How does a winkydink Teradici offer high res, full FPS, 3D rendering on ESXi 5 VDIs?

[aronesz]

How does a wimpy-looking Teradici card

offer high resolution, full FPS 3D graphics (1:38)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXA4QMmfY5Y&feature=player_detailpage#t=97s

for ESXi 5.0/5.1 VDI environments? We're shooting for an AutoCAD/SolidWorks/YouTube 1080p capable environment. I can't see how such a small and low profile card could possibly have the horsepower to handle such GPU computations for a big environment like that. We're going to have up to 64 VDIs per server, and are a 500-1000 employee count sized company. Someone enlighten me please!

Determining which route to go (between RemoteFX and VMware View/PCoIP) and the hardware (NVIDIA 4GB non-Quadro/Tesla GPUs vs Teradici card). Servers have three 4x, three 8x, and one 16x PCI-E lane. Two of the 8x lanes will be occupied by SAS RAID cards.

 

[4saken]

its a PC over IP offload device, not a GPU...

google pcoip, its not rendering or computing anything in lieu of a traditional GPU. Its related to how the desktop experience is delivered from the datacenter to your thin/zero clients.

 

[ofavre]

Yes, the APEX offloads the PCoIP encoding tasks from the server CPU, freeing up valuable CPU cycles for whatever needs them (the more pixels change, the more CPU cycles are freed up), so "1 vCPU+APEX = 3 vCPU" for your VM if you will.

As such, the APEX complements a GPU: the GPU will improve the user experience at the datacenter, but without the card, part of this improved desktop experience will be lost during the delivery process...unless you add more vCPUs to your VM to encode all these pixels being generated by the GPU (hence reducing your server density).

The best config with View (PCoIP) is GPU + APEX (in the server) and Zero client end point (as the end point) to remove all bottlenecks (but network condition).... but I guess I am biased here ;-)

Some more info at www.teradici.com/APEX, video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR1cdIO4dBo (the video provided above is about workstation host card, 1:1 - not VDI related)
[disclaimer: I am the product manager for the APEX card at Teradici

 

[bman212121]

So paired with the correct video card..... Can it run Crysis?

Oh wow, that is one expensive piece of equipment. Obviously it makes more sense in a business environment but I was curious if it was cheap enough for home usage....

As a side question, does it seem to make a big difference with RemoteFX as well? The reason I ask is I can use RemoteFX with a high end GPU in the server, and for the most part video playback is fine. It will even run games but at low fps levels. Just wondering if the offload would help fps or if it's mainly just to help smooth the user experience. (So the mouse doesn't feel glitchy and things like that)

EDIT: It sounds like this would be a competing solution to RemoteFX where this is hardware based and RemoteFX would be software.

 

[aronesz]

Could be wrong, but you could use EVGA's PCI-E Host card (http://www.evga.com/pcoip/#HD02)

..as an Ethernet-based extension of your workstation. Look at http://www.evga.com/products/pdf/128-IP-HD02-KR.pdf -- it is illustrated with a workstation containing this card. Then, over an existing network plus a PCoIP Zero Client, you can use your workstation remotely rather than having to be physically near and directly plugged into your workstation. Pretty cool stuff.

I'm still looking for answers and would be curious to hear responses to bman212121's post above. I think that you could play Crysis as long as the host machine (be it a workstation or server) has the proper hardware for it. I have heard somewhere that there is a 300ms added latency though, but I'm probably wrong on that (must have mis-overheard). As far as framerates, I do not know what the final output would feel like on a Zero Client, but I want to hope and think for the best.

 

[rdqlus]

So paired with the correct video card..... Can it run Crysis?

A 1:1 workstation scenario can definitely run Crysis. Haven't tried that exact game but I have played iRacing, Dirt3 and a friend of mine used to play BF:BC2 over PCoIP. Works great. There is added latency but it's on the order of a few milliseconds, not 300ms.

As for the Apex card, my VM at work is offloaded using an Apex card right now. Performance is great. I don't know how I could tell that I don't have a PC under my desk (I have a ZeroClient).

aronesz: Contact the Teradici sales department if you have more questions. It's probably the best way to get your questions answered.

M.