A workstation or PC on a local-area network (LAN) that does not have its own disk. Instead, it storesfiles on a networkfile server. Diskless workstations can reduce the overall cost of a LAN because one large-capacity disk drive is usually less expensive than several low-capacity drives. In addition, diskless workstations can simplify backups and security because all files are in one place -- on the file server. Also, accessing data from a large remote file server is often faster than accessing data from a small localstorage device.
One disadvantage of diskless workstations, however, is that they are useless if the network fails.
When the workstation is a PC, it is often called a diskless PC or a Net PC.