Leostream Connection Broker 6.5 Released, Eases VDI Management

Waltham, MA: Leostream Corporation, a leading developer of virtual hosted desktop software, today announced the release of Leostream Connection Broker 6.5, which further eases management of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and continues to improve the quality of the end-user experience.

The most widely deployed, vendor-independent technology of its kind, the Leostream Connection Broker enables IT managers to maximize the value of existing IT investments by easily integrating an array of clients, back-end systems and viewers to create a hosted VDI. Additionally, the Connection Broker integrates easily with existing network infrastructure with no changes to essential data center systems, such as authentication services and SSL VPNs. Once integrated, the Connection Broker provides a flexible set of policies for exact implementation of business rules for system administrators, users and machines.

Latest Version of the Leostream Connection Broker Includes a More Customizable Web Client that Recognizes Registry and Printer Plans; Automatically Matches Layout and Resolution to a Client’s Display

Leostream Connection Broker 6.5 improves the end-user experience with an enhanced Web client that now recognizes registry plans, printer plans, and user role settings. The enhanced Web client provides a more user-friendly and customizable interface for end-users accessing their desktops and applications.

The Connection Broker 6.5 also offers dynamic client display matching. With this feature, Connection Broker administrators can create display plans that automatically match the layout and resolution of the client displays for viewer protocols that support it, such as RDP and HP RGS. With this capability, end users’ virtual desktops will automatically span and orient themselves correctly in multi-monitor setups.

In another improvement to the end-user experience, Leostream Connection Broker 6.5 now provides streamlined access to XenApp applications and desktops. This Web client uses the Citrix Client for Java to launch an ICA session, which removes the need for an installed XenApp plug-in to be launched from the Web client.

Finally, the Connection Broker can now log a user into a machine as a local user while still being authenticated by OpenLDAP. In this way, the Connection Broker supports scenarios in which users log into desktops that are not part of the Active Directory domain, but still need authentication by OpenLDAP.

On the management side, Leostream Connection Broker 6.5 includes a number of enhancements that simplify administration of the VDI:

  • Search: Administrators can now search at a global or a table level to locate desktops, users and clients more quickly, simplifying the management of large deployments;
  • Connection Broker Updates: The Connection Broker automatically indicates when an update is available and provides a one-click update process;
  • Logging: Log-ins and assignments are now captured in the Connection Broker log files. Administrators can search for these events and create filters to make the logs more usable and extensible in large VDI environments;
  • Client Locations: Client locations can now be defined using subnet maps that specify a network mask length and a target range for the source and destination; and
  • Cisco VPN Client Support: Leostream can now automatically establish a VPN tunnel for Cisco VPN clients.

“Virtual desktops have to provide an end-user experience that’s at least as good as that of a traditional desktop – Leostream enables VDI deployments to far exceed that standard,” said Michael Palin, CEO of Leostream. “And in a large organization, the VDI must be simple to manage. No other connection broker offers the scalability, flexibility and ease of management that Leostream provides.”

About Leostream Corporation
Leostream provides the critical connection-broker technology required for enterprises to achieve successful large-scale desktop virtualization implementations. The Leostream Connection Broker is the industry’s most widely deployed vendor-independent connection broker, enabling enterprises to integrate the complex array of clients, back-end systems and protocols required for successful virtualized desktop deployments. Hundreds of large enterprises in financial services, healthcare, government and other sectors rely on the Leostream Connection Broker to “make desktop virtualization work” and deliver the best end-user experience.