Screen Flickers/Jumps When Displaying Information 2

[zman7]

We are using Citrix Metaframe 1.8 to run about 6 users on ACCPAC accounting software (Plan on adding another 10). Users when they bring up certain data files via crystal reports the screen flickers/jumps/hiccups every few seconds while in those reports. We have recently switched from running ACCPAC on each individual desktop to running it via Citrix. It did not do it with these reports when we ran it without Citrix. So this at least in my mind points towards it being Citrix related. It happens with different users going into the same report. We have only found three reports that it does this with out of the hundred or so that we have.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Signed Desperate in Denver

 

[TheOtherKiwi]

When you say certain files...do these files contain animated bitmaps, moving icons, gifs, or anything else that may cause a screen redraw?

Do a search through the application compatibility scripts there may be some help...try your ACCPAC/Crystal support people...try rebuilding the crystal reports with a diferent view and retest...

...can't emphasise enough the importance of having a test system for the Citrix environment...use this as a lever for management to get one i ya haven't already ;-)

 

[tina2]

I am also running AccPac on Metaframe 8.1 for Windows 2000 Server. We have experienced the same thing under General Ledger using Chart of Accounts and when running a Batch list, among other things.
According to the vendor, these particular screens are set to auto refresh at regular intervals in order to update any entries put in by simultaneous users. Users do not notice on their local machines, but because of the slight delay time in MetaFrame, the screen will flicker every time it repaints itself.
I was told that there is nothing much we can do about this. One thing they did suggest was to dummy down the clint as much as possible. (i.e. disable sound, and use fewer colors) If you find any other solutions, please let me know!

Now, I have a question for you: Aside from the above problem, my users in the US are running pretty well. I have users in the UK who are getting errors, locking up, and getting diconnected while using AccPac. We have ruled out any user profile discrepancies. They are able to use all other applications as if they were in the next room. The only determining factor is that they are on the other side of the pond. I have a full T1, and they have a dedicated high speed connection.

Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful!
Tina2

 

[CitrixEngineer]

I don't know ACCPAC, but here's my $0.02 - hope it's useful;

zman7, You say you only get this issue with Citrix - do you mean that it's fine via a Terminal Server client?

tina2, what you are saying is interesting - I'd like to know exactly what happens when the screens are refreshed - I'd suspect that the entire screen is being squeezed down the narrow ICA pipe, hence the redraw lags. This would cause substantial delays, which may lead the server to believe that the client has disconnected.

MetaFrame has its own algorithms for screen updates, and it's possible that the simultaneous updating may compound the issue.

As TheOtherKiwi says, you should contact the ACCPAC support people - if they say that they support their product over Terminal Server/Citrix MetaFrame.

If there's a way of turning off screen refresh in the product, I'd try that first.

Also, try reducing client colours to 256, switch audio and client bitmap caching off and use monitoring tools, such as Netmon, to see if there is a significant delay which coincides with screen updates.

I hope this helps

 

[zman7]

First of all let me say THANKS to OtherKiwi, Tina2, and Citrix Engineer!

Tina2

Your solution worked!...I went into Citrix Program Neighborhood...right clicked on the ICA ACCPAC icon to get at properties...clicked on the options tab to get to Windows Colors and switched if from High Color 16 bit to 16 Colors and applied the changes. We also had to go into display properties in the control panel and take the setting off of true color 24 bit and set the refresh rate at 60hz.

[I have users in the UK who are getting errors, locking up, and getting diconnected while using AccPac.]...Tina we are not running anything of that great of a distance...just Colorado to NY...havent had any problems along those lines...I do do quite a bit of surfing for problem resolution and will keep an eye out...with your running of a full T1 and high speed you are using a much more robust set up than us...I am new to the hardware side of things and had posted this cuz our administrator was out...hoping to clean some things up in his absence...it is ironic that you are running some of the same products (Citrix/ACCPAC)that we are...here is my (Mark) and Ken's email address if you have a problem that we may have come across...drop us a line anytime!...hope this doesnt violate protocol here)...mzaharris@uselectronics.com and karmijo@uselectronics.com...email us if this sounds appealing to you...thanks again for your help and will keep an eye out for a possible resolution to your problem...

CitrixEngineer

[You say you only get this issue with Citrix - do you mean that it's fine via a Terminal Server client?]...Ken and I are new to this product...can you run sessions similar to Citrix sessions through Terminal Server by itself?...

 

[TheOtherKiwi]

If I can speak for the Guru...yes you can, start by installing the Terminal Server client (install is found in Administrative Tools on Win2k) and connect to your Citrix server directly, same colour and resolution caveats apply...if you have a userid that can connect you will get a new desktop, create your shortcuts as usual...

 

[CitrixEngineer]

...Guru... s-)

 

[tina2]

Thanks to everyone for your comments!

Citrix Engeneer, I am having the same suspicions:
[I'd suspect that the entire screen is being squeezed down the narrow ICA pipe, hence the redraw lags. This would cause substantial delays, which may lead the server to believe that the client has disconnected]

I will have to check to see how the colors,etc, are set in the UK. It could be that these two issues are related.

Zman,

[We also had to go into display properties in the control panel and take the setting off of true color 24 bit and set the refresh rate at 60hz.]
Was this the control panel in the MetaFrame client, or on the client machine?
Can you tell me how you re-set the refresh rate?

Thanks!
Tina2