Desktop Virtalization Delivery Models: Definitions
Virtual-hosted desktops Server-based model, sometimes called VDI. All computation and storage are centralized, but users have their own complete virtual machine and customized desktop, including the operating system, applications, and settings. Client-based model. The client operating system is locally installed, but applications are streamed on demand from the data center to the client, where they are executed locally. Server-based model. The client is only a display and input device. All computation is done centrally on the server, and all data is stored in a data center. Client-side virtual container Unlike a locally installed or streamed operating system, the virtual container is abstracted from the platform via a client-based virtual machine manager (VMM). Client-based model. No operating system image is installed locally. The operating system is stored and managed in the data center and streamed to the client over the network for local execution.
Application streaming/virtualization
Terminal services
OS image streaming
After virtual-hosted desktops, the most popular delivery model is application streaming/virtualization (51 percent), in which the client operating system is installed locally and applications are streamed to the endpoint for local execution. Whether IT plans to extend desktop virtualization to mobile devices appears to have an effect on which delivery models they consider. IT professionals who are very or somewhat likely to incorporate mobile devices are more likely to consider the client-side virtual container model (42 percent versus 37 percent for all) and the OS image streaming model (32 percent versus 28 percent for all).
13 Intel IT Center | Desktop Virtualization Earns Its Stripes Intel’s IT Manager Survey on Desktop Virtualization