Acer Veriton N2620G - Manual (Page 12)

12 | Understanding Your Thin Client
File-Based Write Filter (FBWF)
What is Disk Management?
Disk Management is the management of your terminals internal local
drive disk. It is quite literally the brain of your unit and taking care of the
unit's disk is the best way to ensure the unit will perform for as long as
possible. A carefully preserved local drive will work more efficiently, last
much longer, and perform better overall. In addition, proper security
techniques will greatly reduce the chance of fatal error messages and/or
accidental malicious software downloads.
Another definition of the word management literally refers to managing
several thin clients from an Administrator terminal. The Administrator
terminal logs into a secure Echo server and can manage multiple thin
clients simultaneously. Your terminal is designed with both management
techniques in mind, and this chapter explains the steps required to
manage your terminal correctly. The terminal's local drive disk is
protected by a Write Filter, which acts like a barrier between the internet
and your actual local drive. The user can use this barrier to protect and
manage the terminal's actual local drive from unwanted changes. The
terminals can also be managed remotely from another terminal using the
Echo Thin Client Management Software. Both ideas are introduced in
this section.
Write Filters
A write filter allows the user to decide which files are saved to the local
drive, and which files or changes are discarded. Use the write filter to
configure which files are written to the disk permanently, and which files
are only written to an overlay in the memory. The write filter, when
turned on, will make disk changes like installing new hardware,
upgrading internet browsers and plug-ins, or isolating a virus to the
terminal's memory, in an overlay. The changes are not saved to the
local drive. The next time the terminal is rebooted, the new hardware is
not installed, your browser or plug-in is not upgraded, and the virus is
gone. All of the changes are stored on a memory overlay and are
erased on reboot. Once the memory overlay is wiped clean, the original
underlying image remains unchanged, still in the state it was in since the
last reboot. It is a good practice to leave the filter turned on unless you
are upgrading or installing new hardware or software. After the
installation is complete, it is recommended you re-enable the write filter.