Introduction to

Virtual Desktop infrastructure

presented by:

[Hamid Salehian]

Familiar with Virtualization?

Virtualization: what is?

Software that manipulates hardware.

Virtualization: what is?

• The Kernel no longer gets direct access to hardware
• A hypervisor gets access instead
• A Specialized SW called as hypervisor emulates the PC’s CPU, Memory, HDD, network and other resources completely, enabling virtual machine to share the resources.  

Type 1 vs Type 2:

Hardware

Hardware

VMM (Hypervisor)

VMM (Hypervisor)

Host
OS

Guest OS

Guest OS

Guest OS

Guest OS

Guest OS

Application

Application

Application

Application

Application

Type-1

Type-2

Bare metal architecture
XenServer, VMware ESX server, Hyper-V
Mostly for server, but not limited
OS-independent VMM

Hosted architecture
VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, Parallels
Mostly for client devices, but not limited
OS-dependent VMM

bin/libs

bin/libs

bin/libs

bin/libs

bin/libs

Physical vs VM

Physical World

Virtual World

VDI

also known as DaaS (Desktop as a Service)

• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is a computing model that adds a layer of virtualization between server and the desktops
• Desktop-centric service

VDI: what is?

• End users connect to a remote desktop, but have a local experience

• In a virtual desktop model the programs, applications, processes, and data are stored and run in a centralized server environment.

• This allows users to access their desktops on any capable device, such as a traditional personal computer, notebook computer, smartphone, iPad, or thin client.

• Every desktop user can utilize the same image

Dominant Products to build VDI: Citrix [XenDesktop, XenApp] VMware [View, ThinApp]

VDI: what is?

• Desktop Location Independence

  • Hot-desking between Desktop PCs

  • Flexibly work from home and  offsite contractor locations

• ​Data Security & Compliance

  • Keeps data safe in the datacenter

  • Centralized tracking helps

• Business Continuity

  • Quicker recovery from device malfunctions

  • Centralized data storage and backup reduces losses from stolen devices

• ​Centralized Management

  • Reduced IT travel to user workstations for support

  • Improved desktop lifecycle management through quick access to centralized desktops.

VDI: why?

How it Works?

Architecture

VDI Server

Virtual Machines

Virtual Desktop Agent

VDI Client

Virtualization Management Platform

Session Broker

Architecture

• Virtual Desktop Client (VDC)

  • ​The converged end user device

• Virtual Desktop Agent (VDA)

  • The control software reside in a virtual machine hosted in datacenter

• VDI Protocol

  • Transport the necessary control commands and I/O data

• ​VDI Server

  • ​Virualmachin Hypervsior to provide VMs

• Session Broker

  • ​Distribute session from clients to VM

  • Redirect disconnected session of users back to their original VMs

• ​Vritual Management Platform​

  • ​Manage the servers

  • Provision VMs quickly

  • Use template and libraries of disk image to provision client OS in VM

  • Ensure there is always a pool of VM available for new session

Protocols

Decision about a protocol depends on the device end users

VMWare Horizon

• Directly Leverages the Power of vSphere
• Easier to Manage and Deploy
• More Companies Supported
• Better Integration with Microsoft Windows

VMWare Horizon

VMWare Horizon Arch

Citrix XenDesktop

Citrix XenDesktop

Citrix XenDesktop Arch

Want More...

Linux Containers

Linux Container

•  LXC (LinuX Containers) let you run a Linux system within another Linux system.
• A container is a group of processes on a Linux box, put together in an isolated environment.
• This is "chroot() on steroids"

Linux Container

Hardware

VMM (Hypervisor)

Host OS

Application

Application

Application

Hardware

VMM (Hypervisor)

Host OS

Guest OS

Guest OS

Application

Application

bin/libs

bin/libs

Guest OS

Application

bin/libs

bin/libs

 • From the inside it looks like a VM

• From the outside, it looks like normal processes

How it Works?

Hardware

Linux Kernel

Containers

Containers

Containers

Containers

Containers

SELinux

cgroups

namespaces

Drivers

Management Interface

• namespace
• cgroups
• SELinux

namespaceS

Isolate processes from one another

• process
• filesystem
• networking

1

2

3

4

5

6

7,1

8

8,2

9,3

10,4

namespace​

Cgroups

(control group)

Control resource allocation to processes

• I/O: limit reads / writes
• CPU: limit CPU usage
• Memory: limit total memory available

SElinux

Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) provides
secure separation of containers by applying
SELinux policy and labels.

2

Good, Bad, Ugly

• Difficult to manage
  • Variety of PC hardware and users’ need broadly distributed PC hardware
• Inefficient resource utilization
• High cost of PC management and support
• Difficult to protect and secure data
• Licences for application and OS required for every clients

Good

• Scalability
  • Rapid Client Deployment
  • Easy to deploy for scaled situation (If required easy to deliver new desktop for new users)
  • Better business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Energy Saving
  • Reduction in electricity costs, as thin client computers use only a fraction of amount of energy that is used by a desktop computer.
  • Green Computing
• Security
  •  Improved Data Security and centralized data storage
• Productivity
  • Improved worker productivity because of reduced PC downtime and the ability to access desktops from multiple locations;
• ​​Mobility
  • ​Access from Anywhere and Any device

• Established new classes
  • Oracle RAC
• Students can access for class desktop from any devices
  • Student can bring own laptops
• Virtual Classes
  • ​Trend in Education Systems
• Enable Hardware independently deployment for any client and desktop
  • ASM on Oracle
• Allow users to use mixed environment operating systems and application
  • Oracle Linux alongside Windows
• Data consistency
  • Restore to previous class session
• Data Security
  • Easy to control user in class
• Enable Limited Internet to class user  

Bad

• Fewer computers need to be purchased.
• Reduce cost of maintain and purchased hardware
• PCs last longer and older PCs are able to run on a newer operating system and updated applications.
• “Bring your own device” or BYOD programs

• The initial cost of VDI hardware exceeds the cost of purchasing new PCs
• There is a lot of new equipment your company needs to purchase before and after implementation.

• Most applications are easy to virtualize and seamlessly
• Run highly resource required Application and delivered to users (AutoCAD, Mathlab, Photoshop CS)
• Installed and maintained by functional group and can be mass updated and patched.
• Install application alongside without conflict

• Specialized applications that require modifications or special parameters are difficult to virtualize
• Some of your company’s applications are unable to be virtualized

• The operating system and applications are used on the same image making them less expensive to administer.
• The system is controlled centrally and fewer personnel are necessary to complete fixes.
• Reduction in desktop support costs
• Reduce IT personnel time

• Administrator turnover tends to be high during the initial implementation due to significant changes in duties.
• Require more training for admins to manage and configuration
• Training for users of VDI is challenging, they need to learn new terminology and transition to a different interface with different troubleshooting steps.

Deployment

pre process

• Collect detailed information on current estate
• OS versions and patch levels
• CPU make, model, speed,
• Physical memory size
• Age of device
• Total number of displays and maximum resolution
• Total number of local disks, total capacity of storage available, total amount of storage utilized
• Local printers USB devices and peripherals (connected at scan)
• Applications deployed • The installed applications discovered on the end point,
• Application usage • The average and maximum memory used by each discovered application
• The peak and average CPU usage of each discovered application
• Local storage usage – the amount of disk space broken down by application

• Software
  • Minimal
    • VMware Horizon Server
    • VMware Mirage
    • VMware Horizon Client
  • Recommended
    • Citrix XenDestop
    • Citrix Reciever
    • Net NetScaler

Requirment

• Hardware
  • Minimal
    • Server : HP Proliant DL380 Gen8
    • CPU :
    • RAM : 68 GB
    • Storage : 4 x 300 GB (1.2TB) SAS 10K
  • Recommended
    • Server : HP Proliant DL380 Gen9
    • CPU :
    • RAM : 128 GB
    • Storage : 6 x 300 GB (1.8TB) SAS 15K

Requirment

Question!?

References

• Vmware VDI http://www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tutorials/vdi-articles/general/virtual-desktop-infrastructure-overview.html
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure http://ebookbrowse.com/03-david-young-vdi-ppt-d138117600
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Protocol Problem Statement http://wenku.it168.com/d_000070198.shtml
• Microsoft Client Virtualization Strategy White Paper http://ebookbrowse.com/microsoft-client-virtualization-strategy-white-paper-final-brz-pdf-d216269211
• Citrix http://flexcast.citrix.com/technology/hostedshared.html
• VMware View 5 Competitive Datasheet
• VMware Reference Implimantation - Northrim Bank
• How to migrate XenDesktop to VMware Horizon - VMware Inc.

Thank You For Your Attention

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