Hardware Requirements and Performance Recommendations
Applies To: Windows MultiPoint Server 2012
This topic describes the hardware that is required to install a MultiPoint Server operating system and support user application scenarios. The user scenario directly affects the CPU, RAM, and network bandwidth requirements.
Note
A MultiPoint Server system that has a Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 logo is supported as long as it meets the requirements outlined on this page and Selecting Hardware for Your MultiPoint Server System.
Optimize MultiPoint Server system performance
The performance of your MultiPoint Server system will be directly affected by the capability of the CPU, the GPU, and the amount of RAM that is available on the computer that is running MultiPoint Server.
Applications and Internet content
Because MultiPoint Server is a shared resource computing solution, the type and number of applications that are running on the stations can impact the performance of your MultiPoint Server system. It is important to consider the types of programs that are used regularly when you are planning your system. For example, a graphics-intensive application requires a more powerful computer than an application such as a word processor. Overloading the computer with graphics-intensive applications will likely cause lag problems throughout the entire system.
The type of content that is accessed by applications also affects the system’s performance. If multiple stations are using web browsers to access multimedia content, such as full-motion video, fewer stations can be connected before adversely affecting the system performance. Conversely, if the multiple stations are using web browsers to access static web content, more stations can be connected without a significant effect on performance.
Hardware recommendations
To achieve good performance with your MultiPoint Server system under various loads, use the guidelines in the following table when you are planning and testing your system. These are the basic requirements for MultiPoint Server. The actual configuration sizing depends on your system configuration, the workload you are running, and the hardware capability. You should always validate by testing your applications and hardware.
Note
2C = 2 cores, 4C = 4 cores, 6C = 6 cores, MT = multithreading. Processor speed should be at least 2.0 gigahertz (GHz).
Minimum recommended hardware for running default MultiPoint Server stations
| Application Scenario | Up to 4 Stations | 5-6 Stations | 7-10 Stations | 11-14 Stations | 15-20 Stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Productivity Office, web browsing, line-of-business applications |
CPU: 2C RAM: 2 GB |
CPU: 2C RAM: 4 GB |
CPU: 4C RAM: 6 GB |
CPU: 4C RAM: 8 GB |
CPU: 4C+MT or 6C RAM: 8 GB |
| Mixed Office, web browsing, line-of-business applications, and occasional video use by some users |
CPU: 2C RAM: 2 GB |
CPU: 2C RAM: 4 GB |
CPU: 4C RAM: 6 GB |
CPU: 4C+MT or 6C RAM: 8 GB |
CPU: 4C+MT or 6C RAM: 8 GB |
| Video intensive Office, web browsing, line-of-business applications, and frequent video use by all users Note: Video testing was performed using 360p H.264 video at native resolution. |
CPU: 2C RAM: 2 GB |
CPU: 4C RAM: 4 GB |
CPU: 4C+MT or 6C RAM: 6 GB |
CPU: 4C+MT or 6C RAM: 8 GB |
CPU: 4C+MT or 6C RAM: 8 GB - Thin Client: RemoteFX - USB video not recommended |
Note
RemoteFX, or equivalent technology for RDP, is required when 15–20 remotely connected thin clients are running full motion video within their session. For more information about the hardware requirements for RemoteFX, see Hardware Considerations for RemoteFX.
In addition to the minimum recommended hardware guidelines, there are also maximum hardware allowances that you should consider.
Maximum allowed hardware requirements
| MultiPoint Server 2012 Standard | MultiPoint Server 2012 Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum x64 sockets | 1 | 2 |
| Maximum RAM | 32 GB | Unlimited |
For hard drives, a minimum of 7200 RPM and SATA 3Gb/s is recommended. For systems with a higher number of stations, a higher speed interface, e.g. SATA 6 Gb/s is recommended. For disk-intensive applications, you should use disks with faster rotational speeds, such as SAS 10K or 15K RPM, or use multiple disk RAID configurations that improve performance (for example, RAID 5).
Minimum recommended hardware for running full Windows 7 or Windows 8 virtual desktops
Running a full virtual operating system instance for each station is more compute resource-intensive than running the default WMS desktop sessions, so the host hardware requirements per station are higher:
CPU: 1 core or thread per station
Solid State Drive (SSD)
Capacity >= 20GB per station + 40GB for the WMS host operating system
Random Read/Write IOPS >= 3K per station
RAM >= 2GB per station + 2GB for the WMS host operating system
BIOS CPU setting has been configured to enable virtualization – Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
For more information about choosing the best MultiPoint Server hardware for your needs, contact your hardware vendor.