The Impact of Virtualization on Wide Area Networks—Part 2
In this posting we’ll move from server virtualization and its potential impact on both WANs and IT organizational structures to desktop virtualization (also known as VDI, or virtualized desktop infrastructure).
The emerging set of VDI technologies and solutions has many benefits to offer, many ways to deploy, and even more complexity and interdependency across IT teams than server virtualization. Clearly desktop virtualization adds a new level of complexity to, and new operating models for, IT groups—technology-wise for supporting end users via the network, possible new types of devices used, and a further increased requirement for security.
This increased complexity also occurs organization-wise because desktop virtualization much more closely ties network, security, app and desktop IT teams together, as VDI now needs to be one seamless implementation for end users. Since the end user experience will be “all or nothing,” depending on if they receive their desktop from the data center.
Note: some VDI models actually provide offline modes for end users to work, as well as “partially virtual” models where company-provided apps are delivered virtualized, but desktop tools like browsers and downloads are local.
And note that VDI goals are largely IT-centric vs. end-user focused—reduced TCO, improved compliance and stored data protection. End user uptime can be a metric, but to a lesser degree.
So what is impact of VDI on WANs? Can you say “way more bandwidth used” (Cisco and VMware have tested and seen loads of 300-350K per user) and “lower latency tolerance”? And yet higher WAN SLAs for IT teams, as it’s “all or nothing” for user productivity wrt WAN uptime + performance.
What can you do to mitigate this?
Determine exactly what your VDI goals are: $$, compliance, which teams need this most, etc. Start a large enough to matter pilot (vs. small groups, non-indicative of overall deployment impact). And deploy supporting technologies like WAN optimization. Design (and budget) them into the project from the start. VMware customers have seen the benefit of WAN optimization to their deployments.
Please share your experience with desktop virtualization—what’s worked, what’s been challenging.
Posted by Mark Weiner at 05:51PM PST
brad Jun 2, 2009
Speaking of desktop virtualization, a really interesting green computer technology I found is Userful Multiplier. It’s where multiple people can use the same computer at the same time each with their own monitor, mouse and keyboard. This saves a lot of electricity and e-waste. A company called Userful recently set a virtualization world record by delivering over 350,000 virtual desktops to schools in Brazil. They have a free 2-user version for home use too. Check it out: userful.com