Desktop virtualization redefines how desktop computer services are delivered, offering the best of both worlds: centralization plus full desktops for more types of users. Use this research to: •Understand desktop virtualization to expand the use cases beyond traditional task workers. •Develop a strategy that leverages a hybrid virtualization model to keep costs down. •Build the infrastructure from back-to-front to ensure you have met heightened storage, network and processing requirements. •Assemble the best combination of talent to manage the virtual desktop environment. •Optimize and configure the desktop image for optimal performance. Develop a desktop virtualization strategy to simplify software management, bolster data security and increase user flexibility, but be sure to consider TCO and appropriateness carefully.

1. Develop a Desktop Virtualization Strategy Transform IT from Asset Management to Service Management

7. Desktop virtualization shifts desktop processing & storage off of the physical desktop For the end user, the experience should be the same as using a local PC. They may not even realize that apps are not executing natively on a local CPU and OS instance. Access Device Orchestration Software Info-Tech Research Group

8. Consider every virtual desktop delivery method to provide appropriate functionality with minimal infrastructure upgrades Info-Tech Research Group Session Virtualization Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Application Virtualization

13. Go go go! Pending PC refresh & centralized management Info-Tech Research Group Organization’s whose PCs are about 4, maybe 5 years old will inevitably need to be replaced as they begin to fall short in delivering applications whose memory and processing requirements increase over time. Pending PC Refresh For the 14% of organizations implementing to avoid a PC refresh, v irtualizing the desktop prolongs the life of existing desktop hardware. T his is a great way to offset some of the capital expenses that often prevent organizations from getting into desktop virtualization. Go Carefully consider the current state of your infrastructure. DV has significantly greater storage and bandwidth requirements than desktop PCs. The savings realized by extending the PC lifecycle can quickly be eaten up by required upgrades to the infrastructure. Caveats In recent years, many organizations have deployed PCs on an as-needed basis, resulting in a complex and distributed PC environment. This can be difficult to support given varied hardware and app configurations. Performance also tends to degrade, as junk is added to the system. Decentralized Desktop Mgmt Access device hardware configuration is moot with DV because the OS & apps run natively on the server. Implementing virtualized desktops on those devices allows for deployment and management of software on a central desktop image. In addition, DV provides a new desktop image on every startup. Go DV is an expensive solution to this problem, so consider deploying with end-of-life PCs or in concert with a major software upgrade to maximize ROI. Caveats

14. Tread carefully: small deployments & mixed environments Info-Tech Research Group Given the cost savings and increasing accessibility of server virtualization, many SMBs and SMEs are looking to begin piloting desktop virtualization initiatives. Less than 1000 Seats Given the significant capital expenses for licensing increases and infrastructure upgrades associated with implementing DV, the benefits only really elicit practical and cost savings after about 1000 seats. Maybe Some organizations, however, may already have some pieces of the infrastructure in place as part of upgrades for other initiatives, making the TCO relative to a traditional PC environment more amenable to a small deployment. Caveats Organizations that are primarily composed of a single type of user, especially task/shift or knowledge workers, are an obvious fit for DV. However, for organizations that have a mix of different job types, the applicability of desktop virtualization may not be obvious. Many Different Job Types Given that the primary benefit of DV is improved app & OS management, implementing virtual desktops to a highly distributed environment may be counterproductive. Maybe DV saves time by enabling the simultaneous management of sets of desktops with the same app requirements. More desktops means more savings. While desktop virtualization can support multiple desktop templates for different sets of users, going too far can eliminate the savings. Caveats

15. Go, no go: Compliance & cost savings Info-Tech Research Group Industries such as healthcare and education, where compliance is a considerable factor, often consider desktop virtualization as a potential way to limit loss of personal information through lost or stolen laptops or other endpoint devices. Stringent Compliance Requirements With Desktop Virtualization, all data is stored on databases of the host organization. Sensitive information is not maintained on the access device. Thus, in the event of lost or stolen hardware, there is no danger of the data falling into the wrong hands. Without access to the host servers, the access device becomes a dud. Go Virtualized desktops are just a tool, and will not fix every security hole. If users are copying all their work email over to, for example Gmail, then the virtual desktops aren’t solving any problems. This represents a bigger issue. Caveats Many organizations have realized significant cost savings and infrastructure consolidation through virtualization of servers. Given IT’s significant investment in training and management in this environment, desktop virtualization is perceived to be the next logical step. Building on Server Virtualization Investment in server virtualization is not sufficient to warrant a move to desktop virtualization, though 20% of organizations are implementing for this very reason. Desktop virtualization is much more complex and does not elicit the same significant cost savings. No Go All that said, the experience procured from a server virtualization initiative will be valuable to a desktop virtualization deployment. In addition, while virtualized servers are not necessary for DV, they are deployed in most DV scenarios. Caveats

17. Carefully consider TCO & stakeholder communications, & assess user population fit as these factors have impeded others 3 Infrastructure will not support virtualized desktops 43% CAPEX does not fit current budget 43% Lack of in-house experience 48% Inappropriate User Population 65% Difficulty Communicating Benefits to Stakeholders 70% Unattractive TCO 86% Over 80% of organizations cited total costs as a major reason they decided NOT to deploy Source: Info-Tech; N = 23 I don't think the desktop virtualization market needs to change, just the way upper management thinks about it. -IT Manager, Manufacturing We need to see improvements in speed and reductions in the effort required to simulate the desktop environment to which users have become accustomed. -CEO, Management Consulting Services We need a more compelling financial case for adoption. -IT Manager, Government The huge number of remote users at our organization make desktop virtualization inappropriate. -IT Pro, Utility & Communications Organization The issue is the cost model, especially around BCP, storage costs and licensing compared to a traditional desktop deployment. Instead of desktop virtualization we will be looking at application virtualization. -IT Manager, Financial Services “ “ Why aren’t your peers deploying DV?

20. Avoid overspending by leveraging a hybrid virtualization model mixing VDI & session virtualization to keep costs down Info-Tech Research Group Task/Shift Worker Knowledge Worker Mobile Worker VDI Session Virtualization It’s not all or nothing. Don’t deploy VDI to all your users just because some of them happen to be knowledge workers. The infrastructure requirements that go along with VDI can be prohibitive relative to session virtualization. Deploy to the ideal scenario, when possible. The question isn’t “Should I deploy these task workers on VDI too?”, it’s “Should I deploy them with Session Virtualization, or leave them on their desktop PCs?” Select a flexible vendor. The best desktop virtualization vendors out there can deploy both VDI and Session Virtualization in the same environment to maintain flexibility and minimize cost. Mixed Users = Mixed Solutions

22. Understand requirements around storage input/output operation speed, the most significant performance bottleneck While capacity is front of mind for most IT pros when they think of storage, speed is of utmost importance to the success of the desktop virtualization project. Info-Tech Research Group

23. Determine single-disk IOPS capabilities to establish maximum total IOPS for your storage arrays Info-Tech Research Group = 1 ( AVG Latency [seconds] + AVG Seek Time [seconds] ) = + ( IOPS/Disk * #ofDisks * %Write ) ( RAID Write Penalty ) ( IOPS/Disk * #ofDisks * %Read ) IOPS per Disk 1 2 RAID Level Write Penalty RAID 0 1 RAID 1/10 2 RAID 5 4 RAID 6 6

24. Calculate input/output operation speed requirements to quantify your current situation & identify required upgrades Min Workload Boot up (~25-30 IOPS) Login (~14 IOPS) Heavy Work (~12-20 IOPS) Light Work (~4-8 IOPS) Normal Work (~8-12 IOPS) Work Mode Idle (~4 IOPS) Storage Requirements of a Single Desktop Max # of Supportable Desktops per Array IOPS per Array Max Avg Desktop Workload = Info-Tech Research Group

25. Looks to solid state drives & boot storm mitigation strategies to overcome limited IOPS in your storage arrays Info-Tech Research Group

26. Establish processing & memory requirements for hosting servers to ensure that users are happy but resources are not wasted Info-Tech Research Group

27. Assess bandwidth needs for specific usage scenarios to determine network requirements & identify necessary upgrades Info-Tech Research Group Desktop Activity Bandwidth Requirement Web Browsing 80-100 kbps Office Applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) 40-50 kbps Printing 500-600 kbps Video (NON HD; flash/WMV) 150-200 kbps/450-500 kbps Build in redundancy to keep desktops connected. The network is a single point of failure for virtual desktops. It’s absolutely critical to build in multiple routes – through switching and routing infrastructure – and utilize multiple ISPs, to maintain constant interactivity between servers and access devices. Calculate workload breakdowns to estimate bandwidth requirements. Calculate the percentage of a user’s typical workday that is composed of each activity above, to establish average bandwidth consumption per user. Because most tasks are performed randomly throughout the day (except, perhaps, video consumption at lunch hour), most organizations should not use requirements for video or printing as a benchmark. This would result in an exorbitant overspend on network resources. VDI Requires “Always On” Mentality Start with 200-250 kbps per average user for office workers without video requirements (1 mbps with 480p video requirements). Info-Tech recommends…

29. Build success into the pilot by planning stakeholder support, training, third party help, ROI analysis and testing up front Info-Tech Research Group

30. Provide remote users access to virtual desktops from their own access devices at home instead of deploying laptops. Laptops are often used to provide work-at-home users with access to a secure desktop providing a DR option. Implementers have saved by providing remote access to secured virtual desktops instead without sacrificing user experience. Secure Home Access Why it works… Focus the pilot on delivering quick wins & short-term savings; consider the following scenarios of “low-hanging fruit” Pilot with users ready for a new PC to secure participation and user buy-in. Users will be more willing participants given degraded performance on their old PC, and often see a performance boost on the virtual desktop. It may also be possible to provide them with a performance and software upgrade without upgrading their hardware. New PC Candidates Why it works… Create a test lab of server hosted virtual PCs to test a new application or OS upgrade. This will eliminate the need to build out separate hardware for a pilot group to try out a new OS and software (e.g. Windows 7) because they can access upgraded hosted VMs from current hardware. The virtual test lab is cheaper and less disruptive for testers. Virtual Test Lab Why it works… Info-Tech Research Group

32. Desktop virtualization transitions from IT as asset management to IT as a service In traditional distributed processing, service is intimately connected to what IT can deploy & maintain on the desktop. With DV, service depends on what can be delivered to the end user from the data center, server room, or broom closet. This shift results in a variety of challenges that must be addressed. Info-Tech Research Group IT Focus Service End User Traditional Distributed Computing Virtualized Desktops The focus is on acquisition, configuration, and deployment of distributed hardware assets. Ongoing support involves configuration and deployment of applications, and OSs across distributed assets. Desktop PC is the focal point between user needs and IT’s ability to deliver service. PC support is critical to service levels. The focus is on delivery of a centrally hosted desktop computing experience to end users. Quality of service is dependent on hosting servers, network, connection brokering, and endpoint access devices. The desktop access device is no longer the focal point. Drive endpoint maintenance and support toward zero while maintaining or improving

33. Understand end user expectations to manage & optimize the environment appropriately Success in desktop virtualization is determined by whether the user notices degradation in performance of the desktop relative to their old environment.

35. With many chefs in the kitchen, make sure you only hand out one spoon; dedicated DV specialists yield greatest success 5 We convened a special task force to drive Desktop Virtualization. Our Windows Server Management, Network Engineering, Enterprise Storage, Asset Management, and Desktop Engineering teams all had representation. It was driven jointly by the server and desktop teams, as they had the greatest understanding of the technologies and also the vision to build a strong offering. I sponsored the project from a desktop perspective. We considered it an important step in controlling operating expenditures. - Technology Manager, Financial Services Info-Tech Research Group Specialized Team/Individual 17% Centralized App Mgmt Staff Desktop Support Staff 24% Server Admins 52% Centralized App Mgmt Staff Desktop Support Staff Server Administrators Specialized Team/Individual While most organizations hand decision rights to server administrators, organizations with the most success formulate a specialized team or appoint an individual Source: Info-Tech; N = 27 Source: Info-Tech; N = 30 “ “ Desktop Virtualization Project Success

36. Don’t accept defaults; configure the desktop image for optimal performance Info-Tech Research Group Tailor settings to your infrastructure and user needs to get the most out of your investment.

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