Thin client

In computer networking, a thin client is a simple (low-performance) computer that has been
optimized for establishing a remote connection with a server-based computing environment.
They are sometimes known as network computers, or in their simplest form as zero clients.
The server does most of the work, which can include launching software programs,
performing calculations, and storing data. This contrasts with a rich client or a conventional
personal computer; the former is also intended for working in a client–server model but has
significant local processing power, while the latter aims to perform its function mostly locally.
[1]

Thin clients connected to their server

via a computer network

A public thin-client computer terminal

inside a public library
 An Aleutia E3 thin client, with flash
memory

Thin clients occur as components of a broader computing infrastructure, where many clients
share their computations with a server or server farm. The server-side infrastructure uses
cloud computing software such as application virtualization, hosted shared desktop (HSD) or
desktop virtualization (VDI). This combination forms what is known as a cloud-based system,
where desktop resources are centralized at one or more data centers. The benefits of
centralization are hardware resource optimization, reduced software maintenance, and
improved security.

Example of hardware resource

optimization: Cabling, bussing and I/O
can be minimized while idle memory
and processing power can be applied
to user sessions that most need it.

Example of reduced software

maintenance: Software patching and
operating system (OS) migrations can
be applied, tested and activated for all
 users in one instance to accelerate roll-
out and improve administrative
efficiency.

Example of improved security:

Software assets are centralized and
easily fire-walled, monitored and
protected. Sensitive data is
uncompromised in cases of desktop
loss or theft.
Thin client hardware generally supports common peripherals, such as keyboards, mice,
monitors, jacks for sound peripherals, and open ports for USB devices (e.g., printer, flash
drive, webcam). Some thin clients include (legacy) serial or parallel ports to support older
devices, such as receipt printers, scales or time clocks. Thin client software typically consists
of a graphical user interface (GUI), cloud access agents (e.g., RDP, ICA, PCoIP), a local web
browser, terminal emulators (in some cases), and a basic set of local utilities.

Characteristics

Architecture
In using cloud-based architecture, the server takes on the processing load of several client
sessions, acting as a host for each endpoint device. The client software is narrowly purposed
and lightweight; therefore, only the host server or server farm needs to be secured, rather
than securing software installed on every endpoint device (although thin clients may still
require basic security and strong authentication to prevent unauthorized access). One of the
combined benefits of using cloud architecture with thin client desktops is that critical IT
assets are centralized for better utilization of resources. Unused memory, bussing lanes, and
processor cores within an individual user session, for example, can be leveraged for other
active user sessions.

The simplicity of thin client hardware and software results in a very low total cost of
ownership, but some of these initial savings can be offset by the need for a more robust
cloud infrastructure required on the server side.

An alternative to traditional server deployment which spreads out infrastructure costs over
time is a cloud-based subscription model known as desktop as a service, which allows IT
organizations to outsource the cloud infrastructure to a third party.

Simplicity

TA7 thin client by Gigabyte

Thin client computing is known to simplify the desktop endpoints by reducing the client-side
software footprint. With a lightweight, read-only operating system (OS), client-side setup and
administration is greatly reduced. Cloud access is the primary role of a thin client which
eliminates the need for a large suite of local user applications, data storage, and utilities. This
architecture shifts most of the software execution burden from the endpoint to the data
center. User assets are centralized for greater visibility. Data recovery and desktop
repurposing tasks are also centralized for faster service and greater scalability.

Hardware
While the server must be robust enough to handle several client sessions at once, thin client
hardware requirements are minimal compared to that of a traditional PC laptop or desktop.
Most thin clients have low-energy processors, flash storage, memory, and no moving parts.
This reduces the cost and power consumption, making them affordable to own and easy to
replace or deploy. Numerous thin clients also use Raspberry Pis.[2] Since thin clients consist
of fewer hardware components than a traditional desktop PC, they can operate in more
hostile environments. And because they typically don't store critical data locally, risk of theft
is minimized because there is little or no user data to be compromised.

Graphics
Modern thin clients have come a long way to meet the demands of today's graphical
computing needs. New generations of low energy chipset and CPU (Central Processing Unit)
combinations improve processing power and graphical capabilities. To minimize latency of
high resolution video sent across the network, some host software stacks leverage
multimedia redirection (MMR) techniques to offload video rendering to the desktop device.
Video codecs are often embedded on the thin client to support these various multimedia
formats. Other host software stacks makes use of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) in order to
accelerate fast changing pixel updates required by modern video content. Thin clients
typically support local software agents capable of accepting and decoding UDP.

Some of the more graphically intense use cases remain a challenge for thin clients. These
use cases might include applications like photo editors, 3D drawing programs, and animation
tools. This can be addressed at the host server using dedicated GPU cards, allocation of
vGPUs (virtual GPU), workstation cards, and hardware acceleration cards. These solutions
allow IT administrators to provide power-user performance where it is needed to a relatively
generic endpoint device such as a thin client.

Limitations
To achieve such simplicity, thin clients sometimes lag behind desktop PCs in terms of
extensibility. For example, if a local software utility or set of device drivers are needed in order
to support a locally attached peripheral device (e.g. printer, scanner, biometric security
device), the thin client operating system may lack the resources needed to fully integrate the
required dependencies (although dependencies can sometimes be added if they can be
identified). Modern thin clients address this limitation via port mapping or USB redirection
software. However, these methods cannot address all scenarios. Therefore, it is good
practice to perform validation tests of locally attached peripherals in advance to ensure
compatibility. Further, in large distributed desktop environments, printers are often networked,
negating the need for device drivers on every desktop.

While running local productivity applications goes beyond the normal scope of a thin client, it
is sometimes needed in rare use cases. License restrictions that apply to thin clients can
sometimes prevent them from supporting these applications. Local storage constraints may
also limit the space required to install large applications or application suites.

It is also important to acknowledge that network bandwidth and performance is more critical
in any type of cloud-based computing model. IT organizations must ensure that their network
can accommodate the number of users that they need to serve. If demand for bandwidth
exceeds network limits, it could result in a major loss of end user productivity.

A similar risk exists inside the data center. Servers must be sized correctly in order to deliver
adequate performance to end users. In a cloud-based computing model, the servers can also
represent a single point of failure risk. If a server fails, end users lose access to all of the
resources supported by that server. This risk can be mitigated by building redundancies, fail-
over processes, backups, and load balancing utilities into the system. Redundancy provides
reliable host availability but it can add cost to smaller user populations that lack scale.
Providers
Popular providers of thin clients include Chip PC (https://www.chippc.com/) Technologies,
Dell (acquired Wyse Technology in 2012), HP, ClearCube, IGEL Technology, LG, NComputing,
Stratodesk (https://www.stratodesk.com/) , Samsung Electronics, and ZeeTim (https://ww
w.zeetim.com/) .

History

A connected Samsung Chromebox as

seen from above

Thin clients have their roots in multi-user systems, traditionally mainframes accessed by
some sort of computer terminal. As computer graphics matured, these terminals transitioned
from providing a command-line interface to a full graphical user interface, as is common on
modern advanced thin clients. The prototypical multi-user environment along these lines,
Unix, began to support fully graphical X terminals, i.e., devices running display server
software, from about 1984. X terminals remained relatively popular even after the arrival of
other thin clients in the mid-late 1990s. Modern Unix derivatives like BSD and Linux continue
the tradition of the multi-user, remote display/input session. Typically, X software is not made
available on non-X-based thin clients, although no technical reason for this exclusion would
prevent it.
Windows NT became capable of multi-user operations primarily through the efforts of Citrix
Systems, which repackaged Windows NT 3.51 as the multi-user operating system WinFrame
in 1995, launched in coordination with Wyse Technology's Winterm thin client. Microsoft
licensed this technology back from Citrix and implemented it into Windows NT 4.0 Terminal
Server Edition, under a project codenamed "Hydra". Windows NT then became the basis of
Windows 2000 and Windows XP. As of 2011, Microsoft Windows systems support graphical
terminals via the Remote Desktop Services component. The Wyse Winterm was the first
Windows-display-focused thin client (AKA Windows Terminal) to access this environment.

The term thin client was coined in 1993[3] by Tim Negris, VP of Server Marketing at Oracle
Corporation, while working with company founder Larry Ellison on the launch of Oracle 7. At
the time, Oracle wished to differentiate their server-oriented software from Microsoft's
desktop-oriented products. Ellison subsequently popularized Negris' buzzword with frequent
use in his speeches and interviews about Oracle products. Ellison would go on to be a
founding board member of thin client maker Network Computer, Inc (NCI), later renamed
Liberate.[4]

Size comparison – traditional desktop

PC vs Clientron U700

The term stuck for several reasons. The earlier term "graphical terminal" had been chosen to
distinguish such terminals from text-based terminals, and thus put the emphasis heavily on
graphics – which became obsolete as a distinguishing characteristic in the 1990s as text-only
physical terminals themselves became obsolete, and text-only computer systems (a few of
which existed in the 1980s) were no longer manufactured. The term "thin client" also conveys
better what was then viewed as the fundamental difference: thin clients can be designed with
less expensive hardware, because they have reduced computational workloads.

By the 2010s, thin clients were not the only desktop devices for general purpose computing
that were "thin" – in the sense of having a small form factor and being relatively inexpensive.
The nettop form factor for desktop PCs was introduced, and nettops could run full feature
Windows or Linux; tablets, tablet-laptop hybrids had also entered the market. However, while
there was now little size difference, thin clients retained some key advantages over these
competitors, such as not needing a local drive. However, "thin client" can be a misnomer for
slim form-factor computers using flash memory such as compactflash, SD card, or
permanent flash memory as a hard disk substitute. In 2013, a Citrix employee experimented
with a Raspberry Pi as a thin client.[5] [6] Since then, several manufacturers have introduced
their version of Raspberry Pi thin clients.[2]

See also

Other client types

Dumb terminal: Like thin clients, but

have zero local processing power and
support no peripherals

Rich client: Have ample local

processing power, although they are
heavily network-dependent

Diskless node: It has no local storage

(e.g. no hard disk drives) but may have
 anything else that a full workstation
has

Related concepts

Centralized computing

Desktop virtualization

Multiseat configuration

Time-sharing

Others

AOL TV

Blade PC

Sun Ray

Network Computer: a diskless desktop

computer device made by the Oracle
Corporation from about 1996 to 2000
References

1. Bengfort; Jacquelyn. "Thin vs. Thick vs.

Zero Client: What's the Right Fit for Your
Business?" (https://biztechmagazine.co
m/article/2018/10/thin-vs-thick-vs-zero-cl
ient-whats-right-fit-your-business-perfco
n) . Technology Solutions That Drive
Business. Retrieved 2021-10-10.

2. Brown, Eric (26 May 2017). "Thin Client

Market Embraces Raspberry Pi" (https://w
ww.linux.com/news/thin-client-market-em
braces-raspberry-pi/) . Linux.com.
Retrieved 25 July 2022.

3. (thin client term was coined 1993)

Richard Waters (June 2, 2009). "Is this,
finally, the thin" (https://ghostarchive.org/
archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/co
 ntent/dc70f841-54b7-3ef1-abf0-d6f32b27
0f76) . Archived from the original (https://
www.ft.com/content/dc70f841-54b7-3ef1
-abf0-d6f32b270f76) on 2022-12-10.

4. "Liberate Technologies: Taking Strange to

New Levels" (https://nerdtwilight.wordpre
ss.com/2009/09/17/liberate-technologies
-taking-strange-to-new-levels/) . 17
September 2009.

5. Dawood, Muhammad. "Citrix Receiver on

Raspberry Pi delivering 1080p
XenDesktop 7.1 experience" (https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=8ns5fJuQUH4) .
Youtube.com.

6. Dawood, Muhammad (8 July 2019). "How

good is the new Raspberry Pi 4 as a thin
client?" (https://www.citrix.com/blogs/20
 19/07/08/how-good-is-the-new-raspberry-
pi-4-as-a-thin-client/) . Citrix.com.

Wikimedia Commons has media

related to Thin clients.

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Thin_client&oldid=1192399941"

This page was last edited on 29 December 2023,

at 03:45 (UTC). •
Content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless
otherwise noted.