Sims as a remote published application is it possible?

[edie209]

I need a little bit of help. I want to run Sims as a teminal services remote published application , if that is possible. I have installed a workstation install on my TS Server, and now I want to be able to create a shortcut on teachers PCs to run Sims remotely, but I also only want Sims nothing else if they close sims I want the remote session to end, taking them back to their own desktop.

 

I have seen this done through smooth wall, so it must be possibble, if someone could point me in the right direction I would really aprieciate it.

[NetworkGeezer]

Yes this should be possible but Citrix MetaFrame. I'm not sure about vanilla TS.

[djm968]

NetworkGeezer is correct, this is possible but you will need Citrix Presentation Server to run SIMS as a published application.

 

It is also possible to run SIMS in a vanilla terminal environment but at present there is no way of publishing individual apps using vanilla TS although this will change when longhorn arrives.

[Norphy]

There are third party addons which do application publishing with Vanilla TS such as 2X Application Manager. There is a free version which will publish up to five apps. I don't know how well it works but it's worth a shot.

[spc-rocket]

Norphy you beat me to it, i was going to mention the 2x application server and its something we are looking at our place at the moment. Its excellent software and it publishes the applications seamlessely so to the user it appears as though the application is running on the local machine but of course it isn't, its running on TS.

 

2X Application server provides the similar stuff to what Longhorn server will provide with its TS Gateway product but this is available now. I've enquired aboyut the licensing and found that 10 user license only cost 395 euros and there is a 20% discounts for public sector on top of this so its not a bank breaker as well. The wonderful thing about this is that you can use SSL connection between the client and the gateway/TS servers so only need to open up port 443 on the firewall. You can also configure it to run on 80 or direct mode.

 

Its something that I will be making it available to SLT now that we've completed the testing of it.

 

Ash.

[edie209]

Thanks guys I will download 2x tomorrow and give it a try, 5 apps will be more than enough for what I want.

[localzuk]

I am liking this 2x application server! Very useful. 24bit colour makes apps lag a fair bit though.

 

The prices with 2x are low compared to their citrix counterparts too!

[SDonnelly]

It is possible to have SIMS loaded remoted via Microsoft Terminal Services, Citrix Presentation Services, 2x, and Ericom. There are a few little fixes that you can apply to make it easier.

 

But basically it can be done and works okay - slow at times (I think this is down to the SIMS.net interface).

[ajbritton]

Is it possible to do this 'on the cheap' by using the 'start a program' option.

[localzuk]

What do you mean by 'start a program' option?

[ajbritton]

In the terminal services client (MSTSC) there is a 'program' tab. If you tick the box and enter the path to an executable (or presumably a batch file), then instead of the Windows shell loading, the program you specify will load. When the user exits the program, the remote desktop session will terminate.

[CyberNerd]

Can anybody give me details of the rough processor/memory usage of SIMS - how many concurrent connections could I expect on a terminal server with SIMS as the only published application?

[linescanner]

We have used Sun Secure Global Desktop to do this for Caroline Chisholm in Northants.

 

You need to be careful as there is some tweaking required to get SIMS to run in a multi user config.

 

If it is not done correctly you will loose data.

[localzuk]

Would you care to elaborate on those tweaks? My tests with it have not had any problems with a couple of users on the same TS box.

[linescanner]

It is to do with the way SIMS commits data.

 

If multiple users are accessing the same records at the same time before commits, then some of the data can get over written.

[spc-rocket]

Hi Andy,

 

I would have thought that this is the issue with sql server not TS box. So in a multi-user network enviornment at school it would be the same issue. I thik the SQL server supports Strict two-phase locking and non-strict two phase locking as well as Update Lock etc so it takes care of issues of two exact records being update/modified at the same time be different users. If this functionality is not utilised by capita developers then its their fault really! cos they should be doing this to prevent this kinds of things happening. We use the full SQL server 2000 with our sims system and have never had a problem.

 

I will however inform our local support people at LEA to see what they say and if they have heard of this problem.

 

Ash.

[linescanner]

It is to do with the way the client prog handles input. I think it holds stuff in a temp file for a bit before a commit to the Server side.