In September 1962, President John F. Kennedy gave a historic speech at Rice University in Houston that propelled Americans to the moon a few years later.
Now, the private university’s IT department is learning that managing up to 180 software licenses for its computer labs isn’t rocket science, thanks to the use of desktop virtualization.
Barry Ribbeck, director of systems, architecture, and infrastructure at Rice says managing scores of software licenses, handling updates, and making sure the right software is delivered to the correct lab by the beginning of each semester has been a constant struggle for his staff.
Open computer labs are especially challenging because of the huge amount of software to which students need access. “There is one day of class time built in for technology contingencies, but nobody wants to use it,” said Ribbeck.
From months to days
Preparations for the fall semester begin in February with requests from faculty for the software they want to run. After requests are compiled in May, IT staff begins acquiring the licensing and building images for each lab computer. Applications are tested on each machine before the semester starts, but last-minute requests and updates keep staff busy right up until the first day of class.
“We’re always looking for ways to not go down to the wire,” Ribbeck said of last-minute software additions and upgrades. “We have made some inroads and tried to reduce the number of applications, but they keep growing.”
When Ribbeck joined the Houston-based university five years ago, IT staff was dealing with about 70 applications. Today, that figure easily tops 150 and sometimes goes as high as 180.
Rice recently began using Endpoint Virtualization Suite from Symantec for some of its applications. Ribbeck reports good early success, especially with the ability to update software quickly and on the fly. “Virtualization makes the teaching and learning environment more flexible,” Ribbeck said. “By taking advantage of just-in-time technology, we can deliver software to faculty in a much faster timeframe.”
Virtualization helps make sense of an increasingly diverse computing environment, said Brian Duckering, senior manager of Symantec’s Endpoint Virtualization Group. “It occurs at the desktop level rather than the hardware level,” Duckering said. “In this scenario, the IT staff has greater control over the assets that an end user needs to be productive.”
Multiple configurations and computing models are common in large computing environments like those on college campuses. Desktops, laptops, rich clients, thin clients, physical desktops, virtual desktops, shared systems, and dedicated systems are all viable options, which means that manageability in multiple environments is the next big IT challenge.
The advantages of endpoint virtualization include license savings, allowing IT to closely match the
number of users to the number of required licenses. Depending on the software licensing agreement, this could mean considerable savings.
Virtualization in any environment
Even when used in laptop environments, software can carry an expiration date that matches the end of the semester, allowing a student full use during the semester, then recycling that license for use the following semester.
Streaming technology can break down the walls between open computer labs that offer maximum flexibility with school- or course-specific labs such as those required for engineering or graphic arts courses.
Ribbeck said that virtualization is one scenario Rice is looking at to manage its software applications. In some instances, such as with computer-aided design software, streaming across a wireless network doesn’t work well, Ribbeck reported. Virtualization on a back-end server may work just fine in other instances, though.
“We’re not trying to move everything, but we are looking at a couple of virtual paths to determine how to get software to students and faculty when and where they want it,” Ribbeck said.
With nearly every student bringing a laptop, mobile device, or both to campus, the need for open computer labs is under review. Virtualization is one way to make open labs work more effectively in the current configuration, but mobile devices bring compatibility issues into play that must be addressed for students to have a seamless computing experience regardless of device.
Virtualization offers a more robust user experience than applications available as software as a service (SaaS), said Duckering. “A lot of independent software vendor products don’t play well on a SaaS level,” Duckering said. “With virtualization, you can have the application streamed or installed on the desktop and control the version and user access just like SaaS, but the software is locally installed and has local distribution.”
Endpoint virtualization takes a user-centric approach, delivering software where and when it is required. During the log-in process, the license and its availability are checked, and streaming begins quickly so the user can get to work. “In a virtualized environment, you don’t know where the user will log in from: an office, a dorm, a lab, or a laptop,” Duckering said. “Symantec offers flexible tools to manage applications and licenses.”
Ribbeck said Rice has not realized dollar savings through virtualization, mainly because the breadth of software offerings required by professors and students continues to increase. But he recognizes the importance of virtualization to bring real-world solutions to the increasingly complex field of managing multiple licenses and providing trouble-free computing solutions to faculty, staff, and students.
“There is no panacea to the software dilemma,” said Ribbeck. “You need a mix of tools in the academic environment, but virtualization can help. It all boils down to your business model, what you’re trying to do, and how to best accomplish those goals.”
Matt Bolch,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.
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