Citrix ICA Client Configuration

Citrix ICA Client Configuration

MPS 4.0 ships with Version 9.x of the ICA client. The client runs on Windows 9x, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, and Windows XP. Not only does the new client offer many new features and performance improvements, but it is also fully backward compatible with earlier versions of Windows and MetaFrame. The following list summarizes the new client- related features supported by version 9.x and MPS 4.0:

• TWAIN Client Device Redirection MPS can now transparently redirect locally attached imaging devices, such as scanners , from the client to the server. When these devices are connected, the user can capture an image when running software on the MetaFrame server that supports image acquisition via TWAIN devices. TWAIN redirection is managed through MetaFrame policies discussed earlier in this chapter. This feature requires the Advanced or Enterprise Editions of MPS.

• Client-based PDA Synchronization MPS now supports USB-tethered PDA synchronization with Microsoft Windowspowered PDAs and Microsoft ActiveSync synchronization agent. PDA synchronization is controlled through MPS policies and is dependent on the ability to map client COM ports.

• Client Printer Improvements The new and enhanced features were discussed in the "Printing" section of this chapter.

• Smart Card Roaming Support The Program Neighborhood Agent now supports the automatic logon and logoff of users when a Smart Card is inserted or removed from a client's associated card reader. The existing WorkSpace Control features can be implemented to further enhance this feature. WorkSpace Control is discussed in Chapter 13.

  File Access and Folder Browsing ImprovementsCitrix has implemented improvements in the speed at which files and folders are accessed over high-latency connections. Asynchronous writes to a client drive can be enabled through the associated MetaFrame policy.

  Note

  Citrix commonly refers to features related to the integration of the client and the Presentation Server as SmoothRoaming features.

  
  

• Quick Launch Bar Addition for Program Neighborhood The PN client now includes a Quick Launch address bar where you can simply type in the name or address of a server and establish a connection without having to create a new custom ICA connection first. You manage properties for the Quick Launch Bar by clicking the Options button located at the far-right side of the client window. Most of the default options for custom ICA connections are used unless overridden by these options.

• Operating System File Locking Support Client drive mapping now supports and respects operating system file-locking rules. The remote file system driver locks an opened file on both the server and client sides. This prevents possible versioning conflicts that might otherwise occur when multiple clients simultaneously use a file.

• Improved Multimonitor Support MetaFrame Presentation Server has enhanced support for multimonitor user environments. Users can connect seamlessly to published applications without having to modify primary monitor settings (previous versions required you to set the top leftmost monitor as the primary monitor). Application menus now appear in the correct locations, instead of showing up only on the primary monitor. The client device needs a compatible video card. Plus, the client operating system needs to detect all the monitors . Each monitor should appear separately on the Settings tab in the Display Properties dialog box.

  To configure properties, right-click on the server in the Presentation Server Console and choose Properties and then ICA Settings. Set the maximum memory to use for each session's graphics setting high enough that it will include the client's entire virtual desktop; otherwise, the application will be restricted to the subset of the monitors that fit within the size specified.

• Windows Keyboard Shortcut Pass-through MPS 4.0 supports the pass-through of typical Windows keyboard shortcuts to the Presentation Server desktop. With this long-overdue feature, you can now capture typical Windows keyboard combinations such as Alt-Tab within a full Presentation Server desktop instead of requiring users to use an alternate combination such as Alt-+. This feature is supported on a number of different clients, including all of the Win32 clients and the latest ICA Client for Linux.