Building the Digital University

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

Welcome

Trevor Zintel

College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Our goals student devices / discipline apps / graphics

Vendor selectionsolution / key technologies / prime vendors

Findings to datehyper-v capable / hardware requirements / challenges

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Our Goals

Student devices• Student benefits:

• In class access to technologies• Dramatic improvements in collaboration &

off hour access

• University benefits: • Reduce the space pressure• Reduce the financial pressure associated

with computer labs.

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Our Goals

Discipline AppsSeparation of specialized and production applications. • Leverage browsers, document editors etc. on target devices. • Focus on course required, non-commodity applications.

Also interested in breaking down the “Fat Build”

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Our Goals

GraphicsHave a need to support graphic based applications. • 3D Cad / Math / Simulations • Focus from College of Engineering

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Vendor selection

SolutionPublish individual apps directly to student devices.• Deploy pools of vdi apps• Publish as seamless windowed apps

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Vendor selection

Key TechnologiesVDI• Provide remote serving• Break through the fat build • Web link publishing

Windowed RDP Applications• Provides a simple single desktop access to local & cloud

apps

Video enhanced RDP• Run Engineering apps over the wire as if on the local

machine

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Vendor selection

Prime Vendors

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

Vendors VDI Windowed App Video enhancedVMware √Microsoft √ √ √Citrix √ √ √

– http://www.vmware.com/products/view/overview.html

– http://blogs.technet.com/b/virtualization/...-vdi-suites.aspx

– www.citrix.com/xendesktop

www.engr.usask.ca

Findings to date

Hyper-V capableOne server • Single classes of 20-40 students• Sub 3 min logins• Surveyed well

Microsoft supportive• White paper interest• Issue escalation

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Findings to date

Hardware requirementsWe piloted on an IBM x3850-x5 server. • Number of running VMs primarily limited by available

RAM• Number of simultaneous logins primarily limited by disk

IOPS

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Findings to date

ChallengesVM pools • Implement windows updates

Large scale test• Build out cluster sol’n• Increase to large test audience

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

www.engr.usask.ca

Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices

Thank you.