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Virtual desktop infrastructure and architecture

• virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

  Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a desktop virtualization technology wherein a desktop operating system, typically Microsoft Windows, runs and is managed in an on-premises or cloud data center. Continue Reading

• GPU (graphics processing unit)

  A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a computer chip that performs rapid mathematical calculations, primarily for the purpose of rendering images. Continue Reading

• What does IT need to know about VDI web browsers?

  End users can easily access their virtual desktops and applications through any supported HTML5 web browser. Learn about the pros and cons of using VDI and web browsers together. Continue Reading

• When on-premises VDI deployments trump cloud applications

  Desktop as a service lessens IT management, but sacrifices granular control. Check out this handbook to learn more about cloud desktops vs. on-premises VDI. Continue Reading

• How to fix 5 common remote desktop connection problems

  When the connection between a desktop and its host fails, it's time to do some remote desktop troubleshooting. Check firewalls, security certificates and more if a remote desktop is not working. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
  • GPU (graphics processing unit)
  • Remote Desktop Services (RDS)
  • eG Innovations

  • ControlUp
  • Desktop as a Service (DaaS)
  • virtual desktop
  • Citrix XenApp

  View All Definitions

• Secure VDI environments with these 3 tips

  Virtual desktops present unique security concerns. Take these three steps to better secure VDI environments from the start.Continue Reading

• Remote Desktop Services (RDS)

  Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is an umbrella term for several specific features of Microsoft Windows Server that allow users to remotely access graphical desktops and Windows applications.Continue Reading

• Learn how to best deploy VDI on HCI

  IT pros considering using HCI to power their VDI deployments should listen to this advice from three IT pros on how to get buy-in throughout the organization and more.Continue Reading

• eG Innovations

  eG Innovations is an end-user experience and infrastructure monitoring software vendor best known for its eG Enterprise product.Continue Reading

• ControlUp

  ControlUp is a monitoring software company that sells tools IT professionals can use to manage, monitor and analyze virtual desktop and application performance.Continue Reading

• Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

  Desktop as a service (DaaS) is a cloud computing offering in which a third party hosts the back end of a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment.Continue Reading

• virtual desktop

  A virtual desktop is a computer operating system that does not run directly on the endpoint hardware from which a user accesses it.Continue Reading

• How to create personal virtual desktops with nonpersistent VDI

  User personalization can be hard for IT to deliver on nonpersistent virtual desktops. Layering VDI can provide the perfect amount of customization and security.Continue Reading

• Pick from three top virtual application delivery options

  VDI, DaaS and RDSH have their places in the enterprise. DaaS, for example, is ideal for organizations with a tight budget. IT admins must know which is best for their companies.Continue Reading

• Ready to put a VDI project plan in place? Take this quiz to prove it

  VDI projects can fail easily. See how well you're prepared for VDI with this quiz, which asks about how to track user experience, what makes a successful pilot program and more.Continue Reading

• VDI vs. DaaS vs. RDSH for the championship of your virtual app world

  VDI, DaaS and RDSH have their places in the enterprise. DaaS, for example, is ideal for organizations with a tight budget. IT admins must know which is best for their companies.Continue Reading

• Citrix XenApp

  Citrix XenApp is an application virtualization product that extends Microsoft Remote Desktop Session Host desktop sessions and apps to users via the Citrix HDX protocol. It can run on Citrix XenServer or other server virtualization platforms.Continue Reading

• VDI monitoring tools are crucial to the end-user experience

  A few performance hiccups are all it takes for users to lose their cool with VDI. Fortunately, VDI monitoring tools can help IT pinpoint and fix issues.Continue Reading

• How to set up an IT disaster recovery plan for VDI

  VDI shops should keep a few key considerations in mind when planning for virtual desktop disaster recovery, such as which applications are most important to business operations.Continue Reading

• Converged and hyper-converged Infrastructure for VDI

  Using converged and hyper-converged infrastructure for desktop virtualization can reduce hardware compatibility problems and ease management. Converged infrastructure gives IT shops the opportunity to buy their entire hardware stack all at once. ...Continue Reading

• How hyper-converged infrastructure platforms support VDI

  Converged infrastructure gives IT shops the opportunity to buy their entire hardware stack -- storage, networking, compute and server virtualization -- in one SKU. They can also add a software management layer and tightly integrate those components ...Continue Reading

• VMware Horizon Client

  VMware Horizon Client is software that IT or users install on endpoint devices to connect with Horizon View virtual desktops and applications running on vSphere ESXi servers in a company's data center.Continue Reading

• Raspberry Pi thin client devices are finally viable for the enterprise

  Citrix partnered with Raspberry Pi to create minimal-cost thin clients optimized for the HDX remote display protocol, providing a new way to lower the price of XenApp and XenDesktop deployments.Continue Reading

• Best of Citrix Synergy 2016 Awards nomination form

  Use this form to nominate products for the Best of Citrix Synergy 2016 Awards. The deadline to enter was Wednesday, April 20.Continue Reading

• Citrix HDX 3D Pro

  Citrix HDX 3D Pro is a group of remote display and graphics acceleration technologies designed to optimize the user experience of resource-intensive virtual applications on the XenDesktop and XenApp platforms.Continue Reading

• How well do you know virtual GPU technology?

  GPU virtualization offloads graphics rendering from a user's device to the data center. Using a virtual GPU makes VDI possible for graphics-intensive apps.Continue Reading

• Test your knowledge of hyper-converged infrastructure for VDI

  Prove how well you know hyper-converged infrastructure with our quiz on vendor offerings, hardware upgrades, the contents of an HCI stack and more.Continue Reading

• How does hyper-converged infrastructure help VDI shops?

  Some hyper-converged infrastructure vendors developed their products with VDI shops in mind. IT can reduce VDI-related headaches with the right HCI platform.Continue Reading

• Why the U.S. military uses virtual mobile infrastructure

  VMI is gaining momentum in the corporate world, but the Department of Defense has long seen the security value of delivering virtual mobile applications.Continue Reading

• How EVO:RAIL and EVO:RACK affect VDI

  EVO:RAIL and EVO:RACK mark VMware’s entrance into the hyper-converged infrastructure market. The question now is whether or not either can separate from the competition. Also, what does this mean for VDI shops?Continue Reading

• Turn VDI problems into the ghosts of IT past

  It may seem hard to keep track of all of the problems that can derail a VDI project, but in reality every cause falls into one of two categories.Continue Reading

• Guide to choosing and managing VDI thin clients

  First, decide whether thin clients are right for your environment. Then learn what to look for in VDI hardware and what kind of management capabilities you need.Continue Reading

• Virtual mobile infrastructure benefits and roadblocks

  With virtual mobile infrastructure, you can host a mobile OS in your data center and deliver it to just about any endpoint. But there are some obstacles to VMI's success, such as the need for Internet connectivity.Continue Reading

• Harvest a crop of virtual desktops on an RDSH farm

  Horizon View 6.0 empowers IT admins to publish virtual desktops using an RDSH farm. Find out how, and get the details on what an RDSH farm is.Continue Reading

• Ericom Connect brings a modern backend to VDI

  Ericom Connect is built on a grid architecture that makes it a good alternative to virtual desktop products from Citrix and VMware, or a good replacement for VDI-in-a-Box.Continue Reading

• Is DaaS right for your organization, and how does it differ from VDI?

  Desktop as a service has been around for more than 10 years, and there are shops that have been doing it for that long. But the lack of widespread adoption of both VDI and DaaS makes it difficult to predict how one might affect the other, and ...Continue Reading

• Everything you need to know about deploying DaaS

  For several years in a row, experts predicted that it would be the "Year of VDI," but that never truly came to fruition. Instead, the industry seems to be readying for the Year of DaaS. To that end, it's important to know how desktop as a service ...Continue Reading

• Nimboxx acquires Virtual Bridges VERDE to build SDDC

  Hyperconverged infrastructure vendor Nimboxx will use VERDE from Virtual Bridges to compete with Nutanix, SimpliVity and VMware in the software-defined data center market. But will the Linux-based offering take hold in a predominantly Windows world?Continue Reading

• Four options for VDI disaster recovery

  Having a DR plan in place is important, especially if you host virtual desktops. But how should you plan for VDI disaster recovery? Consider Hyper-V, Windows To Go, storage replication and offline virtual desktops.Continue Reading

• Get schooled on how to deploy VDI technology like a pro

  Thought your high school days were over? Not so fast -- there's a lot the enterprise can learn from a virtual high school about how to deploy VDI technology.Continue Reading

• Virtual desktops can add resilience to disaster recovery

  One of the perks of virtual desktop infrastructure is that you can use it as a disaster recovery tool. Not only must businesses relying on virtual desktops make sure that they have backups, but they must also be aware of storage requirements and ...Continue Reading

• What to know about remote desktop connection brokers

  Remote desktop connection brokers are an important part of your VDI environment, so make sure you know how to pick the best one for you, and how to troubleshoot problems with it.Continue Reading

• browser virtualization (in desktop virtualization)

  Virtualizing a browser helps companies run mission-critical applications in legacy browsers.Continue Reading

• Why should I consider adopting VDI?

  The ever-changing IT landscape is a reason some shops don't want to get locked into a big virtualization investment, but adopting VDI can actually help companies meet users' needs and adapt to new trends and technology.Continue Reading

• Unveiling the mystery behind VDI implementation costs

  Your VDI implementation can get costly -- fast. With servers, licenses, storage and tools to buy, the Capex for VDI can skyrocket, but remember that over the long term, Opex is less with VDI than with traditional PCs.Continue Reading

• Top tools for user profile management

  You can manage profiles with Active Directory or the tools built into your VDI software, but third-party options from AppSense, RES software and Liquidware Labs offer more features and can reduce storage needs.Continue Reading

• How does hot desking work?

  Hot desking is the practice of maintaining fewer desks or PCs than there are employees who need them. The model helps cut overhead costs, but it can cause productivity issues if there aren't enough workstations.Continue Reading

• How do I calculate VDI ROI?

  There's no magic formula or one-size-fits-all approach to figuring VDI ROI. Look at vendor calculators to see which costs they factor in, but do the calculations on your own.Continue Reading

• Differences between desktop and server virtualization

  Desktop and server virtualization are different beasts, and not knowing the difference can put your VDI deployment in hot water.Continue Reading

• How GPU virtualization options from VMware, Citrix differ

  GPU virtualization lets you deliver graphics-intensive applications without sacrificing performance, but the options on the market from VMware and Citrix differ. XenServer natively supports GPU virtualization, but VMware's offerings don't.Continue Reading

• Why zero client configuration is a snap

  If you're working with zero clients, you know that the clients themselves don't need any configuration, but the server does.Continue Reading

• Mobile thin client basics

  Companies with regulated information can still give road warriors secure access to virtual desktops via mobile thin clients.Continue Reading

• Get the skinny on zero clients vs. thin clients

  Thin clients used to be the thinnest, but now zero clients are giving them a run for their money with almost no storage or configuration requirements.Continue Reading

• The dark side of single image management

  Single image management is supposed to reduce storage requirements and make management easier, but it has built-in performance and capacity issues.Continue Reading

• The ins and outs of a good HTML5 client

  HTML5 clients can vary significantly from one to another based on how they deliver graphics as well as browser performance and plug-ins.Continue Reading

• How VDI can bridge the gap between old Windows apps and BYOD

  Older Windows apps that may still be critical for business use just don't transition well to mobile devices, but desktop virtualization can help.Continue Reading

• How to install and configure Citrix XenDesktop's GRID vGPU feature

  Nvidia's GRID vGPU technology is now supported in XenDesktop, so take a minute to learn how this feature works and some tips for configuring it.Continue Reading

• Find the best route to deliver application virtualization

  IT no longer needs to deliver full desktops to users; instead, most users require access to only certain applications. So, IT needs to determine the best way to deliver those apps, and application virtualization is one option. This IT handbook will ...Continue Reading

• More than nothing, a zero client simplifies the desktop

  This chapter provides a detailed examination of what zero clients are, how they work, what their primary benefits might be and where their key limitations are to be found. An important part of this chapter’s discussion is how zero clients differ ...Continue Reading

• What do you know about Desktop as a Service providers and pricing?

  Test your knowledge of cloud-hosted desktops, Desktop as a Service providers and product pricing in this quiz.Continue Reading

• Best practices guide: Making VDI deployment magic

  Implementing VDI isn't always a cakewalk. Learn how to make a production VDI deployment go smoothly.Continue Reading

• Preparing for an IT audit in your VDI environment

  When preparing for an audit in your VDI environment, the best defense is a strong offense. Find out what you need to archive and who's auditing.Continue Reading

• Selecting the right thin client devices prevents years of regret

  Don't spend years of your life kicking yourself for choosing the wrong thin client. Learn how to select the right thin client devices.Continue Reading

• Top 10 VDI news stories of 2013

  Catch up on the top 10 VDI news stories of the year and learn how the virtual desktop and DaaS markets changed in 2013.Continue Reading

• A virtual desktop technology rapper feud: Will DaaS win out?

  It's VDI vs. DaaS in this East Coast-West Coast rapper feud between two of our contributors. Which prediction about virtual desktop technology will win out?Continue Reading

• Can Android thin client devices make the OS suitable for desktops?

  Android thin clients might sound really cool, but actually porting the Android OS to a desktop comes with a lot of gotchas.Continue Reading

• A CEO's personal voyage through virtual desktop migration

  Learn about one man's journey through the perils of VDI as he converts his physical workspace to a virtual desktop environment.Continue Reading

• Weighing storage options for VDI

  Don't make assumptions about how to best architect storage for your virtual desktop infrastructure -- plan carefully by weighing the pros and cons of different types of storage.Continue Reading

• Are you a VDI hardware guru?

  Think you're in the know? See if you can answer these questions about VDI hardware, including thin and zero clients.Continue Reading

• Storage hardware for VDI

  Virtual desktops require a lot of storage. Here are some hardware-based storage products and storage appliances that may work well in your VDI environment. You'll also want to consider capacity planning as you design your environment.Continue Reading

• Architecting storage for virtual desktop environments

  Virtual desktop infrastructure can be extremely demanding of I/O. And while you can reduce I/O overhead by providing each virtual desktop with sufficient RAM, you can't reduce it to the point that it becomes a non-issue.
  
  This e-book ...Continue Reading

• Five considerations for hosted virtual desktops

  Before you dive into the cloud, make sure you consider the cost and performance of hosted virtual desktops.Continue Reading

• Remote display protocol pop quiz: How much do you know?

  There are a lot of different remote display protocols out there, and keeping them all straight isn't easy. Take this quiz to see how much you know.Continue Reading

• Hosted virtual desktops suffer from licensing, operational costs

  Challenges are standing in the way when organizations try to deploy hosted virtual desktops in the cloud. Let's start with Microsoft licensing.Continue Reading

• Advantages of the cloud-hosted desktop model

  Moving to a cloud-hosted desktop model means you can outsource desktop management and pay as you go.Continue Reading

• Desktop virtualization challenges -- and how they'll change

  Some of the most frustrating desktop virtualization challenges today may be overcome by changes happening in the industry.Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of shared storage for VDI

  Shared storage provides better manageability and uptime for enterprise VDI deployments, but administrators should be aware of potential drawbacks.Continue Reading

• Desktop as a Service provider (DaaS provider)

  A Desktop as a Service provider is a company that hosts virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) for customers and delivers virtual desktops to those organizations' end users.Continue Reading

• Four desktop virtualization use cases

  Knowing why you're deploying virtual desktops is the first step to success -- whether it's for better security, simplified management or BYOD support.Continue Reading

• Ten ways to make your VDI deployment fail

  When it comes to VDI, there's a lot of room for error. Check out the ten most common reasons a VDI deployment fails.Continue Reading

• DaaS vs. desktop virtualization: Pros and cons to consider

  Consumerization and mobile computing have pushed IT to look for desktop solutions that can enable worker mobility and allow on-demand access to critical applications. With the rise of cloud computing, however, hosted desktop services have emerged as...Continue Reading

• Options for virtual desktop technology: A state of the union

  Though keeping up with quickly evolving desktop virtualization technologies can be a challenge, the primary reason most virtual desktop projects fail is that organizations jump in without identifying the goals they need to achieve. To ensure a ...Continue Reading

• Quiz: Five desktop virtualization terms to know this year

  As 2013 gets rolling, make sure you're up to date on the latest desktop virtualization terms. Take this quiz to find out.Continue Reading

• Top 10 virtual and remote desktop tips of 2012

  Take a look back at our most popular virtual desktop tips of 2012, from RDS and Windows Server 2012 to VDI licensing and remote access.Continue Reading

• Desktop as a Service FAQ: Pros and cons of hosted virtual desktops

  Desktop as a Service is an enticing way to host virtual desktops in the cloud without the upfront costs of VDI, but it comes with some downsides.Continue Reading

• Back-to-school quiz: VDI storage and backup

  A key component of implementing VDI is getting your storage system and backup right. Make sure your storage knowledge is up to snuff with this quiz.Continue Reading

• FAQ: Using Windows PowerShell commands to manage virtual desktops

  Windows PowerShell commands aren't just for traditional desktops. Learn how to use PowerCLI, XenApp cmdlets and more to make VDI management a snap.Continue Reading

• FAQ: Sifting through thin client technology options

  If you're wading through a pool of thin client devices and don't know which to choose, the answers to these questions could be the life jacket you need.Continue Reading

• Using desktop virtualization for BYOD security and management

  Managing mobile devices is a major headache for IT departments, but desktop virtualization is here to help. Before you pop an aspirin, learn how VDI can improve BYOD security.Continue Reading

• persistent desktop

  A persistent desktop is a virtual desktop that maintains user settings and data so that each time a user logs into their virtual desktop, all of their personalized settings, files and data appear.Continue Reading

• Windows Thin PC

  Windows Thin PC (WinTPC)  is a stripped down version of Windows 7 for legacy PCs that do not have the resources to support a full version of Windows 7.Continue Reading

• RemoteFX

  RemoteFX is a set of protocols for Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) that are used to remotely deliver Windows virtual desktops over a local area network (LAN).Continue Reading

• nonpersistent desktop

  A non-persistent desktop is a virtual desktop that does not maintain user data, personalized settings, or any other changes made by the end user.Continue Reading

• HTML 5 desktop client

  An HTML5 desktop client is a type of remote desktop client that provides an end user with access to a desktop or application through a web browser.Continue Reading

• remote desktop connection broker

  A remote desktop connection broker allows clients to access various types of server-hosted desktops and applications.Continue Reading

• Citrix XenClient

  Citrix XenClient is a Type 1 (or bare metal) client hypervisor from software provider Citrix Systems.Continue Reading

• host-based virtual machine

  A host-based virtual machine is an instance of a desktop operating system that runs on a centralized server. Access and control is provided to the user by a client device connected over a network.Continue Reading

• Desktop Virtualization: How much do you know?

  Here's a short quiz that will test your knowledge on desktop virtualization.Continue Reading

• Virtual desktop storage management quiz

  Test your knowledge of virtual desktop storage management with this quiz and see how much you know about disk alignment and boot storms.Continue Reading

• client hypervisor

  A client hypervisor is a hypervisor that resides on a laptop, PC or other client device.Continue Reading