sharing executable software with multiple users in local network

Question

In somewhat near future I'll be preparing an infrastructure for a small shop hiring around 10 people. All of them use a couple times a day some computer applications (windows based). Using computers is not their main task, they just need to check some things for clients. For those 10 people I'd like to have 5 access terminals.

The current situation for that company is that they have 5 computers and the apps (say 10 different applications) are installed on all of them individually. This is in no way comfortable.

I'd like to propose such an infrastructure change that would lead to easier management of the applications installed and to comfortable work - not that many computers to manage, etc. It would be ideal to be able to have the access terminals as easily replaceable as possible. I'm also looking into this change as a way to optimise costs.

Since majority of the applications they need to access is delivered by 3rd parties we're unable to alter their behavior.

Security is not that big issue.

Having that in mind I've been thinking about the following setup:

• have one powerful machine with lots of storage space and ram, with windows installed - edition that allows multiple remote sessions
• for all the client terminals have some linux based, simple terminals (here hardware suggestions would be great) that would boot from network and allow users to access their applications with remote desktop

What do you people think about that problem? How would you approach this?

EDITED: the best option would be to buy only one version of windows for the server - I'd like to use linux for the clients - and use Remote Desktop to access the server.

Answer 1

Set up a Windows Server with Active Directory (as a Domain Controller), create a domain and then use Group Policy Software Distribution.