Just the Apps


We get so excited with the thought of VDI, we often forget to take a step back and focus on what we are trying to do. Here is a recent example… We need to find a way to get an application to our users. Our first problem is that many of our users are not… Continue reading Just the Apps

Begin your XenDesktop blueprint with your users


The users matter first. This is why we have a blueprint for XenDesktop 7 because we want to avoid starting wrong. We want to make sure that the first thing we focus on are the users. Think about it this way, when building a house, one of the first things you have to figure out… Continue reading Begin your XenDesktop blueprint with your users

What are you good at?


I just got back from visiting friends who live about 2-3 hours away. Every time I take this trip, I decide if I will take the interstate or local highways. The interstate gets me there faster, but it is usually more stressful due to the number of people. Even though the interstate is faster, it… Continue reading What are you good at?

Virtual desktop design – The right approach


One of the first questions someone doing desktop virtualization wants answered is usually one of the following questions How many servers do I need? How many IOPS? How many XenDesktop Controllers do I need? I’ve seen it many times and have been asked these questions many times. The typical answer is “It depends” (I really… Continue reading Virtual desktop design – The right approach

The importance of user personalization within your virtual desktop


I just got off the phone with Citrix helpdesk because I finally messed up my virtual desktop. I have a dedicated virtual desktop and I guess I installed/uninstalled too many things over the past few years. The same thing always happened to me with a traditional desktop. The good thing is that it only took… Continue reading The importance of user personalization within your virtual desktop

An Architect’s Guide to Desktop Virtualization


What does it take to be a desktop virtualization architect? Being able to say “It depends” in twelve different languages is a great start. English (American): It depends English (Australian): It depends English (British): It depends English (Canadian): It depends German: je nachdem Spanish: eso depende French: elle dépend Dutch: het hangt ervan Italian: dipende… Continue reading An Architect’s Guide to Desktop Virtualization

Project Accelerator Question 1 – Technical Skillsets


One of the first questions that Project Accelerator asks you is what technical skillset you current have, with a list of about 20 different technologies.  Why do we care? Let’s say you have App-V experience, then when you get to the application delivery portion, we will probably recommend you use App-V for a subset of… Continue reading Project Accelerator Question 1 – Technical Skillsets

New Citrix Visio Stencils


Note: These stencils are outdated. Use the latest Citrix Workspace Visio Stencils. Hopefully by now, you’ve heard of Citrix Project Accelerator. If not, I suggest you take a look at the following blogs: Citrix Launches Free Tool to Take Guesswork Out of Desktop Virtualization Playing 20 Questions with Project Accelerator By spending a little time… Continue reading New Citrix Visio Stencils

Provisioning Services or Machine Creation Services… Big Picture Matters


Note: this is the first part in a multi-part discussion on PVS and MCS Since XenDesktop 5 came out, one of the biggest questions flying around is, “Should I use Provisioning Services (PVS) or Machine Creation Services (MCS)?” Both options work and both options provide single image management, but what is the right answer?  Is… Continue reading Provisioning Services or Machine Creation Services… Big Picture Matters

What Is XenDesktop 5 Power Management Doing?


Have you started using XenDesktop 5 yet? Here’s something to look out for, as I know many people have been wondering. Remember in XenDesktop 4, we could specify our available desktop count (idle pool)?  First, we have a desktop group of 1,000 desktops. We might specify 800 desktops idle at 8:00AM, then at 11:00AM we… Continue reading What Is XenDesktop 5 Power Management Doing?