Virtual Desktop Environment

Today our department met with the IT department to discuss the software needed for our Fall semester classes.  Every spring we go through the software currently installed on the lab computers and determine if the software needs to be updated, removed, replaced, or left as is.  This year our meeting included a new dimension; the virtual desktops.

During the Spring semester our IT department rolled-out a new virtual desktop environment for us.  I plan to take advantage of this new environment in an online version of the Database Modeling course I'm developing this summer.  In the past, the online section of this course relied on using Microsoft Access rather than the SQL Server software we use in the on-site section.  Due to implementation challenges our students faced when trying to install SQL Server Express on Vista or Windows 7, and the incompatibilities of SQL Server Express with Apple OS, we were not able to use SQL Server Express in online sections and had to rely on Microsoft Access.

This fall however, we will have our students use a remote desktop session to connect to a virtual server where they can use the Microsoft Management Studio Express software to connect to their SQL Server database instance.  It sounds more difficult than it actually is to connect to the database.  This new environment will allow our online students to have the same tools and experiences as our on-site students.