Independent Computing Architecture ( ICA ) is a proprietary protocol for server application systems, designed by Citrix Systems. The protocol sets specifications for passing data between server and client, but is not bound to any platform. ICA Citrix is ​​an alternative to Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
Practical products that comply with ICA are Citrix's WinFrame, Citrix XenApp (formerly MetaFrame/Presentation Server), and Citrix XenDesktop products. This allows ordinary Windows applications to run on the appropriate Windows server, and for each supported client to gain access to the application. In addition to Windows, ICA is also supported on a number of Unix server platforms and can be used to provide access to applications running on this platform. The client platform does not need to run Windows; for example, there are clients for Mac, Unix, Linux, and various smartphones. ICA client software is also built into various thin client platforms.
ICA is generally similar in purpose to window servers such as X Window System. It also provides feedback from user input from client to server, and various means for the server to send graphical output, as well as other media such as audio, from applications running to the client.
The main challenge of such an architecture is latency and network performance - graphically intensive applications (because most when presented using a GUI) served over a slow or bandwidth-constrained network connection requires considerable compression and optimization to make the application usable by client. The client machine may be a different platform, and may not have the same GUI routine available locally - in which case the server may need to send actual bitmap data over the connection. Depending on the ability of the client, the server may also partially dispose of the graphics processing to the client, e.g. to create multimedia content. ICA runs natively through TCP port 1494 or can be encapsulated in Common Gateway Protocol (CGP) on TCP 2598. ICA supports channel concept in session layer to encapsulate multimedia switching or USB extension in ICA.
Video Independent Computing Architecture
Client software
- Citrix ICA Client (DOS, OS/2)
- Citrix Presentation Server Client (Mac, Java)
- Citrix Receiver (Linux, Unix, Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Chrome)
- Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop Plugin (Windows)
- SAP
Maps Independent Computing Architecture
See also
- Desktop virtualization
- HP RGS
- Remote Desktop Protocol
External links
- Slashdot discussion that provides insight into how ICA works
- The web page contains ICA file syntax description.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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