Understanding the new logon throttling load evaluator options in Citrix Presentation Server 4.5

Citrix introduced new "load throttling" rules in Presentation Server 4.5. This article looks at what those rules do and how they work, beginning with the evolution of why they're needed in the first place.

Article by Brian Madden on May 04, 2007.

Good Idea: Microsoft adds Vista licensing support for VDI and OS Streaming. Bad Idea: It's only for SA customers

On Monday, Microsoft announced a change in licensing that means they will officially support Vista when used in VDI and OS streaming scenarios

Article by Brian Madden on April 03, 2007.

SBC + VDI + Streaming = A full application delivery solution

I recently wrote a paper about VDI and when it can be used versus when server-based computing can be used. I think the paper was generally well received, but based on some of the comments it's clear that I didn't do a good enough job articulating how SBC and VDI relate to each other and how they can be combined.

Article by Brian Madden on March 26, 2007.

When to use VDI, when to use server-based computing, and how the Citrix Ardence dynamic desktop fits into all this

Server-based computing technology works well for many applications, but not for some that are too complex or too resource intensive. VDI, or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, can solve a lot of these problems, but it also introduces its own challenges. (For example, how can you store and manage all those disk image files?) Late last year, Citrix bought OS streaming vendor Ardence. They then asked me to write a paper for them that sorts out where VDI can be used, where SBC should be used, and how the Citrix Ardence dynamic desktop fits into all this.

Article by Brian Madden on March 15, 2007.

Login Consultants releases free tool for converting MSI packages to SoftGrid sequences!

Now that Softricity has been acquired by Microsoft and its price has been decreased so much, interest for SoftGrid is rapidly growing. Most enterprises have invested in MSI-based application packaging, and converting these packages into SoftGrid sequences can be laborious. To address this, Dennis Damen and Rodney Medina have created the SoftGrid Migration tool (SMGT).

Article by Dennis Damen and 2 others on March 06, 2007.

Updated: Lanmanserver and Lanmanworkstation Tuning

Due to the feedback that received on this article from readers, my colleagues, and Microsoft, I felt it was time to update it to try to provide more of a best practices guide to implementing LanManServer Tuning. The major update is in the Tuning section where I explain how "overtuning" can introduce other performance problems. I've also modified the .adm templates that, when applied, help prevent the file server from running out of NonPaged Pool.

Article by Michel Roth on February 20, 2007.

How to use hot-pluggable client USB storage devices with Citrix Presentation Server

Terminal Server's RDP protocol has long supported the dynamic creation of client drive mappings as users insert or remove USB storage devices on their clients. Unfortunately, Citrix Presentation Server and their ICA protocol have lagged behind and do not support this feature. However, Dennis Damen did some digging and found a pretty novel solution to this problem.

Article by Dennis Damen on February 15, 2007.

TS CAL token storage on client devices with no local storage

By now everyone knows that a Terminal Server CAL token is stored on a client device after that client connects to a terminal server. But how does this work in situations where the client device doesn't have any local storage capabilities? How do Microsoft and Citrix work around this? And what about the Linux and open source clients?

Article by Brian Madden on February 06, 2007.

A rundown of the new features that matter in Citrix Presentation Server 4.5

Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 (previously codenamed Project Ohio) will be released soon. In this article, I'll describe its new features.

Article by Brian Madden on January 17, 2007.

What a Citrix / Terminal Server admin can and can't do with a Mac

I recently switched to a Mac after 15 years of Windows. The nature of my job means that I need to be able to connect to ICA and RDP sessions regularly and generally use the stuff that I write about. But what works on a Mac and what doesn't? If you're an admin thinking about switching, is it possible to do this and still keep your job?

Article by Brian Madden on December 19, 2006.