Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Microsoft^® VDI

Yeah.. its been three weeks i have posted anything on my blog, just trying to organize some stuff which keeping me really busy these days..

Anyways.. i don't think i talk enough on this blog about Microsoft VDI aka Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solution.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is a delivery solution where administrators can centralize the user desktop with OS like Windows Vista as Virtual Machines on servers in your datacenter and make these Virtual Desktop workspace available to users via Remote Desktops, Terminal Services or through connection broker like Citrix.

Why do we need VDI?

Through virtualization, employees can access their applications and data very safely over a network and the risk of data loss is minimized. On the IT side, virtualization accelerates deployment of new capabilities without needing to acquire new hardware and configure
components. It also reduces application testing requirements and compatibility issues and simplifies disaster recovery and compliance.

With Desktop Virtualization, It administrators can decouple layers like Operating System, Application and data from Hardware and store them at centralized servers.

Microsoft VDI solution comprises of  following Technologies

• Windows Server® 2008 with Hyper-V^TM — provides great value with a reliable virtualization platform and integrated management that enables customers to virtualize their desktop infrastructure.

• System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 — simplifies the deployment, provisioning, and management of virtualized desktops.

• Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services — virtualizes the presentation of entire desktops or specific applications in a virtualized desktop.

• Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) — is part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack and delivers desktop applications that are never installed, and are dynamically delivered on demand.

• Windows Vista^TM Enterprise Centralized Desktop — is a unique licensing option of Windows Vista for VDI

Microsoft also has a strategic alliance with Citrix to create a Dynamic desktop delivery model. With Citrix Connection broker Virtual Desktops gets created On Demand as user logs in. This way administrators don't have to create Multiple Virtual Machines, they just create a master copy of the Windows Image which gets provisioned as user logs in.

It works something like this. 

When user logs in with his thin client PC or Rich Client PC,                                                                        

• Connection broker provisions new Virtual Machine with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
• Microsoft Application Virtualization publishes the application to the newly provisioned Virtual desktop
• User gets his profile with Profile Virtualization.

So three layers Operating System+Application+Data gets combined together and presented to the user.

This way user always have access to his desktop, his application and his data no matter what device he is using,

He can use any PC in office or even from home PC. he will always have access to his Desktop.

 Click here for more information on Microsoft VDI solution.

Check Microsoft Desktop Virtualization Strategy

Also see the Demo

So this was just an Introduction, i will get back with some advance information on Microsoft VDI solution very soon.

And as always, do send me your comments and suggestions..