Use Case: OpenSource Virtualization for Educational Computer Laboratories

Abstract

The usual case with computing laboratories in schools and other public educational institutions is that computers are not adequately set up and maintained in order to provide an homogeneous user experience. They are configured and managed individually and it is almost impossible for managers to keep up with the latest software updates in every single PC. In other cases, some institutions cannot afford having any computers at all. By implementing a central powerful virtual server and a group of lightweight hardware computers in a server-client configuration, it is possible to offer the same user experience one gets with a desktop computer. Consequently, is it possible to reduce the equipment’s maintenance effort, simplify software updates and have all computers equally configured. In this work, we define the requirements for an actual educational computer laboratory and present a possible solution to overtake this limitations through the use of a virtualization platform, which provides virtual desktops environments, along with any kind of computational device that can be used as a thin client.