Desktop Virtualization Strategy - Part I

  • Article

There are many desktop virtualization options and possible combinations and therefore the development of a desktop virtualization strategy requires three distinct steps:

  • Map the available technologies

Define user needs

Match technologies with user needs.

Mapping the Technologies

User state virtualization.

The first and simplest virtualization strategy is to deploy user state virtualization, which separates the user data and settings from any PC and enables IT to store them centrally (i.e., in the datacenter) while also making them accessible on any PC. It also simplifies the central backup of user data since data is already stored centrally on servers.

Application virtualization. This technology isolates applications from each other and solves application to application compatibility issues by allowing applications to run together even though they may require the same resources from the OS. It also reduces the application testing and deployment effort because IT no longer needs to test how different groups of applications work together every time one of the apps is patched or upgraded. Moreover, application virtualization allows IT to store the application centrally and stream the application to a desktop based on user access. It further completely removes the applications from the desktop footprint and allows IT to deploy a smaller master image across variety of business groups. In many cases customers will choose to deploy some applications locally on the PC and some applications remotely using Terminal Services. Application virtualization can be used in conjunction with the deploy technologies available for both of these scenarios.

Client-Hosted Desktop Virtualization. Client hosted desktop virutalization is a type of machine virtualization technology (such as Microsoft® Virtual PC) that separates the operating system from the physical hardware and allows a single PC to run virtual machines side by side with the host OS. Typically, companies will require enterprise management solution such as Microsoft Enterprise Dekstop Virtualization (MEDV) to enhance deployment and management of Virtual PC images on a Windows® Desktop, while also providing a seamless and simple experience for the end-users, independent of the local desktop configuration and operating system.

Microsoft Terminal Services Remote Desktops. Remote desktops use session virtualization to partition a single OS into multiple user sessions in a cost effective manner.

 Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). VDI leverages machine virtualization technologies to allow a single server to run many virtual machines. With VDI, organizations can run multiple desktops, each in a virtual machine, on the same server in a datacenter and use remote desktop protocols to allow a user to access the desktop outside the data center.