Chapter Three: Key Components of WinFrame and Windows NT Server

In November 1992, Citrix Systems licensed Microsoft Windows NT Server source code from Microsoft to build WinFrame. By adding multiuser capabilities to Windows NT, Citrix added the last piece needed for Windows to compete with UNIX. On May 12, 1997, Citrix and Microsoft announced a licensing agreement that enables Citrix MultiWin to be incorporated into upcoming releases of Windows NT 4.x. Microsoft has code-named this new multiuser operating system Hydra. On this same day, Citrix also announced the upcoming release of its thin-client/server enabling product, code-named pICAsso. The pICAsso system software will provide significant management, performance, and security enhancements to Hydra as well as universal client access. The combination of pICAsso and Hydra will provide the same thin-client/server functionality seen in today s WinFrame, but with the Windows NT 4.0 user interface.

In Chapter 2, we saw how WinFrame evolved in terms of developments in network operating systems. We also looked at the value added by this thin-client/server solution for different methods of deploying client/server, Web-based, and productivity applications. In this chapter, we ll examine the strong foundation provided by Windows NT and the key components of the Citrix thin-client/server solution.