Lately, I have been doing an incredible amount of research with regards to cloud/thin client computing. It seems to me to be a much more efficient way to host a network environment with many regards. If you do not know what “Cloud Computing” is, the basic concept is to have a server, which houses multiple virtual sessions for client pc’s to connect to. This puts the majority of the workload on the server and requires the client pc’s to perform minimalistic tasks. In fact, what is becoming more popular is the idea of a “Thin Client”. Thin Client’s are small pc’s which have no moving parts, and are tiny in comparison to a regular sized desktop pc. They are significantly cheaper (around $300 to $400) and have just enough ports for a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and network connection. Additionally, rarely do they have local storage, which forces the user to house their data in a central location.
So realistically, how to do they work and do they do the task well? To answer the first question, when a Thin Client pc boots up, there is no standard operating system in the sense of what a normal user would consider (ie. it is not Windows XP, Vista, etc.). Rather, it is either a custom built OS or a flavor of Windows. Upon boot up, these machines connect to a centralized server and spawn a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection. Once this authentication handshake is completed, the user then experiences a standard desktop. It looks no different to the user and the user undergoes no change in their normal day to day. The only difference is what is actually doing the work, which is no longer the user pc, but rather the server which is housing the RDP connection. Every time a user connects to the server, the server creates a virtualized desktop, specific to the user. There are several other ways to connect to a server for a virtual desktop, which include via browser or by application. To answer the second question of do they work well, yes. The number of gains and benefits that are produced by moving to a thin client environment are massive. Data redundancy and disaster recovery are implemented with the flick of a switch. Protection from viruses, malware, etc. is easily implemented and remediated due to how virtual sessions work. Worried about someone breaking into your office and stealing computers? Not any more. Thin clients completely solve this issue because there is nothing stored locally on the pc’s. Finally, if the thin client network is implemented correctly, users would be able to connect to their environment from anywhere, not just within the office. With a browser based thin client, users can boot up their favorite browser and authenticate as usual, and gain their standard desktop they see at work. Only want this functionality for specific people? Not a problem with Windows 2008. Simply place ACL’s on the users that should and shouldn’t have this capability and you’re all set!
Is there anything negative to say about thin clients? Indeed there is, but the list is small. A constant connection to the network is required, given the fact that a server is doing all of the work. This may be a put off for some mobile users, but there are certainly work-around’s if this poses a big issue. Thin Client pc’s also come in laptops, which do have limited local storage, allowing mobile users without a network connection to still be able to conduct business as usual. Additionally, most Thin Client laptops have PCI expansion slots which would allow for the use of a 3g network card, providing a constant connection to a network.
Still have questions? Check out Wyse for more information regarding thin client computing