If you run XCP-ng or XenServer hosts and prefer a classic Windows console over a web interface, XCP-ng Center is the tool you are looking for. It is the community edition of the old XenCenter: one window with a tree of pools, hosts, storage and VMs, a built-in VM console, performance graphs and the familiar wizards for creating and migrating virtual machines.
Two facts are worth knowing up front. First, the official client of the XCP-ng project is Xen Orchestra, a web application backed by a full-time team. Second, XCP-ng Center is community-maintained: after a period of being end-of-life it got a new maintainer, Michael Manley, and the current release is 25.04 (build 25119) from April 2025.
XCP-ng Center at a glance
| Latest release | 25.04, build 25119 (29 April 2025) |
|---|---|
| Licence | Free; community-maintained |
| Runs on | Windows (desktop application written in C#) |
| Manages | All XCP-ng releases up to 8.3; XenServer 7.0 to 8.3 (works, but not officially supported) |
| Editions | MSI installer or portable ZIP |
| Price | Free |
| Maintained by | Community, hosted by the XCP-ng project |
What you can do with it
- Manage pools and hosts: add servers, join them to a pool, set the pool master, apply patches, enter maintenance mode.
- Create and manage VMs from templates, change CPU and memory, attach disks and ISOs, take snapshots and revert them.
- Open the VM console (text or graphical, including RDP for Windows guests) directly in the window.
- Live-migrate VMs between hosts in a pool, and move disks between storage repositories.
- Import and export VMs as XVA, OVF/OVA and disk images; build 25.04 added missing VHDX and VMDK packages.
- Configure storage (local, NFS, iSCSI, SMB) and networking (VLANs, bonds).
- Watch performance graphs for CPU, memory, disk and network per host and per VM.
- Autostart of VMs at server level (added in 25.04).
What is new in 25.04
- Portable mode. Unpack the ZIP and create a folder named
datanext to the executable. Settings and logs are then kept there, so you can carry the console on a USB stick to a customer site. - Command-line options:
/tempdatastarts a throw-away session whose data is deleted on exit, and/datapathstores configuration in a folder you choose. - New MSI installer that should upgrade older installations.
- New settings system. Settings from builds older than 25054 are not migrated; you add your servers again once.
Download and install
- Click the Download button at the top of this page and unpack the archive.
- Run the installer, or use the portable way: keep the unpacked folder and create an empty
datafolder next to the program file. - Start XCP-ng Center and choose Add New Server. Enter the host IP or name and the
rootcredentials of the XCP-ng host. - If you manage a pool, connect to the pool master; the other hosts appear automatically.
Typical admin tasks
Snapshot before patching a VM
Right-click the VM, choose Take Snapshot, give it a name like “before-KB-update”, and patch the guest. If something breaks, Revert to brings the VM back in seconds. Delete the snapshot once you are sure, because snapshot chains slow down disk I/O and use storage.
Patch a host without downtime
In a pool with shared storage, put the host into Maintenance Mode. XCP-ng Center live-migrates its running VMs to the other hosts, you install updates and reboot, then exit maintenance mode and move the VMs back.
Give a new colleague console access on a customer site
Start the portable version with /tempdata. The session works normally, and all saved connections and logs are deleted when the window closes, so no credentials stay behind on a borrowed laptop.
XCP-ng Center or Xen Orchestra?
| XCP-ng Center | Xen Orchestra | |
| Interface | Windows desktop application | Web interface, any browser |
| Installation | On an admin PC | As a VM (XOA appliance) or built from sources |
| Backups | Manual export and snapshots | Scheduled backups, delta backups, replication |
| Support | Community, volunteers | Official, with paid support plans |
| Best for | Small labs, quick console access, admins used to XenCenter | Production environments and teams |
Many admins use both: Xen Orchestra for backups and daily operations, XCP-ng Center on their laptop for fast console access and troubleshooting.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| “XCP-ng Center is too old” when connecting to 8.2 or 8.3 | Update to 25.04; older 20.x builds do not know the newer API versions. |
| Server list is empty after updating | Expected after the settings change in build 25054; add the servers again. |
| Installer fails over an old version | Uninstall the previous version first, then install 25.04; or use the portable ZIP. |
| Where are the logs? | %APPDATA%XCP-ngXCP-ng Centerlogs, or the data folder in portable mode. |
FAQ
Is XCP-ng Center still maintained?
Yes. It was declared end-of-life for a while, but a new community maintainer took it over and released 25.04 in April 2025.
Does it work with XCP-ng 8.3?
Yes, 25.04 supports all XCP-ng releases up to 8.3.
Can I manage Citrix XenServer with it?
XenServer 7.0 to 8.3 generally works, but it is not officially supported. Citrix’s own XenCenter is the supported client for XenServer.
Is XCP-ng Center free?
Yes, it is free to download and use.
Can it back up my VMs?
Only manually, by exporting VMs or taking snapshots. For scheduled backups use Xen Orchestra.
Does it run on Linux or macOS?
No, it is a Windows application. From other systems use the Xen Orchestra web interface.
What are the alternatives for a small lab?
For a single workstation, VirtualBox is simpler. For a dedicated server with a web console, compare XCP-ng with VMware vSphere Hypervisor or VMmanager.
Where can I download the latest XCP-ng Center?
The latest release is 25.04 (build 25119). Use the Download button at the top of this page; the project also publishes a portable ZIP. Avoid the old 20.x builds — they fail with “XCP-ng Center is too old” on XCP-ng 8.2 and 8.3.
Is “XCP ng Center” or “XCPNG Center” the same as XCP-ng Center?
Yes. XCP-ng Center, XCP ng Center and XCPNG Center are different spellings of the same free Windows console for XCP-ng hosts. It is the community fork of Citrix XenCenter, not the XenCenter client itself, and the current release is 25.04 (build 25119).
