Windows RDS Vs Citrix

[Andy2789]

I have had a look around the forums and not found anything on this as yet...

 

We currently have 35 machines running Citrix VDI in a box off one server, we are not happy with the results and having recently taken over the schools looking for a different direction. We have around 100 fat-clients that need to be virtualised as a cost saving, we are still on Win XP and need to move to Win 7 (Joining the rest of the world) and those machines are not capable of running Windows 7.

 

It has been suggested to me by other Network Managers to look at using Windows Remote Desktop sessions off a high spec server as a solution to the VDI in house, and set up an external address so those clients can be used for home access. However does anyone know (or have set up) an application that opens the Remote desktop session on a Client PC. I want to create it so for a student it doesn't look different (or majorly different) and they don't have the ability to close the session. As this is my biggest concern, if there is software (free or not) that opens a Remote Desktop session on a client like with VDI that forces the user and basically makes it a thin client.

 

Any idea or pointers would be great. I am determined there must be something out there, as we have an EES agreement that the running cost doing it via Windows RDS seems the far best option. It just getting it on the client as a VDI solution.

[jamesfed]

Whats the issue with your VDI in a box setup? When I was at my last place we had it setup and running with no ill effects.

[Andy2789]

It's very 'laggy' and more often than not sessions get stuck signing in & login times take a while. Obviously the login comes down to Folder redirection, profiles and everything else, but it just doesn't seem to fit within the schools enviroment very well. Citrix are looking at that, but its also the cost implication and scaling. IE we need to purchase another server & 69 Licenses to get to where we need to be. Where with Windows RDS its very scalable and good value.

[jamesfed]

Intresting are you running it on Hyper-V by chance?

[Andy2789]

No, I had read that it could be caused by that, its sat on its own physical server. Which was speced to Citrix requirements, it does nothing at all but the VDI. I do wonder if ThinKiosk is to blame for the problems, either way something needs to change

[Achandler]

ThinKiosk will not be causing the issues, we use it with ours and have no problems. What is your server load like when they are all connected?

[Andy2789]

About 60% is the standard load.

[Achandler]

What spec are your links between the computers?

[Andy2789]

10GB Ring and 1Gb to clients (don't ask) PFI School, can' touch the cabling so stuck with the weird setup.

[Achandler]

We run 1GB to clients, is the network usage on the VDI server high?

 

We run 45 on an RDS session host (32 core server, with 64GB RAM)

We also run a VDI Pool of 15 on a matching server. We have no slow downs

[jamesfed]

No, I had read that it could be caused by that, its sat on its own physical server. Which was speced to Citrix requirements, it does nothing at all but the VDI. I do wonder if ThinKiosk is to blame for the problems, either way something needs to change

 

There has to be a hypervisor in there somewhere to host the virtual machines? Even the VDI-in-a-Box software is just a Virtual Machine. Either way a good place to check is making sure that power saving modes are turned off in the BIOS and in the OS.

 

Are you hosting the VMs on HDD or SSD as well?

[Andy2789]

Thanks James I will look into that, either way I don't want to waste anyones time trying to Solve Citrix. I am more interested in seeing if anyone has had success or failuers with Windows RDS.

[jamesfed]

Thanks James I will look into that, either way I don't want to waste anyones time trying to Solve Citrix. I am more interested in seeing if anyone has had success or failuers with Windows RDS.

 

Sorry back on topic

 

Great successes with RDS at my old place as well, I've got a series of posts/videos about the setup on my blog - Series: Custom RemoteFX RDS Farm « my world of IT

[Achandler]

We use RDS as stated above, and I am more then happy to help you out with any questions you have.

[Andy2789]

Thanks for the Link James that's really helpful:)

[Andy2789]

Achandler, what are you using on the client end for them to acess the RDS Session? I assume your not using Microsoft Remote Desktop Session?

[Andy2789]

Haha, have I asked the killer question now!

[Andy2789]

Reading James, article using Windows Thin PC looks like an option to force the macine to connect to a RDS session to which a user signs in. Which looks very interesting

[Achandler]

Apologies didn't get an email sayign there was an update.

 

We use NComputing thin clients to our RDS server.

 

Then we use WES 7 thin clients to our VDI solution, we can then use RDP 8.0 and get better results. We also use server 2012 as the VDI host.

[Andy2789]

Ahhh that makes sense, feel this is going to take a bit of time to get right. So I now have option of Windows Thin Client attaching to the RDS or WES 7. That brilliant, more food for thought!

[Achandler]

If you have fat machines already then use then with Windows 7 Thin Client or even win7 pro, you dont need them to run anything but Windows, Anti-Virus and RDP.

 

If you make them auto login in locally with something like Thinkiosk, then that login doesn't slow people down either.

[Andy2789]

Yeah I was looking at ThinKiosk to connect to the RDS, however I can't work out how to point it at the server address and not a URL or do you have to point it using Citrix Reciever?

[jamesfed]

Thanks for the Link James that's really helpful:)

 

Never a problem

[Achandler]

Hi Andy

 

We use the thinkiosk process launcher and launch a local RDP file, we also use thinkiosk as a complete shell replacement. There is an update coming that will allow you to provide a list of rdp files to choose from too, though probably not necessary for you.