You’ve probably heard a lot about desktop virtualisation lately, and maybe even been forced to add VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) to your overflowing acronym bank. Fear not! As usual, we’re here to de-obfuscate for you.

First of all, we assume you have a grip on the basics of virtual computing. If not, check out our past article on this topic: Virtual Computing

Virtualising servers has been going on for years now, and has become mainstream, even at the smaller end of the market. The advantages are just too good to pass up! But what about desktops? Are they worth virtualising? What are the benefits? … and the costs?

One of the attractions of desktop virtualisation is that users are insulated from the limitations of specific devices. Apple’s fashionable iPad is an example. It is a locked-down device that runs iOS; yet fire up an app like Citrix Receiver or VMWare’s View Client for iPad, and it becomes a Windows desktop. Not so sexy, perhaps, but ideal for getting on with your work.

Another attraction is that unlike file sharing and other such methods, you don’t just have access to your files (limited by whatever software is available on the local machine), you have access to your entire desktop, just the way you left it last time. And potentially from anywhere in the world – desktop virtualisation doesn’t require a whole lot of network bandwidth.

Lots of vendors have jumped on to desktop virtualisation and define the term according to their own offering. Here are the five most common meanings, according to Intel.

• Terminal Services: the old remote desktop model, based on sessions running on the server and accessed by remote desktop.
• Virtual Hosted Desktop: each user has a VM running on the server, accessed by remote desktop. This is inherently less efficient than a session to a shared desktop, but better for isolation and security.
• OS Streaming. In this model, a diskless client downloads an OS image from the server on boot. Streaming means that only the necessary software is transmitted on demand.
• Client side virtual container. This is the VMWare View Client Local Mode by another name. The local client hosts a VM downloaded from the server.
• Application virtualisation. In this model, users have a standard desktop with few applications fully installed. Most applications are packaged and installed on demand.

The term ‘virtualisation’, already overburdened when applied to desktops, has a different meaning when applied to applications. It describes how applications can be packaged into a self-contained bundle that runs without dependencies and without impacting local resources like the Windows registry.

The bottom line is that desktop virtualisation has evolved into a flexible and capable approach with few limitations, and obvious advantages for management, security and maintenance. The virtual revolution is not just for servers. If you need some help to think through which options would be of most benefit to your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact The IT Department.