NetScaler

NetScaler
TypePrivate
IndustryNetworking
FoundedDecember 1, 1997; 28 years ago (1997-12-01)[citation needed] in Santa Clara, California, United States
FounderMichel K. Susai
HeadquartersSan Jose, California, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key peopleTom Krause (CEO)
ParentCloud Software Group
Websitewww.netscaler.com

NetScaler is a line of networking products owned by Cloud Software Group. The products consist of multiple networking tools and services. NetScaler was initially developed in 1997 by Michel K Susai and acquired by Citrix Systems in 2005. Citrix consolidated all of its networking products under the NetScaler brand in 2016. On September 30, 2022, when Citrix was taken private as part of the merger with TIBCO Software, NetScaler was formed as a business unit under the Cloud Software Group.

Overview

The NetScaler line of products are the networking business unit for Cloud Software Group. It includes NetScaler ADCs, NetScaler Unified Gateway, NetScaler AppFirewall, NetScaler Intelligent Traffic Management, and NetScaler Application Delivery Manager. The products can work in conjunction with other Cloud Software Group offerings, including its Citrix and Xen line of products.

NetScaler is integrated with OpenStack as part of Cloud Software Group's sponsorship of the OpenStack Foundation.

Products

NetScaler is an application delivery controller (ADC). and described by TechTarget's Michael Otey as "Cloud Software Group’s core networking product". It The product is aimed at business customers and it performs tasks such as traffic optimization, L4-L7 load balancing, and web app acceleration while maintaining data security.

NetScaler monitors server health and allocates network and application traffic to additional servers for efficient use of resources. It also performs several kinds of caching and compression. It can be made a server proxy, process SSL requests, and offers VPN and micro-app VPN operations. It also includes NetScaler application firewall and SSL encryption capabilities. NetScaler ADC can manage traffic during DDoS attacks, making sure traffic gets to critical applications. Additionally, NetScaler's logs of network activity feed into Citrix's cloud-based analytics service and are used to analyze and identify security risks.

There are five versions of NetScaler: NetScaler MPX, a hardware-based appliance for use in data centers; NetScaler SDX, a hardware-based appliance intended for service providers that provides virtualization delivering multitenancy for virtual and cloud-based data centers; NetScaler VPX, a software-based application that is implemented as a virtual machine and intended for small business use; and NetScaler CPX, a NetScaler ADC packaged in a container and designed for cloud and microservices applications. NetScaler BLX is a software form factor that runs natively on bare-metal Linux servers, without a hypervisor or container layer.

NetScaler Unified Gateway allows for remote access of virtual desktops and a variety applications from a single point of entry and with single sign-on.

The NetScaler Application Delivery Management (ADM) is a platform designed for the organization and automation of policy management across devices and applications. The tool is used to manage the various NetScaler products from a single dashboard. The platform also provides analytics.

History

1997 - Entrepreneur Michel K. Susai founded NetScaler December 1, 1997 in San Jose, California.[citation needed] He created NetScaler as a solution for reducing infrastructure during the growth of the Internet in the late 1990s.

2000 - NetScaler ships the first product, WebScaler 3000.

2001 - The company repositioned NetScaler as a security and optimization tool in 2001. NetScaler releases a load balancer.

2002 - The release of NetScaler 9000, a load balancer with integrated SSL and compression offload.

2004 – NetScaler offers a load balancer with support for SSLVPN. Security Weekly calls the NetScaler RS9800HA-T "[..]the fastest unit in the test" and recommends the product.

By 2005, NetScaler estimated 75 percent of Internet users used its systems through clients including Google and Amazon. Citrix acquired NetScaler in 2005 for approximately $300 million in cash and stock.

2006 – NetScaler offers the 11000 series.

2007 – NetScaler offers the MPX-17xxx series systems, the first NetScaler with 10G connectivity.

2008/2009 – NetScaler transitions from the uniprocessor to the multiprocessor packet engine implementation.

2009 - NetScaler introduced the VPX edition the following year.

2011 - NetScaler offers the MPX-115xx series of systems. NetScaler also releases the SDX, a multi-tenant ADC hardware platform.

2016 - Citrix transitioned all of its delivery products under the NetScaler brand.

Security issues

Citrix Bleed

In 2023, reports emerged of cyber criminals exploiting a vulnerability in Citrix NetScaler and the French Agence Nationale de la Cybersécurité issued advisories to correct "Citrix Bleed".

In 2025, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service and other governmental institutions suffered a data leak due to Citrix Bleed.

References

  1. 1 2 Justia (September 29, 2015). "Netscaler Founder Michel K Susai". Justia. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Press Release Citrix TIBCO Merger Complete - Cloud Software Group". www.cloud.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Simon Sharwood (May 25, 2016). "Citrix dodges death, returns with bigger XenServer and NetScaler". The Register. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  4. ↑ Dix, John (2016-04-18). "Introducing the new Citrix". Network World. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  5. ↑ "Citrix joins OpenStack, aims at interoperability in the cloud- The Inquirer". 2015-07-08. Archived from the original on 2015-07-08. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Michael Otey (August 2016). "Citrix's new NetScaler CPX brings container technologies to developers". TechTarget. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  7. 1 2 Darryl Linington (May 26, 2016). "Citrix Showcases Cloud-first Innovations at Citrix Synergy 2016". IT News Africa. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  8. ↑ Mikael Ricknäs (August 27, 2013). "Citrix integrates Netscaler with VMware's network virtualization platform". PC World. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Stacy Cowley (June 6, 2005). "Gaining speed, Citrix buys NetScaler". Network World. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  10. 1 2 Stan Gibson (May 12, 2015). "NetScaler: Making the Mobile Enterprise Happen". CIO magazine. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  11. 1 2 Carlos A Soto (May 5, 2011). "NetScaler load balancer can squash network latency". GCN. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Robin Wauters (May 16, 2011). "Product Launch: Citrix NetScaler SDX". Virtualization.com. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  13. ↑ Lynn Greiner (May 29, 2017). "More companies are using artificial intelligence and analytics to fight against cyber threats". Financial Post. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  14. ↑ Timothy Prickett Morgan (October 10, 2011). "Citrix pushes the pedal on NetScaler appliance metal". The Register. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  15. 1 2 Timothy Prickett Morgan (September 23, 2009). "Citrix ships virtual NetScaler accelerator". The Register. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "About NetScaler BLX | NetScaler BLX 14.1". docs.netscaler.com. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
  17. ↑ Bas van Kaam (September 23, 2014). "Citrix NetScaler Gateway, the basics!". Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  18. ↑ Brian Posey (October 31, 2016). "Three benefits Citrix NetScaler Unified Gateway delivers to VDI shops". Search Virtual Desktop. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  19. 1 2 3 Natalie Gagliordi (May 24, 2016). "Citrix unwraps XenApp, XenDesktop 7.9, adds centralized analytics to NetScaler". ZDNet. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  20. 1 2 pisbcredenz (July 5, 2015). "Challenges we tackled while interviewing Michel Susai". WordPress. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  21. ↑ Staff, S. C. (2004-01-01). "Netscaler RS9800HA-T". SC Media. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  22. ↑ Greene, Tim (2008-04-28). "Citrix, A10 bolster application delivery gear". Network World. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  23. ↑ ZDNet, Extern (2023-11-27). "Comment les cybercriminels font leur miel de la faille Citrix Bleed". ZDNET (in French). Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  24. ↑ "Attention aux tentatives d'exploitation de la vulnérabilité " Citrix Bleed " de Citrix NetScaler" (in French). 02/11/2023 L'Agence Nationale de la Cybersécurité ANCS sollicite votre vigilance face à des tentatives d'exploitation de la vulnérabilité « Citrix Bleed » :CVE-2023-4966. En effet, cette vulnérabilité pourrait permettre à un attaquant de prendre le contrôle des sessions d'utilisateurs légitimes sur NetScaler ADC et NetScaler Gateway pour procéder à une reconnaissance du réseau, voler les informations d'identification des comptes et se déplacer latéralement dans le réseau via RDP.
  25. ↑ "'Mass exploitation' of Citrix Bleed as ransomware moves in". Archived from the original on 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  26. ↑ "Meer Nederlandse organisaties slachtoffer van hackers door Citrix-lek". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2025-08-12. Retrieved 2026-10-08.
  27. ↑ Driessen, Camil (2026-10-08). "OM had de systemen niet goed beveiligd, waarna een 'statelijke actor' binnendrong". NRC (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 2026-10-08.