| The enterprise desktop PC is obsolete: what you should do about it |
a guest column by Mark Rais (Sep. 13, 2005)
Foreword -- In this guest column, Mark Rais asserts that enterprise PCs are getting set to go the way of the dinosaur, to be replaced by a client/server approach reminiscent of yesteryear's mainframes and minicomputers. But this time around, the client/server model will have a distinctly 21st Century characteristic: LTSP.
The enterprise desktop PC is obsolete: what you should do about it
by Mark Rais
The enterprise desktop PC is a dying entity.
Microsoft's method of licensing and dominating PCs -- and thus the enterprise desktop -- began over 20 years ago. Microsoft entered enterprises inside the Trojan Horse of the PC, which offered individual users the ability to operate their own applications and control their own data. Compared to the days when mainframes and minicomputers dominated, the ability of the PC to give users local control gave uses a profound sense of freedom.
There has been much debate and discussion regarding the Linux desktop and Microsoft's hold on the market. Yet in all the debate, few have expressed the reality that is slowly permeating businesses and organizations on a global scale. Brian Profitt, LinuxToday managing editor, may have said it best in his observation that the definition of "desktop" is constantly changing, and perhaps the word itself is a misnomer.
Evolution of the desktop
The desktop, as it applies to independent PCs running applications, was once something enriching, something positive for the user. Over the years, the power we had as desktop users has substantially declined. I'm not referring to the GUIs mind you, I'm talking about the overall OS experience. As the years passed and more and more complexity entered the desktop environment, businesses found an ever increasing burden of managing those independent desktops.
The once-mighty PC is now seen as a threat, vulnerable to trojans and viruses that spread to other PCs across the network. The dominance of software licensing schemes further exacerbates the emerging perception that a business desktop PC is dangerous and burdensome.
Today, we lock down these PCs, control them through a central IT group, and call them "managed desktops." Ironically, and almost laughably, the personal computer in business is rapidly becoming nothing more than a repository of applications that are subject to complicated licensing schemes and controlled by a central server.
And on top of this reality, in almost every business environment, all of the actual data resides on the network file systems. Much of the work done day to day comes from NT servers, or off of Exchange servers. The desktop PC does little more than drive applications and cost money.
At the same time that the wonderful freeing power of a personal computer ended, another paradigm shift began: taking all aspects of the system into account, the cost of the hardware fell below that of the software.
In short, I can now purchase a powerful new desktop PC for far less than the price of the Windows OS and application software that would be needed to run it. In this new paradigm we have a profound irony. The desktop is now an inhibitor and hurdle in the business environment.
Having hundreds of individual PCs running applications that must be controlled and managed has thus returned us to an situation (in the enterprise) in which computers are costly, and few people are able to be in full control of their systems.
The solution to this encumbrance is a full fledged return to the age of mainframes and minis, when centralized systems did the work (ran the applications), and users simply connected through terminals.
However, the computing power and implementation costs are dramatically different today. And so are the technologies.
Back to the future
I once worked on large UNIX mainframes, profoundly expensive but powerful systems, through a terminal connection. My amber colored video display opened a thin door into the raw power of the mainframe system. Today, instead, I replace this with an inexpensive Linux Terminal Server that offers full graphical capabilities. It also frees me as a user to have that necessary-and-desired control over my own "virtual desktop" and personal login.
The brains, the power, the applications, and the file storage are all coming from the central server called the Linux Terminal Server. Instead of a central managed Microsoft server, you have a central Linux server, but no desktop licensing or maintenance.
Client/server computing -- thin clients communicate with a terminal server via a LAN
In businesses world wide, a growing number of IT managers recognize this unique power to simply disconnect their desktop hard disks and remove the core of what dominates their lives. Instead, they switch OFF the "desktop" and switch ON the "thin client to terminal server" approach that is readily available and FREE with Linux.
Power, simplicity, and other benefits
The above diagram illustrates the incredible power and utter simplicity of using the Linux Terminal Server. The server, upon boot-up, automatically maps 254 virtual nodes and alias IP addresses to a network card. When any PC is connected to the network on the Terminal Server's subnet, the PC can become a thin-client within seconds. It then operates as if it is a full-fledged login to the terminal server.
Every PC in a business environment -- including the CEO's laptop -- can access the Terminal Server once a simple BIOS-configuration change is made. Namely, the PC BIOS should be set so that it boots first to a Network device using the PXE protocol.
Even if you've never looked over your PC's BIOS or changed boot device sequences, this is a trivial step. You can read my basic guide to setting up Terminal Servers and clients for more proof.
Now a business can place the full burden of serving applications, managing user logins, providing layers of security, and centralizing the corporate data on to the Terminal Server.
Best of all, there is minimal effort involved in converting an existing Microsoft desktop to a Linux thin-client with access to OpenOffice, Internet surfing, firewall protection and more. Once a terminal server is installed (about 45 minutes) you can add any PC on the network (about 10 seconds).
No longer is there a need for costly and increasingly complex desktop maintenance, management, and installation. Instead, new thin clients can be set up and enabled to tap into the Terminal Server within minutes. The whole setup takes far less time and money to install and maintain. It can be integrated into almost any business within a day. It can address future licensing and support needs for years.
In the past, this premise failed as a result of incompatibilities with existing infrastructure. But today, the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) takes all of the complexity out of the picture and provides a solution so thorough that it includes many features.
Furthermore, rdesktop (a remote client for Windows Terminal Server) -- an important tool often included with LTSP installations -- enables direct connections between LTSP thin clients and both existing Microsoft Windows infrastructure and the Linux Terminal Server. In short, you don't need to throw out existing infrastructure -- you can integrate with the existing servers. Powerful tools like SAMBA expand on this, and offer full file-sharing compatibility across the heterogenous network.
As if this were not enough, I've personally found that some businesses actually experience a performance gain using a Linux Terminal Server. In many corporations, the desktop systems are outdated and run an app like Adobe Acrobat Reader from their own hard disks far more slowly than they would through a Terminal Server connection. Rather than begin yet another upgrade cycle, these companies are able to gain a performance benefit by switching to the Linux Terminal Server model.
Escaping from the license-and-upgrade tread mill
Linux Thin Clients can thus be seen as a key enabling technology for migrating away from today's expensive Microsoft-licensed desktop PC model. Instead, we have a solution that breaks this model, frees companies to scale their infrastructure at far less cost, yet still provides the end user applications, access, and tools that are essential to daily business use.
Of course, the Linux terminal server is not a panacea. It cannot resolve a business' existing issues with managing Microsoft ADS, scaling for Exchange server, or supporting older NT infrastructure. Nor can the it address the problems of entrenchment or recalcitrant attitudes toward using different-but-compatible applications.
However, the Linux terminal server can make a dramatic difference when used as a means to escape from the desktop license-and-upgrade tread mill. When applied appropriately, the only key maintenance effort will be around supporting and updating software and hardware on the terminal server. (Read my article on Linux in Education for additional details on this issue.)
I strongly urge IT managers and business leaders to take a moment to evaluate the possibilities of using Linux terminal servers. Get a preconfigured copy (K-12LTSP) and try it out in a prototype setting. Some examples of how beneficial Linux thin clients have been for educational environments, as well as other use cases, are published by the LTSP, here. If you're interested in other real-world examples, here are a few from the Linux Lab (K-12) projects: case study in Korea; in US high schools; various lab case studies. You may also benefit from reading my article, 45 Minutes to a Linux Terminal Server.
Copyright © 2005 by Mark Rais. Reproduced by DesktopLinux.com with permission.
 About the author: Mark Rais, author of Linux for the Rest of Us, 2nd Ed, dedicates his time and energy to promoting OpenSource technology, especially among the poor and where a technology divide exists. He serves as senior editor for ReallyLinux.com, and as technology consultant to companies interested in switching to Linux.
Please note: The opinions expressed in this guest column are those of the writer, not of the management or staff of DesktopLinux.com.
Related stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.
Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.
Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.
Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.
Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.
Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.
Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.
Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.
Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed
