Bare Metal (PC Farm)
While DaDesktop primarily operates through virtual desktops, certain tasks demand the direct performance of a physical machine. With the Bare Metal option, each participant is assigned a dedicated physical desktop or server, which is fully managed through the DaDesktop platform.
Dedicated hardware per participant
Instead of sharing virtual resources, every participant gains access to their own dedicated physical machine.
Remote management of physical classrooms
Link existing classroom environments to DaDesktop, allowing you to oversee all machines remotely without needing to be physically present.
Scenarios for Bare Metal
- Applications that are incompatible with virtualisation, such as ONAP and OpenStack.
- Specific hardware components that do not support virtualisation, including certain GPUs, Mellanox cards, and other network devices.
- Training modules that involve firmware updates or direct interaction with physical hardware.
- Physical classroom configurations that require centralised remote administration.
Mechanics of Operation
Every physical machine is linked to a DaDesktop node using a control cable known as ddnexus. When provisioning a standalone or fresh-start desktop, choose the "Metal PC" option. This process deploys the desktop environment directly onto the physical hardware.
PC Farm Architecture
Existing office desktops can be integrated to function as bare metal nodes. Within this ecosystem, each individual physical desktop is referred to as a potato. The central server responsible for managing these nodes is called a pumpkin (also known as a DaDesktop node or ddnode). The USB cable that links each potato to the pumpkin is termed a potato stalk.
Potato stalk cables are readily available through marketplaces like eBay and Alibaba.
Start Your Free Trial Today
Run seamless virtual IT training with cloud-based labs, no downtime, just scalable learning that works.