2X ApplicationServer client performance

Discussion in 'Parallels Remote Application Server' started by rbarg, Jun 11, 2010.

  1. rbarg

    rbarg Guest

    Hello,

    Our users have been complaining about slow application launch performance after we moved them from a straight terminal services environment, to the 2X application publishing client. While users were logged into a full TS session they were able to launch applications and access network resources quite quickly. When using the 2x client, and launching an application (after the initial logon), the 2x taskbar icon spins around for a while before launching the app. We have also published our network drives, which the users also have to wait for each time they try to launch the mapped drive. It's about 4 seconds more (each time a published app is launched) to wait when using the 2x client; the users perception is that it is slowing things down.

    Is there any way to speed up the launching of published apps and drives?
     
  2. zippo

    zippo Pro

    Messages:
    491
    change the connect mode from gateway mode to direct mode.
     
  3. rbarg

    rbarg Guest

    Thanks for the response.

    We are running in direct mode and it doesn't improve performance (noticeably). We ended up opening a case with 2X (126983) and found that there is overhead in way the 2X client publishes the seamless windows. This makes it slower than if you had logged into a terminal server directly. Apparently if you turn off the ability to publish to multiple monitors, there may be some improvement, but not much.

    So that was somewhat dissappointing because the users see 2X as being 'slow' compared to their full TS session; and they're right. We are working on this perception issue by selling it as a cost/benefit issue: We now have better licensing control, a simpler user experience, easier administration, and have solved some recurring technical problems due to local print drivers which easily outweigh the extra few seconds to load an application.
     
  4. zippo

    zippo Pro

    Messages:
    491
    Multiple monitor has no effect on the speed of starting applications. The seamless protocol is not important as well.
    When an application is launched the client asks the GW to which server it should connect as applications can be published from different servers. Then the client opens a normal rdp session and informs the shell component to start the application, thus a small over head do exist. However 4 seconds extra seem more than normal.

    Some things to check:

    1. Is the client connecting via host names? try using IP, if something is not correct there might be dns delays.
    One difference between MS and 2X, 2X connects to multiple dns entries for the same ip using random entries, while ms uses sequential. This can be changed from registry. 2x approach is better for distributing connections in a multiple gateway farm.

    2. How many servers are inside your farm?
    3. How many applications are published?
    4. Are you using any filters? these might take more processing time to check
    5. Do you have logging enabled? is it with detailed logs?
     
  5. rbarg

    rbarg Guest

    Thanks for the info - although it kind of contradicts what I heard from 2X support...

    To answer your questions:

    1. We have about 10 TS's in the farm
    2. We publish Office, IE, mapped drives, and a couple other apps such as our ERP
    3. No filters
    4. How do I enable logging and where?

    Can you explain what you mean about 2X using 'multiple DNS connections for the same IP'?

    We are running the client on various machines (XP laptops, desktops, thin clients, and some Win 7 computers). TS's run 2k3 server and Office 2k3. We access the data center across various WAN connections that are all very good (T1 or better with low latency)

    Zippo - Do you have a similar setup? If you use a stop watch to measure how many seconds it takes to launch a published app like Excel 2003, what times do you get?

    Thanks for the suggestions.

    Ryan
     
  6. zippo

    zippo Pro

    Messages:
    491
    'multiple DNS connections for the same Host' sorry ... i.e. the host name resolves to more than one ip.

    When I run excel and its on a non performant server, the first time it takes 3-5 seconds (this is due to the authentication with the server), you can heard the windows jingle if sound redirection is on.

    The next time I run it if the session is still open it takes a second.
     

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