Due to mandatory breaks, even large companies with developed IT infrastructures find it difficult to organize remote work for their staff, while small businesses simply lack the resources to deploy the necessary services. Another problem is related to information security: granting access to the internal network from employees' home computers is risky without using specialized enterprise-class products. Renting virtual servers does not require large capital expenditures and allows temporary solutions to be implemented outside the secure perimeter. In this brief article, we will examine several typical scenarios for using VDS in self-isolation conditions. It is worth noting right away that this article is introductory and is more aimed at those who are just beginning to delve into the topic.
1. Should VDS be used to set up a VPN?
A virtual private network is necessary for secure access to internal corporate resources via the internet. A VPN server can be set up on a router or within the secure perimeter, but during self-isolation, the number of simultaneously connected remote users will increase, which means a powerful router or dedicated computer will be needed. Using existing resources (like a mail server or web server) is unsafe. Many companies already have VPNs in place, but if one is not set up yet or the router's randomization is insufficient to handle all remote connections, ordering an external virtual server can save money and simplify setup.
2. How to organize a VPN service on VDS?
First, it is necessary to order VDS. For creating your own VPN, powerful configurations are not needed for small companies—a basic entry-level server on GNU/Linux will suffice. If computational resources turn out to be insufficient, they can always be scaled up. The next step is to choose a protocol and software for organizing client connections to the VPN server. There are many options, and we recommend settling on Ubuntu Linux and This open-source cross-platform VPN server and client is easy to set up, supports various protocols, and ensures reliable encryption. After configuring the server, the most interesting part remains: setting up client accounts and remote connections from employees' home computers. To provide employees access to the office LAN, the server must be connected to the local network router through an encrypted tunnel, and SoftEther will help us with this again.
3. Why do you need your own video conferencing service (VCS)?
Email and messengers are not sufficient to replace daily office communication on work-related issues or for remote learning. With the shift to remote work, small businesses and educational institutions have started to actively adopt publicly available services for organizing audio and video teleconferences. The recent with Zoom has highlighted the drawbacks of this idea: it turned out that even market leaders do not take confidentiality seriously enough.
It is possible to create your own conferencing service, but deploying it in the office is not always practical. This requires a powerful computer and, most importantly, a high bandwidth internet connection. Without experience, company specialists may miscalculate resource needs and order a configuration that is either too weak or too powerful and expensive, and expanding the channel in rented business center spaces is not always feasible. Additionally, launching an internet-accessible VCS within a secured perimeter is not the best idea from an information security standpoint.
A virtual server is ideally suited for this task: it only requires a monthly subscription fee, and you can increase or decrease the computing power as needed. Moreover, it is not difficult to deploy a secure messenger with group chat capabilities, a helpdesk, a document storage system, a source code repository, and any other temporary service for collaborative work and remote learning on a VDS. A virtual server does not need to be connected to the office network if the applications running on it do not require it: the necessary data can simply be copied.
4. How to organize teamwork and home education?
First of all, it's essential to choose a suitable VKS software solution. Small businesses should consider free or freemium products, such as — this open platform allows for video conferencing, webinars, streaming, and presentations, as well as organizing remote learning. Its functionality is comparable to commercial systems:
- video and audio transmission;
- shared boards and shared screens;
- public and private chats;
- email client for correspondence and mailing lists;
- integrated calendar for event planning;
- surveys and polls;
- document and file sharing;
- recording web events;
- unlimited number of virtual rooms;
- mobile client for Android.
It's worth noting the high level of security in OpenMeetings, as well as the customization and integration capabilities with popular CMS, learning systems, and office IP telephony. A downside of the solution is a result of its strengths: it can be quite complex to configure this open-source software. Another open product with similar functionality is . Small teams may opt for freemium versions of commercial VKS servers, such as domestic or . The latter is also suitable for large organizations: due to the self-isolation regime, the developer free use of the version for 1000 users for three months.
The next step is to explore the documentation, assess resource needs, and order a VDS. Typically, mid-tier configurations on GNU/Linux or Windows with sufficient RAM and storage are required for deploying a VKS server. Certainly, it all depends on the tasks at hand, but a VDS allows for experimentation: adding resources or dropping unnecessary ones is never too late. Finally, the most interesting part remains: configure the VKS server and related software, create user accounts, and, if necessary, install client programs.
5. What to replace insecure home computers with?
Even if the company has a virtual private network, it won't solve all the issues related to secure remote work. Under normal circumstances, not many people with limited access to internal resources connect to the VPN. When the entire office is working from home, it's a whole different ball game. Employees' personal computers may be infected with malware, used by family members, and the configuration of those machines often does not meet corporate requirements.
Providing laptops for everyone is costly, and trendy cloud solutions for desktop virtualization aren't cheap either, but there is a solution — Remote Desktop Services (RDS) on Windows. Deploying them on a virtual machine is a great idea. All employees will work with a standard set of applications, making it much easier to control access to local network services from a single node. You can even rent a virtual server along with antivirus software to save on purchasing a license. For instance, our configurations on Windows offer antivirus protection from Kaspersky Lab.
6. How to set up RDS on a virtual server?
First, you need to order a VDS based on your computing resource needs. This varies for each case, but to set up RDS, you need a powerful configuration: at least four computing cores, one gigabyte of memory for each simultaneous user, and about 4 GB for the system, as well as a sufficiently large storage volume. The bandwidth should be calculated based on a requirement of 250 Kbps per user.
In its default configuration, Windows Server allows for a maximum of two RDP sessions simultaneously, and only for administering the computer. To set up full Remote Desktop Services, you will need to add server roles and components, activate the licensing server or use an external one, and install client licenses (CAL) which are purchased separately. Renting a powerful VDS and terminal licenses for Windows Server can be costly, but it is more economical than buying a physical server that will only be needed for a short time and for which you would still need to purchase RDS CALs. Additionally, there is a way to use it legally without paying for licenses: you can use RDS in trial mode for 120 days.
Starting with Windows Server 2012, it is advisable to join the machine to an Active Directory (AD) domain to use RDS. Although it’s often possible to manage without this, connecting a separate virtual server with a real IP to a domain deployed in the office LAN via VPN is not difficult. Moreover, users will still need access from virtual desktops to internal corporate resources. To make things easier, it's worth contacting a provider that will set up the services on the client's virtual machine. Specifically, if you purchase RDS CAL licenses from RuVDS, our support team will install them on their own licensing server and configure the Remote Desktop Services on the client’s virtual machine.
Using RDS will relieve IT specialists from the headache of standardizing the software configuration of employees' home computers to a common corporate baseline and will significantly simplify remote administration of user workstations.
How has your company implemented interesting ideas for using VDS during the general self-isolation?
Source: habr.com
