citrix newbie question

[scroce]

sorry for the really basic question, I checked FAQ - not even anything so basic, but I'll ask it anyway:

What is the actual difference between the terms "Citrix" "Terminal Server" and "MetaFrame"

or are they all the same thing referred to by different names for marketing, etc.?

Ah say, there's somethin' a little "eeeeeeee" 'bout a boy who don't like basbawl...

 

[ahalecitrix]

"Terminal Server" is basically a term to refer to a Microsoft server running "Terminal Services". Terminal Services is a built in feature of Windows 2000 and now Windows 2003. Prior to this it was a separate edition of NT 4.0 much like the NT 4.0 Standard server and NT 4.0 Enterprise server. There was an edition of NT 4.0 called Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition. Terminal Services uses the RDP "Remote Desktop Protocol" and the RDP client to communicate (built into Windows XP and available for download and install on any MS Win32 OS such as Win9x or Windows 2000).

A Terminal Server allows multiple users to connect to it and run applications on the same machine. I like to look at a Terminal Server as a big giant powerful "workstation" and not so much as a "server" in the traditional sense of the word. It is a "server" because it hosts applications to users, but in functionality it runs those applications by users the way they would on their "workstations".

Citrix is a software company. They make a product called "MetaFrame". This software is installed on a Microsoft "Terminal Server" and adds a great deal of features and management tools to a Terminal Server. Citix uses a proprietary protocol called ICA (Independent Computing Archeticture).

I hope that answers your question.

 

[scroce]

certainly does. very clear. thank you very much.

Ah say, there's somethin' a little "eeeeeeee" 'bout a boy who don't like basbawl...