Hi Sergio,
That is a really good reply by Arijit...
I just wanted to throw a few facts and figures that would help you make a more informed decision.
Advantages of using TS vs a Direct Link.
1. A TS session consumes a lot less bandwidth.. on an average I think a ts session takes 25-30 kbps (for a reasonably responsive session), where a direct ax links eats up 65 – 80 kbps. Also latency has a much worse impact on a direct ax link, compared to a TS.. Generally speaking latency below 50ms is fairly acceptable (Note: MS recommend less than 5ms and a 100mbsp line).
2. I personally find TS’s a lot easier to maintain..... Easier to apply service packs/hot fixes. can control user sessions, etc
Disadvantages of using TS Vs Direct Link.
1. Domain Rules... usually data centres host the servers on different domain from the site (or the computer the user is actually using)... this isnt normally a problem.. but If your network rules aren’t setup right, then resource sharing (printers, scanners, etc) might become an issue... something to keep an eye out for....
2. Actually on that note... be a extra bit carefully with printers....It’s better to have a dedicated print server that speaks directly to the terminal server...rather than carrying printers over user sessions.
3. Study the impact of other software on the TS (specifically Office)...not only does this have a cost implication (office licenses, etc).. but also has an impact on performance..... the AX client requires around 90-120 mb of ram... add the memory consumption of the other applications running on the TS and then multiply by the total number of users... this can be a fairly large number....on an average you should not have more than 30 users per ts.
4. Pst files are a completely different ball game.... if you not using crm (for contact/task/appointment) sych with outlook, then I would not recommend installing outlook on the terminal server.... you should be able to mail out standard reports as long as your connected to a working smtp.. look in to
http://dynamic-ax.co.uk/DynamicsAXEmailWithoutOutlook.aspx
Just because I have more point listed under the disadvantage section, dont not necessarily mean that TS is a bad option.... I would resonate Arijit’s words... its much better to have a direct link between all ax components... however, if your network can’t support this, then TS is a viable option.
Hope this help... please let us know if you have any more questions.
Regards,
Mohammed Rasheed
www.dynamic-ax.co.uk