Deploying Java apps with Citrix?

[Frank D. Greco]

<<x-no-archive: yes>>

Seems like several companies are now deploying Java apps via Citrix.
Basically Citrix blasts bitmaps of the app, which runs on a server
(Windoze or Linux), to the client machine (tunneling, security...
yadda yadda); they have a (slow) Java applet version and a (fast)
native ActiveX version.

Citrix is RSA-certified so its supposedly reasonably safe.

Obviously this is not a solution for web services, but anyone
see any issues with this scenario? I'm concerned that Citrix,
which was basically designed for enterprises to deploy apps
to employees working from home, will encounter problems when
multiple, *potentially competing* enterprises deploy extranet
applications through the same Citrix installation on the
customer's PC.

Thoughts? Thanks.

Frank
+=========================================+
| Crossroads Technologies Inc. |
| Enterprise Java Engineering |
| Web: www.CrossroadsTech dot com |
| Email: fgreco @ crossroadstech dot com |
+=========================================+

 

[Frank D. Greco]

Frank D. Greco wrote:

Didn't Cytrix used to be known as Hydra? Wasn't the idea to

You might be right.

let users run "thin clients" and have all their Windows
processing performed on what we would contemporarily call
a "blade" server?

Basically yes.

Either way, it's been supplanted by the real, ultimate
thin client, namely the web browser.

But if you need a richer UI, just forget the browser.
You need a "fat" client.

Do you really want to duplicate the functionality of a
"Microsoft Office" application on a browser?
Gosh, I hope not or else you're looking at a very heavy
Swing application requiring multi-megabyte downloads just
to get the classes required to run the pig.
Put the intelligence where it belongs: on the server where
you can at least have some chance of controlling inter-
actions.

That's my point. If you use Citrix, the app lives
and runs on the "blade" servers but displays itself
on the user's PC. Similar to the X Window xhost command,
but its mostly sending bitmaps around.

The user doesn't install anything (other than a tiny
Citrix "agent")... No classes to download.

But I am concerned about security especially if multiple
companies (potentially competitors) all deploy via Citrix.
Can they trash or snoop on each other?

Why try to make web apps look and run like MS apps?

Who wants that? I want my apps to look like *my* apps
not the crap from MS.

Frank
+=========================================+
| Crossroads Technologies Inc. |
| Enterprise Java Engineering |
| Web: www.CrossroadsTech dot com |
| Email: fgreco @ crossroadstech dot com |
+=========================================+

 

[Frank D. Greco]

remote display are usefull to replace PCs
with thin clients in companies,
but are most time useless in internet solutions,
people already have a powerfull computer and
and can install a java jre (as easy as any plugin).

Not everyone has a powerful computer outside of the U.S. and perhaps
London. And installing a JRE is still not foolproof for many users.

and citrix/rpd servers are extremely expensive
compared with webservers/app servers.

Still a small amount of money for a large corporation.

and i don't think browsers are the ultimate
thin client as they just display, they don't really interact
(ok, applets and javascript, but ...)

That's precisely the reason that some companies are looking at
Citrix to deploy their Java fat-client apps. I'm trying to
investigate if there are any potential security or reliability
(or even performance) issues.

Frank
+=========================================+
| Crossroads Technologies Inc. |
| Enterprise Java Engineering |
| Web: www.CrossroadsTech dot com |
| Email: fgreco @ crossroadstech dot com |
+=========================================+