Citrix and Microsoft are poised to take advantage of
increasingly powerful hardware for their server-based computing
architectures.
As a result, many organisations could be attracted to
server-based computing, also known as thin client, as a way of
cutting IT costs, consolidating their servers and having a more
secure and controlled PC environment.
Server-based computing environments virtualise multiple
application instances on a single server operating system, and
allow users to access those applications remotely.
Forrester Research senior analyst David Friedlander said
virtualisation, the banner that Citrix Presentation Server and
Microsoft Terminal Server come under, can improve server capacity
utilisation.
"Organisations have enormous amounts of server hardware capacity
that sits idle. For example, capacity utilisation generally hovers
between 8% and 15% on Windows/Intel servers and 25% and 35% on Unix
and Linux servers," he said.
"Firms use virtualisation technology to collapse multiple,
overlapping operating system and application instances running on
multiple, distributed servers onto fewer, larger systems."
Citrix and Microsoft have the two most popular platforms for
server-based computing, which enable virtualised desktops to run
over a network from centralised servers.
Citrix Access Suite (formerly Metaframe) users require Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server to run the Citrix Presentation
Server software, which is part of the Access Suite. The two
suppliers' products go hand in hand.
Users will therefore be required to implement both the
forthcoming Windows Longhorn Server version of Terminal Server
(about which there are few details available) and a future version
of Citrix Presentation Server.
In addition, they will need up-to-date hardware. Users will
require servers with 64-bit multicore processors, more addressable
memory, and larger and faster hard drives, according to
analysts.
Microsoft's Terminal Server test team carried out tests of
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003
Enterprise Edition SP1. These found that the software was able to
scale to support many more users, if the hardware configuration was
right, said Costin Hagiu, a member of the testing team.
The first hardware element that will boost the Terminal Services
environment is 64-bit processing.
"On a 32-bit system there is an effective limit of 300 user
sessions for typical knowledge worker scenarios. On a 64-bit
system, the theoretical user session limit is much higher," said
Hagiu.
Multicore processors further boost the number of users that a
single server can support. "Benchmark results were able to support
as many as 600 users on a single server. This is well beyond the
32-bit architectural limitations," said Hagiu.
Hagiu recommended users plan for adequate addressable memory
support, increasing the memory by between 50% and 100% compared
with 32-bit systems.
In addition, configurations with a large number of users
typically require more robust storage support, that can handle a
high level of disc I/O activity from both the operating system and
from applications.
Higher performance storage will be able to support page file and
user data. "Adequate storage support should include a
battery-backed caching controller and an additional hard disc
spindle for every 10 users, assuming a typical knowledge
worker-level activity of a full desktop, full Microsoft Office
suite, and one to three custom applications," said Hagiu.
Simon Frost, product architect at Citrix, said that all the
recent advances in server hardware have been good for Citrix
Presentation Server, and particularly chip enhancements such as
hyperthreading and multicore, which mean multiple applications run
faster on a single server.
But he added, "The real boon is in getting more users on a
server, and this has been down to the introduction of the x64
server."
This is mainly accomplished by the fact that x64 servers use
more addressable memory, aiding multiple kernel requests. "Before,
the limit was dual CPUs. The downside of x64 is things such as
driver availability, but that is going to improve over time," he
said.
As for Citrix's plans for developing the Presentation Server
software, "We will always build on the Terminal Services platform,
as it is a stronger platform," said Frost.
Moving forward, Citrix is working on Project Constellation to
integrate with Windows Longhorn Terminal Services. The latter will
have seamless windows, published applications, a web interface, and
a Secure Sockets Layer gateway.
But Constellation promises to add to this several new
technologies: intelligent and automatic load balancing, server farm
health monitoring, automatic and predictive provisioning of
resources, and end-user experience monitoring.
Also under development is policy-based session recording,
allowing IT managers to record sessions for security and
compliance. Constellation will also feature graphics acceleration
using 3D computer-aided design, geographic information systems and
medical imaging.
With all this in mind, it appears that Citrix and Microsoft are
working hard to ensure that server-based computing continues to
offer companies a strong alternative to traditional client/server
computing.
Alternatives to server-based computing
Server-based computing environments such as Citrix Access
Presentation Server and Microsoft Terminal Server are just one way
of virtualising desktop PCs, said David Friedlander, senior analyst
at Forrester Research.
Other methods include application sandboxing, where one or more
applications run in an isolated virtual environment on the PC.
Another alternative is where a desktop virtual machine creates a
virtual operating system on a host system so that no software
executes on any local hardware.
Blade PCs from ClearCube and Hewlett-Packard are another option.
A blade PC runs the entire desktop instance, both hardware and
software, on a blade in a datacentre, providing users with remote
access to the desktop environment over the network, said
Friedlander.
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