Certification Objective 1.01: Identifying the Key Benefits of Deploying MetaFrame

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Deploying MetaFrame in heterogeneous environments enables companies to provide best-of-breed and legacy applications to their entire enterprise, with little regard to the client platform. This flexibility allows IT departments to deploy the desktop best suited to their type of business, whether it be Windows, Macintosh, or Unix/Linux, while maximizing return on investment (ROI). MetaFrame also empowers companies to provide applications to a remote or mobile work force through the Internet or through low speed WAN connections.

The key benefits of MetaFrame are:

• Reach MetaFrame allows administrators to reach users over a wide range of mediums and hardware platforms. From LAN (local area network) to WAN (wide area network) to Wireless on Windows, Pocket PC, Mac OS, and Unix/Linux, MetaFrame delivers a rich user experience.

• Performance By utilizing Citrix's Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) protocol, MetaFrame provides unparalleled performance over any connection and on any platform.

• Simplicity MetaFrame provides a simple method of deploying complex applications to a remote or mobile workforce while minimizing the administrative burden inherent in the many-to-one relationship of users and servers. Citrix NFuse furthers this simplicity by removing the need to administer and configure the users' local ICA client. All configuration information can be provided from a simple Web site.

• Management MetaFrame XP now includes the new Citrix Management Console (CMC), a comprehensive interface that combines all MetaFrame administrative functions into a single application, ensuring administrators no longer need switch between several task specific applications to manage a server farm. CMC now provides better support for a scalable farm paradigm by allowing administrators to manage a server farm as a single entity, instead of having to manage each server individually. The CMC will also function at any time, from any location.

• Security MetaFrame has always allowed administrators to tightly control the users' environment while optimizing the users' computing accessibility and productivity. MetaFrame, combined with Windows 2000 and Group Policy Objects (GPOs), can further tailor the users' environment to take maximum advantage of the computing power and security of a controlled atmosphere.

MetaFrame XP includes a host of new features in answer to the many requests of users and administrators, such as:

• Enhanced scalability Independent Management Architecture (IMA) provides a scalable architecture that allows server farms to be installed quickly, span several subnets, and yet still be managed from a centralized perspective. It also introduces a level of fault tolerance that permits any one server to fail, without affecting the entire farm.

• Integrated security XP now integrates 128-bit encryption into the base product to help secure your data.

• NFuse integration XP ships with NFuse, which provides Program Neighborhood functionality to Web-based clients.

• Licensing IMA provides single point license installation and management as well as enterprise-wide license pooling.

• SNMP support MetaFrame now supports alerting and limited control using third-party products and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) traps.

• Printer management IMA provides a single point of control for printer drivers with automatic driver replication and client printer mapping.

• Application migration All MetaFrame 1.8 published applications can be seamlessly migrated to XP, and yet retain all settings.

• Interoperability XP server farms can coexist with both MetaFrame 1.8 and MetaFrame for Unix servers.

• Installation XP supports both attended and unattended installation.

• Shadowing options Shadowing can now be configured to require user notification, or be disabled completely during installation.

• Display options XP supports higher screen resolutions and more color depth than MetaFrame 1.8.

Independent Management Architecture

A major advance in Citrix MetaFrame administration and management is Independent Management Architecture (IMA). IMA is both an architectural model and a communications protocol. This new management foundation is key to the execution and control of Citrix products.

IMA provides not only an architectural foundation, but also a server-to-server communications bridge on UDP (User Datagram Protocol) 2512 for license pooling, published applications, and load balancing information. IMA enables you to group servers into farms regardless of their location or subnet. Organizations gain several advantages with IMA:

• SNMP support. Citrix now supports the sending of SNMP traps, and offers full support of some of the top SNMP monitoring packages.

• Auditing of administrative actions.

• Centralized management of published applications and load balancing information.

• ICA client browsing of published applications without using UDP broadcasts.

• Shadowed sessions which now support logging to track which administrator shadowed whom and when.

• A central repository of license information.

Citrix Management Console

The Citrix Management Console (CMC) provides a single point of contact for the administration of all facets of a MetaFrame XP server farm (as shown in Figure 1-1). CMC is a Java-based console capable of running on any Windows NT or Windows 2000 computer, thus freeing the administrator from having to perform administrative functions on a Citrix server.

Figure 1-1: Citrix Management Console

CMC is designated as an optional installation when installing MetaFrame XP. If loaded, it also installs and configures the components necessary for communication over the IMA protocol. CMC combines the duties of several MetaFrame 1.8 utilities into one tool, such as Citrix Server Administration (mfadmin.exe), Citrix Licensing (plicense.exe), Published Application Manager (appcfg.exe), and Load Balancing Administration (lbadmin.exe).

On The Job 

Remember that the CMC will run on any NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 workstation. This makes it easier to administer your farm without having to log in to a session just to run the tools.

Hardware Independence

Citrix clients provide hardware independence by supporting a vast selection of hardware platforms. There are ICA clients for almost all hardware platforms in use, thus giving users of all platforms access to Windows applications. Companies can take advantage of its centralized processing power to extend the life of aging desktops. 386, 486, and Pentium class machines can easily be deployed as thin client terminals, and still run the latest software, such as Office XP, that would not perform well on slower processors. This independence allows companies to deploy the best and most cost-effective hardware platform for their processing needs, without regard to the platform's ability to run Windows applications.

Applications Deployed Regardless of Desktop OS

ICA clients are available for a multitude of desktop operation systems, and thus provide users with connectivity to Windows-based applications regardless of which operating systems they use. With Microsoft possessing such a large share of the market in desktop operating systems, they have easily attracted more developers than any other platform. This means your chances of needing to provide the functionality of a Windows-based application are very high, even if you don't use Windows as your primary platform. By using MetaFrame and the appropriate client, you can deploy mission critical Windows-based applications to users not running a Windows OS, without having to deploy a second desktop or 'dual boot' a single desktop. See Table 1-1 for a list of operating systems that have ICA clients.

Table 1-1: ICA Client Platform Support

Platform	Version
Windows 32-bit	Windows 9x/ME, Windows NT 3.51, NT 4.0 (Workstation and Server), and Windows 2000/XP
Windows 16-bit	Windows 3.1 or later (running in enhanced mode) and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or later; also supports client devices running OS/2 2.1, OS/2 Warp Connect 3.0, and OS/2 Warp 4.0 or 4.5
Windows CE	Windows CE 2.0 or later
EPOC	EPOC release 5
Java	Most platforms that implement Sun's Java Virtual Machine (JVM) Version 1.1 or later
Macintosh	System 7.1 or later with installation of Apple's Thread Manager, System 7.5.3, and Mac OS 8 or later
Unix	SCO UnixWare 7 Hewlett Packard HP-UX 10.x and later Sun Solaris 2.5.1 and later (SPARC); Version 2.6 and later (x86) Sun SunOS 4.1.4 Silicon Graphics IRIX 6.2 and later Digital UNIX 3.2 and later IBM AIX 4.1.4 and later
Linux	RedHat 6.1, SuSE 6.4, Slackware 7.0, Debian 2.2, and Caldera 2.4 Linux ARM Netwinder Linux 2.2.14
DOS	3.3 and later

On The Job 

People running Unix workstations enjoy not having to have two computers at their desk in order to run all their Windows applications. Remember though, not all ICA client versions support all features.

Reduced Costs

Using MetaFrame to deploy applications and centralize management can greatly reduce your total cost of ownership (TCO) by using inexpensive and low maintenance thin clients, and by reducing the amount of administrative time integrating and upgrading applications. Deploying 30 servers to support 1500 users not only has the potential of saving millions of dollars today, but tomorrow as well. Whereas desktop workstations typically get replaced or 'refreshed' every three years or so, thin client terminals have a five to six year refresh cycle, and only cost 60-75% of a full workstation.

The administrative burden to support these clients is also reduced, because the rate of failure with thin clients is miniscule compared to that involving PCs. As a result, users will have less chance of causing problems due to a restricted environment. In many situations, help desk and desktop support personnel never have to visit the users, because all application support can be done by 'shadowing' them. Shadowing is a feature of WinFrame and MetaFrame that allows administrators to see the same screen as a user, and even share control of the keyboard and mouse in order to show users how to perform a task. By keeping your help desk and desktop people at their desks, and giving them the ability to see what the user sees, your trouble tickets should become a lot less troublesome.

Exam Watch 

Be sure to learn which platforms have ICA clients available.

Now that you have been introduced to MetaFrame XP, review the following points for the exam.

Scenario & Solutions

What are the key benefits of MetaFrame XP?	Reach, Performance, Simplicity, Management, and Security.
What is IMA?	Independent Management Architecture. Both an architecture model and a protocol.
What is the IMA protocol?	Server-to-server communications UDP port 2512.
The CMC is what?	Citrix Management Console. A one-stop administration point.

From the Classroom-What Makes a Thin Client Deployment Beneficial?

A common question raised in classrooms has to do with just how a thin client deployment is better than a well-integrated fat client deployment. When thinking about this, a good thing to consider is the total picture, as well as just what issues you or your support team spend time resolving in a normal fat client rollout. Issues such as color scheme, screensavers, crashed hard drives, and unauthorized applications are a few of the top problems I have seen in traditional desktop environments. A thin client deployment is a culture change that may have to be introduced gradually, but the return on this is that users have a more stable platform. This platform will typically be more restricted than a fat client would be, but when users are limited as to the amount of time they can spend on non-work-related tasks at their workstations, the more time they will spend on work-related tasks. This increased productivity can often be enough to entice CIOs and/or CTOs to buy into a thin client solution. Another point to consider is the time which support staff spends attending hardware failures and onsite applications. Thin client terminals typically do not have hard drives, so if a hardware failure occurs, the downtime experienced should be dramatically reduced. The hardware replacement can also be performed by a non-technical staff member if the location is remote and no onsite support personnel are at hand. The application support issue can be greatly reduced both by shadowing and by allowing your help desk or desktop support personnel to resolve issues and close tickets without leaving their desks. This also reduces the amount of time wasted traveling to a user's location, whether it be down the street or down the hall.

-Travis Guinn, MCSE,CCA,A+,CCSE,MCP+I

Exercise 1-1: Requiring Auditing for Shadowing

Some companies may place restrictions on, or even completely disallow, the use of session shadowing due to privacy, classification, or financial concerns. To implement global settings for shadowing, it must be done during the installation of MetaFrame XP, and cannot be changed once it is installed. The following exercise will show you one of the possible settings that requires all shadowing activity be logged for auditing purposes.

1. Run setup.exe from the MetaFrame XP CD.

2. Accept the License agreement.

3. Choose Next at the Welcome screen.

4. Choose Next at the Network ICA Connections screen.

5. Choose Next on the TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) Modem Setup.

6. Choose Next on the ICA Session Shadowing screen, depicted in Figure 1-2.

   
   Figure 1-2: ICA Session Shadowing Wizard

7. Choose Allow Shadowing Of ICA Sessions On This Server.

8. Select Prohibit Shadow Connections Without Logging (as shown in Figure 1-3).

9. Continue with setup.

   
   Figure 1-3: ICA Session Shadowing configuration options

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