VDI

What is VDI?

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, is a way of managing user desktops in the enterprise which uses server-based hypervisor-enabled virtualisation for centralised and secure desktops. The desktop hardware and software is separated, and encapsulated in the operating system (OS) and application software in a virtual machine (VM). The VM is located in a centralised, secure data centre, running on server hardware with other isolated VMs. This makes data security and disaster recovery easy. 

Technical benefits of VDI

• Improved user experience - back end data resources reside at the same location as the user's Standard Operating Environment (SOE), meaning faster server hardware and reduced application latency in applications.
• Administrators can modify memory, process, and storage resources on a VM with very little interruption to a user‘s work flow.
• A “snapshot” image of the VM can be saved and restored in minutes, providing a centrally managed and effective backup solution.
• The desktop VM is managed in the same way that other virtual workloads are managed in the data centre. High availability and disaster recovery can be built into the new design from the beginning.
• Patching and modifying the desktop VM happens in the data centre, so it doesn't interrupt the users.
• Data centre security is higher than that of the user PC, so vulnerabilities in the distributed desktop environment (e.g. USB, DVD, CDR drives) can be reduced or eliminated.
• End user devices become interchangeable without affecting the user's particular settings and preferences.
• Central shared storage means that desktop files can be replicated to another location and powered on inside another set of virtual infrastructure servers, allowing for quick and efficient Disaster Recovery.

To find out more about using VDI in your organisation, talk to our consultants.