Running a server to install the operating system
Running a server to install the operating system
I understand you're looking for a way to connect your computer to a server from home, allowing you to log in and use it while drawing power from the device itself.
Your message could refer to various configurations: 1. Remote profile / Shared Folder – your PC keeps its own system, but files like documents and apps stay on the server. Setup includes creating a shared network location, adjusting permissions, and using a different admin account for login. This works well if you share folders across multiple devices in the same house. 2. Thin client setup – a lightweight device that connects to a remote OS, needing specific software like VMware View. More complex to arrange. 3. Basic file server – simply drag and drop folders on the server and set security settings. 4. Remote desktop access – use a dedicated server with Remote Desktop enabled for cost-effective connections. 5. Specialized terminal – a dedicated machine running Terminal Services, often used for specialized tasks. 6. Custom solution – unclear details; consider what you need next. 7. Alternative platform – if unsure, clarify your requirements. 8. Non-Microsoft options – Mac or Linux users may need different guidance. Examples of workflows include sharing project files across desktops, running batch jobs on a remote machine, or accessing specialized tools via a dedicated server.
The school employs a detailed setup, typically overseen by the board. A central server holds all student data and login credentials, which PCs verify before granting access. Once authenticated, applications and your personal drive are hosted on a local server, with computers fetching them from there. Shortcuts connect to the app directory on the server. The file and storage management is straightforward, but user login processes remain complex and I’m avoiding deeper details due to limited knowledge.
I’ve handled similar tasks before on a limited scale. I installed all the computers myself, while my boss managed the domain setup. It wasn’t worth the effort. Just trust me, OP. We worked on around 20 PCs, spending about two weeks assembling the systems and configuring the OS. At least an hour per machine was needed to set up the domain. Even a skilled professional would find it time-consuming. Also, their costs exceeded 10K for server setup, plus the expense of wiping all devices and replacing them.
20 PCs really shouldn't take that long if you're using some sort of imaging server like WDS . Even building a domain from scratch, setting up custom group policy, configuring Windows Server DNS & DHCP, and all that fun stuff should only take a day or two depending on how much other stuff you're doing concurrently. A co-worker and I set up the corporate infrastructure for a recent acquisition in less than a day; Two hyper-v servers, two domain controllers with DNS and DHCP configured, a file server with DFS, a Terminal Server, an anti-virus server, a WSUS server, a package and image deployment server, and a print server. The longest part of the whole thing was waiting for our giant directory to copy to the new domain controllers. Granted setting up PCs is a pain in the ass but if one can unbox and cable a PC in say ~10 minutes... that's 3 and a half hours to set up the 20 physical machines and then you should image them 5-10 at a time which would take another ~2-3 hours during which you can be configuring group policy, creating your OUs, and so on. There is a difference between being a paid professional who doesn't do office set ups very often and being a paid professional who sets up offices on a regular basis. That said, you're right about the cost part; Windows Server licensing is expensive and not worth it for home use as far as I'm concerned... There are alternatives to Active Directory such as openldap if one is so inclined however. This is likely a combination of Active Directory (the login component) and roaming profiles or it's thin clients (as discussed above). Years ago it wasn't uncommon for schools to use roaming profiles but there has been a recent push towards thin clients... the back-end infrastructure is more expensive but the clients are dirt cheap when purchased in bulk and when setup properly creating a new "computer" is as easy as right clicking a template and selecting "deploy new virtual machine." While it wouldn't be impossible to recreate this in your home it would be impractical and likely very expensive (for Windows environments anyway.) You can read about thin clients here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client you'll find the costs prohibative and the learning curve steep. You're better off just using your computer as a computer and if you have a server that you're looking to do something with turn it in to a file server for backups and/or in to some sort of media server.