This document provides guidelines and best practices for planning server capacity when using thin clients, emphasizing the importance of correct configurations for CPU, RAM, and networking. Key mistakes include using desktop operating systems for servers, insufficient RAM, and poor hardware choices, which can lead to performance issues. It offers specific benchmarks for RAM and CPU requirements based on user sessions and stresses using server-class components to ensure reliability and stability.

1. Thin Client Server Capacity Planning
Dos and Don’ts
Practical Tips

2. Processors
Memory
Operating System
Hard disk
Networking
Using thin Clients?
Confused about Server capacity?

3. Applicable to any Thin Client Server (Win/Lin)
Applicable to any Technology RDP or vSpace
Not applicable for DB or email Servers.

4. Can You spot the
Planning problem
in this pic?
Wrongly planned server horrors
Users think that Thin clients are slow or unstable,
Where as culprit is Server or IT Infrastructure

5. THE
Biggest Mistake
Lower Ram, Biggest Problem
kills performance, overburdens CPU and also
kills your Hard-disks

6. THE
Deliberate Mistake
Desktop OS is for Desktop
Cannot efficiently manage multiple simultaneous
users. Never use Desktop OS for Server.

7. Another Mistake
lower CPU power, lower performance
everything hogged up, overall performance is
down.

8. Most Ignored
Mistake
Bad networking, erratic behaviour
Thin Clients (seem to) hanging.
Slow performance (on few Thin Clients).

9. Most Common
Mistake
Cheap Motherboard, big Risk
Wrong Motherboard cannot get best out of
Best CPU or Best RAM.

10. Silly
Mistakes
Small mistakes, big disasters
A bad Power supply, or chassis or air conditioning,
Earthing (ground) can create big disaster

11. • 1 Core CPU for every 10 normal users.
• 2 GB RAM for each core of CPU.
• 150 kbps bandwidth per user session.
• Always use Server Class Board & OS.
• Power conditioning & UPS is must.
• Buy fastest HDD, (SAS recommended)
• Regularly monitoring (CPU, RAM, HDD).
• Understand “Scale Up” and “Scale Out”
General Guidelines & Thumb rules

12. • 2 GB Ram for Base OS of the Server.
• Add 200 MB for each User Session.
• Add 40% Buffer for Occasional loads.
• Eg : for 50 users
• 2000 MB for base OS
• 10000 MB for User Sessions (200 x 50)
• 4800 MB Buffer
• Total RAM required: 16,800 MB ram.
Ram Calculation for Server

13. • Benchmark is 200 MB for each User
Session.
• Give a normal Desktop PC to few users, monitor
operation for entire day(s).
• Check maximum ram used during the period.
• This is your RAM required per User Session, for that
type of users.
Ram Calculation Per User Session

14. • Benchmark is 2Gb ram for each Core
• Benchmark is 1 Core for each 10 users.
Which ever is more.
• 16 GB Ram (as in example), which is 8 Core.
• 50 Users (as in example), which is 5 Core.
8 Core CPU required
CPU power Calculation

15. • Disk Reading/Writing is most important
task in Thin Client server’s Role.
• 15000 rpm of SAS v/s 7200 rpm of SATA
• SAS is more stable and reliable than SATA
• SAS has longer life @ higher temperatures,
more suitable for server.
• Much higher data transfer rates.
HDD: SAS is always better than SATA

16. • Always use Server class Chassis and power
supply.
• Always use Server Operating System.
• Use Disk Mirroring.
• Always keep a backup server (low configuration
is Ok)
• Properly secure your Server OS (user rights and
permissions)
Other Best Practices

17. www.enjayworld.com
Enjay Thin Clients
The best Thin Clients in India