Solving 2 VDI Challenges with Application Jukebox

Vendor: Software2

Guest Speaker

Phil Spitze● Photographer and Photography Instructor● Senior System Admin by day● 15+ years in IT● 7+ years as Sys Admin● Focus on system design and implementation

A Story About VDI

● About Le Moyne’s computing environment● All in on VDI● Problem #1) Gold Image Bloat● Problem #2) VDI Pool Sprawl● How we found Application Jukebox (AJ)● Scense, AJ, Software2● What AJ enabled us to accomplish

About Le Moyne’s Computing Environment

● Private Jesuit College in Syracuse, NY● 3400 FTE Students● 520 FTE Employees● 18 Cisco UCS Blades● 3 Cisco UCS Chassis● Dell Equallogic, Nexsan iSCSI SAN Storage● Partridge in a pear tree?

Nope. We’re Dolphins!

About Le Moyne’s Computing Environment

Investment costs?$1.5M - 5 years$225K - VMware Licenses (current pricing)

About Le Moyne’s Computing Environment

Equivalent to just over 3000 HP Desktops!

About Le Moyne’s Computing Environment

What do we run on all that shiny gear?● 100 Win 2008R2 and Linux servers● Up to 700 VDI Desktops

Plus, a physical fleet of:● 350 VDI Thick Clients● 600 Standard Desktops

Original Plan: All In On VDI

● VDI would replace all physical desktops● Floating, non-persistent pools for student

labs and classrooms● Dedicated, Persistent pools for employees● Move to cheaper Thin client hardware in

place of traditional desktops

VDI Technology

Gold Image = -Virtual HW-OS-AV-Local Apps

Pool of Linked Clones

ThinApps

All In On VDI - Year 1

● 1 Gold Image● 100 Installed Apps● 100 ThinApps● 300 VDI Desktops● 1 Pool

VDI Sprawl - Year 2

● 2 Gold Images● 100 Installed Apps● 200 ThinApps● 400 VDI Desktops● 4 Pools

○ Students: On Campus, Off Campus○ Employees: On Campus, Off Campus

Gold Image Bloat and VDI Sprawl

Professor Bob would like Maple● Needs 2 vCPUs > New Gold Image

> New VDI Pool

Professor Jane requests MS Project● Limited License > New Gold Image

> New VDI Pool

Gold Image Bloat and VDI Sprawl

Comm. Adjunct wants entire Adobe Suite● Local Install > Large User Profiles

> Long login times

Professor wants to teach SPSS to outside clients using a single guest account● Multiple logons > New VDI Pool

Year 3

● 9 Gold Images● 150 Installed Apps● 200 ThinApps● 650 VDI Desktops● 11 Pools

○ Students, Employees, On Campus, Off Campus, Specific Classes, Labs, Multiple Logins

● (But only 200 concurrent users!)

“There has to bea better way!”

What We Wanted

“Computing Bubbles”● A way to provision software around each

user intelligently and on-demand.● A way to properly size our VDI environment

to reduce VMware licensing costs.● A way to empower users to customize the

look and feel of their desktop (even with VDI.)

How We Found AJ

● Started by trying to solve user profile bloat and slow login times

● “UEM Smackdown Whitepaper” from PQR● Scense Workspace Management● Software2 (Global Distributor of Scense,

Application Jukebox, and Nexthink)

Software2

● Conducted Scense Demos● POC for XP to Win7 migration (physical

fleet)

“By the way, can we show you Application Jukebox?”

Well, that turned our heads...

Priority Switch

Even though we originally were seeking a UEM solution, AJ was so good that we fully funded it almost immediately.

Scense, the UEM solution from Software2 will be fully funded for 2016.

What is AJ?

Application Jukebox● Technology that separates the application

layer from the OS through virtualization.● Handles drivers, services, Registry, etc.● Enables isolation from the OS, or integration

with the OS.● 100% of Windows applications

What is AJ?

● Gives application admins complete visibility into all components of a piece of software.

● Presented as a “software store” website akin to the iOS and Android App Stores.

● Empowers end users to self-install (launch) any software available to them.

● Administrators can control software availability via AD Security Group.

AJ + VDI - Going into Year 4

● 5 Gold Images● 125 Installed Apps● 200 ThinApps● 30 AJ Apps● 500 VDI Desktops● 8 Pools

○ Students, Employees, On Campus, Off Campus, Specific Classes, Labs, Multiple Logins

● Fewer VMware Licenses

AJ + VDI - Plans for Year 5

● 1 Gold Image● 12 Installed Apps● 150 AJ Apps● 300 VDI Desktops● 3 Pools

○ On Campus, Off Campus, Multiple Logins● Even Fewer VMware Licenses

AJ Across Campus

● VDI● Physical Desktops● Pilot BYOD● Pilot Amazon Workspaces● Pair with Scense for on-demand,

personalized desktops - creating our “Computing Bubbles”

AJ Benefits for Le Moyne

Virtual and Physical Hardware(VMware and SCCM)

OS(VMware and SCCM)

User Environment(Scense)

Applications(Application Jukebox)

Just-in-Time

- not -

Just-in-Case

AJ Benefits for Le Moyne

● One instance of each application to maintain and patch, without touching the Gold Images

● Self-service user installs - no more calls to Service Desk for admin credentials

● Plain vanilla base images (SCCM and VDI)● Easy hardware replacements, no app

installs, configs, or data transfers

What About Other Products?

Technology/Cost Limitations● Based on snapshot technology● Limits on number of appsets● 5x the AJ cost● Large backend infrastructure requirement

Just out from PQR:“Application Virtualization Smackdown”

In a Nutshell...

“For a small investment, Application Jukebox has enabled us to finally enjoy many, if not all, of the benefits originally sold to us regarding VDI.”

Demo and Questions

● Quick Demo by Software2● AJ Questions?● VDI Questions?● Photography Questions?