Virtualization
Desktop Virtualization
Bring the Power of the Datacenter to Your Desktop
Transform desktop management into a simplified and automated process, reduce the total cost of desktop ownership by 50%, and provide end users a consistent high performance desktop experience. Just as virtualization is transforming servers in the datacenter, desktop virtualization is transforming the desktop from device-centric to user-centric.
With desktop virtualization, IT can run the virtual desktops in the datacenter while giving end users a single view of all their applications and data in a familiar, personalized environment. This gives IT greater flexibility, reliability, efficiency, and security without diminishing the user experience.
The desktop of the future is not a single PC. It’s a combination of different devices, multiple platforms, legacy and web-based applications, as well as the end user’s data and settings…it’s desktop virtualization.
A well-designed desktop virtualization offers the opportunity for:
- Lower cost
- Better security
- Greater management and control
- More business agility and user flexibility
- Reliable business continuity and disaster recovery
- Reduction of carbon footprint and energy costs
What is Desktop Virtualization?
Desktop virtualization is the use of virtual machines to let multiple network subscribers maintain individualized desktops on a single centrally located computer or server. Users may be geographically scattered but all are connected to the central machine by a proprietary local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or the internet.
Not only can a well-planned virtual desktop environment increase desktop security, but it can also reduce desktop and application management responsibilities resulting in fewer panic calls to the IT administrator. Every unit is self-contained with its own operating system, peripherals, and application programs, which improves end-user experience while at the same time potentially reducing IT administrative responsibilities. Everyone’s computing needs are more likely to be met without strain to the system or the administrator.
ENS-Inc Engineers and Developers are experts at desktop virtualization and can plan a strategy that brings all the benefits of desktop virtualization to your organization.
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Exploring the Benefits of Desktop Virtualization
Desktop virtualization can have a positive impact on both cost and manageability while at the same time meet the computing needs of an entire organization with satisfied end-user experience. Some of the benefits that fuel the transition to desktop virtualization include:
- Reduced cost because resources can be shared and allocated to users on an as-needed basis.
- Integrity of information is improved because all data is maintained and backed up in the data center.
- Individual user flexibility as each user can customize and modify their own desktop to meet their specific needs.
- Ability to provision PCs and other client devices with software from a central location.
- Manageability of a large number of enterprise clients from the datacenter, rather than at each user’s desk, reducing on-site support and increasing control of application and patch management.
- Better insight into which application licenses are really needed.
- Ability to move desktop environments and hosted applications as needed for load-balancing or fail-over.
- Communication is managed among the virtual layers and the underlying operating environment so both Windows and its users think they are working on a single environment. User-installed applications can’t conflict with IT-provisioned applications in the virtual layers.
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Key Factors in Planning for Desktop Virtualization
Before you dive into desktop virtualization, you need to understand what you can do with this technology and what your limits may be.
- Delivery Options
There are a number of different delivery options which all provide IT and end users with a varying range of performance and
flexibility options.
- hosted desktops and applications (Microsoft Terminal Services, Citrix XenApp)
- application virtualization, also known as isolation or sandboxing
- application streaming (Citrix XenApp, Micorosoft App-V, Symantec Altiris SVS, or VMware ThinApp)
- virtual desktop delivery using a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) with Citrix XenDesktop or VMware VDI
- Costs
Picking the right technology for user requirements is essential to success both with the end user and in the data center. At the
same time the decision needs to meet requirements for capital expenditures (capex) and operational expenditures (opex). For
example, VDI’s greater user flexibility and performance come at a higher cost for servers and storage in the data center. A
combination of technologies is likely to be used in order to have a balanced desktop and application delivery capability while
also meeting capex and opex requirements.
- Power & Cooling
When the desktop computing and storage infrastructure are moved into the datacenter there is an increase in power, cooling,
and space requirements. So the benefits must be weighed and considerations addressed from the beginning.
- Network Load
Increase reliance on the network may take down a poorly designed or already stressed network. Network stability and capacity
needs to be assessed.
- Organizational Structure
In large organizations different persons or groups may be responsible for datacenter, network, and desktops, each having
different work styles and expectations that may clash. To avoid issues, companies have been successful in creating cross-
functional teams to work through both the technical and organizational challenges prior to the move so that everyone is on the
same page from the start.
- User and Application Mismatch
Some applications such as CAD/CAE and other design and engineering applications with very stringent graphics requirements
can create a mismatch with the virtual desktop scenario. PC or Workstation Blades with either hardware or software-based
graphics acceleration can be used which allows IT to centralize the compute engine and storage in the datacenter while
providing the user applications with the graphics performance needed to do the job. Development labs where engineers require
complete control of the desktop environment for development and testing can also conflict with centralized IT control of the
environment.
ENS-Inc Engineers and Developers have the experience and expertise to help you evaluate your options and to select the products and configurations to design and implement your desktop virtualization project.
The ENS-Inc team approaches your desktop virtualization using best practices and standard methodologies built from standard frameworks set forth by industry leaders such as the Project Management Institute (PMI). Our industry-leading expertise coupled with high-level vendor collaboration supports your business transformation, reduces costs, and eases management by providing a cohesive, business-driven virtualization strategy and design based on vendor specific combined best practices and experiences.
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