Technology

Desktop virtualization

By Steve Trusty

Geoff Hanson
Practice director of servers and storage
Pomeroy IT Solutions

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Desktop virtualization may be a quicker and easier way to make changes to any part of your computer system.

Without desktop virtualization each desktop PC must be worked on individually or complex and inconsistent distribution tools must be used. The downloading and set-up takes time.

“One advantage of desktop virtualization is the ability for employees to work from anywhere,” says Geoff Hanson, practice director of servers and storage at Pomeroy IT Solutions. “Another is the immediacy of disaster recovery.”

Smart Business talked with Hanson for his insights into desktop virtualization.

What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure?

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, is the virtualization of the desktop environment. Without re-engineering applications, traditional thick-client desktop PCs are replaced with virtual machines that are centrally managed and maintained from the data center. Users can access their desktops, which are running inside virtual machines, remotely from any location via a thin client or PC. This environment provides increased levels of reliability and efficiency while delivering a familiar experience to the end user.

Why is it important to my business?

There are many important advantages to virtualizing a business’s desktop infrastructure. Through VDI, businesses are able to simplify their desktop management, increase and tighten control and security and reduce their operating costs. By hosting the desktops on virtual machines that are running on servers in the data center, businesses are able to provide more effective and efficient desktop business continuity, high availability and disaster recovery functionality. System administrators performing operating system and application upgrades, patch management and desktop maintenance can perform these tasks remotely through a centrally managed single dashboard interface. Provisioning new virtual desktops is accomplished in minutes, making end users more productive from the start. End users are provided complete and unmodified virtual desktops with greater application compatibility that behave just like their normal thick-client desktop PCs, eliminating the need for end-user training. They also have the ability to access their virtual desktops remotely from any location.

It is projected that businesses will procure more than 300,000 virtual desktop licenses by the end of 2008. That number will increase to more than 50 million virtual desktop licenses procured by the end of 2013.

What are the components of VDI that my business needs to consider?

There are multiple components in implementing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. The first component consists of the server virtualization software that runs on the servers in the data center where the virtual desktops will reside. The second component is the virtual desktop management software that remotely manages the virtual desktop environments, and the third component is the connection broker that connects the end users with their virtual desktops.

Is this going to cost or save money?

Businesses will realize significant cost savings through implementing a VDI. Hardware savings in the data center will be achieved through server and storage consolidation and virtualization. Data center operating cost savings will be achieved through reductions in footprint, power, heat, warranty support services and labor. A client is needed to remotely access the virtual desktops. Many businesses are addressing their client needs through their desktop technology refresh cycles by replacing their traditional thick-client PCs with centralized virtual desktops. They are replacing many of the physical PCs, based upon end-user requirements, with thin clients. Thin clients include USB interfaces to support printers and other external devices and provide added levels of security. Thin clients are less expensive than traditional PCs, are energy-star compliant and come with full warranty replacement.

Are there risks in virtualizing desktop infrastructures?

Yes, there are risks in virtualizing a business’s desktop infrastructure. Hosted virtual desktops are suitable for some, but not necessarily all, end users. The performance of applications through virtual desktops may not be adequate for certain user requirements. A strong recommendation to IT organizations moving forward is to have an assessment performed of their IT desktop infrastructure. It is also extremely important to have assessments performed on their server, storage, printing and networking infrastructures. These assessments allow businesses to better understand their hardware utilization, network contention and the cost savings that can be realized through consolidating and virtualizing their environments with new energy-compliant, energy-efficient and state-ofthe-art technologies. Regular audits of their infrastructures should be performed to ensure maximum utilization and efficiencies are being realized.

GEOFF HANSON is the practice director of servers and storage at Pomeroy IT Solutions in Cincinnati. Reach him at (602) 690-6376 or ghanson@pomeroy.com.