The user discussion doesn’t just end with an understanding of the topology. Desktop virtualization architecture will only get a users so far: access to a virtualized desktop. If the virtualized desktop does not provide the required experience in different scenarios, users will find ways of reverting back to their traditional model or find a way to make life very difficult for you, the architect of this less than stellar solution.

Trying to get these users back is challenging as the bad perceptions must be changed and that takes time. Many of the missteps with regards to the user experience are based on improper analysis and planning. In order to have an environment that is aligned with the user community, understanding the following items are critical.

• Network Impact: Desktop virtualization requires a network connection, either temporary or permanent depending on the virtual desktop model selected. Trying to understand the network impact is not a trivial task and will never get one to the exact numbers because user will do different things like typing, printing, browsing, Flash video, WMV video, online Facebook games, etc. However, the Performance Assessment and Bandwidth Analysis white paper should help understand the impact of each activity and allow an architect to plan appropriately.
• Peripherals: One of the beauties of a traditional desktop is it is customizable with peripherals: printers, scanners, webcams, and external drives. These requirements must be understood and supported, but not at the expense of security. For example, should users be able to copy data from the data center to a personal USB storage drive? This might be construed as a security hole. What about allowing a user to copy a file from the USB drive to the data center? This might put the data center at risk for viruses or malware. The justification for certain devices must be determined, but regardless of the outcome, proper security procedures must be put into place.
• Resources: Users who are not given the proper amount of dedicated resources (CPU and memory) are either left with a desktop experience that is unusable due to the constant delays and sluggish responses because of competing resource requests or a desktop with ample resources but costing the business significant amounts of money due to unused and idle hardware. Although it is easier to allocate one resource configuration for every user, users have different requirements and should be given different configurations. It is usually a better option to create 3-4 different resource configurations for Light, Normal and Power users. With proper analysis of the requirements, users can be placed into one of a few defined configurations.
• Mobility: A user’s requirement for offline mobility plays an important part in the over analysis. This one requirement significantly limits the possibilities for the user in respect to the most appropriate FlexCast model. Many desktop virtualization models require an active network connection. An active network connection is not guaranteed for the mobile user. Identifying this group of users allows for the design of an offline model of desktop virtualization.

These are some of the most important things to understand regarding the users and their experience expectations. If a user believes they are allowed to use a webcam within their virtual desktop and it does not work, that user now has a bad perception. The experience matters to the user, so it must matter to the architect.

One office with one type of desktop… Easy. Hundreds of offices with any type and age of desktops… Difficult but not impossible.

Most organizations find themselves in the difficult camp. A user’s desktop can be completely different (in terms of hardware, resources, applications and configuration) than the person sitting next to them doing a similar job. As the environment includes users from different departments, in different offices, with different requirements it becomes clear that the understanding of the user topology for an organization is critical before one can create a desktop virtualization solution.

In previous blogs, I’ve discussed how understanding the underlying standards, applications and storms plays an important role in creating a successful virtual desktop design. The fourth requirement is to understand the organization’s user topology. More specifically, one must get a grasp of the endpoints and user locations.

First, the endpoints. Most organizations follow a 3-5 year desktop refresh cycle. At a minimum, there will be 5 different hardware configurations for each of the 5 years (in actuality, there will likely be many, many, many more configurations). Also, the desktops that are less than 2-3 years old have hardware configurations that can easily support Windows 7 and the latest applications. These newer desktops have more virtual desktop options than an endpoint that is 5+ years old. Newer desktops have the processing power to support the Local Streamed Desktop FlexCast model instead of the hosted VM-Based VDI desktop model.

With Local Streamed Desktop, the desktop is still virtualized and centrally managed, the desktop still receives the virtualized applications, and the users still have their personalized settings applied. The difference is that instead of using resources on a physical server in the data center, the local desktop resources are used. Because local desktop resources are consumed, fewer data center servers are required to support the same number of users

This is but one example of how understanding the endpoints helps determine the type of virtual desktop a user requires. However, just knowing the endpoints is only one aspect of the user topology. The second aspect, user’s location, also plays an important role in selecting the most appropriate virtual desktop.

Certain desktops require a high-speed connection to the infrastructure while other options can allow slower networks with higher latency. By assessing the user locations and the connections to the data center, the proper solution can be put into place to support the virtual desktop FlexCast model.

• Hosted shared desktop: Can be used on networks with low speeds and high latency
• Hosted VM-based VDI desktop: Can be used on networks with low speeds and high latency
• Hosted blade PCs: Can be used on networks with low speeds and high latency
• Streamed local desktop: Requires a fast, low latency network to the physical desktop for optimal performance
• Virtual Apps to Installed Desktops: Can be used on networks with low speed and high latency. If application streaming is used (as compared to hosted applications), slower networks will delay application startup time, but users have the ability to work disconnected.
• Local VM-based desktop (not yet available): Can be used on networks with low speed and high latency, although the slower the network the longer it will take to sync the image to the endpoint. Images can be tens of GBs in size. But once delivered to the end point, all communication remains local to the desktop.

When deciding on the appropriate virtual desktop type, the endpoint and the user’s location matter. Without taking both into account, a user might end up with a fast virtual desktop that takes 5 minutes to start Microsoft Word. Gather all the information before deciding on your virtual desktop type.

Total power often leads to corruption. No, I’m not talking about business or politics. I’m talking about desktops. Have you been in a meeting where people talk about giving users admin rights to workstations. I have two words for you… Be afraid… Be very afraid… OK that was 5 words, but the point is clear. Be afraid.

Many of the challenges with the traditional, distributed desktop operating environment are the lack of standard definitions and enforcement. Most organizations strive for a secured and locked down desktop environment, but over time users were granted exceptions. Throughout the months and years, those exceptions became the new de facto standard.

Now, users have local admin rights. Thousands of unique applications are installed throughout the organization. Every desktop configuration is unique. This is an almost impossible situation for any IT organization to support. This environment did not happen overnight; it took time. Standards slipped because it was simply easier and faster to circumvent the standards instead of troubleshooting the issue. Because of the lack of standards, the environment is so convoluted and complex, it is excruciatingly difficult to make any changes or updates without causing mass confusion.

That being said, can these types of organizations still use desktop virtualization? Yes. And they will see many of the benefits with desktop virtualization that have been discussed over and over again. It will just be more difficult to achieve than an organization who has the desktop standards in place and actively followed.

Many organizations look at desktop virtualization at being the solution to simplify the desktop operating environment. Desktop virtualization is an enabler.

If done to the fullest extent, desktop virtualization is an enabler towards better IT management. Desktop virtualization can enable an organization to discard the bad habits of the past and replace them with best practices that can help an IT organization survive and succeed within an ever increasingly complex computing environment. In order to simplify the management of the desktop, reduce desktop operating costs, and achieve desktop virtualization success, the organization must have alignment in terms of:

• User rights: Users must have enough abilities to do their job, but this does not mean users should be a local administrator. IT must be able to provide the users with the correct applications and resources when requested. If modifications are required, IT must be able to accommodate in a reasonable amount of time. If IT is unable to meet the agreed upon time frames, alternatives must be made available so users can continue to be productive, which might require an open, and temporary virtual desktop playground area where users can utilize these applications until IT integrates them into the mix. I discussed this in a previous blog about a virtual desktop playground.
• Applications: Allowing users to install their own applications into the corporate desktop image increases complexity and reduces the security of the system. IT has no visibility into the application and is unable to plan upgrades, updates, or hardware refreshes. The applications could open up holes in the infrastructure that others could exploit. The organization must gain control of the applications if the organization is going to be more flexible.
• Operating Procedures: IT must deliver the resources users require in an adequate amount of time. This involves the development of new IT processes and ways of working. If a user requires an application, IT must find a way of either incorporating the application into the environment, or finding the user an acceptable alternative while working within the confines of the corporate standards.

Simply moving to desktop virtualization will help us solve some of our challenges, but if you want to make a significant improvement in the way IT is seen within your organization, there must be a new approach. Without clear definition of the operating standards, moving to a desktop virtualization solution will result in many of the same challenges observed with the traditional, distributed desktop operating model. Chaos. Except this time it will be virtual chaos.