Elastic App Layers are designed for on-demand application delivery to specific users or groups, rather than including the application in the base layered image for everyone. This approach is ideal when an application is only required by a small subset of users, as it keeps the base image lean and simplifies management. Assigning an application elastically means it is attached during user logon only for those entitled to it, making it a perfect solution for departmental or specialized software that is not universally needed.

A. Allowing users to install their own applications is a function of a User Layer (writable layer), not Elastic App Layers, which are for admin-managed application delivery.

B. Applications needed by all users should be included in the base layered image for optimal performance and simplified deployment, not delivered elastically.

C. Elastic layering is a delivery mechanism and does not inherently resolve application performance issues; performance problems must be addressed within the application or infrastructure itself.

1. Citrix Product Documentation - App Layering, "Elastic app layering": "Elastic app layering is useful for applications that are used by only a subset of your users. Including those applications in a layered image would unnecessarily increase the size of the image on storage. If an application is required by most users, include it in the layered image." This directly supports the selection of D and E and the rejection of B.

Source: Citrix App Layering 4.x Product Documentation, "Layers" section, "Elastic app layering" subsection.

2. Citrix Tech Zone - Reference Architecture: Citrix App Layering: "Elastic layers are assigned to users and delivered on-demand when the user logs on to their virtual desktop... The primary use case for elastic layers is for applications that are not used by a majority of the users." This confirms that elastic layers are for applications used by a minority of users, as described in options D and E.

Source: Citrix Tech Zone, Document ID: CTX228979, "Reference Architecture: Citrix App Layering," Section: "Elastic Layers."

3. Citrix Product Documentation - App Layering, "User layers": "User layers give users a writable space on their non-persistent VDI desktops... When you enable user layers on a layered image, users can install applications and save their data to their own user layer." This distinguishes the functionality of User Layers (Option A) from Elastic App Layers.

Source: Citrix App Layering 4.x Product Documentation, "Layers" section, "User layers" subsection.