Thin-client computing; server-based computing; access infrastructure. Different terms, all describing the same server-centric technology that is intended to free a user’s local desktop of some or all computational processing by centralizing application execution on the server.

 For many years people have preached the advantages of this technology. Advantages that include simplified management and support, increased security, and a reduction in the total cost of ownership. But while most people are familiar with these often-recited benefits, and with the Microsoft Terminal Server and Citrix MetaFrame products that deliver them, few people actually understand the specific business issues and motivators that can drive management to consider these types of solutions.

 Instead of being satisfied with the promises of future benefits, businesses are now demanding that IT departments become more accountable for proving that they are delivering real business value, and delivering that value now as opposed to later. This change in attitude toward IT comes at a time when technology departments of all sizes are facing new and serious challenges beyond the typical support requirements of an organization. Challenges such as:

●      Proactively monitoring and protecting against malicious software threats (SPAM, viruses, Trojan horses, etc.) anywhere in the environment.

●      Managing internal and external data privacy concerns.

●      Providing secure access to applications and data for staff, customers, partners, supply chains, etc.

●      Ensuring business continuity for all levels of the organization.

 So how can IT hope to successfully manage these challenges while maintaining or improving current support services and delivering new applications to grow the business without increasing IT costs, let alone reducing them?

 The traditional, desktop-centric environments found in many businesses today do little to aid in this process. As soon as a company outgrows a single location, the problems increase significantly. Organizations with regional offices typically have PCs and support servers sprinkled throughout their environment, many of them relying on local, non-IT staff to perform backups, provide first level support services, etc. Alternatively, they spend large amounts of money ensuring significant bandwidth exists between locations to support the ever-increasing requirements of data and media.

Long-term solutions

 Even if throwing resources at the latest challenge is an option in the short term, it is neither cost effective nor sustainable. A long-term, sustainable, and cost-contained solution requires an examination of how the infrastructure as a whole can be molded to provide the necessary services. Such an infrastructure should be: 

●      Accessible – Regardless of the client location or device, the user should be able to access the information they require. This access must also be available without increasing complexity, reducing functionality, or reducing security.

●      Scalable – Computing environments will invariably need to grow. The environment must scale with a minimal amount of effort and without an exponential increase in complexity.

●      Inter-operable – Technology continually changes, and users must be able to seamlessly function in such a heterogeneous environment.

●      Reliable – The environment must also be stable, and predictable (as much as technology can be).

●      Secure – The environment must employ proven security features and practices to protect application and data.

 This is where we come back to the server-based computing technology, and the role it can play in satisfing these requirements, while at the same time delivering the real value that organizations are looking for.

 The development of an access infrastructure can provide real and immediate value in the following areas: 

●      Application Consolidation – When application access is consolidated, it immediately becomes easier and less costly to manage. Operating system and application updates are more timely, ensuring that security exploits are eliminated as quickly as possible. Applications are also more readily available to users, regardless of their location.

●      Data Access – Application consolidation also brings with it the ability to consolidate data into a central location, simplifying the configuration of access to this data by remote sites and a mobile workforce. Centrally managing data can eliminate the need to have servers located at remote sites, providing immediate value by eliminating exposure to lost data through incomplete backups, hardware theft, etc. Users can more easily share data and as a result become more productive.

●      Client Hardware – The life of existing client hardware is extended, since it is no longer required to power the full suite of software applications. Instead the client becomes more of an “access device” than a standard PC. Reducing the applications that are run locally will also reduce the complexity of installing software and repairing client hardware issues. The increased life of existing hardware reduces the future client acquisition costs.

●      Security – A reduction in the network exposure of applications and resources accessed by the user provides an immediate security enhancement. The centralized servers are more closely secured and restrictions imposed affect all users, not just a single user on a single PC. New security enhancements can also be more quickly tested and validated for production.

 Dealing with fears

 Of course, the core requirement of a server-based computing environment is the consolidation of resources and application access into a central location. This is where the uneasiness comes in. Mention centralization and the “all-the-eggs-in-one-basket” fear quickly rises to the surface.

 Certainly there are risks involved in centralization. But these risks exist with any form of centralization and are not specific to Terminal Services or MetaFrame. If an organization wants all users to be able to access data, then this data needs to be located somewhere that is accessible by all users, regardless of how they will access it. In fact, most key business services (email, client-server data, shared files) are already centralized today and the loss of access to that data would affect users whether they were running on a regular PC or within a server-based computing environment. Centralization can actually reduce outages by eliminating risks that can more easily arise when data is decentralized. Ultimately, any organization that wishes to share information and work more productively will need to look at centralization.

 Companies looking to reduce their overall IT costs could certainly benefit from investigating whether the consolidation of application resources within a server-based computing environment is right for them. Contrary to what many people think, the deployment of a Terminal Services or MetaFrame environment is not an all-or-nothing solution. Most organizations have specific areas that could benefit from this technology, while other areas, due to business requirements or technical issues, are not a good fit. The flexibility of these products, particularly MetaFrame, allow for a seamless implementation into these niche areas, delivering key cost savings while at the same time providing real value to the organization. In this day and age, what more could an IT department ask for?

Todd W. Mathers, has spent nearly 10 years specializing in the implementation of server-based computing solutions and the development of custom software for Microsoft Terminal Server and Citrix Presentation Server environments. Since 1998 he has authored a total of four books on the subject of Terminal Server and MetaFrame. His most recent, a QUE ExamCram2 book for Citrix Presentation Server certification.