I read the article again today, and am amazed at how almost all of it is still relevant and accurate (the only change is that I know jump right to Windows 7 for the Desktop Operating System, and skip Windows XP completely). I still have these same discussions with clients as we roll out production environments, as well as Proof Of Concepts.

So I find that there is one thing missing in the previously mentioned article….cost.

So with all my clients, as well as in the seminars we cover this topic, we discuss the cost of rolling out a VDI solution, not only in Thin Client costs, but in all the software that goes along with it, the knowledge transfer, and the time to be leading those we advise on how best to roll out a VDI solution.

Now as I write this, I find that it does not read as an article, but more of a case study. I understand that some of the costs will vary for many organizations depending on many factors, so take this into consideration when reading through this. One other item I find worthy of note, is that when organizations look to VDI as this year’s hardware refresh of desktops, it is not all encompassing (not all desktops are refreshed), which is completely acceptable…and realistic.

My goal in presenting you with this information is that you can look at VDI solutions as a strategic play in the planning of your IT resources. As a VDI solution built from the ground up has a higher acquisition cost than purchasing desktops, the long term supportability, ease of management, flexibility it provides you, forcing your data to stay inside of your data-center, and consistent user experience will allow your IT staff to focus on innovation and proactive activities rather than spending much of the time fighting fires and supporting the end user base.

One other item of worthy note is the scale at which you deploy effects the cost dramatically. When developing a VDI solution for 100 users, the cost is higher per user than when the solution is architected for 1,000 users. This is due primarily to the capacity of the back end storage that is required to support a VDI environment.

So I ask you, please read this to see that VDI is more expensive if you look at acquisition cost alone, and that it can be beneficial when considering the actual operational costs that occur in your environment.

Environment

 Let us lay out a scenario here to work with that is relatively common to work with, and we can keep it simple in this example.

• Acme has 100 users requiring computers, 50 desktop, 50 laptops.
• Laptop users work from home (not on the road), and are connecting via VPN.
• Acme is rolling out a new ERP Application that is driving the upgrade to Windows 7 and Office 2010.
• Acme is looking to avoid another lost laptop with lost data situation, which occurred 5 months ago.
• Acme has an existing vSphere Infrastructure where they run 40-60 Server Virtual Machines to support the business, and has confidence in the vSphere Infrastructure.
• Acme has a four member IT staff, two of which focus on servers and applications, two of which focus on desktop support, help desk, and desktop applications. The staff is (shockingly) overworked, and there may not be resources to handle all the upcoming projects.
• Acme is using Group Policy Objects to deliver some software to computers in the organization, login scripts, and has not had the time to manage more than a few software packages with GPOs.
• Acme would like to get control over the desktops and applications that a user has the ability to install. They expect that this can help them better control the software licenses that are required for the business operations.

To keep this environment discussion simple, we will assume that all the desktops and laptops would require hardware upgrades or replacement to be capable of running Windows 7 and Office 2010, as well as the ERP application. We will not dive into the multiple application specifics required by Acme, but we all understand that there are many other applications any organization will require to be productive. How those applications are delivered would require some research into their delivery method, being part of a base image, delivered as a Terminal Service Published Application, or encapsulated via ThinApp.

Deployment Steps, Options, and Considerations

 In an attempt to keep apples to apples comparisons, lets go through some of the tasks that would be required regardless of whether the migration to Windows 7 is new hardware or a VDI based solution.

User Profile Migration

Users are running Windows XP today, and will need to migrate their profiles and settings to the new environment. There will be some touch, be it manual, scripted, or third-party tool, to assist in the migration of the settings for each user.

Policy Based Management

Group Policy Objects (or insert tool name here) will need to be revisited to accommodate for Windows 7 Operating System differences from Windows XP. This will require approximately the same time to make determinations for appropriate Group Policies that apply to a traditional PC or managed Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

Active Directory OU Considerations

Needs to be revisited to simplify the management of the new desktop operating systems. This will require approximately the same time to make determinations for appropriate Group Policies that apply to a traditional PC or managed Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

Windows 7 Operating System

A new image (for PXE, Imaging, or manual installation) must be created and tested to support the needs of Acme. In the traditional PC space, more time would be spend determining the variances in hardware that could be deployed for the PCs, while in the VDI space, we would focus our time on the nuances of application dependencies and creation of a valid base image.

]]> http://www.vibriefing.com/2011/06/real-world-vdi-a-realisic-look-from-one-of-vmwares-highest-certified-consultants/feed/ 0 http://www.vibriefing.com/2010/03/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-%e2%80%93-how-to-get-started/ http://www.vibriefing.com/2010/03/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-%e2%80%93-how-to-get-started/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:57:56 +0000 Mark Gabryjelski http://www.vibriefing.com/?p=1041 So much has been said about this over the past few years, generating new buzz, new questions, and new methodologies regarding how to deliver a desktop to a user. Delivering a desktop to a user is what we really need to do from an IT organization’s perspective, but just the desktop is not enough…the applications that the end user requires to accomplish his job is just as important, if not more important, than delivering the user a simple desktop.

I will be writing as if I were using VMware View 4.0.1, Windows XP, and Windows 7 here. Hopefully, I can present things to be considering here that are NOT specific to any of the vendors, but are major considerations when rolling out any VDI solution in your organization.

Over the past 4 years, I have been involved with Virtual Desktop Infrastructures (VDI from here in). When it first became a topic of discussion, lots of interest was there, but no true roadmap existed. Today, with many Connection Brokers available (VMware, Microsoft, Citrix, Leostream, PanoLogic, etc), many different types of solutions exist. The result I am seeking is to present a desktop, along with all the applications that a user requires, so that the end users’ experience is VERY similar, if not identical, to that of a traditional PC. While keeping the user base happy, finding a way for the desktop teams to transition from reactive desktop support to proactive desktop planning is where we start to see the value from the investment you will make in a VDI solution.

When server virtualization was introduced, we saw dramatic improvements in the efficiency of our server teams’ ability to support large numbers of servers in the virtual world. We took away the risk associated with hardware tied to a physical operating system when virtualizing our servers. Now we look to realize the same benefits as we virtualize our desktops…increasing the ratio of administrators to operating systems they support as well as removing the risk of hardware tied to a specific operating system. This is the one variable that can be mitigated by running virtually, and I have seen the benefits time and time again over the past 10 years for the server infrastructure, and has become a reality for the desktops over the past 4 years as the technology has matured.

The End Result

When you take on your VDI project internally, you want an identical experience for the end users (their operating system that you support), more security and control over the data you are responsible for securing, an easier (or more proactive at least) method for managing the applications users need, and keeping the users’ identity consistent (the user’s profile from the Windows perspective). With thorough testing/Proof of Concept implementations, you will find you can deliver on these major requirements.

Acknowledging The Change In Desktop Teams’ Responsibilities

So here is a big change in the way the desktop team can work. It is a change because we start the transition from a mostly reactive desktop support model, to a proactive desktop support model. The changing of responsibility to manage, and update applications that end users require, maintaining the operating system that is the base of their experience, as well as maintaining the users’ profile is an enormous change in the way most desktop support teams work. It may seem that some of these items crossover into the server team’s responsibilities for some organizations, and that is very probably true. The transition of these responsibilities is inevitable. VERY similar to the way that traditional PBX systems have transitioned into VoIP systems that are maintained by server teams, and also use the same network that data traffic uses on the network, we are starting to see the individual silos of IT start to merge, and the responsibilities of the traditional teams realign.

Choosing a VDI Desktop Operating System For End Users

The first of 3 major components of the VDI solution.

This is always the easiest decision today. When considering the adoption of VDI for you infrastructure, let us change as few things as possible as we kick the tires on a new technology. Most organizations still use Windows XP as their primary desktop operating system, and understand all the little nuances that make it work (or break it, for that matter). So given that we all have a tremendous amount of experience with Windows XP, it is a very natural place to start with a desktop operating system to virtualize. Why would you try to learn a new operating system (anything other than Windows XP) while learning a new methodology to manage, deploy, and support the desktop operating system? Keep the variables in the Proof Of Concept to a minimum, so you can realize success.

Windows Vista…I don’t even consider it.

Windows 7 is a great next step for VDI. Once an organization grasps the new concepts of a VDI solution, it is much easier to then transition to Windows 7 as the underlying desktop operating system that is the base for the users we are supporting.

Managing The Users’ Data & Profile

The second of 3 major components of the VDI solution.

The user data, in my opinion, is one of the more important parts of the entire solution. When managing desktops, we want to make sure that we keep our users happy, whether it is keeping the users’ favorites/bookmarks, macros, or wallpaper, we want to make sure we can keep that user base happy.

There are many tools available to manage user profiles. Windows, VMware, Citrix, and many other 3rd party products provide this functionality. I like to keep things simple…I consider the use of Windows Roaming Profiles (wait….don’t be mad…let me explain).

Roaming profiles is a solution we are all familiar with, and have had varying degrees of acceptance with. In the days of desktops being scattered between multiple locations, or just all over the corporate headquarters, we had to rely on the network to deliver the Roaming Profile to the user before they could complete their login to the desktop. This could take a lot of time, especially if you are logging in from a remote location over a slow WAN link.

Roaming profile corruption can easily be solved by enable snapshots (from the SAN or from the Windows OS itself), so you can restore a profile from the day or two prior. I have seen profiles corrupt, but that is a minor one off issue that does not surface all the time.

Now, with our desktops living in the datacenter, having high-speed links, it would no longer take a long time for users to log in to their desktops. This would be true in a centralized model as well, where a remote site is using thin clients to connect to the desktop (which would actually reside in the datacenter back at headquarters), and the file servers are actually VERY local to the servers housing the users’ roaming profiles…

Now, this is not to say that this will be how all VDI solutions would be rolled out. Many companies explore other software packages that can manage the users’ profiles. What I am stating here, is similar to what I stated about choosing a desktop to kick the tires with…start with something you are very familiar with, and introduce as few variables as you explore new technologies.

Understanding & Publishing The Applications In Your Environment

The third of 3 major components of the VDI solution.

Application delivery is usually where you can invest the most time during the transition to a VDI solution. Many different technologies exist, and a hybrid solution can easily be what your organization requires to succeed.

Installing Applications Directly Into Each Virtual Machine

While this can still be done, and may be required by some applications, it is the traditional method of delivering applications to desktop operating systems. No learning curve here, but now considerations into how this would affect the delivery of desktops to users, and how much space is required to maintain the applications (now that we are using SAN disk, we need to be more conscious of how much space we consume, as SAN disk is somewhat expensive per GB). I like to acknowledge that this works, but I like to consider other options for delivery of the application stacks.

Delivering Applications via Terminal Services Published Applications

This is something that Windows Terminal Server teams and Citrix teams have done for many years. Put a shortcut on a user’s desktop, and that shortcut runs an application that is managed on a Terminal Server. This is a solution that still works wonderfully, because it keeps the actual application separated from the desktop operating system. I still recommend people consider this option for application delivery, even though it can raise the initial cost of the project (you will realize ROI as you maintain an application centrally at the Terminal Servers, rather than at the disparate desktops).

This is not a new technology, and has been in many IT organizations for the past decade. Why not consider it?

I have attended many vendor and industry conferences over the past twelve years, and they all have something to offer those who attend.  What I want to share with you all here, is the general vibe of the conference, and where the industry feels Virtualization in general will be taking us as over the next year or two.

In general, many conferences have recently seen a decline in their attendance, due to whatever reason we want to believe.  Not so with VMware Partner Exchange (PEX) 2010.  2,600 people, from 45 countries attended this year’s PEX…up 70% from last year.

VMware held a plethora of Boot Camps…VSP, VSTP, VCP, VCDX.  VMware has 80,000+ certified people in their ranks, so this was a great way to add to that total and (shock!) all sessions were full.

EMC, Cisco, and NetApp held their own Boot Camps around the event.  These were full blown boot camps, where vision, strategy, and the details around the specific technologies were all discussed, taught, and solutions were explored.  Datacenter strategies have been planned and shared.  In my opinion, it provides some real substance when all of the vendors start to formulate the methodologies to get to the cloud.

Tuesday morning was the start of the conference officially, and The Keynote addresses for both Tuesday and Wednesday were great.  While there was much that Partners could take away from these, there was some key underlying messages that people should have heard.

CIO’s are starting to understand the need to architect and chargeback (or at a minimum, use chargeback models to get a better understanding of datacenter utilization)…this is going to be a key component to the cloud.

CLOUD

Throughout the event, Cloud was a major focus.  Cloud is being seen as much more than just a hypervisor.  It is truly a chance for organizations to do what they need to do…bring process and control of systems and their lifecycles to their operational procedures.  Cloud was deemed so important, that about 1/3 of the conference focused on Cloud.

A couple of things I kept hearing in regards to the cloud…

The cloud is more than just a hypervisor running Virtual Machines.  While vSphere Infrastructures are great for enabling the Private cloud, the focus on Automation will enable us to make external clouds portable.

This covers the concerns I have heard from many people…I can get my information into the public cloud, but how do I get my information out once it is time to move to another cloud vendor?  The portability that I kept hearing about is what will enable us to move between cloud providers (internal private cloud, external private clouds, or public clouds).

Clouds are not geared to replace IT infrastructures.  We are going to see clouds complement our datacenters operations, and integrate seamlessly with their operations.

Clouds is also things that we are doing today, but just don’t call Cloud.  A virtual infrastructure with properly designed network, SAN, and clusters, can easily be agile and reconfigured to meet any workload, without disrupting operations.  That is pretty cloudesque (I like making up words!).  Now we are just adding the automation component to the definition of cloud, which will help our operations become more mature and cost effective.

AUTOMATION

Automation is the key to the cloud.  Learning business processes, managing virtual machine lifecycles, and management of your applications (servers hosting applications and desktops consuming applications) are major areas we will all need to start focusing on, if we haven’t been focusing on it already.

Automation in the datacenter will enable not only more efficient data center operations, but will force IT staffs analyze their processes as they start to build the automation of their processes.  This sounds like a lot of work to get this done, and it could be.  When you really look at how many things are required to enable your datacenter to operate today, you quickly realize how complicated things are today, and how much automation will simplify many of the tasks you do today.  This is true in all datacenters…virtualized or not.

DESKTOP VIRTUALIZATION

Desktop Virtualization is really taking hold today, with over 80% of CIO’s already committed to virtualizing their desktops or starting this project this year.  Desktop Virtualization will never realize the easy ROI that we had with server virtualization.  But when you break it down, it costs just about the same to replace your desktops with thin clients, run the operating systems in the datacenter, and automate the delivery of applications while simplifying the maintenance of the operating system and applications. This is all about analyzing how operations affect the ongoing cost of maintaining a desktop.  The savings start to be realized once you take advantage of the processes in rolling out updates, not having to worry about large scale deployments of applications or patches.  Lots of organizations have some automation built into their operations, and perhaps even deliver the entire desktop automatically.  That just means they have studied the automation, and can realize the benefits quicker than those who must analyze their processes from scratch, and being their automation journey.

It is great to hear Virtualization vendors say “…desktop virtualization will realize its ROI when we minimize the OpEx spend that surrounds it…”  It is great to hear it is not just an acquisition cost that is being looked at here.  When we compare server virtualization, we have seen tremendous payback in the investments that have been made, and we never even take into account how much efficiency we have added to the IT staff that support these Virtual Infrastructures.

Enjoy the ride for 2010, with Server AND Desktop Virtualization, integrating Business Intelligence and Analytics (to help you automate your operations), Security Software, and Virtual Appliance (or can I say vApps just yet?) to help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

All in all, whether you use virtualization, design it, or integrate it in your datacenter builds…this is going to be a fun and exciting year!  Have fun building YOUR Clouds!

Since 1996, Mark Gabryjelski has been involved in design and integration of solutions for clients in all markets. With focus on datacenter optimization, he has worked with companies across all aspects of business. Leading the virtualization trend since 2001 nationally, with a focus in the Northeast corridor, he has been on the bleeding edge of solutions involving network, storage, server, operating system, and application virtualization. Mark is currently Senior IT Consultant at CAS Severn. Contact him here.

Mark, you were one of the first VCP’s in the US – when did you become VCP certified and how would you compare that with your recent VCDX  VMware Certified Design Expert certification?

So I got my VCP, in September 2003.  This is the year when the VCP was just starting to become an actual program, about the time ESX 2.x was released. 

VCP (VMware Certified Professional) is a certification focused on administrative tasks, installation, configuration, permissions, and minimum/maximum configurations of hardware.  I have seen that over the past few years, VCP is a certification that distinguishes people in IT …the same way that MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) and CNE (Certified Novell Engineer) were coveted certifications in the 2000′s and 1990′s respectively.  Having skills in virtualization is important today, and it is becoming a required skill for all IT professionals, just like understanding Windows is a required skill for any IT person today.

VCDX (VMware Certified Design eXpert), and the amount of time and effort involved, is a much higher ended, design oriented certification, just as the name implies.  When looking at the design certification, we are not looking to test the skills of administration, installation, or configuration…these skills are expected, as the first requirement of a VCDX is to have the VCP certification.  This does not mean that everyone who is a VCP should go after the VCDX.  There are other skills required:  FC-SANs, iSCSI SANs, Networking, routing, Active Directory, DNS, NTP, LDAP, backup and restore, disaster recovery, application availability, Windows, Linux, workflow, daily IT processes, creating documentation, and the ability to articulate the choices that you are making for the design of a datacenter’s foundation.  The ability to put together the entire design of the datacenter, be this generations Data Center Architect, and design a data center process using the technologies that have become de facto in today’s environment, is what I see as the goal and purpose of the VCDX program.

VMware states that they intend for under 500 VCDX worldwide; what number VCP were you and what number VCDX are you?

That’s a goal that I admire…keep the certification valuable… My VCP# is 46, and my VCDX# is 23.  I received my VCDX, the day after VMworld 2009 in San Francisco, and was the last of the candidates to go through the Design Defense at VMworld.

What does your VCDX certification mean for a customer today? Is there a certain type of customer that would want to know you because of this?

Well, I believe that all customers should be aware of the VCDX designation.    VCDX professionals are going to be individuals that are recognized by their peers as having the ability to see, not only the base VMware ESX and vCenter building blocks of a datacenter, but to see the interdependencies that exist between storage, networks, business continuity, disaster recovery plans, directory services, and all other components of the datacenters building blocks, as well as the processes that allow it all to function as a well-oiled machine that.

So what does it mean to a customer today?  My opinion, biased as it may be, is that when you work with someone who is VCDX certified, is that you will be working with a professional who can make the appropriate choices in the design and integration of Virtualization into your datacenter, and justify the technologies and logic used in the buildout of the datacenter.

I look at the VCDX professional as a certification that benefits IT operations and datacenters in the same way that someone would look to an Architect to provide a blueprint for a building.  When you work with an Architect, his goal is to provide you with a house that has plumbing, electricity, meets building/fire codes and other items that you as a homebuilder may not even be aware of (why use 2×6 construction instead of 2×4 for the outside walls?)  While there may never be a single IT oriented certification such as this, the VCDX is definitely a step in that direction….looking at the big, all inclusive, picture.

Desktop virtualization has received a great deal of attention for the past few years, but it doesn’t seem that the breakthrough year has happened yet because the ROI isn’t very clear.  Would you agree or disagree with that statement?

Agree…to a point.

Will this year be the breakthrough year for desktop virtualization?  I believe anyone who is not actively engaged in concepts of a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is missing out,…  There are sometimes shifts in the way we do things that shakes up the foundation of our jobs.  Server Virtualization did just that when it came on the market not even 10 years ago….today, I would be hard pressed to find a datacenter that does not have virtualization as part of its server/datacenter strategy.

Running desktops in the datacenter, and providing users with terminals is reminiscent of the old terminals or green screens.  It provided more control for the administrators, and a consistent experience for the user.  That is what I think the key point will be….a consistent experience for a user.  So the key point to remember is that the only reason there is an IT career path available to most people is that we all need applications to do our job, and the folks who work in IT are the ones who are empowering the user base  to use these applications so they can work smarter, and more efficiently.

So if it is all about the user, what does a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure provide?  Many things…some of them beneficial to the user, some of them beneficial to the company.

Keeping the data in the data center is a tremendous benefit for anyone who’s organization has lost a laptop with sensitive data.  Sure you can encrypt every laptop, and create policies that prohibit you from copying data to your local machine, but how can you enforce all of it.  By its very nature, VDI enables you to keep the your data in the data center, and not on many remote, hard to control devices such as desktops and laptops.

Keeping users productive is what IT is all about.  The only problem with that, is somehow there is a perception that IT / Helpdesk can be viewed by many as only a break/fix department for an organization.  I like to see IT and Helpdesk working proactively to keep the end user from having problems with their applications or their computers.  Working in a VDI environment can enable organizations to shift from a reactive to proactive mentality, where the delivery of applications is thought out, tested, validated and then rollout out the user base.  Today, only the largest organizations have the ability and controls in place to do this, and at a tremendous cost (for the software and management systems required to keep this control).