Session Allocation Manager 2.1—Optimizing your HP Blade Workstation Solution Deployment

Objective............................................................................................................................................ 2 Overview............................................................................................................................................ 2 SAM architecture................................................................................................................................. 4 SAM features and benefits .................................................................................................................... 6 Interfacing to SAM............................................................................................................................... 8

HP SAM Web Server interface .......................................................................................................... 8 SAM client user interface .................................................................................................................. 9

Example: Establishing a multi-monitor, multi-session connection to two blade workstations ............................ 9 Step 1: Assign blade workstations to the user .................................................................................... 10 Step 2: Map blade workstations to a particular monitor layout ............................................................ 10 Step 3: Specify the client computer monitor layout ............................................................................. 11 Step 4: Establish a connection ......................................................................................................... 12

Conclusion........................................................................................................................................ 13

Objective This paper describes how Session Allocation Manager (SAM) 2.1 can be used to optimize your HP Blade Workstation Solution deployment, enhancing both manageability and ease-of-use. For example, SAM allows the HP Blade Workstation Solution to be configured so that the user needs to log in only once in order to be connected to multiple blade workstations.

This paper first provides an overview of the HP Blade Workstation Solution, as well as other HP remote desktop solutions. Next, the SAM architecture is presented, followed by a description of the SAM features, benefits, and user interface and an example of how SAM can be used to establish a connection from a client computer to multiple blade workstations.

For more additional information on SAM, please visit http://www.hp.com/go/sam.

Overview Remote computing, coupled with high-performance, over-the-network visualization technology, is changing the traditional desktop computing model. The HP Blade Workstation Solution, shown in Figure 1, exemplifies this trend. Rather than placing the workstation computing power at the user’s desk, the computing power is moved to the data center where the rack-mounted blade workstations can be more easily, securely, and inexpensively managed. Users can remotely view and interact with the blade workstations using inexpensive client computers. This reduces the heat, clutter, and noise inherent in multi-workstation desktop configurations. For information on the HP Blade Workstation Solution, visit http://www.hp.com/go/bladeworkstation.

Figure 1. The HP Blade Workstation Solution consists of rack-mounted blade workstations and client computers

For customers who need a remote computing solution to replace business desktops, HP offers the HP Consolidated Client Infrastructure (CCI), which employs rack-mounted blade PCs and low-cost client computers. For information on CCI, visit http://www.hp.com/go/cci.

HP also offers virtualized desktop computing resources, based on the HP virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). With VDI, OS virtualization software executes on a server to allow a desktop OS, such as Microsoft® Windows® XP, to run on the server. To support multiple users, multiple copies of Windows can be run on a single server, each in their own virtualized OS environment. As with blade workstations and CCI, low-cost client computers are used to view and interact with the desktop sessions. For information on VDI, visit http://www.hp.com/go/vdi.

When applied to these remote computing solutions, SAM enhances:

• Manageability—SAM supports management of both the remote computing resources and client computers, helping to ensure the optimal assignment of resources to each user. SAM also increases system reliability through features such as automatic failover protection.

• Ease-of-use—SAM enhances the user experience by allowing the user to log into SAM once, and then be automatically connected to either pre-assigned remote computing resources or to dynamically-assigned computing resources. When users move to a different location, SAM can be configured to automatically re-connect users to their previous remote computing resources.

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HP ProLiant xw460cBlade Workstations

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SAM architecture The computing resources supported by SAM consist of blade workstations, blade PCs, the virtual desktop infrastructure, and client computers, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The elements of the SAM architecture

The HP SAM Web Server orchestrates connections between these computing resources and the client computers. When a user requests a connection to a computing resource, the HP SAM Web Server accesses the SQL Server database to determine how to allocate the requested computing resources to the user. The SQL database stores information such as:

• The properties of each of the computing resources, including the roles that each computer is configured to provide. An example administrator-defined role is stock trader. Applications specific to this role are installed on computers that support this role.

• The properties of each of the client computers, such as their monitor layout ID, which is associated with the number of attached monitors, their layout, and their resolutions.

• The HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS) properties to use when making an RGS connection, such as windows borders on/off and the RGS image compression level.

Based on this information, SAM allocates the remote computing resources required by each user. In doing this, the desktop session of one or more computing resources is displayed on the client computer.

SAM uses RGS to connect client computers and blade workstations. As shown in Figure 3, RGS sends the desktop image from the blade workstation to the client computer. RGS also captures user

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keyboard and mouse inputs from the client computer, and sends them to the blade workstation for processing by the OS and the applications running on the workstation.

Figure 3. RGS provides visualization between a blade workstation and a client computer.

RGS provides extremely fast capture, compression, and transmission of the desktop image (the actual frame buffer pixels) using standard TCP/IP networking. For more information on RGS, visit http://www.hp.com/go/rgs.

SAM also supports the use of Microsoft® Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect between client computers and the computing resources. RGS, however, provides significantly higher performance than RDP, and has a number of features which make it particularly suitable for workstation-class usage, including:

• Support for multiple monitors—RGS sends the complete frame buffer of the blade workstation to the client computer. For example, the HP ProLiant xw460c Blade Workstation supports a frame buffer (and Windows desktop) that can be configured up to 5120 x 1024 pixels, equivalent to four 1280 x 1024 monitors. Similarly, the HP dc72 Blade Workstation Client supports up to four attached monitors. Therefore, the complete frame buffer (Windows desktop) of the blade workstation can be transmitted and displayed on the four client monitors using RGS.

• Connection to multiple blade workstations—RGS on the client computer can connect to multiple desktop sessions, each running on a different blade workstation. Figure 4 shows two blade workstations, each sending their Windows desktop session to the client computer for display. SAM can be configured so that, in connecting to multiple blade workstations, the desktop session of each blade workstation is displayed on a separate monitor on the client computer.

HP ProLiant xw460c Blade Workstation

HP Compaq t5720 Thin Client

This symbol denotes the HP RGS product. The stylistic R stands for “Remote” while the Greek gamma symbol stands for “Graphics.”

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Figure 4. Desktop sessions from multiple computing resources can each be displayed on a separate monitor on the client computer.

• Advanced configurability—RGS is highly configurable, both through its user interface as well as by

setting RGS properties in a configuration file. For example, RGS properties can be set to specify where a window (displaying the desktop from a blade workstation) is positioned on the client monitor. SAM provides centralized management of the RGS properties, including on a per user basis, a per user group basis, and a per security group basis.

SAM features and benefits SAM has a number of features that allow optimization of the HP Blade Workstation Solution, including:

Static and dynamic resource assignments—SAM supports two types of resource assignments:

• Static resources—A user and the user’s client computer are connected to a pre-defined set of remote computing resources, even when the user changes location.

• Dynamic resources—Users are assigned remote computing resources from a pool of available computing resources.

These two types of resource assignments provide significant flexibility in meeting the needs of your users.

• Single log in—SAM simplifies the user experience by allowing the user to log in just once, even if the user is connecting to multiple blade workstations. Furthermore, with a multi-monitor client computer, SAM will automatically position the user’s windows on the client computer monitors based on pre-configured information. The net result is that logging into the blade workstation solution is as simple as logging into a single workstation.

• Follow-me roaming—This feature enables users to move to a different location, and be automatically re-connected to the same computing resources they used previously, without disrupting the applications running on the computing resources. In doing this, SAM automatically adapts to different monitor configurations. For example, assume that a user has four monitors in the office, each displaying the frame buffer from a different blade workstation. If the user relocates to home where there is only one monitor, SAM will re-connect to the live sessions on the same four

Client computer

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blade workstations as before, but will stack the four frame buffer windows onto the single monitor for viewing. RGS can then be used to sequentially view each of the four windows.

• Automatic failover—SAM can be configured so that, if a blade workstation fails, another blade workstation will be automatically assigned to the task performed by the failed unit. This feature works for both static and dynamic connections, maximizing both the uptime of the blade workstation solution and the user’s productivity.

• Automatic client aggregation—The HP Blade Workstation Solution, in concert with RGS, allows multiple blade workstation client computers to be aggregated together to form a single virtual client device, operated by a single keyboard and mouse. SAM can be configured to perform client aggregation automatically, while ensuring that each client computer connects to its pre-configured set of blade workstations.

• Ease of administration—SAM provides a web interface that allows all parameters of SAM operation to be easily monitored and changed from a central location. This is much more efficient than configuring the blade workstation solution by separately logging into each solution component.

• Detailed logging—SAM can be configured to keep a detailed log of connection activities, administration activities, security-related incidents, and the like.

Interfacing to SAM SAM provides interfaces for two types of personnel:

• SAM administrator—The HP SAM Web Server provides a web interface for the administrator to set up SAM and manage its resources.

• SAM user—A program called the Session Allocation Client runs on each client computer to enable the user to establish a connection to the required computing resources.

HP SAM Web Server interface The web interface for administering SAM is shown in Figure 5. Through this interface, the SAM administrator can perform tasks such as creating new roles, assigning computing resources to users, managing client computers, and managing the monitor layout on client computers.

Figure 5. The SAM administrator interface

For information on installing, setting up, and administering SAM, see the HP PC Session Allocation Manager User Guide, available at http://www.hp.com/go/sam.

SAM client user interface Figure 6 shows the Session Allocation Client (SAM client) that runs on the client computer. With the SAM client, a single login allows connection to multiple blade workstations.

Figure 6. The Session Allocation Client interface

Example: Establishing a multi-monitor, multi-session connection to two blade workstations In this section, a static SAM connection is established from a dual-monitor client computer to two blade workstations, each running a Windows desktop session—hence, a multi-monitor, multi-session connection. Each of the Windows desktop sessions is displayed on a separate monitor on the client computer.

NOTE: The screenshots in this section show the results of various SAM administrative activities, not how the administrative steps are actually performed. To learn how to use SAM, refer to the documentation available at http://www.hp.com/go/sam.

Note that using SAM requires expertise in administering Microsoft Active Directory, as well as general IT expertise to set up and configure the product. HP recommends that, prior to deploying SAM, a pilot installation be created to verify SAM operation in your environment.

Step 1: Assign blade workstations to the user In Figure 7, two blade workstations (SAM-BL32 and SAM-BL41) have been assigned to the user, stock.trader.

Figure 7. Two blade workstations are associated with the user stock.trader.

Step 2: Map blade workstations to a particular monitor layout In Figure 8, each of the blade workstations is mapped to a particular monitor. The blade workstation SAM-BL32 is mapped to the left-most monitor (because the monitor horizontal offset is set to 0) while the blade workstation SAM-BL41 is mapped to the right-most monitor (because the monitor horizontal offset is set to 1280). This monitor layout is associated with the Monitor Layout ID, “two screen horizontal.”

Figure 8. Mapping of the two blade workstations to the two client computer monitors

Step 3: Specify the client computer monitor layout In Figure 9, the monitor layout for the client computer has been specified by including the Monitor Layout ID, “two screen horizontal,” that was established in Step 2.

Figure 9. Specifying the monitor layout for a client computer

At this point, two blade workstations have been assigned to the user, stock.trader. Furthermore, the mapping of blade workstations to monitors (on the client computer) has been specified, and has also been associated with the user. Finally, the monitor layout has been associated with the client computer.

The effect of these configuration steps is that, when user stock.trader makes a connection from the specified client computer, the desktop sessions from the two blade workstations will be mapped to the two monitors per the specified layout. The final step is to actually make the connection, as described next.

Step 4: Establish a connection Once the system configuration information has been entered into the SAM administration tool, the SAM Client is used to make the connection from the client computer to the two blade workstations—the user clicks Connect to establish this connection, as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10. The SAM client is used to establish the connection

Figure 11 shows the connection status dialog, which indicates that the client computer is connected to two blade workstations, SAM-BL32 and SAM-BL41. SAM can be configured so that this dialog is displayed automatically whenever there is a change in the connection status.

Figure 11. Connection status dialog

Figure 12 shows the two blade workstation Windows sessions that are displayed on the two client computer monitors.

Figure 12. Display of the two blade workstation Windows sessions

Conclusion SAM 2.1 can be used to automatically assign blade workstation, blade PC, and VDI sessions to a user’s client computer. For blade workstations, SAM employs RGS to provide a highly-interactive environment between the user and the desktop sessions running on the blade workstations. In concert with RGS, SAM allows the user to connect a multi-monitor client computer to either a single blade workstation with a high-resolution Windows desktop that spans multiple monitors, or to multiple blade workstations, each running their own Windows desktop session.

The capabilities provided by SAM 2.1 allow you to efficiently manage your HP Blade Workstation Solution, helping to ensure the optimal use of both your computing resources and your human resources. As your remote computing needs continue to evolve over time, SAM will enable you to efficiently meet those needs.

Desktop sessionfrom SAM-BL32

Desktop sessionfrom SAM-BL41

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© 2007 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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October 2007