Virtual Computing

Virtual Desktop Computing

There are two virtual desktop environments available:

  • BingView: Provides access to University licensed applications such as Matlab, SPSS, STATA, SAS, Atlas.TI, Creo, and Microsoft Office Suite using a non-persistent virtual desktop. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Overview

WatsonView: Provides a persistent virtual desktop suitable for the daily computing requirements for Watson College faculty, staff, and graduate student.  
The virtual desktop environment consists of a cluster of servers that host numerous virtual desktops. Instead of having an individual physical computer at their desk, users connect to their virtual desktop over the network via a zero/thin client or software client.

A virtual computer is accessed using various devices: 

  • Zero/Thin Client
  • Personal computing device using:
    • VMware Horizon View Client
    • HTML 5 enabled web browser

Accessing the virtual desktop

Connecting via Zero/Thin Client

Zero/Thin Clients are essentially a dumb terminal that connects to a remote resource. The connection is brokered through a connection server such as BingView or WSView.  Zero clients can support multiple displays, USB disk drives, and other USB peripherals.

  1. Locate a zero client within the labs or lounge
  2. Select an appropriate connection server (bingview.binghamton.edu - Academic Computing OR WatsonView.binghamton.edu - Academic, Faculty, Staff, Research Computing)
  3. Sign in with your username and One Time Password (OTP)
  4. Sign in with your BU domain credentials
  5. Select a system appropriate for your usage (If no systems are available, make sure you signed in with the domain set to BU)

WARNING: Any files saved on the BingViewVM will be deleted upon logging off.  Save all files to your (U:) drive, USB drive or another network drive

Suppose you have been assigned a specific virtual machine. In that case, you will be able to select the respective pool to access your system.

Connecting via personal computing device

Watson College computing environment connection server:

  • Use on or off-campus: WatsonView.binghamton.edu

University computing environment connection server:

  • Use for on or off-campus: BingView.binghamton.edu

Connecting via the VMware Horizon View Client from Off-Campus

  1. Open a web browser and connect to the connection server's web page (https://WatsonView.binghamton.edu).
  2. Select the option "Install VMware Horizon View Client."
  3. From the download page, select and download the VMware View Client appropriate for your system. Clients are available for the following operating systems: Windows 32 and 64 bit, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux (users should check their OS distribution repository for a client)
  4. Select "Go to Downloads" for the VMware Horizon client appropriate for your system.
  5. Select "Download" and follow the screen prompts.
  6. Open the application that was just downloaded and begin the installation procedure.
  7. Accept the default settings and follow the screen prompts.
  8. Depending on your operating system, you may be prompted to restart, do so before proceeding.
  9. Start the VMware Horizon client.
  10. You will need to enter a server the first time the client starts.
    • Select "New Server
    • Enter the following as the connection server: WatsonView.binghamton.edu
  11. Sign in with your username and One Time Password (OTP)
  12. Log in with your BU user name, password
  13. Select a system from the list.

To add the BingView server, go to step 9 in the above instructions and add the bingview.binghamton.edu server. 

Connecting via a HTML5 Web browser

Supported web browsers: Chrome 28 or later, Internet Explorer 9 or later, Safari 6 or later, Mobile Safari on iOS devices running iOS 6 or later, Firefox 21 or later

  1. Open a supported web browser
  2. Connect to connection server's web page WSView: VMWare Horizon
  3. Select the option "VMware Horizon View HTML Access."
  4. Sign in with your username and One Time Password (OTP)
  5. Log in with your user name, password and select the appropriate domain
  6. Select a virtual desktop from the list.

To connect to BingView, specify https://BingView.binghamton.edu as the connection server.

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