kRIS Blog

VDI - Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is a concept comprised of different solutions or products to acheive a VDI. VDI is a desktop replacement solution that increases security, decreases cost and delivers higher availability for the desktop while continuing to provide end-users with the functionality of a stand-alone desktop.
Companies can run desktops inside virtual machines that are located in a central data center. Users access these desktops remotely from a PC or a thin client over a remote display protocol (e.g. RDP/ICA)

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is made up of:

* Operating System Virtualization - Virtualized operating system layer to provide multiple virtual machines on the same physical hardware.
* Remote Display - A device to display the connection
* Application Delivery System - Technology to deploy and update applications within the desktop
* Connection Broker - A broker that provides the remote display protocol, possibly provides remote access, possibly access to local devices.
* Virtual Machine Management - Manages the provisioning/deprovisioning of private or shared virtual machines.

I have finished testing VMware, Leostream & Citrix VDI. Currently working on SUN VDI.

I Will post on these and more.

Managing a server farm brings many challenges with it.

Most IT Managers will be familiar with the difficulty of managing server sprawl, with single applications occupying under-utilized servers and dedicated DR infrastructures. Access to storage compounds the problem with even more under-utilized hardware in the form of dedicated storage systems.

Not only is it expensive, but it’s difficult to manage and time-consuming to make changes or introduce new servers. Read the rest of this entry »

Virtualization is the technique of managing and presenting storage devices and resources functionally, regardless of their physical layout or location.Virtualization allows multiple virtual machines, with heterogeneous operating systems to run in isolation, side-by-side on the same physical machine. Each virtual machine has its own set of virtual hardware (e.g., RAM, CPU, NIC, etc.) upon which an operating system and applications are loaded. The operating system sees a consistent, normalized set of hardware regardless of the actual physical hardware components.

Virtual machines are encapsulated into files, making it possible to rapidly save, copy and provision a virtual machine. Full systems (fully configured applications, operating systems, BIOS and virtual hardware) can be moved, within seconds, from one physical server to another for zero-downtime maintenance and continuous workload consolidation