diskless workstation

1 definition found

diskless workstation - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  diskless workstation
  
     <computer, networking> A personal computer or workstation
     which has neither a hard disk nor floppy disk drive and
     which performs all file access via a local area network
     connection to a file server.  The lowest level bootstrap
     code is stored in non-volatile storage.  This uses a simple
     protocol such as BOOTP to request and download more
     sophisticated boot code and eventually, the operating system
     .
  
     The archtypal product was the 3Station developed by Bob
     Metcalfe at 3Com.  Another example was the Sun 3/50.
  
     Diskless workstations are ideal when many users are running
     the same application.  They are small, quiet, more reliable
     than products with disks, and help prevent both the theft of
     data and the introduction of viruses since the software and
     data available on them is controlled by the network
     administrator or system administrator.  They do however rely
     on a server which becomes a disadvantage if it is heavily
     loaded or down.
  
     See also breath-of-life packet.
  
     (1995-03-28)