Thinvent Technologies

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Saurabh Jain — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:59:02 +0000

Protected: New Products

Saurabh Jain — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:48:23 +0000

What is Server Based Computing ?

namita — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:41:03 +0000

In server based computing, users are not provided with PCs on their desk. Instead, they are provided with a display, keyboard, mouse and a thin client. A thin client is a special device that connects the display, keyboard and mouse on the user’s desk to a server. The server, usually placed in a secure location, contains all the programs and data that the user needs for their work or learning. The server and thin clients are connected using standard computer networking.

PCs: Standalone devices. Not designed for shared use.

Thin Clients: Networked Devices. Designed for sharing computing resources.

Advantages of Thin Clients

Faster server means faster performance for all users
No moving parts in desktop system – less failure
No attachment to a particular computer – users can sit anywhere in the premises and do their work
Eliminate period upgrade cycle of PCs; only server may need upgradation

Limitations of Thin Clients

Not suitable for heavily graphical applications
Requires properly structured network to function well
Only suitable for setups with more than 10 computers – otherwise the cost benefits are not seen

Thin Clients are rugged devices that never need replacement. As and when the performance of the system becomes slow, the server is upgraded. Thin clients consume very little power, generate very little heat, and have no moving parts, leading to much lesser failure. Server based computing leads to all data and programs being centralised on the servers. This means easy backup and maintenance, and better security. Thin clients are unaffected by virus and malware, leading to a more secure working environment for everyone.

Crew Management System (CMS)

namita — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:36:41 +0000

Customer

Crew Management System Indian Railways

Challenge:

To develop a 24×7 Crew Management System (CMS) managing 1,00,000 crew for operating trains on the largest rail network in the world.

Requirements:

Touch screen kiosk interface
Indian language support
Web and SMS interface
Completely Linux based solution
Biometric authentication of users
Alcohol breath test on sign-on and sign-off from duty
Clustering and high availability of servers
300+ locations across India. 24×7 operation.

Products Used:

Linux based firmware for thin clients and kiosks with heavy GUI customisation.
Biometric authentication with excellent FRR, FAR and local caching of IDs.
Customised breath analyser hardware and software for automated testing.
High throughput SMS interface on servers.
Remote management through web interface. Centralised updates of thin clients.
Clustering, load balancing and centralised monitoring of servers.
Business Intelligence tool.

Results: The CMS project is running successfully across the length and breadth of the Indian Railways network. Excellent uptime, high reliability of clients, and cutting edge features, have brought numerous prestigious awards and accolades for the CMS project.

Future Scope: Thinvent is providing centralised monitoring and control of all servers and clients using a completely open source stack. This will enable further expansion of the CMS network. We are also involved in the team’s new projects such as SLAM, LMS and HRMS. We are involved in the design and development of a new kiosk, as well as BA and Biometric roll-out.

ES5500 – Enterprise Server

namita — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:34:40 +0000

Overview

Powerful server configuration in the marketplace. Easily handles 60+ simultaneous users.

Features

Built with Intel^® Original components
Intel^® validated server chassis and PSU
Latest Intel^® Nehalem architecture Xeon processors
Two quad-core processors for blazing performance
Compact server design suitable for lab environment
Ubuntu Linux server OS
- Firefox and Chrome Web Browsers with PDF, Flash, Java and media plugins.
- Powerful media player supporting H.264, MPEG2.
- Office suite, VoIP and chat client, video-conferencing, email client, etc.
Windows 2008 server OS
- Licensed OS with valid client access licenses (CAL).
- Provides the Windows 7 Aero graphical experience on thin clients.
- Compatibility with all popular application software.

Hardware Specification

Processor	Intel^® Xeon^® E5506 Processors: Two Cores: Quad Core Speed: 2.13 GHz Bus Speed: 4.8 GT/s Cache: 4 MB Architecture: Nehalem MicroArch: Gainestown
Server Board	Intel^® Server Board S5500BC
Chipset	Intel^® 5500 with Intel^® ICH10R
Memory	8 GB DDR3 ECC Expandable to 32 GB
Storage	2 x 500 GB Enterprise SATA HDD Expandable up to six HDD RAID 0, 1, 10
Chassis	Intel approved and validated chassis Pedestal form factor Based on Intel^® Chassis SC5650
Networking	Intel^®Dual Gigabit Ethernet Controllers 802.11b/g/n WLAN (Optional) PPP dialup for GPRS, CDMA, 3G. PPPoE for ADSL. Supports all Indian ISPs and USB modems.
Diag LEDs	Power On/Off. HDD Activity. Network.
I/O Ports	2 x RJ-45 with diagnostic LEDs 4 x rear USB 2.0, 2 x front USB 2.0 1 x 15-pin VGA connector 1 x 9-pin serial console 1 x Power Switch
Power	230 ~ 240V AC
Operating Temperature	0 ~ 30 deg.C

Benefits of Thinvent’s Solution

namita — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:07:36 +0000

Adopting Thinvent’s proven server based computing solution gives your organisation the following benefits:

Reduces

Purchase cost of IT equipment
The hassles and failures associated with PCs
IT support and maintenance costs

Increases

Speed of the computers
Reliability of the system
Life of the computers

Saves

85% on power bills
85% on UPS and generator purchase cost
60% on air-conditioning costs
25% on room space

Eliminates

Expensive computer furniture
Virus and malware problems
Misuse of computers, and diversion for personal use

Thinvent’s Support

namita — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:56:32 +0000

The Thinvent advantage

Total end-to-end solutions
Installation and configuration by trained professionals
Site commissioning
Technical training
On-site staff deputation
On-call technical support

Software Support

namita — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:53:40 +0000

Our customers are successfully using the below software on our products. They are utilising the advantages of simplified installation and cheaper licensing afforded by server based computing.

Operating Systems:

Windows 7
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows XP
Ubuntu Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Fedora Linux
Suse Enterprise Linux

Office Software:

Microsoft Office
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Adobe Reader PDF viewer
OpenOffice.org
Tally accounting software

Internet Software:

Mozilla Firefox web browser
Google Chrome web browser
Mozilla Thunderbird email client
Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Shockwave Player
MSN Messenger
Google Talk
Yahoo! Messenger/li>
Skype/li>

Graphics Software:

Adobe Photoshop
CorelDraw

Online Security:

Kaspersky Anti Virus
Symantec Norton Antivirus
McAfee

Graphics Software:

Adobe Photoshop
CorelDraw

Advanced Software:

We also support the following advanced software for IT labs:

Oracle Database
Microsoft Visual Studio, Visual C++, Visual Basic
Microsoft .NET Framework
AutoCAD
Java J2EE, Tomcat, Apache
MATLAB

Accessories

namita — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:33:40 +0000

Keyboard – QHM 7408 – 104 key USB keyboard.- Long life, extra soft keys – Compact sp[ace saving design

Mouse – QHM 222 – USB optical scroll mouse

Headset – QHM 880 – 20Hz~ 20KHz range

WiFi – WN Mini – 802.11b/g/n USB WiFi dongle

Wireless Networking – Thinvent’s USB wireless dongles can be attached to any of our products. They instantly pair with your WiFi router, to provide a wire-free work environment. The Micro 2 and Uno 19V support internal installation of the Wireless vard.

Router – DIR 655 – 802.11n WiFi Router

DES 1026G – 24 10/100 Mbps ports for Client Connectivity. 2 Gigabit ports for server connectivity

Wired Networking – Thinvent provides complete on-site installation of Ethernet networking. We use the best quality cabling and connectors, and provide 10 years warranty on networking.

Patch Panel - Provides easy management of cabling

External USB HDD – for unlimited storage expansion

External DVD-RW – Slim USB DVD drive

Webcam-QHM 500 – USB Webcam with LED

Speakers-QHM 3600 – 2.1 speaker System

Choosing the Right Thin Client

namita — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:31:55 +0000

Thinvent offers a wide range of thin client hardware to meet the needs of your project, whether it is in the field of education, banking, transport or retail. The Uno 19V is a revolutionary, all-in-one thin client that is built inside a high end 18.5″ LCD display. The M5 is the smallest Atom based computer in the Indian market. Last, but not the least, is the Uno 16M, which features the lowest power consumption of any thin client in the marketplace.

Feature	Uno 16M	Uno 19V	Micro 5	Micro 2
Typical Application	Government, Education, Corporate	Education, BPO	Corporate, POS, home	SME, Education
Application
Thin Client	✓	✓	✓	✓
Diskless Client	✓	•	✓
Managed Client¹	✓	•	✓
NetTop²	✓		✓
Screen Size	15.6″ wide	18.5″ wide³	N/A	N/A
Typical Power Consumption	15 Watts	25 Watts	14 Watts / 30 Watts⁴	4 Watts
Architecture	x86	x86	x86	ARM
Processor	1GHz x86 SoC	400MHz VIA Eden	1.6GHz Intel Atom 230	533 MHz ARM SoC
Chipset	SoC integrated chipset	CN700 – 2D/3D graphics acceleration	SiS 672	SoC integrated chipset
Typical Memory	256 MB	256 MB	512 MB	64 MB
Typical Flash Storage	2 GB	256 MB	512 MB	64 MB
Maximum Memory	512 MB	512 MB	2 GB	64 MB
Maximum Flash Storage	32 GB	8 GB	8 GB	64 MB
Storage Expandability	SD-card	USB flash drive	SATA 2.5″ HDD/SSD	USB flash drive
Ethernet Networking	100 Mbps	100 Mbps	Gigabit	100 Mbps
VESA Mount Capable	✓	✓	✓	✓
Maximum Resolution	1366×768	1366×768	Up to 1920×1440	Up to 1920×1440
USB ports	4	3 + 1⁵	6	3 + 1⁵
Input Voltage	100 ~ 240V AC	100 ~ 240V AC	100 ~ 240V AC	100 ~ 240V AC
Operating Temperature	0 ~ 45°C	0 ~ 45°C	0 ~ 40°C	0 ~ 45°C
Dimensions (mm)	374 × 304 × 190	463 × 358 × 186	173 × 154 × 20	172.5 × 153.5 × 20mm
Weight	2.8 kg	3.5 kg	500 gm	200 gm

[1] A Managed Client can work standalone without requiring a server. This is the typical use case in a rural project.

[2] A NetTop provides all the functionality of a PC, although at a reduced speed/performance.

[3] LED backlit LCD monitor for enhanced colour gamut, lower power consumption, higher reliability.

[4] Power consumption is 14W without HDD, 18W with HDD. Power consumption is 30W with external 18.5″ wide LCD monitor.

[5] One USB port is internal, for network or storage expansion

Your choice of thin client will depend on the use case of your project.

Our suggestions are:

If you get electricity supply for a few hours a day, and you need to provide more than one computer per location, the U19V is your best choice.

If you need a lot of processing power, or are only providing a single standalone computer, go for the M5.
If the only power source available to you is solar, and you need to provide multiple computers, go for the U16M. You can hook up the U16Ms to an RC300 or RC400 server.

Layout of thin client computing infrastructure