The Mosaic system is probably unlike any other Windows XP based system. Mosaic XP utilizes a locked down desktop which is completely managed by an extremely small staff. Initially this may seem rather inconvenient compared to the typical XP environment where users running as local administrator are allowed full control over the machine, but  this tight control of the shared desktop systems ensures that all our users enjoy the benefits of a secured and safe Mosaic Computing experience. 

By having a managed machine, our end users are presented with a reliable and consistent desktop no matter where the location. We utilize roaming profiles and offer a rich suite of over 200 software packages on every Mosaic workstation. This allows our faculty access to complex engineering applications in our classrooms via the smart podiums. Mosaic supports almost 1000 XP workstations scattered over more than four buildings supporting over 2500 users.

An additional benefit to this monolithic image is the ability to be virtually isolated from hardware failures. Since all workstations have access to the same packages, when a machine failure occurs, the user simply can logon to another Mosaic machine and will be presented with all of their files and settings. If the same event occurs on an unmanaged workstation, the task of reconfiguring and reinstalling applications is delegated to the end user typically robbing them of hours of valuable time.

Mosaic’s monolithic image also provides the user with an added level of convenience. If a user happens to be away from their primary machine, they can stop by any Mosaic Lab or even access all of what Mosaic XP has to offer via our MosaicAnywhere service using a high speed internet connection. Very seldom do we see issues with a Mosaic Windows system due to viruses, adware, spyware, or to improperly installed products.

The Mosaic architecture is based on the following characteristics:

• The local system drive is locked down so users cannot install software on it. This ensures that user installed software on the system does not damage the integrity of the system. Our ideal is that when a user logs off of a machine, the machine is left in a pristine state, completely isolating the following user from the effects of the previous user. This greatly reduces the risk that someone can inject a virus infection or other malicious software on the system .

• Users do retain full rights over their personal network file space. If an application is written so that it does not require access to protected system files it may be possible for our end users to install the program into their personal space. The local drive is not used for long term storage. All files on the Mosaic file system are backed up nightly and the previous day’s snapshot is available to the user with no interaction needed from Mosaic. This isolates the end user from data loss in the event of machine failure. No more worrying about lost data.

This does not mean the user is unable to utilize the C drive for temporary storage, but the user must remember to copy the files he or she wishes to save to their AFS area . Both the H: and U: drives map to the user’s AFS space as well as the My Documents folder. Anything you put on the local C drive is not backed up, while files on AFS are backed up and can be restored if needed. In order to fully isolate user’s impact on one another, any temporary files located on the C drive will be removed when a new user is logged in or when the machine is updated.

Mosaic users are able to focus on utilizing engineering computing rather than maintaining and debugging a computing environment. To achieve this level of reliability, flexibility, and service to the College of Engineering we architected and built the Mosaic system.