Concepts Associated with Desktop Virtualization - Assignment Example

Survey Paper for Desktop Virtualization INTRODUCTION Desktop virtualization is one of the technologies, which is used to separate the physical setting of a client device with regard to the logical interface. In other words, desktop virtualization is accessed by the users devoid of being tied to a particular hardware device. This is beneficial for the various information departments as it helps in reducing costs for desktop hardware. Desktop virtualization is in the market for quiet sometime, however it has gained its importance in recent times. Propagation of desktop devices in accordance with the multiplying demand of the remotes has assisted the IT departments to pursue several effective methods of controlling desktop computing resources. The notion of desktop virtualization is turning out to be a deliberate IT practice in the recent years (Intel Corporation 3-20). THESIS STATEMENT The survey paper intends to explore the concepts associated with desktop virtualization and the various techniques used with it. The differences amid the techniques and its useful performances will be evaluated for better understanding. MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES Desktop virtualization is majorly of two types which include Hosted Desktop Virtualization and Client Virtualization. Hosted desktop virtualization is a situation wherein the server positioned in the data center hosts the virtual machines. In this form of interface, the connection to the server is made through connection brokers wherein the user receives the interface with the help of the standard protocols, for instance, the Remote Desktop Protocol. With regard to hosted desktop virtualization, the market leader is the VMware Inc. and Virtual Iron Software Inc. is at the subsequent position (Santosus 1-6). This technique provides several benefits to the clients such as the standardization, flexibility along with cost savings. Figure 1: Hosted Desktop Virtualization Source: (Intel Corporation 3-19) Client virtualization uses the “hypervisor” model software which is connected to the client device so that one desktop is able to run numerous operating systems efficiently. This is different from the hosted virtualization as it runs numerous operating systems. The leader in the market for the client virtualization is VMware Inc. and Microsoft Corporation (Santosus 1-6). It is effective as it provides security and cost effectiveness to a great extent and also operates as cloud client virtualization (Grumke 3-35). Figure 2: Client Virtualization Source: (Intel Corporation 3-19) PROS AND CONS OF TECHNIQUES The aim of desktop virtualization is not to condense the number of the personal computers. The motive of virtualization is to decrease the complexities related with deploying along with maintaining the client devices. This is an important way of increasing the life span of the processing. Hosted desktop virtualization technique leads to better security as the applications exist on the secure physical servers. It reduces the wear and tear of the client devices leading to high life span. With the help of the virtual hosted desktop, in case of any faults, the technician can operate the system without physically sitting in front of the system and correcting the issue within minutes reducing the time of error. These virtual hosted desktops help in customization of the system and allow the users to set personal screen savers (Santosus 1-6). Conversely, client virtualization also provides several benefits to the end users. Client virtualization can be used on order to secure confidential data. It is safe as it cannot be hacked by the hacker to a large extent. Customized security can be assigned to the system depending on the sensitivity of data. It is more flexible and can accommodate information both legacy along with new. This virtualization permits the usage of laptops in an organization for both official and personal use. With the help of virtualization, a stringent security can be imposed which assists in keeping compliance with government regulations and freedom (Santosus 1-6). The cons faced by the use of the hosted virtualization are such that not all the networks have strong graphics and incase the network goes down, the access will be denied. The bandwidth requirement is high and the users might experience latency while using the hosted desktop visualization (Intel Corporation 3-19). Similarly, in case of client virtualization, the requirement for powerful client hardware is more in order to have smooth processing along with memory. The investment need is high for virtualization (Intel Corporation 3-19). EVALUATION CRITERIA AND COMPARISON OF PERFORMANCE Both the hosted and client virtualization are the core elements of desktop virtualization. They are used in order to meet the growing needs of the users through their readiness along with flexibility. The hosted performance is the best when it is used for a single line of business than several. In this regard, as per the flexibility criteria, client virtualization is more effective while performing. The level of security for both is high but for client virtualization the sensitivity and security for confidential data is more (Microsoft 1-24; Madden 1-7). The performance of both can be measured on the basis of the technological maturity wherein the performance is more for hosted and client is emerging. Scalability depicts the ratio of user/ server, in which hosted has more scalability than client. As per isolation, security and personalization, it is observed that the in hosted desktop virtualization, the isolation is session based. Security implies sharing of operating system among the users and low personalization. Moreover, client virtualization as per the isolation criteria is VM based and the aspect of security is based on operating system per user concept with high personalization. Both the desktop virtualizations have high compatibility and high performance meeting the need of the people (Microsoft 1-24; Madden 1-7). The evaluation and the performance are exhibited through the use of the following table: CONCLUSION Desktop virtualization is being used by the end users for better effective performance with various features. It is still in its early phase and is used by the organizations in order to reduce the cost and increase the standardization. It is a platform and a technology which is used by the people for their success and benefit at large. It is highly in demand due to its capability of ensuring a gain in production, increased security and reduction in the management cost. It has few demerits but with ongoing technological advancements and flexibility, it is being effectively used in the organizations. Works Cited Grumke, Kathi. “Client Virtualization.” Reference Guide (2012): 3-35. Print. Intel Corporation. “Desktop Virtualization Insights for IT Strategic Planning.” Peer Research (2011): 3-20. Print. Intel Corporation. “Understanding Desktop Virtualization.” White Paper (2010): 3-19. Print. Microsoft. “Microsoft Desktop Virtualization Overview.” Desktop Virtualization (2011): 1-24. Print. Madden, Brian. “The State of Desktop Virtualization in 2013.” Survey Paper (2013): 1-7. Print. Santosus, Megan. “The Promise of Desktop Virtualization.” Desktop Virtualization Can Help Rein In The Costs Of Managing And Maintaining PC Infrastructures (2012): 1-6. Print. Read More