Help, My VDI Project is Hell! Julian Wood London VMware User Group – 17 th May 2012 #LonVMUG

Julian Wood IT Infrastructure Architect & Blogger

The VDI Magic Fix

cheaper quicker hot desking work from home hardware independence any device, anywhere BYO? client devices last longer reduced downtime better desktop DR security everyone else is doing it you're being left behind mobile & tablets green application delivery business agility easier image management efficiency better user isolation you already know how

The VDI Reality

it costs how much per desktop? I now have to use 3 desktops I need a bigger/better/faster SAN device management explosion it's slow it's down YouTube looks rubbish I can't use all my apps I can't install anything I can't be offline

New Technology IOPS brokers PCoIP ICA/HDX SAN NAS boot storms streaming app virtualisation layering linked clones provisioning thin clients VPN servers templates agents sharing

VDI Facts & Figures Virsto VDI research findings 67 % plan to deploy in the next year 54% already started Persistent desktop or not? 42% not yet determined 38% depends on end user type 15% persistent 5% non-persistent Reasons for launching VDI 43% lower cost than physical desktops 33% streamline end point management Failure to Launch 46% of POCs stall 31% projected cost exceeded target 29% performance inadequate 22% software licensing prohibitive 19% storage price prohibitive

The VDI Good remote connectivity security quicker provisioning containment maybe availability independence for client device thin client possibly easy of management centralised workstations desktop licensing for software that cannot run on a server desktop DR

The VDI Bad performance client experience expensive, especially storage availability peripherals more management licensing user flexibility learning curve support all or nothing takes forever complicated

Where to start Strategy Apps Users

Whats your strategy? VDI is NOT a business strategy If it is, you are on the road to nowhere... VDI is a technological enabler for some of your strategy NOT just an IT project (insert cloud instead of VDI!)

What are you trying to do? save money work from anywhere iPads & Macs corporate apps on smartphones BYO? to work employ the kiddies integrate consumer, corporate & SaaS apps keep your job! business agility ( what does it actually mean?) avoid managing end points mergers be quicker increase security of apps/desktops prevent local data loss be adaptable to change

Strategy planning Business strategy your goal whos on board Tech strategy not VDI, TS, desktops, streaming not just infrastructure it is an application delivery strategy

Holistic approach desktops users endpoints security location configuration user settings application virtualisation VDI support OS streaming TS/RDSH/SBC windows 7 windows 8 provisioning local

Know your apps owner roadmap support location data risk legal licensing performance delivery – local – TS/RDSH/SBC – streaming – VDI – peripherals – offline

Know your users who? groups admin rights common applications how many templates to what? file data databases when? hoteling time zones with what? laptops on the road tablets phones USB devices dongles from where? work from home hot desking branch offices coffee shop

Bring it together why + what + who

User Experience

How = Integrated Delivery app delivery mechanism locally installed streamed app: TS/RDSH/SBC desktop: TS/RDSH/SBC VDI not a competition local + TS/RDSH/SBC + VDI + laptop + tablet best tool for the job

VD-Why? have a strategy have a reason understand complexity doesnt have to be everyone awesome for right use case it will cost more but thats OK if you get more

It's not server virtualisation virtualising servers saved money in datacenter, a few racks along server virtualisation was awesome, must be awesome for desktops too! know-it-all server guys dont know desktops its not consolidation VDI projects span more of IT than servers VDI is more complex

Cost models be realistic be honest storage users per core won't cut it IOPS per user DR doubles your cost cost of failure

Your build efficiency performance agents caching alignment writes anti-virus layering redirection profiles

Things to watch out for assessment isnt just server sizing moving bad stuff over doing too much at once knowing when to stop everything has to work be flexible get Win 7 right, then get VDI right user experience

Making it work strategy + apps + users start small, think big make it easily expandable do a real POC and actually test performance for YOUR use case keep it simple get the right people involved sell it internally use a little bribery!

Future desktop of tomorrow? death of windows apps VMware – AppBlast – Octopus – Horizon – Horizon Mobile – Web Platform

Help, My VDI Project is Hell! Julian Wood London VMware User Group – 17 th May 2012 #LonVMUG