Nfuse Solution

[itsnotmyfault]

Have any of you installed a Citrix solution using NFuse to provide access from the internet into your companies Metframe server farm.

I'm working on a project looking at the scope to enable our clients to access their Metaframe systems from any Internet connection. For example, home surfing, cyber cafes etc. all without the need to install client software (however using the RSA secur-id cards for verfication.

Just trying to canvas some views over how difficult this may have been, design times etc.

Cold pint of Guinness emailed to each useful reply.

Thanks

 

[pgoss]

I don't think you can use citrix without deploying the client. We are using NFuse and it requires the install of the citrix client. Although our setup consists of Metaframe 1.8 on Windows 2000, not Metaframe XP. It might change with the latest release of software.

 

[itsnotmyfault]

Thanks for that. Interesting though, I'm being told by the techies that the NFuse solution, coupled with the Citrix Sercure Gateway and a VPN service would allow the "Cyber" cafe type access.

So you are deploying citrix clients which enable access via the Internet via the NFuse host?

 

[Greenhoffsknee]

"itsnotmyfault"
Using CSG and NFuse "is" a VPN solution, but one that is limited to only ICA traffic.
You will need a client of some sorts for your solution, but this comes in different forms.
The 'best' solution is the full client - but thats not always practical in remotre situations.
There is the Web Client - a smaller version of the client designed for use with browsers only.
It the machine you are on remotely doesn't have a client, you can configure the NFuse page to detect this and prompt the user to download a client.
This would be generally the Web Client.
However, this is still a couple of meg in size (think speed here), and downloads code that might not get past certain cybercafe/lockdown restrictions.
Also try the Java client. This is Java code, so won't be as restricted.

No need to add any other VPN software. Its just not needed. You already have 128-bit encrpyt using CSG.

Greenhoff's Knee

 

[CitrixEngineer]

NFuse is pretty good and works well with CSG - and by either spending some time or more money (NFuse Elite) can be transformed into a user-friendly corporate "portal". There was a free download called Columbia, if I remember correctly, which was a sample corporate portal page.

You do need an ICA client to talk to an ICA server, there's no getting away from it. However, you don't require the full client, just the web portion. NFuse takes care of making sure the clients have the right software when they connect to the default page - if you have installed the web clients during the NFuse installation process. You can even trim the clients down and remove specific DLLs, ie audio, printing (this DLL is ~1Mb alone, but there are obvious cases for leaving it in).

For security, I suggest you investigate the area of ticketing, which provides greater security for authentication by not recording the user's credentials in the .ICA file.

Using the secure ID cards is pretty straightforward. CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk