Creation of On-Premise Windows based VDI solution for school lab | 150 users | With capability to provision VMs to AZURE if needed.
Hello - I was asked by a school to create a VDI environment that students can access through thin clients. I haven't done a lot of research yet and wanted to check if anyone can point me to a good reference or even a little walk through how this should be done,
The school wanted to setup the lab entirely in Azure, however the monthly reoccurring cost are to high in the long run. So I suggested an on-premise setup with the option to provision clients to Azure if needed. From what I was reading about Windows Server 2016, it's seems to be designed to work closely with Azure.
What hardware specs would you recommend to provision, manage and run those 50 VMs? I was thinking about getting a lower end server for AZURE ADS connector and the Systems Center suite which I assume is needed to manage and provision VMs.
For the Hyper-V server running the VM I am a trying to find out what the minimum specs should be to accommodate all machines at the same time. Or would it be better to get two servers and setup a cluster?
As for licensing, I wanted to go with the Server 2016 standard or is there any feature in the Datacenter edition that I would need? I am also unclear on the licensing? Do I need a user or device CAL for every connection? The machines are supposed to run Windows 10 with Office installed and some other free software. How would that be billed (education licensing) ?
Hope I was able to give an idea what I am trying to do here. I am looking forward to your feedback.
Thank you!
Martin
The school wanted to setup the lab entirely in Azure, however the monthly reoccurring cost are to high in the long run. So I suggested an on-premise setup with the option to provision clients to Azure if needed. From what I was reading about Windows Server 2016, it's seems to be designed to work closely with Azure.
What hardware specs would you recommend to provision, manage and run those 50 VMs? I was thinking about getting a lower end server for AZURE ADS connector and the Systems Center suite which I assume is needed to manage and provision VMs.
For the Hyper-V server running the VM I am a trying to find out what the minimum specs should be to accommodate all machines at the same time. Or would it be better to get two servers and setup a cluster?
As for licensing, I wanted to go with the Server 2016 standard or is there any feature in the Datacenter edition that I would need? I am also unclear on the licensing? Do I need a user or device CAL for every connection? The machines are supposed to run Windows 10 with Office installed and some other free software. How would that be billed (education licensing) ?
Hope I was able to give an idea what I am trying to do here. I am looking forward to your feedback.
Thank you!
Martin
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1. Does the school really know the difference between VDI and RDS (TS)?
2. What do they mean by VDI, a virtual machine ?
3. How is the virtual machine accessed via RDP ? or using RemoteFX e.g. Assisted Graphics ? (and there is then a requirement for the purchase of Hardware GPU to provide assisted graphics)
4. What software is in use just Microsoft Office, or Flash, CAD, 3D Python, Scratch, what type of users, office workers, Power Users, CAD users
5. and then if VDI, poor man's VDI or a software product, e.g. VMware Horizon View, XenDesktop (again more money and licenses!)
6. Long term how is this managed and deployed, as you managing it, do you work at the school, e.g. employed, or IT House
7. Do they have any existing infrastruture ?
8. Where are files going to be stored ? e.g. Student Data ?
9. Be careful here, that ALL the software requirements are captured, and they can do this with RDS/TS or VDI?
10. Same goes with Hardware.... you don't want to find, Johnny brings in a flash drive, or a Teacher/LEA Consultant brings in an Encrypted Flash drive and cannot get it to work on one of the 50 VDI machines?
11. What thin clients are going to be purchased ?
So your options are....
1. Virtual Machines - connection via RDP
2. RDS/Terminal Server sessions - Server based computing - via RDP
3. Virtual Machine (Managed by VDI) access via RDP
4. Virtual Machine (Managed by VDI) access via THX, ICA, RemoteFX, PCoIP
2. What do they mean by VDI, a virtual machine ?
3. How is the virtual machine accessed via RDP ? or using RemoteFX e.g. Assisted Graphics ? (and there is then a requirement for the purchase of Hardware GPU to provide assisted graphics)
4. What software is in use just Microsoft Office, or Flash, CAD, 3D Python, Scratch, what type of users, office workers, Power Users, CAD users
5. and then if VDI, poor man's VDI or a software product, e.g. VMware Horizon View, XenDesktop (again more money and licenses!)
6. Long term how is this managed and deployed, as you managing it, do you work at the school, e.g. employed, or IT House
7. Do they have any existing infrastruture ?
8. Where are files going to be stored ? e.g. Student Data ?
9. Be careful here, that ALL the software requirements are captured, and they can do this with RDS/TS or VDI?
10. Same goes with Hardware.... you don't want to find, Johnny brings in a flash drive, or a Teacher/LEA Consultant brings in an Encrypted Flash drive and cannot get it to work on one of the 50 VDI machines?
11. What thin clients are going to be purchased ?
So your options are....
1. Virtual Machines - connection via RDP
2. RDS/Terminal Server sessions - Server based computing - via RDP
3. Virtual Machine (Managed by VDI) access via RDP
4. Virtual Machine (Managed by VDI) access via THX, ICA, RemoteFX, PCoIP
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You might also look into a series of Multipoint servers (role now part of 2016 as that had its origins in the education market.
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So instead of having each user have their own VM, they would just have a profile on the TS server with the pre-approved applications that are installed on the server?