What is a thin client?

A thin client is a computer that is connected to a server through a network. The thin client com­mu­ni­cates with the server and uses its resources. Local work is not intended on a thin client. We’ll discuss the de­f­i­n­i­tion of thin client, its ad­van­tages and dis­ad­van­tages and how to use it.

Thin client overview

A thin client is a type of client. It is a simple computer with a network card and pe­riph­er­als. It only has a few local resources and relies on access to a server. While a fat client allows users to work self-suf­fi­cient­ly, a thin client does not.

The in­ter­ac­tion between client and server and task dis­tri­b­u­tion within a network describes the client-server-model.

How does a thin client work?

Thin clients are endpoints. They provide the interface between a user and the server’s computing capacity. The server acts as a terminal server and provides vir­tu­al­ized desktops. Special protocols make the com­mu­ni­ca­tion between thin client and server possible. The Remote Desktop Protocol developed by Microsoft enables Remote Desktop Con­nec­tion with a computer that has Windows installed as its operating system. The protocols allow an off-site computer screen to be trans­ferred and con­trolled.

Thin clients have a reduced and re­strict­ed operating system. Their main function is to connect to pe­riph­er­al devices. Choosing a suitable operating system is flexible. Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 IoT and Linux are popular choices.

There are special kinds of thin clients. There isn’t a clear dis­tinc­tion between the different types of clients. The zero client is the cul­mi­na­tion of the thin client concept. The zero client usually has one firmware installed and it is com­plete­ly targeted at the client provider’s server platform.

Ad­van­tages

Companies and or­ga­ni­za­tions use thin clients for several reasons. Large en­ter­pris­es benefit from using them for the following reasons.

Cost savings and emissions reduction

Thin clients are rel­a­tive­ly in­ex­pen­sive due to their reduced equipment, for example, the fan and hard drive. They are also cheaper to run due to lower power con­sump­tion. Another benefit is less heat waste and reduced noise. These effects are becoming greater with the in­creas­ing number of thin clients.

Cen­tral­iza­tion of IT

It is simple to operate a thin client. The only software installed locally is for access to the server. The other required ap­pli­ca­tions are located centrally on the server. It is also easy to roll out important updates. This makes the systems easy to maintain and ad­min­is­ter. Thin clients are less likely to have faults, require less main­te­nance and are easier to trou­bleshoot.

The security of the system

A thin client has a severely limited operating system. This greatly reduces the number of vul­ner­a­bil­i­ties. The risks when working with a thin client are largely neu­tral­ized, in com­par­i­son to a fat client. The cy­ber­se­cu­ri­ty can be im­ple­ment­ed centrally and in­de­pen­dent­ly of the in­di­vid­ual client.

Mobile work

A thin client enables mobile working. Users can work from any location as long as a thin client or end device is available there. Mobile access to the virtual en­vi­ron­ment is also possible and gives users access to ap­pli­ca­tions on business trips. In addition, thin clients are easy to transport thanks to their com­pact­ness.

Dis­ad­van­tages

Per­for­mance losses

Be aware that not every ap­pli­ca­tion is suitable for client-server operation on thin clients. Ap­pli­ca­tions with high demands on graphics per­for­mance are not intended for operation on servers. The amount of data that can be trans­ferred over the network is also a deciding factor. However, the con­tin­u­ous de­vel­op­ment in vir­tu­al­iza­tion solutions is focused on these problems.

De­pen­dence on server and network

The thin client’s reliance on a server is a dis­ad­van­tage when network problems or server failures occur. A server failure means all dependent clients go down. In addition, the server relies on a good quality mobile network or Wi-Fi when trav­el­ling.

Where are thin clients used?

Thin clients are often used in companies with a lot of employees, and they enable access to vir­tu­al­ized desktop en­vi­ron­ments. The office ap­pli­ca­tions run on a virtual work en­vi­ron­ment. The company may have its own IT de­part­ment that ad­min­is­ters the system and provides trou­bleshoot­ing, or there is an external service provider that is re­spon­si­ble for operating the thin clients and as­so­ci­at­ed servers.

Ap­pli­ca­tions that require high graphics per­for­mance do not fall into the scope of ap­pli­ca­tion. The transfer rate of the network is a limiting factor. In addition, operating programs for creating CAD models on servers have ad­di­tion­al licensing costs.

The thin client market share is rising steadily. It makes sense for an in­creas­ing number of ap­pli­ca­tion scenarios due to the rising cost pressure on companies. De­vel­op­ing vir­tu­al­iza­tion tech­nolo­gies and improving network tech­nol­o­gy and network quality are beginning to eliminate the dis­ad­van­tages as­so­ci­at­ed with thin clients.

How does the thin client differ from a fat client?

The fat client and the thin client are often compared when potential users are choosing a suitable client. Both clients differ in their essential functions. The following table compares them: