External Devices in non-Citrix Environment?

Barkmull asks: "We have been running a Windows 2000 Terminal Services-based network for some time. We are currently using RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) and CDS (Citrix Device Services) for local COM and printer port usage on our thin clients. My question is this: has anyone been successful in using USB port replication with Windows 2000 Terminal Services? We looked into using Metaframe XPe, but it is ridiculously expensive to implement. I would very much like to know what other solutions Slashdot users have come up with using Terminal Services and local port replication."

Comments

Non-Citrix Solution

[Neck_of_the_Woods]

The reason citrix is expensive is because it is the best and really has the market cornered. That out of the way the only other one worth it's salt is Canaveral iQ.

They focus on companies in the size range of around 30 to 1000 users or so. What I can tell you is that it has a universal printer driver that takes the sting out of printer setups in a share network.

To quote and artical I have on my desk " The driver runs at the server where it creates a standard Enhanced Metafile(EMF) that's delivered back to the client for processing and printing. The approach avoids multiple printer drivers and overloading of the spool engine at the terminal server, a common cause of problems." Arthor Bill Boswell

So I am not sure if that helps but at least it is better than no other solution at all. Citrix when you break it all down comes to about $320 a desktop where CanIQ checks in at about $175.

Good luck.

A simple solution

[fm6]

I realize this is a radical solution, but just give it some thought. It's possible to execute software on a local processor. Systems that do this are widely available! And it eliminates all issues of making local hardware available to the application.