Desktop Virtualisation

Why use desktop virtualisation?

The benefits of server based computing (such as Citrix XenApp & Microsoft Terminal Services) are widely known and include:

     • Placing all the application compute requirements on a farm of centralised servers reducing the desktop need to low spec PCs or thin clients.
     • Ease of management by allowing application updates without the overhead of managing the update failures on a per desktop basis.
     • Keeping all your intellectual property in house by keeping your data centrally
     • Allowing remote workers, home workers and mobile staff to access company applications with ease
     • Ensuring IT maintains control of what applications are installed and made available to users.

While server based computing is the most economical model for providing desktops and applications to users, it doesn’t suit every company and/or every type of user. Whilst it works with almost all mainstream applications it can fall short with some. The reasons for this could be either the application is very resource intensive or because the application simply will not function correctly in a multi-user environment. Many companies have users that aren’t suited to server based computing either because they need applications which aren’t suited to it or because of they need to be able to manage their own desktop by installing, modifying or removing their own applications, an example of this could be a developer. With desktop virtualisation, each user connects to a virtual machine running their desktop and this virtual machine is their own instance of the operating system and applications and whilst they are using it they have sole use of that virtual machine.

Desktop virtualisation overcomes the potential issue of server based computing and has all its benefits and the following additional ones too:

     • Accommodates applications which don’t work in Citrix XenApp or MS Terminal Servers.
     • Allows IT to grant admin permissions to a user to allow them to install/modify/remove their own applications and reboot their own virtual machine if required.
     • Allows dynamic pools of virtual machines to grow and shrink so it can easily adjust to the demands of your  users.
     • Allows static one to one mapping of user to virtual machine, dynamic allocation of a user to any virtual machine in the pool or create virtual machine instances on demand. This allows a user to get the same desktop each time if desired.
     • Virtual machines can be link cloned so that the storage footprint is greatly reduced and to allow for software updates to be applied by IT to hundreds of virtual desktops by applying them to a single virtual machine.
     • Virtual machines can be placed into stand-by when not in use saving resources and allowing power savings too.
     • Virtual machines can be migrated dynamically using technologies like VMotion, XenMotion or LiveMigrate allowing effective and complete dynamic load balancing.

SDG offer a range of best of breed server based computing and desktop virtualisation solutions from VMware, Citrix, Microsoft and Quest. These virtualised solutions can help improve the effectiveness of your desktop management whilst also providing some of the benefits above. Our expertise and deep domain knowledge of server based computing, virtualisation and peripheral technologies means we will work with you and your customer to deliver an end to end solution that maximises ROI, simplifies management and optimises scalability.

If you would like any more information our Desktop Virtualisation Solutions or simply want to know which solution would be right for your customers please complete our contact form below or visit our Contact Us page.

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