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Two decades of openthinclient - A successful model in the Blackholm laboratory
🚧 Initial situation and challenges
Marco Rauhut has been Head of IT at Labor Blackholm for over 30 years
and leads a team of seven employees from the areas of server
server, infrastructure, security, patch management, order entry
system and remote data transmission (DFÜ).
In the years 1996 to 1998, the laboratory already used serial
terminals (VT100 via RS232) with a purely text-based display. The
first attempt at modernization consisted of the use of Linux
computers, but was quickly replaced by thin clients from Neoware.
thin clients. The basic idea was promising, but the hardware proved to be
proved to be unreliable. Further trials with devices from other
manufacturers such as Itona and Rangee resulted in three different management
three different management systems in use at the same time
in the building - an unacceptable situation in terms of maintenance and
security.
️ Implementation with openthinclient
The solution finally came with openthinclient - and it worked without any problems right from the start. All existing clients and PCs could be operated immediately via PXE boot with openthinclient. The environment has been continuously updated for over two decades, and one thing has never changed: the stability of the solution.
The simple central administration is particularly emphasized:
If a client fails, the workstation is ready for use again within 30 minutes - including changing the device, changing the MAC address in the manager and restarting. Configuration in the openthinclient manager is child's play.
„It takes the longest to go into the basement and get a new thin client,“ says Mr. Rauhut with a grin.
Technical requirements
The ThinClients mainly run the Melos laboratory software from Lablions, executed locally as a Linux application, mountered via NFS and connected to a database. Other central applications:
- Order entry system (barcode creation for samples)
- Order entry system (receipt via online connection from the doctor's practice and scanned paper orders)
- Fax software (due to legal requirements: approx. 1,500 faxes per day)
- Tour planning and tour monitor
- Inventory management system for laboratory consumables
- Receipt tool
A large part of the software was developed by Mr. Rauhut himself in PureBasic, which enables cross-platform compilation (Windows & Linux). The applications are provided to the clients via the custom logic of the openthinclient server and executed locally.
Conclusion and feedback
A major advantage from the IT management's point of view is security:
As the clients are booted via PXE, a fresh system is loaded after every restart - malware cannot take root permanently. With regard to malware, the openthinclient server is analyzed and that's all there is to it. Even if the solution in the Blackholm lab is not a classic one with
terminal server or Citrix, but acts as a central management system for Linux clients, IT manager Marco Rauhut is completely satisfied:
„I would recommend openthinclient at any time!“
(Marco Rauhut has been Head of IT at Blackholm Laboratory for over 30 years)
Labor Blackholm MVZ GmbH
The Blackholm MVZ laboratory in Heilbronn stands for modern and precise laboratory diagnostics. An experienced team of medical specialists and laboratory professionals offers a wide range of clinical-chemical, microbiological and molecular analyses. With digital technology and the highest quality standards, Labor Blackholm ensures reliable results and sees itself as a competent partner in the healthcare sector
