Think Thin: Thin Client and Server Based Computing Group Blog

Hot on the heels of the Sun Ray Software 5 release, Sun VDI Software 3.1 was just made available (get it here). This is an exciting update for us, here is a quick overview of what's new: 

• Microsoft Hyper-V support
• Previous versions of Sun VDI Software already allowed for heterogeneous virtualization hosts, but we extend this support to include Microsoft Hyper-V in VDI 3.1. This means that you can use Sun built-in, VMware vSphere (or just ESX and vCenter, if that's what you've got), Microsoft Hyper-V, or any combination(!) to host your virtual desktops. This provides amazing flexibility and really reduces concerns around lock-in of any particular vendor. Want to change platforms? Easy, put up the new environment, test it with a group of users, migrate everyone over, and shut off the old one when you're ready (or keep it as a backup).
• Remote Desktop Services support
• We have lots of customers who use both classic server-based computing (SBC) and VDI at the same time. The trouble is that many architecture have you managing the two environments completely separately. But with Sun VDI Software 3.1, Windows Server 2003 and 2008 can be desktop providers. This means you can choose to assign any combination of VDI and SBC desktops to each of your users and manage the assignments from one management interface.
• Sun Desktop Access Client
• Sun VDI Software has leveraged both Sun Secure Global Desktop Software and the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection client to provide access from Windows PCs. With version 3.1, we add the Sun Desktop Access Client into the mix (no, we haven't dropped SGD or RDC support!). The Sun Desktop Access Client is a purpose-built piece of software that installs on Windows PCs and allows direct access to Sun VDI Software without any further server configuration or setup. It also leverages the exact same protocol as our award winning Sun Ray clients. It's simple, high performance, and allows you to seamlessly shift your virtual desktop session between a Sun Ray client and a PC.
• Enhanced Adobe Flash media support
• For a virtual desktop to be truly useful, it needs to approach the capabilities of a full desktop PC. A traditional stumbling block for any sort of remote access technology is high performance video and animation. With this release, Adobe Flash content is accelerated for both Sun Ray clients and Sun Desktop Access Client enabled PCs.
• USB direction for Windows XP
• If you're using a Sun Ray client and Windows XP as your virtual desktop operating system, you can now plug many USB devices into your Sun Ray client and they show up automatically in your Windows XP session.

There are lots of other smaller updates, too. For the full skinny, please read the  full product documentation and enjoy the new release!

-Chris 

We all learn at an early age that sharing is the right thing to do.  I get to constantly remind my 3- and 5-year old girls about this very important aspect about being a good person.

How do I get from small kids sharing to the new Sun Ray Software 5 release?  Wait for it...wait for it....

It's another ThinkThin update about the Sun Ray Software wiki!

In my earlier posts, I talked about how you can use the Comment feature on any page to leave feedback. And, I still encourage everyone to keep doing that.

But, since the SRS 5 Early Access releases, we've provided the following User Tested page for all wiki users to share the USB devices they've tested with the new USB redirection feature.

Currently, Sun supports USB redirection for all USB devices that fall within the following device types:  flash drives, printers, scanners, USB-to-serial adapters, and USB-to-parallel adapters.

The USB Redirection User Tested List lets you (the Sun Ray user community) share what devices are working for you, including USB devices not in the supported device type categories.

This page already has over 200 edits and over 100 entries from a number of users. And, I just added a Recent Contributors section that dynamically shows who has made the latest edits to the page.

So, what are you waiting for?  If you are using the USB redirection feature and you want to share the devices you are using with this cool new feature, share away! 

- Paul, SRS documentation lead

The Sun Desktop Virtualization Marketing team is pleased to announce the release of Sun Ray Software 5!

This release focuses on improving the end user experience with a broader choice of end client devices, improved Adobe Flash performance and expanded support for USB peripheral devices. Additionally, Sun Ray Software 5 improves application server support, by adding support for Windows Server 2008.

The Sun Desktop Access Client (SDAC) is revolutionizing Sun Ray Software as we know it, making our vision and strategy of providing simple, user-friendly access to a centralized virtual desktop environment from nearly any device a reality. Easily installed on Windows PCs, the Sun Desktop Access Client removes the dependency on Sun Ray hardware clients, providing full access to Sun Ray infrastructure. It provides a simplified solution for end-users who do not fit the desktop thin client model, and require continued use of their current Windows PC. As well, it helps to mitigate the initial costs of migration to Sun's desktop technology by repurposing existing PCs. Providing client device choice to the customer helps our customers embrace our technology and enables them to become more environmentally friendly by extending the lifecyle of existing PCs rather than disposing of them into a landfill.

Unlike some of our competitors, the Sun Desktop Access Client frees users from being restricted to a particular device and enables them to choose whatever device best suits their needs. In addition to client choice, another key challenge CIOs often face, is how to provide a true PC experience to their end users from a virtualized desktop environment. This release beats many of our competitors to market by introducing multimedia enhancements for Adobe Flash audio and video on both the Sun Ray hardware clients, as well as any Sun Desktop Access Client enabled PC.

In addition to expanding client device choice and adding Adobe Flash multimedia acceleration, Sun virtual desktop users can now expect similar peripheral connectivity with their Sun Ray thin client environment that they would normally have with their standard PCs. Sun Ray Software 5 now enables users to connect many of their favorite USB devices to a Sun Ray hardware client, connecting them to their Windows XP virtual desktop environment. Peripheral support includes a broad range of devices such as USB flash storage devices, printers and scanners.

Finally, Sun Ray Software 5 includes support for Windows Server 2008, enabling access to applications running on Windows Server 2008 in 32 bit color. Support for Windows Server 2008 TS Session Broker is also included.

Read more about it at www.sun.com/software/sunray!

Angela Carducci
Product Line Manager Desktop Virtualization Marketing
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
angela.carducci@sun.com
twitter.com/angelacarducci
http://www.sun.com/vdi

Sun Ray Software 5 Released
See: http://www.sun.com/featured-articles/2009-1110/feature/index.jsp

SRS 5 includes:

• SRSS 4.2
• SRWC 2.2
• SDAC 1.0

See new feature details at & download from URL above.

From page four of Oracle's Oracle and Sun Overview and FAQ

"Yes, Oracle plans to continue Sun’s “desktop to datacenter virtualization” strategy and integrate with Oracle’s virtualization products. By unifying management across desktop virtualization, server virtualization, storage virtualization, and network virtualization, Oracle and Sun provide comprehensive, flexible, eco-efficient solutions to maximize utilization, consolidate to reduce costs, increase productivity, and decrease management complexity.

We expect to continue Sun’s desktop virtualization products: VDI, Secure Global Desktop, Sun Ray, and VirtualBox."

Ed note: Recommended Music to Read By

The Sun Desktop Virtualization Marketing team is pleased to announce the Sun VDI Software 3.1 Early Access program and the Sun Ray Software 5 Early Access 2 program. Both programs begin 9/15/09, at 5am PDT and they will end on 10/2/2009.

Which program should you join?

Choose Sun VDI Software 3.1 when you want to deploy server hosted virtual desktops running inside virtual machines to a variety of client devices.
Choose Sun Ray Software 5 when you want to deploy Sun Ray Software to Sun Ray Thin Clients or PCs in a more traditional server-based computing model. You should also choose this program if you want to deploy Sun Ray Software + VMware View Manager.

Sun VDI Software 3.1 Early Access

Sun Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software 3.1 allows organizations to deploy a secure desktop environment hosted in the data center and displayed on a number of client devices, including Windows PCs and Sun Ray Thin Clients. This release adds Microsoft Hyper-V as an additional virtualization host, support for virtual desktops generated by Microsoft Terminal Services, and the Sun Desktop Access Client for simplified access from Windows PCs. Sun VDI Software 3.1 also includes a number of additional features for Sun Ray client devices, including USB redirection and Adobe Flash enhancements. More details on new features are covered in the support documentation.

You can download the software here:
https://cds.sun.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/CDS-CDS_SMI-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProductDetail-Start?ProductRef=SunVDI-3.1-EA-SP-G-F@CDS-CDS_SMI

After you have downloaded and tested the software, please fill out the survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bOaIS5LgthO0B125F5_2bVLg_3d_3d

Documentation is available here:
https://wikis.sun.com/display/VDI3dot1/Home

Support is available through the Sun VDI Forum here:
http://forums.sun.com/forum.jspa?forumID=992&start=0

Sun Ray Software 5 Early Access 2 (EA2)

Sun Ray Software is a secure, cost effective solution that delivers a rich virtual desktop to PCs or Sun Ray Thin Clients. The Sun Ray Software Early Access 2 program delivers four core new features: USB device redirection to Windows, Adobe Flash Enhancements, Windows Server 2008 support and the Sun Desktop Access Client (code name was "Sun Ray Soft Client"). Details of the features are listed below.

1) USB device redirection to Windows
Remote Windows XP Desktop users can now deploy a multitude of Windows USB devices with Sun Ray Technology.  A full list of supported devices is available here.  Installation of Sun Ray Software for Solaris x86 or SPARC is required.  This feature is supported with Sun VDI as a part of the Sun VDI 3.1 Early Access Program or with VMware View Manager in the Sun Ray Software 5 EA2 program.

2) Adobe Flash Enhancements
Sun Ray Software 5 provides Adobe Flash enhancements which enable customers to experience improved frame rates along with synchronized audio, video, and Adobe Flash animation playback for the Sun Ray 2 family of clients and its follow-on product family.

Supported environment:
o Internet Explorer 7 and 8
o Adobe Flash 9 content with all Adobe Flash plugins from versions 9 & 10
o Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-bit) and Windows XP SP3 (32-bit)

Users will need both components of Sun Ray Software - Sun Ray Server Software & the Sun Ray Connector for Windows OS. In additional to the Windows environment mentioned above, users need to install Sun Ray Server Software which runs on the following platforms:
o Solaris 10 5/09 or higher on SPARC and X86
o SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 10 Service Pack 2 (32-bit and 64-bit)
o Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 Update 3 (32-bit and 64-bit)

3) Windows Server 2008
Sun Ray Software 5 enables customers to display applications within Windows Server 2008 in 32 bit color. Windows Server 2008 Session Directory support is also included.

Supported platforms:
o Solaris 10 5/09 or higher (SPARC and X86)
o SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 10 Service Pack 2 (32-bit and 64-bit)
o Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 Update 3 (32-bit and 64-bit)

4) Sun Desktop Access Client (code name was "Sun Ray Soft Client").
The Sun Desktop Access Client is a software application that easily installs on common client operating systems and provides the ability to connect to centralized desktops running on Sun's desktop virtualization software products. An alternative to using a Sun Ray Thin Client, the Sun Desktop Access Client meets the needs of end-users who do not fit the desktop thin client model or who may need to connect from their existing laptop or desktop PC. The Sun Desktop Access Client also provides the flexibility to 'hotdesk' to and from your Sun Ray Thin Client and any supported Sun Desktop Access Client enabled PC.

Supported platforms:
o Microsoft Windows XP
o Microsoft Windows Vista
o Microsoft Windows 7

You download the software here:
https://cds.sun.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/CDS-CDS_SMI-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProductDetail-Start?ProductRef=SRS-5-EA2-SP-LX-G-B@CDS-CDS_SMI

After you have downloaded and tested the software, please fill out the survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=edIU7UCv9CbC_2bFiyD8POow_3d_3d

Documentation is available here:
http://wikis.sun.com/display/SRS/Home

Support is available through the Sun Ray Software Forum here:
http://forums.sun.com/forum.jspa?forumID=875

If you have additional feed-back for the product team, please send it here:
srs-feedback@sun.com

Thank you for your participation in the Sun VDI 3.1 and/or the Sun Ray Software 5 Early Access 2 Program!

-- 
Angela Carducci
Product Line Manager
Desktop Virtualization Marketing
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
angela.carducci@sun.com
twitter.com/angelacarducci
http://www.sun.com/vdi

The Sun Ray was announced to the world on 9/9/99.  Happy Birthday little guy! Have you been working out?  You've definitely lost some weight!

Here are some trade articles from various sources that ran on 9/08/99, the day before the announcement:

Forbes: Corona is a ray of sun (shine)

cnet: Sun looks toward a new dawn in thin clients

SRO/ZDNet (via Linux Today): Sun Takes Another Shot At The PC

Wired (via Linux Today): Sun Tries Net Appliance, Again.

Sun is finally offering a hands on instructor led class for Sun VDI 3.  Since I personally know the folks that created the content for this course, I know it's going to be top notch!

A brief description:

This five-day workshop introduces you to Sun VDI Software 3 technology and software administration. Along with installing Sun VDI Software 3, you are introduced to the architectural details of the software, providing a foundation to understand the individual features introduced in subsequent modules. Through a combination of instructor-led lectures and hands-on labs, you are introduced to the following VDI components and features:

• Sun xVM VirtualBox and VMware® Virtual Center desktop brokers
• LDAP and Microsoft® Active Directory directory server integration
• Open Storage platform for the back-end storage of user desktops
• Sun Ray Software (SRS) and Sun Secure Global Desktop (SGD) for the display of user desktops
• Sun VDI administration tools

Sign up today!

But far bigger news than cats and dogs sleeping together!  I kid, but how cool is this Microsoft Whitepaper on VDI using Sun Rays!

For those of you who have used the Sun Ray Software product before and are ready to help us test out the new Sun Ray Software 5 EA 1 release, you might notice a change to the product documentation.

You've been used to seeing this:

And now you are seeing this:

First of all, don't panic!  Take a deep breath.  Everything is going to be o.k.

To coincide with the change in the VDI 3 product, the official SRS 5 product documentation has moved to a wiki.  Although there are a number of advantages with using a wiki, we are focusing on the following benefits to the SRS 5 customers:

• The ability for you to provide feedback (comments) on a per page basis, much like a blog.
• Giving you information in a more topic based structure, specifically focusing on tasks (procedures).
• Instantaneous updates to you from the product team during the Early Access programs.
• Exposing more information at a higher level, so you can hopefully find it more easily.

I also want to make it clear that the change to the wiki has not changed our commitment to provide quality documentation. The SRS 5 documentation wiki is based on an enterprise-level wiki, it has dedicated writers assigned to it working closely with the product teams, and this new platform should help improve the accuracy of the content. 

My job is to moderate the documentation wikis and to make sure you get the information you need.  And, to do that, your continued comments and feedback are vital.

Once you get to the main SRS 5 Information Center page, just click the SRS 5 Documentation tab and check out both the new Sun Ray Sever Software 4.2 and Sun Ray Connector for Windows OS 2.2 wikis. 

I'll be back in the next few weeks to do a tour of each of the new wikis and give you the highlights.  If there is anything you'd like me to focus on, just leave a comment on the wiki or on this blog.

I look forward to your feedback.
Paul Kasper