Why Use an AutoClient System?

AutoClient technology provides many system administration advantages over existing system types.

Advantages Over Diskless Systems

AutoClient systems:

• Provide better overall scalability in a network environment, which could result in less network load

• Use less disk space on a server than a diskless system (an AutoClient system does not require any swap space on a server)

• Use significantly less network and server bandwidth than a diskless system

Advantages Over Dataless and Standalone Systems

AutoClient systems:

• Require less system administration overhead. The AutoClient system's data is on a server, which enables centralized administration. For example, with AutoClient systems you only need to back up the server(s) that supports the AutoClient systems. To back up dataless systems, you have to perform a backup on each system. Also, you can manipulate AutoClient root file systems from the server, without accessing each system individually.

• Are FRUs, which makes them easy to replace if they fail.

• Are installed by setting up an AutoClient system with the Host Manager. You do not have to use the Solaris installation program to install the Solaris environment on an AutoClient system.