Multiple users running off a single box *theories*

[D3K]

Anyone know how I can get 6 people working off a single machine? I want 6x keyboard, mouse, monitor plugged into one single box.
The box must be portable so server racks are out of the question.

I spoke to nvidia and amd reps today and both parties assured me their virtualisation technology was not worth the hassle, and to just buy 6 laptops.

It's been bugging me all day today and I am wondering if the following would work:

2x GPUs with 3 displays out each
12 USB ports to plug in peripherals
Hyper V to 5 VMs (6th user would run host)
The 5 VM's would be placed on separate monitor outputs
USB's dedicated to each VM*
Enough cores and ram dedicated to each VM

The starred * is the only thing I don't know will work. The rest in theory should. But if the separate VM's can't be controlled independently then it's broken.

 

[D3K]

Feast your eyes on this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXOaCkbt4lI

That's very awesome. True Linus style though, doesn't go into any specifics of the software config. But it can be done!

 

[D3K]

He did one with 2 machines in 1, goes through config and stuff I believe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuJYMCbIbPk

There's quite a lot of config to that. I'll need to wrap my head around it before deciding if it's worth it.

The biggest thing here is not the actual control, its more the fact that unless each GPU can provide a virtual gpu (vGPU) to each VM, using 2 cards will allow give displays to 2 virtual machines as they're effectively classed as single use. The workstation class gpus from NVidia and AMD offer virtualised gpus allowing a larger number of gpus to run off the single card and I'd imagine you'd be able to run one display port per vGPU.

Certainly, this is my experience in my virtualised gaming setup that it was one physical card per VM unless you get the FirePro for example.

Yes it would be workstation cards not consumer.

 

[D3K]

Just use thin client set up ....

The stuff Linus did had loads of bugs , he said if there one issue he had to restart the whole thing just get say a VM to load up with correct USB inputs . Total cost was $30k I think.

This needs to be portable to client sites, and they often have terrible internet connections - especially if they're in the sticks.

A large portion of that $30k came from the WC, monitors and 1TB SSDs. Total overkill for my needs.

 

[D3K]

You dont need a internet connection ...

6 monitor with say a Intel NUC + a server running the the remote desktop will a lot more easier to set up and support in the long run. You also dont need as powerful server then to run everything. You can also add more users as well for not much money.

If you need to support this have you thought about what happens when the server crashes out ? At least with Thin Client you can set up more than 1 server as some fail over.

As a project for fun it can be done, In real word where people need it to support a business stick with what is known.

The idea here is to have everything in a single box. Every client has KVM so they can provide those.

As for sticking with what is known... where is the fun in that?