{"id":199,"date":"2007-08-27T21:49:14","date_gmt":"2007-08-28T07:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/?p=199"},"modified":"2007-08-27T21:49:14","modified_gmt":"2007-08-28T07:49:14","slug":"desktop-virtualization-goals-and-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/2007\/08\/desktop-virtualization-goals-and-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Desktop Virtualization: Goals and Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was first published on <\/em>SearchServerVirtualization.TechTarget.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Quick: Name a task that\u2019s less enjoyable than managing client operating systems and applications! I have a feeling that if you\u2019re a seasoned IT pro, you had to think for a few seconds (and, I\u2019ll bet that many of you came up with some very creative responses). Clearly, the challenges of keeping end-users\u2019 systems up-to-date can be a thankless and never-ending ordeal. Vendors have heard your cries, and various solutions are available. At the risk of sounding like a flight attendant, I do understand that you have a choice in choosing virtualization approaches. In this series of Tips, I\u2019ll describe details related to the pros and cons of desktop application and OS virtualization. Let\u2019s start by defining the problem.<\/p>\n

Desktop Management Challenges<\/h2>\n

There are many reasons that desktop computers can be more painful to manage than their server-side counterparts. Some important issues include: <\/p>\n

    \n
  • Analyzing Administration<\/b>: Desktop and notebook computers are often located in the most remote areas of your organization (or outside of it altogether). Performing systems administration tasks can sometimes require physical access to these machines. And, even with remote management tools, the client-side machine has to be online and connected to the network. The result is significant time and effort requirements for keeping systems optimally configured.<\/li>\n
  • Mitigating Mobile Mayhem<\/b>: Traveling and remote users can be (quite literally) a moving target: It seems that as soon as you\u2019ve deployed a system for their use, changes are required. While some users can\u2019t avoid working offline, there\u2019s a subset of the user population that might need to access their OS and applications from multiple locations. Managing multiple pieces of hardware or shared desktop machines can be time-consuming and tedious.<\/li>\n
  • Dealing with Distributed Data<\/b>: Security and regulatory compliance requirements necessitate the management of data. It\u2019s far easier to secure information and prevent data loss or theft when everything\u2019s stored in the data center. While stolen laptops can be costly, it\u2019s far cheaper than dealing with stolen data.<\/li>\n
  • Application Anarchy<\/b>: Deploying and managing desktop applications can be a struggle. While deployment tools can simplify the process, issues like managing application compatibility problems can lead to a large number of support desk calls. Other issues include tracking license usage, ensuring that systems remain patched, and providing the right applications on the right computer at the right time.<\/li>\n
  • Bumbling Backups<\/b>: Ensuring that data remains protected on desktop and notebook computers can be problematic. Even with the use of backup agents, there\u2019s room for error. And, getting users to consistently save their important files to network shares can seem futile.<\/li>\n
  • Hardware Headaches<\/b>: Managing desktop and notebook hardware can be time-consuming. Add in the costs of technology refreshes and verifying hardware system requirements, and the issue can quickly float to the top of an IT department\u2019s list of costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    From a technical standpoint, the issue is that applications are tightly tied to their operating systems. And the operating systems, in turn, are tightly tied to hardware. Solving these problems can help alleviate some of the pain. <\/p>\n

    Choosing a Virtualization Approach<\/h3>\n

    There are several different approaches to addressing desktop-related challenges. One caveat is that the terminology can be inconsistent. I\u2019ve taken a shot at categorizing the different approaches, but vendors\u2019 descriptions do differ. Here\u2019s a breakdown: <\/p>\n

      \n
    • Presentation Virtualization<\/b>: Some users require access to only one or a few applications (think about call center and point-of-sale users). The main idea behind presentation virtualization is that all applications are installed and executed on a specialized server that can then redirect video, keyboard, and mouse signals between a small client application or a thin client device. Since applications are installed centrally, deployment and management is less of an issue. <\/li>\n
    • OS and Application Virtualization<\/b>: For some portion of the user population, such as traveling employees or \u201cpower-users\u201d, there\u2019s a real need to run an operating system directly on individual computers. In these scenarios, it\u2019s still desirable to simplify the deployment and management of applications. Application virtualization solutions provide a way to either compartmentalize or stream programs to the computers that need them. The process is quick, safe, and can happen with little IT involvement.<\/li>\n
    • VM-Based Virtualization<\/b>: Also known as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), among other names, the idea here is to allow users to run their own desktop OS\u2019s \u2013 except that they are physically stored in the data center. Typically, the operating system and applications are run within a dedicated virtual machine which is assigned to a particular user. Employees use either a thin client computer or a remote desktop connection to access their environments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      In addition to these options, there\u2019s an implicit fourth choice: \u201cNone of the above.\u201d As I described in my Tips, \u201cVDI Benefits without VDI\u201d, you can reduce problems to some extent by utilizing IT best practices. You can also use a combination of these approaches (for example, VM-based virtualization with application virtualization)to meet different needs in the same environment. <\/p>\n

      Looking for Solutions<\/h3>\n

      In this Tip, I presented some of the problems that desktop virtualization attempts to address. It\u2019s important to understand your pain points before you start looking for a remedy. Then, I described three high-level approaches for solving common problems. In the next part of this series, I\u2019ll present information about the pros and cons of each approach, along with specific products to consider.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      This article was first published on SearchServerVirtualization.TechTarget.com. Quick: Name a task that\u2019s less enjoyable than managing client operating systems and applications! I have a feeling that if you\u2019re a seasoned IT pro, you had to think for a few seconds (and, I\u2019ll bet that many of you came up with some very creative responses). Clearly, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vm-desktop-virtualization-vdi","category-vm-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anildesai.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}