Hi
Question:
Given an environment where the DataMiner Server and Client(s) can run on different (Windows) machines...
Are there any advantages for running the fully featured Cube Desktop App on the same machine as the Server(s)?
Background:
It appears to be common practice for Skyline's engineers to install and run Cube client on the Server(s), despite dedicated Clients are freely accessible. This practice is seen as a recommendation, encouragement and inspiration for local/on-prem DataMiner admins/users to follow Skyline's lead.
Why not?
However, running the Client on the Server machine(s) causes avoidable, unnecessary extra load and disk space usage on the Server(s). On a typically Windows Server OS, the number of concurrent Remote Desktop Sessions (RDS) is limited to 2 users. When the 'default' client is via RDS to Server, it can potentially block others from essential OS-level access.
Convenience?
When an engineer/admin requires RDS access, say, to read some logs, and that the Client can be run from another machine, why run the Client on the Server other than the convenience of seeing everything in one (RDS) windowpane?
You're right about the convenience during investigations: often an investigation is a combination of checking things in the client, and checking things on the server (files, logs, etc.). So it is then convenient to have everything in one window.
For normal daily use I would recommend not to run the client on the server, for the reasons you mentioned.