Virtualisation shifts to the desktop

Definitions vary, but desktop virtualisation eases management headaches

Desktop virtualisation has come a long way functionality-wise, says Dacombe-Bird. Aiming to deliver a rich user experience, VMware’s View 4 release has removed some of the technical hurdles, he says.

“Costs have also reduced substantially with efficiencies in storage and desktop density. The last hurdle is really an organisation’s motivation to change the desktop delivery solution that is in place and working. We expect this change to be forced upon a lot of organisations as OS support expires and an upgrade is required.

“The recent release of Windows 7 has been a disruptive event that has made organisations evaluate how they will deliver their next desktop operating system, and desktop virtualisation will be a key part of many of our customers’ strategies,” says Dacombe-Bird.





Explainer

What is desktop virtualisation?

Desktop virtualisation separates a personal computer desktop environment from the physical machine through a client-server computing model – Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). The “virtualised’ desktop is then stored on a remote central server, allowing users to work from their remote desktop client, accessing operating systems, programs, data and applications from the centrally run server. This means users can access their desktops from anywhere on any device – a PC, a laptop, thin client or smartphone. This flexibility could lead to initiatives like a ‘Bring Your Own Computer’ scheme, where staff are given money to purchase a PC for use at home and at work, says Chris Lockery, manager of systems engineering at Citrix in New Zealand.

What costs are involved?

Most desktop virtualisation projects are expected to pay for themselves eventually. However, these projects usually require higher initial costs than a traditional PC upgrade, writes Network World. A hosted desktop model requires servers or blades to deliver virtual machines, and networked storage for applications and data. To run a virtualised desktop environment you will also need thin clients or “dumb” terminals. But once you’ve got all the necessary hardware and infrastructure in place, overall expenses may be reduced as resources can be shared.