Desktop Virtualization

[Marty Cormack]

Are any of the SEMTEC districts using desktop virtualization for their student technology labs?

I have heard two recent pitches on using a desktop server or two to drive a whole computer lab with virtual desktops, at a significant cost savings over having 24 or 32 individual desktop systems in the student lab.

Has anyone else looked into this?

Thanks.

[Jen Hegna]

I am very interested in this as well! I know that Southland and Kasson have invested in this technology. I also know that I will be installing at least 1 maybe 2 labs this summer. I would like to organize a time where we could have different vendors come in and explain their products... Would that interest you?

Jen

[Marty Cormack]

I would definitely be interested, and I assume more of our SEMTEC Tech Directors might be as well.
-Marty

[Scott Evers]

I did both the Southland and Kasson ones.

Southland has ncomputing and Kasson has Wyse.
Each have pros and cons.
Ncomputing has 30 nodes per server max, but each node cost half of a Wyse.
Wyse is basically just a computer with no harddrive that network boots, you really only need one server. Only one server to manage.
Ncomputing is just a box with flash memory that runs proprietary rdp and can be mounted to the back of a lcd so very clean install and looks. Must run a windows server OS.

Personally I like ncomputing better, cheaper, no moving parts nothing to break and I could care less about them not being able to do video editing.

[Bryan Berg]

Scott - were there any issues using the Wyse or n-computing with testing situations (NWEA, MCA's, AIMS Web or others), any testing done with the secure browser for the new online testing environment. I know that the n-computing set-up had some issues with certain software because of licensing problems, and in other virtual desktop environments there were some strange issues during online testing (I forget which one) where students sometimes got the wrong test environment screen.

 

The n-computing environment caused some headaches for a couple of schools (Winona among them) with the old Pearson MCA testing environments...I think they got the issues ironed out, but it took plenty of time on their part to resolve them.

 

Group - Is there anyone that could demo, or perhaps a vendor that could come in, to show the pros and cons of the environments, or know of any issues that would have to be worked out?