Terminal Server 2008 Published Apps and interaction with remote desktops

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YeOldeStonecat

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I haven't done published apps yet on TS 2k8..only typical TS roles on it. I'd like to deploy one for a client..however, some recent requirements they added...they wish to be able to import scans into this application, from the remote clients.

Now with typical terminal server setup, where you log in with RDC...this (AFAIK) isn't an option, as I don't believe TWAIN works across RDC. I'm under the impression that when you run the application as a published app from the new TS 2k8 published app feature this also would not work, correct? As well as this particular applications ability to export a special file in PDF format.
 
archivalbackup said:
So are you needing to connect a physical scanner on the client desk into the terminal session?
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If I am to deploy a terminal server for them, yes.
It's a chain of little physical therapy offices, their central office wishes to make multi-site management easier, so I'm thinking about a hosted Terminal Server. So all the little satellite offices will RDC to the terminal server instead of running this "Turbo" application (MS Access based) in each of their satellite peer to peer networks. Just 2-3 PCs per satellite location. About 1/2 dozen diff locations.

The upcoming new version of Turbo will allow them to import scans from a small scanner, such as insurance cards or stuff like that. So, gotta be done at the PCs at the satellites.
 
Bandwidth to the satellites high enough and the total scan data low enough you could use USB over TCP/IP hardware to connect the scanners at the branches to the TS over the WAN?
 
nessus said:
Bandwidth to the satellites high enough and the total scan data low enough you could use USB over TCP/IP hardware to connect the scanners at the branches to the TS over the WAN?
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Eh..marginal I'm sure at a few of the offices on DSL, but most are on cable.

I'm not aware of this USB over TCP hardware...I'll Google in a few, but if you have one in mind to slap up a linky....

They "trialed" some wand like scanners...Visiontek Road Warrior I think.
 
I was thinking something along the lines of a Digi, http://www.digi.com/products/usb/an...Google_US&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=PPC_USB. That particular unit would probably be overkill.

That or something like that is the only supported way of doing VMWare connections to USB devices in an environment where you need to be able to VMotion the guest machines while they are connected to USB devices.

I think SIG and D-Link both have more consumer level products for doing the same thing.

Came across a couple of other software based solutions for redirecting USB capabilities from a host PC as well. That would be a lot more along the lines of the Twain redirection software mentione by marley1.
 
We use this at work for a Virtual Iron solution to pass a HASP key. It works very well and I had it up and running in under 10 minutes. Very nice :). About $150 per USB device I believe.

archivalbackup said:
http://www.usb-over-network.com/

This came up between a co-worker and I the other day.

VDI would be another application that can do USB over IP, but probably not appropriate for remote low speed offices.
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The software manufacturers website is mentioning features of the upcoming new version.

"Store Images and Documents directly in your Patient Database - Upload Photo and scanned images, Word documents and Acrobat PDF files into patient records."

I'm starting to think, since it can interface with so many things, that hosting it on Terminal Server may become too limiting.

Upload photos...could be a pain from a camera.
Word Documents from locally typed..etc.

Unless...when running a published application from new TS08 will interface with Windows API so you can import from an end users My Documents, or can import from a USB stick or some other memory device from a camera, etc.

This is what I'm not famliar with...TS 08 published apps...how "locally" can they pretend to run?
 
At my work we support a remote branch that connect to their network via Citrix. They have a scanner that scans to an email distribution group, simple option if the scanners allow it or are able to buy new scanners.
 
YOSC- this is a EMR app in a medical office? Why look at USB scanners- why not a true networked solution? We use Fujitsu scanners with the network interface- twain works on each workstation, connects to it with TCP/IP. EMR app also interfaces directly with it, including in TS sessions.
 
twwabw said:
YOSC- this is a EMR app in a medical office? Why look at USB scanners- why not a true networked solution? We use Fujitsu scanners with the network interface- twain works on each workstation, connects to it with TCP/IP. EMR app also interfaces directly with it, including in TS sessions.
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One of my smaller clients that has been historically cheap cheap cheap! It took me almost 10 years to get them to put a server in their main office. Even that, SBS, I struggled to get the whole job under 8k. You know that feeling!

It's a physical therapy office..with a few branch offices in Rhode Island and Vermont. These branch offices are 2-3 computers each. So far, for years, they've been running local copies of this "TurboPT" software at each satellite. Central office remotes into them for billing/accounting stuff. I'm just trying to get them to centralize all sites to one location for ease of this remoting in by the accounting office. As well as maintenance...they're not fond of sending me onsite to those remote locations for stuff. Having it all on TS make management of remote offices easier as far as keeping the computers up to snuff, they can get local geeks for the basic break/fixit stuff...all they need is a workstation in good condition to get to the internet.

I guess my remaining question...the application interfacing with the desktop in remote app mode while running on TS08...say they want to import a file or export some report. In most applications this brings up a sort of mini explorer view...import from //where, or export to //where..such as desktop or my docs. Now normally if running on terminal server under RDC, it would be referring to the terminal servers desktop..under published app mode, would it refer to the remote workstations desktop? So that they could go to their local My Docs or desktop, etc. Or export to an e-mail which would bring up their Outlook setup over http to Exchange. This is the part I'm unclear of, and sort of need to know.
 
YeOlde should have tested with my test box when I had it up =p

I think it still has the 08 loaded on it, want me to fire it up so you can play?
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
I guess my remaining question...the application interfacing with the desktop in remote app mode while running on TS08...say they want to import a file or export some report. In most applications this brings up a sort of mini explorer view...import from //where, or export to //where..such as desktop or my docs. Now normally if running on terminal server under RDC, it would be referring to the terminal servers desktop..under published app mode, would it refer to the remote workstations desktop? So that they could go to their local My Docs or desktop, etc. Or export to an e-mail which would bring up their Outlook setup over http to Exchange. This is the part I'm unclear of, and sort of need to know.
Click to expand...

I don't know how TS08 handles this, but I have worked with an older Citrix system that offers saving/opening both locally and from the TS host, so it should be possible. The tricky part is getting the end user to understand the difference.
 
It refers to the remote server's desktop and My Documents. With our configuration, it automatically connects all of your drives to the computer, although I don't see where that was configured. Normally you can edit the RDP file and it will allow you to make some of the changes, but for RDP files that were created with RemoteApp, I only see the servername and none of the settings.

Also, anything that would cause another program to launch opens up the application on the remote server. So if you export to Excel, it will launch up Excel and appear as though it opened up the one on your computer, but it's actually on the remote server. There isn't any special setup required, because we don't publish Excel, but it still works fine.
 
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