Remote Session Services - X Manager

You can configure the Remote Session Services feature from X Manager to improve performance in networks with high latency or low bandwidth. For step-by-step instructions, see How to Configure a Distributed Session in Standalone Mode.

NOTE:The default Remote session services option is None, which requires no additional setup beyond installing X Manager. To configure High-latency network performance you need to install the Reflection X Advantage Remote Session Services feature on your X client host (or on a Linux computer with a fast connection to that host).

The options are:

None

With this option, all session processes run on your X Manager workstation.

High-latency network performance

Use this option to improve performance when you connect to an X client over a high-latency network (typically one in which your X Manager workstation is located far from the X client host computer).

NOTE:The next items configure the connection to the host running Remote Session Services. If you omit any of these, you'll see a prompt to authenticate to the Remote Session Services host when you make a connection. This will be followed by a second prompt, if required, to authenticate to the X client host.

Host name

A Linux host on which you have installed the Remote Session Services feature.

User name

A valid user account on this host.

Password

(optional) The password for the specified account. This password is stored in the Reflection X database.

The password is saved as clear text and must be updated here whenever it is changed on the host. If you prefer not to save your password, and you've installed Remote Session Services (the service) on your X client host, you can use the connection method, also called Remote Session Services. This allows you to log in with a single prompt without requiring you to save your password. For details, see Improve Performance over a Slow Network.

Compression

Select whether to compress the X protocol that passes between the domain node and your workstation.

Never may improve performance if bandwidth is less limiting than CPU or memory.

Dynamic enables compression only when the bandwidth is low enough to affect performance. With this option selected, Reflection X Advantage measures the bandwidth of data traveling from the protocol router to each remote X server and automatically compresses the protocol when the bandwidth is low.

Always is the default. This may provide better performance where CPU and memory resources are less limiting than bandwidth.

You can control the level of compression with the slider control. Higher levels of compression improve performance but also reduce quality.

NOTE:In most cases, the default compression level provides the best balance of performance and quality.

How it works

The protocol router runs on a remote Linux system that is running the Reflection X service. (You install this service when you install the Remote Session Services feature.) Reflection X Advantage measures the latency of your network connection to determine whether or not to create a headless X server with the protocol router.

  • If the delay is small (less than or equal to 10 ms), an X server display is created on the X Manager workstation and all protocol is forwarded directly from the protocol router to this X server display.

  • If the delay is greater than 10 ms, an X server display is created on the X Manager workstation and a headless X server is created with the protocol router. By short circuiting many protocol queries, this configuration reduces the number of round trips and the amount of data that needs to pass over the network to the X server display on your workstation.

  • Reflection X Advantage remeasures latency periodically to detect changing network performance. If a headless X server is running, it will be discarded if the latency drops below 5 ms, and reinstated if latency rises again above 10ms.