A study of terminal server technology

Terminal Server technology is a field that promises to solve a lot of problems by moving the desktop into the cloud. As most users are still using pc:s we want to examine what it is that hold thin clients back. To answer that we study what the current technology provides, and attempt to point out what it lacks. To provide background information I have evaluated several terminal servers, which use different protocols. The study shows that this technology is still immature. Multimedia, which is essential to modern desktop use, needs a lot more work. So does 3D graphics which may not be essential but still important to many users. These problems may require solutions that breaks compatibility with legacy applications, by requiring multimedia and 3D applications to use a network- transparent API, rather than accessing hardware directly like they currently do. I present a possible solution to the problems with multimedia, by using an API where codecs can be moved to the client. When it comes to 3D the solution may become more complex. The current API:s are to close too hardware and a more abstract scene graph may be needed to provide a sufficient level of abstraction. As a result of these limitations terminal server technology is only fit for office usage, and not for everyday usage. However, video presentations that may be needed in some offices are becoming more common on the Internet. I conclude that while the terminal server approach is promising, the existing technology is not mature enough for everyday usage. Most users require multimedia and optionally 3D graphics for a complete desktop experience. Those are the areas that need more attention in order to satisfy the end users.Validerat; 20101217 (root