Intel Guidance on Vendor Selection
Desktop virtualization is a collection of techniques—including
streaming, remoting, virtualizing, and layering. Desktop virtualization
software solutions apply some or all of these techniques to full
desktop images or to applications. The resulting entities are
administered and managed by IT through centralized management
consoles. While desktop virtualization offers many benefits, it is not
a one size fits all proposition. There are multiple delivery models,
and it’s very likely that the best solution for your company will be a
combination of two or more of these models.
When choosing the right desktop virtualization solution for your
needs, Intel recommends the following:
First analyze your user base and then group users into segments
by specific usage scenarios. You can then analyze the right
approach to desktop virtualization according to each segment’s
particular needs.
Evaluate the different delivery options available. Desktop
virtualization encompasses both server side and client side
virtualization options, as well as both thin client and intelligent
client options.
Determine whether the specific issues you are trying to address
are best solved by virtualization at the application level or the
image level. In this case, an “image” is the complete package of
the operating system, applications, and user data and settings.
Some compute models solve application issues, while others solve
image issues.
Calculate the infrastructure requirements of vendor options and
determine the level of investment they require. Infrastructure
components to account for include:
Servers
Storage
Data
center space, power, and cooling
Network
bandwidth
Security
Manageability
Disaster
recovery
Image and license management
Analyze the maturity of your IT department. Some vendor
solutions for desktop virtualization are quite complex and
appropriate only for mature IT departments to implement and
maintain. Before you commit to a particular vendor solution, do
a thorough evaluation in as close to a production environment
as possible. Implement proof of concept projects and pilots to
determine if the vendor solution will meet your business needs.