1. VDI Lessons Learned at DU
Ivan Fetch
Andrew Chan

2. TOC Timeline & Scope Why We Choose VMware View
Lab Applications & User Feedback
Thin Clients
Challenges with Thin Clients
Zero Client Solutions
Vendor Experiences
Reseller Experiences
Infrastructure
Lab Image Challenges
The VDI Journey

3. Timeline & Scope Late 2009 2010 to present Future Benefits of VDI
OPEX >>> CAPEX, data security, service level, not TCO/$$
Project scope: 300 non-persistent lab machines
2010 to present
Vendor selection, hardware purchase
Proof of Concept: up 30 VMs
Pilot: up to 120 VMs
Production: 300 lab VMs
Future
1-2K personal desktops

4. Why We Choose VMware View
DU is a VMware shop
View 4 is easier to get started with, XD is more powerful & more complex
View integrates with VMware platform well whereas XD requires multiple management consoles
XD has many more components & features we do not need in phase 1 (hello phase 2!)
Business requirement - VMware View 4 successfully virtualizes our lab workload

5. Lab Applications & User Feedback
Applications which run well:
Office 2007
Adobe Creative Suite 4 (very usable)
ArcGIS Server 9.3.1
Applications which are not usable:
Sony Vegas (audio/video editing)
Google Earth 3D (DirectX)
Other 3D rendering software
A potential pain point:
Access to large files on flash drives can be slow
Use network drives instead

6. Thin Clients HP – HP Device Manager from Altris
t5735 (Linux) – Citrix ICA
t5730w (WES) – Citrix ICA, VMware View
Wyse – Wyse Device Manager, V10L Config Editor
V10L (WTOS) – both (View with RDP only)
C90LE (XPe) – both
Dell – Client Manager from Altris
OptiPlex FX160 (XPe) – both
OptiPlex FLX760 (streaming desktop license) – Citrix PVS

7. Challenges with Thin Clients
Thin, but no zero
Management overhead
Embedded OS requires initial setup and future OS updates
Antivirus considerations for protection vs. performance impact
Client write-protection for OS stability
Performance
Satisfactory for task workers
Average performance

8. Zero Client Solutions Smaller attack surface than thin clients
No OS patches and antivirus definitions to manage
Wyse P20 for View
True zero client with no embedded OS
Firmware updatable via PCoIP Management Server
Teradici chip built in
Dell FX100 for View
Same features as P20
Different logo
Wyse Xenith for Citrix
Based on Wyse C90LE

9. Vendor Experiences Dell Wyse Resources spread thin in a wide company
Slower to supply quotes, ship equipment, respond to questions, and suggest best practices
Wyse
Specializes in thin client computing market with fast turn around
Is more engaged and has impressive sales and support follow-through

10. Reseller Experiences
Resellers are eager to provide workload assessments and implementation assistance.
Money MAY be available from vendors to help offset the cost of reseller engagements.
Professional services are helpful to jump start the project yet we find ourselves needing to validate recommendations before we implement.

11. Infrastructure VMware View 4 on vSphere
Hopefully View 4.5 by production
Adding blades to HP c-7000 Blade Chassis
Four HP BL460c G6 blade: dual Intel Xeon X core CPU, 128GB RAM, on-board dual-port Flex-10 NIC
Using redundant Flex-10 Virtual Connect Ethernet modules
10Gb network uplink
Dual fabric fibre channel SAN, Hitachi arrays, 15K RPM

12. Lab Image Challenges VM vs. physical hardware specs
Disk sizes, RAM
Application update cycle
Desktop pool re-provisioning and delegation
Image creation and testing ~ 10 images
PCoIP full-screen / resizing problem
Antivirus (Symantec Endpoint Protection 11) w/ persistent desktops
Flash CS4 Professional
ThinApp performance benchmark

13. The VDI Journey Project management Hybrid environment
Yours vs. Mine
Hybrid environment
VMware View for on-site, general labs
Citrix XD for CPU & graphic intensive desktops
VMware & Citrix SEs
Resources for design, implementation, technical validation

14. Q&A
Questions?
Thank you!