Citrix Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) Protocol

What is Citrix ICA?

Citrix Independent Computing Architecture (Citrix ICA) is a proprietary protocol for an application server system. Designed by Citrix systems, it is not bound to any single platform, and lays down specification for passing data between server and clients. Citrix ICA includes a server software component, a network protocol component, and a client software component.

How does Citrix ICA work?

Citrix ICA is similar in purpose to window servers; it provides for the feedback of user input from the client to the server, and a means for the server to send graphical output, audio data, and other media from the running application on the server to the client using the interface.

Citrix ICA client software is also built into various thin client platforms, where the server does most of the work of the remote computer. On the client end, the user works within the interface of the application, but the application is entirely taking place on the server: only the user changes travel over the network to the server. Its performance is critical for user experience, making Citrix monitoring of great importance.