Citrix Workspace Overview

Citrix Workspace is a digital workspace solution that delivers secure and unified access to apps, desktops, and content (resources) from anywhere, on any device. These resources can be Citrix DaaS, content apps, local and mobile apps, SaaS and Web apps, and browser apps.

How Citrix Workspace works

Citrix Workspace aggregates and integrates Citrix Cloud services, enabling unified access to all the resources available to your end-users (subscribers) in one resource location. End-users of Citrix Workspace are called subscribers because you “subscribe” employees to the services you make available to them through their workspaces.

For an overview of the services available through Citrix Workspace, see Cloud-hosted services through Citrix Workspace.

Subscribers see a complete, unified view of each resource you make available to them through these services in the Citrix Workspace user interface (UI). For more information on the subscriber experience of the Citrix Workspace UI, see Manage your workspace experience.

Subscribers access the services that you configure and enable in Workspace Configuration either through the browser with the Workspace URL, or through the Citrix Workspace app, which replaces Citrix Receiver. For more information on how users access their workspaces, visit Workspace access.

Subscribers authenticate to their workspaces using the primary identity provider that you configure in Identity and Access Management and then enable in Workspace Configuration. The subscriber is then automatically authenticated to each cloud-hosted service purchased for Citrix Workspace, which helps increase security and reduce usability challenges. For more information on configuring Workspace authentication, visit Secure workspaces.

Get started overview

Citrix Workspace is set up through the Citrix Cloud console, in which there’s an Identity and Access Management administration screen and a Citrix Workspace management interface called Workspace Configuration. Getting started with Citrix Workspace involves the following tasks.

1. Ensure you’re set up to implement Citrix Workspace in the Citrix Cloud console, where you:
   • Onboard to cloud-based services.
   • Assemble your deployment team.
   • Configure your infrastructure and resources.
2. Define identity providers and accounts in Identity and Access Management for:
   • Citrix Cloud administrators.
   • Citrix Workspace subscribers.
3. Configure your workspaces in Workspace Configuration, including:
   • Internal and external access.
   • Integrating services that you configured in the Citrix Cloud console into your workspaces.
   • Customizing workspace appearance and the subscriber experience once they sign in.

Beyond this basic setup, you have other security, privacy, and optimization options to choose from. The most common are:

• Configure single sign-on (SSO) to DaaS in Citrix Workspace with the Citrix Federated Authentication Service (FAS). FAS is typically adopted if you’re using a federated authentication method, such as Okta or Azure Active Directory.

For an overview of the tasks and the information needed as you progress in your deployment, see Get started with Citrix Workspace. Each step guides you through the Citrix Cloud console with instructions for tasks like configuring your identity provider and enabling services. The walkthrough also provides quick access to technical information needed for assembling your deployment team, and configuring your infrastructure and resources.

Cloud-hosted services through Citrix Workspace

Subscribers use Citrix Workspace to access the resources provided by cloud-hosted services. Existing Citrix Cloud customers can transition to the full digital workspace experience by taking these services with them into the Citrix Workspace solution.

This section describes the main cloud-hosted services that can be enabled for Citrix Workspace, depending on your entitlements. For information on how to configure and enable access to your purchased services, visit Get started with Citrix Workspace. For a complete description of each Citrix Workspace edition and included features, see the Citrix Workspace Feature Matrix.

Citrix DaaS

Citrix Workspace is the multitenant, cloud-hosted access point to Citrix DaaS. To set up the Citrix DaaS, follow the steps outlined in Citrix DaaS.

If you’re an on-premises Virtual Apps and Desktops customer, there are different options for accessing your resources through Citrix Workspace. The option you choose depends on whether you want to fully migrate to the cloud or adopt a hybrid solution, and whether you plan to allow external access. For more information on these options, visit Deliver DaaS with Citrix Workspace.

Citrix Content Collaboration for secure file access, sharing, and collaboration

Citrix Content Collaboration delivers Citrix ShareFile alongside other offerings, such as Citrix RightSignature for paperless document signing, and the App Builder, powered by Citrix Podio.

Existing ShareFile customers can link their account to Citrix Cloud with Content Collaboration. This allows end users to access and collaborate on content through the Files tab in the Workspace UI or Citrix Files app.

To take advantage of Content Collaboration in Citrix Workspace, you must:

1. Have an entitlement to Content Collaboration or ShareFile.
2. Link your existing ShareFile entitlement or enable a new Content Collaboration entitlement.
3. Enable Content Collaboration in Citrix Workspace. See Deploy and enable Citrix Content Collaboration in Citrix Workspace.

Once this process is complete, subscribers see the Files tab in the left-side navigation of the Citrix Workspace UI.

The exact steps and the order in which you follow them depend on your starting point and desired end state.

• Create a new Content Collaboration account. Allow subscribers to access content through Citrix Workspace with a new Content Collaboration account.
• Add an existing ShareFile account to a new Workspace deployment. Set up Citrix Workspace as an existing ShareFile customer by adding an existing ShareFile account to a new Workspace deployment.
• Add an existing ShareFile account to an existing Workspace deployment. If you’re an existing ShareFile customer that already has Citrix Workspace configured, create a unified experience by adding an existing ShareFile account to an existing Workspace deployment.

For an overview of the steps involved, visit Access and share files with Content Collaboration through Citrix Workspace.

SaaS and Web apps, secured with the Citrix Secure Private Access service

Citrix Secure Private Access (formerly Secure Workspace Access and the Access Control Service) provides single sign-on (SSO) to Web and SaaS apps that are integrated into Workspace. The service also allows you to manage access privileges and control policies that sanction appropriate levels of access to enterprise-hosted web apps based on the subscriber’s credentials.

For more information on the benefits of the Citrix Secure Private Access service, visit Tech Brief: Secure Private Access.

Citrix Gateway service

The Citrix Gateway service (formerly the NetScaler Gateway Service) is used with Citrix Secure Private Access for a fully cloud-hosted environment, managed by Citrix.

The Citrix Gateway service delivers a unified experience to SaaS apps, and Virtual Apps and Desktops, by providing external connectivity to workspaces based on an advanced policy infrastructure.

Follow the steps to set up the Citrix Gateway service, then test and share the Workspace URL with your subscribers to give them remote access. For more information on configuring SaaS apps within the Citrix Gateway service, see Support for Software as a Service Apps.

Citrix Remote Browser Isolation service

Integrate the Citrix Remote Browser Isolation service into your workspaces to isolate web browsing and protect the corporate network from browser-based attacks. When subscribers navigate to the Workspace URL, their published browsers are shown, along with other apps and desktops that are configured in other Citrix Cloud services.

To give subscribers access to a remote isolated browser, set up Remote Browser Isolation, and then test and share the Workspace URL with your subscribers.

Citrix Endpoint Management

Citrix Endpoint Management allows you to manage device and app policies with strict security for identity, devices, apps, data, and networks. Integration with Citrix Workspace differs for new and existing customers. For more information on integrating Endpoint Management with Citrix Workspace, visit Integration with Citrix Workspace experience.

Citrix Analytics

The Citrix Analytics service gathers and provides insights on all your Citrix Workspace subscribers. There are different Citrix Analytics offerings available to you depending on your entitlements. These are Citrix Analytics for Security, Citrix Analytics for Performance, and Citrix Analytics (Usage). To learn more about these services, visit Citrix Analytics.