Desktop Virtualization @ U-M

September 28, 2011

Ryan Henyard

ITS – Desktop Infrastructure

Overview

• Introduction to Desktop Virtualization

• MyDesktop Service

• How We Got There

• Use Cases

• Takeaways

• Future Plans

Our MissionProvide a campus service to:

- Access applications and/or customized desktops remotely

- Increased security- Manage desktops more

efficiently- Potentially save on energy,

equipment, and physical space

- Develop distributed administration model which allows admins to manage their own desktop images and settings.

A number of intersecting efforts…

…and other incentives

• Reducing redundancy– Momentum on campus towards VDI; various

units already considering/piloting VDI technologies

– Centrally provided service would save University money; units could benefit from more buying power for new infrastructure

– Saving effort by providing shared infrastructure

We provision aNetwork for each new customer; some customers have more than one network to meet different security needs

Customers have options for their base images:-Create new blank VM (for existing provisioning systems)-Copy of U-M Shared Desktop image-Import existing image file-Customer chooses specs for machines (# of processors, RAM, HDD)

Customers can create multiple pools from one base image

Customers are billed based on pool size; per machine cost determined via formula partially based on specs

VDI Pools

Non-Persistent Pools – “floating” pools of machines– Users are connected to a random clone, which

can be reverted back to your last snapshot after logout

Persistent Pools– Dedicated 1-to-1 user assignment– Machines are permanently assigned to a user

after the first connection; can be paired with separate disk for user data

How Did We Get There?

Project Summary

• Service officially in production after 10 months of project/pilot : 9/09-6/10

• Short exploratory phase to select a vendor

• Relied on existing expertise with various components

Choosing VMWare

• Previous expertise on campus with their products

• Existing VMWare ESX infrastructure

• Relatively compact server architecture required

• Wide compatibility with thin client devices

• Active Directory integrated access management

Choosing VMWare

• Significant disk savings using Linked Clone technology

• Connection software available for Windows, OSX and Linux

• Important new features available in View 4.5 (delegated administration, viable persistence

Initial Use Cases

Virtual Sites• ITS-managed environment• A virtualized desktop nearly

identical to our campus computing labs

• Provides common and specialized software to windows users on an as needed basis

• Give Mac users a way to use Windows-only course software

• Available to students, faculty & full-time staff

Virtual Desktop Hosting

• Unit-managed environment– Allows units to maintain management &

control of the OS– Units can use existing resources (images,

deployment systems, group policy, network shares, etc.)

– Units control availability

Virtual Classrooms

• Specialized Virtual Sites image

• Gives units the ability to reserve large blocks of Virtual Sites machines through the MyDesktop service

Rates

1 Base Virtual MachineIncludes 1 CPU, 2GB RAM, 40GB Disk

$21.35/month ($256.20 annually)

Additional 1GB storage space $0.28/month ($3.36 annually)

Additional 1GB RAM $3.11/month ($37.32 annually)

Additional 1 CPU $3.11/month ($37.32 annually)

VDI machines are ‘fully costed’ – includes staff time, hardware, power, etc.

The biggest impetus for moving to VDI is not that virtual machines are cheaper than physical hardware; the savings come from easier management, provisioning, user continuity & remote access.

Streamlining the Process

• Campus Admin Pool– A pool of desktops that Unit admins use to work on

and manage their base images. – Users new to virtualization can learn by doing:

building their VDI images using the system itself

• Trial Network– Trial network allows units to start working on their

base images almost immediately, and then transfer them once their unit’s network is available.

Campus Examples

ICPSR

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research

• Deploys pools of non-persistent desktops to allow secure access to sensitive datasets

• Limits access to desktops based on IP• Provides strictly licensed applications on VMs to

reduce potential costs• Uses roaming profiles & network shares to store

user data

ITS Desktop Support

• Provides remote access to common loadset for Business & Finance along with ITS

• Uses roaming profiles & CIFS Storage to store user data

• Aids in transition to Windows 7

School of Social Work

• 70 Dell Latitude E5520 laptops with SSD hard drives and extended batteries

• Homegrown software thin-client, configured with automatic logins and pool connections

• Connects to a Virtual Classroom pool of customized Virtual Sites machines

What we learned

• VDI can be an invaluable tool for testing– Test environments can be grown and

decommissioned quickly – snapshots enable easy rollback of unintended

changes

• Many of the “quick win” use cases involved non-persistent desktops– Admins liked being able to ensure the integrity of a

machine, knowing it is deleted after first use

What we learned

• Users want a solution that works on a wide variety of devices– Our pilots have connected via traditional desktops,

laptops, Macs, netbooks, thin clients, iPads and iPhones

– USB Redirection grants the possibility of using location-specific peripherals in conjunction with remote desktops

Future Plans

• Expansion of Virtual Sites

• Upgrade to View 5.0– Enables more delegated administration of

desktop pools, improved bandwidth usageprofile management

• Application Virtualization

Questions?

Contact

• MyDesktop Servicehttp://mydesktop.umich.edu

• Desktop Virtualization Websitehttp://www.itcs.umich.edu/virtualization/desktop

• Desktop Virtualization Teamvdi.requests@umich.edu