So, you have probably heard about this thing called the Cloud. For all the fire and bluster of “smart” ad campaigns dedicated to pushing Cloud Computing solutions, it seems that no one ever really gives you concrete examples of how you can use remote services. Well, that stops now.
For the vast majority of computing needs, the Cloud provides multiple “as a service” solutions. One of those solutions is DaaS. DaaS or Desktop as a Service (sometimes written Desktop-as-a-Service) provides a remote desktop to a Cloud user through accessing a virtual interface.
Come again?
Desktop as a Service allows consumers to login to a virtual desktop via a remote connection to access and utilize a full remote desktop solution from the comfort of their own computer.
Alright. Good to know. Now, a simple question which you are probably asking yourself: if I already have my own computer, why would I need Desktop as a Service?
The Why of Desktop as a Service
They why of desktop as a service is pretty simple. The reason DaaS is a needed and sought after Cloud Computing “as a service” is because it provides greater computing resources to the user in a more flexible environment, at a low monthly cost. Beyond higher compute resources and flexible compute environments, DaaS is also highly useful for the Cloud user who would rather conduct their business affairs on a remote machine to protect the constitution of their local computer.
For the consumer who is using the Cloud to conduct high level SEO business (clearing spam links, removing flagged sites from a backlinking profile, removing links from non-theme relevant websites), DaaS is useful to protect the integrity of your local machine. Why? The major benefit of utilizing a remote desktop is the ability to wipe that desktop clean when and if you download a major virus. For the person conducting online business which requires conducting work with spammy, sketchy and black hat websites, a remote desktop solution as provide by Desktop as a Service, is the only way to make sure your local machine stays safe, clean and untouched by malicious viruses and bugs.
So, now that you understand one of the many reasons why you would choose to use DaaS, you might be asking yourself, how do I use Desktop as a Service?
The How of Desktop as a Service
First things first, before you go ahead and connect to a remote desktop, you need to purchase a Windows or Linux Cloud service from a provider. Depending on the resources you need (RAM, Disk, Bandwidth, CPU Cores and IP Addresses) you can easily purchase a dependable Windows or Linux Cloud solution for $5 – $150 per month. Like anything else, certain providers will charge more and certain Cloud providers will charge less. Your job is the figure out what price at what resource level works for you.
Now that you have purchases a Cloud server, the next thing for you to do is to establish a remote connection to either your Windows or Linux remote desktop. In the case of Windows, there are a few steps you need to take to ensure your remote desktop will work. These steps include making sure your firewall will allow for remote desktop connection, locating the IP address needed to connect to your remote desktop and using that IP address to connect to said server.
Please note: the process for connecting to a Linux Remote Server is a bit more involved than the process for Windows. Due to blog limit constraints, to learn how to use a Linux Remote Server, do a quick Google Search for “Linux Server Remote Desktop” or “Linux Server RDP”. Both searches will yield detailed instructions on how to use your Linux remote desktop protocol.