Net PCs (summary)
Nicole Hennig
hennig at bose.com
Tue Jan 28 09:36:26 EST 1997
I while back I posted a question asking if anyone is using NetPCs. Since
the topic has come up again, here is a summary of the responses. (We'll be
getting an HDS @workstation soon with Netscape and Java). See
http://www.hds.com.
Nicole Hennig
Bose Corporation
------------------------------beginning of
summary--------------------------------
We will be experimenting with thin client public workstations this
year. We'll be using Wyse Winterm workstations and Citrix' WinFrame
server software. Everything we've seen in regards to these products
indicates that they should make very good, low maintenance, public
web browsing workstations.
We're just getting started on this project, so I don't have any
results (good or bad) to report. However we're quite excited about
the prospect of providing some clusters of web browsing workstations
which won't require an army of staff to support.
Bob
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Bob Samson * samson at library.uta.edu
Assistant Director for *
Information Technologies * http://www.uta.edu/library/
University Libraries *
University of Texas at Arlington * (817) 272-3728
P.O. Box 19497 *
Arlington, TX 76019 * (817) 272-5797 fax
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
------------------------------
I am intrigued with this idea. Do you have a feel for how long the
current generation of Winterms will be viable -- as the browser software
becomes more complicated and processor speed requirements/expectations
increase? How proprietary is the central server should you need to
upgrade the hardware?
Bob Jones mailto://bjones@unf.edu
Head, Public Services Division and Systems Coordinator
University of North Florida Library http://www.unf.edu/library/
P.O. Box 17605 (904) 646-2552 (SC 861-2552)
Jacksonville, FL 32245-7605 FAX: (904) 646-2719
ARIEL: 139.62.208.88
---------------------------
Descriptions I have read of these terminals never seem to include
diskette drives. If anyone responds who is actually doing this, I'd
like to find out how you are dealing with the issue of users being able
to save data and take it away with them. I assume that users will still
want to read a file from the web and take it home to their own computer.
--
Roger Harrison | "Examine everything carefully;
rharrison at fullerton.edu | hold fast to that which is good."
California State University | ...
University Library | "But shun foolish controversies
P.O. Box 4150 | and strife and disputes about
Fullerton, CA 92834-4150 | the Law, for they are
(714) 773-2666 | unprofitable and worthless."
------------------------------
WinFrame with WinTerms has some disadvantages over regular PCs:
- Terminals limited to 256 colors
- No diskette drives
- Video and audio may not be practical
That said though, the cost advantages, particularly in support, are very
enticing.
WinFrame is essentially Windows NT with multi-user/remote user capabilities
grafted on, so it runs on regular PC servers. Ideally you'd want a machine
that can accomodate two or more CPUs and lots of RAM.
>I am intrigued with this idea. Do you have a feel for how long the
>current generation of Winterms will be viable -- as the browser software
>becomes more complicated and processor speed requirements/expectations
>increase? How proprietary is the central server should you need to
>upgrade the hardware?
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Ellis
Computer Services Technician Phone: 604.231.6410
Richmond Public Library Email: mark.ellis at rpl.richmond.bc.ca
Richmond, British Columbia
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------
Citrix WinFrame is a very good solution for several disparate needs:
1. You want to provide web browsers at remote sites over low bandwidth (56
KB or less). Citrix delivers near-LAN speeds, even at 28.8
2. You have lots of older workstations that won't be replaced or you want
to purchase an "Internet PC/Internet Terminal". WinFrame will run on 1 KB
RAM and on a 286 machine. the client software control some screen display
and mouse action. Everything else occurs on the WinFrame server.
3. You want to provide dial-up Internet to varying workstation types and to
users who may or may not be avble to install software. Ideal for a public
library environment. Patrons only install the WinFrame client, which is
free and very easy to install.
4. You want a consistent browser, with consistent readers and plug-ins,
without having to do constant remote installs, install downloads, or
reliance on the user to maintain browser upgrades and plug-ins.
5. You need the class C security of an NT server for your web browser.
Citrix can serve quite well as a firewall.
You should have a server with at least a dual Pentium-Pro 200 MHz processor.
I believe each processor will host 15 concurrent users (and this is true NT
multithreaded concurrency). The maximum to be supported on a single server
is 60 concurrent users, requiring 4 processors. I would also recommend, if
this is a service that is mission-critical for your library that you use
server clustering software to use a second NT server as backup for the
WinFrame.
I don't think WinFrame handles video or audio yet, and the full range of
colors is not supported, but download to floppy disk and print work very
well. Citrix uses their own architecture, ICA (Intelligent Console
Architecture) to segregate what occurs on the "home" PC from the CPU load at
the server.
I recommend checking out the Citrix home page: www.citrix.com
It's a really interesting application with lots of potential for multisite
library environments, heavy dial access use, and sites with a large legacy
base of older PCs.
Grace
---------------------
We have been installing Citrix for some specialized purposes
here for some time - it has proved rather more "cranky" than
we had first expected.
While it makes only light demands on the client, all indications
are that resource utiliztion on the server is quite intense. As
well, licensing costs are high.
The server software is proprietary, but the hardware, assuming
it works with the kernel, is fairly standard. Being basically
an NT kernel, it is rather fussy about underlying hardware.
We have run into a bit of hardware swapping to get the client
to run happily as well, but I would have to check with the
technicians for the details.
There are a number of "PC-like" functions that Winframe will
apparently not support.
Note that a Winframe client is not designed for multi-platform
communications standards.
Right now, it looks like a better, more standard, and more
general "canned client in hardware" solution would be to
use an X-term.
--
Daniel Albano daniel at nypl.north-york.on.ca
Computer Services +1 416 395 5907
"Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect
the position of the North York Public Library."
-------------------------
-----------end of
summary---------------------------------------------------------
*********************************************
Nicole Hennig *hennig at bose.com
Systems Librarian
Bose Corporation
The Mountain *(508)766-6851
Framingham, MA 01701 *(508)820-4865 (fax)
*********************************************
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