Since its introduction in 1999 ThinManager has undergone a number of improvements. But the most significant changes have come with the latest releases.
Here is a look at the most important features added and enhanced since ThinManager 2.3.
Introduced in ThinManager 2.4
- Configuration Wizards – Perform most of the configuration through computer directed wizards and walk through any number of complex configuration tasks without the fear of missing an important step.
- New Tree view of Terminal Servers and connected clients – See exactly which Windows Terminal Server is hosting each Thin Client. As clients log off one server and on to another, or in the event of a primary server failure and the automatic switching of all its connected clients to a backup server, the new tree will enable identification of all the server to client relationships.
- Multiple monitoring connections to redundant ThinManager Servers – Provided the ability to run the ThinManager software on multiple machines. Load and start ThinManager wherever you need to be able to keep up with the system status.
- Support for new Hardware – Added a number of new industrial ThinManager Ready Thin Clients.
- ThinManager Configuration Import and Export – Multiple ThinManager Servers can work together by allowing for the export and import of the configuration of all managed Thin Clients. Along with this comes the ability to backup and restore ThinManager configurations.
- Assign names to Servers – Even users who are not using a network with DNS can assign names to the ThinManager Servers and Terminal Servers on the network.
- Create lists of available ThinManager Servers and Terminal Servers – Easy and automatic creation of server lists to cut down on confusion during initial system configuration and updates.
Introduced in ThinManager 2.5
- SmartSession – When a Thin Client connects to a group that is configured with Smart Session, it is sent to the server with the most available resources. This balances the load among all of the servers, improving performance by not tying a specific client to a specific server.
- MultiSession – One client, many sessions across multiple terminal server groups. Thin Clients running Multi-Session can connect to a number of Terminal Server Groups at the same time, starting sessions on a server in each group. The operator at the Multi-Session Thin Client can then select which group (session) to display from a drop-down menu on the Thin Client. All of the sessions continue to run whether they are displayed or not.
- AppLink – All of the servers in an AppLink group will have a common identified application. Any Thin Client that connects to this group will only have access to that application – not the Windows desktop, not the start menu, just the application.
- Enterprise Licenses – Run an unlimited number of Thin Clients and Terminal Servers with three different levels of Enterprise Licensing from ACP.
- Shadowing – View and control any client’s screen directly from within ThinManager.
- TS administration – List and control sessions on any terminal server from within ThinManager.
- Server Grouping – Group servers by application or function for greater flexibility. Instead of pointing to a single Terminal Server to host a Thin Client, point to a Terminal Server group. If the first server in a group fails, all of the Thin Clients running on that group will switch to the next server in the group.
- Support for Microsoft’s native RDP protocol – Results in faster graphics rendering, comm port redirection and high-color (when connected to a Windows 2003 Terminal Server)
- Support for USB keyboard and mouse
- Support for local flash storage devices (Jump Drives)
Introduced ThinManager 2.6
- WinTMC – Allows Windows-based PC’s to be managed through ThinManager
- MultiCast – Allows simultaneous booting of multiple clients using one network data stream.
- See the hardware properties of any of the Terminal Servers on the network
- Graphical trends of memory and CPU load of any Terminal Server – Helpful for monitoring load balancing among servers.
- Real-time ranking of Terminal Servers within a SmartSession group.
- Remote Connection to any of the Terminal Servers from within ThinManager
Introduced ThinManager 3.0
- SQL database for greater scalability and increased event data storage
- Improved tree structure simplifies navigation
- More graphing features
- Shadowing with configurable ask / warn and enabling
- Better touch screen calibration
- Always return to existing sessions with SessionFinder
- Improved MultiSession group selector
- Module selection by type
- Configurable ThinManager security groups
- Automated synchronization between two ThinServers
- Event logging; including configuration events, terminal and terminal server actions and user actions
- Better visualization with terminal effects
- Screen edge MultiSession group selection
- Control terminal usage through scheduling
- Disable terminal servers for maintenance
- Find available terminal servers with Terminal Server Discovery
- Improved multi-level grouping
- MultiSession screen saver
- Terminal restart without reboot
ThinManager 3.0 also supports TermSecure
- Drastically enhances security of Microsoft Terminal Server and Thin Clients
- Completely insulates users from the Terminal Server network until they are authenticated
- Allows manual login, automatic hardware validation and login, or combination of both
- Prohibits users from even knowing a Windows username and password
- Brings user’s Terminal Server desktop and sessions to any Thin Client when they login through keyboard, RFID, badge reader, Smart Card, etc.
- Allows one Thin Client to control multiple sessions on multiple Terminal Servers