Any work around for terminal services

[WCHAdmin2]

We have a VDi deployment where a number of remote users connect in using View Client to remote desktops here in our organization.  We have a few customers who have Terminal Services running in their office, specifically Windows Terminal Services 2003.  This prevents them from connecting in to us.  Has anyone ever found a work around using the View 4.0.1 client?  We had one with the 3.0 client, though it was ugly, but haven't found one for this one yet... any thoughts? 

[mittim12]

Would it work to thinapp the client and run the thinapp version on the  TS?

[WCHAdmin2]

I don’t actually know if that would work or not, we haven’t tried thinapp for the client, but since we have multiple apps, some of which are not very friendly, not sure that is an option, plus I don’t have a thinapp license, but I can look into that as a possibility.

[mittim12]

I meant to thinapp the View Client.  We did that once for testing and it seemed to give basic functionality.  

[WCHAdmin2]

I guess I'm not really sure what you mean then... how can you thin app the VMWare View Client on the remote system? 

[mittim12]

If I understand your question correctly you were having problems because the client can't be installed onto the TS.   If you ThinApp the client and then give that exe to your client they should be able to execute it from the TS.

[WCHAdmin2]

Ok, I am giving this a shot, will update when I know more.

[gunnarb]

I've installed the 4.5 Client on TS without issue.  Can you tell me what issue you are having doing this in TS?

[WCHAdmin2]

Well, when installing, or when attempting to run, get error that the software (VMWare View Client 3.x and 4.0.1) is not compatible with this operating system. User’s IT guy somehow packaged it to work on TS with 3.0 but can’t get 4.0.1 to work on it. I have created a thinapp package and given to him but have not received word yet on whether it works.

[gunnarb]

I think you're over complicating an issue.  ThinApp isn't required to get the View Client to install on a TS.  Is there any reason why you can't use the 4.5 client, I know it works, and I'm pretty sure you can use a 4.5 client to access a 4.0 setup.

-Gunnar

[mittim12]

Gunnar are you sure your not confusing the agent with the client.   The agent is supported for installation on a TS but the client is not.  

[gunnarb]

Umm... maybe because what you just said doesn't make any sense to me. 

The client = the end user device, such as a ZeroClient (ie Wyse P20) or a Thin Client (ie Wyse V10L) or a Soft Client (ie View Client).

The agent = installed in the VM itself so the connection can be made from the connection broker, either over RDP or PCoIP (UDP port 4172).

Those are my definations of client and agent.  And I have had much success installing the Soft client on a TS.  I would not try to install the Agent on a TS becuase you don't need to, I'd just setup the View Administrator to manage the TS connections like so:

[mittim12]

Not to get side tracked but I believe the agent is required when setting up a TS pool.   See below taken from the admin guide

Create a Microsoft Terminal Services Pool

You can create a Microsoft Terminal Services pool that provisions desktops from terminal server desktop

sources. You must select the desktop sources that make up View desktops in the pool.

Prerequisites

n

Prepare the terminal server desktop sources to deliver View desktop access. View Agent must be installed

and running on each desktop source. See

Chapter 3, “Preparing Unmanaged Desktop Sources,” on

page 39.

We only have one TS pool setup and it's always had the agent so I'm not sure if it actually works without the agent or not.   As far as installing the client everything I have always seen from other post in this forum to the admin guide say it's not supported.  Maybe there are work arounds to get it installed other than ThinApp.

[gunnarb]

You may be right on the Agent stuff and TS, in any case we are talking about the same thing as far as the client goes. I'm telling you with first hand knowledge that the 4.5 Client works flawlessly on a TS.  I have it setup in my environment on a 2008 TS running the 4.5 client.  My users connect into the TS via RDP then access the Client to log directly into their desktops.  I even have some users profiles set to autolaunch the View Client so they don't even see the TS desktop.

Regardless of wheter or not it is supported, I have had no issues doing this in my environment with the 4.5 client.

-Gunnar

[gunnarb]

BTW, the reason I have this setup this way was in lieu of an iPad client, this worked well and didn't cost anything.

-Gunnar

[mittim12]

Very good to know.  Like I said we only have the one TS setup and it's got the agent so I can't install the client anyway.  I just remember trying to install the client awhile back I received some not supported error messages.  Thanks for letting us know it worked in your case.

[WCHAdmin2]

Because we don’t have upgrade licensing to 4.5 yet.

[gunnarb]

Do they require the license on the client?  I don't think so considering you can download it without even logging in.

[WCHAdmin2]

I don’t know, but I thought that moving to the 4.5 client required a server upgrade, which we don’t have the licensing for, I’ll have to try it.