Desktop Virtualization
Desktop Virtualization
Abstract
Desktop virtualization is a new technology that enables the separation of computer desktop environment from its actual physical environment. This is a technology that is to as the client virtualization. The desktop virtualization is a form of model for client-server computing based on its desktop that is virtualized on a remote or centralized server and not the actual virtualized machine. Desktop virtualization means that the aspect being is the computer desktop. The virtual desktop environment is to serve users within the network. Users can interact via the virtual desktop just in the way of a physical desktop. The benefit of using desktop virtualization is that it enables the user to remotely log in order to access his desktop in any location. This paper will examine how desktop virtualization works and presents its main architecture and concepts. The paper will also look at the benefits of desktop virtualization to the user and the problems that are by using this technology.
Introduction
The main challenge that many IT managers and CIOs face today is the ability of IT to support new business initiatives and the cost- effective use of the infrastructure of Information Technology. They also are with the challenge of enabling IT to be flexible adapting to the changes of the organization. These aspects have to be solved urgently and within budget constraints that the organization faces. This is alongside stringent regulations that guide business environments. The datacenter economics are constantly being changed through virtualization through enabling computer resources to be more efficient and flexible. Many data centers have capitalized on the benefits of virtualization through adopting changes in their network architecture both their End of Row network and Top of Rack network. The success of a virtualization strategy mainly depends on the ability of the datacenter network performance is before the implementation of the new technology. The virtualization technology is a powerful innovation that enables skilled IT managers to offer a creative solution to the challenges faced by business.
Desktop Virtualization
Virtualization is a concept that is timely and appropriate to the current business needs. Virtualization is a term that broadly describes the detachment of the request and resource from the actual physical delivery of a specific service. For instance, the virtual memory of computer software is capable of accessing more memory from external software within its network. This means that the memory space can increase virtually more than the initial physical memory capacity of the computer software. This is possible through the background data swapping in the disk storage. Other layers of IT infrastructure can also be applied virtualization techniques. They include storage, networks, server hardware or laptop, applications, and operating systems. The blending of virtual infrastructure offers an abstraction layer between storage, networking hardware and computing as well as the application. Virtual infrastructure deployment is not disruptive because the users experience is not in anyway.
Virtual infrastructure can, however, provide the administrators with an added advantage of using a common center to manage a large pool of resources coming from various departments within the enterprise. This, therefore, enables the IT manager to be highly responsive towards the dynamic needs of the organization and to have a better leverage on investments infrastructure. The uses of virtual infrastructure solutions provided business IT managers the opportunity to address various challenges facing the organization. Desktop virtualization means that desktops are with various points of access to a system of resources. It is necessary to standardize the access point systems for effective utility of desktop virtualization. However, even with standardizations, most organizations do not block their desktops and this enables the local administrator not to manage the desktops. This means that when desktops have not been locked, there is no control, and this leads to a wide range of issues. However, it is impossible for one to lock a system and expect them to work.
The adoption of desktop virtualization as a model of desktop management has in various organizations. There are numerous reasons why organizations get to adopt the technology of desktop virtualization. Generally, the utilization of desktop virtualization model makes more sense that the reliance on the physical desktops. The use of desktop virtualization can leads to the ability to manage desktops from a central point. These are the desktops used by different users, but the adoption of virtual desktop management enables one to access desktops of users at any endpoint device, such as Web Clients, thin clients and desktops among others. The desktop management model based on virtualization enables the user to lock down desktops virtually. This is because of their central control points. The centrality of operating the desktops further allows easier provision because by using one of the desktops. An image or data is and copied to other desired desktops.
There is time saving, because less time is on a single endpoint or the physical PCs. All what is to control the endpoints remotely by use of a desktop that are to other desktops virtually. Another advantage of the remote access to desktop endpoints is capable of providing agreements in service level just for the central desktop alone, and it will be in charge of the other endpoint desktops. The user of virtual desktop can be the administrator to other endpoints but only does so within the virtual desktop. The manager can, therefore, easily do anything on any given endpoint and yet be in control of the corporate PC.
The use of virtual desktops helps in improving service stability and reduces costs as a result of the ability of the manager to know each PC and their starting point within the golden image of the virtual desktop. It is also possible for one to create encrypted and locked virtual desktop data and images that are timely when needed. For instance, in the case where a staff is to meet the business needs of a certain given season, a time controlled images on the PC can be generated for the effort’s duration.
By use of the virtual desktop, it is possible to secure information that is within the datacenter. This, therefore, gives the business manger or IT manager to have the upper hand in the protection of intellectual property and to control it. This is through locking the image that one creates so that other external devices cannot gain access to corporate information. This means that intellectual property that is much easier to be in control and maintain compliance as compared to when this property is in decentralized locations. Therefore, the virtual control by used of virtual desktop makes it possible for business managers to control the kind of data that leaves the datacenter.
What it does
The concept of virtualization is now expanding to other different information technology spheres. Switches, servers, clients, networking, and storage are all within the road map of virtualization. However, the concept of virtualization is mainly dominant in server virtualization. This is possible in servers that have had the most significant influence on datacenter networks. The aim of server virtualization is to act as a substitute to the use of specific appliances for the purpose of a server. This is a trend that will continue to succeed because they can be easily deployed and are effective yet most of the physical appliances are not efficient. Based on the fact that the appliances are for one specific purpose, many results to a dead end task and are vulnerable to forklift upgrade.
Appliances proliferation has led to an increasing challenge in their management and is subject to high load of thermoelectric and sprawling datacenter networks this means that the appliances are underutilized, and the only solution is to adopt the concept of virtualization. The virtualization essence is an abreaction layer comprising of the hypervisor software. The hypervisor is between the operating system and the hardware. The adoption of virtualization enables a wide range of applications and operating systems to work together within a physical computing platform. Virtualization can support three or more different logical servers in a single platform. The Server virtualization when combined with blade technology leads to an increase in storage density. Computing at the same time enables the flexibility of IT assets.
Virtualization servers support a wide array of multimedia applications, storage, back office services and business applications. The adoption of virtualization has in the recent passed accelerated as companies adopt this new technology. Microsoft Corporation in February 2010 indicated that of its shipping services 20% of them had virtualized. The developing company if the Hypervisor product, VMware showed that about 25% of its customers had virtualized their servers. It is that the size of clients using the Hypervisor product will considerably grow in the next five years. Both large and small enterprises can use virtualization to unify networking, computing and storages. Therefore, the benefits of virtualization apply to the needs of medium and small size organizations.
Virtual desktop infrastructure has the ability to support acquisitions and mergers in an easier way because desktops can be managed in a centralized location. It is also possible to perform new systems such as the migration of operations because the materials and resources are not available locally but centrally. This leads to little impact on hardware refreshment because the end points only need to have remote desktop capabilities. It is also possible to provide alternative workspaces when need arises based on the employees needs. Contractors of a company can be provided with custom virtual desktops through encrypted and secured machines as they working within the network environment. This way it is possible for the contractors to use machines that are not with the company’s network. Virtualized PCs help in providing support to development and testing environments such as virtual laboratory construction.
Concepts and architecture
Virtual desktop infrastructure offers an integrated solution of software, hardware and tools of management to replace the traditional configuration model of desktops. Virtualization of desktops is possible through Citrix and VMware features. These features are on trusted and proven BladeSystem and HP ProLiante servers. The reference configuration of HP VDI is for business usage patterns and size in order to simplify real life experience of implementation, to simplify adoption and for HP testing and engineering. Virtual desktop Infrastructure (VDI) provides functional and personalized desktop delivery within a network supported by a shared server. The virtual desktop is secure and isolated within the data center. It supports the sharing of resources within the physical data center, thus providing an optimal allocation of resources with the support of virtualization. This, therefore, makes, VDI to be ideal for applications for basic office productivity and enables maximum utilization of IT in a cost effective ways and to increase the reliability of IT.
Architecture
The x86 operating systems are to run on bare-metal hardware directly so that they attain their own computer hardware.
Ring 3
Ring 2
Ring 1 Direct execution of OS and user requests
Ring 0
The above figure provides the architecture of x86 with four main privilege levels as shown in ring 0, 1, 2, and 3. They are to applications and operating systems so as to manage computer hardware access. The work of the user level application mainly functions to in serving the systems needs through running from ring 3 to access the hardware and memory and carry out its privilege instructions to ring 0. Virtualization of the x 86 architecture needs the placement of a virtual layer beneath the operating system located in ring 0. This leads to the management and creation of a virtual machine that delivers shared resources. To complicate this virtual visualization, there are some sensitive instructions that cannot be virtualized effectively due to their difference in semantics if not carried out in ring 0.
The difficulty associated with translating and trapping is the privileged and sensitive instructions that are requested at runtimes. This is the original challenge that contributed to the impossibility of representing the x86 architecture within virtualized representations. This challenge was, however, resolved in 19998 with the development of VMware. This technique enabled binary translation that supported VMM to shift towards Ring 0 for performance and isolation. The technique also supported the shift of the operating system to the ring of the user level with a much better privilege compare to Ring 3 applications and of less privilege compared to ring 0 virtual machine monitor. The standard used today for VMware virtualization approach is the binary translation. However, the information technology industry has not agreed on the basic standards that define manage and define Virtualization. This has led to a different company having their own virtualization solutions each being free to interpret their challenges and come up with solutions based of varying strength and weaknesses.
How does it work?
The main features that support network virtualization are the Extreme II and Broadcom NetXttreme. These features fall under controller families with extremely high speed. They are to deploy products and assist users in a multiple range of application profiles. Approximately 70% of 10G and 1 G network controllers are by Broadcom. Broadcom is one of the leading companies that has successfully managed to deploy network virtualization in various growth markets with high performance such as a cloud computing clusters of high density, financial trading systems of low latency and Web 2.0 application services that show high performance (White paper 2010).
There are different engines that support desktop virtualization. These engines form the main two virtualization models. These are the centralized and the local model. The local virtualization model is to as the client-sides Desktop Virtualization. This model focuses on the use of resources on the endpoints in running the virtual desktop. This is possible through the initialization of the virtualization software to the physical desktop, and the end user is with the corporate desktop virtual image. The end users will be to run the virtual desktop over their personal physical desktops.
The centralized model is as the Server-hosted Desktop Virtualization. The production hypervisor is on the virtual desktop, and the end user is capable of accessing the physical desktop remotely. For the cased on this centralized model, the end user needs a device that supports remote connection to the virtual desktop. The host servers run beneath the virtual desktops through the use of a shared storage device that will enable the availability of the desktop. The local model additionally supports both the managed and managed usage of the product. Usage of managed product means that the images of PC are from a central authority and controlled from a central point. The unmanaged product, on the other hand, means that it is possible for the end user to run and create their personal versions of images for a virtual desktop. This is because of the software installed in their physical desktops that support the creation of their personal images (Scheffy 2007).
Why does this technology exist?
The development of Virtual desktop comes at a time when it is most. Care providers are people in constant move as they change from one location to another. In their work, they have to launch administrative and clinical administrations, log into their work station and navigate to the charts of clients and patients. The whole process leads to cumbersome work process and a lot of time wasting. This results to shifting away of focus from clients and patients towards the work processes, thus, leading to frustrations to both the patients and care providers. This problem can be solved through the no click access by used of virtual desktops. It ensures effectiveness through removing the constant repeated processes and steps that distract and frustrate the care providers.
The virtual desktops encourage the adoption of CPOE and patient information entry is fast and quick at the patients’ point of care. This, therefore, leads to an enhancement of health care and other services delivery. Furthermore, the no click access enables easy transition from physical towards the virtual desktop environment. Care providers will enjoy a more consistent experience in their processes of transition (White paper 2010).
The use of Virtual desktop VMware enables the satisfaction of end user, and it needs. IT main concern is the issue of security, efficiency, and compliance of desktops and it also need to manage and establish policies for applications, data, and users. The end-users in remote and local offices and this travelling or working at home, need applications and data. They can access the data from a wide variety of devices that are movable. The VMware cSphere is by industry leader virtualization platform that enable users to offer virtual desktop to any mobile device within the centralized enterprise benefits in desktop management. One can carry out desktop instances from within a secure datacenter that will facilitate the availability and help in the recovery of data during disasters. The Virtual desktop further helps in the protection of the business information integrity and Remove Company’s intellectual property from devices that are susceptible to loss or theft.
The main advantages of the VMware vie is the ability of the underlying infrastructure with VMware that supports effective functioning. There is the benefit of ease management and ease in set up for the management team. The protocol of remote desktop is capable of providing the user with high performance within a given WAN or LAM. This is based on automatic adjustment to latency and network speed.
Problems addressed
Desktop virtualization helps in centralizing managing data. Many enterprises are with a heterogeneous landscape for desktop computing. Such a landscape has a mixture of different peripheral devices and hardware types, applications, screen resolutions, and application versions. The organization of a single IT support rollout f software and hardware and configuration in the mixed environment. The main challenges faced by software and hardware deployment are to the ability of time taken to deploy all the desktop computers. Deployment of desktop computers involves tagging, receiving, tagging, configuration of applications, corporate settings, and checking the computers (Scheffy 2007).
Securing and testing computer desktop is an addition to deployment time. When the user receives computer desktop, additional time is for setting up at the initial stage up to when the user is highly productive to the users. Virtualization has an impact to software deployment and desktop hardware. This is in deploying and configuring of the physical stop, and it is also significant in deploying of virtual desktop. This can, for example apply to the eight minutes in dealing with View deployment to virtual desktop user. Copying and assigning process of a virtual image to users is more foolproof and faster compared to carrying out the same process for each physical and individual desktop? The legacy hardware can be repurposed in order to gain access to the virtual image. This shows the usefulness of hardware and the reduction of the cost involved in desktop virtualization. This leads to the implication of user device and the physical desktop can be maintained (Vile, Lock, Atherton and Collins 2010).
The main administration challenge involved in physical desktop management involves the lack of control to profiles and login. However, with virtual desktop technology, it is possible to manage and maintain user logins and profiles in a more effective way. The time taken for IT management is because the manager will not have to visit each end point user. When a new employee joins the organization, the administrator can change the account data of the user. This is also possible when use change role or leave the organization. The virtual administration of desktops involves the creation of new user’s accounts to fit the departmental needs or the departments of the organization. It is also possible to maintain policies within a Directory, and this is a challenge when the administrator has to operate on the physical desktop endpoints. These challenges can be solved when administrators adopt virtual desktop management model. Their work can be simplified through the View deployment for it provided easy to use interface of administration and to assign users with Active Directory. The desktop administrators additionally will not have to move to the actual physical location of the desktop. They can change parameters easily to the desktop directly from the data center.
There is also the challenge of application and image management. The desktop imageless for users are configured to fit the distinctive roles of the users. The applications associated with the images are to the operating system, and it becomes difficult each and every application at each physical desktop. Through desktop virtualization, it is possible to decouple the different layers of desktop image so that they can independently fit the specific needs of each customer.
Conclusion
The desktop virtualization involves different layers such as the applications, operating systems and the user persons or data user. This is a technology that enhances the cost effectiveness and utility of IT in the organization. In order to manage desktop imaging and operating the VMware View providers IT managers with easy and effective management and saves them a lot of time
References
Scheffy C (2007) AMD Special edition virtualization for dummies. Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Golden B (2009) Virtualization for Dummies, 2nd HP Special Edition. Wiley Publishing, Inc
Vile D, Lock T, Atherton M and Collins J (2010) Desktop Virtualization for Dummies Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
White paper (2010) understanding full virtualization, par virtualization, and hardware assist.
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