DeanSpencer
MIS
I have a client that was running NT4 Terminal Server with Citrix Metaframe 1.0. The previous consulting company that my client used installed it on a Dell Poweredge 2300 with 128mb ram and 2 four gig scsi hard drives. For the life of me I could not figure out why they split each drive into 4 partitions and had files scattered around everywhere. Well, my client only has 3 remote connections that connect to the Citrix server and only running 1 application and a little remote printing. The server also had a tape drive and Veritas Backup Exec 7.3 multi server backup on it.
I have constantly had problems with the server since we took over the account about a year ago. The heaviest user is on maternity leave and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to format the system and reinstall everything.
Well, I had little trouble getting NT4 TS with Service Pack 6 for TS and Backup Exec reloaded and operating perfectly. Metaframe 1.0 was a different story. Install went perfect. No problems besides having the activation code. One problem I did have was starting the Citrix Administration utility. I had no problem running the Microsoft Administration utility. The mfadmin.exe would crash every time I would run it. While on hold getting another activation code from Citrix, I was looking for service packs for MF 1.0. Well, I didn't find any because there were not any. I looked thru the Hotfixes on their site, there were about 15 or so. The only one that I could find that looked like it might remotely fix the problem that I was having was mui00071.exe hotfix. I installed it with no problems. When I run any utility for Metaframe, I have problems with the fonts. All characters look like the "|" symbol. It also removed my serial number that I entered while installing MF 1.0. I could not even put the serial number back in as it was telling me that the serial number was not a valid one.
I uninstalled MF 1.0, and reinstalled it. Once again the install went flawlessly. I entered my activation code and it accepted it. I went and installed all other applications and setup profiles for the 3 users. All of this went without any problems. Well, right before leaving I went to the server and checked to see how much ram the server was using(fixing to order more ram and a 18gb drive), I noticed that it was using over 100mb of ram. I inspected it and it said that 2 of the remote users still had connections and programs open. I went to bring up mfadmin.exe and close the connections, but once again, crash and burn. I tried installing the patch again(it says that it is for MF1.0 and installs without any problems). But, once again, it has screwed up all of the Citrix utilities again, lost the license and activation codes.
This is the frustrating part. While talking to the rep from Citrix, he asked a Citrix technician and they had no idea what problem that I was having. I asked him if I paid for a support call would I be able to get some help. He told me that they don't support 1.0 anymore and I would have to purchase an upgrade for 1200 bucks, and if I wanted support then it would be 2200 bucks. I can't believe that 1.0 was that rotten of a product. Plus there are absolutely no service packs for 1.0, only hotfixes. What is the deal with that??? Now, I my client wants to know what direction they should go in. I was thinking about just trashing 1.0 and getting Windows 2K advance server with Terminal Services. But I am not sure if it will do what they need it to do. One office is connected thru frame-relay 128k pipe, and the other over ISDN(soon to be frame). They run one application across the connections and the frame site does more printing(mostly checks). Does anyone have any ideas on which direction that I should point my client. I am very frustrated with Citrix right now and if PCAnywhere would support more than one connection I would just use that. At least I could get some support without having to spend another 2200 dollars less than 2 years of this server's initial installation. Which cost my client then almost 10,000 dollars.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Dean Spencer
deans@bellsouth.net
I have constantly had problems with the server since we took over the account about a year ago. The heaviest user is on maternity leave and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to format the system and reinstall everything.
Well, I had little trouble getting NT4 TS with Service Pack 6 for TS and Backup Exec reloaded and operating perfectly. Metaframe 1.0 was a different story. Install went perfect. No problems besides having the activation code. One problem I did have was starting the Citrix Administration utility. I had no problem running the Microsoft Administration utility. The mfadmin.exe would crash every time I would run it. While on hold getting another activation code from Citrix, I was looking for service packs for MF 1.0. Well, I didn't find any because there were not any. I looked thru the Hotfixes on their site, there were about 15 or so. The only one that I could find that looked like it might remotely fix the problem that I was having was mui00071.exe hotfix. I installed it with no problems. When I run any utility for Metaframe, I have problems with the fonts. All characters look like the "|" symbol. It also removed my serial number that I entered while installing MF 1.0. I could not even put the serial number back in as it was telling me that the serial number was not a valid one.
I uninstalled MF 1.0, and reinstalled it. Once again the install went flawlessly. I entered my activation code and it accepted it. I went and installed all other applications and setup profiles for the 3 users. All of this went without any problems. Well, right before leaving I went to the server and checked to see how much ram the server was using(fixing to order more ram and a 18gb drive), I noticed that it was using over 100mb of ram. I inspected it and it said that 2 of the remote users still had connections and programs open. I went to bring up mfadmin.exe and close the connections, but once again, crash and burn. I tried installing the patch again(it says that it is for MF1.0 and installs without any problems). But, once again, it has screwed up all of the Citrix utilities again, lost the license and activation codes.
This is the frustrating part. While talking to the rep from Citrix, he asked a Citrix technician and they had no idea what problem that I was having. I asked him if I paid for a support call would I be able to get some help. He told me that they don't support 1.0 anymore and I would have to purchase an upgrade for 1200 bucks, and if I wanted support then it would be 2200 bucks. I can't believe that 1.0 was that rotten of a product. Plus there are absolutely no service packs for 1.0, only hotfixes. What is the deal with that??? Now, I my client wants to know what direction they should go in. I was thinking about just trashing 1.0 and getting Windows 2K advance server with Terminal Services. But I am not sure if it will do what they need it to do. One office is connected thru frame-relay 128k pipe, and the other over ISDN(soon to be frame). They run one application across the connections and the frame site does more printing(mostly checks). Does anyone have any ideas on which direction that I should point my client. I am very frustrated with Citrix right now and if PCAnywhere would support more than one connection I would just use that. At least I could get some support without having to spend another 2200 dollars less than 2 years of this server's initial installation. Which cost my client then almost 10,000 dollars.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Dean Spencer
deans@bellsouth.net
