Tag: vsphere

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Sizing XenApp Windows 2012R2 Virtual Machines

virtualfeller

I guess I’m not done yet. Last week, I posted the latest recommendations on sizing Windows 10 and Windows 7 virtual machines for a XenDesktop environment.  I received a few replies from people asking for any updates regarding Windows 2012R2. Unfortunately, when we discuss Windows 2012R2 and XenApp, the recommendations are not as straightforward as Windows 10 and Windows 7. Because Windows 2012R2 will do session virtualization (where many users share the same VM but get a separate session) it makes sizing CPU and RAM more difficult. Because we can publish multiple resources from the same VM, we can have … Continue reading Sizing XenApp Windows 2012R2 Virtual Machines

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Sizing Windows 10 and Windows 7 Virtual Machines

virtualfeller

After reviewing all of the scalability tests we conducted over the past few months, I thought it was time to revisit the recommendations for sizing Windows 10 virtual machines.  I also reached out to Nick Rintalan to see if this is in line with what is currently being recommended for production environments (if you disagree, blame him 🙂 ). A few things you will notice Windows 7 and Windows 10 recommendations are similar.  Microsoft’s resource allocation for both operating systems are similar.  The Windows 10 and Windows 10 scalability tests resulted in similar numbers. Density – Experience: For some of … Continue reading Sizing Windows 10 and Windows 7 Virtual Machines

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RAM Smorgasbord

virtualfeller

When I talk about virtual desktop specifications, we often break down our users into a few different categories (Light, Normal, Power, and Heavy). These categories correspond to the resources we allocate to the virtual desktop (assuming we are talking about the hosted VM-Based desktop model). This should be no surprise. This discussion directly relates to the resource allocation to the virtual desktops. We want to make sure we provide what the users require. No more and no less. Of course I always get the question about memory ballooning, memory overcommit, dynamic memory, etc. I briefly touched upon this in a … Continue reading RAM Smorgasbord

Top 10 Virtual Desktop Mistakes5 Comments

Optimize your Virtual Desktop Image

virtualfeller

Building a virtual desktop is simply a matter of installing the Windows operating system. Right?  Slow down… although this will work, it won’t give you the best performance and scalability.  One of the items that many people mistakenly forget to accomplish is to optimize the base operating system.  This is the 7th mistake out of the top 10 mistakes made with virtual desktops: Continue reading “Optimize your Virtual Desktop Image”

Top 10 Virtual Desktop Mistakes7 Comments

A Virtual Desktop Storm Approaches

virtualfeller

Rush hour. Something we all can relate to. Way back in time when I used to go to an office daily, I hated rush hour.  If I left home at a certain time, it would take me 45 minutes just to get to the office. But if I left just 15 minutes earlier, that same 45 minute trip would only take 15 minutes.  You might be asking yourself what this anecdote has to do with virtual desktops. Well, it’s all about managing a storm. I managed the rush hour storm by changing the time I left for work in the morning.  With virtual desktops, we need do something similar. If you don’t, you will encounter the fifth mistake in my list of top 10 mistakes to avoid Continue reading “A Virtual Desktop Storm Approaches”

Top 10 Virtual Desktop Mistakes7 Comments

Beware of Improper Resource Allocation

virtualfeller

If you ask me what type of desktop I need, I’m going to say, 2+ cores with at least 4+ GB of RAM, 500+GB hard drive, etc. If you look at what I really need, you will see 1 core and maybe 2 GB of RAM. In fact, when I look at my resource consumption, I get close to 2 GB of RAM by the end of the day due to the number of applications I have running, memory leaks in some of my applications, and applications not freeing up memory when closed.

Like me, many users only consume a fraction of their total potential desktop computing power, which makes desktop virtualization extremely attractive. By sharing the resources between all users, the overall amount of required resources is reduced. However, there is a fine line between maximizing the number of users a single server can support and providing the user with a good virtual desktop computing experience.

Improperly allocating resources to the virtual desktops is the 7th most common mistake make. Continue reading “Beware of Improper Resource Allocation”