Thin Client to Application Streaming
A view on reducing O&M costs using forward thinking technologies
“Transformation Technologies”

Thin Client application streaming offers organizations the ability to reduce time and monetary costs through streamlining applications and operations. By making usual desktop applications “server-based” rather than residing on individual PCs, a company can gain operational and security benefits, licensing benefits, user mobility and location independence, desktop processor reduction, centralized management and file systems as well as BC/DR/COOP benefits.

Thin-Client configurations are an industry-accepted standard achieving significant savings over the cost of traditional PCs. Both Thin- and Thick-Client approaches use a combination of back end technologies such as Terminal Servers combined with basic, diskless, or standard desktop hardware as the end user. Three basic types of solutions exist: “dumb terminals,” diskless, and browser-based. In all types, software is centrally managed, configured, installed and distributed at the enterprise level.

The Terminal Server approach allows for delivery of Windows-based applications, or the Windows desktop itself, to virtually any computing device. When users run an application on Terminal Server, the application execution takes place on the server, and only the keyboard, mouse and display information is transmitted over the network.

SMS/SUS Servers are widely employed within a Microsoft Enterprise in order to facilitate easy centralized management and distribution. This allows corporations access to a centralized location to manage and distribute Desktop Applications as well as OS updates and security patches to user desktops.

Other Thin computing technologies include Desktop Virtualization, which combines all of the performance, reliability and support benefits of the latest Thin Client with powerful virtualization software running on centralized servers.

Instead of installing applications on desktops, you are able to “virtualize” them and stream them to the individual desktops as on-demand services. This enables flexibility at the enterprise level.

Complimenting Your Existing Enterprise

Finding an approach that transforms the Enterprise through control and use of resources is critical. Balancing support personnel, IT equipment and services (applications) effects Operations & Maintenance, so to be a truly transformational technology the Thin solution should compliment the existing infrastructure while reducing O & M costs.

Examples of complimentary solutions include a system that:

• Minimize change by co-existing with the existing enterprise infrastructure
• Work with existing “traditional” Thin/Thick client approaches and terminal server approaches
• Simplify deployment and migration efforts for both desktop refresh cycles as well as OS migration efforts
• Reduce application management costs
• Centralize and accelerate application availability
• Add functionality such as
  - roaming, free seating
  - improved application security
  - “on-demand” applications delivered to the user as needed

Application Virtualization and Streaming

Application virtualization is touted as one of the most important technologies to hit IT departments in decades. It promises to significantly reduce the time and costs of application management, which is traditionally the most resource-consuming and expensive portion of the infrastructure.

Application virtualization decouples applications from the operating system and enables them to run as network services. This is different than machine virtualization, since machine virtualization provides abstraction between the hardware and the operating system. Application virtualization, on the other hand, provides the next level of abstraction between the application and the underlying OS.

With application virtualization , a pplications are virtualized per instance (i.e. files - including system files, registry, fonts, .ini, COM objects, and services). Applications do not get installed or alter the operating system, and the a pplication processes locally on the host computer.

Application streaming of virtual applications is permission-based . The user clicks on desktop shortcuts and authentication, authorization and licensing is checked every time users launch an application. This solution is centrally served, meaning that the first time it is engaged the server streams just enough code (20-40%) to the client or TS machine. As more code is needed it is dynamically delivered. The application is then locally executed on the user’s desktop, laptop and/or Terminal Server. The application code is cached for repeat use, even without a network, so as to increase and maintain the performance of the overall system. The entire set of applications is also cached for limited time before expiring.

Centralize & Accelerate Your Application Availability

With a Thin Client solution, desktop application deployments and updates are dramatically accelerated. Once an application is virtualized, it can be deployed instantly to any and all global users on any client device from a central console. This eliminates installations and dramatically reduces compatibility testing. Updates are also now reduced to one file change on a server rather than many updates for many different users, and terminations involve simply one change to the management console.

What About the Desktop Hardware?

Once you have deployed an Application Virtualization Environment you must determine what to do with the desktop hardware. The choices, however, are greater than a traditional thin/thick client because you are not restricted to a specific hardware vendor or hardware solution. Application streaming can generally take advantage of existing desktop equipment, repurposed equipment, and existing Thin/Thick client configuration, and technology refresh requirements can take advantage of entry level desktops, network desktops or “Ultra-Thin Desktops.”

The future of the PC Desktop is changing. Mobile computing now allows users to relocate often and utilize remote access and telecommuting capabilities, while with the “Many-to-One” (User to Desktop) model corporate “Kiosks” are becoming more prevalent.

Applications and users consume time and resources. Traditional desktop technologies and Thick/Thin designs meant to help often do not have the depth and scale to provide end-to-end application delivery. Application virtualization and streaming is the “Next Technology” that will assist the Enterprise to realize efficiencies and reduce costs.

Whether your focus is on trying to standardizing or stripping down your desktop hardware, managing the desktop more efficiently, implementing a Terminal Server solution to provide centralized control over applications, or a combination of these approaches, the least common denominator is always providing application services to the End User in a cost effective manner. Enterprises need to focus on managing the delivery of applications to the USER, not managing the distribution of applications to desktops.