Frequently Asked Questions about Thin Clients
One server is shared by all thin clients. Won’t this make the whole system slow?
A server costs 3 to 4 times as much as a PC, yet it delivers 10× the performance. The higher peak performance of a server is noticeable when you open a large document or a graphics-heavy website. Although the performance is only 10× that of a PC, a server can handle 40-60 simultaneous users, as not all users need peak performance at the same time. When one user is opening or saving a document, many others may be reading or typing, which requires much less processing. On average, all users get better performance.
What software is supported by Thinvent’s server-based computing solution?
Our server-based computing solution provides the software that your syllabus or course may require:
Internet
Office
Programming
Graphics
Web browser – Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox
Email – Outlook, Thunderbird
Web programming in HTML, CSS, Javascript, ASP.NET, JSP, etc.
MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint
OpenOffice.Org
Adobe Acrobat
C, C++
Java
SQL, Oracle
VB.NET
Adobe Photoshop
What happens if a thin client fails?
Thin clients do not store your files or software, so you do not need to recover data from them. You can replace a failed thin client with a standby unit without any loss of functionality. Your users can continue working while our service engineers repair the failed unit.
How is backup handled?
All files are stored centrally on the server, so a periodic copy of the files on the server is sufficient.
How is installation and support handled?
Thinvent’s in-house team of server-based computing experts provides complete on-site installation of hardware, software and networking. We then provide one year of on-site support through our service network. You can purchase an on-site AMC after this period.
What if the server fails?
Thinvent’s servers are reliable products built only with original Intel or Intel-approved components. We provide remote monitoring and management of the servers. In most cases, servers give early warning signals before a failure occurs. We respond promptly to these warnings to keep the servers working reliably. Server failures still occur, usually due to poor power conditions at the site. In such a situation, our field server engineers attend to the failure promptly to minimise your downtime. Thinvent also provides clustered server configurations, where one server automatically takes over the load of another server if the latter fails.
What about our existing PCs?
Thinvent’s server-based computing solution works alongside your existing IT equipment, such as PCs and networking. When your PCs become slow, we can convert them into thin clients using our Thinux software. This extends the life of your PCs for as long as their hardware continues to work.