In Conclusion

The thin-client/server model requires some planning and research before its implementation to help IS departments better allocate funds and resources within their organizations. In implementing a thin-client/server solution, you need to examine your hardware, network bandwidth, and application platforms. When purchasing servers, you need to consider the power, speed, and number of processors as well as hard disk space and RAM. You also need to examine the types of applications that will be used and their level of use in your environment.

In this chapter, we covered the software requirements for applications that will run in a thin-client/server environment based on WinFrame. As you test applications that you plan to run, you should refer to this list.

You also saw what sizing considerations are necessary within the environment and how easy it is to add a server to a thin-client/server environment. Essentially, the Citrix load-balancing feature can provide a high level of performance to the users on your network by locating the least-used server when a user logs on to the network.

With effective planning, the thin-client/server architecture can certainly complement your computing infrastructure and assist with the rapid deployment of applications in your environment. It can also reduce and consolidate support resources in a central location, or it can allow centrally located administrators to troubleshoot and maintain a server remotely.