Abstract:

bwLehrpool is a software suite and IT project grown out of a local initiative of the professorship in communication systems associated with the computer center of the University of Freiburg. It currently manifests an almost sustainable state-wide service offered for higher education and research institutions with aspirations of attracting a wider user base beyond the boundaries of Baden-Württemberg. It fills a niche for efficient management of large computer pool installations with flexible requirements without forcing out existing installations and concepts. Additionally, it responds to new requirements such as orchestrated reconfiguration of pools for larger e-assessments or system automation and monitoring. The project is a combination of existing software stacks including standard Linux distributions and hypervisors combined with custom developments which are made available as Open Source packages. The programmed tools and services cover a wide range of components from administration and pool configuration web interfaces to software packages used to streamline the stateless LAN booting client setup and manage the various virtualized lecture environments. The system focuses on the fat client concept by creating a flexible Virtual Desktop-like infrastructure offering a broad range of user-created software environments by separating and disentangling the tasks of administrators and lecturers traditionally associated with computer pool management. Development and support is mainly concentrated in Freiburg and Offenburg, but the financially-contributing user base forms a strong steering group and is regularly consulted for the direction of future development, components and concepts.

Keywords:

PC pool provisioning, E-Assessment, Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure, iPXE, VDI.