Parallels Remote Application Server

Parallels Remote Application Server
Name	Parallels Remote Application Server
Developer	Parallels
Released	2006
Latest release version	(varies)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows, Linux
License	Commercial

Parallels Remote Application Server Parallels Remote Application Server is a commercial virtualization and remote application delivery platform that enables centralized application and desktop publishing for enterprise and service provider environments. It integrates remote display protocols, authentication services, and management consoles to publish applications, virtual desktops, and remote resources to end users across diverse client devices. The platform competes in markets alongside solutions from Citrix Systems, VMware, Microsoft Corporation, Amazon Web Services, and Google LLC.

Overview

The product provides application and desktop virtualization comparable to offerings from Citrix Systems and VMware Horizon, and aligns with cloud initiatives promoted by Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services for remote workforce enablement. Administrators use management consoles influenced by enterprise tools from Red Hat, IBM, and Dell Technologies to provision sessions, manage user policies, and integrate with directory services such as Microsoft Active Directory and identity providers like Okta and Auth0. End-user access clients are available across platforms produced by Apple Inc., Google LLC, and manufacturers like Samsung Electronics and Lenovo.

Architecture and Components

The architecture centers on a broker-and-agent model similar to designs from Citrix Systems and VMware, employing connection brokers, publishing agents, and gateway components that mirror concepts used in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and XenApp. Core components include a centralized management console influenced by enterprise management suites from SAP SE and Oracle Corporation, load balancers akin to those from F5 Networks or HAProxy, and session hosts that run on hypervisors such as VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM implemented in distributions from Canonical Ltd. and Red Hat. Integration points support databases like Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL used by organizations such as Oracle Corporation and Amazon Web Services.

Features and Functionality

Key capabilities include remote application publishing, virtual desktop delivery, session brokering, and multi-protocol support reminiscent of RemoteFX and HDX technologies. Multimedia handling leverages codecs and optimizations comparable to those in NVIDIA GRID and Intel Quick Sync technologies, while file redirection and printing integrations parallel solutions from ThinPrint and Papercut. High-availability features draw on clustering patterns used by Red Hat Cluster Suite and Microsoft Failover Clustering, and monitoring/analytics echo telemetry approaches from Splunk and Dynatrace.

Deployment and System Requirements

Deployments are supported on infrastructure used by enterprises adopting products from Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform. System requirements reference compatibility with server OS releases from Microsoft Corporation, Linux distributions from Canonical Ltd. and Red Hat, and hardware platforms by Intel Corporation and AMD. Virtualization compatibility aligns with hypervisors like VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM used by data centers operated by Equinix and Digital Realty.

Licensing and Editions

Commercial licensing models resemble subscription and perpetual options offered by Microsoft Corporation and VMware, with edition tiers comparable to product families from Citrix Systems and Dell Technologies. Enterprise agreements may align with procurement practices used by institutions such as IBM and SAP SE, and channel distribution mirrors reseller networks like those of CDW Corporation and Ingram Micro.

Security and Compliance

Security controls include authentication integrations comparable to Microsoft Active Directory and Okta, support for encryption standards endorsed by IETF and regulatory frameworks referenced by agencies such as National Institute of Standards and Technology and European Commission. Compliance postures are positioned to address requirements associated with regimes like HIPAA and GDPR, paralleling audit and logging practices used by enterprises working with PwC and Deloitte.

History and Development

The product evolved during an era of rapid virtualization growth influenced by milestones from VMware, Citrix Systems, and cloud transitions led by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Development traces reflect industry shifts following acquisitions and market consolidation events involving companies such as Parallels, Corel Corporation, and platform integrations common to vendors like Red Hat and Canonical Ltd..

Reception and Use Cases

Adoption scenarios mirror case studies from verticals using virtualization from Healthcare Financial Management Association partners, education deployments like those promoted by Blackboard Inc. and campus IT groups at institutions such as Harvard University, and service provider implementations similar to managed services offered by Accenture and Capgemini. Reviews and analyst comparisons typically position the platform among competitors including Citrix Systems, VMware, and Microsoft Corporation in reports by firms like Gartner and Forrester Research.

Category:Remote desktop software