Transcript DV Impact Report - College of the Sequoias

Desktop Virtualization: Assessing
Organizational Appropriateness
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Impact Research
1
Executive Summary
See the Impact Report “Desktop
Virtualization: A New Desktop
Delivery Technology Takes Flight”
for key definitions and adoption
data.
Reduced desk side support costs, as well as streamlined desktop and application deployment and
management, drive desktop virtualization adoption.




Desk side support savings can be as high as 40%.
Most implementers report savings of 5% or more on hardware acquisition.
Streamlines desktop and application deployment and management with desktop virtualization.
Virtual desktops offer significant productivity, security, and other cost avoidance benefits.
There are three main reasons not to proceed with large scale implementation.



If a large proportion of users cannot be served by desktop virtualization solutions.
If there is no perceived need to expand remote access computing beyond traditional means such as
Microsoft Terminal Services or Citrix Presentation Server.
If implementation costs such as back end infrastructure and software licensing push the cost per
desktop significantly higher than a PC replacement/upgrade.
Desktop virtualization is an appropriate fit for enterprises with three key characteristics.

Three key characteristics include:
• An existing investment in server virtualization.
• A need to invest in new PCs or an upcoming PC refresh.
• A large proportion of users who can be served by desktop virtualization solutions.
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Research Method
Research Method
Deployments/Plans by Industry

The desktop virtualization Impact Reports are based on
results from 204 surveyed IT managers and in-depth
interviews with 30 IT leaders.
 All major industry segments, sizes of organizations, and
revenue brackets were represented.
 Organizations at all stages of implementation or
consideration of desktop virtualization were represented.
Organizations by FTE
5000+
(13%)
1-100
(10%)
5000+
(13%)
101-250
(16%)
1001-5000
(28%)
1 - 100
(14%)
1001 - 5000
(22%)
Manufacturing
(18%)
Education
(6%)
Government
(11%)
Business
Services
(14%)
Trans/Utilities/
Comms
(13%)
Healthcare
(14%)
Financial
Services
(15%)
101 - 250
(17%)
251-500
(13%)
501-1000
(20%)
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Planning on Implementing
& Implementers by FTE
Primary
Industry
(5%)
Wholesale/
Retail
(4%)
501 - 1000
(17%)
Impact Research
251 - 500
(17%)
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Key Desktop Virtualization Drivers
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Why Virtualize Desktops?
Implementing desktop virtualization can reduce desk-side
support costs by as much as 40%

Reducing desk side support can reduce total IT
spending by 5%.
• Workstation management and desk side support
takes up to 12% of IT expenses.
• Over 40% of implementers reduced desk side
support costs by as much as 16-40%.
Traditional Desktop Model
Distributed PCs impose asset
maintenance and support costs.
Deployment and configuration of the
hardware, as well as management of
application and OS configurations and
trouble shooting, typically happen at the
desk side.
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Virtual Desktop Model
With desktop virtualization a new
desktop – and new or upgraded
application stacks – can be delivered
to the end user without a need to
individually deploy or configure new
desktop hardware at the desk side.
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Why Virtualize Desktops?
Expect to save 5% or more on future hardware acquisition

Three quarters of implementers expect
hardware savings of at least 5% or
more.
 Many implementers noted that they
would not have proceeded with the
project if they could not show some
upfront savings.
Helpful Hint: Focus on short term gains as
long term gains are hard to demonstrate.
Almost all implementers agreed that
demonstrating hard dollar savings up front
was essential to getting budget approval.
“In our model it costs us about $1,200 to buy a desktop. So we could get a PC, keyboard,
mouse, and monitor running Windows. When we go to the thin client model, we are looking at
about $900. That is a 25% difference.”
IT Director, Financial Services
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Why Virtualize Desktops?
Additionally, virtual desktops offer significant productivity,
security and cost avoidance benefits.
Defer Costs
Improve Productivity & Security



Gain hardware independence. With
desktop virtualization a new desktop –
and new or upgraded application stacks
– can be delivered to the end user
without a need to deploy or configure
new desktop hardware. Application
deployment is more efficient as there is
less need for multiple configurations to
mitigate conflicts with variable hardware
and software.
Extend refresh cycles. Virtualizing the
desktop can prolong the life of existing
desktop hardware. New hardware
deployments need not be the latest and
greatest in performance and in some
cases can be thin client hardware.
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
Centrally deploy and manage desktop
operating systems and applications.
With virtualized desktop computing,
applications and desktops OSs are
managed in centralized processing and
storage.
Secure access. Application and user
data remains secure behind the central
firewall. This is particularly useful for user
desktops accessed from remote
locations.
“There are some big security gains if we can get
both the applications and the desktops themselves
consolidated into our data center. Being a financial
institution, we like the idea of there not really being
a C drive and there not really being data stored on
that computer.”
IT Director, Financial Services
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Why Virtualize Desktops?
Other benefits of virtual desktops include improved user
productivity and green savings

A fresh desktop every time. Virtual desktops generated from centralized master
images produce a new virtual PC with every start-up. Distributed PC performance
tends to degrade, and start up times lengthen over time as more junk is added to
the system.
 What “blue screen of…?”. Virtualized desktops are more reliable (less likely to
hang or crash) and if they are brought down, restart time is faster than a standalone PC.
 Fast updates. New desktops operating systems (such as a Windows upgrade)
and new productivity apps can be delivered with zero downtime to end users. The
central deployment means it is a win-win for IT as well as end-users.

Green savings. Migrating to diskless thin client
hardware to access virtual desktops has potential
green savings particularly for larger implementations
Note that reduced power consumption at the desk
side will be mitigated by increased power in the
datacenter for hosting servers.
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Average Power Consumption
Per client device (220
days/yr, 8 hrs/day)
Thin client
Wyse S10v
PC
Desktop
Power consumption
0.011
0.085
Annual KWHr
19.36
149.60
Cost (10 c/KWHr)
$2
$15
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Why Virtualize Desktops?
Cost and user characteristics main reason why some decide
not to deploy virtual desktops


Of 200 IT decision makers surveyed by InfoTech, approximately 17% had evaluated
virtual desktop solutions but had decided
not to implement.
In interviews with IT decision makers,
reasons given for not proceeding with a
desktop virtualization implementation
include:
• Total cost of solution per desktop was
too high to justify deployment. Cost
areas include backend server and
network and licensing.
•
•
Desktop Virtualization Adoption
40%
34%
35%
30%
25%
17%
20%
15%
10%
5%
5%
0%
Implemented
Implementing,
Piloting, Planning
Evaluated, not
going to deploy
User needs were judged to be sufficiently met by existing remote client access
technologies such as Citrix presentation server.
Too many users were unsuitable candidates for virtual desktop solutions (due to mobility
needs or local PC performance needs).
“There’s limited benefits for us to move to VDI because we already are gaining the advantages of
application virtualization through Citrix Presentation Server, or Xen App as it’s called now.”
IT Director, Waste Management
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Desktop Virtualization
Appropriateness
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
Desktop virtualization appropriateness comes down to three
main characteristics
Characteristic
1
2
3
Virtualized infrastructure
Description
Organizations with a previous investment in server virtualization
can leverage experience in managing server hosted virtual
machines. They have likely learned to plan capacity for appropriate
service delivery of VM-based applications.
Investment in desktops
and plans for refresh
Needs to replace or add a significant number of desktops can be a
trigger for considering alternate desktop delivery methods such as
desktop virtualization. This can include projects requiring
provisioning desktops for off-site client access (such as work-athome and business continuity projects).
Type of work being
performed by users
Desktop virtualization solutions can meet the client needs across a
broad base of end users. Implementers are looking at opportunities
to provide remote access to virtual desktops to users who
previously could not be served by traditional thin
client/presentation virtualization methods.
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
Desktop virtualization can solve the age old IT problem
The age
old IT
problem:
The
solution:
Deploying and managing personal computers is a
pain for most IT departments.
Why? Because distributing applications and data across a
large number of distributed processors is difficult to
manage and support.
Centralize all the applications and data in the data center (or
server room) and have users remote access it. Benefits of
doing this include:
 Reduction in desk side support costs
 Streamlined application deployment and management
 Improved data security and user-proofing
Organizations that could benefit from the above should evaluate desktop virtualization. The
end result should be more efficient desktop deployment and management while providing
improved deskop service to end users.
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
To effectively deploy desktop virtualization, strong
infrastructure needs to be in place

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
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Having capable IT infrastructure in place will ease
implementation complexity as well as improve the business
case for desktop virtualization.
Leverage the skills, experience, and tools developed in
managing virtual infrastructure for servers for the deployment
and management of virtual desktops.
Use existing server capacity for the initial pilot to avoid
buying a server solely for desktop virtualization.
A previous strategic investment in network storage will
provide not only capacity but also enable higher
availability/recovery of the virtual desktop infrastructure.
Network requirements are heavily dependant on the remote
access protocol used as well as whether value added
features will be used for things like streaming media
redirection to the desktop. Upgrading the network to meet
baseline requirements will add significantly to the total cost
per desktop of the desktop virtualization implementation.
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Strong Infrastructure Enablers
 Server virtualization is already
fully implemented
 There is sufficient server
capacity to support desktop
virtualization.
 Sufficient storage capacity
exists on your Storage Area
Network to support desktop
virtualization.
 Current network infrastructure
can handle bandwidth
requirements for desktop
virtualization.
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
Virtualization is a good option for organizations with high
support costs and who plan to refresh many devices

A major refresh provides an opportunity to
explore the potential of virtual desktops to
delay refreshes or to replace with lower
maintenance alternatives such as thin client.
 If the current cost to support and configure
PCs is an issue, desktop virtualization is an
appropriate means to help contain those
costs.
Other Infrastructure Enablers
 Many desktops are currently up for
refresh.

Support and configuration of PCs is a
major cost issue.
“We have 459 unique PCs out there whereas desktop virtualization would force us into a
more standardized image, so that it wouldn’t take 15 minutes to image that PC and a half a
day to customize it.”
Director of IT, Finance Industry
Your organization’s current IT infrastructure plays an important role in determining
appropriateness for a desktop virtualization implementation.
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
Desktop virtualization is inappropriate for users who need
high-performance graphics processing
DV Enhances Performance In:
DV Degrades Performance In:
Data intensive applications such as
SQL client applications.
 Why: There is likely a shorter
physical distance and wider pipe
(more bandwidth) between the
client application on the virtual PC
and the database server in the
datacenter.
Processor/Memory Intensive
Applications.
 Why: Virtual PC can be
provisioned with more virtual
processors and memory from the
server.
Full motion video, high resolution 3D
graphics animation, duplexing sound
applications, high end camera-ready
design and publishing.
 Why: If the application is accessing a
virtual graphics processor unit (GPU)
plus potential latency of transmission.
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“There are some job functions that are standard
enough that we’d be able to push out VDI. But
those pockets of users, such as software
development, or advertising, marketing, your
high-end Photoshop users, it just really doesn’t
make sense for them.”
Information Systems Manager, Credit Union
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
Mobile users are currently not appropriate for a virtual desktop

Note that mobile users is in reference to truly
mobile users, not just laptop or remote access
users. A true mobile user has significant offline use
while traveling. Such users may not always have
access to an internet connection in order to access
their desktop.
 A work at home scenario where a laptop is
employed is not a mobile user case. These are
remote/home users and are an appropriate group
for evaluating remote access of virtual desktops.
 Virtual desktop use for mobile users isn’t something
expected until 2011. See “The Future of Desktop
Virtualization” of the Impact Research Report, “A
New Desktop Delivery Technology Takes Flight.”
Appropriate User Types
(by location)
 Stationary users (connecting
using permanent LAN links)
 Roaming users (on multiple
permanent LANs)
 Remote/home users (use the
same link/device to connect
from multiple locations)
Inappropriate User Types
(by location)

Mobile users (significant offline
use while traveling, wide
variety of connections – LAN,
WAN, dial-up, public WiFi)
Outside of high performance users and mobile users, desktop virtualization can be applied to
many different user types successfully.
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
Summary: Consider motivators, infrastructure
characteristics and user base to determine
appropriateness
Use the “Desktop
Virtualization
Appropriateness Tool” to
assess your organizational
fit with the technology.
Desktop Virtualization is appropriate if:
 You’ve got the proper infrastructure in place. This includes an investment in server
virtualization, sufficient server and storage capacity, and a network infrastructure
capable of handling bandwidth requirements of virtual desktops.
 Support costs are an issue. If deploying and managing personal computers is a pain
for your IT department, desktop virtualization can reduce support costs, streamline
application deployment and management, and improve data security.
 Many desktops are currently up for refresh. A major refresh provides an opportunity
to explore the potential of virtual desktops to delay refreshes or to replace with lower
maintenance alternatives such as thin clients.
 Most of your users do not need high performance graphics processing. Desktop
virtualization degrades performance for this type of user.
 Most of your users are not mobile. True mobile users have significant offline use
while traveling and may not always have access to an internet connection in order to
access their desktop.
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Desktop Virtualization Appropriateness
Calculate the cost per desktop to compare a
virtualization solution to standard deployment
TCO Methodology

Use Info-Tech’s VDI TCO tool to gain a
deeper understanding of the costs
involved in a virtual desktop
implementation.

Only variable needed to get an instant
snapshot based on default assumptions
is number of desktops being virtualized.
While default assumptions are preentered, all variables can be adjusted to
user environment.
Rationale
Assumptions


Cautions


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Use the “Desktop
Virtualization TCO per
Desktop Tool” to
calculate a TCO for your
organization.
Screen Shot of Info-Tech’s TCO Tool:
The tool is not meant to provide
definitive guidance on which VDI
vendor to deploy.
Assumptions are based on industry
standards and will differ greatly on a
case by case basis.
Conservative estimates of vendors
analyzed are not significantly different.
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Challenges of Desktop
Virtualization
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Challenges of Desktop Virtualization
The paradigm shift is from servicing assets to servicing people
Desktop virtualization involves a change in perspective on desktop computing, from the
deployment and management of desktop assets to the delivery of the desktop as a service to
end users.
Traditional Distributed PCs
Hosted Virtual Desktops




Focus on acquisition, configuration,
and deployment of distributed
hardware assets.
Ongoing support involves
configuration and deployment of
applications OS across distributed
assets.
Desktop PC is the focal point
between user needs (demands) and
IT ability to deliver service. PC
support critical to service levels.


Focus on delivery of centrally
hosted desktop computing
experience to end users.
Quality of service dependant on
hosting servers, network,
connection brokering and endpoint
access device.
Desktop access device (PC thin
client) no longer the focal point.
Drive end point maintenance and
support toward zero while
maintaining or improving service.
In traditional distributed processing, service is intimately connected to what IT can deploy and
maintain on the desktop. With desktop virtualization, service depends on what can be delivered
to the end user from the datacenter or server room. This shift results in a variety of challenges
that must be dealt with.
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Challenges of Desktop Virtualization
Key cost challenges include licensing and back end
infrastructure costs
Challenge
Description
OS licensing
Costs
High Windows licensing costs have been a bane for many
desktop virtualization projects. Microsoft has been slow to move
from its traditional one user per physical PC paradigm to
accommodate virtual machines.
Virtual
Desktop
licensing
costs
In addition to the standard per end user virtual desktop
licensing costs, there will also be licensing for desktop
virtualization management and brokering software (such as
VMware View or XenDesktop).
Back end
infrastructure
costs
Server and storage assets are required to host virtual PC
desktops. Issues such as density (number of PC VMs per
server) are critical. A particular challenge is to have sufficient
infrastructure while ensuring that the cost per user is less than it
would be to distribute PCs (Refer to “Desktop Virtualization
TCO Model”).
“We pay for two
operating system
licenses, or
maintain two
profiles, which
lead to two
systems to
maintain at the
client side and DC
side.”
IT Manager,
Insurance Firm
Virtual machine density – the number of virtual desktop machines that can share a single server - is a
critical measure both for service to the end user and for calculating the total cost per desktop.
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Operating System licensing for virtual desktops: Microsoft
licensing still an impediment
Microsoft VECD



Vista Enterprise Centralized
Desktop license is required
for running any of Microsoft’s
operating systems in a
virtualized environment.
VECD is licensed per device
on a non-perpetual
subscription basis.
Without Software Assurance,
VECD comes to $110 per
device per year or $320 for
three years.
Other
VECD with SA



Vista Enterprise Centralized
Desktop with Software
Assurance (SA) is $23 per
device per year or $59 for
three years.
Vista Enterprise with SA
comes to $349 per device for
three year subscription.
Alternatively, SA can also be
added to existing Windows
licensing for $169 per device
for three years.



Apple’s Mac OS X is not
allowed to be run on a virtual
desktop.
Ubuntu (or any Linux variant)
is free to run on virtual
machines. It is increasingly
being looked to as a possible
alternative to Microsoft.
Solution providers such as
IBM or HP can provide Linux
based virtual desktops to cost
conscious enterprises.
Microsoft announced updates to its Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD) licensing in
February, 2009 to make it more affordable and flexible for virtual desktop implementers to deploy.
Virtual
machine
density – the
of virtual
desktop
can share
a single
serverVDI.
- is a
However,
organizations
still number
site Microsoft
licensing
asmachines
one of thethat
biggest
hurdles
in deploying
critical measure both for service to the end user and for calculating the total cost per desktop.
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Challenges of Desktop Virtualization
Compatibility, resistance and service are other challenges in
moving from servicing assets to servicing people
Challenge
Description
Application
compatibility
Applications that require access to local machines due to
specific hardware (e.g. manufacturing equipment) cannot
establish access from the data center where they are
hosted.
End user
resistance
(Don’t Take
Away My PC)
In the past, remote client efforts such as thin client access to
central applications has been seen by power users as an
effort to take away control of their personal desktop and
replacing it with an inferior experience.
Changes to
tech support
processes
IT organizations need to focus more on central management
and service levels and less on PC support. Supporting
virtual PCs is closer to management of server applications
than desktop PC technical support.
Network
service to end
users
Specific challenges include greater impact of network
outages on personal computing and increased latency
impacting end user experience.
“I have to take my hat
off to our systems
admin. It takes guts to
move away from
something that you’re
totally comfortable
with and can do in
your sleep. To walk
away from that to try
something that’s
totally foreign to us is
a little bit of a risk.
But so far, I’d say
overall it’s been a
good decision.”
IT Director, Finance
Company
Making a desktop a service rather than a computer puts greater availability and performance demands on
the network infrastructure.
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Key Conclusions
See the Impact Report “Desktop
Virtualization: Key Implementation
Considerations” prior to planning
your deployment.
Desktop virtualization will have the most impact in scenarios where it is a most appropriate fit.

Use Info-Tech’s Appropriateness Tool to gauge whether desktop virtualization is a good fit. Appropriate
scenarios include:
• There is an existing investment in server virtualization.
• There is a need to invest in new PCs or a major PC refresh.
• There is a large proportion of users who can be served by desktop virtualization solutions.
Get a realistic view of the total cost per desktop.


The greatest areas of potential payback for desktop virtualization include areas such as desk side
support.
However, implementers say that a TCO significantly higher than regular PC implementation is a deal
breaker. Use the ITA Premium “Virtual Desktop Infrastructure TCO per Desktop Tool” to calculate the
costs.
To move forward with piloting/implementing desktop virtualization, refer to the Impact Research
Report “Desktop Virtualization: Key Implementation Considerations.”

This planning report takes into account the specific challenges that implementers and planners have
reported.
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Case Studies
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Case Studies
A healthcare organization wanted ease of desktop
management, security and improved access from VDI
Desktop Virtualization Status: Implemented
Industry
Healthcare
Total planned VDs
400
Employees
2000
Current number of VDs
300
IT Staff
50
Revenue
$100M


Managing a diverse set of hardware across 6 hospitals.
Security, ease of access for nurses, and doctors from anywhere and
any device – follow me computing.
Vendor

Citrix XenDesktop
Vendor Selection
Criteria

Previous experience with Citrix XenApp
Main Drivers for
VDI
OUTCOME
OVERALL EXPERIENCE

Top Benefits


Top
Challenges
“Getting buy-in and
support from doctors
and nurses to attend
an hour training is as
difficult as getting
initial approval to
deploy the
technology in the first
place. Not sure yet
how I will deal with it,
not a clue!”

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Easier to manage – 4 of 6 hospitals onboard.
A lot of the back end infrastructure was
already in place so the deployment with thin
clients has been cost effective in leveraging it.
Dealing with proprietary healthcare
applications
Getting buy in from end users. Doctors,
nurses very sensitive to system changes.
The CIO was under pressure to improve administration of
client machines and the end user experience. The
datacenter had seen a recent upgrade, however the client
end machines were dated. They had enjoyed a good
relationship with Citrix while using Presentation Server and
were open to trying XenDesktop when it was introduced.
While they are realizing some benefits, significant
challenges with implementation remain at the 2 hospitals
that did not previously use Presentation Server.
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Case Studies
Licensing issue the main challenge for an automotive
organization’s implementation
Desktop Virtualization Status: Implemented
Industry
Automotive
Total planned VDs
50
Employees
650
Current number of
VDs
50
IT Staff
15
Revenue
$100M
Main
Drivers for
VDI


Managing remote users from garages
Security was a major concern due to past outages from viruses
Vendor

VMware
Vendor
Selection
Criteria

In-house expertise and experience. Implemented within two weeks.
OUTCOME
OVERALL EXPERIENCE

Top Benefits


Top
Challenges

Control of desktop environment
while providing end users flexibility
Secured access and data
Enterprise CAL Microsoft licensing
Looking for a way to support client
booting from a non-windows
system
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The implementation was deployed by a
VMware certified staff member on time
and on budget. The main challenge
they faced was giving end users
flexible access (to a full windows
desktop) while controlling and securing
enterprise data.
Impact Research
“Our biggest
challenge with VDI is
the hit we take with
Microsoft licensing.
We’re an enterprise
CAL customer of
Microsoft, and we see
an issue where if it’s a
company asset and
company license on
the workstation, and
then they connect to a
VDI, we’re getting
double hit. So to-date,
probably our biggest
barrier to expanding
use of VDI is that we
don’t have a clean
way to have a client
workstation running
something other than
Windows.”
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