8-way Systems Enable Enterprise Applications
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Windows NT/2000UNIX
hp-ux
hp-ux
MAC OS
Terminal
Servers
Thin
Clients
Tier
Two
Servers
transport
PC
Clients
Tier
One
Clients
Data Management
Business Logic
Presentation
transport
Device Management
Terminal
Servers
Windows 95/98
linux
linux
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A thin client is basically a simplified desktop device that provides reliable and fast access to
networked resources. Thin clients have no local hard drive, no local storage and do not
require a large or complicated desktop operating system to function. Thin clients rely on the
speed and availability of the server infrastructure to deliver maximum computing
performance to users. For example, HP Entria thin-clients offer out-of-the-box connectivity
and HP's award-winning industry-standard manageability. Add to that legendary HP quality
and reliability, and you have great value in a thin-client computing solution.
In Figure 3 above, the central or terminal server is often referred to in industry jargon as a
“Fat Server” set up to serve “Thin Clients”. The server, unlike a central server in a typical
ERP environment, must also provide the processing power to construct and update the
graphical user interface.
Thin clients address the need for an extremely reliable, secure and compact desktop
device that offers the familiarity of a windows-type graphical user interface. Thin Clients are
often deployed in situations where the users access one or a few specific applications. With
no hard disk to fill or fail, and with application access centrally controlled, this type of
computing fills many needs once the realm of “dumb” terminals or legacy PCs.
The demand for thin client computers and servers to serve them is expected to develop
rapidly, with growth for both devices expected to exceed 10% per year.
Thin client computing has two primary server resource requirements: CPU processing
power and memory capacity. The capacity of a server to support a given number of clients
depends directly on both these resources to maintain adequate service levels. If either
resource is exhausted, user response time will degrade severely in the case of memory
exhaustion and gradually in the case of CPU.