This blog post is part of a series on supporting power users in a hosted desktop environment. Check out our other posts on mobilizing the workforce, lowering IT costs by sharing applications, and hosting linux applications. You can also learn more by watching our on-demand webinar on delivering mission critical applications with Leostream and HP RGS.
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Sometimes, software updates don’t happen as quickly or as often as a software vendor would like. We get it; that’s fine. What happens, though, when you wait so long that the software you want to update is no longer supported? That’s the exact situation users of the HP Session Allocation Manager (SAM) are finding themselves in. Never fear, Leostream is here to help!
What is HP SAM and am I using it?
HP Session Allocation Manager software manages assignments and connections to HP workstations. Put very simply, it is a connection broker that allows customers of HP workstations to create pools of resources and connect users to those pools using HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS). It tracks users’ sessions and provides handy reporting tools for monitoring resource usage. – Tip: watch our on-demand webinar on delivering mission critical applications with HP RGS.
How do you know if you’re using HP SAM? HP SAM was often deployed in industries that use high-power HP workstations, such as Oil & Gas, Finance, Animate. Look at the client devices your users log into to access their workstation. Is it an HP thin client? Can your users move between client devices to access their desktop? Are they connecting to high-performance workstations? If you answered yes, chances are you have HP SAM running somewhere.
And, a year or so ago, HP ended support. You can continue using the full-featured version of HP SAM without support, but you can no longer file a bug or request an enhancement. HP SAM currently runs on Windows Server 2008, which ended mainstream support in January 2015. What happens when your organization does an operating system refresh?
Don’t worry, HP didn’t leave their customers hanging! They partnered with Leostream to offer a connection broker replacement.
How can Leostream help?
The Leostream Connection Broker provides a comprehensive set of pooling and policy options that allow HP SAM customers not only to mimic their SAM environment, but to enhance it. With Leostream, you can continue using your favorite HP SAM features, such as sharing workstations with multiple users, monitoring user idle time so you can automatically log out idle users, and tracking user-to-desktop assignment history.
In addition, you get a suite of new functionality. Want to ensure that end-users always have access to a computing resource, even when their primary workstation is down? If yes, use Leostream backup pools to switch the user to a new workstation while you debug the problem with their original desktop. Need fine-grain control over which USB devices a user can pass through to their remote workstation? For that feature, use the Leostream USB redirection functionality. -Tip: Download our eBook “How a Connection Broker Simplifies Hosted Desktops Environments”.
How do you transition to Leostream?
Switching from HP SAM to Leostream is almost as easy as passing a baton, and we’re here to ensure a smooth transition. To start, the terminology in HP SAM and Leostream differ. Read through our handy transition guide to learn how our terminology relates to SAM, and see how to setup Leostream.
Then, sign up for a free trial and drop us an email. We’ll get you a trial license and all the guidance you need to make your transition from SAM to Leostream a breeze.