What is Citrix Metaframe?

Citrix Metaframe is software developed by Citrix Systems, Inc. that must be run on a terminal server when implemented on Windows platforms.

Citrix Metaframe is a software package that uses Terminal Servers multi-user environment to its advantage. In fact, it was Citrix who created MultiWin, the multi-user component in Terminal Server. In May 1997, Microsoft and Citrix signed an agreement to cross-license their technologies so that Microsoft could bring the MultiWin component into the mainline NT code base. This MultiWin component was first introduced into a Microsoft OS with Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition.

Some of the benefits that Citrix adds to Microsoft’s NT/2000 Terminal Server are the following:

• The ICA protocol: This protocol is much more efficient than the RDP.
• Can support many more client operating systems than Windows Terminal Server.
• Can support many more client devices than Windows Terminal Server.
• Can support many more protocols than Windows Terminal Server. RDP runs only over TCP/IP.
• Can support more connection types i.e., direct dial up, direct serial (async).
• Advanced multi-media support.
• Additional client capabilities – i.e., SpeedScreen and Program Neighborhood
• Contains more management tools than Windows Terminal Server
• Better web based support – Can publish apps to the web (ALE)