Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and Desktop Virtualization

Smart Style Computing

Table of Contents

Introducing Desktop Virtualization

- Definitions and Drivers

- Advantages and Limitations

Use Cases for Desktop Virtualization

- Remote Administration

- Hosted Desktops

- Desktop Migration

- Securing Device and Data

- Supporting a Changing Workforce

SSO as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

- Technical Considerations

- Configuration Example

- Reseller Approach

- Start Today

Introducing

Desktop Virtualization

Definitions

Desktop Virtualization

- Also called client virtualization separates a personal computer desktop from a

physical machine using a client-server model of computing

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

- By using VDI you allow the IT responsible to switch to remote administration of

desktops. One large computer acts as server for desktops and thin clients

Remote Desktop Software

- RDS is a operating sytem feature allowing applications to be run on a server,

while being displayed locally on the device display screen

Thin Clients

- The most common type of modern thin clients is a low-end computer terminal

which concentrates solely on providing GUI to the end-user

What is Driving Desktop Virtualization?

Costs

Security

Manageability

Remote Access

Green Computing

Other

Source: Entperprise and SMB Hardware Survey, North America and Europe, Forrester Research

52%

49%

46%

37%

19%

3%

Advantages

VDI simplifies desktop provisioning, administrative and management

tasks, while showing reduced downtimes in the event of server or

hardware failures

No need to reengineer your applications (compare to SaaS) and

applications can quickly be added, deleted, upgraded & patched

Go back to centralised computing models with thin clients as users

access virtual desktops running in the data center or LAN

Using SSO as VDI provides flexibility in performance requirements

which allows for unlimited scalable resource allocation at hand

Access desktops from any capable device at any time, while desktop

security and data protection are centralized, such as backup.

Avoid organizations paying steep power and cooling costs for many

underutilized PCs

Limitations

Some loss of user autonomy and privacy

Challenges in setting up and maintaining drivers for printers and

other peripherals

Difficulty in running certain complex applications, such as

multimedia, 3D-graphics,...

Increased downtime in the even of serious network failures

Reliance on connectivity to corporate or public network

Potential security risks if the network is not properly managed

Complexity and high costs of VDI demployment and management

Use Cases of Desktop Virtualization with Smart Style Office

SSO for Remote Administration

Opportunity

Businesses looking for IT support

companies to manage, monitor and

support user’s desktops

Challenge

Maximizing your desktop support

resources to handle as many

customers as possible

Solution

SSO allows resellers to remotely

administer desktops from a central

control panel. This includes creation,

monitoring, snapshots, uptime,

patch management, etc.

SSO for Hosted Desktops

Opportunity

Businesses looking for virtual

desktops that are provisioned

from a central data center

Challenge

Optimizing the economies of

scale in hardware and data

center investments

Solution

SSO has almost unlimited

resource scalability and grows

desktop availability when more

nodes are added to the cloud

SSO for Desktop Migration

Opportunity

Business looking to migrate their

users to Windows 7 in order to lower

system requirements and improve

user’s work and online experience

Challenge

Urgency of the desirable desktop

upgrade is stretching IT support

resoures

Solution

SSO allows resellers to set up

golden images and fast-track the

deployment of desktops for its

customers

SSO for Securing Device and Data

Opportunity

Businesses remain concerned about

their data but allow their users to

enter the LAN with netbooks,

smartphones, laptops, etc.

Challenge

An operating system will always

require patching, but a proliferation

of devices causes serious security

issues for businesses.

Solution

SSO provides flexibility in accessing

virtual desktops from any device,

anywhere, but forces centralisation

of data, allowing IT support staff to

protect the data and its devices

SSO Supports a Changing Workforce

Opportunity

Businesses provide more flexibility

to their workers. Mobility is important

and young people demand more IT

Challenge

IT support companies have to

provide a consistent level of

services to increasingly

demanding businesses

Opportunity

SSO is in general the preferred virtual desktop infrastructure of

many IT support companies. The simplified approach to desktop

virtualization addresses security, management, availability and

flexibility needs. The latter is important for an ever changing

workforce and businesses looking for increased productivity

Smart Style Office

as Virtual Desktop

Infrastructure

Technical Considerations

Client server listening and NAT pass-through

Operating system support levels

Audio and multimedia support

Encryption requirements

Off-line application delivery

Hosted application delivery

Single instance management

Remote assistance

Seamless window

File transfer

Sizing & Configuration Example

SSO NODE #1

SSO NODE #2

SSO NODE #3

SSO NODE #4

Amplidata BitSpread

Technology

Racktivity Power

Monitoring

Racktivity Controller

1 to 7 Windows 7 Desktops

8 to 14 Windows 7 Desktops

Spare capacity or replacement

or 15 to 21 desktops or Citrix

Smart Style Office

Cloud Management Center

create

manage

monitor

SSO NODE MIRRORCLOUD

MirrorCloud

Backup Agents

MirrorCloud Backup & DR

Reseller Approach

High-level overview of the components of Smart Style Office virtual

desktop infrastructure and how they come together to a for a

complete, end-to-end solution

- SSO virtual desktop infrastructure starts with a StarterKit package of 2 SSO

nodes, 2 switches, 1 racktivity device, all fully racked and cabled.

- SSO comes with all virtualization software and a proprietary Cloud Management

Center which is an advanced dashboard to provision desktops as VMs

- All virtual desktops are hosted on the SSO nodes running their standard desktop

OS; Windows or linux for example

- Introduce Mirror Cloud backup agents on all desktops in case you allow workers

to store data within their virtual desktop environement

- Users can be provisioned with hardware thin clients from Zenith Infotech or

software thin clients to connect to their virtual desktops

- A remote protocal, like Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol is used to allow

client devices in the desktop environment

Start Today: 3-Step Program

Step 1: Start an Evaluation as a Reseller

- Zenith Infotech enables IT support companies and service providers to deliver IT

as a Service. Zenith Infotech is available to assist you during your evaluation

and help you to create sales and marketing strategies for how the Smart Style

Office models fits into your offerings.

Step 2: Discuss a Smooth Migration with your Customer

- Zenith Infotech van help you to transition smoothly from a physical desktop

infrastructure to a virtual desktop infrastructure using MirrorCloud. This allows

you without interupting normal program and business activity with your clients to

migrate its desktops to Smart Style Office Desktop Virtualization solution.

Step 3: Map the Customer’s Existing Network with Mirror Cloud

- Mirror Cloud is an add-on technology to the Smart Style Computing platform,

which provides business continuity and data restoration for existing physical or

Virtual Windows servers or desktops.

Conclusion

Smart Style Office as Virtual

Desktop Infrastructure separates

desktops from devices

Desktops are run as virtual

machines in secure data centers

or at customer premise

Users connect to virtual desktops

from hardware or software thin

clients

IT administrators remotely connect

to create, manage and monitor

virtual desktops

Prepared by Sacha Vekeman

Zenith Infotech Europe

February 2010