Sharp skill for thin clients
- Posted:
- 16:04 03 Jul 2003
- Topics:
- Thin Clients & Remote Desktops
Citrix Independent Computing Architecture - Citrix is 56th in the SSL/CW skills list
What is it?
Five years ago the fat client/thin client debate was raging. Fat
clients were full-function PCs, stuffed to the gills with
locally-held copies of applications. Thin clients were slimline
terminals which used the network to access centrally held
applications.
Various studies had put the total cost of ownership of a fat client
- including purchase costs, licensing and manually upgrading
software - at up to $10,000 (£6,500) a year. Thin clients were
the future: all administration and the heavy processing would be
done at the server. Pure thin clients were closed boxes which users
could not modify: they had no floppy or CD drives.
Sadly, in a gut-barging contest, the fat guys have the edge.
Nevertheless, the most successful thin-client technology, Citrix
Independent Computing Architecture, is thriving, and total costs of
ownership have plummeted. SAP users recently voted Citrix Metaframe
Access Suite the product with the greatest positive impact on their
SAP implementations for the second year running, citing improved
performance, lower implementation and management costs and
increased flexibility.
Where did it originate?
Citrix Systems was founded in 1989. It specialised in remote access
with products such as Winframe.
The Citrix Metaframe application server software, the core of the
server-based, thin-client computing strategy, was first shipped in
1998.
What is it for?
ICA is the protocol that enables Citrix to separate screen updates
and user input processing from the rest of the applications
logic.
All application logic executes on the server and only screen
updates, mouse movements and keystrokes are transmitted over the
network, requiring just a few kilobits per second of
bandwidth.
What makes it special?
Citrix clients can access almost anything that runs on a Citrix
server, which means, for example, that a Windows PC can use Linux
or AIX applications and that Macintosh and even Dos PC users do not
have to change their systems to run Windows applications.
Management is centralised and it is possible to look after a
heterogeneous client environment from the server.
Citrix claims its users find a reduction in total cost of ownership
for their PC networks of 35% or more. Applications can be deployed
more quickly and efficiently, since they only have to be installed
once on the server. Client hardware can go on being used long after
it would normally need to be replaced to accommodate the latest
increase in the size of Windows.
How difficult is it to master?
The foundation course in Metaframe administration takes four
days.
Where is it used?
Citrix claims more than 120,000 customers and nearly 50 million
users, including all of the Fortune 100 companies, 99% of the
Fortune 500 and 95 of the Financial Times European 100.
Not to be confused with...
A lemon-flavoured vitamin supplement.
What systems does it run on?
Windows, Solaris, AIX and other Unix servers; Windows, Macintosh,
Unix and a range of other clients, including handheld
systems.
What is coming up?
Consolidation of the different Citrix access tools into an
integrated suite.
Training
Through Citrix authorised learning centres. See www.citrix.com/site/SS/training/index.asp
Jobs and money
From £20,000 to £30,000 for systems analysts, and
£40,000 to £60,000 for Citrix consultants and Metaframe
architects.