Reviews BooksThis book is written by David Richards, a veteran Linux thin client network designer. Designed for System Administrators, Linux Thin Client Networks Design and Deployment goes over the concepts which are related to thin client networks, as well as issues related to design and implementation. This book includes a sizeable number of how-to guides which are step-by-step, and it covers the various elements which are involved with the implementation of the thin client network which is dependent on the open sourced software.
A thin client network, which may also be known as a "lean" client network, is a type of client server architecture in which the client computers will be heavily dependent on the central server, especially when it comes to processing activities. The thin clients will place an emphasis on transferring the input to remote services, as well as receiving the output and showcasing it. Thin clients don't involve the hardware and software as much as it does design. This book has a lot of information which is geared towards showing you how this technology works.
In addition to this, it is designed to help you evaluate the ways in which the Linux thin client network can fit within your organization, and it can also help you to make choices which are informed when it comes to the hardware or software which will be necessary for the design and implementation of a work environment that is stable, one that can meet the needs of virtually any organization, regardless of whether or not its large or small.
The content that is stored within this book can be described as being highly relevant. I highly recommend this book for those who are new with "thin clients" and the use of open source tools. However, this book can also be an excellent read even for System Administrators who are experienced. Anyone who needs to construct a network of thin clients can benefit greatly from this book. The book offers an overview which is highly detailed when it comes to explaining the components which make up the architecture for the thin client.
In addition to this, Richards spends a lot of time talking about the choices that you have for configuration. The thing that I like about this book is that it offers pointers when it comes to trade offs that you can made for every component choice, as well as providing the explanations in a language that business unit owners can understand. The author of this book also tries hard to bypass the technical jargon that has become so prevalent in most contemporary books on this subject. I should also note that this is very challenging given the nature of this book.
Overall, this book is fairly pleasant to read. It can be a great reference for undergraduates since it provides good hints when it comes to the costs of implementation, especially when compared to the standard architecture which is often PC based. Overall, I would personally recommend this book to those who are highly experienced with thin client networks. The book is written quite well, and the author works hard to explain concepts in detail which are ver difficult to learn.
The Linux Thin Client Networks Design and Deployment show that the thin clients don't involve just hardware and software, but focuses more on the design of infrastructure through the use of the TCO reduction. It deals with the types of thinclients that are used, as well as the financial analysis, the network consideration for the implementation of the server, and the thin client software support and the implementation. Chapter one gives the reader an overview of thin clients, explaining what they are, where they come from, and how the resources can be optimized.
The first chapter also helps you overcome some of the standard misconceptions that come with thin clients. Chapter 2 spends time talking about the thin client types, and it goes over the operating systems which can be used, and the hardware that can be used to display the options when you deploy the thin clients. The third chapter deals with the costs, and shows how the adoption of thin clients and use of Linux can dramatically lower the costs. Not only can the costs be lowered on implementation, but they can also be lowered for maintenance.
The life cycle for a thin client is about 10 years, but the PC will have about three years for its life cycle. The fourth chapter spends a lot of time talking about the people issues. It focuses on common sense things that people will have to deal with when working with the thin client solution, and it shows the implementation schedule, along with the deployment. The chapter can also showcase the importance of training should the platform be changing. A good example of this could be a change from Linux to Windows, or vice versa.
Chapter five spends a lot of time talking about the network itself, and it shows that the network is a very important part of the thin client solution. In fact, Richards argues that when more bandwidth is available, the users will have an experience which is much more pleasurable. The later chapters of this book spend time talking about the server side aspect of implementation, and it goes over choosing a server, and setting up the XDMCP connection. The deployment of the software is also discussed, as well as picking software that will work over a network.
The software is broken down into categories such as web software, office software, databases, and multimedia applications. It shows how to gain access to other systems, and a good example of this would be gaining access to a console which is Unix based, along with Window servers via Rdesktop. The final chapters of this book deal with the deployment of the thin clients, as well as factors which will allow you to pick the proper thin client for your needs, along with connection methods and peripherals that can be useful to you.
This book is available for purchase at packtpub.com Linux Thin Client Networks Design and Deployment
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