FIT4Business
FIT4Virtualization
A new way of thinking? Although adoption of virtualization has not yet happened on a wide scale, be in no doubt that it will! There are numerous advantages in deploying virtualization technologies and it will only be a matter of time before it becomes main stream and an integral part of most IT infrastructures.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a technology in which each user gets a desktop operating
system and experience, but their actual desktop OS and applications are running as virtual machines
hosted on the sever infrastructure in the data centre.
A VDI solution provides strong security and compliance as no data leaves the data centre. By employing
some of the features of the virtualisation software, VDI solutions can provide a high level of availability and
DR whilst reducing management costs.
Free 24 hour VDI Test Drive
Before embarking on any IT related project, it’s always an idea to get a good understanding of the technology involved and the steps and processes you may need to go through to realise a successful project delivery. Equally important is in seeing exactly how this technology performs before spending time on costly pilots when all you need to do is maybe test one application. Here at Freestyle IT we understand the impact on a business in testing new technology for suitability and the additional strain on time and resources in setting up such an environment and so have extended our in-house VDI solutions to allow remote login.
24 Hour VDI Test Drive
To enable you to test drive the “user experience” of a virtual desktop remotely, Freestyle IT have built a robust, in-house VDI solution based on VMware View Manager coupled with VMware ESX Server 3.5 running on HP Blade Server hardware and presented to it externally for customers to trial. Freestyle IT will provide trial customers a URL once they have completed a brief application form, to 
enable them to log on remotely from anywhere they have an internet connection and demonstrate a full desktop experience.
How Does The Test Drive Work?
After completing a few simple details, you will be contacted by a member of Freestyle IT’s technical services team who will provide you the log in details and also provide an overview of the technology/infrastructure. They will also guide you through the process for the first time you log on to ensure you get the best experience from the demo.
Once completed, you are ready to log in with the details provided. You will then be presented with a Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 desktop running Microsoft Office 2007 along with Adobe Acrobat Reader. The virtual desktop machine will also have full access to the internet and USB connectivity can be added on request.
The test drive login details will be available for 24 hours at which point the account will automatically expire. Should you require additional time please contact the Freestyle IT technical services team.
In addition to the 24 hour test drive, Freestyle IT can offer additional chargeable services to turn the 24 hour test into a “mini proof of concept” by allowing customers to install their own operating systems and applications as a virtual desktop onto Freestyle IT’s virtual infrastructure and then making them available remotely for testing.
On successful completion of the test drive, Freestyle IT will engage with the customer to understand their requirements in detail around providing a virtual desktop infrastructure. Freestyle IT can also host the virtual desktop infrastructure in our own data centre and provide a utility based computing model freeing up costly expenditure in purchasing desktop PC’s and allowing complete flexibility.
Freestyle IT Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
The Freestyle IT Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solution uses best of breed technology from HP and VMware combined to provide customers a complete VDI solution. VMware ESX 3.5 Server is installed onto a number of HP C Class server blades which in turn are connected to an MSA fibre channel SAN.
Installed onto the hypervisor are a number of Microsoft Windows XP Professional virtual desktops along with the basic infrastructure servers such as Active Directory, DHCP and DNS etc. Also installed are four VMware View Manager servers acting as the connection broker. Two of these are internally facing (behind the firewall) and the other two are forward facing to allow for remote connections across the internet. Finally there is a VMware vCenter Server managing the complete infrastructure including providing the linked clone option.
The Connection Process:
The red arrows on the diagram opposite show the initiation of logging on to a remote virtual desktop. VMware View Manager will authenticate the users credentials and then allocate a desktop resource from the pool of available resources.
An RDP connection will then be made (green arrows) from the virtual desktop to the users remote device whether that device is a thin client, fat client or laptop.
The user will then be presented with a fully functioning desktop operating system and have the same experience as if they were physically in the office.
The Visio diagram above shows a high level view of the Freestyle IT Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
What can Freestyle IT offer?
- A reduction in hardware acquisition costs, data centre space, power requirements and lower support costs.
- Consolidation of idle systems resources, freeing up capacity for new projects and applications.
- Increased operational efficiency with a unified server management interface with browser based remote access and a centralised desktop infrastructure, reducing desk side support.