Finding success with VDI isn't as difficult as one may think, but there are common mistakes that IT must know before diving headfirst into a VDI deployment. The best way to begin is with a solid plan that lays out exactly how to take a pilot program to a winning production deployment.
Before mapping out a VDI project plan, it is a good idea to know where potential obstacles are that could derail the project before it even starts. First, not knowing the difference between server and desktop virtualization can be fatal. The second trap is attempting a major desktop change -- such as an OS upgrade -- and a VDI deployment at the same time. Do not underestimate the amount of time and effort a VDI project takes.
IT professionals can fall into the third trap when they either scale too high or too low. A VDI deployment that is too large is a challenge to scale down, and it can lead to high costs. A VDI deployment that is too small will eventually hit its cap and require IT to restructure the entire infrastructure it first conceived.
Another important consideration when deploying VDI is virtual desktop licensing. Physical desktop licenses are different from virtual desktop licenses because there is no longer a one-to-one ratio of user to device. Instead, most organizations either choose persistent or nonpersistent VDI, which require more than one user or more than one device per license.
IT pros that know and avoid these issues before starting their VDI journey will have an easier time through the process.
As IT sets out on its desktop virtualization quest, it must consider desktop as a service (DaaS) vs. VDI. The two options differ when it comes to cost, user experience and scaling. There are specific factors IT can look at to determine which approach is best, such as the virtual desktop use cases and where it will store the data -- or if the organization would benefit from a combination of the two.
When it comes to DaaS vs. VDI, DaaS has more flexibility for costs and scalability. DaaS offers subscription-based pricing for cloud-based desktops that are hosted by a third-party provider, which cuts upfront infrastructure costs and helps open up more room for data storage.
Typically, the DaaS vendor handles infrastructure and software issues, while IT still maintains management over user accounts. Organizations invested in DaaS also have the opportunity to scale with greater ease, thanks to the subscription option and data storage elasticity from the cloud.
Don't count VDI out when it's in the DaaS vs. VDI ring. When deploying VDI, the virtual desktops live in an on-premises data center that IT manages. The on-premises back end gives IT complete control to develop and customize virtual desktops, control and manage updates and data traffic, and provide personalization unique to the organization's needs. The additional control of IT over virtual desktops can tighten security because IT has a direct look into how everything runs.
Once IT has evaluated DaaS and on-premises VDI, the next choice is nonpersistent or persistent VDI. The differences in user experience, endpoint devices and licensing make nonpersistent and persistent VDI a definitive decision for an organization. IT must determine the use case of the virtual desktops, the clients available to the organization and the overall cost of the deployment first.
Organizations that have multiple users operating on a shared device should turn to nonpersistent desktops. This setup uses a golden image as a universal virtual desktop template and refreshes the virtual desktop for each login.
Users cannot customize their settings or desktops with nonpersistent VDI. As a result, nonpersistent desktops require less storage and, therefore, cost less. Nonpersistent VDI works on thin clients, which also saves money for organizations. Licensing a nonpersistent deployment is per device, with costs ranging depending on the vendor IT uses.
A persistent VDI deployment is a great option for organizations that have users working with multiple devices. Each desktop is virtualized on a separate disk image that is unique to each user, so he can save settings, files and applications. These settings are always on the desktop unless the user chooses to make changes. This level of personalization requires significant room for storage, so organizations must have logical drives on which to store disk images before they are integrated back onto the virtual machine.
With persistent VDI, the endpoint devices must perform the rest of the virtual desktop computing, so thin clients are not the best option. Licensing a persistent VDI deployment is per user, and it varies in price depending on the vendor.
Large organizations that have a use case for both nonpersistent and persistent VDI can deploy both types. IT has to be meticulous on the user device policies, the type of licensing it uses and the storage architecture. Organizations such as hospitals may choose one large group, such as nurses, to share one main computer per workstation, while the hospital administrators use persistent VDI to access desktops from their laptops, desktops and mobile devices.
After determining what type of desktops to deliver, IT pros must choose the right VDI vendor.
For starters, it is imperative that the VDI product IT chooses supports the OSes users work with, including the current version users run. Endpoint devices are also an important consideration for IT because each device could use a different OS, such as Microsoft Windows or Apple macOS. If an organization uses mobile devices, the VDI vendor must support the Apple iOS or Google Android platforms, as well.
The major VDI products, such as Citrix's XenDesktop and VMware's Horizon 7, are well-established in the enterprise. The range of features, supported OSes and mobile integration keeps these two powerhouses in the lead for large organizations looking for stable performance and licensing options that fit their needs.
Desktop virtualization is a desired option as more workers move toward remote accessibility, and it is constantly changing as the enterprise embraces emerging technology. Citrix and VMware have proven their reliability in the industry, and they are solid options for desktop virtualization.
There are also alternative VDI vendors that may work better for organizations looking for specific features. Ericom Connect offers a grid architecture rather than a database to scale to millions of transactions per second. Ericom Software created its virtual desktop platform from the ground up, and it is a solid performer for scalability and simplified management.
Parallels' Remote Application Server is a good option for organizations working primarily with devices running macOS. Leostream Connection Broker connects users to any application using any protocol for any desktop virtualization platform, giving organizations extreme flexibility to pick and choose options.
As the journey toward deploying VDI starts to wind down, it's up to IT to pick the best endpoints from which users can access their virtual desktops.
The vast array of options in the world of VDI thin clients can overwhelm any organization. IT pros should have a checklist in hand when selecting a thin client for VDI that has the features users need, the management options IT requires and the cost that organizations want.
Raspberry Pi is a well-established enterprise thin client that is extremely cost-effective, starting at three for $40. Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer that works best for simple computing tasks, such as data entry or basic kiosk functions. IT can turn Raspberry Pi into a full VDI thin client by adding a case, memory card and display, which brings the client up to around $200. Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp, as well as VMware Horizon 7, work well with Raspberry Pi, with customized packages to focus specifically on Pi management.
Google's Chromebooks are among the easiest VDI thin clients to manage because they include automatic patches, updates and security audits. They range in cost from $150 to $999. The Chromebook works well for employees that use Google Apps for Work, such as Gmail and Google Docs, or that need a thin client for occasional tasks on the go.
Chromebooks are one of the only enterprise options using 4G and LTE. The top Chromebook, called the Pixelbook, also has the Google Assistant -- a digital assistant similar to Apple's Siri -- built into the device, and automatically backs up recent work to provide offline capabilities.
HP provides two types of thin clients for VDI: desktop cloud clients and mobile cloud clients. The cheapest of the desktop cloud clients start at $245 for the t420. The t420 uses a processor for graphics, has its own software -- such as HP Device Manager and ThinUpdate -- image recovery tools, and uses Firefox browser only. Version t630 of the desktop cloud client supports Blast Extreme from VMware.
The mobile cloud clients -- or thin laptops -- begin at $399 for version mt20. This version runs Windows 10 IoT and scans for viruses and unwanted updates.
Lenovo offers the VDI thin clients M600, M700 and M715q, the last of which costs $287.99. All three clients come with Thin Client Manager, Lenovo monitor integration lock and run a 1920 x 1080 display with front and back tilting.
In a similar vein, Igel Technology's UD line of VDI thin clients starts at $106 with the UD pocket version. All versions run Igel Linux OS, while U3 and U6 offer Windows 10 IoT. All come with IGEL Universal Management Suites, local protocols, software clients and security features.
With the key foundations in place for desktop virtualization, a final focus on VDI user experience is critical for every VDI project plan. The more similar the virtual desktop feels to a physical desktop, the more familiar and comfortable users generally feel.
As more apps and products incorporate videos and graphics, it's important that VDI deliver the type of performance users expect. If users can't see a video in high definition, for example, they will not be happy.
IT can also gauge the VDI deployment on a more individual user level by looking at logon times, application response times and device connection. Another option for IT pros is to employ VDI user experience monitoring tools to track these metrics and alert them when the standards are not met.
While hoping for the best, IT must also prepare for the worst and not let little issues take down the whole deployment. This means implementing redundancies on the back end for IT. A redundancy creates a duplicate of the VDI system settings. In the case of an outage, IT can restore the system from the last redundancy and tweak the problem.
Perhaps most important, IT pros must listen to users' feedback on their experiences with VDI. A crawling or stalled system hurts productivity, frustrates users and reflects negatively on IT. It is up to IT to embrace suggestions and complaints to find VDI user experience issues. A slow application start time could mean an overuse of resources or limited bandwidth, which only causes more issues down the road. There is always room to improve, reinvent and boost efficiency.
After IT pros find the right VDI structure, vendor and endpoint device, they should execute a VDI pilot program that enables them to test how the deployment will interact with their existing infrastructure, how the hardware and software handle the workloads, and what the user experience will be like. A rough draft gives IT time to work out any issues that it must resolve before the deployment goes live.
There are multiple ways to craft a successful VDI pilot. IT pros may want to do a test run to make sure the pilot hits specific metrics, such as minimum boot times or application response rates. Other IT pros may choose to look at the big picture and see the general runtime and crash rate of the VDI pilot. It is important to observe both the details and overview of the VDI pilot program because both are vital to the success of a VDI deployment.
After performing several test runs, IT pros should evaluate the VDI pilot data. There will be high volumes of data from multiple tests, but it is important to crunch the numbers and tweak the deployment wherever necessary. IT should also get feedback from users who tested the VDI pilot because it may help them discover underlying issues that didn't show up in the numbers.
By the end of VDI pilot testing, IT should have a good idea of the anticipated requirements, costs and rate of return on the investment.
