Thin clients anyone?

[bmazin]

Memorial Hall Library is the town library for Andover, MA,
and the Regional Reference and Research Center for the
Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System.  We have
implemented a thin client solution to run our webcats.  We
are using HP's NetVectra GT310 thin clients, which are
java-enabled.  The terminal server is running Windows NT 4.0
Terminal Server Edition but will be upgraded to Terminal
Server Edition 2000 when it is released. The server is a
Dell Power Edge 4300  with dual PIII 550 processors, 512
megs of RAM, a quad channel RAID controller with 64 meg
cash, 3 X 9.1 Gb Ultra wide SCSI hard drives, and three
redundant power supplies.

We are using a "build your own" web browser from
http://www.lexitech.com/  which allows us to customize and
secure the interface.

This system will allow us to replace all of our public
online catalog dumb terminals with the new web-based
terminal front end, adding speed and reliability.  The thin
clients are configured to login on their own, going straight
to the online catalog. Currently, the clients are only
allowed to go to a few sites (our online catalog, our home
page, our consortium home page, etc.) but the system will
work quite well for general web browsing.

The cost should be about the same as buying traditional
desktops, if you don't count the time of our network
administrator to set up the system ( we did not use an
outside vendor).  The savings should come with not having to
replace the thin clients as often as desktops, and with
sharply reduced time for tech support.  A big added benefit
is not having to find room for big desktops in areas
designed to accomodate just smallish terminals. When we have
the money (when prices fall a bit more) we will replace the
15" traditional monitors we are using with thin panel
displays.

This project was a leap of faith for management and a very
interesting project for our network administrator, as we had
no local models to emulate.  All in all, we are very
satisfied with the results.


Beth Mazin, Assistant Director
Memorial Hall Library
Elm Square, Andover, MA  01810
Voice:  978-623-8401 x 33
Fax:  978-623-8407
Email:  bmazin at mhl.org
www.mhl.org

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Joe Mangano
Network Administrator
Memorial Hall Library
Andover, MA
(978) 623-8401
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