CCBoot

Thin client software solution

Thin clients with full Windows performance — on ordinary PCs

The thin client software solution from www.ccboot.com allows iSCSI boot and diskless boot of Windows from a thin client server remotely on the LAN with PXE boot technology. It works for internet cafes’ thin PCs, and just as well for schools and offices — no thin-client hardware or terminal licenses required.

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local Windows performance
100%
terminal server licenses
0
clients per reference server
70
CCBoot thin client server console listing every client PC

Why a CCBoot thin client beats a terminal

Each client runs its own copy of Windows locally in RAM and on the server’s iSCSI disk — nothing is remoted or shared at the session level.

  • Real Windows, real GPU

    Applications, games and video run on the client’s own CPU and graphics card. No RDP, no Citrix, no shared session limits.

  • No local disk to buy or manage

    The system disk is an iSCSI image on the server; the client only needs RAM, a NIC and a PXE-capable BIOS/UEFI.

  • One image, updated once

    Install or patch on a super client, save, reboot the room. Every thin client has the change on its next start.

  • Clean on every reboot

    Changes are written to a per-client write-back area and discarded, so every seat comes back exactly as deployed.

  • Domain, profiles, personal disks

    Windows domain login works as normal; keep user data on a personal disk or network share.

  • Server-side RAM and SSD cache

    Hot blocks are served from memory and SSD, so 70 clients booting together stay fast.

See a thin client boot

Short demonstrations of iSCSI / diskless boot from the CCBoot YouTube channel.

Diskless boot Windows 7 with CCBootA diskless thin client booting Windows 7 from the CCBoot server.
Diskless boot Windows XP with CCBootThe same flow on a Windows XP client, from PXE to desktop.
More videos

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Reference thin client server

The compact server we built and photographed for a 70-seat thin client room. It is a sizing example from the time; for a current build see the server hardware example in the wiki.

CPU
Intel Core i3 3rd generation 3220
M/B
ASUS ITX
RAM
Samsung DDR3 8 GB PC3-10600 × 2
HDD
WD 1 TB Caviar Black WD1002FAEX × 1
SSD
Plextor M5 Pro Series 256 GB PX-256M5P × 2
Case
BRAVOTEC V6 Black, USB 3.0
Power
FSP FSP600-80APN
SSD cache drives in the reference CCBoot thin client server
Note: the above specification server can hold 70 diskless PCs. Current builds use more RAM, NVMe cache and 10G networking — see server requirements.

Inside the reference server

The components that matter for a thin client server: cooling, disks, board, SSD cache and a stable power supply.

  • Fan

    Fan

    This is the fan of the thin client server, which has sufficient wind power and good cooling effect.

  • Back view

    Back view

    You can see that the server is small and exquisite.

  • Disk array

    Disk array

    The speed of loading games is much faster.

  • Motherboard

    Motherboard

    This is the ASUS motherboard, whose performance and stability are very good.

  • SSD

    SSD

    SSD makes the running speed of the server much faster.

  • Power supply

    Power supply

    This is the power supply of the server, which is very stable.

Documentation

Step-by-step guides from the CCBoot wiki.

Browse the full wiki

Common questions

Is a CCBoot thin client the same as a terminal server client?

No. A terminal (RDP/Citrix) client only displays a session running on the server. A CCBoot thin client boots its own full copy of Windows over iSCSI and runs applications on its own CPU and GPU — so games, video and CAD work at local speed.

Do I need special thin client hardware?

No. Any PC with a PXE-capable network card and enough RAM works. Remove or ignore the local disk and set the BIOS/UEFI to boot from the network.

Do I need Windows terminal (CAL) licenses?

No terminal server licenses are involved. Each client runs a normal Windows installation from the image, licensed as you would license that many PCs.

How many thin clients can one server handle?

The reference server above handles about 70. A current build with 32–64 GB RAM, NVMe cache and a 10G uplink handles 100 or more; larger rooms add NICs or a second server.

Can I mix thin clients with PCs that keep a local disk?

Yes. CCBoot Hybrid and CCDisk mode keep Windows on a local SSD while the server supplies the game or data disks, and both kinds of client can share the same server.

Related pages

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