ClearCube's Client Blades Cure PC Ills

Typically, PCs are shipped to where they will be used and then installed and configured. The computer systems are then maintained and upgraded by the same individuals who installed the machines and who often charge premium rates when they have to make emergency visits.

Most PCs do not provide 100 percent uptime, resulting in loss of worker productivity when one goes down. In addition, companies have to provide each employee with a certain amount of desk space just to house PCs and their peripherals, and this can be costly and inconvenient in locations such as stock-trading floors and medical institutions. Keeping PCs containing sensitive data in a public area also leaves them vulnerable to theft of both the hardware itself and the data it stores.

Today there's a solution for providing businesses with PCs that can be installed, upgraded or even swapped remotely if there's a problem. The ClearCube System from ClearCube Technology consists of client blades that are installed in a special cage mounted in a standard rack. The blades can reduce desktop operating costs by more than 30 percent, increase system availability to 99.9 percent, eliminate the possibility of hardware and data theft, and give users more space on their desktops. The risks of virus infection and users installing unauthorized software are also eliminated.

The client blade is a standard Wintel PC transformed into a small, dense form factor. The blades are housed in a cage that provides all cable connections through a rear interface called the BackPack. The system is managed remotely through the BackPack from anywhere in the world.

Each client blade contains an Intel Pentium 4 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 graphics card with 32 Mbytes of video memory with single or dual monitor configurations, up to 2 Gbytes of memory, 10/100 Ethernet and a hard drive of up to 120 Gbytes. The client blades can be configured with Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Linux Server.

The ClearCube System places a command port, or C/Port, on every user's desktop. The C/Ports provide connections to each user's keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers and USB devices, and each C/Port connects via existing Category 5 cable to its own dedicated client blade housed in the rack-mounted cage.

A C/Port is about the size of a VHS tape, so it can be placed on the desktop or mounted underneath with a bracket. C/Ports have no moving parts so they generate no noise and very little heat. They also have a mean time between failures (MTBF) in excess of 250,000 hours. The user's computing experience is the same as it would be if an actual PC were on the desktop.

Up to eight client blades can be installed in each 3U cage. The cages provide Ethernet connections, airflow management and power for the client blades. Up to 14 cages, for a total of 112 client blades, can be mounted in a standard 19-inch, or 42U, rack.

All ClearCube cages feature an installed BackPack. The BackPack provides all of the external connections for the blades, including C/Port links and Ethernet ports, and contains ClearCube's patented video and USB distance extension circuitry required to link each blade to a C/Port at the desktop using standard Cat-5 cable. The video circuitry supports resolutions up to 1,600 x 1,200. The BackPacks are removable and can be upgraded to take advantage of future technology offerings.

The two types of BackPacks are Direct Connect units and Blade Switching units. A Direct Connect BackPack allows signals to pass from the blade to a C/Port. A Blade Switching BackPack, when combined with ClearCube's Switch Manager software, lets network administrators remotely switch users from one Client Blade to another when problems arise. Users can be switched to a spare computer within seconds.

Network administrators using a Direct Connect BackPack must physically unplug and reconnect Cat-5 cables at the back of the cage to swap C/Port connections or move the blades themselves. The Blade Switching BackPack, however, allows the switching to be done remotely. A Remote Management Card (RMC) controls all Blade Switching BackPacks in a rack containing up to 14 cages.

Engineers from ClearCube visited the CRN Test Center and helped set up a working system. They also demonstrated all of the included utilities that make the ClearCube System so easy to manage. The ClearCube System is clearly a new paradigm in desktop computing.

> NAME: ClearCube System
> PRICE: $1,438 per seat
> DISTRIBUTORS/INTEGRATRS: Sells direct to resellers
> COMPANY: ClearCube Technology
Austin, Texas
(512) 652-3500
(866) 652-3500
www.clearcube.com