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Thin Client Computing

really a sensible way to run a business?

Increasing IT system flexibility, reliability and robustness with externally hosted servers ...

Thin Client Computing with Externally Hosted Servers

There is growing interest in swapping to thin clients with externally hosted servers to deploy commercial IT systems.  Backers of this approach say that it works in a more secure and cost efficient way.  But this follows decades of ‘beefing up’ the PC on everyone’s desk with more and more processor power, disk and RAM.  So why is hosted thin client computing gaining such interest now when the cost of ‘beefy’ PCs continues to fall?

A PC on every desk

Commercial application software can be broken down into three basic components that need to work in synchronised harmony – logic, data and human interaction.

The move to a PC on every desk over the last 20 years has been driven by the desire to have all three components as close to the user as possible.  This allowed application developers to deliver better performance and user independence when compared to the previous computing model of mainframes and minis.  It also made radical differences to the way that applications could interact with humans through compelling graphical interfaces, mice, touch-screens and so on.

With the advent of more stable technologies at faster speeds for both Local and Wide Area Networking, PC applications are able to share data amongst large communities and often rely on central data servers being available.  But even today the main logic and human interactions are still replicated on each PC.

The reason for this has been a trade-off between the volume of data that would need to be transferred across a network and the performance that could be achieved. 

Sharing application data involves transferring relatively small amounts of information, perhaps an SQL query being sent to a server and a customer record being returned.  However sending all of the application logic across the network followed by all of the graphical display data for every application screen as well as the data has been a step too far (after all, it was the desire to send improved screen graphics that ‘did for’ mainframe computing in the first place!).

What has changed?

In the last few years the performance of the network connections available to even small businesses in the UK has dramatically improved.  Reliable broadband connection speeds of 4Mbps are common, with 8Mbps being achieved in many cities.  Plans are afoot by service providers to ramp these up to 100Mbps or even 1Gbps over the next 5-10 years.  And the price has plummeted.

Couple this with the increasing performance and reliability of data centre hosted server hardware and suddenly the idea of the network as the bottleneck for alternatives to the PC goes away.

This means that organisations, including very small ones, can re-think how they fund and manage their IT systems.  It also means that the mobility spin-off advantage of using internet-connected servers becomes available to companies without the previously high cost of VPNs or specific hardware.

But why turn the clock back?

We are all used to working with PC or Macs.  In fact many staff will only have known PCs as the way of using computers.  In this context, the idea of changing a well established approach just because networks are cheaper and faster might seem unnecessary.  But when you look at the advantages that a thin client approach would deliver you might take a different view.

Let’s start though by defining what is meant by thin client computing.  In the thin client model the vast majority of the application logic, data and human interface is stored and delivered by central servers.  The client itself, that is the device on the desk, is intelligent but has little independence.

The secret to it’s viability is the capability of the environment to selectively download logic and data to the client so that it balances the need for user-level performance with security and reliability.
The advantages of the thin client approach are remarkably similar to those of ‘mainframe computing of old’:

• Reduced cost of desktop hardware – whilst being intelligent, thin client devices do not need ‘top of the range’ processor power or increasingly large amounts of RAM as processing is shared with the servers.  Also they don’t need local disk storage or data import/export peripherals as data is delivered via the network.  This not only reduces the purchase cost but also extends the device’s service life (as does having no ‘moving parts’ to fail).
• Ability to use other computing devices – the thin client approach applies equally well to portable computing devices as it does desktop ones.  This means that PDAs, mobile phones and other hand held devices can be brought into the corporate systems footprint at much lower cost than previously.
• Graceful migration – existing PCs and Macs are able to act as thin client devices (albeit over provisioned).  This means that an organisation can gain the benefits of thin client computing without needing to replace all of its desktop hardware at one time.  PCs can be swapped to thin client devices at a pace and priority that matches the organisation’s needs.
• Reduced desktop maintenance burden – the thin client hardware is less likely to develop faults as it typically has fewer physical components.  Also as the software is downloaded on an ‘as it is used’ basis there’s no need for complex version upgrades to be managed, nor is there the risk of the application mix causing configuration clashes (that there is when staff can install their ‘own’ software).  And should a device become faulty it can be simply swapped out without the need for reconfiguration, thus downtime is minimised.
• Centrally managed security – even in small organisations, security of data is a concern.  Having data locally stored on PCs amplifies that concern as the company can never be 100% sure what data is where and how well it is being protected.  Adding the capability of PC users to export data onto CDs or USB memory makes this a serious issue.  Finally, internet-connected PCs that aren’t ‘locked down’ in terms of system protection and user processes offer a route to malicious attacks.  The thin client approach of centrally managed servers negates many of these security risks as the desktop device user simply cannot store or export data.  However, the risk of user processes not being followed does remain, but can be better enforced with centrally managed services.
• Data protection – in a thin client environment all business data is stored centrally, thus is can be identified and professionally backed-up.  Audit trails can be kept where needed and used to intelligently restore vital information should it be required.
• Disaster survival – because all of the organisation’s applications and data are centrally stored (and backed-up), it is much easier to survive a physical disaster - either at the place of work (just reconnect working thin client devices) or at the data centre (just restore all data to new servers in another location).  Provisioning mirrored central servers in different data centre locations would even allow continuous operation through a single data centre disaster.
• Software licence management – having too few, or indeed too many, software licences for the user community is a risk that thin client computing negates.  User counts are centrally managed and reported as needed.  As new versions of software are adopted, they are automatically ‘distributed’ to all users whenever used.
• Professionally managed external servers – the management of the central servers can be outsourced to professional organisations, such as RapidHost.  This reduces the need of an organisation to have its own IT staff focused on keeping the system going along with the increasing breadth of skills needed to do that.  Instead, IT staff can be deployed to improve that way that the organisation uses its systems or their cost can be allocated elsewhere.  The hosting provider will be working to pre-agreed Service Levels which are easily monitored and may well include standby hardware as well as periodic upgrades within their multi-year pricing model.  This will result in a level of predictability for IT system performance that has not been previously attainable.
• Mobility for users – a spin-off of the thin client approach is that users are potentially able to access their business applications from any suitable internet connected device.  This is entirely controllable at the discretion of the organisation but can facilitate greater productivity from staff who are naturally mobile within their job role or simply want to work from home.  Security will not be compromised when the systems are configured and monitored professionally.

Aren’t you just moving the cost around?

Moving to a thin client approach does mean changing the role and importance of the central servers.  On the surface it might seem that the savings made at the desktop would be consumed in hosting fees and thus thin client might not end up cheaper - or could even be more expensive.

With the thin client approach there are a range of cost-saving opportunities available – some or all of which will apply depending upon each situation – but it is not possible to generalise over whether it will always be ‘cheaper’ or not.  However, the most valuable areas of benefit to an organisation may not always be related to cost reduction, so any changes in the cost profile need to be put into that overall context.
Specific areas where a move to thin client with hosted central servers could be a cost saving to an organisation include:

• Reduced software licensing costs – software can be metered for licence use so that you only pay for the correct level of usage.  Also, the hosting service provider will have the ability to ‘bulk’ purchase software licenses for many clients and can offer cost reductions.
• Reduced hardware costs – the desktop hardware can work out at a much lower cost than a ‘traditional’ PC as it has a lower technical specification (no disks, no CD/DVD drive, etc.).  On the server side, it is the hoster that buys the hardware.
• Reduced IT support costs – the hoster provides the bulk of the day-to-day IT support within their service fee.  They can provide support at a lower cost per user as they are delivering this service to many customers.  The IT support that the customer stays responsible for revolves around business-specific applications that they might be using, and often this is provided by the application author anyway.
• Reduced risk of service interruption – the hoster delivers its services using highly-redundant systems over robust networks supported by experienced staff with strength in depth.  This environment is less prone to unplanned service interruptions than an equivalent configuration that most organisations could reasonably afford to build for themselves.
• Increased productivity – with there being less systems downtime, no need to perform local maintenance tasks (including backup) and the opportunity to work from out-of-office locations, a move to a thin client approach can lead to increased productivity from existing staff resources.  This in turn can translate into reduced costs or increased profitability.

Sounds good in theory but our business applications need PCs

Many applications have been developed specifically to run on a PC and make technical assumptions in the code on that basis, especially around screen and mouse/keyboard management.  This might seem to be a ‘show-stopper’ for a thin client implementations, but it isn’t.

There are server based technologies available, the best known being Microsoft’s Terminal Service and Citrix, that emulate the PC hardware environment for applications running on a central server.  These technologies have client software running as well that will action what the application has requested.  Thus the application runs as normal despite being hosted on a central server.

This means that there are very few commercial applications available that cannot be technically deployed in a thin client architecture.  More good news is that the processing overhead that Terminal Server of Citrix incurs doesn’t translate into reduced performance given the speed of the servers and networks that are now available.

So, is thin client applicable to applications like Microsoft Office?

The simple answer is yes.  Even Microsoft Office can be deployed within a thin client architecture in a way that is delivers excellent performance to end-users.  And by being thin client delivered it also carries all of the benefits that have been highlighted previously, including secure mobility.

But, there are a few specialist application types where the speed of generally available networks might not be sufficient to make thin client computing an acceptable option.  This can either be countered by implementing specially configured high-speed networks or more simply by keeping a few PCs or Macs for those application users.  However over time the continuing improvement in network speeds will reduce this as an area of concern.

I’m convinced!, how do I get started?

The core components of a thin client architecture are the network and the central servers.  They are also the best start point as existing PCs and Macs can be used in a thin client architecture before newer devices need be purchased.

Choosing a hosting provider to work with early on allows them to help you design, configure and price your route to thin client adoption.  It also allows them to help specify the timeline that they’ll work to which will dictate what changes are needed and in which order.

Once the network and server infrastructure is in place, applications can be gracefully migrated over to thin client delivery in a priority that makes business sense.  Thereafter thin client devices can be deployed at an appropriate pace.

Using this approach allows an organisation to move to thin client without disrupting the day-to-day running of their business.

Want to know more? Then contact us at RapidHost and we’ll talk you through the options.