The Atlantic university of Florida replaced the PC with "zero clients"

On April 7, 2015 it became known of the project of replacement of the equipment which is included in the packages of traditional PCs zero clients at the Atlantic university of Florida^[1].

Project Task

The university was faced the need to support resource-intensive computer applications against the background of the expanding student's collective, without having an opportunity to employ additional IT specialists. In addition, purposeful policy of usage of eco-friendly technologies led to emergence of a number of unique requirements and tasks. Technologies for use by students and teachers in the building, such "green" were required for college, as well as the building, i.e. more energy efficient and ecologically safe solutions are necessary.

Besides, further use of traditional models of the desktop PCs installed in computer laboratories in the territory of a university campus generated a set of questions: labor-consuming service, poor performance of systems, security risks and other IT problems.

Atlantic university of Florida, 2014

In the territory of college there is a State of Florida first university building designed according to the LEED standards (The advanced developments in power and ecological design) the Platinum level. Engineering East building completed in 2011 is a laboratory center for ^{educational practical lessons about 9 thousand sq.m}. Construction of this building - an integral part of wider initiatives of the university in the field of ecology.

At upgrade of workstations for the new building, the college expressed a wish - to use advanced technologies in the field of cloud computing and virtualization, for minimization of cost of IT and creations of more favorable environment for teachers and students.

In addition, the scalability in providing conditions of all types of activity was required: from daily office administration before programming, processing of three-dimensional graphics and the research connected with intensive loading of the processor. And all this should work quickly and effectively.

Among applications:

• Visual Studio for programmers,
• engineering applications of Solidworks,
• * AutoCAD
  • Leica Cyclone.

The IT service of university was faced by a task:

• Find the zero client conforming to high requirements to performance of the most resource-intensive technical and

engineering applications.

• Find economic and ecologically safe solution in addition to the new center certified according to the LEED standard and according to the principles of eco-friendly design.
• Provide service, upgrade and support of traditional PCs, problems with which lead to a waste of time and money.
• Zero clients should support the available virtualization infrastructure, providing at the same time the high level of reliability and performance.

Project Progress

The college more than a year spent for studying of technological solutions and design of the IT infrastructure suitable for Engineering East building.

In college for several years virtualization of the server of VMware was used, however for virtualization of the desktop systems it was required to find the suitable client device. The zero client of Viewsonic SC-Z55 became that solution that it was required for upgrade acting and creations of new laboratories.

The college worked with thin and zero clients of HP and EVGA, but structures of Viewsonic for a number of reasons, including constructive product quality, fastening of VESA, reasonable price and the old relations of the university with Viewsonic company were selected from all similar competing models.

• The zero client of Viewsonic SC-Z55 conformed to requirements of the university, both on the budget, and in terms of environmental policy.
• VMware Horizon View developed especially for support, the zero client of SC-Z55 is compatible to the existing IT infrastructure.
• The zero client of SC-Z55 in combination with the server graphic processor Teradici provides effective processing of graphics in the virtualized environment.
• On constructive characteristics, quality of assembly and the price the zero client of SC-Z55 — the optimal choice for the university.

Advantages of the solution

• On commissioning of new computer laboratories days are required. Separate workstations will be reorientated or upgraded immediately.
• The centralized system of security, service and management of computing resources saves time and money, considerably reducing total cost of ownership.
• In computer laboratories is more cool and more silent at simultaneous cost reduction on the electric power. Use of fastening of VESA makes room on a desktop.

Project Results

The zero clients of Viewsonic allowing to save up to 90% of the electric power in comparison with traditional PCs are excellent addition to energy saving a blade servers in a data processing center of the Atlantic university of Florida.

Ecologically safe technology of virtualization gives other practical advantages to students and employees, for example, the improved data protection and virtual immunity to the attacks of viruses. The software update and commissioning of new applications occur almost instantly. Computer laboratories can be converted one contact of the mice button.

The practicality and ease of use of technological solutions provide to users the convenient and clear environment. Students, teachers and employees just enter on the personified portal from which they can address the virtualized desktop, applications and the data warehouse. Actions practically do not differ from work on the traditional PC, only access is possible from where it is necessary using any device.

Using technologies of virtualization of VMware users received the single integrated and convenient platform providing access by the principle "always and everywhere" to all users to all applications. Now students can get access to computer laboratories anywhere, even outside the campus.

Notes