CASE STUDY
2005 with over thirty potential users drawn being installed in the Craighall campus swapped and installed in a matter of minutes.
from different parts of the university. This over September and October 2007. With the “This has meant that if a thin client device
used Wyse thin computers - a mix of Wyse first phase of the new campus open from fails, the information services team unplugs
9150s and 5150s - and Hewlett Packard September 2007, the project has seen the the faulty device, plugs in a new device and
blade servers and tested how well a range of number of PCs reduced to approximately this is fully set up and the user back working
applications performed when accessed from 50 and the activation of over 1,200 thin with minimum downtime,” says Angwin.
the thin-clients over a network to a central client computers in the new building. The Is there a means of overseeing the entire
data centre. remaining PCs are used to run specialist system?
“This six month proof of concept applications in certain departments including Information about how the thin clients are
demonstrated that thin-client computing video editing software or non-standard performing is provided by the Wyse Device
could meet our needs. We had expected hardware such as smart card readers. Manager console.
problems, but all went pretty well with no Muir says the benefits of the thin client “This allows QMU’s information services
real show-stoppers,” remembers Muir. system in comparison to PCs are obvious. team to monitor all devices at all times. It
So a decision was taken in summer 2005 Each Wyse V50 thin client consumes 17 takes full advantage of the thin computing
to proceed with thin computing for the entire watts of power compared to an average PC model to centrally control the deployment
new campus. which can be up to 200 watts. of settings to a newly plugged-in device,
But what kind of a university is QMU? The energy efficiency of the thin client is simplifying the management of information
Founded in 1875, the institution replicated back in the data centre where the services to the university’s dynamic
comprises schools of business, enterprise and university says it chose the latest HP blade server population of end users,” continues Angwin.
management; drama and creative industries; technology whose power efficiency is some of Added to which, the energy efficiency of
health sciences; social sciences, media and the best in class. the new terminals, which consume a 10th
communications. The migration went smoothly because Muir of the wattage of a PC, means the end users
In October 2003, the university set out its says his team worked on ensuring the end are generating more heat than the computer
vision for an academic village that combined users experienced no difference with using a terminal itself.
a sustainable development with a learning thin client terminal compared to their previous “We’ve been shown that a human body of
resource centre providing information PC. Each terminal comprises a Wyse thin an average person at rest generates 356 BTUs
services to over 4,500 students and staff, plus client unit, a standard keyboard and flat screen (British thermal units), which converts into
visitors and members of the local community. monitor. In fact, for some users, it has been 75 watts. Even when you add in the power
A formal competitive EU tender
was issued with a selection process
that set out clear guidelines about how
the new system had to deliver cost and
‘
In fact we were a little worried
operational efficiencies. Suppliers were also
about units being stolen
scrutinised about how much they met wider
environmental criteria in terms of how they
’
ran their own businesses and manufactured the smaller footprint of the thin clients that has output of the flat screen, each thin computer
and recycled hardware to the highest green stood out as a main benefit. terminal generates up to 42 watts”.
business standards including ISO 14001. According to Muir: “Students really Because the units are so small and
Seven suppliers of equipment from three haven’t noticed the changeover because light they can be installed securely almost
thin client manufacturers were assessed we’ve deliberately made the interface anywhere, meaning that terminals are located
against these criteria and the Wyse V50 resemble the Windows interface on a PC. The nearly anywhere people need to access their
Linux-based thin client was judged to meet only real difference has been the replacement personal data and applications.
requirements most closely. of bulky PC unit and monitor with a much Nor are thin client restricted to use on
“Wyse came top because their technology smaller, smarter terminal. In fact we were a campus only.
best met our requirements. It also was clear little worried about units being stolen because Accessibility extends to access outside
that their technology was more advanced than they looked so fantastic, but we’ve had no of the campus with end users able to access
the competition especially in terms of the problems with thefts.” all their personal settings remotely over the
management console,” explains Fraser. Security wasn’t the only consideration Citrix Access Gateway.
A decision to go with Wyse in early 2006 behind the university wanting the thin clients “This facility is widely used by the
led to the next phase of the programme to to have a very simple specification. teaching staff who can work from home or
ensure the new building would open for Muir points out that maintenance and students with their own laptops and Internet
students and staff in autumn 2007 with a support of the institution’s PCs had been connections,” says Muir before adding: “The
fully operational ‘green computing’ solution. a major drain on resources. “The new information services department will be
Fraser and his team began the process of thin client system enables a much more experimenting with the newly launched Wyse
migrating over 900 PCs to thin clients, and innovative approach to ensuring end users X90 thin-client notebooks to provide an
putting in place the data centre infrastructure. have access to their data and applications option for the 800 students who will live on
The final phase of the project involved whenever they need to,” he adds. the campus and can book out a thin computer
an additional 300 Wyse V50 terminals The Wyse V50 thin clients can also be laptop for working in their room.”
SuStainable SolutionS December/January 2009 17
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60