Re: Itanium lap tops are needed now!

In article <1137771441.567292.322310@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
davidc@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>>Think: Citrix. Citrix is an "X-windows" paradigm for MS-Windows in that
>>the program runs on a "server", but is displayed on a desktop.
>
> Yes, I've dealt with a company that used to use Citrix for some HIPAA
> application - now uses web-based applications. Web browsers are
> getting more capable, what with some of the AJAX functionality becoming
> more widespread.
>
>>Windows is unstable enough without adding the complexity of Citrix on
>>top of it, not to mention the bandwidth demands. Let a virus or a worm
>>through the firewall and kiss your enterprise-wide app. (not to mention
>>the desktop clients) good-bye (speaking from experience here).
>
> Okay - Citrix "X-window"-like functionality is bad - so why is
> X-windows better?

Tool for the job. These applications aren't web pages they are applications.
Why use a web interface for a non-web application?

> Why is opening up port 6000 better than Citrix.
> Remember that in X-windows, the client/server is reversed. The
> "server" is really the desktop and the X-window application is the
> client and has to connect to your desktop.

All semantics. Who cares which end gets called the server and which
the client. The application runs on your big-iron and displaye on
your desktop.

> At least with Citrix, it is
> an explicit connection from the desktop to the Citrix server (which is
> easier to deal with firewall issues).

When this discussion started it was about getting desktop applications
to the desktop from a VMS server. Originally, I even said the desktops
would run on a private network so as not to expose Windows to the threats
that exist on the INTERNET. That means, all of your X traffic is local
and there are no Firewall issues. And port 6000 on the desktops (the X
server) is not exposed to anything. Trust me, if you have PC's runnning
X on the INTERNET it is not port 6000 or X that is going to be the target
of any attack!!

>
>>Now, take that same app., and develop it for an X-capable deployment,
>>run it on a multi-user o.s. like VMS and VOILA! Secure, stable operating
>>environments with VASTLY improved performance and reliability. The folks
>>at HIPAA will "thank" you, to say the least.
>
> Secure? How secure is it when it's possible for another application to
> screen-scrape your whole X-window session, because you've have port
> 6000 open? X-window traffic isn't encrypted, either. Web based
> application can be encrypted almost trivially by using https rather
> than http.

Again, the discussion was about internal use between a VMS system and
the desktop. If you can't trust your employess then how do you survive
today? Is that character cell session (IP or DECNET) encrypted? And,
if you are really that paranoid, run SSH and encrypt all your X traffic.
It still comes down to choosing the most appropriate tool for the job.
Everything int he world is not web based.

bill

--
Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves
bill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton |
Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include <std.disclaimer.h>
.

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