Hi Hao
On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 3:37 AM, Hao Li lihao@mprc.pku.edu.cn wrote:
Hi Leandro,
Are you talking about implementing the Spice protocol client in the coreboot?
Yes, correct. I`m talking about implementing the Spice protocol - with that, surely I mean the client piece.
Does it rely on QEMU?
Not exactly the client but QEMU is a vital component of the architecture, it`s the user mode component for kvm hipervisor. I mentioned QEMU to show the virtualization stack is already capable of running spice "aware" clients.
I think the scenario you are talking about, or Spice protocol itself, it quite similar to RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) protocol, isn't it?
Maybe on the remote nature, but I`m sure it differs a lot on some other aspects. RDP is purely a remote rendering protocol and Spice is a remote virtual desktop one. Spice includes in the architecture optimizations for virtualized operating systems which is the reason for the specified VDI layer.
In the typical client-server model, for example, a Network Computer (with limited hardware resource) running a tiny Linux allows you to "rdesktop" to any server supporting RDP protocol.
Well, this is not a typical client-server model. It includes components not necessarily present in the "typical" remote desktop scenario. We`re running an operating system in a virtualized environment with its capabilities and specific features, the client for example doesn`t connect directly to the guest operating system but a middle ware.
Maybe you need to think of a more appealing scenario. :)
If we see a simple client running in a "proper" operating system we realize that even using the spice protocol we can have rich clients(and we do) it`s just a matter of protocol it may be RDP, Spice or any other, but we still need a full OS running in the client side, if we have all our heavy CPU tasks running in another computer why a full operating system running?
When I say we can run a desktop in a cheap piece of hardware I mean "really poor piece of hardware" things that wouldn`t be capable of running a MS Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, whatever it is.
You can still ask yourself, why some one would need something like this? well, some companies may save a lot of money with that. I see it as an interesting option, eliminating many dollar that would be invested in hundreds or thousands of desktop computers - it`s just a matter of option. :-)
Thank you for your questions. Best regards.