TechInsight - Real World Implementation of VDI

Editor's Notes

• #3: Session Summary: This session takes you through planning and deploying a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solution. We will take a look at the considerations needed in sizing, networking, capacity, as well as the components and technologies needed to set things up. Last but not least, we will explore the TCO of VDI
• #4: Let go through our agenda today, As usual, I will talk about some introduction about VDI. Some of you may be first time heard about the concept of VDI.Then i will talk about the component and how it work using RDS and Citrix solution and lastly some tips and trick on VDI Capacity Planning.
• #6: Will Remote Desktop Session Host and Remote Desktop Virtualization Host kill Rich Clients?Did online banking and credit cards replace cash and wallets?Did public transport services replace individually owned vehicles?There’s a simple rule: Virtual Desktops are useful for all enterprises, but not for all users!Keep in mind:- “VDI fits for every customer but not for every desktop”
• #7: Moving on , Microsoft and Citrix has a strong partnership in VDI offering.Some of the key components of the Microsoft VDI offering are:First, on the Virtualization Platform. Microsoft has Hyper V R2. Hyper V R2 is a Hypervisor based virtualization system which allow you to virtualize Remote Desktop Services and Client operating system on a single physical machine. In R2, you can introduce Failover Cluster and Live Migration. Live migration allow you to migrate virtual machine from one node to another node without any interruption. User will not experience interruption when accessing to remote desktop.2. Next, on Desktop and Session Delivery. Last year November, Microsoft has launched Windows Server 2008 R2 which allow you to VDI with Remote Desktop Services. Desktop and application can make available to user by using RDS.3. Then on Application Delivery, Microsoft has Application Virtualization (in short form- called App-V) allow you to virtualize application and stream the application to the user desktop. For example, you have Microsoft Office 2010 and Office 2003. By using App-V, both application can run without any conflict. Meanwhile on R2, you can use RemoteApp to host application on the server and make it available to user. This is similar as terminal service.4. Moving on, on User profiles and data. Microsoft has Roaming profile feature in. Roaming profile is one of the features which allow you to have similar setting and desktop wallpaper when you access to desktop virtual machine. Folder redirection refer to automatic rerouting standard folder such as My Document, My Picture and Start Menu to a shared storage. By using folder redirection, you can introduce centralize data and backup.Lastly on Management side, Microsoft has System Center Management Suite.1. Systems Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008:VMM allow you manage physical and virtual machine infrastructure. You can use VMM to perform commissioning and decommissioning of virtual machine as well as to perform P2V (Physical to Virtual Machine conversion) . By using P2V, you can convert your existing physical desktop to virtual machine and store into data center.2. SCCM allow you to perform software update, software distribution, operating system deployment, asset management, hardware and software inventory.3. SCOM provide an end to end solution for monitoring. You can integrate with VMM to enable reporting and enable one of the feature called enable PRO TIP. PRO TIPS allow the system to react. Example: If physical host not enough RAM, PRO TIPS can move the host which has available system resources.Lastly, MDOP is available for Software Assurance and APP-V is part of MDOP.On Citrix technology, Danny will talk more about it later.---------------not important-----------------------------------Desktop delivery through Citrix Xen Desktop:Citrix XenDesktop™ offers a next-generation, user-centric desktop virtualization solution that provides a complete system for desktop delivery.  XenDesktop dynamically assembles virtual desktops on-demand, providing users a new, yet personalized, desktop each time they log on – ensuring that performance never degrades. In addition, XenDesktop’s high-speed delivery protocol provides unparalleled responsiveness over any network which helps in desktop optimization. Hence, in the WS08 R2 timeframe, we will have two options for implementing VDI:For large, complex enterprise deployments, the joint Microsoft and Citrix solution will continue to offer a superior set of features.For small scale departmental implementations, the Microsoft-only stack will provide the best balance of features and price.Organizations that are considering VDI today, are encouraged to deploy the current Microsoft-Citrix offering, as this will enable them to lay a foundation to grow their VDI infrastructure in the future.
• #8: Rich multimediaReal-time collaborationUSB plug-n-play3D graphics applicationsBest network performanceBranch office optimization
• #12: Now, let look into how RDS is working…
• #14: Instead of talking about RDS…let see RDS in action..
• #16: In a VDI architecture, users can be mapped either to a static, or “persistent” virtual desktop, or a dynamic (“non-persistent”) virtual desktop.In static mode, there is a one-to-one mapping of VMs to users. The more users you have, the more VMs you need. VMs are stored on a SAN or NAS and execute on the server. Static virtual desktops are a good fit for users who expect to find the exact same desktop environment upon login as they left it on the last logout. However, large numbers of static desktops lead to increased maintenance efforts and cost.In a dynamic architecture there is only one master image. Instead of having to manage many dedicated images, you support one image that is automatically replicated as needed for users. User applications are provisioned onto the VM either via Microsoft Presentation Virtualization (TS RemoteApp) or via Microsoft Application Virtualization (formerly known as SoftGrid) based on user profiles; the data are stored centrally on the server via Microsoft Profile Virtualization (folder re-direction). This makes it easier to manage the VMs and dynamically provision desktop environments, and it also helps reduce maintenance and support costs.In either scenario, virtual desktops are presented to any client device with a remote desktop client such as on a PC or a thin client.
• #23: Failover (live migration)Do you need HA for the guests? If not then do not implement Failover Clustering !Stand Alone node support up to 384 guestsWindows Failvoer Clustering scalability 1 host is dedicated as a failover host 15 nodes X 64 Guests = 960 Guests per cluster.Recommended VDI cluster size: 1000
• #25: SLAT is for processor support paging at the hardware level
• #27: he Microsoft team attributes this improved scalability to Windows 7 being a virtualization-aware operating system. Windows 7 includes several features which improve its performance in a virtualized environment. Windows 7 includes the Hyper-V Host Integration Services as part of the base operating system Windows 7 notifies the hypervisor when it is idle so the hypervisor does not schedule guest operations Windows 7 includes optimized device drivers for network and disk Windows 7 provides improved storage and optimized page file management
• #30: Network should not have more than 5 hops and latecy should be under 100ms.
• #31: Total Cost of Ownership is a holistic view of enterprise costs over time, and includesDirect CostsCAPEX – Hardware, SoftwareOPEX – Administration, Operations, FeesIndirect CostsEnd-User Operations
• #41: Presenters please use this slide to direct participants to websites, books, trials, product pages etc as a follow through to your presentation
• #45: In order to deploy VDI using RDS:-On the server side, You need to have Active Directory in place. You must extend the schema to Windows Server 2008 and domain function level should at least configure to Windows Server 2000 native mode.RD server roles and client operating system should join to domain environment.To install Remote Desktop Services, you must use Windows Server 2008 R2. On my previous slide I have explained about 5 different component of RDS: RD Connection Broker, RD Session Host, RD Gateway, RD Licensing and RD Web Access. You can virtualize all these roles except RD Virtualization Host. To secure access to the VDI infrastructure, it recommend to get 3rd party certificate or you can deploy Internal CA from Microsoft.On the client side, you can thin or rich client as long the client has IE 6 or later, Remote Desktop Connection client version 6.1 and most important is a reliable network connection.-----------------------------not important------------------------types of certificate existSelf signed certificate – no trusted by any client. For testing. Manually install certificate into client computerInternal CA – create by AD CA. Automatically trusted by client in the domain. Manually export & import certificate to client or use GPOExternal /Public CA – Issued & purchase by trusted public CA. Automatically trusted by client cause the trusted root certificate is automatically included in the OS
• #46: Static Virtual Desktop pool is depended on Active Directory. You need to extend the schema to Windows Server 2008 and domain functional level to Windows Server 2000 native mode.Example:- If you have upgrade the schema to Windows server 2008 and domain functional level has set to Windows 2000 native mode and you are running Windows Server 2003 domain controller. You will see this property page on your left.In order for you to see additional tab: Personal virtual desktop, you need to use Active Directory Users and Computer from Windows Server 2008 R2 or RSAT on Windows 7.
• #47: On VM naming, Static Virtual desktop need to name in FQDN format. You need to put exact computer name as similar inside the VM with . Domain name. For example: VDI01-Win7 is the computer nameContoso.com is the domain name.