Hello Nate,
Apache VCL and VMware View are separate solutions. I'm not an expert on
View, I've seen the sales rep. demo's etc. So I can only comment from a
somewhat biased viewpoint. :) If someone else on the list has more to
add on VMWare View that what's here, please do.
Differences
Apache VCL is:
- open source (free)
- community driven support
- community driven development
- built for Edu's by system-admins from Edu's.
- can provision, virtual machines and bare-metal (using xCAT), existing
stand-alone Unix based machines from a lab for non-walkin hours use.
-not locked into a single hypervisor or vendor.
supports vmware products (free server, ESXi, ESX), virtual box
- highly customizable, ability to extend to use other provisioning
tools, VCL development roadmap includes kvm support, maybe others
- ease of scale out - (add more HW)
- Course block allocations - priority allocations for sets of end-users,
courses or workshops, etc
- Current OS support for win7,winxp,win2003,win2008,ubuntu,CentOS,
RedHat, - easy to add more.
- Audit-able, source is open for tracing
- cost of entry is low
- Many more.
View:
- Commercial product
- VMWare support available
- One benefit I see is the PCoIP protocol. It would do a better job for
video streaming and probably CAD programs than remote desktop connection.
- requires vcenter licensing. ? $$
Hope this helps.
Aaron
On 3/10/11 10:17 AM, Nathaniel McMullin wrote:
We are currently investigating Virtual Labs for our Students. We'd like to
deploy VMWare View to complement our existing ESX infrastructure which hosts
our servers, and eventually allow for thin clients for our Faculty/Staff. The
short-term, Phase 1, is to allow for more Open Lab space. With that said, we
need to ensure students can get onto the Virtual Labs and having a Reservation
System would fill this need.
Looking at Apache VCL I am wondering if this is simply a separate solution that would not
tie into VMWare View or or Apache VCL simply see VMWare View as "physical"
computers and that's how it would be best to implement. Does anyone have experience
tying the two together? Many thanks.
-Nate @ UNH (SA).
--
Aaron Peeler
Program Manager
Virtual Computing Lab
NC State University
