Citrix MetaFrame XP for Windows, Feature Release 1

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CitrixMetaFrame XP for Windows, Feature
Release 1

• Technical Overview

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Whats New?

• Features at a Glance
• SSL Support for ICA
• NDS Support
• Program Neighborhood Agent
• Citrix Universal Print Driver
• Content Publishing
• Citrix Web Console
• Improved Printing Performance
• Improved ThinWire Performance
• Auto Client Reconnect
• Enhanced CMC
• Connection Control (MetaFrame XPa XPe only)
• CPU Prioritization (MetaFrame XPa XPe only)
• ICA Session Monitoring (MetaFrame XPe only)
• Enhanced Application Packaging and Delivery
  (MetaFrame XPe only)
• CA Unicenter TNG Plug-in (MetaFrame XPe only)

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SSL Support for ICA

• Provides Internet-standard 128-bit SSL encryption
  and firewall traversal using the HTTPS port of
  the firewall. All Client to Server communication
  protocols (ICA and XML) can now be secured via
  SSL.

Port 443 (HTTPS)
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SSL Support for ICA (cont.)

• Feature Summary
• SSL Relay is configured on MetaFrame XP Server
• Requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or
  higher and High Encryption Pack on Win32 Client
• Can launch sessions from Netscape if above items
  are installed
• Leverages Microsoft SChannel SDK on Win32 Client
• Will not work with NFuse on the MetaFrame XP
  Server
• NFuse needs to be on separate Web server
• Other Clients supported
• Java, Linux, WinCE
• Leverages Certicom SSL libraries (built into
  Client code)

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SSL Support for ICA (cont.)

• Application Property
• This check box is only a suggestion
• If checked, NFuse and Program Neighborhood
  connections will be configured to use SSL
• Can be bypassed by editing ICA file or using
  Custom Connections

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SSL Support for ICA (cont.)

• Client Side
• Can set application set properties to use SSL
  HTTPS for SSL
• Can also do this with Custom Connections
• Connection Center includes SSL Indicators

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NDS Support

• Publish applications and content to Novell NDS
  users and groups.
• Pass-through authentication support for Novell
  ZENworks
• No requirement for duplicate domain/Active
  Directory usernames

Enumerate user and group accounts from directory
Publish application for NDS users from the CMC
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NDS Support (cont.)

• Feature Summary
• CMC Enumerates Users/Groups from the NDS Tree
• Uses standard Novell API calls
• No MetaFrame XP data in the Directory (all in the
  DS)
• Can Assign NT Printers to NDS users
• No support currently for Novell printers/queues
• Pass-through authentication will work if
• Novell Client is installed on local machine or
  Web server (NFuse)
• ZenWorks for Desktops 3.0 is installed on NDS
  servers and configured to provide DLU
  functionality.
• Registry setting required if installing Novell
  client after MetaFrame XP on server

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NDS Support (cont.)

• Supported NDS Product Versions
• NDS version 8.5
• NetWare Version 5.1
• IntraNetware Client version 4.8
• ZenWorks version 3.0

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NDS Support (cont.)

• Setup
• Perform Setup steps outlined in documentation
• Enter Tree name in CMC Farm Properties Tab to
  enable NDS support
• Publish applications to NDS users in App
  Properties or Published App Wizard

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NDS Support (cont.)

• Publish
• Publish to NDS users in Application Properties or
  App Publishing Wizard

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NDS Support (cont.)

• NDS Login Support for
• Program Neighborhood
• Program Neighborhood Agent
• NFuse
• Client Side
• Client will browse tree for users contexts
• NetWare Client needs to be on client machine for
  this to work
• Client will remember the users previous context
• NFuse will browse the Tree for user contexts if
  Novell Client is installed on the Web server

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NDS Support (cont.)

• Application and Session Logon using NDS
  credentials
• NFuse, Program Neighborhood (including the
  Agent), ALE and Custom Connections

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Program Neighborhood Agent

• Provides Program Neighborhood capabilities
  without the complexities of a full-blown client.
• Push native Windows icons down to Win32 Start
  button, desktop or to SysTray
• Eliminates opportunities for user configuration
  errors
• Leverages NFuse infrastructure without requiring
  a browser
• Centralized Administrative control over Client UI

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Program Neighborhood Agent (cont.)

• Applications and content available from either
  the Start menu

• or SysTray.

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Program Neighborhood Agent (cont.)

• Alternative to a Browser Interface for
  Application Access
• Unobtrusive UI
• Published application icons integrated into
• Folders or icons anywhere on Desktop
• Folders or icons anywhere in Start Menu hierarchy
• Icons are periodically refreshed
• Integrated with Pass-through Authentication
• Communicates with NFuse Web server via XML
  protocol
• Win32 only, no custom connections, access to a
  single application set
• Benefits
• Centralized Client session and UI control
• Per-user application sets
• Alternative to application access via a Web
  browser
• Brings NFuse paradigm to the desktop
• No client-side configuration required

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Program Neighborhood Agent (cont.)

• Client UI

NFuse Web Server
Can also use Pass-through Authentication
Apps show up in Programs\Published Applications
Apps show up Systray menu
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Program Neighborhood Agent (cont.)

• Client Configuration Control
• Installed from the Client CDs IcaWeb folder
• Only parameter needed is the name of the NFuse
  Web server
• Items in Client Properties can be disabled by
  Administrator
• Controlled via config.xml file on Web server
• Default location c\Inetpub\wwwroot\Citrix\PNAgent
  \config.xml

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Program Neighborhood Agent (cont.)

• CMC Configuration
• CMC has new Application Properties settings
• These settings would place the Application icon
  under the users Start Menu-gtPrograms\Citrix
  Published Applications

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Citrix Universal Print Driver

• Consolidate print driver requirements into one
  universal print driver. Greatly reduce printing
  time for many desktop printers.
• Initial support for Win32 ICA Clients only
• User can switch back to native print driver on
  request

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Citrix Universal Print Driver (cont.)

• Client Side
• User Installs Printer
• If CMC setting says to use both (universal driver
  and native driver)
• User will have both printers to choose from
• If CMC setting says Universal Driver Only
• User will only be able to use universal driver
• Extra DLL on ICA Client allows for this
  functionality
• PCL-4 Driver is
• 300 dpi, monochrome only
• Limited set of special printer functions
  supported
• Non-PCL and non-Postscript capable printer users
  will see print jobs reduced in size by up to 50
• Flow of Data is
• PCL job rendered on server in a metafile dialect
  and sent to client
• Client DLL converts PCL to raster data (bitmaps)
  and sends to printer
• Bitmaps are printed using client OS print
  services

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Citrix Universal Print Driver (cont.)

• New Printer Properties Dialog for CMC Printer
  Management Node
• For Auto-created printers

Uses settings in Citrix Connection Configuration
Tool
Universal Print Driver setting default is to use
UPD only if native driver is not available.
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Content Publishing

• Application Publishing model extended to support
  published content (I.e., video, audio, files, web
  pages, etc.) and locally-installed applications.
• Content executed on client device (uses local
  player)not on MetaFrame XP server
• Access server-based apps, local apps and content
  all from a browser

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Content Publishing (cont.)

• Feature Details
• Content traverses network outside of ICA stream
• MetaFrame XP essentially publishes a link to the
  content file or URL that exists somewhere on the
  network
• We rely on a client-side player, application or
  browser to open the server-based content or URL
• Now able to publish links to locally installed
  applications (mainly to be accessed via NFuse)
• Proper ACLs need to be set for user access
• Appropriate ports will need to be open for user
  access
• Firewall traversal may be required depending on
  location of content and network topology
• Maximum of 1000 applications or content items per
  farm

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Content Publishing (cont.)

• Publish applications, desktops and content from
  the Citrix Management Console.

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Citrix Web Console

• A native Web interface for performing common
  administrative tasks.

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Citrix Web Console (cont.)

• Feature Summary
• Install on MetaFrame XP server running IIS 5.0
  (Windows 2000 only)
• Will install and run on a non-MetaFrame XP Web
  server
• Access by entering the following URL on your
  Browser
• http//ltmachinenamegt/Citrix/WebConsole
• Virtual Directory on Web server under
  Citrix\WebConsole
• Scripts used in the tool are found here
• Logon as Citrix Administrator
• Read-only Admins have ability to use all
  functions in CWC
• Leverages MFCOM SDK on MetaFrame XP server
• Web App is a DCOM Client of MFCOM Service
• Look under IIS Manager WebConsole Virtual
  Directory Properties for more details

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Citrix Web Console (cont.)

• Feature Summary (cont.)
• Allows for farm-wide monitoring of applications,
  servers, sessions, licenses, etc.
• Can logoff/disconnect sessions
• Shadow and send messages to users
• DCOMCNFG Utility
• Runs automatically during Feature Release 1
  install
• Custom configures service security to Everyone
• IMA authenticates access on backend
• To debug, use MS Script debugger

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Improved Performance

• Printing performance via ICA has been improved to
  reduce print time by up to 50 over low bandwidth
  connections.
• Advances in ThinWire ICA technology have reduced
  per-connection bandwidth requirements by up to
  50 when using 24-bit color over low bandwidth
  connections.

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Auto Client Reconnect

• Automatically reconnects users to their
  disconnected sessions when a connection is
  temporarily interrupted.
• Network connections onlydial-up not supported

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Auto Client Reconnect (cont.)

• Auto Redial when TCP link is Broken
• Auto-triggered when client detects a network drop
• User credentials stored and re-transmitted to
  server
• Better/more informative client-side error
  messages
• Logging of reconnects on server-side (Event Log)
• Time, event type, user, client device name,
  connectivity address
• Does not reduce frequency of disconnects
• Multiple reconnect attempts are made
• Benefits
• Improved usability for end-users
• Extends the seamless feel of Application Server
  Computing

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Auto Client Reconnect (cont.)

• Authentication and Security
• User does not have to login when Auto Client
  Reconnect is successful
• Credentials are stored in a server-side encrypted
  RAM table
• Client gets key to credentials in a cookie
• Cookie is one-time and transient
• Sent over ICA connection
• Includes SessionID for reconnect purposes
• Disabling turns off credential management
• Clients can still reconnect to the same session
• Users will need to re-enter credentials in this
  case

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Auto Client Reconnect (cont.)

• Controls at Farm and Server Level

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Auto Client Reconnect (cont.)

• Client Side Configuration
• Enable/disable via INI file settings
• WFClient section
• TransportReconnectEnabled0 to disable (default
  is 1)
• TransportReconnectDelayn (in seconds) to
  configure how long to wait before reconnecting
  (default is 30)
• TransportReconnectRetriesn to configure how many
  Auto Client Reconnect attempts to make before
  failing (default is 3)
• Total time should not exceed server DURATION
  setting
• ACRCFG.exe on server
• Use ACRCFG /? for help
• You can configure servers other than the one you
  are on
• Hidden switches
• /DURATION controls how long a client may make an
  Auto Client Reconnect attempt after the host
  detects a bad network drop
• /Q /ALL shows the hidden DURATION value as well
  as other items
• /Q /REGISTRY shows what is in the registry

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Enhanced CMC

• More detailed information on MetaFrame XP server
  properties.
• Feature Releases, Service Packs, Operating
  System, etc.

New details for all servers at-a-glance
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Enhanced CMC (cont.)
Number of Base Product Connection Licenses of
this Type (MetaFrame XPe)

• New License Summary Tab

Number of Servers with this type of License
Number of Feature Release Connection Licenses
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Enhanced CMC (cont.)

• Better Organized and More Detailed Server
  Information Under Server Properties
• New default for this dialog
• Citrix-specific information
• OS-specific information

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Connection Control CPU Prioritization
(MetaFrame XPa XPe only)

• Limit the number of concurrent user and/or
  application connections. Maximize server
  resources and/or application licenses.
• Applications vary in strategic importance.
  Administrators can now provide CPU priority to
  more strategic applications.
• Windows 2000 Servers only

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Connection Control CPU Prioritization
(MetaFrame XPa XPe only)

• Application Properties for Application Limits and
  CPU Priority Level
• Max instances of this application for the farm
• Limit to once instance per user
• Control CPU Priority for this application

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Connection Control CPU Prioritization
(MetaFrame XPa XPe only)

• Farm-wide Connection Limits In CMC Farm
  Properties
• Max number of connections per user
• Enforce limit on administrators
• Log over-the-limit denials to Event Viewer

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Connection Control (cont.) (MetaFrame XPa XPe
only)

• Feature Summary
• Tracks MetaFrame XP published applicationsnot
  .EXEs
• Desktop access and the same .EXE published
  multiple times under different names, would
  interfere with attempting to use this feature for
  license enforcement
• Limits per user
• Number of concurrent sessions
• Limit any application to a single instance per
  user
• Limits per Farm
• Number of instances of a published application
  running in the farm

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ICA Session Monitoring (MetaFrame XPe only)

• Citrix administrators can now monitor ICA network
  traffic, even down to the virtual channel.
  Administrators can monitor how ICA affects
  network bandwidth utilization.
• Exposed via Perfmon counters

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Enhanced Application Packaging Delivery
(MetaFrame XPe only)

• Easier than ever to replicate applications,
  service packs and files across the MetaFrame XPe
  server farm.
• Filter servers by OS type and only list servers
  with IM installed
• Create and modify folders to contain packages
• Schedule MetaFrame XPe server to reboot following
  package delivery
• Customizable message to users regarding pending
  server reboot

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CA Unicenter TNG Plug-in (MetaFrame XPe only)

• MetaFrame XPes Network Management capability now
  provides support for CAUnicenter TNG.

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