Virtualisation hits the desktop
Virtualisation is probably the hottest topic in the IT industry
moves to the desktop because it solves
redefining the role of the datacenter and the way IT departments
a myriad of issues that the IT manager
grapples with every day.”
design, deploy and use the enterprise IT infrastructure.
“In the datacenter server and
infrastructure Virtualisation already
N
ow Virtualisation is coming to In fact, Virtualisation, though offers huge savings and benefits
the desktop, not as many initially relatively new, is showing many signs of but when it hits the desktop those
thought, enabling power users a maturing market. advantages multiply. By moving
to run multiple operating systems on Until now VMware has dominated the desktop operating system and
the desktop PC, but as the ultimate thin this market with their ESX product used applications back to the datacenter,
client computing model. by most of the organisations that are running them on a virtual server and
VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) deploying Virtualisation. However they then deploying back to the desktop
is the next major wave of innovation are now coming under pressure from effectively gives the user the benefits of
where the whole PC desktop, including other major players who are offering their own desktop environment without
the operating system and applications, real alternatives based on the open all the hassles of upgrading operating
is deployed and run from the source Xen hypervisor co-developed by systems, keeping security software up
datacenter and displayed on the device Intel, AMD, Cisco, Dell, Egenera, HP, to date, loading new applications and
on the desktop. IBM, Mellanox, Network Appliance, securing data.”
To understand where VDI fits in the Novell, Red Hat, SGI, Sun, Unisys, “With VDI the user gets all the plus
IT architecture it is best to look at where Veritas, Voltaire and XenSource (now points of their own desktop without the
Virtualisation has taken us and why it is owned by Citrix). problems of running their own PC.”
now taking a whole new direction. In particular Microsoft with their “For IT managers VDI has even more
Virtualisation has been around now Hyper-V and Citix and Novel with their benefits because they can centrally
for around 5 years in the X86 server Xen based offerings are challenging control the whole desktop environment
marketplace enabling IT managers to VMware by including the hypervisor, for their users without having to
get the full utilisation of their server the key software layer that enables manage their PC.”
architectures and consolidate multiple Virtualisation by separating the At this point it is probably best to
servers into smaller and more energy operating system from the hardware, explain the difference between thin
efficient server blade environments. within their operating system. client computing and VDI.
It is estimated that more than Effectively giving the hypervisor away Kevin Bland, Director of Channel
70% of enterprises have deployed for free. sales at Citrix, is best placed to help,
some form of Virtualisation in their In response VMware has separated “Traditional thin client technology
datacenters. Many of these have been their hypervisor from the ESX server is based around deploying specific
as pilot sites but there are also many product and are now offering it as a applications to users from centralised
major deployments. Virtualisation low cost stand-alone product but more servers. VDI is about deploying
is having such a dramatic effect importantly they are working with the whole user desktop, including
in the datacenter that enterprises their OEMs such HP to bundle the applications, to a PC or thin client
are completely redefining their IT hypervisor with every server. type device.”
infrastructure around it. It looks like in the future all servers “The great thing about VDI is that
Virtualisation has so many positive will be Virtualised enabled out of box. when the user logs in they get a fresh
effects that it is almost a ‘no brainer’ So it looks like virtualised servers desktop but tailored to the environment
when it comes to deploying it. will be the norm in the future and they are used to. In effect they have
Higher utilisation of existing server therefore the Virtualisation battle moves a new version of the XP or Vista
investments, dynamic allocation of onto new ground and that is all about operating system every time they log
applications and resources, lower heat the desktop. on. They also get fresh versions of
output and energy costs and simpler Chris Whiteley, Head of Product their applications and then the whole
business continuity resourcing are just Strategy at distributor Horizon explains environment is personalised.”
some of the benefits. why this is so important, “Virtualisation “The Citrix solution for VDI includes
JUNE 2008 8020 EUROPA 25
24,25,26,27.indd 2 13/6/08 09:43:13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68