I am teaching using OpenRefine and would like to have the Uni install OpenRefine on a system so that users can access it even with personal systems that don't have the specs for download and install. They use Windows 11 Multisession to do this and asked that I contact you to verify if it would run on that system. Any information is greatly appreciated - thank you!
@prof19 Welcome to 
OpenRefine!
Windows Enterprise multi-session hands out virtual sessions of Windows to users. But each user has essentially their own Windows copy (it's actually a single user license given out), and they can login and use Windows, just as if they are on their own PC with Windows.
Some of the requirements in order to run OpenRefine on Windows (or any OS like Linux or Mac OS X):
- OPTIONAL - Java 11 + installed (Java version 11 or greater)
- if you download and install the OpenRefine zip file with enbedded Java install, then you don't need to separately install Java itself, since OpenRefine will use it's own Java Runtime Environment - JRE that it includes
- REQUIRED - Enough Memory / RAM to handle the data sizes expected to be loaded and used in OpenRefine by each user
- This will depend on the data sets loaded. OpenRefine has configuration that can decrease its default memory heap setting or increase it. Values can be as low as 512 M in our testing, but entirely depends on the operations run and the data set sizes. Consult our Running section in OpenRefine documentation page for all the options and preferences that can be set: Running OpenRefine | OpenRefine
- REQUIRED - Enough compute or vCPU to run a light Java stack like OpenRefine uses. OpenRefine is fairly optimized and it should run flawlessly given even just 1x 500mhz vCPU in my testing. But since multi-session will share compute across real cores under the VM (shared vCPU's for users), then this doesn't quite matter much as a real worry, but just something to be aware of like with any app. As long as the Windows Enterprise admin gives enough compute for Windows to run, then OpenRefine can run adequately within that same slice of compute that they give to the Windows session.
BOTTOM LINE
If things feel slow for users and they complain, then they'll need to either bump up the vCPU or increase the Java heap memory for that user or users.
Thank you so much for your reply! This is very helpful and I will pass along the information to our IT.
I had a follow-up question that you might not have an answer to, so I apologize in advance. The Uni is asking me for a contact person an email (the way you would for a software vendor). Given that this is FLOSS and has hundreds of contributors, do you know of any way to provide contact information like that?
Thank you so much!
@Martin any idea? Does Discourse have only send option for email list mode, and no receive email directly, i.e. nothing that redirects into the support channel on the forum like support@openrefine.org?
It seems discourse support mapping an email to category. I can't confirm if it will work only for user registered on our discourse platform. In any case if we create such email, I suspect that most user using such email would not expect to have their message publicly posted. So at this stage my recommendation would be for the IT department to create an discourse account and reach out like any other user via this forum (or even comment on this conversation).
I understand this is not the expected answer. This is something we can discuss as part of the conversation: Misunderstood requirements preventing the use of OpenRefine in my organization.
I really appreciate the same day replies and guidance and assistance from you and Thad. I will talk to our IT and see if this will work or if we can come up with another solution. I’ll also look at the forums you linked to. I’m hopeful we can still use OpenRefine.
Thank you!!!