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Palm Citrix Sync

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Name: michael@schaefer.net
Date: April 10, 2003 at 08:23:49 Pacific
OS: W2k
CPU/Ram: Fast/Loads
Comment:

Fellow Citrix/Palm Users & Adminstrators

I've been getting numerous questions on my previous posting of 10 October 2002, so I've attempted to clarify and simplify my earlier posting with the article below. You may have to adapt my method to your own situation. For example, I know that several people are syncing with Outlook. Not us. We sync with the Palm Desktop application. Also, many of you have server farms. Not us. We have just a single server, though that may change soon. Many user Nfuse. Not us. We publish a desktop to match, as closely as possible, the inhouse W2k enviornment. Ours works for both Palm 4.x and 5.0 (I got a new TT!:)

Also, I'm interested in hearing back from you on how it went and how you solved your unique situation - partly because I'm curious, and partly because I may be able to use your knowledge in my own situation.

Finally, to clarify several queries: I have no association with Palm (as far as I know, they've never heard of me); I'm not a paid consultant - I work for a British residential mortgage brokerage company; I do this because I'm a longtime Palm user, I love it, and I just wanted my Palm to work properly within the IT enviornment I created where I work; and, I can't resist a challenge.

Good luck.

Michael Schaefer
IT Director
Chase De Vere Mortgage Management
14 Ryder Street
St. James's
London SW1Y 6QB
michael.schaefer@cdvmm.com

HOW I CONFIGURED PALM TO SYNC ON A CITRIX SERVER FOR MULTIPLE USERS

Forget Citrix for a moment. We use Citrix only to give inhouse users remote capability. Our users work on the LAN in a W2k enviornment where we don't leave any data of any kind on the workstation local drives - only applications (W2k, Office, etc.). Having said that, we use roaming profiles so the users can log in anywhere, and, notwithstanding the previous statement, these profiles are cached onto the workstations, but only for speeding up the log on. We use mapped drives to the servers for all the data.

For those users who use Palm, we install the application from the user's login account, with temporary full Administrator rights, onto a mapped drive that is unique for every user - similiar to the home drive. Also, during installation there are a few required dll's and registry settings that are copied to the local drive. In this way, the application is installed several times - one for every user - onto a mapped drive. Thus, the user can access his Palm Desktop from any client, but because of the dll's and registry settings, syncing only works on the workstation from where the application was installed, which is fine for us because this is where the cradle is. Indeed, any Palm user can sync from any workstation where the application was installed as long as he logs in as himself. We also have some users who don't use Palm at all.

Next, moving to Citrix, we create another roaming profile for each Citrix user that is used only on Citrix sessions. All the drive mappings, logon scripts and Group Policies are the same as for inhouse use, ie., the W2k enviornement.

Now, what I'm about to tell you is how I did it. It's possible that there's another way to skin a cat, but I'll leave that to you.

First, Palm is installed from the Adminstrator account on the Citrix server in 'Install Mode' on the local C or D drive.

Next, while logged in as the user in a Citrix session with full Adminstrator rights, the application is installed on top of the user's previous installation on the mapped drive. Once installed, adminstrator ritghts are removed from the user's account. (I think this step could be skipped, but I haven't tried it yet).

Finally, and here comes the clever bit, temporaraily create a mapped drive for the Administrator for a Palm installation which matches the convention used for all the normal Palm users. It is critical that you match the same convention. For example, if you created a share for the application on the user's home drive like this: User on 'Srvr\Home$' H):\Palm, then you must also create a share for the application on the Adminstrator home drive like this: Administrator on 'Srvr\Home$'(H):\Palm. Just for the record, we created a separate mapping for Palm users at %User% on 'Srvr\UserApps'(U):\Palm, however, the home drive would work just as well. Take your pick. But, remember, use the exact same convention to map the Adminstrator's area for the Palm share as that for the regular users.

Now, while logged in as the Adminstrator on the Citrix server, install the Palm software on the mapped drive. DO NOT install in 'Install Mode'. The purpose of this is to tell the Hotsync application (the dll's and registry settings) where the data is for syncing.

Next, delete the mapped drive and the file share with the Palm software for the Administrator account because you don't want that crap hanging around your nice clean network. Now just make sure you map to the COM port properly (many Citrix articles on how to do that) and Bob's your uncle!

I have heard that you can do the same with the USB port with the later feature releases of Citrix Metaframe, though I don't know this to be fact. Check it out. Or, do the lazy option and just tell your users that they have to buy a serial Palm cradle for a few extra bob.

Note: I have not tested multiple users syncing at the same time in a Citrix session. I'd be interested to know how that works. Good luck.

Michael Schaefer
IT Director
Chase De Vere Mortgage Management
14 Ryder Street
St. James's
London SW1Y 6QB
michael.schaefer@cdvmm.com



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Response Number 1
Name: michael@schaefer.net
Date: April 10, 2003 at 08:31:57 Pacific
Reply:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bob1.htm


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