I. Introduction. An SHI International Corp White Paper IT Outlaw: Making VDI Friendly

Transcription

1 An SHI International Corp White Paper IT Outlaw: Making VDI Friendly I. Introduction As today s IT teams and budgets are leaner than ever, resource and time management are key to successfully navigating the challenges and demands of multi-user environments. Traditional desktop-driven environments limit IT staff s ability to manage resources or time. Luckily, there are now solutions and services utilizing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) technology that address these and other pains many IT professionals face, including: Utilization Expenses Reliability Confinement In an organization of 1,000 employees an estimated 100 to 300 days of productivity are lost due to device failure Complexity In the typical enterprise environment, a desktop or laptop system (device) costs $1,000 on average. Experience suggests that end-users typically only utilize 10% of the capacity of their devices, leaving 90% of the functionality untouched. However, 100% of each device must be maintained by IT staff each device must be repaired when it breaks, upgraded to the latest versions of software, and replaced generally every two to three years. What s more, when a laptop or desktop fails, the employee will lose at least one day of productivity more often upwards of two or three days are lost. In an organization of 1,000 employees an estimated 100 to 300 days of productivity are lost due to device failure. The cost of this downtime is tremendous. Other limitations contribute to lost time and increased costs. In traditional desktop environments, usability is all about location. Generally, a user can only access his device when it s right in front of him. This means that if he is at home and needs to retrieve or create a document, at best he must boot up his laptop, or at worst, he has to go into the office to use a desktop. Additionally, fixes, upgrades, monitoring, etc., can only happen when IT personnel can access the physical device. The challenge is that all of these devices are out in the corporate environment, in remote locations, at home offices, or with travelling users. The process and tools required to support this massively distributed environment (i.e., onsite technical support, distributed software management systems, distributed asset management systems, etc.) represent a significant expense and are major drivers of support challenges and complexity. A virtual desktop environment resolves many of these challenges and reduces complexity without increasing demands on IT staff. Next Page: What is VDI?

2 II. What is VDI? VDI is the reference architecture that details how to apply the industry standard model for virtualization to the desktop environment. The VDI architecture abstracts the desktop environment from the physical machine and consolidates that desktop environment within the datacenter, on a multi-user virtualization platform. This allows the virtualized desktop to be stored at a centralized location using resources that will be shared with other desktops in lieu of localized, separated resources. The architecture of VDI is broken up into four key components: A client device, which is used to connect to the virtualized desktop; A connection broker, which is used to manage the connection to the virtualized desktop; The virtualized infrastructure (hypervisor), which is used to run the virtualized desktop; and The virtualized desktop, which the end-user will connect to. VDI Architecture Next Page: How does VDI ease the pains? PAGE 2

3 III. How does VDI ease the pains? VDI provides a solution that benefits both the end-user and IT staff. With a VDI model, end-users no longer need powerful, complex physical devices (e.g., desktops or laptops) to run their desktop environments. Additionally, IT personnel attain the freedom to upgrade software, monitor systems and fix devices in a consolidated, timely fashion without halting end-user productivity. Overall, the benefits of VDI are numerous, including: Easier management VDI allows the IT department to centrally manage all desktop instances because they reside in the data center. Instead of using multiples tools to manage physical devices all over the world, they need only manage virtual instances sitting in a data center. Lower cost VDI helps reduce the overall cost of desktop computing by removing administration and resources from remote offices. Improved security VDI offers the ability to secure data, typically stored on the desktop, in the datacenter. Even if end-user devices are stolen, there is no impact on the data that is stored in the data center. Business agility VDI allows IT to adapt to changing business needs by adding and removing users instantly while retaining all of the sensitive information inside the datacenter. Applications can be added, removed, and upgraded very quickly in days instead of weeks or months. Greener approach With this solution, end-users can work from thin clients, which use less electricity than desktops or high-powered laptops, helping to reduce the company s carbon footprint. Client independence End-users can use any device to access their desktop environment, whether it be a thin client, a PC, a Mac, or even a Web browser. Resource optimization Server-class hardware traditionally is built for greater performance and redundancy than desktop hardware. By moving a desktop environment to a shared server, end-users are able to leverage those benefits. Processing power can be allocated to users when they need it, creating a better end-user experience than a traditional desktop platform. Service orientation VDI allows provisioning of desktop environments instantly, therefore companies can meet or exceed business Service Level Agreements (SLA) because they can now recover quickly from operating system (OS) failures and resolve issues in a timely manner. Next Page: Implementing the VDI Solution: IT Outlaw PAGE 3

4 IV. Implementing the VDI Solution: IT Outlaw A solution is only as good as its implementation and end-user support. Although VDI can address many pains experienced by IT personnel in managing a multi-user environment, the challenges of implementation and support can create a roadblock to fully optimizing the solution. IT teams need to carefully address the following challenges: Assessment of end-user environment Not every end-user is a candidate for a VDI solution. IT personnel need to assess user personalities, requirements, and environments carefully and plan to roll out the solution to endusers who can easily adopt it. Choosing the wrong users can create early customer satisfaction issues, potentially crippling a VDI initiative. Proper architecture IT personnel must ensure there is sufficient capacity and infrastructure to support VDI candidate users. Prioritization With a multitude of tasks already weighing on the IT staff that support other datacenter applications and infrastructure, finding time and focus for a new implementation can be challenging. Someone needs to take a lead in prioritizing the implementation of the VDI technology. Reluctant end-users A lack of comprehension and reluctance to adopt change may result in resistance from many end-users to give up their desktop machines. A coordinated communications campaign must be implemented to generate understanding and enthusiasm for the new initiative. IT support must be proactive in assisting with end-user adoption. Insufficient support By centralizing all desktop computing, the availability of the support infrastructure becomes critical. Systems must be carefully monitored by technicians familiar with VDI technology to ensure that service is available and delivered consistently. IT Outlaw, a new service offering from SHI International Corp., provides a complete solution that addresses these challenges to facilitate successful VDI implementation and end-user adoption. What is IT Outlaw? IT Outlaw is a Managed Desktop offering that leverages the latest virtualization technologies to provide a complete desktop computing environment for a fixed monthly fee, including ongoing support. Next Page: Implementing the VDI Solution: IT Outlaw (continued) PAGE 4

5 From start to finish, SHI takes care of every phase of implementing and managing a VDI environment. SHI assesses the current desktop environment, then designs, tests, and deploys an efficiently architected VDI solution for all end-users that will benefit from the technology. From there SHI leverages a world-class Help Desk to provide ongoing support with fully-integrated systems management. The Complete Package: SHI s IT Outlaw includes the following key steps for success: 1. Assess: SHI VDI Analyst Performs Gather Requirements Identify Assessment Group Workload Statistics VDI Compatibility (Network, Latency, Login, Graphics) 2. Design Review Assessment Findings Infrastructure Framework Establish User Groups Develop Execution Plan 3. Pilot Deploy Solution to Candidate Group Monitor System Performance Adjust Infrastructure (as needed) Review User Feedback 4. Deploy Deliver on Execution Plan Integrate with Current Environment Test and Document Transfer Knowledge Perform User Migration 5. Manage a. Monitoring Performance Resources Adjustment (where needed) b. Support Help Desk Onsite Dispatch Break/Fix Next Page: Benefits of IT Outlaw and Why SHI? PAGE 5

6 V. Benefits of IT Outlaw The IT Outlaw offering addresses the challenges that implementing and supporting a VDI solution can pose and offers many benefits, including: Simple Cost-per-Month per Seat It is easy to budget and plan for this VDI solution because IT Outlaw includes your hardware, software licensing, and support services as well as the end-user help desk. Shared Resource Model As demand changes, SHI dynamically scales the solution so that desktop performance remains consistent and power is available when needed. Redundant Infrastructure Fault tolerance is built into this solution, virtually eliminating any downtime, resulting in high availability. Flexible Architecture As business needs change, this solution provides the flexibility to quickly adjust the desktop environment. Proactive Monitoring SHI engineers gather metrics on performance trends so that they can address issues before they occur, which increases system availability and responsiveness. Ubiquitous Access IT Outlaw provides a consistent desktop experience across the entire virtual organization for improved productivity and agility. IT OUTLAW FEATURES & BENEFITS FEATURE Simple Cost-per-Month per Seat Shared Resource Model Redundant Infrastructure Flexible Architecture Proactive Monitoring Ubiquitous Access BENEFIT Easy to Budget & Plan Power When You Need It High Availability Rapid Response to Business Needs Increased Availability & Responsiveness Improved Productivity & Agility VI. Why SHI? SHI is a leader in VDI technologies and has extensive experience providing support solutions to some of the largest companies in the world. With a proven methodology for implementation of VDI (assess, pilot, deploy, manage) and a commitment to customer satisfaction, SHI offers a customized solution to meet client-specific needs and exceed expectations. Ready to get started? An in-depth assessment by SHI provides guidance in determining if a virtual desktop initiative will align with the operational and financial objectives of your organization. During this key phase, SHI assesses your current environment to provide a snapshot of user candidates and ways to optimize the VDI solution. The information gathered is imperative to planning an implementation that is successful and adopted effectively by end-users, enabling you to fully realize the business value of the VDI solution. Contact SHI today to request your assessment engagement [email protected] PAGE 6