Desktop virtualization is applicable to server virtualization experience

Source: Internet
Author: User

There is great potential to save costs through server virtualization. At the same time, enterprises are looking for other ways to improve IT efficiency. One area of increasing interest is desktop virtualization. This technology can split hardware and software at the end user level, mainly including desktop computers, laptops, netbooks, tablets, smart phones and other mobile computing devices.

Desktop virtualization can greatly improve the efficiency of end user device management-especially in large environments where thousands of desktops can be centrally managed, improving security and bringing other subtle advantages, such as extending the service life of the old PC, supporting new work methods, and working at home (this can also reduce the demand for enterprise office space ).

Like server virtualization, desktop virtualization efficiency is also improved through centralized management. However, to be deployed successfully, desktop virtualization requires different technologies and more servers. In addition, we also need to adopt a completely different strategic approach, which seems inconspicuous, but more important.

Avoid Failure

Many enterprises have achieved some success through server virtualization. The reason why they decided to implement desktop virtualization is usually because of the encouragement of server virtualization vendors. Such a starting point is itself wrong, which will inevitably lead to the failure of desktop virtualization.

They naturally think that desktop virtualization can be successful by copying the server virtualization method, but it is a big mistake. Unlike server virtualization, desktop virtualization cannot be achieved through a single side, or without the knowledge or attention of people outside the IT department.

Generally, IT departments and end users have different ideas. For example, if end users want to be able to access streaming videos and audios, the IT department wants to reduce the budget and the required network bandwidth. The bigger danger is that if we adopt a method similar to the virtual deployment of servers, what the IT department can see is that we had to manage 100 PCs before, but now we only need to manage 3 servers, it is easy to forget what this means to end users. IT managers are most likely to ignore these two aspects: first, the quality of user experience, and second, what concerns end users if the computing environment is delivered in different ways.

If a project requires a large amount of interaction with the end user, and the end user's "buy account" is crucial, the internal team responsible for leading the server virtualization project, especially the top supervisor of the enterprise, it may not be the best candidate for such desktop virtualization projects. Likewise, because desktop virtualization involves completely different technologies, traditional server virtualization vendors or service companies are not necessarily suitable for implementing desktop virtualization projects. Enterprises should regard desktop virtualization as a new challenge and fully evaluate the qualifications and success stories of manufacturers and service companies.

In short, there is not much between server virtualization and desktop virtualization. A plan to achieve success in the server virtualization project, whether it is a conceptual verification plan or a plan implemented by the entire enterprise industry, may not be able to achieve the same success in the desktop virtualization project.

Server virtualization is usually confined to data centers and is a plan that is easy to implement and can quickly bring benefits. The service scope of the IT department and the strategies and technologies deployed in the data center are usually not related to end users. Most servers can be managed and maintained in a unified manner. The only visible result is significant efficiency improvement. Servers in one row and one row share the same work day after day, controlled by the same command and control structure (restricted by the hierarchical structure ). Simply setting these server virtualization methods to manage employees' PCS is undoubtedly the death penalty for desktop virtualization projects.

The server virtualization method requires a unified solution-for desktop virtualization, it is generally a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), and attempts to implement this solution on as many PCs as possible. However, remember that only about 20-25% of all servers achieve server virtualization. These servers are mostly homogeneous servers, and different methods are required to achieve virtualization 80%, it is not a unified solution that is 'universal.

Similarly, in terms of desktop virtualization, If you stubbornly use VDI to achieve all desktop virtualization, the rigid unification of server virtualization will continue to play a role. This is like a football team, regardless of the opponent's situation, always adopt the same style of play. In fact, even if people use the same technology, their work methods will be very different. In today's scenarios where individual users use computers with exceptionally powerful functions, small shapes, and easy to use, the workspace that provides employees with 'any type of PC as long as it is black is obsolete.

Implementation successful

The center of server virtualization is integration, which is implemented from the data center. The goal of desktop virtualization is to improve the efficiency of desktop management, so we should start with end users. Every user group, especially those who need their own computers to run quickly and reliably at any time, will undoubtedly retreat when it comes to changing and coping with new changes. Not all users are satisfied with the current IT environment, but once they think of changes that may cause business interruptions, their enthusiasm will be greatly reduced, and it is likely that they have been totally disappointed with the improvements they have promised but never achieved.

The computing requirements of task-based workers who often work in the office, on-site engineers, and senior executives on frequent business trips are quite different. From the very beginning, they used completely different computing devices, not to mention the differences in applications, security requirements, and working methods. Therefore, the real desktop virtualization method must adopt a variety of different technologies: From the Server Side Computing (such as VDI) (delivered by the data center to the computing environment) computing on the client side (supporting offline work in a virtualized environment ).

Different desktop virtualization technologies mean that IT departments can work with end users to evaluate their ways of working so that they can use the most appropriate technology to support each employee. In this way, each end user can have a better computing experience, and enterprises can also benefit from centralized desktop control and management.

At the desktop level, user experience is crucial. Any project that cannot maintain or improve user experience will be strongly resisted. In this case, people do not necessarily want to obtain the most advanced technology, but they always want to access the required information in the quickest way. This is totally different from the concept of people 20 years ago. At that time, employees always liked to compare the processor speed of PCs and use this as a way to compare the advantages and disadvantages.

For example, most enterprises need to access rich media (such as Flash video) without causing too much bandwidth. In a relatively simple campus with a variety of employees (including a wide range of networks and virtual private networks for mobile workers and home office workers, this means that different desktop virtualization needs need to be met. Using a high-latency, low-bandwidth network to support rich media without causing significant performance degradation, desktop virtualization technology can be used to achieve this well. In this process, it is very important to "buy at your own risk" (to let buyers know), because unscrupulous profit behaviors and attractive marketing campaigns often mask the defects of many manufacturers' products. A common phenomenon in technical sales is that the end user should pay special attention to such details and require field visits to customer cases that are using the solution.

No matter how much cost can be saved from the IT perspective, if the desktop virtualization plan is not perfect, resulting in a decline in employee productivity, enterprises will eventually suffer more serious economic losses. It's just about using peripheral devices (mainly scanners, printers, security tokens, and USB flash drives in commercial applications, if it is not processed properly from the very beginning, it may cause a long interruption of the desktop virtualization project.

From the external, not from the inside out

Like server virtualization, the main advantage of desktop virtualization also comes from the centralization of IT resources. However, server virtualization should be planned and deployed from the IT system center (mainly the data center), but desktop virtualization should adopt an out-of-the-box approach. The so-called 'external' refers to employees, their computing needs, and the devices they use. Therefore, we should be clear that the desktop virtualization project should first be supported by end users.

The strategy, planning, and implementation of the desktop virtualization plan are more logical only when an out-of-the-box approach is adopted. By understanding what end users need, you can quickly achieve the advantages of centralized management.

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