Chapter 11 - Extending Citrix MetaFrame XP Over the Internet

Abstract

This chapter highlights that the Internet has created a new way of doing business and communicating using web based technologies. With web-based Citrix technologies such as NFuse, accessing remote applications for telecommuters via virtual private network (VPN) connections are decreased in terms of cost. Web technologies, in cooperation with Citrix MetaFrame XR allow for the implementation of applications via internal intranet sites, reducing the cost of deploying or upgrading applications. Web enabled technologies provide a medium for software based demonstration and business-to-business applications. Citrix created a portal technology capable of providing access to published applications via a Web browser. NFuse consists of three main components—Citrix MetaFrame server farm, a Web server, and the independent computing architecture (ICA) client. Using configuration files and wizards, NFuse can be customized to meet the needs of the user community. The Java object of NFuse is used for communication between the server farm and the Web server. Three main components are used with a VPN solution— namely, (1) VPN server, (2) VPN client, and (3) security protocol such as Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) or Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). Using ICA files, application launching and embedding (ALE) technology uses parameters identified by the administrator to provide a URL to an ICA file for remote applications, minimizing the configuration required for ICA clients. Microsoft offers a Web-based client for its own Terminal Services using the Terminal Services Advanced Client (TSAC).