Building the Digital University

1. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Welcome Trevor Zintel College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan Building the Digital University

2. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Our goals student devices / discipline apps / graphics Vendor selectionsolution / key technologies / prime vendors Findings to datehyper-v capable / hardware requirements / challenges • www.engr.usask.ca

3. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices 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. • www.engr.usask.ca

4. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Our Goals Discipline Apps • Separation 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” • www.engr.usask.ca

5. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Our Goals Graphics • Have a need to support graphic based applications. • 3D Cad / Math / Simulations • Focus from College of Engineering • www.engr.usask.ca

6. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Vendor selection Solution • Publish individual apps directly to student devices. • Deploy pools of vdiapps • Publish as seamless windowed apps • www.engr.usask.ca

7. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Vendor selection Key Technologies • VDI • 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 • www.engr.usask.ca

8. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Vendor selection Prime Vendors • – 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

9. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Findings to date Hyper-V capable • One server • Single classes of 20-40 students • Sub 3 min logins • Surveyed well • Microsoft supportive • White paper interest • Issue escalation • www.engr.usask.ca

10. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Findings to date Hardware requirements • We 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 • www.engr.usask.ca

11. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Findings to date Challenges • VM pools • Implement windows updates • Large scale test • Build out cluster sol’n • Increase to large test audience • www.engr.usask.ca

12. Using Microsoft's VDI to Provide Access to Applications on Student Devices Thank you. • www.engr.usask.ca