RES PowerFuse 2010 review

Giving computer users a consistent desktop experience wherever they log on can be difficult, especially in mixed environments where one day they might connect via a standard desktop PC or notebook computer and, on another, a thin client or virtual machine. RES Software's RES PowerFuse addresses such issues with virtual workspaces, independent of any underlying hardware or operating system, which can be generated on the fly whenever and wherever a user logs on.

Designed specifically for Microsoft networks, a PowerFuse workspace doesn’t replace the Windows desktop. Rather it tells Windows what the user expects to find, what applications to make accessible, the settings to apply and so on. The end result is a lot like using Windows profiles and Group Policy, except that PowerFuse is much more flexible and, as we discovered, a lot easier to manage.

The main prerequisite is a SQL database, to store the desktop and application settings, data file locations, printer setups and other bits and pieces that go to make up a PowerFuse workspace. For our tests we used SQL Server Express, which is fine for a small network, but on a large deployment you’ll need something a lot more scalable. Fortunately there’s plenty of choice with, as well as the full SQL Server platform, support for Oracle, DB2 and MySQL. You can even make use of Microsoft’s cloud-based database service, SQL Azure.

At least one PC will also be required to host the PowerFuse management console. In our case, we used a Windows XP Pro PC, but any version of Windows (32-bit or 64-bit) from XP onwards can be employed. The initial setup will also step you through creating the PowerFuse datastore plus Active Directory integration to enable workspaces to be assigned at the user, group and division level, with support too for Novell directory services, if needed.

Of course Windows doesn’t come with support for PowerFuse so additional software will be needed on each PC, terminal server or virtual desktop. Agent software to work with all the latest versions of Windows is included (32-bit and 64-bit), along with thin client and VDI environments from VMware and Citrix. Client agents also include the PowerFuse Workspace Composer to dynamically build a workspace whenever a user logs on based on who they are, plus when and where they’re logging on from.

The process of building a workspace is remarkably quick, taking on average just a few seconds in our tests, regardless of complexity. A locally cached copy of the workspace data helps here, rather than having to connect back to the database every time. Another nice touch is the ability to implement changes to the workspace immediately, without the need for users to log off and back on. Any personalisation done by the user can also be maintained across sessions so users don’t feel entirely powerless.