run an excel file remotely

[guru]

Hi all

i got an excel application that generates reports from
underlying pivot tables.

the reports are generated using excel 2003. but most of
the clients donot have licenses for 2003 and some of the
features of 2003 cannot be used when the file is opened
from the client system. for example GETPIVOTDATA is not
very flexible as it was in 2003 version.

So is it possible to run the excel application from the
server without being copied to the client system. This
also helps in maintaing single version of the excel file
rather than multiple versions on each client system.

Thanks in advance

Guru

 

[Harlan Grove]

So is it possible to run the excel application from the
server without being copied to the client system. This
also helps in maintaing single version of the excel file
rather than multiple versions on each client system.

....

This may be possible with Terminal Server and a sufficient number of Excel
2003 licenses, but I don't believe it'd work otherwise. Likely cheaper to
upgrade your client systems.

 

[Frank Kabel]

...

This may be possible with Terminal Server and a sufficient number of
Excel 2003 licenses, but I don't believe it'd work otherwise. Likely
cheaper to upgrade your client systems.

In addition to Harlan's answer:
'Typical' installation with 10.000 clients:
- Windows Terminal Server farms
- Citrix Metaframe on top
- Citrix Metaframe on all clients
- Novell Netware
- 'Net' PCs or normal PCs as clients

This reduces (in theroy) the maintenacce effort for your applications
(TOC should be lower) BUT you need sufficient licenses for ALL users.
After the initial 'chaos' this solution works IMHO quite well - though
I don't think it's that much cheaper