ThinClient Benefits
Limesh Parekh
Oct 12
|22:33 PM
Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 December 2009 02:55
- Lower IT administration costs. Thin clients are managed almost entirely at the server. The hardware has fewer points of failure and the client is simpler (and often lacks permanent storage), providing protection from malware.
- Easier to secure. Thin clients can be designed so that no application data ever resides on the client (just whatever is displayed), centralizing malware protection and reducing the risks of physical data theft.
- Enhanced data security. Should a thin-client device suffer serious mishap or industrial accident, no data will be lost, as it resides on the terminal server and not the point-of-operation device.
- Lower hardware costs. Thin client hardware is generally cheaper because it does not contain a disk, application memory, or a powerful processor.
- They also generally have a longer period before requiring an upgrade or becoming obsolete.
- The total hardware requirements for a thin client system (including both servers and clients) are usually much lower compared to a system with fat clients. One reason for this is that the hardware is better utilized. A CPU in a fat workstation is idle most of the time. With thin clients, memory can be shared. If several users are running the same application, it only needs to be loaded into RAM once with a central server. With fat clients, each workstation must have its own copy of the program in memory.
- Less Energy Consumption.
- Dedicated thin client hardware has much lower energy consumption than thick client PCs.
- This not only reduces energy costs but may mean that in some cases air conditioning systems are not required.
- Easier hardware failure management. If a thin client fails, a replacement can simply be swapped in while the client is repaired; the user is not inconvenienced because their data is not on the client.
- Worthless to most thieves. Thin client hardware, whether dedicated or simply older hardware running on Enjay ThinClient Card, is useless outside a client-server environment.
- Hostile Environments. Most thin clients have no moving parts so can be used in dusty environments without the worry of PC fans clogging up and overheating and burning out the PC.
- Less network bandwidth. This is contrary to normal belief - BUT IT IS TRUE
- Since terminal servers typically reside on the same high-speed network backbone as file servers, most network traffic is confined to the Server room.
- In a fat client environment if you open a 10MB document that's 10MB transferred from the file server to your PC. When you save it that's another 10MB from your PC to the server. When you print it the same happens again – another 10MB over the network to your print server and then 10MB onward to the printer. This is highly inefficient.
- In a thin client environment only mouse movements, keystrokes and screen updates are transmitted from/to the end user. This can consume as little as 10-15 kbit/s bandwidth.
- More efficient use of computing resources.
- A typical thick-client will be specified to cope with the maximum load the user needs, which can be inefficient at times when it is not used.
- In contrast, thin clients only use the exact amount of computing resources required by the current task
- Simple hardware upgrade path.
- If the peak resource usage is above a pre-defined limit, it is a relatively simple process to add more resources to server (be it power, processing, storage), boosting resources to exactly the amount required.
- The existing units can continue to serve alongside the new,
- whereas a thick client model requires an entire desktop unit be replaced, resulting in down-time for the user, and the problem of disposing of the old unit.
- Lower noise. The aforementioned removal of fans reduces the noise produced by the unit. This can create a more pleasant and productive working environment.
- Less Wasted Hardware. Computer hardware is very environmentally damaging. Thin clients can remain in service longer and ultimately produce less surplus computer hardware than an equivalent thick client installation.