Project Success Plan

Project Success Plan:

Desktop Virtualization
A guide for converting your physical desktops to virtual machines
(VMs)
 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide
In this guide:
What is Desktop Virtualization Ever increasing demands for anytime, anywhere access to
desktops and applications from various endpoints has
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? disrupted the traditional PC refresh cycle – and IT pros have
Key terms to understand
been scrambling to find strategies that enable them to minimize
time consuming maintenance tasks, upgrade application
Comparing leading VDI vendors
performance and data availability, and improve end-user
Evaluating Products experience.
Hardware
But what are your options? What tools are available? What
Budgeting
challenges will you run into? Where do you begin? This
Staffing Skills comprehensive guide walks readers through the entire process
Outsourcing of a migration to virtual desktops, from the initial phases of a
VDI project through to the monitoring and management of fully
Planning for Deployment
deployed VMs.
Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

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content

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide
What is Desktop Virtualization
What is Desktop Virtualization
http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/definition/desktop-virtualization
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? Desktop virtualization is the concept of isolating a logical operating system (OS)
instance from the client that is used to access it.
Key terms to understand

Comparing leading VDI vendors There are several different conceptual models of desktop virtualization, which
can broadly be divided into two categories based on whether or not the
Evaluating Products
operating system instance is executed locally or remotely. It is important to note
Hardware that not all forms of desktop virtualization involve the use of virtual machines
(VMs).
Budgeting
Host-based forms of desktop virtualization require that users view and interact
Staffing Skills
with their desktops over a network by using a remote display protocol. Because
Outsourcing processing takes place in a data center, client devices can be thin clients, zero
Planning for Deployment clients, smartphones, and tablets. Included in this category are:

Calculating ROI Host-based virtual machines: Each user connects to an individual virtual
machine that is hosted in a data center. The user may connect to the same VM
Expert Tips and Advice
every time, allowing personalization, (known as a persistent desktop) or be
Getting more PRO+ exclusive given a random VM from a pool (a non-persistent desktop). See also: virtual
content
desktop infrastructure (VDI)

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

Shared hosted: Users connect to either a shared desktop or simply individual

In this guide applications that run on a server. Shared hosted is also known as remote
desktop services or terminal services. See also: remote desktop services and
What is Desktop Virtualization terminal services.
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? Host-based physical machines or blades: The operating system runs directly on
physical hardware located in a data center.
Key terms to understand
Client-based types of desktop virtualization require processing to occur on local
Comparing leading VDI vendors
hardware; the use of thin clients, zero clients, and mobile devices is not
Evaluating Products possible. These types of desktop virtualization include:
Hardware
OS streaming: The operating system runs on local hardware, but boots to a
Budgeting remote disk image across the network. This is useful for groups of desktops that
use the same disk image. OS streaming requires a constant network connection
Staffing Skills
in order to function; local hardware consists of a fat-client with all of the features
Outsourcing of a full desktop computer except for a hard drive.

Planning for Deployment Client-based virtual machines: A virtual machine runs on a fully-functional PC,
Calculating ROI
with a hypervisor in place. Client-based virtual machines can be managed by
regularly syncing the disk image with a server, but a constant network
Expert Tips and Advice connection is not necessary in order for them to function.
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide Why consider a Desktop Virtualization

project?
What is Desktop Virtualization
http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Four-desktop-virtualization-use-
Why consider a Desktop cases
Virtualization project?

Key terms to understand Knowing why you're deploying virtual desktops is the first step to success --
whether it's for better security, simplified management or BYOD support.
Comparing leading VDI vendors
Desktop virtualization isn't right for every environment or every desktop, so let's
Evaluating Products
review some of the places where it makes the most sense to virtualize.
Hardware
As business owners demand a lower total cost of ownership, better security,
Budgeting
greater mobility and a more agile IT infrastructure, the traditional desktop model
Staffing Skills is showing its age. The No. 1 reason that desktop virtualization projects fail is
because IT professionals often launch these projects without identifying a clear
Outsourcing
business problem for which the technology is a solution. Fresh off the heels of
Planning for Deployment success with server virtualization, systems administrators may believe that
desktop virtualization is the next logical step in the enterprise IT lifecycle.
Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) hasn't replaced traditional desktops and
laptops in the way that server virtualization has replaced physical servers, but
Getting more PRO+ exclusive most industry observers acknowledge that desktop virtualization use cases will
content
remain complementary to traditional desktop and laptop delivery and
management technologies. Rarely does it make sense for an organization to

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

virtualize 100% of its desktops in the data center. Instead, you should view
In this guide desktop virtualization as just part of a larger IT strategy to provide the highest
value to the business.
What is Desktop Virtualization
To help you deploy virtual desktops for the right reasons, here are some
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? examples of common desktop virtualization use cases.

Key terms to understand

Comparing leading VDI vendors

Disaster recovery
Evaluating Products As business continuity and disaster recovery plans develop, companies
increasingly rely on desktop virtualization to provide on-demand access at a
Hardware
failover site. Traditionally, businesses interested in disaster recovery would
Budgeting warehouse PC inventory at an alternate facility where users could come and
work in the event that the primary location was unavailable
Staffing Skills

Outsourcing With virtualization, IT can provision thousands of desktops in a virtual

environment, quickly providing access to applications in the event that worker
Planning for Deployment access to primary endpoints is not possible.
Calculating ROI
In addition, virtual desktops and modern remote display protocols enable users
Expert Tips and Advice to gain access to their desktops and applications remotely. Now that mobile
devices provide nearly ubiquitous Internet access, workers expect to be able to
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content connect to corporate systems anywhere, anytime via multiple consumer
devices. This use case provides redundancy but raises other concerns.

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide
Security
What is Desktop Virtualization The increasing mobility of users and their devices makes it harder for IT
departments to manage company desktops and laptops. Viruses and spyware
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? have become more complex and difficult to detect.

Key terms to understand Both physical and virtual machines still have the same Windows operating
Comparing leading VDI vendors
system, applications and network vulnerabilities. However, desktop virtualization
can improve the security of data at rest. Company data on laptops or desktops
Evaluating Products is no longer stored in unsecured environments; it is now stored within the walls
Hardware of the data center.

Budgeting In addition, applications can be isolated by using multiple operating system

instances or application virtualization isolation technologies. Separate virtual
Staffing Skills
desktop environments can be used to access sensitive data, providing an
Outsourcing additional layer of separation and security.

Planning for Deployment Nonpersistent desktops can revert the desktop operating system and
Calculating ROI applications back to a known-good state. IT-controlled virtual desktops in the
data center can be more reliably updated with antivirus signature files, patches
Expert Tips and Advice
and updates. Data from desktops can be backed up or collected with electronic
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content

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide
Bring your own device
What is Desktop Virtualization With bring your own device (BYOD), worker-owned devices are being brought
into the enterprise, and some users prefer personal devices over corporate-
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? provided ones. Desktop virtualization can provide an alternative path to
accessing applications while relieving IT staffers from having to support the
Key terms to understand
endpoints themselves. Subsidizing partial costs for users who choose to bring
Comparing leading VDI vendors their own devices could reduce the capital expense of user laptops and
desktops.
Evaluating Products

Hardware
Management
Budgeting
Reducing the total cost of ownership of desktops and laptops is a key objective
Staffing Skills
for IT departments. Traditional desktop and laptop management systems can
Outsourcing add significant complexity and increase the cost of supporting users. Plus,
Planning for Deployment managing those desktops and laptops can require numerous applications,
including those for application deployment, inventory, OS management and
Calculating ROI antivirus protection. Virtualization makes it easier to centrally manage and
Expert Tips and Advice support users' desktops. Plus, you have more control over app deployment,
user access and other management tasks.
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide Key terms to understand

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
What is Desktop Virtualization http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-
VDI
Why consider a Desktop Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is the practice of hosting a desktop operating
Virtualization project?
system within a virtual machine (VM) running on a centralized server. VDI is a
Key terms to understand variation on the client/server computing model, sometimes referred to as server-
based computing. The term was coined by VMware Inc. Many organizations are
Comparing leading VDI vendors
turning to VDI as an alternative to the server-based computing model used by
Evaluating Products Citrix and Microsoft Terminal Services.

Hardware
Thin client (lean client)
Budgeting http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/thin-client
Staffing Skills
A thin client, sometimes called a lean client, is a low-cost, centrally-managed
computer devoid of CD-ROM players, diskette drives, and expansion slots. The
Outsourcing term derives from the fact that small computers in networks tend to be clients
Planning for Deployment and not servers. Since the idea is to limit the capabilities of these computers to
only essential applications, they tend to be purchased and remain "thin" in terms
Calculating ROI of the client applications they include. As software as a service (SaaS) gains
Expert Tips and Advice popularity, it is expected that thin clients and blade PCs will replace desktop
PCs in many work and educational environments. In general, they are not as
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vulnerable to malware attacks, have a longer life cycle, use less power and are
content
less expensive to purchase.

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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Thin client is also used to describe software applications that use the client-
In this guide server model where the server performs all the processing.

What is Desktop Virtualization

Fat client (thick client)
Why consider a Desktop http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/fat-client-thick-client
Virtualization project? A fat client (sometimes called a thick client) is a networked computer with most
resources installed locally, rather than distributed over a network as is the case
Key terms to understand
with a thin client. Most PCs (personal computers), for example, are fat clients
Comparing leading VDI vendors because they have their own hard drive, DVD drives, software applications and
Evaluating Products
so on.

Hardware Fat clients are almost unanimously preferred by network users because they
are very customizable and the user has more control over what programs are
Budgeting
installed and specific system configuration. On the other hand, thin clients are
Staffing Skills more easily managed, are easier to protect from security risks, and offer lower
maintenance and licensing costs.
Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment A system that has some components and software installed but also uses
resources distributed over a network is sometimes known as a rich client.
Calculating ROI
Remote Desktop Services (RDS)
Expert Tips and Advice http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/definition/Remote-Desktop-Services-RDS
Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is an umbrella term for features of Microsoft
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content Windows Server that allow users to remotely access graphical desktops and
Windows applications.

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

RDS components include:

In this guide
 Remote Desktop Connection Broker: The connection broker connects
What is Desktop Virtualization
users with remote desktops. If a user loses connectivity to a remote
desktop, the connection broker allows the user to reestablish the
Why consider a Desktop connection without losing the virtual desktop's state.
Virtualization project?  Remote Desktop Gateway: This component allows for connectivity to
virtual desktops and RemoteApp programs over the Internet.
Key terms to understand  Remote Desktop Licensing: This component tracks license usage for
your RDS deployment.
Comparing leading VDI vendors  Remote Desktop Session Host: The Session Host allows a server to
host session-based desktops or RemoteApp programs.
Evaluating Products
 Remote Desktop Virtualization Host: This is the component that hosts
Hardware virtual desktops.
 Remote Desktop Web Access: This component lets users access
Budgeting remote desktops or RemoteApp programs either through a Web browser
or the Start menu.
Staffing Skills
Remote Desktop Services applications and desktops can be accessed from a variety of
Outsourcing client devices, operating systems, and form factors, as well as HTML 5 browsers and
Java clients. Users view and interact with Remote Desktop Services resources through
Planning for Deployment a remote display protocol. Microsoft provides the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) with
Windows, and third-party companies can also create their own protocols, examples of
Calculating ROI which are Citrix HDX and VMware PC-over-IP.
Expert Tips and Advice The richness of the user experience with Remote Desktop Services may be limited by
network bandwidth or remote display protocol capabilities. However, there many
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benefits, including the centralized management of many operating system images, the
content
ability to use inexpensive thin clients to access server-class hardware and increased
security within the data center.

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In this guide Comparing leading VDI vendors

http://pro.techtarget.com/expert-vdi-buyers-guide_lb-ma-content
What is Desktop Virtualization
Citrix XenDesktop 7
Why consider a Desktop Citrix XenDesktop 7 is an enterprise-class, secure VDI platform that delivers
Virtualization project?
virtual desktops and apps. XenDesktop with FlexCast technology supports
Key terms to understand many different types of desktop-related services virtually, such as Windows
apps for tablets and mobile devices, high-end graphics and centralized security
Comparing leading VDI vendors
for corporate laptops.
Evaluating Products
One capability that sets XenDesktop apart from others is that the platform
Hardware supports a variety of hypervisors: Citrix XenServer, VMware ESXi and Microsoft
Budgeting Hyper-V, among others. The platform also supports 16-, 32- and 64-bit apps on
Windows Server 2008 and 2012 R2, Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8, as well as
Staffing Skills
apps on Mac OS X, iOS and Android.
Outsourcing
To support a mobile workforce, XenDesktop lets organizations roll out virtual
Planning for Deployment desktops and apps to nearly any type of device, optimizing them for large and
small screens, as well as touch. Users may select authorized apps from an
Calculating ROI
enterprise app store, and WAN networking is optimized to limit latency and
Expert Tips and Advice provide highly reliable connections.
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XenDesktop 7 is available in Enterprise and Platinum editions. Customers can
purchase XenDesktop 7 concurrent or perpetual licenses, or opt for a hosted

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

desktop option that has a monthly subscription fee. A concurrent license for the
In this guide Enterprise edition costs $397; the user/device perpetual license with support
costs $4.
What is Desktop Virtualization
VMware Horizon 6 Enterprise edition (with View)
Why consider a Desktop VMware Horizon 6 Enterprise edition, including the View desktop virtualization
Virtualization project?
product, offers secure delivery of desktops, apps and online services through a
Key terms to understand unified workspace. The platform supports central image management for
physical and virtual machines (VMs) running Windows XP through Windows
Comparing leading VDI vendors
8.1, as well as devices operating on Windows, Mac OS or Linux. View is
Evaluating Products designed only to work on VMware's own hypervisor, ESXi.
Hardware
The workspace enables administrators to deliver many different kinds of
Budgeting applications and services, including XenApp 5.0, apps hosted by Microsoft
Remote Desktop Services (RDS), desktops hosted by Windows Server 2008
Staffing Skills
and 2012, software as a service applications and VMware ThinApp 5.0.
Outsourcing
One of the most enticing features for enterprises is the platform's Blast
Planning for Deployment technology, which provides optimized access over WAN and LAN connections.
Calculating ROI
It also supports virtualized graphics, multimedia streaming and unified
communications. With Blast, users get a consistent experience regardless of
Expert Tips and Advice which device they're using.
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content With its suite of products for the mobile, cloud-enabled workplace, VMware's
VDI platform takes things a step further than some other platforms. Horizon 6

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Enterprise is designed to support software-defined data center operations,

In this guide allocating resources dynamically to support user workloads on demand,
providing self-service options, and securing user computer resources.
What is Desktop Virtualization
Horizon 6 editions include Horizon View Standard, Horizon Advanced and
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? Horizon Enterprise. Sold in 10-packs, Horizon Enterprise costs $3,630 for a
one-year Named User license (dedicated to specific users), or $6,050 for a one-
Key terms to understand
year Concurrent User license (virtual machines shared among users).
Comparing leading VDI vendors
Microsoft VDI/Remote Desktop Services
Evaluating Products Microsoft VDI is an enterprise-level virtual desktop and application delivery
platform, based on Hyper-V, which requires the Windows Server Remote
Hardware
Desktop Services server role in Windows Server 2012. The platform supports
Budgeting user PCs (through the Remote Desktop Gateway component), personal and
pooled virtual desktops, session-based desktops and RemoteApp programs.
Staffing Skills
Microsoft VDI provides a consistent, personalized user experience on a variety
Outsourcing
of devices running Windows or Windows RT, iOS, Mac OS X and Android.
Planning for Deployment
The Deployment Wizard enables administrators to configure server roles and
Calculating ROI
automate a Microsoft VDI rollout. To store and access VMs, administrators may
Expert Tips and Advice use their choice of direct-attached, network-attached, clustered or storage area
network (SAN) storage. A unified management console enables central
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content management of server roles, users, VMs and much more.

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Typically, there are two licenses involved with a Microsoft VDI implementation:
In this guide one for connecting to the virtual desktop infrastructure and another for
accessing a virtual installation of the Windows client OS. If you use RDS to
What is Desktop Virtualization access the infrastructure, you must purchase an RDS client access license,
Why consider a Desktop either per device or per user. For accessing the Windows client OS, customers
Virtualization project? covered under Windows Client Software Assurance (SA) do not pay an
additional charge for VDI. Without SA, however, customers must license each
Key terms to understand
device through Windows Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) for $100 per year, per
Comparing leading VDI vendors device.
Evaluating Products Dell vWorkspace 8.0
Originally created by Quest Software, vWorkspace is Dell's VDI platform aimed
Hardware
at the small to medium-size business but is also used by enterprise
Budgeting organizations.. Integrated with Microsoft Hyper-V, vWorkspace 8.0 enables
Staffing Skills
organizations to virtualize applications, provide hosted VDI and deliver local VDI
and Remote Desktop Services.
Outsourcing
Dell vWorkspace provides fast provisioning, scalability, load balancing,
Planning for Deployment
diagnostics and integrated user-experience monitoring and reporting. The
Calculating ROI platform supports every major hypervisor and many different virtualization
platforms, such as Microsoft Hyper-V, Parallels, VMware ESXi and Virtual Iron,
Expert Tips and Advice
as well as Windows desktop and server operating systems through Windows
Getting more PRO+ exclusive 8.1 and Windows Server 2012, respectively. VWorkspace supports devices
content
running iOS, Android, Mac, Linux and Java.

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The platform provides high-quality audio and video using Microsoft Lync 2013
In this guide with the Lync VDI plug-in, and enables organizations to use direct-attached
storage rather than a SAN.
What is Desktop Virtualization
Dell vWorkspace comes in two editions: Desktop and Premier. Desktop Edition
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? supports hosted VDI and App-V, and costs about $150 per concurrent user.
Premier Edition supports hosted VDI, Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH)
Key terms to understand
and App-V, and costs about $200 per concurrent user.
Comparing leading VDI vendors

Evaluating Products

Hardware

Budgeting

Staffing Skills

Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment

Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

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In this guide Evaluating products

http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Choosing-among-VDI-vendors-Know-
What is Desktop Virtualization your-needs
Choosing a VDI product is no small task because you must take into account
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
features, setup and maintenance, as well as licensing and ongoing support.

Key terms to understand You must also determine which technologies your organization needs. Do you
plan to provide stateless desktops? Deliver applications through a virtualization
Comparing leading VDI vendors
tool? Perhaps you're considering desktop as a service (DaaS).
Evaluating Products
Clearly, there are plenty of options, and gaining an understanding of the various
Hardware virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) vendors and tools will help you make the
Budgeting best possible choice.

Staffing Skills

Outsourcing
The world of VDI
Planning for Deployment VDI provides a framework for hosting a desktop operating system within a
virtual machine (VM) on a server. A user at an endpoint workstation accesses
Calculating ROI
the VM over the network via a remote display protocol that allows the virtualized
Expert Tips and Advice desktop to be rendered locally.

Getting more PRO+ exclusive IT decision makers often turn to VDI because it promises to cut management
content
and support costs by centralizing and simplifying administrative tasks while

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

reducing the resources necessary to maintain individual PCs. User workstations

In this guide require only a thin client to access their desktops.

What is Desktop Virtualization But don't confuse VDI with Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services (Terminal
Services prior to Windows Server 2008 R2). That provides only session-based
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? access to a server, usually for multiple users.

Key terms to understand With a VDI product, users connect to their own desktops and applications,
similar to how they would at their local workstations.
Comparing leading VDI vendors

Evaluating Products
Selecting a VDI product
Hardware

Budgeting
When choosing a VDI vendor or tool, you should consider a number of factors.
For starters, the system you choose must support the necessary operating
Staffing Skills systems. On the VM side, most services can host Windows but often not Linux.
Outsourcing Even within the Windows camp, some VDI products can handle XP and Vista,
but others cannot. On the endpoint side, VDI tools generally support a larger
Planning for Deployment range of OSes, including Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Unix. Many VDI
Calculating ROI products now support mobile endpoints, particularly iOS and Android devices.

Expert Tips and Advice There are also other factors you'll need to consider. For instance, your clients
might require a display protocol other than Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol.
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content Or you might want to support Web-based access to the virtual desktops. How

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about support for Microsoft Hyper-V, bidirectional audio WAN or graphics

In this guide processing unit virtualization?

What is Desktop Virtualization The key, of course, is to determine exactly which features you must have. Setup
and maintenance are the most important considerations, not only to ensure that
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? implementation and ongoing administration are manageable, but also so you
get exactly the environment you need. For example, you might plan to
Key terms to understand
implement stateless desktops in which user settings do not persist. Or you
Comparing leading VDI vendors might want to go with stateful desktops that save those settings. You might even
decide to support both options.
Evaluating Products
Availability and reliability are also part of the equation. Unlike the traditional
Hardware
desktop model, if a server running multiple virtual desktops is sluggish or goes
Budgeting down, many users can feel the effects. To avoid slow performance or significant
downtime, you might need to support capabilities such as load balancing or
Staffing Skills
automatic backups. In addition, your change management strategies should
Outsourcing account for how you'll be delivering your applications. For example, if you plan
Planning for Deployment to use a desktop provisioning tool such as Unidesk, you'll have to verify that it
will work with your VDI setup.
Calculating ROI
You should also determine the necessary infrastructure to support desktop
Expert Tips and Advice
virtualization. For instance, do you need both TCP/IP v4 and v6? What level of
Getting more PRO+ exclusive Active Directory integration do you require? Can you leave your existing
content
infrastructure alone, or will VDI require a substantial investment in resources?
And speaking of resources, look carefully at how licensing works. Offerings

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such as Microsoft VDI are notorious for their complex licensing structures. Be
In this guide cognizant of the total potential cost, not just for the VDI deployment itself, but
also for the OS, business apps and ongoing support.
What is Desktop Virtualization
Above all, understand the provider's financial well-being or lack thereof. When
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? Pano Logic shut its doors in 2012, customers were left standing out in the cold.

Key terms to understand

Comparing leading VDI vendors

An abundance of VDI options
Evaluating Products There is no shortage of options to choose from. Citrix XenDesktop and VMware
Horizon View have emerged as the industry's top players, and both have a wide
Hardware
range of features. Microsoft VDI remains in the running, especially since the
Budgeting release of Windows Server 2012. But other products are worth considering, too.
Dell vWorkspace, Virtual Bridges VERDE and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
Staffing Skills
for Desktops are all credible alternatives and may be more affordable than VDI
Outsourcing software from the top vendors.

Planning for Deployment The VDI market is dynamic, and new approaches to virtualizing desktops come
Calculating ROI online every day. For example, Citrix now offers VDI-in-a-Box, a pared-down
tool for smaller businesses. Other providers are also responding to the changing
Expert Tips and Advice
industry. NComputing vSpace uses OS partitioning and virtualization to create
Getting more PRO+ exclusive virtual environments. Ericom AccessNow implements HTML5 streaming to
content deliver a browser-based desktop. And LISTEQ BoxedVDI applies a plug-and-
play approach to its virtual desktops. Then there is DaaS, a cloud-based service

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that lets you offload many VDI headaches, such as provisioning, networking and
In this guide load balancing. Desktone is perhaps the best-known of the current wave of
DaaS providers, which also includes Nivio and dinCloud.
What is Desktop Virtualization
Again, change is the one constant in the industry. VMware bought Desktone,
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? Dell acquired vWorkspace as part of Quest Software, and Oracle purchased its
VDI technology from Sun but has since discontinued further development.
Key terms to understand
Consolidation doesn't necessarily translate to success, nor does the inverse
Comparing leading VDI vendors approach; just look at Pano Logic.

Evaluating Products This all means that a wide range of virtualization options is available, but you
need to be aware of the constantly shifting nature of VDI. So if you don't find
Hardware
what you want today, wait a few months and ask around. Before you do
Budgeting anything, however, make sure you know what you need. Implementing VDI
software is a significant undertaking. Tread lightly, plan ahead and then proceed
Staffing Skills
with caution.
Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment

Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

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In this guide Hardware

http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/feature/VDI-hardware-comparison-Thin-vs-
What is Desktop Virtualization thick-vs-zero-clients
When you deploy VDI, you need to figure out what hardware your virtual
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
desktops will run on.

Key terms to understand To host virtual desktops, you have a lot of choices: thin clients, zero clients and
smart clients -- not to mention tablets and mobile devices. Thin clients and other
Comparing leading VDI vendors
slimmed-down devices rely on a network connection to a central server for full
Evaluating Products computing and don't do much processing on the hardware itself. Those differ
from thick clients -- basically traditional PCs -- that handle all the functionality of
Hardware
a server on the desktop itself.
Budgeting
Understanding the benefits, challenges and cost implications of all these VDI
Staffing Skills hardware options will help you make the right choice. Let's get this straight:
Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment Thick clients

Calculating ROI
It's possible to use thick clients for desktop virtualization, but many
Expert Tips and Advice organizations don't because it doesn't cut down on overall hardware and
requires all local software. If you use traditional PCs to connect to virtual
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content desktops, you don't get many of the benefits of VDI, such as reduced power
consumption, central management and increased security.

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How thick clients compare to thin

In this guide Since a thick client is basically a PC running thin client software, it is usually
more costly than a thin client device. Plus, thick clients have hard drives and
What is Desktop Virtualization media ports, making them less secure than thin clients. Finally, thin clients tend
to require less maintenance than thick ones, although thin client hardware
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? problems can sometimes lead to having to replace the entire device.

Key terms to understand

Comparing leading VDI vendors Thin clients

Evaluating Products With thin client hardware, virtual desktops are hosted in the data center and the
thin client simply serves as a terminal to the back-end server. Thin clients are
Hardware
generally easy to install, make application access simpler, improve security and
Budgeting reduce hardware needs by allowing admins to repurpose old PCs.

Staffing Skills What to look for in thin client devices

Thin clients are meant to be small and simple, so the more advanced features
Outsourcing
you add, the more expensive they get. As you choose thin client devices,
Planning for Deployment consider whether you need capabilities such as 3-D, video conferencing and
multi-monitor support. You should also take into account your remote display
Calculating ROI
protocol and how much display processing your back end can supply.
Expert Tips and Advice
Aside from being cheap and uncomplicated, thin clients should also offer
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centralized management. For instance, you can automatically apply profile
policies to groups of thin clients with similar configurations. That tends to be

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

easier than individual manual management. Plus, you want your VDI hardware
In this guide to be simple enough for nonveteran IT staff or those at remote branch offices to
be able to deploy.
What is Desktop Virtualization

Why consider a Desktop

Virtualization project? Zero clients
Key terms to understand Zero clients are gaining ground in the VDI market because they're even slimmer
Comparing leading VDI vendors
and more cost-effective than thin clients. These are client devices that require
no configuration and have nothing stored on them. Vendors including Dell
Evaluating Products Wyse, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard and Pano Logic offer zero client hardware.
Hardware Pros and cons of zero clients
Budgeting So what are the benefits of this kind of VDI hardware? First off, zero clients can
be less expensive than thick and thin clients. Plus, they use less power and can
Staffing Skills simplify client device licensing.
Outsourcing
Still, there's a catch: Vendors often market zero clients as requiring no
Planning for Deployment management or maintenance, which isn't always true. Some products do
require software or memory and other resources. In addition, zero clients tend
Calculating ROI
to be proprietary, so organizations could run into vendor lock-in.
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide
Other VDI hardware routes
What is Desktop Virtualization But wait -- there are even more VDI hardware options. In today's mobile era,
some people are starting to use tablets or smartphones to run virtual desktops.
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
Using the iPad as a VDI client
Key terms to understand With faster network speeds and improved screen resolution over the past few
years, tablets are now up to the task of presenting a virtual desktop. Highly
Comparing leading VDI vendors
mobile workers and executives are good candidates for connecting to VDI via
Evaluating Products an iPad, for example. Still, remember that tablets don't offer a mouse and many
Windows applications aren't conducive to a touch interface.
Hardware
Repurposing old PCs as VDI hardware
Budgeting
If you're thinking about deploying VDI -- and tablets are too high-tech for you at
Staffing Skills this point -- you might consider recycling old PCs to use as thin clients. That
saves money, plus it's green. Just make sure your PC candidates aren't too old,
Outsourcing
or else they won't provide solid graphics performance and may be prone to
Planning for Deployment failure.

Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

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Page 24 of 47
 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide Budgeting

http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/tip/How-to-analyze-the-costs-of-a-virtual-
What is Desktop Virtualization desktop-deployment
Although saving money isn't the best rationale for desktop virtualization, at
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
some point, someone's going to ask you how much this whole thing is going to
cost. So before you say that it doesn't matter, let's try to figure out what exactly
Key terms to understand this person is asking.
Comparing leading VDI vendors
As you probably know, business costs are usually divided into two
Evaluating Products classifications: capital expenditures (Capex) and operating expenditures (Opex).
Broadly defined, Capex includes onetime costs, and Opex covers ongoing
Hardware
costs. Capex includes buying software and hardware and the time and money it
Budgeting costs to implement and migrate from other technologies. Opex is usually just
support and maintenance costs.
Staffing Skills

Outsourcing The first step to doing a cost analysis is to figure out whether you're going to
look at Capex, Opex or both.
Planning for Deployment
Entire books have been written about modeling the expenses of IT systems,
Calculating ROI
and there are companies dedicated to analyzing expenses. Because there are
Expert Tips and Advice so many different kinds of desktop virtualization, we can't do a proper expense
analysis here. But we can look at some quick "back of the napkin"-style
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

Most people believe that the Capex of implementing virtual desktops is about
In this guide the same as that for physical desktops. In other words, if you spend about $800
per desktop to buy and roll out traditional desktops, you can probably build a
What is Desktop Virtualization virtual desktop for about $800 each.
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? These models assume that you'll reuse existing computers, maybe as thin
clients or simpler terminals for accessing your newly built virtual desktop
Key terms to understand
environment. So if you have 100 users who would otherwise get new desktops
Comparing leading VDI vendors at $800 each but you reuse existing machines instead, that frees up about
$80,000 to buy some nice VDI servers, software and consulting.
Evaluating Products
Opex is not nearly as simple to quantify as Capex for two reasons:
Hardware

Budgeting  There's no clear-cut way to figure out what's included in your Opex
calculation.
Staffing Skills  Before a project has been implemented, actual Opex is just a best-guess
estimate anyway.
Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment For example, will Opex calculations include soft costs such as "employee
productivity gained by less downtime" or "user satisfaction?" Are your operating
Calculating ROI
expenses based on dollar amounts you actually pay? Have you used the power
Expert Tips and Advice savings of thin-client devices as part of your justification, even though the thin
clients plug into users' cubicles whose power is not billed back to the IT
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

Have you included everything in your cost models? For data center servers,
In this guide have you based your power costs on their rated wattage, or have you included
your data center's power usage effectiveness?
What is Desktop Virtualization
Of course, you can use any of these methods to nudge the cost analysis in the
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? direction you want to prove that desktop virtualization is cheaper or that it is
more expensive than traditional PCs. The mere fact that cost analysis is
Key terms to understand
complex doesn't mean it should be ignored. It just means that you need to be
Comparing leading VDI vendors more aware of what a cost analysis can and cannot be used for.

Evaluating Products Unless your cost analysis can fit on the back of a napkin, it's probably crap. So
go ahead and work out the basic numbers. Figure out your high-level stuff, and
Hardware
create a budget for the hardware and software you'll need for desktop
Budgeting virtualization. But beyond that, don't waste your time building a complex Excel
model. There's a good chance that if you show it to someone, he won't believe
Staffing Skills
it.
Outsourcing
Just keep in mind why you're virtualizing desktops in the first place. If it's to save
Planning for Deployment
money, make sure you're really going to save money. And if it's for another
Calculating ROI reason, such as more redundancy or increased security, don't waste your time
going nuts with return on investment (ROI) models.
Expert Tips and Advice

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide Staffing skills

What is Desktop Virtualization
What are the options for VDI training, and who
Why consider a Desktop needs it?
Virtualization project?
http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/answer/Why-you-need-VDI-training-and-
Key terms to understand how-to-go-about-it
If your company is planning a transition to virtual desktop infrastructure, it's
Comparing leading VDI vendors
essential to provide proper VDI training to all IT staff in your organization who
Evaluating Products will design, deploy and maintain your environment.
Hardware
If you are a systems administrator, start by educating upper management about
Budgeting the importance of proper VDI training for everyone involved. Virtual desktop
infrastructure (VDI) requires a number of back-end hardware and software
Staffing Skills
components to provide end users with the performance and computing
Outsourcing experiences they expect.

Planning for Deployment Vendors have offered VDI training for some time, but the majority of that training
Calculating ROI (and related certifications) remains vendor-specific.

Expert Tips and Advice Microsoft, for instance, offers a VDI certification for technical specialists called
the Microsoft IT Professional (MSITP)-Virtualization Administrator. The
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certification include server virtualization, desktop virtualization and virtualization

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

administrator. All three of these classes and certification exams could be helpful
In this guide for fledgling VDI administrators who expect to support Microsoft VDI software.

What is Desktop Virtualization Citrix offers a bundled 30-hour online training course and certification focusing
on its Xen product line. Citrix VDI training courses and certifications include the
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? Certified Citrix Administrator (CCA) for XenDesktop 5, CCA for XenServer 5,
CCA for XenApp 6 and NetScaler training.
Key terms to understand
These are just two examples of VDI training and certifications available. Other
Comparing leading VDI vendors
vendors offer similar training and certification opportunities. There is no vendor-
Evaluating Products agnostic VDI certification available, however, and there may never be. That's
because of the tight linkage between VDI environments and the underlying
Hardware
proprietary infrastructures and technologies they use, which are not only tied to
Budgeting specific hypervisors (such as Microsoft's Hyper-V, VMware's vSphere or Citrix
XenServer) but also to equally specific management, monitoring, deployment
Staffing Skills
and configuration tools.
Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment

Taking the Microsoft certification path to VDI
Calculating ROI
http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Taking-the-Microsoft-certification-
Expert Tips and Advice
path-to-VDI
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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It's one thing for an organization to decide to deploy VDI, but it is quite another
In this guide to effectively support it. One way to ensure that staff has the skills necessary to
deploy, manage and support VDI is getting everyone certified.
What is Desktop Virtualization
The most appropriate certifications vary depending on which vendor's VDI
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? offering you deploy. If you're implementing VDI on Windows Server, it's a good
idea to get familiar with the Microsoft certification path. Even if you are using a
Key terms to understand
different vendor's products, you'll learn what may be involved in the certification
Comparing leading VDI vendors process.

Evaluating Products When you choose a certification path, you must not only consider the vendor,
but also the version. Microsoft, for example, made some major changes to its
Hardware
certifications following the release of Windows Server 2012.
Budgeting

Staffing Skills
Windows Server 2008 R2
Outsourcing
For a Windows Server 2008 R2 platform, Microsoft actually offers a VDI-specific
Planning for Deployment certification track. There are two primary exams that will be the most helpful to
Calculating ROI virtualization administrators. These include:

Expert Tips and Advice  Exam 70-669: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
 Exam 70-693: Pro: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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If you are looking for formalized VDI training, Microsoft offers a five-day training
In this guide course that is specific to VDI. The course is 10324A: Implementing and
Managing Microsoft Desktop Virtualization.
What is Desktop Virtualization

Why consider a Desktop

Virtualization project? Windows Server 2012
Key terms to understand Microsoft certifications do not include a virtualization-specific track for Windows
Comparing leading VDI vendors
Server 2012. Instead, virtualization is considered to be one of the operating
system's core functions, and the certification path reflects this new philosophy.
Evaluating Products In fact, Microsoft's MCSE Desktop Infrastructure track seems ideally suited
Hardware toward VDI deployments.

Budgeting There are five exams required for those seeking the MCSE: Desktop
Infrastructure certification:
Staffing Skills
 70-410: Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012
Outsourcing
 70-411: Administering Windows Server 2012
Planning for Deployment  70-412: Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services
 70-415: Implementing a Desktop Infrastructure
Calculating ROI
 70-416 Implementing Desktop Application Environments
Expert Tips and Advice
The first three exams are only loosely related to VDI, but there are a couple of
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benefits to taking them anyway. First, these exams cover the infrastructure
components on which the VDI deployment will be based. Topics such as

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

failover clustering and Hyper-V management are covered on the first three
In this guide exams. Plus, passing these three exams means that you earn an MCSA
certification for Windows Server 2012.
What is Desktop Virtualization
The last two exams in the series focus heavily on VDI. The fourth exam is all
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? about the desktop infrastructure, and the fifth focuses on desktop applications.

Key terms to understand

Comparing leading VDI vendors

The desktop operating system
Evaluating Products Regardless of whether you are using a Microsoft VDI platform or something
from a third party, it is a good idea for IT staff to take a desktop operating
Hardware
system-specific exam. This ensures that you will learn the various OS-specific
Budgeting nuances that you can tune to help it function efficiently in a VDI environment.

Staffing Skills The primary exams that are available for Windows 7 include:
Outsourcing
 70-680: Windows 7, Configuring
Planning for Deployment  70-685: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician

Calculating ROI Those who wish to deploy Windows 8 in their VDI environments should consider
these exams:
Expert Tips and Advice

Getting more PRO+ exclusive  70-687: Configuring Windows 8

content  70-688: Managing and Maintaining Windows 8

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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Earning advanced IT certifications takes a lot of work, but it can be extremely

In this guide beneficial for administrators to get certified before deploying VDI. Doing so
ensures that you are adequately prepared to deploy, manage and maintain both
What is Desktop Virtualization the virtual desktops and the underlying infrastructure.
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?

Key terms to understand

Comparing leading VDI vendors

Evaluating Products

Hardware

Budgeting

Staffing Skills

Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment

Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide Outsourcing

http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/feature/XaaS-products-at-your-service
What is Desktop Virtualization
Desktop as a service (DaaS) is a cloud service where the back-end
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
infrastructure of VDI is hosted by a cloud service provider. It has a multi-tenancy
architecture. The DaaS provider takes care of the responsibilities of data
Key terms to understand storage, backup, security and upgrades, and user data is copied to and from the
Comparing leading VDI vendors virtual desktops when they log on and off.

Evaluating Products Pros: Users can access hosted desktops from any device, location or network.
Customers usually manage their own images, apps and security, but the
Hardware
provider manages the infrastructure. DaaS is a good alternative to VDI for small
Budgeting and midsize businesses that want to deliver virtual desktops to users, but can't
afford the upfront and ongoing costs associated with doing VDI on-premises.
Staffing Skills

Outsourcing Cons: Licensing virtual desktops comes with headaches, but licensing them in
the cloud is often even more complicated. Microsoft does not have a Service
Planning for Deployment
Provider License Agreement for Windows client OSes, so many organizations
Calculating ROI host Windows Server -based desktops in the cloud instead. This is a good way
to get around the licensing concerns, but Server desktops can have application-
Expert Tips and Advice
compatibility problems.
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Horizon DaaS, formerly Desktone) and Microsoft Azure RemoteApp.

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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In this guide Planning for deployment

http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/essentialguide/Best-practices-guide-Making-
What is Desktop Virtualization VDI-deployment-magic
Best practices for VDI production deployment
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
So, you've assessed your organization's needs, planned a strategy to meet
management and end-user requirements, and selected the right tools to suit
Key terms to understand your existing infrastructure. Now you're ready to deploy VDI, but how do you
Comparing leading VDI vendors start?

Evaluating Products How to stagger a VDI rollout

Hardware Before you jump into a VDI production environment, begin with a proof of
concept and make a plan to stagger your rollout -- starting with areas of the
Budgeting
business that will benefit from virtual desktops the most.
Staffing Skills
Transitioning from VDI pilot to production
Outsourcing
Once your VDI pilot is ready for production, do some IOPS calculations to
Planning for Deployment ensure that your storage can handle the full VDI load. To keep things in check
throughout the deployment, get some monitoring software and keep tabs on
Calculating ROI
user satisfaction.
Expert Tips and Advice
Ten steps to deployment success
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to date and ready for the VDI workload. Plus, determine which remote display

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

protocol is compatible with your environment and lock down the user endpoints.
In this guide
Don't forget to consider VDI applications
What is Desktop Virtualization As you deploy VDI, you need to take the applications into account. How often
Why consider a Desktop will you need to update and patch apps once your VDI deployment is in place?
Virtualization project? How will the licensing of those apps work in the new environment?

Key terms to understand

Overcoming VDI deployment challenges
Comparing leading VDI vendors Of course, a VDI deployment is never without its hang-ups. You might run into
Evaluating Products
bandwidth restrictions, low storage capacity or an inability to scale. Learn some
ways to break down these VDI deployment challenges and set your strategy
Hardware straight.
Budgeting
Top reasons a VDI deployment fails
Staffing Skills Some of the biggest reasons VDI fails is when administrators underestimate
virtual desktop requirements, don't work as a team with networking and storage
Outsourcing
admins, or don't know why they're virtualizing in the first place.
Planning for Deployment
Why scaling up can break your deployment
Calculating ROI
When you implement a VDI pilot project, you probably deploy a few virtual
Expert Tips and Advice desktops and simplify the underlying infrastructure. But when you move to
production, you can hit the ceiling of supported users pretty quickly. The
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

Consider using converged infrastructure for VDI

In this guide Using a pre-bundled stack to host your virtual desktops can make it easier to
scale the deployment when you need to. Plus, it provides simplicity for
What is Desktop Virtualization organizations that don't have the manpower to build a VDI environment from
Why consider a Desktop scratch.
Virtualization project?
Watch out for VDI stall
Key terms to understand
Your desktop virtualization deployment can stall mid-step if you try to do too
Comparing leading VDI vendors much at once. For instance, don't try to do an OS update or hypervisor switch at
Evaluating Products
the same time you're implementing the new desktops.

Hardware

Budgeting

Staffing Skills

Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment

Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

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Page 37 of 47
 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide Calculating ROI

http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/guides/Guide-to-calculating-ROI-from-VDI-
What is Desktop Virtualization Cost-analysis-budgeting-and-more
Virtual desktop infrastructure can decrease hardware costs, increase end user
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
productivity and mobility, and provide more flexibility for applications and
operating systems. But to decide whether implementing virtual desktop
Key terms to understand infrastructure (VDI) will be worth the price tag, you need to determine the
Comparing leading VDI vendors potential return on investment (ROI).

Evaluating Products Numerous factors go into calculating VDI ROI, including the cost of virtualizing
workloads, purchasing or repurposing hardware, adding storage or network
Hardware
resources, and training IT employees and end users. Implementing virtual
Budgeting desktops isn't necessarily a money-saving opportunity, but figuring out the
possible ROI -- and when you might achieve it -- will help you plan your
Staffing Skills
deployment.
Outsourcing
There are many important questions to ask yourself before moving to VDI. You
Planning for Deployment
need to establish what types of users you have, what applications and OSes
Calculating ROI you'll use, whether you'll need remote and/or mobile access, and more. Start
adding up your VDI costs and calculating return on investment from VDI with
Expert Tips and Advice
these seven questions.
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investment-from-VDI

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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1. Will the use case have local or remote users?

In this guide
This affects hardware requirements. Will hardware need to be purchased or
What is Desktop Virtualization maintained at the local site, or will users use their home PCs?

Why consider a Desktop 2. Will the end devices (desktops, laptops, thin clients, etc.) be purchased
Virtualization project? or reused?
Key terms to understand This also affects the purchase requirements for end devices.
Comparing leading VDI vendors
3. Which operating system (OS) will be used?
Evaluating Products
The OS affects application compatibility. ROI can significantly be affected if
Hardware applications can be virtualized and run on a newer OS without being recoded.
Budgeting 4. Does the organization have Microsoft Software Assurance or a Microsoft
Enterprise Agreement?
Staffing Skills

Outsourcing This affects software licensing from Microsoft.

Planning for Deployment 5. Are the users power users, typical users or light users?

Calculating ROI This is affected by the number of backend servers, which in turn drives the
Expert Tips and Advice
hardware and software costs of the solution: The better the consolidation, the
better the ROI.
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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This is where application virtualization can have a significant impact. If apps are
In this guide found to be under-used, application virtualization can improve license
management.
What is Desktop Virtualization
7. How large is the current desktop and application support staff? Are they
Why consider a Desktop looking to make changes?
Virtualization project?

Key terms to understand The answers to these seven questions often times determine if a customer will
achieve any type of ROI.
Comparing leading VDI vendors
ROI has different meanings for each organization and it can be developed
Evaluating Products
based on the following criteria:
Hardware
 Software licensing
Budgeting  Hardware purchase
Staffing Skills
 Hardware/Software maintenance
 Operations staffing (administrators and build teams)
Outsourcing  Support staffing
Planning for Deployment
By taking the different ROI criteria and matching them with the answers to the
Calculating ROI above questions, you can determine where a customer might be able to get a
decent return.
Expert Tips and Advice
1. Will the use case have local or remote users?
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b. Support staffing

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

c. Hardware purchase
In this guide d. Maintenance
2. Will the end devices (desktops, laptops, thin clients, etc.) be purchased
What is Desktop Virtualization or re-used?
a. Hardware purchase
Why consider a Desktop b. Maintenance
Virtualization project?
c. Support Staffing
Key terms to understand 3. Which OS will be used?
a. Software licensing
Comparing leading VDI vendors
b. Maintenance
Evaluating Products c. Operational staffing
d. Support staffing
Hardware 4. Does the organization have Microsoft Software Assurance or a Microsoft
Budgeting Enterprise Agreement?
a. Software licensing
Staffing Skills b. Maintenance
5. Are the users power users, typical users or light users?
Outsourcing
a. Hardware purchase
Planning for Deployment b. Software licensing
c. Maintenance
Calculating ROI
6. Which applications will be used? Are they all licensed?
Expert Tips and Advice a. Software licensing
b. Maintenance
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d. Support staffing

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
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7. How large is the current desktop and application support staff? Are they
In this guide looking to make changes?
a. Operational staffing
What is Desktop Virtualization b. Support staffing

Why consider a Desktop A return on investment from VDI can be obtained -- but it takes work to realize
Virtualization project?
these benefits. VDI implementation is not as simple as server virtualization:
Key terms to understand There are many more moving parts in VDI and it impacts the end-user
community. Therefore, a great design, architecture and deployment plan are
Comparing leading VDI vendors
vital to obtaining a ROI.
Evaluating Products

Hardware
Other costs to consider
Budgeting

Staffing Skills
Control VDI storage costs with configuration
planning
Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment

http://searchvirtualstorage.techtarget.com/feature/Control-VDI-costs-for-storage-
Calculating ROI by-careful-configuration-planning

Expert Tips and Advice To strike a balance between VDI costs and storage performance, you have to
Getting more PRO+ exclusive plan ahead. Virtual desktops come with different I/O and read/write
content requirements, so you have to decide whether your storage area network will
perform as expected. To determine whether desktop virtualization will be worth

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Virtualization

the cost of storage, figure out your performance needs, how many IOPS you'll
In this guide need and whether your VDI costs will be similar to physical desktop costs.

What is Desktop Virtualization Understanding VDI storage costs

Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project?
http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/tip/Virtual-Desktop-Storage-Basics-
Key terms to understand The-hidden-costs-of-VDI-storage
Comparing leading VDI vendors
Before you virtualize all your desktops, consider reducing the extent of your
Evaluating Products deployment to lessen storage requirements and cut VDI costs. Thin
provisioning, tiered storage and data deduplication can also help mitigate
Hardware
storage costs. Finally, take into account the hidden costs of VDI storage, such
Budgeting as manual desktop provisioning.

Staffing Skills

Outsourcing Building the business case

Planning for Deployment This document should help you explore the feasibility of Desktop Virtualization.
To help you organize your thoughts and compose a proper business case
Calculating ROI
consider this outline,
Expert Tips and Advice
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/How-to-write-a-business-case-document
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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

Expert Tips and Advice

In this guide
Best practices guide: Making VDI deployment magic

What is Desktop Virtualization

It takes more than sleight of hand to make a VDI deployment go smoothly.
Fortunately, there are lots of ways to ensure success: Pay attention to your
Why consider a Desktop applications, stagger your rollout and right-size your storage system, to name a
Virtualization project?
few.
Key terms to understand
You may not be able to pull a rabbit out of a VDI server, but you can get on the
Comparing leading VDI vendors right track with the resources in this guide. Plus, learn some tips from shops that
Evaluating Products have overcome some of the most common VDI deployment challenges.

Hardware http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/essentialguide/Best-practices-guide-
Making-VDI-deployment-magic
Budgeting

Staffing Skills Demystifying desktop virtualization technology

Outsourcing When it comes to virtual desktop infrastructure, administrators have a lot of

choices. You may have wondered about the differences between desktop
Planning for Deployment
virtualization technology and product options, remote display protocols or all the
Calculating ROI licenses out there. In this series, we tackle some of the biggest head-scratchers
facing VDI admins to help you get things straight.
Expert Tips and Advice

Getting more PRO+ exclusive Check back each month for the latest installment of the "Let's get this straight"
content series below. If you encounter something in your desktop virtualization travels
that you want cleared up, write to us at

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/essentialguide/Demystifying-desktop-
In this guide virtualization-technology

What is Desktop Virtualization Troubleshooting tips for VDI deployments

Why consider a Desktop With so many moving parts in VDI deployments, it's easy for things to go wrong.
Virtualization project?
Problems with remote connections, storage, management and latency can keep
Key terms to understand your to-do list full.

Comparing leading VDI vendors Fortunately, there are some easy ways to avoid common issues in virtual
Evaluating Products desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments in the first place. And if you made
some missteps setting up your deployment that resulted in problems staring you
Hardware
in the face right now, never fear. We've got troubleshooting tips for some of the
Budgeting most common VDI woes.

Staffing Skills http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/essentialguide/Troubleshooting-tips-

for-VDI-deployments
Outsourcing
Desktop virtualization market guide
Planning for Deployment
The desktop virtualization market has changed a lot over the years, so IT
Calculating ROI professionals who looked at doing VDI in the past may be surprised by what's
available now -- DaaS, hyperconverged infrastructure and perpetual product
Expert Tips and Advice
improvements have all helped change the virtualization landscape.
Getting more PRO+ exclusive
content Because virtualization technology evolves so quickly, it can be difficult to keep
up with trends and how they can affect your users: Will VDI adoption ever take

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

off? Is desktop as a service (DaaS) right for you? Should you try to sell higher-
In this guide ups on the value of hyperconverged infrastructure?

What is Desktop Virtualization Instead of getting bogged down in all the marketing babble, check out this guide
for the straight facts so you can get out of the weeds and into desktop
Why consider a Desktop
Virtualization project? virtualization.

Key terms to understand http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/essentialguide/Desktop-virtualization-

market-guide
Comparing leading VDI vendors

Evaluating Products

Hardware

Budgeting

Staffing Skills

Outsourcing

Planning for Deployment

Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

Getting more PRO+ exclusive

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 Project Success Plan: Desktop
Virtualization

In this guide
Getting more PRO+ exclusive content
What is Desktop Virtualization
This e-guide is made available to you, our member, through PRO+ Offers—a
Why consider a Desktop collection of free publications, training and special opportunities specifically
Virtualization project?
gathered from our partners and across our network of sites.
Key terms to understand
PRO+ Offers is a free benefit only available to members of the TechTarget
Comparing leading VDI vendors network of sites.
Evaluating Products

Hardware Take full advantage of your membership by visiting

Budgeting http://pro.techtarget.com/ProLP/
Staffing Skills Images; Fotalia

Outsourcing ©2015 TechTarget. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means without
written permission from the publisher.

Planning for Deployment

Calculating ROI

Expert Tips and Advice

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content

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