Duplicate systems on various hardware
Duplicate systems on various hardware
You can create a duplicate of the nearest version of your desktop PC on your laptop to have an exact replica when working. This ensures all power user applications (like Photoshop, Visual Studio, 3ds Max, FileMaker) run smoothly. I also need to keep all program-specific files synchronized. Would virtualization be the best approach for this? I currently use VMWARE only for testing purposes and want to inform others about my setup.
1. If the laptop has adequate power, install the same applications without changes.
2. Employ a remote technology to link the desktop with the laptop, allowing you to access it from the laptop as if it were on the desktop.
For your working data, a standard storage solution is suitable. A NAS would be ideal for this purpose. All data remains stored on the NAS.
Have a Windows server with Active Directory, assign users in AD and also allow their home folders to be stored or replicated on server storage instead of locally. I recall this was feasible in the past (back in W2000 when we set up a similar configuration at school), but now I haven't worked on it much since then. I'm currently trying to research and test if this is still possible today.
The WInServer idea could function, though it would require a significant increase in licensing expenses.
Modern NAS devices already offer comparable capabilities.
They support multiple users with individual home directories.
Accessible from any workstation, it meets the need for shared resources.
I can reach various shared locations in my NAS from any system within the house, whether it's Linux VMs or Android tablets.
Windows systems are unaware of the fact that the shared folder is not stored locally.
In reality, my browsers on all devices are configured to download directly to the NAS, allowing any system in the house to view and use those files.