Thin Clients take advantage of the feature in Microsoft's Server operating systems called Terminal Services. Terminal Services allows a Windows Server to run standard Windows software just like a mainframe runs its software - multiple times on a single machine. The Terminal Server customer can then simply connect Thin Clients ("terminals") to this server and have each Thin Client display the user interface from one of the sessions.
What this means is that any company can install their existing Windows applications once (on the server) and have every connected Thin Client launch their own session. The application runs multiple times on the server, and Terminal Services separates the application processing (which it leaves on the server) from the user interface (which it sends to the Thin Client).
This allows for "centralized" operation of application software, rather than the "distributed" operation found when the software must be installed on PCs scattered around a facility, saving huge amounts of money on support. Applications are now maintained, installed and upgraded only once (on the server) but are available on every connected Thin Client. If the load on a single server becomes too much, multiple servers can be added. The number of Thin Clients that can be networked to a single server depends on the complexity of the applications required on the Thin Clients, but ranges from 25 up to 100 or more.
Some of the articles we have written for past issues of the newsletter represent our attempts to explain Terminal Server and Thin Clients, and exactly what ACP adds to the technology. While you can find the entire archive at:
www.thinmanager.com/news/news_articles.shtml
Some of the ones that I might suggest are:
We have also put together a brochure that may be helpful - you can download the pdf at the following link:
ACP enhances the basic Terminal Server operation with our ThinManager management software. This program automates many of the complex tasks of setting up and maintaining a Thin Client system, and brings features and hardware that are not available anywhere else. ACP's ThinManager provides solutions for server failure, interchangeable industrial Thin Clients, touch screen drivers, keyboard and mouse sharing, industrial I/O, and many other necessities required for reliable factory operation.
The latest versions of our software also add features designed to enhance Terminal Services for the high-connection user, and versions coming early next year will continue along that path. And the fact that ACP Enabled Thin Clients store their configuration with the server (not at the individual Thin Clients) makes them truly interchangeable and allow for simple replacement by any operator at any time with only a single key press.
For more information on ACP Industrial Thin Client computers, please visit our web site at http://www.thinmanager.com
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For an archive of past newsletter articles go to: ACP Newsletter Archive