What should I do !?

[benci]

Hi everyone!
I am new in Citrix. We have a company with about 35 users from which at least 15 need remort access. I have heard that Citrix uses very little bandwidth so eventually even somebody with a 56K connection can get a decent remote access speed. Can someone suggest me which Citrix solution would be best for us!? This is a WiNT/2K network with a Sonicwall firewall. We do not host our web or email. Do we need a powerful dedicated machine for Citrix!? Is it impossible for someone with little Citrix knowledge to implement it!?
I would appreciate any suggestion.
Thank you

 

[adejordan]

1. Citrix is an excellent remote access solution for serving Applications across LAN/WAN networks.It is not very difficult to install and set-up if you want to take the time to read the admin guides first, but I would strongly advise that you get a Citrix Professional in as there is a lot of work that goes into a succesful install.

2. Hardware - This will depend largely on the type and amount of applications you intend to serve, and the amount of concurrent connections the server(s) will need to handle. try

http://www.dabcc.com

for further help on this (specifically "Project-in-a-box&quot

3. Access speed across a 56k modem can be suprisingly good, although with 15 remote users, this could be very hardware intensive, i.e. 15 users need 15modems!! (both ends). Perhaps cable/adsl access would be better and more cost effective.

4. There a lot of extras that can be added to citrix dependant upon your needs.. Load Balancing, Resource Management, Nfuse Classic (Access Apps over the Web), Nfuse Elite (Excellent new Portal product)!!, Installtion Management and so on. Maybe professional advice is a good idea!!

If you need any further help, let me know.


Adrian Jordan
MCSE,CCNA,CCA

 

[benci]

Thanks Adrian!
Now I have an general idea. In the office we have a pretty good DSL connection. Remote users vary from 56K to DSL/Cable. So I believe I shouldn't worry about modems. Applications that we mostly use are Microsoft Office, Illustrator, AutoCAD, Photoshop. I am not sure whether these memeory intensive applications would hamper the overall performance of Citrix XP. It also seems as NFuse classic is a excellent solution for installing the client side software by just pushing it. What do I have to keep in mind regarding the machine where Citrix will reside. I believe it needs a lot of memory considering the type of applications we use.
Is there any good (short book with concentrated info regarding this !?
Thanks again

 

[adejordan]

!!!!Microsoft Office, Illustrator, AutoCAD, Photoshop !!!!!

These are very Memory intensive apps and therefore i would be looking at 2 servers minimum. Memory wise, 1.5 GB each with dual processors (1.4 GB +) will give you the grunt you need. That way you would be able to load balance across them.

Books... There is an excellent free ebook at

http://www.realtimepublishers.com

look for the "Definitive Guide series" and then register (free!!) for the Definitive Guide to Metaframe XP. ( There is also one available for Windows Terminal Services.)

As for the printed Word, the "Citrix Metaframe XP Advanced Design Guide" by Brian Madden is full of very useful hints and tips for a reliable Citrix Solution. It is available in print and as an ebook.

http://www.amazon.co.uk

Hope this helps.

Adrian Jordan
MCSE,CCNA,CCA

 

[CitrixEngineer]

The learning curve is steep, so I would not advise going in with only a little knowledge. MetaFrame works "out of the box", but you should have a really good understanding of Terminal Server environments and how they fit into the rest of the network, IME. There's good resource on Terminal Server on Microsoft.com.

I would recommend studying for and taking the CCA exam to get a feel for the product. It doesn't matter if you pass the exam or not, it's the overall experience that's important. If you do pass, that's a bonus!

I prefer the books by Ted Harwood and Todd Mathers to the Brian Madden book, but

http://www.metaframebook.com

is a great free resource (the one available via realtimepublishers.com). Also, browse the Citrix knowledge base - there are some genuinely helpful resources there. Have a look through the Admin guides - Citrix is a case where RTFM will reap benefits.

When you finally get to rollout, I would recommend rolling out in phases, and keeping a test environment (even at this scale). Have a look at my 2 FAQs on testing for my reasoning.


Hope this helps CitrixEngineer@yahoo.co.uk

 

[benci]

Thank you guys. I checked the online metaframe book and it really is very helpful and simple.
Thanks again for your suggestions.