Win CE to Windows XP Embedded

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Hi all

We have to port a Win CE , eVC++ based pocket pc application on a thin client tablet.
I have following questions, Any ideas are welcome

1) I believe that the application would be based on a Win 2002 or 2003 terminal server. And the thin client
would be accessing this application on the server via MS RDP or citrix ICA.
What would be the development environment on Win 2003 terminal server? Which language shd we adopt

2) Does the thin client need any interfacing with MS RDP / ICA? If interface/communication programming is
needed, which devlopment env is used?

3) Does this communication with RDP has to sit on both Server and thin client

4) What role does Windows XP Embedded OS play in this? Is this OS installed on thin client

Well there are lots of such questions.. Any answers would be great help

Thanks ....
 
melanie,

I must be missing a point here. Are you going to port the app from CE
(PocketPC) to Win32 Desktop, right?
And you are going to run the app on the Terminal Server, right?
Then you should not be concerned about the thin client side. There is an RDP
client for XP embedded written by MS (simple binary port of XP RDP client)
that you will likely to use. Or ICA client if required.

However, the RDP protocol is not needed to be implemented in your
application(s). In general RDP uses its own video driver on the server side
to render display output by constructing the rendering information into
network packets using RDP protocol and sending them over the network to the
client. On the client side, it receives rendering data and interprets them
into the corresponding Win32R GDI API calls. On the input path, client mouse
and keyboard messages are redirected from the client to the server. On the
server side, RDP uses its own virtual keyboard and mouse driver to receive
these keyboard and mouse events.

Read more here:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/4/f/84fc80a7-661f-4c96-b5d6-cf73903b09f2/rdpfandp.doc

Regarding your question #4. It would be your decision what OS to choose for
thin client you are going to create/use.
XPe is a good choice for a Thin Client device.

KM
Hi all -

We have to port a Win CE , eVC++ based pocket pc application on a thin client tablet.
I have following questions, Any ideas are welcome -

1) I believe that the application would be based on a Win 2002 or 2003
Click to expand...
terminal server. And the thin client
would be accessing this application on the server via MS RDP or citrix ICA.
What would be the development environment on Win 2003 terminal server? Which language shd we adopt?

2) Does the thin client need any interfacing with MS RDP / ICA? If
Click to expand...
interface/communication programming is
 
Thanks KM.

Thats exactly what we are trying to achieve. We have got a Win CE running apps on PDAs. We want to deploy the same on thin clients (which are tablets).

There are two ways to do this. The first way is to build a terminal server app on VC++ or something and deploy it on the server. Then to enable the thin clients to access this server app using one of the protocols.
In this regard only, there is one more question -
What these thin clients need in order to be able to access the server based app?
In both the scenarios where
Thin client don't have any OS on the
They have either winCE /Embedded XP on them

Any ideas would be of great help. Thanks again for your response..

Thanks & regards..
Melani
 
Hi all

After some serious effort on internet surfing, I was able to find answers to most of my newbie questions
I am writing my solution scenario for everyone's benefit

Over all view of the porting strategy

1. The existing Win CE, eVC++ application would need to be re-written for a tablet on VC++ using visual studio and tablet pc SD
2. This application would then be deployed on a Windows server 2002/2003 having terminal services enabled
3. RDP or ICA would be deployed on the server where the app is installed and also the RDP client or ICA client would be installed on the thin clients if not present.
4. The RDP client comes built in with windows XP and also is downloadable for free on Microsoft
5. Using either of these programs, the server would “Publish†the applications, which the thin client should access
6. In this case, we would publish “SFA†on the deployment server using RDP or ICA.
7. Thin clients would be users having login sessions. They would be passing the keystrokes and other user input via the RDP/ICA to the server. Both TIP and pen strokes can be sent to the server and processed. Basically the ink would be converted into text and then sent, typically using TIP.
8. Digital ink and gestures are not supported
9. The normal pen strokes and signature etc using the writing pad or write anywhere would pass on the server only when the server is running Win XP SP1 or Win XP tablet PC edition.

Correct if anything is wrong..

thanks & regards
Melani
 
KM said:
melanie,


Regarding your question #4. It would be your decision what OS to choose for
thin client you are going to create/use.
XPe is a good choice for a Thin Client device.
Click to expand...
If you are goig to run the app exclusively on a terminal server either WIN
2K or 2K3, then it does not matter what O/S is on the TAblet and as a CE.NET
Tablet is considerably cheaper than an XPe Thin Tablet then I think the
CE.NET Tablet is a better choice.

Now however if you are thinking about using the apps locally on the Thin
Tablet, and you are able to make them run on XPe then XPe has to be given
some serious thought.

We have both CE.NET tablets and XPE tablets and sell more of the CE.NET into
areas that are using them exclusively to attach to a terminal server either
via ICA or RDP. Most of the times performance is the same and the cost is
the contributing factor, now if down the road there are plans to port some
apps to the local device and have them run there then XPe is what I
recommend as there is so much more functionality to be gained from XPe over
CE.NET and you will be able to do far more locally with XPe than with
CE.NET.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers

Paul
Athena USA
Thin Client Computers
612-600-3782
 
Hello Melanie

I am not sure what you mean in #3 "RDP or ICA would be deployed on the
server where the app is installed", RDP and ICA are the client side
protocols, they would not need to deployed to the 2003 server Terminal
Server in the Application mode. Also dont forget if you want to use the ICA
client on the tablet then you will need Citrix to be running on the W2K3
Terminal Server.

Also you talk of TIP which is a feature of the Tablet PC, not a Thin Client
tablet.
The Digital Ink on a Tablet PC is supported on a WIN 2000 server, WIN 2003
Server and WIN XP Pro from a Tablet PC running RDP. There is a fix now for
Citrix too if I remember rightly.

Also may I ask why you would be using the Tablet PC SDK to develop the APP
when it is being run on a WIN 2K/2K3 server?

My background is more Terminal Services than XPe or Tablet PC, though I am
involved in both markets, if you want please feel free to e-mail me and
bounce ideas off of me so you can get this project running!

Cheers

Paul Tyler
Athena USA
(e-mail address removed)
www.athenausa.com



melanie said:
Hi all,

After some serious effort on internet surfing, I was able to find answers
Click to expand...
to most of my newbie questions.
I am writing my solution scenario for everyone's benefit.

Over all view of the porting strategy:

1. The existing Win CE, eVC++ application would need to be re-written for
Click to expand...
a tablet on VC++ using visual studio and tablet pc SDK
2. This application would then be deployed on a Windows server 2002/2003
Click to expand...
having terminal services enabled.
3. RDP or ICA would be deployed on the server where the app is installed
Click to expand...
and also the RDP client or ICA client would be installed on the thin clients
if not present.
4. The RDP client comes built in with windows XP and also is downloadable for free on Microsoft.
5. Using either of these programs, the server would "Publish" the
Click to expand...
applications, which the thin client should access.
6. In this case, we would publish "SFA" on the deployment server using RDP or ICA.
7. Thin clients would be users having login sessions. They would be
Click to expand...
passing the keystrokes and other user input via the RDP/ICA to the server.
Both TIP and pen strokes can be sent to the server and processed. Basically
the ink would be converted into text and then sent, typically using TIP.
8. Digital ink and gestures are not supported
9. The normal pen strokes and signature etc using the writing pad or write
Click to expand...
anywhere would pass on the server only when the server is running Win XP SP1
or Win XP tablet PC edition.
 
melanie,

Comments inline..
Thanks KM..

Thats exactly what we are trying to achieve. We have got a Win CE running
Click to expand...
apps on PDAs. We want to deploy the same on thin clients (which are
tablets).
There are two ways to do this. The first way is to build a terminal
Click to expand...
server app on VC++ or something and deploy it on the server. Then to enable
the thin clients to access this server app using one of the protocols.
In this regard only, there is one more question --
What these thin clients need in order to be able to access the server
Click to expand...
based app?

Again.. using RDP you do not "access" the server app directly. You only
remotely create a session on the server and transfer video data (RDP
specific) from the server to client and input data (mouse/keyboard) from the
client to the server.

To support RDP you will need to include (and resolve dependencies) the
following components:
Terminal Services
Terminal Server Client

Also, consider the latest version (5.2.) of RDP client available in QFE:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...7f-c439-4e7c-8d4e-9c4f65c09dc4&DisplayLang=en
In both the scenarios where
Thin client don't have any OS on them
Click to expand...

"Thin client" does have OS on it (not heavy one, though). Unless you remote
boot the client (although, I haven't seen diskless "thin clients").
They have either winCE /Embedded XP on them.


Any ideas would be of great help. Thanks again for your response..
Click to expand...

In your server app is huge and scalable (e.g., using scalable database
engine), then Terminal Service scenario is a good choice for you.

If the app is a "simple" Win32 based app, then having the app on each client
may be a better choice.

So, it really depends on the application usage and purpose.

Btw, if you really want to use your devices as thin clients to RDP to a
server and running the app from (on) the server is the main purpose for the
device usage, you may consider WinCE (as client OS) as well.

KM
 
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