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Windows Vista migration

We are currently anticipating a migration to Windows Vista. However, various migration efforts to date have not all been very successful, and we are examining the following factors in particular:

  • Hardware compatibility - Support for older, or less popular hardware can be poor. These include:
    • Printers, especially multifunction and older inkjet devices
    • Early laptop wireless cards
    • External peripherals including non-USB card readers, digital cameras, scanners, etc.
  • Software application compatibility - Support for in-house-written applications, older vendor-supplied applications, specialty industry applications, and those that integrate into Windows of Microsoft Office can have problems. These will have to be upgraded or replaced.
  • Performance - We have found that Vista's CPU requirements are not very high. However, 1Gb of RAM is required, and 2Gb is preferred. Many older PCs have RAM limits, or the older RAM modules are expensive.

An upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007 is planned in concurrence with Vista.

Virtual Desktop infrastructure

The success of server virtualization in AdCom as well as across the industry has spawned a movement to extend these successes to the desktop PC environment. We are excited about the many potentially far-ranging benefits of such an environment, and have begun examining its feasibility.

Possible benefits include:

  • Security
    • Thin clients are stateless and store no data of any kind.
    • All session data is encrypted RC4/128 (possibly TLS). Software client sessions are also SSL enabled.
    • RSA SecurID 2-factor authentication is available
    • With proper architecture, client VM-to-resource traffic can be kept on an internal network, since that traffic doesn't go to the end user.
    • Unused sessions can be suspended and disconnected from the network
  • Disaster recovery
    • Possible to use virtual server BC/DR techniques to desktop VMs, including full-VM copies, storage replication. Doesn't require imaging of full PCs to use.
  • Scalability
    • Adding users and increasing client workloads are handled centrally and dynamically at the servers. Client devices do not change.
  • Reliability
    • No moving parts at client.
    • Server hardware is inherently more reliable and is run in a controlled environment
  • Availability
    • Overall environment should be designed to minimize single points of failure
  • Compatibility
    • Standard desktop OS means no software incompatibilities
  • Upgradability
    • Server upgrades can be done with no downtime. Client VM upgrades can be done in parallel to working client VMs. Endpoint devices are stateless so are easy to upgrade.
  • Performance
    • CPU/memory/disk/network performance should be equal better due to improved hardware and consolidation efficiencies.
  • Remote accessibility
    • User sessions/data not tied to any endpoint device. Can be accessed from any compatible web client, or any client device within the environment without loss of (active) session data
  • Manageability
    • All OS/app/data operations being performed centrally will decrease management efforts in all areas, including patching, utilization, troubleshooting, etc.
  • Limiting changes to user experience
    • Standard desktop OS means familiar user experience. Ability to import existing environment directly.
  • User session continuity
    • Sessions are endpoint-device independent, so they follow the user
  • Energy savings
    • 65w net savings per user. More if dynamic server power management is implemented
    • 110BTU/hr heat dissipation decrease
  • (long-term) Capital cost reduction
  • Disposal
    • e-waste: 15lb per unit
    • packaging: 3lb per unit

Possible drawbacks are:

  • Initial capital cost
    • Optimal implementation requires significant server-side infrastructure, including servers, storage, network and related infrastructure. Also few opportunities of reuse of existing desktop PCs.
  • Possible software licensing issues
    • Some software ISVs have licensing policies not conducive to virtual environments (per CPU, OEM agreements, etc.)
  • Performance
    • Reliant on reliable and low-latency connectivity to deliver to end client
    • Motion graphic-intensive workloads are less suitable
    • Under-sized infrastructure can lead to decreased performance for many users simultaneously due to shared, consolidated architecture
    • Insufficient performance for some desktop peripherals (high-speed storage, graphic-intensive devices)
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