I recently observed this strange set of workstation at my workplace where around 30 monitors are installed and it seemed to be running fine.There was no CPU connected to the monitors but there was a modem like thing which has connection to the monitor and in parallel to other PCs adjacent. Later it was realized that a virtual connection has been set up.
From what explanation i received,there was a main Computer with a CPU and server connections. And the required software were installed on that PC which could be accessed by the remaining 30 PCs.
My main question now is how is this connection established.Would it compromise on the performance or speed while the remaining users perform their respective tasks. Also can the processes being executed on the respective PCs be tracked at this main server machine.
Best Answer
It is a terminal server, with thin clients connected to it via a "dumb" machine (offers basic networking, video and mouse/keyboard input). Everything is living off of one server that everyone shares, and is therefore managed by an IT department. The clients connect (usually) with the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) used by Windows Servers, although there are some that use VNC or other remote technologies. The main point though is that the devices that connect the keyboard mouse and monitor are not processing anything themselves, but rather, sending all input to the server, and taking in the output for the screen.
It will affect system performance as more users connect, but most terminal servers are built to handle large loads of data and processing. And since everything is actually taking place on a remote server, yes, everything can be logged