Re: Citrix for virtual desktops in HE computer labs??

["Maloney, Michael" <mmaloney () MIDDLESEXCC EDU>]

We've been running Citrix Provisioning Server/Xen Desktop since just
before Ardence got bought out by Citrix.    Currently we are still
running Provisioning Server for about 300 workstations, we haven't
migrated over to Xen Desktop yet.  Like every new technology, it does
have it's good/bad points.

 

Good points:  

1)      Changes to the lab images could take a day or more to implement.
Now, once the change has been made to the master image and approved by
faculty, it takes about 10 minutes to deploy the change.  A real time
saver, especially in the beginning of the semester when faculty go "I
need this installed on 100 PC's NOW!!!!"

2)      Some labs require vastly different images that required the use
of removable drives.  Now, we just make multiple drive images available
to the PC, and at boot the correct one for that class is selected.  This
was worked excellently in our Learning Center that utilizes images
designed for both Math and English departments

3)      It's the same image every reboot.   Unlike Deep Freeze where
students constantly find ways around it and write to the drive,  the VHD
file they share is in read only mode at all times.


4)      Other than the PXE boot and lack of a bootup logo for XP, end
users can't tell the difference.

5)      When configured to work with some older platforms, it actually
runs better off the VHD file than from the local HD.

6)      The provisioning servers themselves don't need to be ultra
powerful.  They need fast disks and fast network cards (I run dual 1G
NIC's for each server, and nothing less than 100M at the PC), but don't
need dual quad core CPU's and tons of RAM

 

Bad points:

1)      Because the only hardware virtualization that exists is for the
hard drive, each image is pretty much dedicated to the specific hardware
platform it was built on.  Otherwise PC's will be detecting new hardware
when the system starts.   I know there are ways around this,  but to
make this as seamless to the end user as possible,  we restrict usage of
Provisioning to labs that have the same hardware platform throughout the
lab.  

2)      Can be quite costly for small environments.  By the time you buy
servers (you'll need at least 2 for high availability), Citrix licenses,
etc, etc  the cost can be quite high.     Throw in more servers for
deploying apps via Xen Desktop and you can see that it can get pricey
real quick.  Also, there is no savings in hardware on the PC side.  

3)      If using system RAM for write cache, you'll need to allocate at
least 1G of RAM from the PC.    Depending on what the student is doing,
this may fill up quite quickly.  Caching to a local drive is available,
but then students can save data to that drive also.  Caching to the
server is another option, but that increases network usage.

4)      You need a fairly stout network to make it work.  If you're
running lower end switches or hubs, you'll need to upgrade.

5)      If you aren't configured for HA (High Availability), when the
server goes down, all your labs are down.

6)      Upgrades to the server software are a pain to say the least.
Enough said..

 

Overall we are pretty happy with it.  Faculty like the fact we don't
have to close the lab down to make changes, we like making the change
once.     It's changed the way we 

 

********************************************
Mike Maloney
Sr. System Engineer
Middlesex County College
2600 Woodbridge Avenue
Edison, NJ 08818
Phone: 732-906-7754
Cell: 908-217-2086
Fax: 732-906-4266
Email: mmaloney () middlesexcc edu <mailto:mmaloney () middlesexcc edu> 
********************************************

 

From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv
[mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of SCHALIP, MICHAEL
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 1:55 AM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: [SECURITY] Citrix for virtual desktops in HE computer labs??

 

Hi Folks....

 

Anyone out there using Citrix and thin-clients (or diskless
workstations) in your academic computer labs and/or classrooms?.....or
in administrative registration/admissions areas?  I'm looking at the
different vendor offerings  (like VMWare View, and Microsofts new MED-V
and App-V), and keep coming back to Citrix/Xendesktop.  What are you
folks using in the VDI realm??

 

Thanks,

 

Michael

 


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