Windows Thin Client Design Template (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)
1/6/2010
The Windows Thin Client design template provides a starting point to help you design Windows Embedded CE powered thin clients.
Overview
A Windows Embedded CE powered thin client is a Remote Desktop client computer that connects to a server that is running Terminal Services in order to run programs, save files, and use network resources on that server. Enterprise environments frequently use these devices to improve operating efficiency and reduce the overall cost of ownership.
The following list shows some technologies that a thin client includes:
- Device hardware that runs the Windows Embedded CE operating system and a resource-constrained shell
- Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client
- Optional third-party emulators and presentation protocols
- Optional Internet Explorer 6 browser
For more information about how to develop a thin client, see Developing a Thin Client.
Security Issues
For more information about how to make a Windows Thin Client OS design more secure, see the following topics:
- Authentication Services Security
- Cryptography Security
- Internet Explorer Embedded Security
- RDP Security
- SNMP Security
- Windows Messenger Security
Windows Thin Client Catalog Items
The Windows Thin Client design template is located in the Thin Client category in the Windows Embedded CE OS Design Wizard.
By default, when you use the Windows Embedded CE OS Design Wizard to create an OS design from the Windows Thin Client design template, Platform Builder includes a specific set of Catalog items in the OS design.
After you complete the Windows Embedded CE OS Design Wizard, you can add other Catalog items to your OS design. You may decide to add Catalog items that are not available in the original design template to meet special needs of your enterprise environment or to provide product differentiation. For more information, see Adding an Item from the Catalog.
By default, a thin client uses the Thin Client Shell and provides a default connection to a Windows Terminal Server. When this default connection is used, the shell prompts the user for a server name for the connection. You can change this default behavior by changing the default selections in the Windows Embedded CE OS Design Wizard. For more information, see Changing the Shell Startup Behavior in Thin Client.
Included Catalog Items
The following table shows the Catalog items included in the Windows Thin Client design template by using the Windows Embedded CE OS Design Wizard.
Default Catalog items that are included in the design template do not appear in the wizard. Recommended Catalog items appear as selected in the wizard. You can remove these default recommendations by clearing the associated check boxes in the wizard, if it is necessary.
Note
The following table shows the Catalog items in the order that they appear in the Catalog Items View.
Note
SYSGEN_RDP brings in the core technologies that are required to support the RDP protocol. SYSGEN_WBTSHELL adds the basic shell capabilities for a thin client.
Applications - End User
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP |
X |
|
Audio Playback Redirection |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_AUDIO |
|
X |
Cut/Copy/Paste Clipboard Redirection |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_CLIPBOARD |
|
X |
File Storage Redirection |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_DRIVE |
|
X |
Filtered File Storage Redirection |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_FILTERFSD |
|
X |
License Information |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_LICINFO |
|
X |
Printer Redirection |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_PRINTER |
|
X |
Serial and Parallel Port Redirection |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_PORT |
|
X |
Smart Card Redirection |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_SMARTCARD .gif "Ee482409.note(en-US,WinEmbedded.60).gif") Note:
If you use Smart Card redirection, the OS design must contain at least one Smart Card driver. For more information, see Device Drivers\Smart Card.
|
|
X |
User Interface Dialog Boxes |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications - End User\Remote Desktop Connection |
SYSGEN_RDP_UI |
|
X |
Applications and Services Development
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.NET Compact Framework 2.0 |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\.NET Compact Framework 2.0 |
SYSGEN_DOTNETV2 |
|
X |
OS Dependencies for .NET Framework 2.0 |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\.NET Compact Framework 2.0 |
SYSGEN_DOTNETV2_SUPPORT |
|
X |
Active Template Library |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development |
SYSGEN_ATL |
X |
|
C++ Runtime Support for Exception Handling and Runtime Type Information |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\C Libraries and Runtimes |
SYSGEN_CPP_EH_AND_RTTI |
|
X |
Full C Runtime |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\C Libraries and Runtimes |
SYSGEN_FULL_CRT |
X |
|
Standard I/O (STDIO) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\C Libraries and Runtimes |
SYSGEN_STDIO |
X |
|
Standard I/O ASCII (STDIOA) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\C Libraries and Runtimes |
SYSGEN_STDIOA |
X |
|
Standard String Functions - ASCII (corestra) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\C Libraries and Runtimes |
SYSGEN_CORESTRA |
X |
|
COM |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\Component Services (COM and DCOM)\Component Object Model |
SYSGEN_OLE |
|
|
DCOM |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\Component Services (COM and DCOM)\Component Object Model |
SYSGEN_DCOM |
X |
|
String Safe Utility Functions |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development |
SYSGEN_STRSAFE |
X |
|
XML Core Services and Document Object Model (DOM) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\XML\MSXML 3.0 |
SYSGEN_MSXML_DOM |
|
X |
XML Query Languages (XQL) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Applications and Services Development\XML\MSXML 3.0 |
SYSGEN_MSXML_XQL |
|
X |
Communication Services and Networking
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Network Driver Architecture (NDIS) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Communication Services and Networking\Networking - General |
SYSGEN_NDIS |
X |
|
TCP/IP |
Core OS\CEBASE\Communication Services and Networking\Networking - General |
SYSGEN_TCPIP |
X |
|
IP Helper API |
Core OS\CEBASE\Communication Services and Networking\Networking - General |
SYSGEN_IPHLPAPI |
X |
|
Winsock Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Communication Services and Networking\Networking - General |
SYSGEN_WINSOCK |
X |
|
Wired Local Area Network (802.3, 802.5) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Communication Services and Networking\Networking - Local Area Network (LAN) |
SYSGEN_ETHERNET |
|
X |
Core Server Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Communication Services and Networking\Servers |
SYSGEN_SERVICES |
X |
|
SNTP Client with DST |
Core OS\CEBASE\Communication Services and Networking\Servers\Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) |
SYSGEN_TIMESVC_DST |
X |
|
Core OS Services
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Toolhelp API |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services\Debugging Tools |
SYSGEN_TOOLHELP |
X |
|
Device Manager |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_DEVICE |
X |
|
Display Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_DISPLAY |
X |
|
Internet Appliance (IABASE) Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_IABASE |
X |
|
FormatMessage API |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services\Kernel Functionality |
SYSGEN_FMTMSG |
X |
|
Memory Mapped Files |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services\Kernel Functionality |
SYSGEN_NKMAPFILE |
X |
|
Message Queue - Point-to-Point |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services\Kernel Functionality |
SYSGEN_MSGQUEUE |
X |
|
Target Control Support (Shell.exe) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services\Kernel Functionality |
SYSGEN_SHELL |
X |
|
UI-based Notification |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services\Notification |
SYSGEN_NOTIFY |
X |
|
Notification LED Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_NLED |
X |
|
Parallel Port Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_PARALLEL |
|
X |
Power Management (Full) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services\Power Management |
SYSGEN_PM |
X |
|
Serial Port Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_SERDEV |
X |
|
UI Proxy for Kernel-Mode Drivers |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_UIPROXY |
X |
|
Windows Embedded CE Driver Development Kit Support Library |
Core OS\CEBASE\Core OS Services |
SYSGEN_CEDDK |
X |
|
File Systems and Data Store
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Compression |
Core OS\CEBASE\File Systems and Data Store |
SYSGEN_NKCOMPR |
X |
|
CEBD Database Engine |
Core OS\CEBASE\File Systems and Data Store\Database Support |
SYSGEN_FSDBASE |
X |
|
Storage Manager |
Core OS\CEBASE\File Systems and Data Store |
SYSGEN_STOREMGR |
X |
|
Release Directory File System |
Core OS\CEBASE\File Systems and Data Store |
SYSGEN_RELFSD |
X |
|
System Password |
Core OS\CEBASE\File Systems and Data Store |
SYSGEN_STOREMGR |
X |
|
Fonts
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tahoma (Subset 1_07) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Fonts\Tahoma |
SYSGEN_FONTS_TAHOMA_1_07 |
X |
|
Graphics and Multimedia Technologies
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Waveform Audio |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Audio |
SYSGEN_AUDIO |
|
X |
Gradient Fill Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics |
SYSGEN_GRADFILL |
X |
|
Still Image Codec Support (Encode and Decode) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics |
SYSGEN_IMAGING |
|
X |
BMP Decoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Decoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_BMP_DECODE |
|
X |
GIF Decoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Decoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_GIF_DECODE |
|
X |
JPG Decoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Decoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_JPG_DECODE |
|
X |
PNG Decoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Decoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_PNG_DECODE |
|
X |
BMP Encoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Encoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_BMP_ENCODE |
|
X |
GIF Encoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Encoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_GIF_ENCODE |
|
X |
JPG Encoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Encoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_JPG_ENCODE |
|
X |
PNG Encoder |
Core OS\CEBASE\Graphics and Multimedia Technologies\Graphics\Still Image Encoders |
SYSGEN_IMAGING_PNG_ENCODE |
|
X |
International
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Input Method Manager (IMM) |
Core OS\CEBASE\International |
SYSGEN_IMM |
X |
|
English (US) National Language Support only |
Core OS\CEBASE\International |
SYSGEN_LOCUSA |
X |
|
National Language Support (NLS) |
Core OS\CEBASE\International |
SYSGEN_CORELOC |
|
X |
Internet Client Services
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows Internet Services |
Core OS\CEBASE\Internet Client Services\Internet Explorer 6.0 for Windows Embedded CE Components |
SYSGEN_WININET |
|
X |
Security
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Authentication Services (SSPI) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Security |
SYSGEN_AUTH |
|
X |
Schannel (SSL/TLS) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Security |
SYSGEN_AUTH_SCHANNEL |
|
X |
Credential Manager |
Core OS\CEBASE\Security |
SYSGEN_CREDMAN |
|
X |
Cryptography Services (CryptoAPI 1.0) with High Encryption Provider |
Core OS\CEBASE\Security |
SYSGEN_CRYPTO |
X |
|
Certificates (CryptoAPI 2.0) |
Core OS\CEBASE\Security |
SYSGEN_CERTS |
|
X |
Shell and User Interface
| Catalog item | Catalog item location | Sysgen variable | Included by default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Minimal GDI Configuration |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\Graphics, Windowing and Events |
SYSGEN_MINGDI |
X |
|
Minimal GWES Configuration |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\Graphics, Windowing and Events |
SYSGEN_MINGDI |
X |
|
Minimal Input Configuration |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\Graphics, Windowing and Events |
SYSGEN_MININPUT |
X |
|
Minimal Window Manager Configuration |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\Graphics, Windowing and Events |
SYSGEN_MINWMGR |
X |
|
Windows Thin Client Shell |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\Shell |
SYSGEN_WBTSHELL |
X |
|
Common Control |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\User Interface\Common Controls |
SYSGEN_COMMCTRL |
X |
|
Common Dialog Support |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\User Interface |
SYSGEN_COMMDLG |
X |
|
Control Panel Applets |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\User Interface |
SYSGEN_CTLPNL |
X |
|
Mouse |
Core OS\CEBASE\Shell and User Interface\User Interface |
SYSGEN_CURSOR |
X |
|
See Also
Tasks
Creating an OS Design with the Windows Embedded CE OS Design Wizard
Concepts
Design Template Selection
Catalog Item Icon Types
Estimated Run-Time Image Sizes for OS Designs
Other Resources
Catalog Overview
Thin Client Architecture
How to Develop a Thin Client