Terminal Server Questions

Netopia

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I have a situation where I need to make a decision between buying a dozen or so machines or buying a terminal server. This is all to support the minimum requirements of a client for SQL2005. There will be only ONE application that needs the client.

I'm leaning towards leaving the current PCs in place and getting a terminal server instead. Obviously maintenance and upkeep will be easier with the server, though it also gives a single point of failure.

What are other people's experiences with Terminal Server? Is it easy to use and administer? What is the performance like? I think I'd look at dual - dual core Xeons with 4GB RAM and a 15K-RPM Raid 5 array.

I've also considered changing the current PC's entire desktops over to the terminal server (MS Office, Outlook, Accounting... etc)... any ideas what performance would be like?

Thanks in advance for whatever help you can give,

Joe
 

Smilin

Diamond Member
Mar 4, 2002
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Great for single apps. Would not recommend pushing a whole desktop over.


Running a dozen instances of an app on the hardware you listed would be cake. Unless the app is some monster you could probably get away with less.


Administration is actually really easy. Getting licensing squared away is probably the tough spot. That should be a one time thing though.
 

Netopia

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,793
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So, even for a dozen "low power" users (limited Word, Excel and Outlook mainly) you wouldn't put their desktops on a Terminal Server? Even on with the power described?

Joe
 

Tsaico

Platinum Member
Oct 21, 2000
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I agree with not pushing their entire desktops to the new server. While I agree with your conecpt, that virtualization is the big ticket, it is a little more difficult to manage and administer the smaller things, such as local user rights (I have found in many cases you need to elevate some users to certain levels to get their misc apps to work, but if you do that on a central server, you run the risk of allowing them to infulence the others)

But for a single app, I think you are on the right track.
 

Smilin

Diamond Member
Mar 4, 2002
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Never lose sight of "single point of failure". Putting the whole desktop up there isn't wise.
 

Chunkee

Lifer
Jul 28, 2002
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use the terminals server...for it all...you have a hoss of a server with a good array...have a nice backup schema in case you need to do a restore...so much easier to lock things down and manage...

jC