A thin client is an aesthetically small PC used as an access point for server-based computing. It has
fewer parts and requires fewer components to run; hence, it has numerous cost
efficiency advantages. The benefits are remarkable, but still, we must also
look into their disadvantages.
· How does it Fare in the Work
Environment?
Thin client computing fits into different types of work
environment, since they do not need to be in the same place as their server.
The setup presents mostly practical benefits. "Clients" can be taken
into the harshest of workplaces like dusty desert camps and can be deployed
even after the occurrence of a natural disaster.
These are also perfect for workplaces where space is a big issue.
As a slim PC, it has an inherent space-conserving attribute since it comes in
one piece with only the monitor showing while the unit is hidden behind it.
Some even mount on walls with only the peripherals and the monitor exposed.
Even in work environments with very little budget room to
run air conditioning, systems can be expected to gain from the benefits. The
absence of dynamic or moving parts to serve one’s computing purpose entails
less generation of heat. This is mainly because these PCs make use
of solid-state devices like flash drives instead of hard drives.
However ideal this server-based computing may all seem, there are
notable disadvantages that concern costs and performance abilities. Below is a
rundown of its advantages and disadvantages that one should weigh before
deciding to use thin computing in a business organization.
· The Advantages:
1) Lower Operational Costs - An office
environment where several workstations are involved can access a single server
unit, thereby reducing the operational costs covering these related actions:
· Setting up the device takes less than ten minutes to accomplish.
· The lifespan of a "client" unit is very long since
there are no moving parts inside. The only parts that need constant replacements
are the peripherals that are external to the PC. This means that when something
breaks at the "client’s" end, it can be as easy as taking a
replacement unit to replace the broken one. Even wear and tear are considerably
unnoticeable.
· Energy efficiency - A slim unit is said to consume 20W to 40W as
opposed to the regular thick PC, where power consumption during operation mode
consumes 60W to 110W. Besides, the thin PCs need little or no air conditioning
at all, which literally means less operating costs. Whatever air conditioning
needed is demanded and supplied at the server area.
· Work efficiency - Its work environment can be far-reaching and
extensive; as it can provide quick access to remotely located workers
simultaneously operating on server-based computing.
2) Superior Security – Since users
will only have access to the server by network connections, security measures
like different access levels for different users can be implemented. That way,
users with lower access levels will not be able to see, know, or in worst-case
scenarios, hack into the confidential files and applications of the entire
organization. They are all secured at the server’s end, which is also a way of
securing data files in the event of natural disasters. The servers will be the
only machines that need to survive the disaster as the main location of all the
saved data. Immediately after the disaster, new "clients" can easily
be connected to the server, for as long as the latter remains intact.
3) Lower Malware Infection Risks – There is a
very slim chance of getting malware on the server from a thin client because
inputs to the server only come from the keyboard, mouse actions, and screen
images. The PCs get their software or programs from the server itself; hence,
patches, software updates, and virus scanning applications are being
implemented only on the server's end. It follows that the servers will be the
ones to process information and store the information afterward.
4) Highly Reliable – Business
organizations can expect continuous service for longer durations since thin
clients can have a lifespan of more than five years. In as much as these units
are built as solid-state devices, there is less impact from wear and tear
through constant use.
· The Disadvantages:
a) "Client" Organizations are Subject to Limitations – Since the slim units do most of their processing at the
server, there will be setups where rich media access will be disabled. Some of
these concerns are the result of poor performance when simultaneous access to
multimedia in this PC is taking place. Heavy and resource-hungry applications
like Flash animations and video streaming can slow the performance of both the
server and the "client". Incorporate organizations where video
conferencing and webinars are often carried out, presentation of materials
and web-cam/video communications can be adversely affected.
b) Requires Superior Network Connection – Using a network that has latency or network lag issues can
greatly affect the "clients". It can even mean rendering the units
unusable because the processing will not be fluently transmitted by the server.
Such cases make the slim PC very hard to use because the server's response will
affect both the visual and the processing performance of the "client".
In some workplace setups, even printing tasks have been observed to hog
bandwidth, thus, affecting the work going on in other units.
c) Cost Intensive Work Environment – For any plans of converting a regular work station into a thin client work environment, performing comparative
cost analysis is strongly advised. Thin setups have been noted to
be cost-efficient only if employed on a large-scale basis. Comparison of
regular workstations using the same number of regular PC units should be made
versus a work environment setup that makes use of a dedicated server and the
same number of slim PCs.
In some cases, the cost of installing the server itself is already
far more expensive than all the regular workstations combined. This is aside
from the fact that a slim unit can cost as much as a fully-equipped PC.
Nevertheless, some argue that the benefits derived, as far as cost and
maintenance efficiency are concerned, will eventually offset the initial costs.
As a capitalized investment, the costs can be spread out for at least three
years.
Still, the expensiveness of the fees covering different licenses,
which include software for every station, Client Access Licenses (CAL) for
clients and servers, as well as tracking and managing licenses, will tie-up a
substantial amount of business funds and may take too long to recover.
Thus, smaller business organizations are advised to carefully consider
such costs before venturing into server-based thin computing.
d) Single Point of Failure Affects All – If the server goes down, every thin client connected to it
becomes barely usable. In any event that the server becomes inaccessible, the
work processes being handled by all "clients" will come to a
standstill and thus, adversely affect business-hour productivity.
· Environmental Impact
Environmentally wise, the advantages of thin client computing
bring positive benefits in the following ways:
· Less heat generated means less carbon impact.
· Less electronic waste outputs, since there are fewer parts to
replace.
· Less complexity involved in slim
PC manufacture cuts down costs from the point of production at the
supplier’s chain. The related costs of transport from manufacturer to
distributors and retailers present less volume due to the PC's compact
dimension which is only a fifth of a regular PC. This then equates to lower
numbers in transport requirements.
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