Dataless Clients

A dataless client has local storage for its root (/) file system and swap space. The dataless client cannot function if detached from the network, because its executables (/usr) and user files (/home) are located across the network on the disk of a server.

SunSoft plans to remove support for dataless clients after Solaris 2.5. You can add this system type now using Host Manager, but in future releases of the Solaris operating environment you will need to choose a different type. It is recommended that you use AutoClient systems instead of dataless clients.

A dataless client places far less demand on the server and the network than a diskless client does. Because dataless clients require less network access, a server can accommodate many more dataless clients than it can diskless clients. Also, since all the user files of all the dataless clients are stored centrally (on a server), they can be backed up and administered centrally.