Diskless workstation
Diskless workstation is a workstation computer that does not have its own hard drive and receives both the operating system and data from one or more servers over a network .
After the computer has started, the diskless workstation obtains the computer configuration via protocols such as DHCP or BOOTP via the network. Part of the computer configuration are, for example, the IP address , the computer name and an executable boot image. TFTP , for example, is used to transfer the boot image . The boot image usually contains an operating system kernel and start-up scripts. Further operating system software is stored on file servers in the network, which the diskless client accesses via network file systems such as NFS or AFS .
Compared to fat clients , the use of diskless workstations can help reduce the administrative effort. Software updates and configuration changes need to be installed on the central file server rather than on each individual computer distributes be. The exchange of computers can also be simplified since no software has to be installed on a new computer. The hard disk component, which is potentially susceptible to failure, is no longer present in the potentially distributed client computers.
Software license savings are not possible if the license amount depends on the number of users and is independent of the number of copies installed. Dispensing with hard disks saves the costs for these components in the client computers, although more resources may have to be invested in the file server or network infrastructure.
In addition, central data backup is simplified by using a central file server . Diskless workstations are also quieter because, in addition to the fans, the hard drives cause the main noise in a computer. The disadvantage of such systems, however, is that if the network or all file servers fail, no more diskless workstations can be used. The network is more stressed because the entire operating system has to be downloaded at boot time .
In contrast to a diskless workstation, a thin client is only responsible for displaying a graphical user interface. I.e. the programs that are operated via a thin client are not executed locally on the thin client, but remotely on a server ( terminal server , blade PC, virtual machine in a virtual desktop infrastructure ).