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Generally the hardest part for any application trying to adapt to life on a Terminal Server is the issue of running multiple times on a single machine (the server itself). Programs not written with Terminal Services in mind will sometimes exhibit unusual behavior because of unexpected conflicts, and this can be especially true when working with older applications.
While manifested on the Thin Clients, these undesired results usually come about because of the inter-program conflicts on the server and not as a result of the program having its user interface displayed on Thin Client hardware. The quickest way to explore a particular application's abhorrent behavior is to actually run and display it multiple times directly on the server's console. This is much easier to accomplish than trying to set up multiple Thin Clients in the same place, and can be done anytime a problem is suspected.
One easy way to log into your server multiple times is to find the stand-alone RDP client from Microsoft. This is not the TSAC (Terminal Services Advanced Client) that is so available on the Microsoft website. While TSAC could be used, it adds a layer that is not needed for application testing.
This RDP client will not provide any of the Thin Client enhancements available in ACP Enabled Thin Clients (failover, auto-login, I/O, etc.), but it does provide a window that can be opened on the server console where an application can be tested. It will be slower than an ACP Enabled Thin Client, but it will achieve the purpose of this exercise by allowing you to run multiple copies of the same application from a single location.
If you are running Windows 2000 Server, there is a very good chance that the RDP client (both a 16 bit and a 32 bit version) has already been installed. To find either one, do a search for the file mstsc.exe. If it has been installed, it will probably show up in the following directory:
c:\WINNT\system32\clients\tsclients\net\win32
If mstsc.exe doesn't run, you may need to register the dll (mstscax.dll) found in the same directory. Registering a dll is not very user friendly, but it can be accomplished by jumping to a DOS window, switching to the directory with the dll, and typing the command "regsvr32 mstscax.dll". If you are not comfortable in DOS, you can use "Start->Run", and enter the same command (make sure Windows can find the correct path to the file).
If you can't find this file on the server, the standalone RDP client can be retrieved from the Internet - if you know where to look. Jump to this URL:
www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/recommended/TSAC/default.asp
Select "MSI Package" from the "Download" box on the right hand corner of the screen, press "Go", and follow the instructions. You will get a file called "tsmsisetup.exe". Run this, accept all the Microsoft conditions (if you so choose) and it will install several files, one of which is the RDP client application, mstsc.exe. One of the other ones is the dll that was discussed above.
Once the dll has been registered, you can simply click on the mstsc.exe file and you will get a login window that looks like the following:
Type in the name of the Windows 2000 computer where you are logged in, and you should get a new desktop with the standard Windows 2000 login - sign-in here to create a completely new session. This process can be repeated as many times as necessary. It is usually a good idea to use a new window size that is less than your current screen resolution so you can see a full screen in a window on your desktop.
For more information on ACP Industrial Thin Client computers, please visit our web site at http://www.thinmanager.com
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