Concept of Thin and Thick Client

In computer terminology, the concept of "client" means certain software or hardware that performs the work of interacting with the server in order to obtain data from the user about the actions performed by the system

A thin client is a type of client that can transfer the execution of information processing tasks to a server without using its computing power to implement them. All computing resources of such a client are as limited as possible, it is important that they are enough to start the necessary network software, using, for example, a web interface.

One of the most common examples of this type of client is a PC with a pre-installed web browser that is used to run web programs.

A characteristic feature of thin clients is the use of a terminal mode of operation. In such a situation, the terminal server is used for the process of sending and receiving user information, which is the basic difference from the process of independent processing of information in thick clients.

Thin client advantages:

• Minimum hardware maintenance;
• Low risk of malfunction;
• Minimum technical requirements for hardware equipment.

Negative sides:

• If the server fails, all connected users will “suffer”;
• It is not possible to work without an active network connection;
• When interacting with a large amount of data, the amount of performance of the main server may decrease.