NoMachine NX used to deliver complex, online web mapping course inexpensively.

About the University

Colorado's premier research university, the University of Colorado Denver, combines the excellence of academic programs with extensive research and teaching. With over 28,000 students and many nationally ranked programs including one of the top ten executive health MBA programs, the UC Denver received an award for America's best graduate schools in both 2006 and 2007.

The Challenge

Like most universities, some of UC Denver's students and faculty have work and studies that may take them around the world, requiring remote access to UC Denver’s centralized server. Because students and faculty are accessing computing resources for the development of Web mapping technologies, they need not only the most advanced applications and programs, but also the most advanced remote access solution.

Web mapping applications and programs are complex; students use them to solve spatial land problems ranging from determining the most productive crops for Mexican farmers to pinpointing areas of concern in Armenian deforestation. The most advanced Web mapping applications and programs are available through Open Source. This is why faculty decided to move the class, "Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on the Web", from a Windows to a Linux environment. To move into this new Linux environment, students needed a user-friendly remote access solution with a familiar Graphical User Interface (GUI) that would instill confidence as they used both a command line and Linux operating system for the first time.

It was difficult for UC Denver to find a remote access solution that would be both familiar and sophisticated enough for Web mapping coursework. Web mapping application programs require color depth, advanced caching ability, and sophisticated image display. The solutions UC Denver researched either did not offer the necessary image features, or they did but were too expensive to implement on a Linux server. Some solutions offered the necessary features, but were too difficult for non-Linux experts to use.

Students and professors at the UC Denver were working with and developing cutting-edge Web mapping technology, and they required cutting-edge remote access to their environment and applications.

The Solution

The University of Colorado Denver chose NoMachine NX Enterprise Server as their remote access solution not only because it provides the advanced caching ability and color depth needed for Web mapping, but because it’s inexpensive, user-friendly, and allows users to access applications in real-time.

A fully-featured Unix terminal server and desktop consolidation tool, the NX Enterprise Server allows users to create and operate an unlimited number of virtual desktop sessions on a single server. Being licensed per-server, and not per-user, this NX Server can host tens to hundreds of concurrent sessions on a single computer, bringing the cost of large-scale deployments down to a fraction of competing products. With its reasonable subscription rate, NX is ideal for universities, public schools, and nonprofits in need of high-quality remote access without the high cost. In addition, it requires no new hardware and centralizes IT functions, saving IT resources and reducing spending.

Offering a simple GUI, NX provides a smooth and easy transition from one environment to the other. With its simple and straightforward instructions, NX is also easy to deploy and use, creating a less intimidating and well-rounded first-time experience for UC Denver Linux newcomers.

NX was also able to provide sophisticated image display and "just like being there" application speed. With its unique display protocol and smart-caching mechanisms, NX creates a high-speed, real-time connection making it the fastest remote access solution on the market.

In addition, NX offers a wide range of useful additional products. One of these products is NX Web Companion which is used to facilitate access to NX sessions for remote users from any machine or location they may be working from. This gives UC Denver students and professors the ability to access a full desktop with all the applications they need for Web mapping from any location they choose to work from. With just one click the NX Web Companion downloads and installs the client software and automatically connects to the remote session; ideal for users who need remote access, but don't have the NX Client on their machine.

Results

NX Enterprise Server now provides the University of Colorado Denver access to primary applications such as UNM Mapserver and OpenLayers from different locations around the world. With the ease and speed of NX, professors are able to promote and teach advanced Open Source Web mapping technologies as if they were in the classroom. Students can be more productive in creating Web maps, connecting all at once with their professor in the classroom or from any location on their own, and waste less time trying to connect and access applications. Furthermore, students can build confidence working in the new Linux environment, stay on task, and achieve success creating new solutions with Open Source Web mapping.

Faculty and students at the University of Colorado Denver are pleased with their choice. "NoMachine NX fits our needs perfectly," says Fast GIS Lab Coordinator, Sue Hawkins. "All of our users are very happy with the convenient remote access to the Linux environment and necessary Web mapping applications on the NX Server. NX is reliable and simple to maintain, even for inexperienced users. Constant updates, new versions, and support are always available."

About NoMachine NX Enterprise Server

A fully-featured Unix terminal server and desktop consolidation tool allowing users to create, manage and operate an unlimited number of virtual desktop sessions on a single server. Perfect for companies which need to offer a complete set of corporate services to all mobile and on-site employees.

About NoMachine NX Web Companion

The NX Web Companion is a tiny Java applet and a plugin for any browser that easily integrates into the corporate Intranet to give users one-click-access to applications made available on the NX server.

NX security is guaranteed at every layer involved in the communication process. NX uses SSH public-key encryption and 128 bit volatile random cookie generation.