The extensive introduction of server-based computing architecture has allowed the Berlin Director of Public Prosecution‘s office to increase the number of individual workstations by 50% without increasing administration costs.

Two years ago, the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP’s) Office in Berlin embarked on an ambitious rationalisation project for systematically switching its IT-infrastructure system to server-based computing.

Instead of the original 800 screen-based workstations, there will in future be 1,200. At the same time, the administration they involve will be markedly reduced and the availability of all software applications used will be assured. To minimise total cost of ownership (TCO) permanently and ensure a rapid payback, Berlin-based systems firm Carano recommended thin clients. To date, around 750 centrally administered thin clients made by German manufacturer IGEL Technology have been installed. These have not only replaced the 300 existing Tandberg VT220 terminals but also offer an economical alternative to getting more PCs.


Safeguarding investment

The scheme for switching to server-based computing is based on the Windows 2000 server edition and Citrix MetaFrame XP 1.0. It provided an opportunity to modernise the existing screen workstations comprehensively while keeping existing equipment in operation. Around 450 of the former NT 4.0 workstation computers have thus remained in operation. In the current IT set-up, they run as fat clients using Citrix’s ICA-client software. Meanwhile, for users whose desks were previously equipped with Tandberg terminals, the switch to IGEL clients makes life much easier. The complete IT environment of both systems is now reproduced in a thin terminal.

The new IGEL-416 type thin clients operate completely noiselessly, and with no moving hardware have proved much longer-lived. The absence of separate drives also minimises the risk of data being stolen or viruses slipping in via exchange media. Finally, power consumption is considerably lower with clients installed than with standalone computers. That is a major potential saving given the high number of clients.

Clemens Boehm, responsible head of the IT department at the Berlin DPP’s office, expresses considerable satisfaction: ‘The thin clients we’ve installed have made an important contribution to safeguarding our investment. Good collaboration with our project partner Carano provided a solid basis for this.’


Communications versatility

Connectivity was a particular area where the German manufacturers scored with the Berlin authority. Unlike the terminals they replaced, the thin clients can also be used outside the UNIX world. Along with the X11R6 communications protocol for access to UNIXbased databases, the IGEL-416 Winestra comes equipped with the standard ICA and RDP protocols as well. These are used for swapping data with new applications servers on Citrix MetaFrame and Windows 2000 server edition. Among the Windows applications installed on the applications servers are MS Office 97, Irfan View and most recently Star Office 5.2. Especially user-friendly is the central access to 16-bit DOS applications such as Archiv 97 or the Ralf postcode-search program. The inhousedeveloped JUKOS software is based on Visual Basic. Java and Informix are currently being test-operated.


The performance is right

Only keyboard commands and screen information is exchanged between the applications servers and the clients via the 10MB ethernet connections. The real computing load remains on the server. With a 300 MHz NSC Geode GX1 CPU, 4MB On-board graphics and 32MB RAM, the client is adequately dimensioned and offers enough performance for future applications as well. The client’s firmware is housed in a separate 16MB Flash memory. It includes other software components as well as the Linux operating system. Among these are the PowerTerm emulation

suite and the bandwidth-optimised ThinPrint printing management software. On the server side, a separate DHCP and printer server with ThinPrint Version 5.0 ensures optimum utilisation of capacity. The load-balancing function of the Citrix software also guarantees even distribution of the computing load on the applications server.


Cost-cutting by central administration

Because server-based computing architecture can be centrally administered, there is considerable potential for cost savings. This was one of the Carano consultants’ key arguments: ‘In our experience, introducing server-based computing architecture can produce cost savings of 30-70%,’ explains Carano project manager Thorsten Jensch. This rationalisation potential meant the Berlin DPP’s office could expand the number of workstations without increasing administration costs. Central management of the environment also made life much easier for staff in the IT department. Clemens Boehm itemises the critical factors: ‘With their uniform configuration, all IGEL clients are virtually freely interchangeable, and can be administered centrally for convenience.

Firmware updates can be done conveniently over the network, so that the time-consuming servicing of standalone workstations is at last a thing of the past. Monitoring the server farm is done via the Citrix Management Console. Group guidelines using Microsoft Active Directory Services provide outstanding transparency over the whole network, so we can greatly simplify the user surfaces and selectively restrict the applications required.’


Priority given to avoiding downtime

To ensure high availability in the system, Carano installed the complete server equipment in two spatially separate locations. The associated racks accommodate - along with a redundant interruptionfree power supply per 10 applications servers - a domain controller, a file-server with a disk array of 270GB, a DHCP and print-server and an SQL server. The mirroring of the filer-server is done via a LEGATO 2000 co-standby server. If one of the two servers or its network link goes down, the other server takes over within a few seconds. Users employ the same IP address or Netbios-host to access it. Data protection is provided via the HP OmniBack tool. Agents installed on package servers collect data via the network and safeguard them in the attached DLT library.


User-friendly masks

‘Users notice very little of all this technical wizardry,’ comments Dierk Gerlach, MCSE and Carano team consultant. ‘When you switch on, finding your way about the Windows 2000 log-in mask is very easy.’ The thin client gets the IP address from the DHCP server. The name of the terminal is registered in the DNS of the Windows 2000 active directory and then forms the basis for printer allocation. All employees get individually tailored user profiles that are stored centrally. They therefore get precisely the functionality they need for their work.


Future-proofing - a key consideration

Since the migration went out to tender in February 2001, 750 of the 1,200 or so workstations have been equipped with IGEL thin clients. Now the last phase of the project is complete, Clemens Boehm looks well-pleased with the new system. ‘The project has been a considerable success for the Berlin DPP’s office. Our IT staff can now look after a much larger number of users. The substantial simplification of administration has meant major cost savings, and we can handle much more equipment without increasing staff numbers. On top of that, with the flexibility of the new architecture and thin clients we’ve installed, we are well set to cope with anything the future may throw at us IT-wise.’


www.igel.com