Just realized after walking through the new terminal at DFW that all the gate displays are running on thin clients now, not dedicated boxes.

I was there for a layover last Tuesday and had to check a connection. Got up close to one of the big flight info screens by gate B12 and saw the tiny Dell OptiPlex unit mounted behind it. No more big, hot server in the cabinet below. It's all networked back to a central system. Makes sense for updates and control, but I'm thinking about the single points of failure. Has anyone here had to work on that kind of setup for airport systems yet?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage_fox1mo ago

Wait, they're using regular OptiPlexes? Those things are just office PCs. I'd be terrified of a blue screen of death taking down a whole gate's info during a busy travel day.

mary8361mo ago

Imagine the chaos if one just froze up.