SPICE: Simple Protocol for Independent Computing Environments

SPICE is an open source, adaptive remote rendering protocol used by Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops to connect users to their virtual desktops. Unlike first-generation remote rendering protocols such as RDP and ICA, SPICE features a multi-tiered architecture that was designed to support today's multi-media desktop experience:

• SPICE Driver: A component that resides within each virtual desktop
• SPICE Device: A component that resides within the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Hypervisor
• SPICE Client: A component that resides on the endpoint device, either a thin client or a repurposed PC, used to access each virtual desktop

• These three components work in tandem, determining the most efficient place to process graphics in order to maximize the user experience and minimize the system load.
• If the client is powerful enough, SPICE sends the graphics commands to the client, and processes them at the client level, significantly reducing the load on the server.
• On the other hand, if the client is not powerful enough, SPICE processes the graphics at the host level, where graphics processing is a lot less expensive from a CPU perspective.

For more information on SPICE, or to join the open source development community working on the SPICE protocol and drivers, go to www.spicespace.org