Hosting multiple VMs from FreeNAS server

[Schwarznavy]

Hi All,

My goal is to have a Windows 10 virtual desktop for each family member that can be used no matter which PC (desktops/laptops) each family members happens to have in front of them.

I'm a little bit at a loss of where to get started.

I'm thinking I could easily have the virtual hard drives for the desktop OS (Windows 10) stored on a FreeNAS shared drive. Unsure where I would want to have the virtual OS running from. Would I want to use the FreeNAS VM feature? Or create a new jail for each family member? In that case, would they just connect to their own desktop using RDP from our PCs? Is there a more elegant way to get them to connect to their virtual desktop?

If possible, would appreciate some broad or high-level thoughts on what to think about for this project.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

1. You cannot run Windows in a jail. You must create Windows VMs in the "Virtual Machines" section. If you want to run Windows on the FreeNAS, that is.
2. For access I really like Apache Guacamole. With the right configuration you login from your web browser (Windows, Mac, LInux, ...) then get launched right into your assigned WIndows VM via RDP from the Guacamole server to the Windows VM. It's completely transparent, the user session stays in the browser.

If you are interested you should try to get one, then at least two Windows VMs up and running and accessible via RDP. I can help you with the Guacamole stuff, if necessary. That part runs conveniently in a jail.

HTH,
Patrick

 

[sretalla]

Would I want to use the FreeNAS VM feature?

If you haven't consumed your free ESXi license yet, probably not... Windows runs better on a type 1 hypervisor (FreeNAS/Bhyve is a type 2).
Run FreeNAS as a VM alongside the Windows VMs and even use iSCSI storage for the Windows VMs from the FreeNAS VM.

Or create a new jail for each family member?

As mentioned by Patrick, that isn't an option.

would they just connect to their own desktop using RDP from our PCs?

What PC are they using in the first place? is the intent to buy chromebooks in future? or is the intent to centralize the storage and make the same environment available from anywhere?

Is there a more elegant way to get them to connect to their virtual desktop?

Patrick is right, you can't beat Guacamole for that... make sure you run it behind a secure reverse proxy.