Help! Understanding 2X Application Server

[roadsweeper]

Hi

This is my first post here and I've never been involved in Thin Client deployments and the like before so apologies for any silly questions!

I'm trying to understand how 2X ApplicationServer differs from and relates to 2X ThinClientServer.

To give this some context, we have an enquiry from a charity who have 10 Windows 98 machines on their network and 5 employees at another site, currently accessing the primary site via Windows 2000 Terminal Services installed on a desktop PC.

Our initial suggestion was to bin the 10 Windows 98 machines and upgrade to Windows XP, along with having Windows 2003 Terminal Services on 'proper' server boxes. However, they can't afford to upgrade the 10 PCs so I started to think about a thin client solution to utilise their existing hardware, which is where 2X comes in.

So, it seems from the 2X website that I need 2X ThinClientServer, which, along with the new Terminal Server will meet our requirements. However, having seen 2X ApplicaytionServer I'm now a little confused.

Is 2X ApplicationServer intended to deliver applications to fat client PCs, i.e. PCs not running any thin client software whilst 2X ThinClientServer allows the delivery of an entire remote desktop but requires a thin client installation? Or, do they two work together in some way?

Could 2X ApplicationServer deliver Microsoft Office to the Windows 98 machines?

If someone could please clarify the above it would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

roadie.

 

[Lee]

HI

and welcome to the world of server based computing

Ok

ThinClientServer allows you to have virtual desktops on you thinclients or old pcs, this basically means you are providing a full desktop from the terminal server to the client, the client is just an uninteligent terminal which gets screen updates and inputs are passed to the server.

ApplicationServer allows you to publish applications to fat clients rather than them use a full Terminal Server desktop, this means you install the application once rather than several times. So yes ApplicationServer can be used to publish Office to you windows 98 clients

Now comes the interesting part.

You can integrate ThinClientServer and ApplicationServer and provide a readonly 2x desktop to the clients which only allows them to use the applications you publish.

They cannot change the desktop , place icons on it etc.

I hope that helps you to understand a bit, if you have any other questions feel free to post them, Im sure alot of people want more information on the benefits of server based computing and how it works

 

[roadsweeper]

Thanks Lee.

I have a better understanding of the differences between the two packages now.

What is slightly confusing is that my colleague tells me that with Windows Terminal Services itself giving a remote desktop to an XP Pro user you can control which applications a user has access to. I had presumed I could still use this TS functionality to restrict the desktop seen on the 2X ThinClientServer - is this not the case?

At the moment I am budgeting for Microsoft Terminal Server CALs and then 2X ThinClient Server on top of that, presuming that this gives me a full desktop on the thin client and I can control what is shown on that desktop. Do I need to budget for ApplicationServer too?

Thanks,

roadsweeper

 

[Lee]

hi

yes you can do some restriction with Terminal Services itself and group poliices, however alot of administrators find group policies a pain to setup and administrer.

If you terminal server is already restricted, yes thinclient server will only provide that desktp to the clients, without the need to maintain the windows xp operating system also!

this is the advantage, you only have to manage and maintain the server not the clients, if a client fails, simplly replace it and boot via pxe, no installation required and the user gets there normal desktop back.

application server is only required if you wish to publish applications to the 2x readonly desktop.

thanks

 

[nesher]

Now comes the interesting part.

You can integrate ThinClientServer and ApplicationServer and provide a readonly 2x desktop to the clients which only allows them to use the applications you publish.

They cannot change the desktop , place icons on it etc.

Whether it is possible about it more in detail?

 

[Lee]

its explained in the ThinClientServer manual.

Basically you would do the following

1) Setup ApplicationServer and test with the windows client to ensure published applications are visible and work

2) Setup a connection profile in ThinClientServer with the protocol set as 2X published applications, point the TS address to the IP of the ApplicationServer.

Boot the thinclient and voila you should now have a 2X readonly desktop with a list of icons on the desktop and on the start menu which allows you to run seemless windows inside the desktop.