Redefining the Desktop

Stu BakerAUL for Library Technology

stubaker@northwestern.edu

Overview

• Current environment• Advantages and Challenges• Desktop Virtualization technologies• Use Case Scenarios• NUL Virtual Desktop Strategy

Look familiar?

Current In-House Environment

• 800 workstations• Windows and Macintosh• Desktops, Laptops, Netbooks• 40 servers in-house• 7 TB of SAN storage

Time is Money, Money is Time

• Manage apps and OS on every device• Changes, additions are time consuming• Dealing with security and data recovery

is more complex• Hardware replacement cycles

expensive

Will these help ?

Advantages of Virtual Desktops

• Flexibility for Users and IT staff• Any device anywhere and anytime• Multiple desktops from a single device• Data recovery, business continuity• Security• Space• Green

The Challenges

• Not a one-size-fits all solution– It may not work for some users

– IT staff need to match the users with the right technical solution

• Performance• Peripherals• Scalability• Cost

Common setups

• Client Hypervisors• Terminal Services• Application Virtualization

Desktop VirtualizationTechnologies

Desktop VirtualizationTechnologies

• Hosted shared desktops • Hosted VM Desktops (VDI)• Hosted Blade PC desktops • Physical Desktop on demand apps• Local Streamed desktops• Local VM-based desktops (offline)

Types of Users

• Patrons and Guests• Staff workers• Remote workers• Mobile workers

Use Case Scenarios

• Virtual Computer Lab• Information Commons• Single use workstations• Specialized Faculty use• Specialized Staff use

The Server (Dell R710)

• 2 Intel Xeon X5680 chips - 3.33GHz

• 6 CPU cores per chip (12 total) w/ Hyper threading a total of 24 logical processors

• 48 GB of RAM.

• 345 GB of storage on Equallogic SAN

• VMware View 4.0.1 andVMware vSphere 4 Update 1

Thick client(Acer Aspire R3610)

• Windows 7 Professional

• 2 CPU's allocated to each VM

• 2 GB of RAM allocated to each VM

• 30 GB of hard drive space per VM allocated dynamically

• VM only stores the delta's from the base image which is a few GB per VM

NU Library Strategy

• Starting small with Info. Commons• Expand to single use workstations• Staff Admin Rights• Mac users• Disaster recovery/business continuity• Single-pane of glass management tools

Recommendations • Take-Aways

• Define service models & gather requirements

• Assume you will have a mixed environment

• Align use cases/requirements to the appropriate technology

• The User/Patron experience is the most important driver of success