Towards local resource redirection across thin client protocols

In this paper we discuss the design, implementation and testing of xmount, a package to support the use of client side hot-pluggable storage devices across thin client protocols in a Linux environment. Many third level institutions utilise thin client and remote access protocols, and as the use of portable storage devices continues to increase, there is a strong case for the development of such a tool. Several existing thin client implementations lack the ability to manipulate client side file systems when working on the server side, and consequently restrict users productivity. By modifying the existing thin client computing model and creating a supplemental package for existing thin client protocols, we can eliminate these barriers, and support redirection of local peripheral devices from the client to the server. While existing support for local peripheral redirection is often platform or protocol dependent, our approach is independent of either. Moreover, we demonstrate that our approach improves on existing implementations in certain aspects of performance.