TABLE OF CONTENTS Windows Terminal Services (WTS) and Citrix allow users to access resources and applications on remote computers. They use a technology that provides a connection to an entire desktop or an individual application. They are examples of a type of client/server application commonly called thin client software or server-based computing.
Classic client/server applications require an independent "fat" client, whereas a thin client needs only a very small client applet to send input (e.g., mouse movements and keystrokes) to the server and receive output (e.g., screen writes) from the server. The original thin clients were graphical terminals (as compared to older text terminals called green screens) which began to appear in the mid-1980s with the development of the X protocol at MIT. The personal computer explosion caused graphics terminals to wane in popularity, but they were not abandoned completely. In fact, thin clients are now more popular than ever.
Although there are many benefits to thin client computing, the most commonly cited include:
Cost The cost of both hardware and administrative support can be much lower in a thin client environment. Because the application resides only on the server, upgrades and support are centralized and potentially easier as a result. In addition, much greater efficiency is possible because computing resources are shared so that systems overall (including both servers and clients together) can cost less.
Security Providing adequate security for computers in a distributed environment is a huge challenge. With thin clients, all application processing and...
