Aqua Connect enables them to have the ability to use Mac software on their Sun Ray thin clients running Linux
Mission Heights Junior College purchased Aqua Connect to enable their Mac based programs to run on Sun Ray Ultra thin client desktops. Being a new school, they were looking for an IT implementation that would be flexible and last for years to come.They were attracted to the Sun Ray thin client system because they felt it was far more flexible than a standard desktop, and had better performance than a standard thin client system.
Mission Heights installed Aqua Connect on their 4 x 2.26 Ghz Quad Core Intel Xeon Xserve with 10 GB of memory. In addition to ACRDS, they are also running FileMaker Pro, Sibelius and programs from the iLife Suite. They connect to the server with Sun Ray 2 Thin Clients that are running on Novell SuSE Linux servers.
After getting the Sun Rays and running FileMaker Pro on them, they found that it didn’t run at an acceptable speed. They also tried some of the Linux-native music programs, but found that they were missing many of the features that they needed. Mission Heights then decided to look for alternative software. After discovering Aqua Connect, they realized that they could use the program to run the Mac software they needed on the Sun Rays. When they tried Aqua Connect with FileMaker Pro, they found that the performance was similar to that of working on a standard ‘fat client’.
Adding the Aqua Connect software to their infrastructure gave them the ability to access Linux, Mac and Windows desktops all from one computer. Without Aqua Connect, the inclusion of the Mac platform in their solution would not have been possible. It allowed them to run the programs they needed, which they could not directly run under Linux. Aqua Connect combined with the Sun Ray solution allowed them the flexibility of running most of the programs they needed from a single desktop.
“We are a brand new school and our vision has been to provide flexible relevant and engaging 21st Century education for our students. Aqua Connect fits with and enhances that vision for our ICT delivery.”
- Joan Middlemiss
Principal
