Client Machines
Expect failure and plan accordingly.
In a well designed client/server network, client machines should not be storing any data, they should only be responsible for your applications, and any directly attached peripherals. You should not spend more money than you need to on client machines - for many SMEs, a basic business class machine for office work will be more than enough. If you require manipulation of digital images, or other processor intensive tasks, that may justify better specification hardware. Furthermore, if you often run more than one application at the same time, the machines need to be specified with plenty of RAM memory, or they will slow down under load.
Different Options
While client machines can just be a basic tower machine with an accompanying flat screen, there are other options available now which can be considered, depending on the space available.
Tower PC
This is a more traditional tower PC. It is a basic, but functional business class computer.
It is reliable, flexible and good value for money.
Ultra Slim Desktops
This workstation is an HP ultra slim desktop. These machines fit on a special stand behind the monitor.
They have a smaller footprint, can be quickly deployed, and do not take up valuable workspace. The newer
Intel Dual Core machines are powerful, fully featured and look extremely modern.
Thin Client
A thin client is a workstation which provides access to the network but does not offer all the facilities
of a full scale PC. They are extremely small and can fit almost anywhere. They can also be mounted behind
the monitor, under the desk, or on the wall.
They have no moving parts; no hard drive, no fans and no CD-ROM drive, so they are extremely reliable.
They are less flexible than other solutions, as they rely on the server to run the application.
Most external devices cannot connect to them, so they will not be suitable if you are considering, for
example, intra-oral cameras or other directly attached peripherals.
Expect failure and plan accordingly
Client machines, unlike highly specified servers, are not usually designed for extremely high reliability,
and you have to expect that they might fail, even when they are new. There are a number of strategies that
Net Therapy deploy to address this issue:
1. We always ensure that, as much as is possible, all client machines are standardized. All
application installs are stored on the server, all configuration details and license keys are logged on the server,
and all the machines have a similar "build". All Net Therapy networks have full Windows domains, and no data
is stored exclusively on the client machines. Swapping the machine out, therefore, becomes much simpler and
there is a quicker recovery time.
2. We always recommend that there should be one spare machine somewhere in the business - either
by allocating one machine in a function or space that is not always used, so that machine can be redeployed
quickly, or by having a dedicated spare, ideally a laptop, that can be pressed into service at short notice.
Hardware lifecycle
Most basic client machines should offer you 3-5 years of service. Expecting more than this is likely to
prove false economy, as support, recovery and repair costs are likely to become much more of an issue at
this stage.
Upgrading existing machines
Sometimes when installing an IT upgrade, we can re-use existing systems, and where they are useable, we certainly do not insist that perfectly good machines are scrapped. Sometimes machines that are just a few years old, just need a small upgrade, such as the installation of more RAM memory, to improve their performance. Upgrades such as this, are very cost effective.