It appears MSFT started to listen and improved the remote graphics on client machines with higher latency connections in Hyper-V; kudos. The problem is, only in the most recent generation of servers did OEMs start including PCIe x16 / GPU support on
the server mobo, and only in certain models.
Under 2008r2, RemoteFX required a CPU with EPT, and also a 'certified' GPU to function. From what I can tell, 2012's RemoteFX / RemoteApp graphics enhancements do notrequire a GPU to be present in the server to achieve some of the benefits of 2012's remote functionality, such as enhanced graphics, and that 'RemoteFX' now refers to a suite of features of which only the vGPU
actually requires a physical GPU; is that correct?
If so, in the absence of a physical GPU, is SLAT required?
For legacy servers that do not have a physical GPU, and also do not have SLAT enabled CPUs, will the enhanced RemoteFX / RemoteApp features in 2012 still function? If so, what level of performance could one expect from 2012 on a non-SLAT enabled server? Will it support basic functionality such as video streaming over a moderate to high latency network?
Finally, what type of performance should one expect from more graphics intensive applications in a server without a physical GPU or SLAT?
Assuming sufficient resources are available, would the application server role be a more efficient means by which to deploy graphics intensive applications than within a VM itself?
In short, what I am trying to figure out is whether legacy hardware will deliver sufficiently user rich content in virtual sessions on a 'typical' SOHO network.
Btw - I read hardware considerations for RemoteFX, but per the 2012 RemoteFX 'sales pitch,' 2012 does not appear torequire a physical GPU in the host for RemoteFX to work. My preferred option is to deploy on a Poweredge 2900 III with 2x xeon L5420 & 24gb RAM (no PCIe x16 on the mobo, and no SLAT), or should I rebuild my workstation with a SLAT enabled chipset/mobo/ram ($$$) and the Quadro 4000 I already have and repurpose it into a dedicated host.
Sorry for the long thread, but these are all questions I couldn't find clear answers to and would probably benefit the next 'me' who is debating whether to upgrade legacy hardware running 2008r2 to a 2012 deployment.
Thanks!