03-19, 11:00–11:25 (US/Eastern), Belfer Case Study Room (CGIS S020)
Not all commercially available software will run on Linux or Wine, compelling researchers to request Windows in HPC environments. Traditional solutions demand dedicated servers, Active Directory infrastructure, and specialized IT staff. 7lbd (7-layer bean dip) is an open-source project that eliminates this overhead by treating Windows as "just another Open OnDemand application," allowing users to launch secure Windows desktops in an isolated environment anywhere on their cluster while maintaining access to all of the user’s files. This solution simplifies Windows to a level that even Linux systems administrators will find easy to maintain.
This presentation demonstrates how centers can deploy Windows capabilities through Open OnDemand without additional infrastructure. The discussion includes the solution's architecture, which combines Apache Guacamole for remote access, network namespaces for isolation, and a simplified Windows VM configuration that eliminates traditional management overhead.
Topics covered include implementation requirements, Microsoft licensing, configuration steps, and the security model that makes this possible through network isolation. The presentation explores VM image management strategies and maintenance approaches, incorporating production deployment experiences and lessons learned from real-world implementations.
This talk is aimed at systems administrators and IT decision-makers familiar with Open OnDemand and basic virtualization concepts. Attendees will learn how to provide Windows capabilities to their users while minimizing infrastructure costs and administrative overhead. GitHub repository: https://github.com/BYUHPC/7lbd/wiki
Dean Anderson is an HPC Systems Administrator at Brigham Young University where he has worked for over 25 years.