[AccessD] Citrix

My actual desktop is just a workstation, a dual core with 3 gigs running XP Professional X32. It is 
not a server machine.  When I look at the Citrix machine properties I see a quad core with 16 gigs 
ram running Windows 2003 R2 X64.

So my workstation can run things local or can start a Citrix instance.  My machine is not a server 
running Citrix for other people to remote in.

John W. Colby

Reality is what refuses to go away
when you do not believe in it

On 1/24/2013 9:42 AM, Dan Waters wrote:
> Hi John,
>
> One of my customers has my Access system on their Citrix server.  Citrix is
> an application that is installed on a server.  It is designed to allow users
> to run some or all their software on the server, while they are physically
> somewhere else.  This turns their desktop PC into just a terminal for the
> applications the use via Citrix.
>
> In my customer's case, the purpose of Citrix is to allow users who are not
> connected to the LAN at their headquarters in Minneapolis to run my system
> at a reasonable level of performance.  (As we all know, Access on a WAN
> doesn't work.)  It works pretty well, with users at many locations in the
> US, Mexico, and also Asia.  Also, when people are away from work with their
> laptop, they can log into the company network with a VPN, then log into
> Citrix, and then log into my system - and still get reasonable performance.
>
>
> However, all the people who connect to the LAN log into my Access system
> directly using separate FE's on their PC's - it's noticeable faster than
> logging into Citrix.
>
> Companies might also use a Citrix server for all PC's on their LAN so that
> everyone's PC is essentially a terminal.  This can give the IT department a
> high degree of control over app versions, preventing the installation of
> personal apps, etc.
>
> But why you would be given a PC which is actually a server with Citrix on it
> for your personal use is beyond what I know.  I'd say take some of those
> developers out to lunch and find out what's really going on!
>
> Good Luck!
> Dan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of John W Colby
> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 7:37 AM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: [AccessD] Citrix
>
> I got a contract for IBM over in Research Triangle Park Durham NC. They
> assigned me a desktop computer for now which I am given admin rights on.  It
> run Windows XP Professional x32 and has 3 gigs of RAM.
>
> Many of the developers install everything on their desktop and work from
> there however the official mantra is that we are supposed to use a Citrix
> machine provided to us.  I have never used Citrix before.  Assuming it would
> also be Windows XP I checked this morning and imagine my surprise when it
> claims to be Windows 2003 R2 X64 with 4 cores and 16 gigs RAM.
>
> My question then is what does this really mean, i.e.how does Citrix work?
> It is it an emulation of the real machine behind it?  Is the actual server a
> quad core with 16 gigs running Server 2003 R2 X64? Or is it a virtual
> machine with N cores and X gigs emulated?
>
> In any case I do not have admin rights on that machine so every time I make
> any change in Access which would go to the registry it holds the changes
> until I log off Citrix and then the next time in things are back to the
> original configuration.  Likewise I cannot install anything myself, and
> getting anything installed is not a trivial task.  I like to use MZ-Tools
> with Access, and I can install it local, but it is not on IBM's "approved
> vendor list" so it will never be used on the Citrix machine.
>
> Oh the joy.
>
> --
> John W. Colby
>
> Reality is what refuses to go away
> when you do not believe in it
>
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