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Windows NT Server Terminal Server Edition | Technical Details
Microsoft RDP & Citrix ICA Feature Overview
Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition and Windows 2000 Terminal Services supports both the Microsoft RDP protocol as well as the Citrix ICA presentation services protocol. The features of both are compared.

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Windows NT® Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, (Terminal Server) and Windows® 2000 Terminal Services support both the native Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) as well as the Citrix Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) protocol (via the Citrix MetaFrame add-on). The following table provides an overview of the features available with each of these protocols.

Note: RDP 4.0 is native to Terminal Server, and RDP 5.0 is available in Windows 2000 Terminal Services.  The protocol is backwards compatible, so both RDP 4.0 and 5.0 clients are capable of connecting to either Terminal Server or Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Feature Description RDP4 RDP5 ICA

Clients

32-bit client for Windows® based PCs (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation/Server 3.51, Windows NT Workstation/Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional/Server)

x

x

x

 

16-bit client for Windows for Workgroups 3.11

x

x

x

 

16-bit client for older versions of Windows and the MS-DOS® operating systems

 

 

x

 

Windows CE-based client (Windows-based Terminal Standard and H/PC Pro)

x

x1

x

 

UNIX client, Macintosh client, Java client

 

 

x

 

Browser client

 

x7

x


Transport Protocols

TCP/IP

x

x

x

 

SPX, IPX, NetBEUI and Direct Asynch

 

 

x


Network connection

Connect client over local area network (LAN)

x

x

x

 

Connect client over wide area network (WAN)

x

x

x

 

Connect client over dial-up, ISDN, xDSL, VPN

x

x

x

 

Dial-up connection directly to the server without using a dial-up service such as RAS

 

 

x


Audio

System beeps

x

x

x

 

Support for stereo Windows Audio (system and user)

x2

 

x


Local Printing

Printing to a local printer attached to a PC client

x6

x

x

 

Printing to a local printer attached to a WBT.

 

x

x


Local Drive Mapping

Local drives accessible from server-based applications

x6

x3|6

x


Local Port Redirection

Redirection of server ports (LPT/COM) to local client ports

x2

x2

x


Cut and Paste

Cut and paste of text/graphics between client and server

 

x

x

 

Cut and paste of files/directories between client and server

 

x3

 


User-centric session access

Client remembers previous user’s logon name for each connection

x

x

 

 

Connect to an active or disconnected session using a different screen resolution than the original session

x

x

 

 

Connect directly to an application rather than an entire desktop

x

x

x

 

Server-based applications resize and minimize on a Windows PC similar to local applications

 

 

x


Application Publishing

Advertise server-based applications directly to client desktops

 

 

x


Load Balancing

Pooling of servers behind a single server address and for increased availability

 

x4

x5


Remote Control

Viewing of and interaction with other client sessions (“shadowing”)

x8

x

x


Bitmap Caching

Optionally cache display bitmaps in memory for improved performance

x

x

x

 

Optionally cache display bitmaps to disk for improved performance

 

x

x


Encryption

Multiple-level encryption for security of client communications

x

x

x5

 

Multiple-level encryption on all Windows CE-based Terminals

x

x

 


Automatic Client Update

Administrative means for updating client connection software from the server

x9

x9

x


Pre-configured Client

Predefined client with published applications, IP addresses, server names and connections options

 

x

x


1 Windows CE RDP 5.0 client is available with WBT Standard 1.5. Consult your WBT manufacturer for availability. H/PC Pro RDP 5.0 client is not currently available.
2 Available with third-party add-on from NCD.
3 Using Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit utilities.
4 Requires Windows 2000 Advanced or Datacenter Server, or 3rd party add-on from NCD or Clusterisis.
5 Requires optional Load Balancing Services or SecureICA Services in addition to Citrix MetaFrame.
6 Uses Windows native networking.
7 Using the Terminal Services Advanced Client Web package.
8 The RDP 4.0 client can be used for remote control, but only Windows 2000 Terminal Services supports this functionality.
9 Using Microsoft Systems Management Server, IntellimirrorTM management technologies or 3rd party utilities in conjunction with the Terminal Services Advanced Client MSI package.

 

  Last Updated: Thursday, June 29, 2000
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