Hmm, if remote RDP works nicely due to VOI, then here's an option that can work for when you need a couple temporarily Windows VMs.
Online cloud providers such as Rackspace Cloud can rent out Windows Server versions on an hourly rate that's usually quite affordable. So, if you need a couple VMs for say a 3 hour workshop, have some money donated to the class for the sole purpose of provisioning these temporary cloud VMs to use during the class period. Then once the class is over, power them off and delete them. That's the main purpose of this cloud computing thing, so why not take advantage of it, as it's much cheaper than full blown license of Windows Server, and you will only need it temporarily for a couple classes. Here are the details from Rackspace Cloud if anyone is interested in this type of idea: http://www.rackspace.com/cloud/servers/pricing/ Here's some simple math to see how many 3 Windows Server VMs would be for exactly 3 hours: Per hour: $0.10 Hours: 3 Subtotal: $0.30 Total for 3 VMs: $0.90 WOW! Isn't that like "super cheap and affordable"? So, even the class teacher could just chip in a buck for the entire class if they really needed the resources for their class. On Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:04:09 -0600 Mark Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > On 11/02/14 01:01 PM, Roswyne wrote: > > On the other hand, this sort of machine booting from the network might > > be perfect for the SkSp classroom. It's almost silly to be setting up > > multiple stand-alone machines for classes, for example. > > > > Mark - if you're interested in setting up my driveless laptop to boot > > from the SkSp network for lab use, I'd be happy to donate it for that! > > Our programming class is now down to only two folks using desktops and > you're one of them Sui. We have a Winterm RDP graphical terminal (thin > client) at the space if you want to use that to connect to the VM server > where I have xrdp set up under the host OS (Debian 6.0) and an Ubuntu > 12.04 guest. Less hauling and hookup them me hauling and hooking up a PC > and monitor for you. Java works just the same. > > It turns out that my scale-up plan if many "desks" were called for would > have been to put a call out for laptops to use as graphical terminals. > > So, was already thinking this way, just wasn't required in the end. > > Though prior to begging, I would have used two of my laptops, the > Winterm RDP client mentioned above, and that networking sniffing laptop > of Alex's. > > Using the 8 total working desks at Skullspace + those 4 thin clients > would have got me to *12* without even a callout! > > Now, even though I would go the graphical terminal ("thin client") > route, I would not have done diskless net-booting. This requires control > over the DHCP server, and I know Colin would not want us imperiling > everyone else over that. > (though, I still believe there is a way we can have VLANs at Skullspace > for this kind of thing without ever causing core outages) > > To avoid going there my approach would be to use iPXE (http://ipxe.org/) > -- either on hard drives that are present or external media (USB sticks, CD) > > Was playing with this quite a bit back at Skullspace 1.0.... some of the > desks already have an iPXE boot option that pulls further boot > instructions from a service I set up on the VM server. (thus, installing > this on this is a one time thing) And I was doing iSCSI stuff as well... > > Left over wiki dreams: > http://wiki.skullspace.ca/Personal_workstation_service > > (Sidenote: One of the bootable options I was playing with was > http://www.thinstation.org/ > I also have LTSP experience, what's nice about thinstation is that you > can use it to make do RDP to Windows machines.) > > Now, for this particular class Sara is teaching, telling folks they have > to use GNU/Linux as a scale-up requirement makes sense, because we're > working with just text editor and Java. > > But, hypothetically, if anyone ever wanted to do a large class where > Windows was a necessity, and wanted the software and hardware scale-up > advantages of graphical thin clients, there is an impediment to consider: > > Almost all editions of Windows are crippled to only allow one user > account to log in at a time. You have to get "Windows Server" to have a > true multi-user at a time. > > It would suck if someone used the VM server as follows -- install one > crippled Windows guest and then cloned it again and again... because > each guest OS instance takes up dedicated RAM. Would. Not. Scale. > > As much as I have no love for proprietary software, it would be a nice > gift to the Skullspace if a legit Windows Server license and install > media were donated so that we could have one Windows Server guest VM run > multiple users. > > Would also need a volunteer admin to take care of it. (not me.) > > Not only a nice thing to have on hand for hypothetical classroom > scale-up (which requires a well organized and promoted class with enough > students needing lab equipment and not bringing a portable prior to the > geekery of setting this all up being a requirement), but also a nice fit > with my vision for the VMServer > > http://wiki.skullspace.ca/Vmsrv > as not just a place to run "servers", but also our most powerful shared > machine available for serious interactive hacking on. > > As a note on this, remote RDP performance over our net connection is > pretty good. Thanks VOI! > > > Mark > _______________________________________________ > SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ -- Kevin <[email protected]> _______________________________________________ SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/
