pain points in both traditional and next-gen datacenters. The benefits Cisco ACI can provide to a
customers environment are greatly amplified by leveraging the L4-L7 services between the
network and the application. Citrix NetScaler integration truly enhances Cisco ACI by enabling
best-in-class leverage of ADC services with the network in a tightly coupled fashion.
Solution Overview
Achieving the vision of a truly agile, application-based data center requires a sufficiently
flexible infrastructure that can rapidly provision
and configure the necessary resources independent of their location in the data center.
With Cisco ACI, this is achieved with the Cisco
Application Policy Infrastructure Controller
(APIC), a centralized policy management and

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control point for the entire infrastructure

(Figure 1).
Cisco APIC addresses the two main
requirements for achieving the application
centric data center vision:
Policy-based automation framework
Policy-based service insertion technology

Solutions Brief

Cisco and Citrix

Figure 1. Cisco ACI and Citrix NetScaler Application Delivery Controler Solution

A policy-based automation framework enables

resources to be dynamically provisioned and
configured according to application
equirements. As a result, core services such as
firewalls and Layer 4 through 7 switches can be
consumed by applications and made ready to
use in a single automated step.
A policy-based service insertion solution
automates the step of routing network traffic to
the correct services based on application policies.
The automated addition, removal, and reordering
of services allows applications to quickly change
the resources that they require without the need
to rewire and reconfigure the network or relocate
the services. For example, if the business decision
is made to use an application firewall found in a
modern ADC as a cost-effective way of achieving
PCI compliance, administrators would simply
need to redefine the policy for the services that
should be used for the related applications. The
Cisco APIC can dynamically distribute new
policies to the infrastructure and service nodes in
minutes, without requiring the network be
manually changed.

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Device Package Integration

Integration between the Cisco APIC controller
and the NetScaler ADC is achieved through
REST- based open APIs. A NetScaler Device
Package imported by the APIC controller
enables it to perform detailed feature level
configuration of the NetScaler, spanning the
extensive set of ADC services offered by the
NetScaler. Citrix NetScaler ADC provides Layer 4
through 7 services such as load balancing,
application acceleration, and application
security. The NetScaler has the most
comprehensive set of ADC features offered by
any ADC vendor in the ACI ecosystem. The list
of NetScaler features that can be automated by
the Cisco APIC controller include:
AAA
Application Firewall
Cache Redirection
Content Acceleration
Content Switching
DataStream
Domain Name Service
Global Server Load Balancing
Integrated Caching
Load Balancing
SSL Offload
SSL VPN

Solutions Brief

Cisco and Citrix

Figure 2. Citrix NetScaler Device Package Functions

Policy Based Service Insertion

The Cisco APIC policy-based service insertion
solution automates the step of routing network
traffic to the correct services based on
application policies. This enables L4-L7
resources to be dynamically provisioned and
configured according to application
requirements on a per tenant basis.
The Cisco APIC offers a graphical drag and drop
GUI to easily create L4-L7 Service Graphs that

specify network traffic routing; all of the L4-L7

ADC features available in the NetScaler device
package can be included in a Service Graph
definition, allowing comprehensive NetScaler
integration with the Cisco APIC.
Once created, a Service Graph can be assigned to
an Application Profile and contracted to a data
center tenant, thereby defining the network traffic
flow for that specific application and tenant.

Figure 3. Cisco APIC Service Graph, with Citrix NetScaler ADC and Cisco ASA Firewall Routing

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Solutions Brief

Cisco and Citrix

The Cisco APIC offers a graphical drag and drop

GUI to easily create L4-L7 Service Graphs that
specify network traffic routing; all of the L4-L7
ADC features available in the NetScaler device
package can be included in a Service Graph

Ciscos application centric service insertion

framework allows the Cisco APIC to dynamically
distribute new policies to the infrastructure and
service nodes in minutes, without requiring the
network be manually changed.

Figure 4. APIC Service Graph and Application Profile for Tenant www.Acme.com

Solution Benefits
The unique joint Cisco ACI and Citrix NetScaler
solution improves data center operations and
application deployment, using the Cisco APIC as
the central policy control and management
station and Cisco ACI service-insertion technology
to direct traffic to the appropriate service nodes.
The main benefits include:
1. Investment Protection: Cisco ACI integrates
with all form factors of NetScaler including
NetScaler SDX, NetScaler MPX adn
NetScaler VPX. Moreover, NetScaler
integrates with the Cisco virtual switch Nexus
1000v, Nexus 7000 Series and Nexus 9000
Series. This brings about tremendous
investment protection for customers in both
preserving existing infrastructure and
implementing new policy changes. It can
transition to a next-gen datacenter without
disrupting applications.

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2. Business Agility: NetScaler is a key component

of the Cisco ACI ecosystem, integrated via the
APIC, enabling consistent automation and
orchestration of critical services required to
bring up applications in a fast, secure and
reliable manner. Moreover, these applications
can run on any device type and anywhere in
the customers environment without causing
disruption to the network.
3. Significant cost savings: Customers can realize
significant cost savings due to overhead
reduction in moving from manual operations
to an automated and orchestrated datacenter.
Further, automation helps reduce downtime
caused due to errors or misconfigurations as
well as due to implementation of new
changes in the network.

Solutions Brief

Cisco and Citrix

Open ecosystem for service integration: Cisco

and Citrix are guiding the IETF standard for the
Network Service Header (NSH) Protocol, with
the promise of agile and elastic service delivery
capable of supporting the movement of
service functions and application workloads.
4. Consistent policy framework: NetScaler and
ACI ensure a consistent policy framework is
maintained regardless of whether the
application is deployed on-premise or in
the cloud.
5. Seamless Experiences: Citrix solutions are
built around the needs of our customers
eliminating complexity at every level to
ensure a consistent experience. Cisco ACI and
Citrix NetScaler ensure continued ease of use
and seamless continuity of content and

context across any combination of devices,

locations and networks, across the entire
Citrix product portfolio.
Summary
As businesses quickly move to make the data
center more agile, application centric automation
and virtualization of both hardware and software
infrastructure become increasingly important.
Cisco ACI builds the critical link between
business-based requirements for applications
and the infrastructure that supports them. Citrix
NetScaler ADC connects infrastructure and
applications and makes that insight available to
the Cisco APIC though deep integration.
For More Information
Cisco ACI strategy: http://www.cisco.com/go/aci
Citrix: http://www.citrix.com/netscaler/Cisco

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Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

India Development Center

Bangalore, India

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Coral Gables, FL, USA

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Santa Clara, CA, USA

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UK Development Center
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EMEA Headquarters
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Pacific Headquarters
Hong Kong, China

About Citrix
Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leader in virtualization, networking and cloud services to enable new ways for people to work better. Citrix
solutions help IT and service providers to build, manage and secure, virtual and mobile workspaces that seamlessly deliver apps, desktops,
data and services to anyone, on any device, over any network or cloud. This year Citrix is celebrating 25 years of innovation, making IT
simpler and people more productive with mobile workstyles. With annual revenue in 2013 of $2.9 billion, Citrix solutions are in use at more
than 330,000 organizations and by over 100 million people globally. Learn more at www.citrix.com.
Copyright 2014 Citrix Systems, Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix, NetScaler, NetScaler SDX, NetScaler MPX, and
NetScaler VPX are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing
things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. One of Ciscos key differentiators has been our ability to capture market
transitions which drive innovation that enables our customers long-term success. At the heart of these transitions - cloud, mobility, video,
any device and social - is the network. Ciscos vision is to become our customers most strategic business partner by delivering intelligent
networks and technology and business architectures built on integrated products, services, and software platforms which enable our
customers success. Cisco has shaped the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers and
ecosystem partners and has become the worldwide leader in networking - transforming how people connect, communicate and collaborate.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list
of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective
owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)

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