Microsoft and Citrix VDI: Virtual desktop implementation scenarios

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Table of contentsObjective

Microsoft VDI offering componentsHigh definition user experience .........................................................................................................3A very cost-effective and feature-rich solution .................................................................................3Integrated management .....................................................................................................................3How desktop delivery works ..............................................................................................................4

Departmental virtual desktop environment

Enterprise desktop delivery with application virtualization

Enterprise virtual desktop with application and presentation virtualization

Summary

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Objective

This document highlights three scenarios in which to implement Citrix XenDesktop™ and extend Microsoft®’s Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to deliver an enterprise end-to-end desktop delivery solution that addresses the scalability and management requirements while maintaining the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for small to enterprise-sized organizations.

Microsoft VDI offering components

Citrix and Microsoft deliver a virtual desktop solution based on XenDesktop and Microsoft VDI that centralizes and delivers desktops as a service to users anywhere, reduces virtual desktop TCO and improves data security by centralizing desktop lifecycle management in the datacenter.

Unlike other desktop virtualization alternatives, it delivers the following benefits:

High definition user experience

XenDesktop provides a rich user experience over the LAN and WAN, even over low bandwidth high latency connections. Most VDI offerings do not perform consistently over WAN connections, thereby lowering worker efficiency and defeating the very purpose of using the desktop as a productivity tool.

A very cost-effective and feature-rich solution

Compared to many of the existing VDI products today, the Microsoft and Citrix solution is the most cost effective and complete virtual desktop solution available, offering a powerful feature set unmatched by the competition. Operating system (OS) provisioning technology allows organizations to use a single master desktop image in the datacenter to provide users a pristine desktop at each logon, thereby drastically reducing maintenance and cutting storage costs. Application and presentation virtualization technology solves application conflicts and enables separation of applications from the desktop image, providing greater flexibility and simpler management.

Integrated management

Most VDI offerings in the marketplace require additional management technology, which usually does not leverage your existing investments in infrastructure management. The joint Microsoft-Citrix integrated management suite of products allows IT organizations to manage both physical and virtual desktops from a single, familiar management console, which reduces the complexity of managing multiple environments and allows IT to work with the familiar environment that they are trained on.

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How desktop delivery works

1. Authentication – With virtualization, users can access their virtual desktops from almost any computer. When connecting from a desktop appliance at work, the user simply switches the device on and is presented with an authentication page. If connecting from a home PC, the user is presented with an interface that looks identical to the in-office authentication page. At this point, the user enters her credentials, and the next thing that she sees is the virtualized corporate desktop.

2. Brokering and desktop assembly – After authentication, the desktop delivery controller (DDC) identifies the user and dynamically assembles her virtual desktop. The appropriate desktop operating system is streamed into the hosting environment using the built-in provisioning services. The user’s profile is combined with the desktop operating system, and the user’s applications are made available via integrated application delivery technology through Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V).

3. Server virtualization architecture – XenDesktop allows IT administrators to host desktop workloads on Microsoft Hyper-V™ or blade PCs. In addition, XenDesktop supports a broad range of client platforms (Windows®, Windows XPe, Windows CE, Linux, Mac OS and Windows Virtual PC) and any application virtualization solution (Microsoft Application Virtualization and Citrix® XenApp™).

4. Desktop delivery – Once the user’s identity has been verified, her desktop environment is then delivered via the ICA protocol. As part of the user verification stage, policies controlling the user’s environment can be applied, such as limiting the user’s ability to upload files if she is connecting from a home PC. XenDesktop streams the desktop over the LAN to a standardized PC or desktop appliance from a single desktop image that is managed in the datacenter. This offers centralized management and control of the desktop while leveraging the processing power of the endpoint.

The Microsoft and Citrix joint offering is based on a suite of Microsoft and Citrix technology designed to enable everything from enterprise-wide desktop delivery to low complexity VDI deployments.

The main components of this offering are:

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008:

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 provides a stable, high performance hypervisor platform and is the platform used in the following scenarios.

Microsoft’s VDI platform can also leverage Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 Standard, Enterprise or Datacenter editions including additional features such as support for clustering of VMs, backup for VMs and new management tools and performance monitors that keep virtual environments operating at peak efficiency.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008:

SCVMM has the capability to manage physical, virtual and session-based desktops from a single console.

SCVMM can integrate across non-Microsoft environments such as VMware® VirtualCenter and is integrated with XenDesktop.

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) OR Remote Desktop Services:

These technologies enable separation and virtualization of applications from the operating system thereby reducing conflicts and improving application management efficiency.

Microsoft App-V enables applications to be centrally stored on a server, while allowing for local execution of the application by streaming it onto the user’s desktop.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services® enables applications to be stored, managed and executed on the server without local client computing for applications with larger computing footprints.

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XenDesktop:

XenDesktop delivers a high definition user experience over any connection including high latency wide area networks. It simplifies desktop management by using a single image to deliver personalized desktops to both virtual and physical devices—in the datacenter or at the endpoint—and enables IT to manage service levels with built-in performance monitoring.

XenDesktop allows organizations to manage their virtual desktops at the lowest possible cost—enabling management of single instance of standardized desktop OS image while still providing complete personalization of virtual desktop to users. It includes the capability of dynamic desktop assembly, VM scheduling, profile management, desktop pooling, access permissions, application delivery, secure remote access and service level assurance.

Citrix offers editions of XenDesktop for different business requirements:

Standard

Advanced

Enterprise

Platinum

Visit http://www.citrix.com/xendesktop for features included in each edition.

Departmental virtual desktop environment

XenDesktop, Standard Edition provides a simple desktop virtualization that runs on the Microsoft virtualization platform and is managed from Microsoft SCVMM. The architecture is suitable for simple and low complexity environments.

Strengths:

Provides simple configuration for small deployments or for building a proof of concept or pilot.

Is a low cost solution that provides access to Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista® Virtual and Physical Desktops for use by internal or external users.

Manages the virtual infrastructure from a single pane administrative view of virtual machines (desktops and servers) and resources (libraries and CD/DVD repositories).

Delivers desktops using SSL technology to both internal and remote users through high performance, standards-based encrypted transmissions.

Ensures that the correct users connect to their desktops and that only screen updates, mouse clicks and keystrokes—not data—transit the network through centralized control policies.

Lets users pause desktops sessions and resume working from different locations at exactly where they left off.

Requirements:

XenDesktop, Standard Edition. Includes the user licenses for remote access via Citrix® Access Gateway™ (device not included).

Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Microsoft SCVMM.

Hyper-V Server 2008 to host desktop workloads.

Windows Server 2003 for the desktop delivery controller component of XenDesktop.

Windows Server 2008 for Microsoft SCVMM and for all other servers.

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Recommendations:

Integrate with Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) to stream applications to the virtual desktop and remove application dependencies in the operating system.

Upgrade to XenDesktop, Advanced, to decouple the desktop operating system from the application and automate provisioning of desktop operating systems.

Migrate to Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition with Hyper-V for enhanced virtualization capabilities and to reduce risks if you need quick migrations or high availability clustering.

Implement a storage array network (SAN) via iSCSI or Fibre Channel for scalability and to take advantage of Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition with Hyper-V quick migrations or high availability clustering.

Upgrade to Server Management Suite Enterprise (SMSE) to leverage the full capabilities of SCVMM.

Enterprise desktop delivery with application virtualization

This is a more comprehensive VDI solution that simplifies standard productivity applications administration with single image desktop management while delivering a low virtual desktop infrastructure TCO and reducing the virtual desktop storage costs. XenDesktop, Advanced Edition integrates with Microsoft App-V to allow users to connect every time to a pristine desktop that incorporates the user’s personal settings and applications, regardless of the access device or the user’s location.

Strengths: (in addition to Scenario #1)

Separates applications from the OS.

Simplifies upgrades and management for operating systems and applications.

Reduces storage requirements by storing only one desktop image for thousands of users.

Applies patches and updates only once to the single master image and all users get the latest desktops at next logon.

App-V enables applications to be centrally stored on a server, while allowing for local execution of the application by streaming it onto the user’s desktop.

Removes application-to-application incompatibility, thereby reducing conflicts and improving application management efficiency.

Application isolation eliminates application conflicts and simplifies application compatibility testing.

Requirements:

XenDesktop, Advanced Edition. Includes the user licenses for remote access via Access Gateway (device not included).

Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Hyper-V Server 2008 for hosting desktop workloads.

Windows Server 2003 for the Desktop Delivery Controller component of XenDesktop.

Windows Server 2008 for Microsoft SCVMM and all other servers.

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack with App-V.

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Recommendations:

Upgrade to XenDesktop, Enterprise to leverage the added functionality of Citrix XenApp (applications hosted on Microsoft Remote Desktop Services).

Upgrade to XenDesktop, Platinum for service level assurance including user performance monitoring, high availability and WAN QoS.

Migrate to Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition with Hyper-V for enhanced virtualization capabilities and to reduce risks if you need quick migrations or high availability clustering (which are available in Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition)

Implement a storage array network (SAN) via iSCSI or Fibre Channel for scalability and to take advantage of Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition with Hyper-V quick migrations or high availability clustering.

Upgrade to Microsoft Server Management Suite Enterprise (SMSE) to leverage the full capabilities of SCVMM.

Enterprise virtual desktop with application and presentation virtualization

This scenario is a complete VDI solution for complex application sets and addresses the scalability and management required for enterprise customers. It delivers the lowest virtual desktop infrastructure TCO, greatest scalability and desktop deployment flexibility. XenDesktop, Enterprise Edition integrates with Microsoft App-V and Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to deliver on-demand application infrastructure for any application and can be managed through Microsoft SCVMM.

Strengths: (in addition to Scenarios #1 and #2)

Hosts heavy line-of-business applications to offload virtual desktop resource consumption.

Removes application-to-application incompatibility, reducing conflicts and improving application management efficiency.

Increases user density for hosted desktops on virtualization platform.

Updates centralized applications only once in the datacenter and applies updates to user desktops at logon.

Requirements:

XenDesktop, Enterprise Edition. Includes the user licenses for remote access via Citrix Access Gateway (device not included).

Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Hyper-V Server 2008 for hosting desktop workloads.

Windows Server 2003 for the desktop delivery controller component of XenDesktop.

Windows Server 2008 for Microsoft SCVMM and all other servers.

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Recommendations:

Upgrade to XenDesktop Platinum for complete desktop delivery solution that includes service level assurance including user performance monitoring, high availability and WAN QoS.

Integrate with Citrix® Branch Repeater™ (device not included) for application acceleration and optimization for branch office users.

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Migrate to Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition with Hyper-V to host desktop workloads for enhanced virtualization capabilities and to reduce risks if you need quick migrations or high availability clustering.

Implement a storage array network (SAN) via iSCSI or Fibre Channel for scalability and to take advantage of Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition with Hyper-V quick migrations or high availability clustering.

Upgrade to Microsoft Server Management Suite Enterprise (SMSE) to leverage the full capabilities of SCVMM.

Summary

Citrix XenDesktop embraces and extends the Microsoft platform by enabling dynamic desktop provisioning and improving user experience and scalability. Microsoft Hyper-V technology provides a secure and scalable hypervisor platform while SCVMM offers integrated management for physical and virtual desktops. Only Citrix and Microsoft together can deliver an end-to-end VDI solution that provides key brokering services, simple single image provisioning and high definition user experience all on Microsoft platform technology.

Additional information

For more information and links to download evaluation software, please visit the following Web sites:

Citrix XenDesktop: http://www.citrix.com/xendesktop

Microsoft Windows Server 2008: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/hyperv.aspx

Microsoft SCVMM: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/virtualmachinemanager/

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V): http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/appv/

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Remote Desktop Services: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/presentation-terminal.aspx

Microsoft Windows Vista: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/default.aspx

About Citrix

Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) is the leading provider of virtualization, networking and software as a service technologies for more than 230,000 organizations worldwide. Its Citrix Delivery Center, Citrix Cloud Center (C3) and Citrix Online Services product families radically simplify computing for millions of users, delivering applications as an on-demand service to any user, in any location on any device. Citrix customers include the world’s largest Internet companies, 99 percent of Fortune Global 500 enterprises, and hundreds of thousands of small businesses and prosumers worldwide. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies worldwide in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1989, annual revenue in 2008 was $1.6 billion.

©2009 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix®, XenApp™, Access Gateway™ and Branch Repeater™ are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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