Utilizing Chromebooks to access VMs on in-house server through LAN

[TheOptimizer]

     Hello all. I'm trying to find out alternate ways I can use the Chromebooks in our training center to access our server where are VMs are set up. So far the only method I have discovered to work successfully is through using Google Chrome Remote Desktop. We want to banish our dependence on the cloud service provider that we are currently employing and have access to our VMs on the server through our own LAN setup. Is there currently any technology or method(s) for making this happen?

[scott28tt]

Where are your laptops now relative to the server on which you run your VMs?

And what specifically do you want to be different to that?

[DCasota]

There is no virtual carrier company network selector product. Telcos and broadband providers just broadcast their signal, there is no company telco virtualization layer. The same for multi-cloud application virtualization using webbrowser vendors‘ apps registries. Simply discover and manage container resources, and accessible and not accessible distributed VMs - LAN overlay setup is way too futuristic.

[TheOptimizer]

All machines are in the same room. The server and router are roughly 25 feet from the Chromebooks. Our only requirement for this setup is for the Chromebooks to have access to the VMs on the server utilizing the LAN.

[scott28tt]

So how do they currently communicate with one another? What IP addresses do they have? And what makes you think that VMware Workstation offers a solution?

[TheOptimizer]

They can ping each other, the server and the router. The reason I posted the question is because I was unable to find a work around for this situation. We utilize VMware Workstation in the training room. It was not my choice, nor did I ever expect Workstation to provide me a solution to the question I posted. It is the technology that was already in place. I'm not criticizing the hypervisor here, just looking for an alternative to using remote desktop, if there is one...

[scott28tt]

If they're on the same LAN then I don't know what your service provider has to do with this.

I'm still not clear on what is running where, what you software/hardware you want to access from your training room, and where VMware Workstation plays a role in this (or any other VMware product).

If you're using a remote desktop protocol today, something like VMware Horizon might be able to help you - if not then you're just hosting a bunch of VMs on your server (presumably ESXi/vSphere) and connecting to them remotely.

[DCasota]

From an admin point of view, it is super easy to make use of Horizon instant clone desktops and login through web browser or Chromebook Horizon client. That's it. Chrome OS as host operating system for VMware Workstation isn't officially supported, see kb80807.

For a LAN purpose only, there was a nifty product double pack called Horizon Flex and View Local Mode. View Local Mode desktops is a remote display of the virtual machine in the data center, and application execution is in the data center when the desktop is checked in. After the desktop is checked out, application execution is local, as in a Horizon FLEX desktop. Great product, but too complicated on notebooks for office users. It was discontinued a while ago.

 @scott28tt isn't there a new product of something similar like Horizon Flex?

[scott28tt]

@DCasota You're definitely asking the wrong person...

[TheOptimizer · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your input. A colleague and I just discovered that Team Viewer allows a connection between our server and Chromebooks utilizing the LAN in our training room. Team Viewer doesn't need to establish a HTTP or HTTPS connection, if configured properly it allows access locally provided you have the correct credentials provided by the server. We have our solution.

[DCasota]

Still can't remember where the heck I've read about that Horizon Flex "2.0". For sure I've mismatch remembered one two things.

Check-in / check-out for eg. training room VM templates is a vSphere 7 feature, but it wasn't that.