Introduction

When you connect to a Windows 2000 Terminal Services server, you need to have an application to act as the terminal or shell for the applications that you will be accessing. In addition, you need a protocol that can transport the remote control information. This is provided by a Terminal Services client.

There are three Windows 2000 Terminal Services clients:

• Client for Windows for Workgroups 3.11
• Client for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000
• Client for Windows CE

In addition, Microsoft released the Terminal Services Advanced Client to be used with Internet Web browsers. To connect to Terminal Services, your client must be running one of these types of operating systems.

When deciding on a server-based computing solution, many administrators implement Windows Terminal Services with the addition of Citrix MetaFrame. MetaFrame is an add-on product that installs on top of Terminal Services. MetaFrame will provide enhanced features and functionality to your Terminal Services Server. The Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) protocol used by Citrix MetaFrame is what allows for this increased functionality. It is up to you to decide if your organization can function sufficiently with just Terminal Services or if Citrix MetaFrame should be purchased.

Limitations of Terminal Services Clients

Windows 2000 Terminal Services is a much more robust product than Terminal Server 4.0 was. It has much more functionality, and allows for more flexibility. In spite of its advancements, Terminal Services does have its limitations. One way to overcome some...