Desktop virtualization in Széchenyi István University
Csábi Béla <>
Széchenyi István Egyetem
Desktop virtualization at the Széchenyi István University
The Széchenyi István University has engaged since 2006, a virtualization for the central and departmental servers? working, through the equipments, granted by the KFIIF2008. The working of the servers is more effective and safe with the help of this solution. During the application for the ÚMFT TIOP project in 2008, occurred the idea, that the operation of the users? computers in the new buildings, planned in the investment, should be solved more powerful, than presently. After receiving the offered solutions from the manufacturers and suppliers, we decided to initiate a desktop virtualization pilot project in order to gain experiences, before the investment. We choose an old PC cabinet, with 30 computers, which was in need to renovate and to change the computers.
In the presentation we would like to introduce the Vmware View (earlier Vmware VDI) solution, which was installed at the beginning of 2009. To operate the system we had to extend the server and SAN infrastructure, we bought three new servers in the available IBM BladeCenter, we extended our SAN-storage, and we got Intel PCs without HDD to the client machines. The Vmware Infrasturcture ESX server was installed for the hardware elements? server, these work in cluster and let go the virtual clients in the cabinet and the servers, serving the operation and control. The client computers are not the regular thin clients, which meant a problem to solve, and we had to install an operation system on the computers, which can ensure the connection to the servers. We have worked out two kind of solution. On the one hand the computers boot through a network a linux based operational system, similar the thin clients. On the other hand was the solution an Ubuntu Live CD based operational system, which is started by USB pen drive, set in the computers.
The number of the purchased licences makes possible to do some experiments, how to use the virtualized desktops in other fields (like academic, financial administration) besides the installed client-pool in the PC cabinet.