Wabi, VNC alternative to Citrix/NT terminal

[Carmelo R. Fernandez Ruperez]

Hello,

Great replies to the first posting! This is the summary of the goal and
the possible solutions, according to the remarks you have done. I have
also included the VNC list as receiver, as this functionality is
sometimes discussed there.

Please comment/ suggest better or alternative ways if you see them !

GOAL: Have 3 remote PCs simultaneously execute a FoxPro 2.6 (graphical Win
3.1)  application, that uses data in files in the traditional way (not
client/server). 


SOLUTION (COMMON PARTS):
	- The app is not Client/Server, so much more data is moved from
files to memory than from memory to screen, even considering graphical
overhead (the amount data to be moved from the database files is unbound,
the screen data is a lot or few, but fixed). Consequently, it is the GUI
output that should be remote, and the application execution local.
	- There are three more or less independent problems:
Communication/bandwith low level, GUI remotization protocol, and
application execution server.
	1- The communications low-level part can be solved with ISDN on
remote sites; local PC has either leased ISDN line to Internet (good idea
jeff, for about $500 they would have full-time service with local call
cost for the remotes) or 3 ISDN modems/BOCA card.
	2- The bandwith At a higher level: a compressed GUI-oriented
protocol flows. For X11 as in Linux LBX-HOWTO; for Windows the VNC
(www.orl.co.uk/vnc) protocol, similar to the Citrix ICA. Both can be
placed on   top of a SSH layer that compresses and adds security.
	3- The application execution server (AES). Key points: how to
execute simultaneously three Win applications and have their I/O come/go
to different displays/keyboards.


AES SOLUTION 1 ("officially suggested"):
---------------
 Citrix or the like (NT terminal-Hydra). Agreed that this is not the
solution. Peter points out the low $ factor of any alternative compared to
this.


AES SOLUTION 2 (initial alternative improved by Crispin and Peter):
---------------
 A big PC with Linux (but not huge, according Crispin data on Wabi memory
consumption and stability). Wabi ($50) and Windows 3.1 ($20 used, Peter
comments), 16Mb RAM per user. I/O is remotized via X protocol or with VNC
server and clients (Peter has tried the latter with better results than X; 
do you remember if the LinuxJournal article on compressed X was on LBX). 

Problems:
	- As VNC seems to be the optimal bandwith solution, bandwith is as
optimised as possible (Peter suggests that it is better than X, but worse
than ICA, right? )
	- Do FoxPro 2.6 for Win3.1 apps work well in Wabi?


AES 3 (new alternative by Jeff):
---------------
 NT as AES and Linux as comms server. VNC used to remotize the NT I/O, as
VNC can also serve from NT. This has the advantage of admitting Win32 apps
(that the original goal did not need, but is a big plus). 

 Problem: simultaneous users? I considered VNC at the beggining, but I
though that the Win version was like CoSession or RemotePC (a "remotizer" 
of the phisical presence in front of the PC, requiring as many physical
local PCs as simultaneous connections) because of this comment: 
	"WinVNC is a VNC server that will allow you to view your Windows
desktop from any VNC viewer. Because Windows in its present,
standard incarnation, only supports a single graphical user being
logged in at any one time, WinVNC makes the existing desktop of
the PC available remotely, rather than creating a separate desktop. It
is only fair to emphasise this: VNC does not make an NT machine
into a multi-user server in the same way that Citrix-based software,
for example, does. A single NT machine can therefore be accessed
by multiple users, but if they all connect at the same time they will all
see the same desktop! "
	I also remember reading something about using VNC for a classroom
(N viewers against one server) but I can't find it again in ther site.
	[BTW, I found VNC URL from a web page on emulators that included
Citrix, NT term server, Wabi, Wine, Willows, Mac emulators, etc. It was a
very nice page, but I did not boorkmark it! and I lost it , any clue?]
	If different logins allow simultaneous remote users with VNC on
NT, this is a boom! (it should also be possible on local networks, isn't
it?)

Looks like getting somewhere ...

Regards,
Ray




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