N-Computing: Anyone using?

[tmcd35]

ATI's new graphics cards have 6 DisplayPort ports on them and fit in a PCI Express expansion slot, so theoretically you could put 5 of those in a computer and away you go.--

David Hicks

 

Assuming we got found a suitable mobo and chassis, and then got passed all the power and cooling requirements - I'm sure you're going to be hitting a CPU/RAM bottleneck pretty darn quickly. I'm not convinced, atleast with current desktop hardware, that more than 6 stations is really feasible.

 

Also, there is cabling requirements. USB Hubs or nComputing L-Series and network switches look very attractive with for more than 6 stations so the speed of their usb/lan VGA adaptors become important. Maybe this is why RemoteFX and VDI might ultimately be the answer to the 1 server running a classroom full of PC's.

 

Until RemoteFX+VDI is proven and cost effective I'll be sticking with a max of 6 users running from 1 PC using PCI-X graphics cards. I think this represents the current best price/performance ratio.

[FHCTO]

I agree regarding carefully controlling the number of users and matching them to the number of cores. Google the term "multisegment, backplanes". You can cost effectively build a 32 or 48 core "server", and then combine that with KVM over cat5 and get a bunch of "real" PC's, as long as you are using native video transmission. That is the important part. You must not reduce your video to IP traffic like thin clients or the L series nComputing product does.

[multipoint]

Terry, have you examined using a Hybrid VDI?

[craigw]

Hi Guys

Just looking for some confirmation / summary more than anything.

In initial testing with nComputing Cat5 direct connected devices we are seeing constant screen refreshes and as confirmed the inability to run multiple copies of WMM.

However we are also unable to run any 3D accelerated apps such as Google Earth or Armadillo etc.

This is due to the fact the clients are not running off discreet video cards such as the Fiddle Head solution - correct?

 

From what I am reading I asumme this will be the same with HP - or do the HP t100 devices have a video card built in? Whilst not solving the multi app problem - will they solve the Google Earth problem?

Cheers

Craig

[TheITCrowd]

We were using N Computing in our schools and we have decided to get rid of them across the board in our district. Personally, I didn't tinker with them that much, but, I know there was one major program we couldn't use it for, sunburst: TTL 4, which was necessary program in the curriculum. We are evaluating Wyse thin clients currently. If anyone needs more info, let me know. Hope this helps

[dave.81]

We have 2 of the L300 units in for testing at the moment and although only been using them for a couple of days neither staff or pupils so far can tell the difference, infact compared to some of the pc's staff are noticing quicker response times. I still have 10 days of testing to do and will move onto video streaming, WMM, and heavy flash later this week but as basic office, web browsing they are coping very well. Edited June 8, 2010 by dave.81

[tmcd35]

Hi Guys

 

From what I am reading I asumme this will be the same with HP - or do the HP t100 devices have a video card built in? Whilst not solving the multi app problem - will they solve the Google Earth problem?

Cheers

Craig

 

The HP T-100's are USB video cards. They are a version of the 'Display Link' system. I've had them running on a comfortable 4:1 ratio doing basic video editing in Live Movie Maker and also tested Solidworks 3D. I have no reason to believe (but have yet to test) that Google Earth won't run.

 

So far the best solutions I've found are either Windows Multipoint Server or SoftXpand running on multiple internal GPU's if you want solid performance.

[plexer]

Hi Guys

Just looking for some confirmation / summary more than anything.

In initial testing with nComputing Cat5 direct connected devices we are seeing constant screen refreshes and as confirmed the inability to run multiple copies of WMM.

However we are also unable to run any 3D accelerated apps such as Google Earth or Armadillo etc.

This is due to the fact the clients are not running off discreet video cards such as the Fiddle Head solution - correct?

 

From what I am reading I asumme this will be the same with HP - or do the HP t100 devices have a video card built in? Whilst not solving the multi app problem - will they solve the Google Earth problem?

Cheers

Craig

 

The Cat5 directly connected versions connect to a card installed in the pc, this card looks basically like a multi headed gfx card.

 

Ben

[vSpace]

From what I am reading I asumme this will be the same with HP - or do the HP t100 devices have a video card built in?

 

Am I correct in thinking that the HP T100's have PS2 connectivity for the KB and mouse?

 

The Cat5 directly connected versions connect to a card installed in the pc

 

This sounds like an NComputing X-series solution to me.

 

Msg to Dave.81...I'd be very much interested to know how your test goes with your L300 units. Would you be able to keep me updated?

[tmcd35]

Am I correct in thinking that the HP T100's have PS2 connectivity for the KB and mouse?

 

Yes it's PS/2 Keyboard and mouse. Aparrently it is so they can run off of USB power.

[vSpace]

Yes it's PS/2 Keyboard and mouse. Aparrently it is so they can run off of USB power.

 

I'd rather use USB KB & mouse, so it's NComputing U170's for me.

[pooley]

I have been tasked with looking at this as a solution for our Infant dept, just need 4- 6 pc's per classroom. Who in the UK are supplying these currently ?

 

Si

[waldronm2000]

I have been tasked with looking at this as a solution for our Infant dept, just need 4- 6 pc's per classroom. Who in the UK are supplying these currently ?

 

Si

 

Have PM'd you with details of our supplier.

 

Mark.

[multipoint]

Call Rob Read the NComputing product manager at E92plus who distributes NComputing to the VAR channel or Colin McCarthy at VeryPC who manufactures appliances for NComputing and manages their Multiseat channel. Both of them will be able to recommend your nearest source;

 

Robert Read | NComputing Product Manager| e92plus Ltd | Telephone DDI: 020 8274 7028 | [email protected]

 

Colin McCarthy | Multiseat PreSales Solutions | VeryPC Ltd | Telephone: 0845 0345 017 | [email protected]

[pooley]

Thanks for the pm's and replies guys

[multipoint]

Right.... Finally convinced NComputing to send us 30 L300 devices to test theory against practice. The NComputing L300 devices will soon be released in LG Netmonitor form too called N+; basically they're thin clients with processing power for transcoding / decompress, recompress etc that you plug into your LAN, and hang a switch off the back of the host which could be anywhere, so no probs with close proximity. No matter how well we specced the host, we could only get 22 users running before the other 8 users blue screened when running a full screen DVD which happened to be Hancock. CPU, memory usage for the 22 was fine, however with each concurrent user being started the 23rd user onwards just stalled. The other 22 seats worked perfectly normally. Techies were impressed to get 22 working however and reckon this could be used by business and secondary school upwards. According to NComputing the L300 is in big demand. Anyone bought any? Any feedback?

 

Also got 2 of the latest 4 port Graphics card and tested a SoftXpand 8 user machine with an i7 host. Great performance. Techies were blown away looks like a borough of London will be the first in the UK to take this solution according to SoftXpands UK disty.

 

Checked out 2 schools one in Solihull and one in Sheffield who have a brand name PC beginning with V with Multiple graphics cards running MPS2010. Looks like one of the best close proximity solutions I've seen, they tested 80 different software applications, and only the ones written for Windows 98 caused issues. Not exactly CAD CAM level performance but movie make and video editing was fine for up to 6 users. Microsoft are penning the case studies now I believe.

 

Still not been able to source FiddleHead in the UK, which is a real shame as the solution looks cool but could be made redundant with MPS 2010 and off the shelf VGA over USB devices.

[multipoint]

Update on LG: They are rebranding Net Monitor and the NComputing X series variant will be called the LG D series (direct attach) and the NComputing L series variant will be called the LG E series (Ethernet attach).

Update on SoftXpand: They will be expanding the capabilities of the software to allow 30 users, and now have a LAN solution too. Appears that licensing is now handled with a letter from MiniFrame taking liability away from the end user.

[apoth0r]

One of the issues I've had with the nComputing stuff is the software doesn't work if you have certain updates installed, I've had to go through uninstall security updates one-by-one until I found the problem one and then bugger me if Windows Update didn't automatically install it the next day!

 

Had exactly the same problem after spending an afternoon making sure all the school computers were up-to-date only to find it wouldnt work with a certain patch. Was fuming!!!!

Personally I don't think they are that brilliant, some issues with county filtering, logging onto the filtering service for kids to use email only allows 1 student to login on 3 PC's.

Unfortunately it was the headteacher of the primary school that really wanted them so I just had to make do with what was there.

[plexer]

 

Checked out 2 schools one in Solihull and one in Sheffield who have a brand name PC beginning with V with Multiple graphics cards running MPS2010. Looks like one of the best close proximity solutions I've seen, they tested 80 different software applications, and only the ones written for Windows 98 caused issues. Not exactly CAD CAM level performance but movie make and video editing was fine for up to 6 users. Microsoft are penning the case studies now I believe.

 

I'm looking at this kind of option for out ART Suite would it work for Photoshop?

 

Ben

[multipoint]

Hi Ben, photoshop is fine on MPS 2010.

[Geeksme]

Ben, MPS 2010 will be ok running Photoshop but you'll get much better performance using SoftXpand due to native GPU processing. I have a setup running Photoshop and autocCAD. Looks like they offer a free trial so you can test.