Improving Performance of RDP Over LAN
- by Jared Brown
Architecture: A deployment of 6 new HP thin clients (Windows XP Embedded) with TCP/IP access to several new HP servers (Windows 2003 Server). Each thin client is connected over fiber optic to a Gigabit Cisco switch, which the servers are connected to. There are 10/100 Ethernet to fiber converter boxes on each end of the fiber cables.
Problem: Noticeable lag over RDP while using the Unigraphics CAD package. 3D models take .5 to 1 second to respond to mouse actions.
Other Details: Network throughput on each thin client's RDP session is 7288 kbps. RDP connection settings - color setting: 15k, all themes, etc. turned off. Local and remote system performance stats are well within norms (CPU, Memory, and Network).
Question: Are there newer versions of terminal services or RDP I can use on my existing OSes? Are there compression algorithms, etc. that are well suited for a high-bandwidth LAN? Are there valid alternatives that will yield higher performance (i.e. UltraVNC with drivers installed)? Are there TCP/IP tuning options I can exploit?