Five Ways to Get Thin This Summer

 General, Real World ThinManager  No Responses »
Jun 062012
 

It is that time of the year again.  The days are getting longer, the nights are getting warmer, and the cover has been taken off the pool.  With summer right around the corner, people everywhere are trying to get thin in time for swimsuit season.  But what about your office?  Your factory?  Your remote facilities?  Fear not, ThinManager has five simple tips for them to get thin this summer:

 

1) Eliminate Bloat:

Reclaim your desk by getting rid of your big PC towers and huge CRT monitors.  By switching to thin clients, you can greatly reduce your energy costs and enjoy a more efficient work environment.  A thin client network will allow your infrastructure to stay agile and allow you to easily change your architecture whenever there is a need.  ThinManager knows that there is no easier way to manage thin clients than the ThinManager Platform…and an organized and agile business is a successful business.

 

2) Keep Focused:

Why spend time and money every month patching and updating individual PC workstations?  ThinManager centralizes administration of all of your applications so you can use your IT resources for improvements and expansion instead of maintenance.  By using our AppLink feature, you can designate which terminals can access which applications.  This emphasis on improved efficiency is just one way ThinManager helps your business continue pushing forward after adopting a thin lifestyle.

 

3) Avoid Stress:

Research has showed time and time again that being in a stressful environment makes it far more difficult to get thin.  Thankfully, ThinManager can help monitor and alleviate stress with our SmartSession feature.  By polling all active servers and determining their current load based on CPU usage, memory usage, and total number of current sessions, ThinManager will connect your thin clients to the server with the lightest load.  Eliminating stress by improving functionality is a great way to get thin.

 

4) Stay Moving:

Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion. ThinManager gives you the ability to stay connected without being chained to a desk by offering a complete mobile solution. With ThinManager Mobile you can shadow clients, change configurations, and even reset individual clients from anywhere in your facility.  The iTMC app allows you to turn your iPad into a full blown thin client giving  you to access your applications or desktop  from anywhere…even the gym!

 

5) Healthy Intake:

It is often said that the hardest part of getting thin is adopting a healthy lifestyle.  One of the most important steps toward that goal is making sure that you are only taking in healthy data. Unfortunately, nearly half of all viruses come from inside your facility.  That is why ThinManager allows you to restrict the USB ports on designated thin clients to eliminate viruses that can be transferred via secondary user devices.  For additional security, TermSecure by ThinManager works to reduce internal risks by granting or denying specific user access to thin clients, terminal server applications, and sessions with permission groups.

 

 

This summer, don’t just talk about adopting a healthy lifestyle.  Let ThinManager help you embrace the power of thin!

 

MailBag Friday (#4)

 Real World ThinManager  No Responses »
Jun 012012
 

Every Friday, we dedicate this space to sharing Technical Support emails we have recently received.  Our hope is that this weekly feature will help to educate other ThinManager users and provide them with answers to questions they may have about licenses, installation, integration, deployment, upgrades, maintenance, and daily operation.  Great Technical Support is an essential part of any software product, and we are constantly striving to make your environment as productive and efficient as possible.

 

ThinManager,

I am having trouble getting a workstation with Thin Manager to connect to a Thin Server. I see the communication status blink green, but then goes off immediately.

Then it returns an Error that states “The RPC server is unavailable.” and another Error “800706ba”

The Thin Server that I am trying to connect to is running with Server2008 R2 OS. I have tried to connect from an XP box, and another Server2008 system.

Both give the same results.

Any help will be appreciated!

Thanks,

Cale K.

 

 

Cale,
It is probably a permission issue, or a issue with DCOM, especially on the XP box.
2008 Server:
This has been tightened severely compared to Server 2003. Check our tech note and see if you’ve followed these steps. If you skip one it won’t work. Also pay attention to the ports/firewall.
XP Workstation:
This is usually a permission issue, often with DCOM.

-TM

________________________________________

 

 

Hello,

I have taken over management of the ThinManager servers that operate at one of our facilities and was wondering how I can obtain Report Templates that we see in the reports option.

Please advise and thank you for your help.

Greg W.

 

 

Greg,

Our reports are composed of two parts, a sql query and the html template that displays the results of the query.

These are stored in either the Reports or Reports Templates folders in the ThinManager directory.

Selecting which report to show in the Report tab is done by selecting “View > Reports” from the ThinManager menu bar and selecting the report in the “Select Reports” window.

You can print the reports by right clicking on a report and selecting “Print” or by selecting “View > Print”.

We also have a method of running the reports on a regular basis. It is explained in the Tech Note:

We also have a mechanism to replace the ACP logo on the reports with your own. See this Tech Note for that info:

-TM

_________________________________________________

 

 

To whom it may concern;
I am a contractor working for a company which uses the ACP Thin Manager product for some of our applications. We are in the process of implementing Microsoft updates patches to our various systems, and we need to know if there has been any testing to ensure individual patches will not negatively impact your product. Is there any information you have that could help us with this?
Thanks!
Valerie S.

 

 

There are no known issues with any Microsoft patches at this time.

Thanks,
-TM

________________________________________

 

 

Hello,


Is there any technotes or direction on how to use the iPad application?   Also, I downloaded and installed the beta version because it was the only one I could find.  Where do I get the previous version that is not a beta.

 

I have been able to connect an iPad to our Thin Client system but when I connect, the terminals do not load in the left hand side of the iPad app.  The other controls work and load (Display Servers, Display Clients & TS Users) but no terminals.  I was able to get them to load but now I can’t get them to load at all.  I believe that when I upgraded my license earlier this year it should have included the licensing for the iPad application?  Please confirm.

Richard A.

 

 

Richard,

We have an iTMC article which should answer all of your questions:http://www.thinmanager.com/technotes/05_Hardware/iTMC_Client.pdf

-TM
_______________________________________________

The Future of Thin in the Cloud

 News  No Responses »
May 302012
 


With the continued explosion of cloud computing, and rapid growth in tablet sales, is there a place for more thin client growth in what is still a PC dominated landscape? On paper, cloud computing and thin client networks would seem to be in direct opposition.  The cloud allows for sharing data with no centralized storage point while thin client networks provide multiple access points to data through one centralized place or server.  And yet, these two vastly different approaches to network computing seem to be moving forward in the same direction…away from the NEED for PCs.

For those who manufacture and proliferate PCs, cloud based thin client networks are a continuing problem that will not go away.  People and companies who are deeply rooted in the world of PCs will swear up and down that PCs are still the answer.  After all, why replace a perfectly functioning PC with a new piece of hardware that brings less computing power to the table?  While there may be some validity found in that question, the Dell acquisition of Wyse for nearly $1 billion dollars should give PC zealots something to think about.  After all, when the world leader in PC sales purchases one of the world’s largest thin client manufacturers, it might lead one to believe that current trends and future forecasts are pointing to the continued growth of the thin client as the new standard.

Even though cloud computing offers the same access and benefits to both hardware types, the cloud is more of an added convenience to PC users, while it is very much a necessity for thin client architecture that includes remote users via secure remote connections.  Simply put, the cloud is the great equalizer.  By allowing data storage, application access, and even video processing to be securely accessed by multiple remote users, much of the standard PC becomes not only cost prohibitive but unnecessary.  In an environment containing a number of networked workstations, this cost prohibition is multiplied and makes the benefit of a thin client environment that much more obvious.

For those who create and sell software, the relationship between cloud computing and thin clients is more of a mixed bag that is directly related to specific company and licensing formats.  Microsoft, for example, is currently involved in a love/ hate relationship with cloud based thin client system architecture.  With the proliferation of their cloud (Azure), Microsoft is banking on the continued growth of cloud computing.  However, the expansion of VDI, virtualized servers, and thin client based networks into computing clouds has made the purchase of “per seat licensing” by end users a shrinking market that can be directly attributed to the growth of tablets and thin client network management in work environments.  Recently, Microsoft has stated that they are working on a way to change their licensing structure to ensure that clients and tablets running virtualization programs to access Windows applications will have to purchase additional licensing.

With so many moving parts to the puzzle, and the continuing advancement of cloud technology as well as fully managed thin client networks, it would seem that it is the end user who will dictate the future growth of PCs or thin clients as it relates to cloud computing.  With most of the major players hedging their bets and keeping one foot firmly planted in both camps, it should boil down to individual preference based on things such as ROI, TCO, and security versus accessibility.  While there is no immediate answer to the question of which is more viable in the cloud, the continuing use and growth of thin client network architecture across a growing cross-section of end users will ensure that both players will be able to be a part of the debate for years to come.

 

 

 

A Walk through the Clouds

 Education, General  No Responses »
May 232012
 


 

Unless you live under a rock on a deserted island, chances are you have heard about, considered using, or are moving toward “The Cloud.”  It is now a prevalent and unavoidable topic of conversation that has finally made its way from computing industry professionals to the general populace.   In the very near future, “The Cloud” will have become just another term in the lexicon of technology that people accept as a part of their daily computer activity, even if they don’t entirely understand it.  Much like instant messaging, search engine, the web, and Wi-Fi, the cloud is rapidly becoming as much a part of our daily lives as the bowl of cereal we have to start our day.

So how is it that most people can’t actually explain what the cloud is or where it came from?  How can something that is rapidly becoming a standard still be such a vague mystery to most who use it?  Rather than wondering how this phenomenon evolved, I thought it might be a great use of this space to explain how the cloud actually came to be.  My hope is that by understanding where the cloud came from, the reader can see how it will continue to develop.

The Cloud had very humble beginnings in the 1960’s as a future concept discussed by people like Joseph Licklider and Douglas Parkhill.  And while that discussion continued for decades, it was a very slow evolution from concept to proof of concept as developers and futurists were forced to wait for technology to develop a strong foundation upon which the concept could be explored.

Once internet service had begun to invade homes across the world in the 1990’s, the development and deployment of the infrastructure for rapid development of a grid (both electrical and computing) hit terminal velocity, as demand far outweighed supply.  For the first time, the intranet / local network architecture employed by large businesses in enclosed environments could be employed on a much bigger open scale.  This leap forward led to the birth of global pioneers like VMware and Salesforce who led the way in proliferating concepts such as SaaS (Software as a Service) and Virtualization.

With the success of this new internet model, which allowed individual users to integrate online content from anywhere with their own individual website / digital presence, the cloud was well on its way to becoming the natural evolution of the current model of hardline internet service and data sharing.   In 2003, Nicholas Carr began publishing a series of articles and books about the future growth of cloud computing under the banner “IT Doesn’t Matter” where he extrapolated that internet access and use would become a common and accepted commodity like other utilities such as water or electricity.

After that, the dominoes continued to fall quickly.  Throughout the decade there was a string of advances including Amazon’s IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) model which laid the foundation for the “pay-for-use” cloud business model, the PaaS (Platform as a Service) model developed by Salesforce via Force.com, and the open source cloud platform created by Eucalyptus.  This, in turn, led to market giants such as Google and Gartner taking notice and making sure that everyone else did as well.

Since then, the paradigm has shifted as continuing technological advances have outpaced the ability of both futurists and market experts to predict the next advancement in data storage and sharing.  But for the time being, it is comforting to know that we live in an age where a walk through the clouds requires nothing more than sitting at a desk and clicking a mouse.

 

ThinManager 6.0 Launch Event Raises the Bar

 News  No Responses »
Apr 252012
 

Ready for Launch!

From the moment the music started and the partition wall was removed in a backlit shroud of darkness, attendees of the ThinManager 6.0 Launch Event started thinking that this was not going to be a typical expo event.  Less than 10 minutes later as the lights came up on a large room filled with rocket shaped display booths and more technology than they could shake a stick at, that feeling was confirmed.

 

Immediately following, Matt Crandell, CEO of Automation Control Products, took to the stage and clearly conveyed the magnitude of this event to a packed house.  There would be no product pitch or chest thumping because the ThinManager platform could stand alone without a need for bells and whistles.  There would be no “dead time” or aimless wandering because there was something for everyone regardless of the time of day.  And most importantly, there would be ample opportunity for everyone to experience a true interactive environment.  “The best way to explain the product is to put it in people’s hands and let them experience it for themselves,” said Crandell.

 

Over the next three days, that is exactly what ACP did.  With the help of a dedicated team of professionals, hundreds of industry experts were afforded the opportunity to see ThinManager in action, to use it, and most importantly, to receive training and certification.  And when attendees were not immersed in a training environment, there was an entire Expo available to them to view partner products, discuss practical application of the products, and to network with other industry leaders.

 

ThinManager 6.0 Expo

With representatives from hardware manufacturers such as Advantech, Arista, Contec, and Strongarm as well as HMI providers such as Rockwell and Wonderware/ Invensys, every aspect of the automation control solutions industry was well represented.  In addition, there were a multitude of vertical presentations from different company representatives who had deployed ThinManager in a broad cross section of industries and wanted to let everyone know how they were able to lower costs while increasing productivity and limiting downtime.

 

Jim Pinto

Perhaps the highlight of the entire event was the Keynote address given by Jim Pinto, the godfather of the HMI and PLC integration industry.  Speaking to a full house, Mr. Pinto espoused upon the importance of innovation and the need to continue progressing to keep pace with an ever changing marketplace. “The large automation companies are developing mostly extensions of old stuff, reincarnations of tired concepts that can’t generate real growth and just won’t cut it much longer. They are too conservative to do much beyond short-term extrapolations,” said Pinto.  These were bold words to be spoken aloud in a room filled with industry experts.  Yet he continued on without hesitation, constantly driving home the idea that true innovation cannot be achieved without moving forward.  There was a sense that his words were more honest assessment than radical ideology, and there was no doubt that he was there to make sure everyone realized that ThinManager was on the forefront of companies leading the way for a new generation of industrial management software.

 

After three days of automation industry immersion, countless hours of expert training, and dozens of presentations, it would seem that Mr. Pinto was correct, and his statements applied equally to the ThinManager 6.0 Launch Event as much as it did to the newest version of their centralized management solution.  They found a way to take something like a “technology expo” that has been done hundreds of times by hundreds of other companies, and turn it into something more…something that exceeded expectations. It would seem that they made their point, and people are listening.

 

Pictures, Videos, and PowerPoint Presentations will be posted to the site and distributed via social media.  For more information please visit:
 
https://www.facebook.com/ThinManager
https://twitter.com/#!/ThinManager
http://www.linkedin.com/company/automation-control-products
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThinManagerTV
 

Zero Client and Cloud Computing – What are they?

 General  No Responses »
Apr 222010
 

The term Zero Client came about because the line between Thin Clients and PCs has become increasingly difficult to determine – and companies who produce the thinnest clients needed a way to differentiate themselves.

If you can install and run all your applications on a Windows Server (think ‘mainframe’) then to view them remotely you only need a basic CPU, VGA driver, network I/O, keyboard and mouse – a Windows Terminal.

However today you can find “Thin Clients” with local storage, XP operating systems, and a host of local applications.  In my opinion this has crossed the line and has become a PC. Continue reading »