After building the Ubuntu Linux-based system for the Nova Scotia Community Access program, I have been very eager to build a Windows-based equivalent. I wanted to take what I had learned from the C@P project and find a way to use the same technologies to produce a system that utilizes Windows 7.
Let's look at he goals for a public access Windows-based desktop virtualization system.
Goals:
-The easiest possible way to deploy Windows onto desktops. This means all I should have to do with the desktop computer is boot it from the network and it should automatically load the client software and boot into Windows.
-The ability to use the same computers already located at the sites.
-Utilize free and open source software whenever possible.
-Keep the cost of the solution as cheap as possible.
A good first try...
So, I started building a desktop virtualization environment using a commercially available product. I selected VMware View to run the backend and desktop connection routing. For the desktop clients, I decided to take what I had learned from the C@P system and use the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP). This would ensure that any computer that can boot up Ubuntu (practically every computer in existence) would work on this setup.
The end result was very good. I installed the VMware View environment (which consists of a vSphere server, View connection server, Windows server for AD, and an ESXi server to hold the desktop virtual machines) and a Ubuntu LTSP server on my main computer. I was able to boot several test computers from the network that booted up into the View client. I could then enter my Windows login credentials and connect to my Windows 7 virtual machine.
However, there were some problems with this setup:
-It requires a lot of resources to run these four or five servers in a physical or virtualized manner. It is obvious that VMware View is better suited for larger IT infrastructures that have these resources to spare.
-There is a cost to installing server versions of Windows for each piece of the VMware View environment. This can be several thousands of dollars alone.
-There is a per client cost for each computer connected to this system (about $150 per computer).
-It requires Windows Active Directory. This is not something that many public access sites use or have interest in using. It would make more sense as an option as opposed to a requirement.
Once more, with feeling...
So I decided to go back to the drawing board. Since I was using LTSP to boot up the clients, I started playing with the idea of using LTSP not only to load the client connection software, but to also route the clients to the virtual machines.
What I ended up with was just that. This setup uses all open source or free software, except for the cost of the Windows installation. Here is a short video of the system in action.
Here are some of the advantages of this setup over VMware View:
-This is much easier for smaller deployments like public access sites. It does not require Active Directory, but it is an option.
-It needs fewer resources. It cuts the number for virtualized servers down to just the LTSP server and then individual virtual machines running the desktop computers. Therefore, the server hardware can be less robust and cheaper.
-This system is much cheaper to build. It does not require Windows servers to run the View components or AD. The licencing costs for VMware View also do not apply. Basically, the only costs for this setup is the cost of the Windows licenses and the server hardware.
The parts of the VMware View setup that are lost are the ability to create containers and other deployment options. However, that doesn't mean that an admin couldn't create a base Windows image and clone that for deployment. And space savings is not a huge concern for small deployments like a public access site, as hard drive space is cheap. Other great features that are available from View just don't seem necessary for a public access site.
A few notes:
-I mention Windows 7 a lot in this article, but it should be noted that this system is designed to work with any version of Windows.
-For those familiar with Linux and LTSP, you would be interested to know that the client software used is rdesktop and it is running on the client computers.
-Any computer that is booted from the network, but does not have a Windows virtual machine assigned to it, will automatically boot into a full Ubuntu desktop. Just another great feature of using LTSP for the client setup.
-While this is initially designed for public access sites, there is no reason why any organization or workplace couldn't use this system for windows desktop deployment.
If you have any questions about this demo and/or you would like to see it in working, please feel free to contact me.
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