Many companies have turned to virtualization technologies for their servers and in their data centers to simplify administration and to reduce management chores and operating costs while maintaining reliability and safeguarding against disasters. Seeing the significant benefits virtualization delivers in those environments, companies are now looking to apply the same technology to their desktop computers.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
Improved manageability and availability spur move to virtualize desktops
Many companies have turned to virtualization tech- deal with new security risks and support increasing nologies for their servers and in their data centers to numbers of remote and mobile users. Companies simplify administration and to reduce management also have to support an increasing use of employee chores and operating costs while maintaining reli- owned resources. For example, because many people ability and safeguarding against disasters. Seeing the already use their company computer at home for significant benefits virtualization delivers in those personal business, Gartner predicts that by 2008, 10 environments, companies are now looking to apply percent of all companies will ask employees to pur-the same technology to their desktop computers. chase their own notebook computers.
Executive Summary: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Typically in a desktop environment, the IT staff member must go to the PC to troubleshoot and fix . VDI simplifies desktop administrative and problems when they occur. If the problem is with a management tasks computer used by a worker in a remote site or who . Users access virtual desktops running in the data center works on the road, the user might have to wait for . Technology supports both PCs and thin clients someone to come to the site or they might be asked . Desktop security and data protection are centralized to send the computer to the main office for repair. . Access can be easily extended to remote users In any of these scenarios, IT staff loses time getting to the PC and workers lose productivity sitting in front The idea behind what is called a Virtual Desktop In- of a malfunctioning PC or waiting for their PC to be frastructure (VDI) is to run desktop operating systems fixed. If a PC is on site, it can take an IT staffer any-and applications inside virtual machines that reside where from a couple of hours to a day to correct a on servers in the data center. Desktop operating sys- problem. If the PC is in a small office with no IT staff tems inside virtual machines are also referred to as or is used by a remote user who works from home, virtual desktops. Users access the virtual desktops and the user often needs to bring in or ship the PC to the applications from a desktop PC client or thin client office, which causes that user to be down (and unpro-using a remote display protocol and get almost the ductive) for an extended period of time.full features as if the applications were loaded on their local systems, with the difference being that the Complicating matters further, applications on today's applications are centrally managed. desktops must constantly be updated and new patch-es must frequently be installed on a regular basis to Similar to server virtualization, VDI offers many protect systems from new exploits. benefits. Specifically, desktop administrative and management tasks are significantly reduced; applica- In many cases, software updates and patch installa-tions can quickly be added, deleted, upgraded, and tions can be automated. But frequently, the patch in-patched; security is centralized; and data is easier to stallations occur during non-work hours when users safeguard and back up. turn their PCs off. Users may also need help with the process, again taking up IT staff time. Corporate Challenges Related to Managing Desktops Managing desktop PCs has always been a time-con- Worse, some users may ignore instructions and not suming and challenging task. And recently, it has install the updates or patches. This can result in a become ever more so as companies have had to desktop PC being infected with malicious software.
And this can lead to additional problems for other systems. Users sometimes innocently or intentionally systems on a company's network. For example, a 2006 pass around CDs of commercial software rather than Baseline article noted that there has been a marked call IT. In fact, a May 2006 Global Software Piracy increase in hackers using exploits to install malicious Study conducted by IDC for the Business Software remote control software that turns the infected PC Alliance (BSA) found that 21 percent of the software into what is known as a bot. (On any given day, there in the U.S. is unlicensed. If such software is detected are 3 to 3.5 million active bots operating around t... [download for more]
