3. Advantages of Diskless Computer

Diskless linux computer will become immensely popular and will be the product of this century and in the next century. The diskless linux computers will be very successful because of the availability of very high-speed network cards at very low prices. Today 100 Megabit per second (12.5 MB per sec transfer rate) network cards are common and in about 1 to 2 years 1000 MBit (125 MB per sec transfer rate) network cards will become very cheap and will be the standard.

In near future, Monitor manufacturers will place the CPU, NIC, RAM right inside the monitor to form a diskless computer!! This eliminates the diskless computer box and saves space. The monitor will have outlet for mouse, keyboard, network RJ45 and power supply.

The following are benefits of using diskless computers -

• Diskless Linux computers can run BOTH MS Windows 95/NT and linux programs.

• Total cost of ownership is very low in case of Diskless computers. Total cost of ownership is cost of initial purchasing + cost of maintainence. The cost of maintainence is usually 3 to 5 times the cost of initial computer purchase and this cost is recurring year after year. In case of Diskless computers, the cost of maintainence is completely eliminated!!

• All the backups are centralized at one single main server.

• More security of data as it is located at server.

• No need of UPS battery, air-conditioning, dust proof environment for diskless clients, only server needs UPS battery, A/C and dust proof environment.

• Protection from Virus attack - Computer virus cannot attack diskless computers as they do not have any hard disk. Virus cannot do any damage to diskless computers. Only one single server box need to be protected against virus attack. This saves millions of dollars for the company by avoiding installtion of vaccines and cleaning the hard disks!!

• Server can have large powerful/high performance hard disks, can optimize the usage of disk space via sharing by many diskless computer users. Fault tolerance of hard disk failure is possible by using RAID on main server.

• Server can have 64 bit CPU SMP box having many CPUs or even linux super-computers. CPU power can be shared by many diskless computer users

• Sharing of central server RAM memory by many diskless computer users. For example, if many users are using web browser than at server RAM there will be only one copy of web browser in the RAM. In case Windows 95 PCs, many users need to have individual copy of web browser in local RAM and hence there is wastage of RAM space.

• Diskless linux computers can run programs on multiple servers using the "xhost" and DISPLAY environment.

• Very few system administrators required to maitain central server unlike Windows 95 PC clients which need many administrators.

• Zero administration at diskless client side. Diskless computers are absolutely maintainence free and troublefree.

• Long life of diskless clients - more than 100 years without any hardware or software upgrades.

• Eliminates install/upgrade of hardware, software on diskless client side.

• Eliminates cost of cdrom, floppy, tape drive, modem, UPS battery, Printer parallel ports, serial ports etc..

• Can operate in places like factory floor where a hard disk might be too fragile.