BINGVIEW VIRTUAL DESKTOP OVERVIEW

BingView Virtual Desktop: Access University Applications Remotely

BINGVIEW, the campus virtual desktop initiative, provides convenient remote access to University licensed applications. Started in 2008, it offers on-campus and off-campus access to statistical, math, and engineering packages such as Matlab, SPSS, STATA, SAS, Atlas.Ti, NVivo, Creo, and Microsoft Office. With the ability to support 300 concurrent users (expandable to 500), BingView delivers desktops on demand to users anywhere, anytime.

Accessing BingView

  • Access BingView at https://bingview.binghamton.edu.
  • Active students, faculty, and staff can log in using their BU account.
  • Off-campus users and students must connect to VPN before accessing BingView.

Connecting Methods

VMware Horizon View Client:

  1. Open a web browser and go to BingView's web page.
    • Select "Install VMware Horizon View Client"
  2. Choose the appropriate VMware View Client for your operating system
    • Windows 10 (32 and 64 bit)
    • Mac
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux users should check their OS distribution repository for a client.
  3. Download the latest version of VMware Horizon View Client specific to your system & install the downloaded application and follow the prompts.
  4. Accept the default settings and enter "BingView.binghamton.edu" as the connection server.
  5. Launch the VMware Horizon Client, log in, select the appropriate domain and select a virtual desktop from the provided list.

Note: Not all of the virtual machine pools are available via the web interface.

HTML5 Web browser:

  1. Supported web browsers
    • Chrome
    • Internet Explorer 11 or later
    • Safari 9, 10
    • Mobile Safari on iOS devices running iOS 6, 9, or 10
    • Firefox
  2. Visit BingView's web page, select "VMware Horizon View HTML Access," and log in.
  3. Select appropriate domain and choose a virtual desktop from the provided list.

Note: HTML5 access does not provide access to the local computer's storage

Virtual Desktop FAQ

Q: Who can access the Virtual Desktop?
A: Active students, faculty, and staff can access the Virtual Desktop using their BU account.

Q: What is Virtual Desktop?
A: Virtual Desktop separates the physical machine from the PC desktop environment using a client/server model of computing. It allows ITS to deliver desktops on demand to users anywhere and to any device. The desktop is delivered in real time to the user's PC or tablet device.

Q: How do I log into a Virtual Desktop?
A: To access BingView, go to bingview.binghamton.edu. Students and off-campus users are required to connect to VPN before using BingView.  Visit the IT Self Service for more info.

Q: Can I incorporate Virtual Desktop as part of my classroom instruction? How many virtual machines are available at a given time?
A: Yes, professors have incorporated Virtual Desktop as part of their research methods/statistics classes.

Systems are built dynamically as users log in. Please contact the Help Desk at 607-777-6420 if you are planning to use the virtual environment in a classroom setting. The systems can be pre-built prior to class, reducing login time.

Q: What computer system or platform do I need to access Virtual Desktop?
A: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, or Linux computers can all access Virtual Desktops.

Q: Who can access Virtual Desktop?
A: All current faculty, staff, and registered students, both undergraduate and graduate, can access Virtual Desktop using their BU username/password combination.

Q: Can I store data or files on Virtual Desktop?
A: Once you log in using your BU username/password combination, you will have access to your own C, U-Drive, or S drive on the server. These drives are pre-fixed with your username. All other drives without your username prefix are virtual drives and should not be used for saving files. Google Drive can also be used for file storage. USB flash drives can be used for local data storage (not for web access).

Q: Can I print my output or results from the Virtual Desktop?
A: Printing can be done utilizing Print@Binghamton. If you want to print to a printer other than a Print@Binghamton printer, you will need to save your output and then print it to your printer.

Q: What are the system requirements for Virtual Desktop?
A: System Requirements for Virtual Desktop:

  • Windows
    • Operating System: Windows 10 (32 or 64-bit)
  • Mac
    • Operating System: macOS X Mavericks (10.9) or newer
    • Processor: 64-bit Intel-based Mac
    • RAM: At least 2GB
  • iOS
    • Version: iOS 9 or later
  • Android
    • Architecture: ARM and x86
    • Versions: Android 2.3.3, 3, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, or 4.4
  • HTML5 Web Browsers
    • Chrome
    • Internet Explorer 11
    • Safari
    • Mobile Safari on iOS devices running iOS 9
    • Firefox

Ensure your system meets these requirements to ensure a smooth experience with Virtual Desktop.

Q: Is there a time limit associated with the Virtual Desktop?
A: Sessions are currently limited to 24 hours. If the session disconnects abnormally, reconnecting within 5 minutes will take you back to the interrupted session without loss of work. Remember to save your work to Google Drive or U-Drive.

Q: What happens to the contents of my desktop when I log off or disconnect?
A: These desktops are stateless. Do not save anything to the desktop, as it will be destroyed.

Q: What if I am using a Mac?
A: Mac users can download and install the Horizon View Client or use Safari 6 or later to connect to a virtual system. Visit system requirement for Mac clients page for more information

Trouble Accessing BingView

For detailed instructions on connecting via VMware Horizon View Client or HTML5 web browser, visit the page at BingView. Troubleshooting tips are available for users facing access issues. BingView enhances flexibility and accessibility for users to work with University applications securely from anywhere.