Sun Java Desktop System 3.0 Optimization for Sun Ray Clients With the Solaris 10 OS
Brian Nitz, June 2008
Introduction
This document describes the installation procedures and configuration changes recommended to optimize the Sun Java Desktop System 3.0 in
the Solaris 10 Operating System for Sun Ray environments.
Configuring the GNOME Desktop for Improved Sun Ray Performance
A number of GNOME configuration options are available in the Java Desktop System that can improve performance
in a multiuser Sun Ray environment. Most of these options can be configured with the gconftool-2 configuration
utility.
The -direct and -config-source options of
gconftool-2 can be used to set mandatory or default values for these preferences.
The jds-srss-optimize utility script provides a convenient way to set these options.
The jds-srss-optimize shell script is available for
download, as is the
Readme file for that shell script.
Optimizations for the Nautilus File Manager
The default behavior of the Java Desktop System file manager, Nautilus, is not optimized for large-scale multiuser systems.
For example, Nautilus counts the number of items and creates thumb-nail icons for items in folders. Fortunately, these Nautilus
options are configurable. This section explains Nautilus configuration options useful in a Sun Ray environment.
Folder Features
Nautilus folder features such as directory item counts, text in icons, or image icons can be enabled optionally for all folders,
for local folders only, or never. The following example gconftool-2 commands enable each feature for local files only.
The bitmap detail and gradients in the default blueprint theme might make it slightly slower than a flatter theme. Themes can
be set from Launch->Preferences->Display->Theme or with gconftool-2, as in the following example:
The jds_srss_optimize utility script is a convenient way to set Java Desktop System options
to values that are more appropriate for Sun Ray environments. Here are two examples of using this script:
Configuring gdm for Faster Hot Desking in Sun Ray Environments
If you installed Sun Ray server software, the default desktop login manager should be cde-login.
(Check this using svcs -a | grep login.)
If you are running the GNOME Desktop Manager (gdm) instead, the default background has a nice
shaded gradient pattern that might slow down screen refreshes during hot desking in low bandwidth environments. In order to improve hot desking,
you can set gdm to a simpler background by following these steps:
1. Log in as root.
2. Open a terminal and run gdmconfig.
3. Select the General tab.
4. Set the login banner for Local to Standard instead of Graphic, and then log out.
5. Reboot.
Upgrading to the Solaris 10 8/07 OS and Using Firefox Instead of Mozilla
The Firefox browser, which is included in the Solaris 10 8/07 OS, appears more stable and better supported, and it has better performance
than Mozilla.
Firefox Memory Consumption Settings
Firefox doesn't seem to have as many memory leak bugs as Mozilla once had, but its default behavior can allow its memory cache to grow
very large, because it keeps things such as closed tabs in the cache. A user can change the default cache behavior as follows:
1. Create or edit a user.js file in $HOME/.mozilla/firefox/*/.
2. Add the following lines to user.js:
user pref("browser.cache.memory.enable",true);
user pref("browser.cache.memory.capacity", NNNN);
The value true enables the cache, and NNNN represents the maximum
browser memory capacity.
If you would like to make these changes system-wide, follow this procedure:
1. Edit /usr/lib/firefox/greprefss/all.js and add these lines:
By default the Java Desktop System is configured to display anti-aliased fonts. This blends greyscale with black pixels in the font in order to make text appear smoother and pleasing to the eye. Because the rendering of these fonts must occur on the X server, this anti-aliasing can noticeably impact the performance of fast scrolling terminals and text browser windows in low-bandwidth environments.
You can manually change the default font rendering style by Launching Preferences->Desktop Preferences->Display->Fonts and selecting the "Monochrome" button. It is also possible to script this change with the following gconf setting:
Using the Sun Java Desktop System Configuration Manager to Configure Java Desktop System for Sun Ray Environments
The Sun Java Desktop System Configuration Manager provides centralized management of configuration parameters
using policies and LDAP registered policy groups. This section explains how to use a sample policy group to configure
and enforce configuration settings that are optimized for Sun Ray environments.
1. Download the SunRayUsers.zip policy and install it on a
file system mounted on your APOC server.
2. Log in to the Configuration Manager manager by browsing to https://<configuration_manager_hostname>:6789/apoc.
3. Select the Policy Repository link in the Hosts tab page.
4. Import the SunRayUsers policy group.
The previous steps create a global policy group that can then be assigned to users or groups of users (organizations or roles) to provide
them with forced values that are appropriate for the Sun Ray environment.
Conclusion
There are many configuration options available in the Java Desktop system that can help sys admins balance the desktop experience within
the limitations of their environment.
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