Why do I need ThinManager?
Our Thin Client and Terminal Server program, ThinManager, was designed to enhance Microsoft Terminal Services and make it much more powerful. We explain to people everyday how ThinManager can simplify and enhance almost any Terminal Services and Thin Client deployment by offering benefits such as:
- Greatly simplified Thin Client installation - With ACP ThinManager simply plugs in a new Thin Client and turn it on. Configuration, including user account creation, can even be done completely automatically, and no software has to be installed.
- Greatly simplified Thin Client replacement - If something does go wrong with the Thin Client hardware, even in the middle of the night, anyone in the plant can replace the unit without having to access the Server or configure the client.
- Automatic Server failover and redundancy controlled by the clients - Unlike many Thin Clients, every ACP Enabled client constantly monitors the server, and will automatically switch to the next server in the list if it detects a problem. Especially important for industrial users as most other clients indicate server failure by freezing the display, depending on the user to reboot when the client is unresponsive. Industrial displays are frequently simply glanced at to check production or alarm status, and could be locked up for hours before anyone noticed.
- Smoother software upgrades - Many plants do not update their software because of the risk of loosing production. A line must be taken out of service, the software enhancements made and the line must be started up again. Hopefully the changes were made correctly and everything will work without having to try and rollback to a previous version. With Thin Clients, the administrator can simply upgrade the software on a separate Server. When it seems to be working correctly, pick any Thin Client and switch it over to that server. If all is OK, switch the other clients and update all the servers. If there is a problem, fall back to the original server and do some more tweaking.
- Load Balancing - ThinManager will direct connecting Thin Clients to the least loaded Terminal Server from a list of those available. No software needs to be installed on the Terminal Server, and the operator can view graphs showing the load of each machine.
- Enterprise Licensing - Allows a user to pay a single price for a ThinManager license and then use as many Terminal Servers and ThinManager Ready Thin Clients as desired.
- Multi-Session - A single Thin Client can control an almost unlimited number of sessions on any number of Terminal Servers. Switch between sessions with a drop-down menu.
- WinTMC - Turn unused PCs into Thin Clients by installing ACP's 'soft' client, WinTMC. These sessions are seen and controlled by ThinManager.
- Shadowing - Administrators can view and even control Thin Clients on the network, whether the client is in the next room or in Greenland.
- Improved reliability of the workstation - Users who would like to have fault tolerant or redundant workstations throughout the plant but can't afford the expense can achieve the same result by installing Thin Clients running on a redundant Terminal Server. Pay for a single fault tolerant Server, and get a fault tolerant workstation with each Thin Client added.
- Centralized support for any combination of ACP Enabled Thin Client hardware - No matter who the vendor, if the product has the ThinManager Ready label it will work just like all other ACP Enabled Thin Clients. This means that a unit from Xycom is a drop-in replacement for a unit made by Allen-Bradley.
- No software resident on the Clients - ACP Enabled Thin Clients keep the configuration for each client on the Server, so particulars such as touch screen model, I/O port configuration, screen resolution, initial application, user login preferences all transfer to any replacement Thin Client without any customization from the operator. This also ensures that ThinManager Ready Thin Clients have an extremely long life - the very first clients deployed in 1999 are still operational today!
- Keyboard and Mouse sharing - Connect up to 5 ACP Enabled Thin Clients together and use only one keyboard and mouse. User simply slides the mouse pointer to the edge of one screen and onto a different client's screen.
- Key Blocking Module - Allows administrator to keep clients, or group of clients, from being about to use certain key combinations. This is done at the keyboard driver for the Thin Client so, unlike many PC programs, there is no chance the blocked key sequence will reach the application.
