Part II of II: Virtual Desktops 101
Welcome back to Virtual Desktops 101. In Part 1, we define Virtual Desktops and began to look at some of the advantages. We continue here with that same topic.
I’m sold. Where do I sign up?
Slow down! It’s not all wine and roses; there are some things to consider.
- First and foremost, while you can save a good amount of money at the endpoint, you do need to make an investment in your Datacenter environment.
- Virtualizing and managing a handful of Desktops is easy; scaling this up to hundreds or even thousands of Virtual Desktops is hard. There are storage considerations (both capacity and performance), RAM and CPU considerations, and management considerations. Referring to the graphic from Part 1 of this blog, the Management piece is critical for you to truly make the most of a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.
Am I a good candidate for Desktop Virtualization?
In the long run, everyone will be a good candidate for Desktop Virtualization – that’s just where the industry is headed. In the short run, these are some good indicators:
- I already have an investment in a Virtual Server Infrastructure If you already have Servers, Storage, and Licensing for Server Virtualization, getting a Proof-of-Concept going for Desktop Virtualization is that much easier.
- Not only do I already have a Virtual Infrastructure, I have plenty of spare capacity Even better! If the Proof-of-Concept goes well, you just need some VDI licenses and you are ready to deploy!
- I have large pools of homogenous Desktop OS’s if you have large groups of Desktops that are the same across the board – same applications, resource requirements, etc., Virtual Desktops is something you should absolutely be looking into. The early adopters for VDI fit this mold, specifically Hospitals, Schools and Universities, and Call Centers.
When should I move to Virtual Desktops?
This depends on your company’s profile and whether or not you fit into any of the categories defined above. But, a common trigger is the need for the purchase of a large volume of Desktops – a Desktop refresh or a new office opening.
This is only a fraction of the information available regarding Desktop Virtualization. Should you decide that this makes sense for you, it is highly recommended that you consult with someone familiar with this technology. And always plan on a pilot deployment before rolling this out company wide. Unlike with Server Virtualization, this will change how your Users access their data and operate on a daily basis so it is best to work out the kinks with a small test group.
See you next time!
