Thin client: what is it, how does it work and why is it needed?
The IT sector is developing extremely dynamically: new technologies, products and terms are constantly appearing. It can often be difficult to understand new products if you don't follow industry news every day. The focus of this article is thin clients. Let's discuss what it is, when it is used and how it works.
What is a thin client
Thin client is a copy of the English term thin client. As a rule, thin clients are physical devices (computer) or programs operating in a network space with a terminal or client-server architecture.
Simply put, usually a thin client is a computer without a disk that loads a lightweight operating system and transfers all tasks to the server. You can connect peripheral devices to such a sub-computer, for example, a mouse, keyboard, monitor. No tasks or calculations are performed, or data is stored on the thin client. The device connects to the server using a LAN or modem switch, and all computing loads are performed on the server, where the necessary services, components and applications are installed.
Did you notice that just above we called the thin client a “sub-computer”? This is a fairly common slang name, and it is used for a reason. A thin client, unlike a regular PC, is not capable of performing tasks independently. Its goal is to give the user the opportunity to interact with the terminal server through familiar interfaces.
Why do you need a thin client?
Let's find out in what scenarios such a diskless PC can be useful and why businesses need thin clients.
Reduce computer hardware costs.
If a company has its own or rented terminal server, you can do without purchasing workstations for all employees. Especially if for the most part they solve standard office tasks. It is enough to deploy the necessary applications on the server and provide staff with thin clients to connect to it.
Savings on administration
All programs and applications run on the server, not on employee computers. If any failure occurs, the administrator will not have to go to the workplace - he can fix all problems remotely. The same goes for installing and configuring programs. The technician will simply deploy everything needed on the server without interacting with each PC individually.
Reduced energy costs
A thin client consumes much less electricity than a regular desktop or even a laptop, which means you will have to pay less for electricity.
Why does a business implement thin clients?
Thin clients help solve a whole range of business problems related to providing employees with workspaces.
Unification
They can replace a whole “zoo” of employee PCs, providing everyone with a uniform environment for performing work tasks.
Increased security
Thin clients do not have disks, so copying any corporate data to them simply will not work.
Online scaling
A company using thin clients to organize workspaces can quickly expand its PC network. This will not take much time and will not affect overall performance.
Extending the period of operation of equipment
Thin clients, unlike standard workstations, become obsolete much slower - they will have to be upgraded less often than a fleet of regular PCs.
Differences between a thin client and a thick client
So, as you remember, the thin client has practically no power of its own, and accordingly, it is not capable of launching loads on its own. All loads are performed on a remote server to which the thin client connects. All the necessary software is installed there and all tasks are performed.
This is its main difference from a thick client, that is, a regular PC. A standard computer does not require a connection to a terminal server (although this is possible), and in the standard scenario of using a desktop or laptop, all programs are installed on the disk of the device itself ( for example, HDD or SSD) and are launched from there.
Thin client and VDI: a security issue
The popularity of thin clients grew in 2020, when companies massively transferred employees to a remote format. Typically, businesses deployed a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to access corporate services, and employees connected to their desktops using regular PCs, thin clients, or even smartphones. But how safe is it to use thin client?
Third party connections
A thin client is a much less versatile thing than a laptop or desktop PC. For example, it will not allow you to connect to third-party information systems. But this is a plus: such a limitation solves the problem of potential information leakage.
Data theft
If the thin client is stolen, the company's data will not fall into the wrong hands - it simply does not exist on the device.
Who is it suitable for?
If your employees (for example, a certain department or team) solve the same type of problems - work with CRM, office software, and so on - it makes sense to implement thin clients instead of workstations. It's a low-cost way to provide a uniform and safe workplace.
Thin clients are also suitable for companies with an extensive network of offices, retail outlets and branches. The obvious advantages in this situation are the security of connecting to corporate data, unification of workspaces, reducing the load on technical support and banal savings on expanding and modernizing the PC fleet.
Thin client for 1C
The eighth version of the popular 1C platform supports working with a thin client. This significantly increases mobility. The head of the company or any other employee does not have to be in the office to connect to 1C and fully work with the program.