Using an Old Computer for Visualization

Hardy

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Hey,

I'm 17 and am currently in Sixth Form in South-East England.

I have some funny aspirations for my home, and need your help. :p

My school has recently adopted VMWare, a visualization solution for networks. In a very basic form, there's a server running these virtual computers, which the 'reformed' computers in the school can connect to, and run their session on the server, rather than on the actual physical computer. This is useful for two reasons - firstly, the old computers which would otherwise have to be replaced as they're so outdated can now run the VMWare client, which means they connect to the server, and run their virtual computer from the server, which is much faster. And secondly, the school Administrators can manage most of the network from their 'office' (or so they call it. :L).

Anyway, I'd like to implement a similar system at my house - this is both to simplify things, and to basically show off I can do it (and the experience).

I have an eMachines computer, which I'd like to use as the server, and a few odd laptops which I would like to run the view client, so they simply connect to the server rather than boot up windows on the physical laptop. I'd also like to be able to connect from another laptop, but this laptop is quite good so I'd like to use that most of the time without it running from the server, but I'd like to have the ability to connect to the server from within Windows if I ever want to manage it etc.

This would all be done wirelessly, via a Bt HomeHub router... :L

I would use VMWare, but sadly that costs, and this isn't commercial so I don't feel like paying out a few hundred pounds simply for some experience.

I found the following on the Microsoft website, but don't understand it. :S http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/

Do I need to pay for anything, can I just put some sort of view client on the client computers and it connect to the server?

Well, I hope I made sense, and look forward to your ideas. :D

Thanks,
~ Hardy
 
Hi,

First let me say that you don't have to pay for anything. There is a program called VMware ESXi. This is essentially a program that run on a computer that will run multiple VMware cleints on it. I don't have ESXi yet because I don't have a spare box but hopefully I will get getting one soon.

If you want to watch a video podcast about ESXi have a look at this

Cheers!
 
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