OSfOM

The Power User's Thin Client: Diving into the Sun Ray 3 Plus 

Sun Microsystems introduced the Sun Ray 3 Plus around 2009 as part of the Sun Ray 3 series. Unlike the integrated Sun Ray 3i, the 3 Plus was a standalone thin client built for multi-monitor setups and higher graphical workloads.

The unit included two DisplayPort connectors capable of driving two displays simultaneously at resolutions up to 2560×1600 pixels. Internal hardware accelerated Sun's Appliance Link Protocol (ALP) to handle video playback and window redraws. Connectivity included Gigabit Ethernet and multiple USB 2.0 ports for peripheral devices. It drew less power than standard desktop PCs.

Like other Sun Ray hardware, the 3 Plus was a stateless terminal with no local hard drive or local operating system. Sessions ran on central servers running Solaris, with later support for Linux and Windows through extensions. An integrated smart card reader supported the "Follow-Me-Desktop" system. Users could insert their card into any compatible terminal to restore active sessions, application states, and multi-monitor layouts.

The terminal was used in environments requiring multi-display output or centralized data management:

• Financial trading floors for monitoring market data feeds
• Engineering and design offices running CAD, CAM, and CAE tools
• Command and control centers monitoring data across multiple screens
• Government and defense facilities handling sensitive data
• Software development and quality assurance environments

Following Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2009, the Sun Ray hardware line was phased out. Its multi-display support and network protocol implementation preceded later developments in desktop virtualization (VDI) and remote desktop software.