Trouble with VDI? Not Really: The Advantages of Desktop Virtualization

Remote, cloud-based access to information and virtualization are becoming common in enterprise-level IT departments, and many companies are discovering the benefits of these approaches to accessing data and resources. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is one strategy that’s part of these new solutions and, depending on your company needs, could be a great way to take a step forward in delivering secure and dependable access to stored information for your employees.

Yet VDI is not without its critics who’ve pointed out its potential flaws. Here we’ll examine the main criticisms being lobbed at the VDI approach and the reality of what desktop virtualization can provide your enterprise.

Bandwidth, Storage & Login Storms: Concerns & Solutions

The many questions raised about VDI are legitimate concerns about how such a strategy can affect your business. Being aware of the main concerns can help your organization know what to expect and have a clearer idea of VDI’s capabilities as a whole. If you plan out your deployment, you can reduce bad user experiences and boost the benefits you gain, preventing problems. The following are some of the main issues to be aware of:

• Remote access problems:

Employees today expect to be able to access their files and data instantly from any location. VDI offers such mobility advantages, yet users could run into access trouble due to bandwidth problems. The way to prevent user frustration is to ensure that you’re using the most effective protocol, such as the independent computer architecture (ICA) protocol, to allow quality access. The remote desktop protocol (RDP) and PC over IP (PCoIP) protocols may also work for your enterprise, yet the most effective choice will depend on assessing your business requirements.

• Storage problems:

One standard desktop is unlike what most people are used to, and personalization is common. A VDI can support this, yet that can result in inflated storage requirements to handle all this customization. The answers here are to establish limits on employee storage, create template shared images or use session-based hosts and disk deduplication.

• Login storms:

Heavy user access due to everyone logging in at the same time, such as at the beginning of the day, creates problems, leading to delays. This can be solved by incorporating solid-state drives (SSDs) as part of your system or establish a large read cache. If you’re prepared for the storm, you can go a long way toward preventing downtime.

The Benefits of VDI

It’s clear that VDI offers a variety of different benefits from its centralized architecture that doesn’t rely on individual hard drives. It offers mobility advantages and flexible access for employees regardless of the device they use. For IT departments, maintaining a centralized desktop environment is easier than a segmented one and allows them to respond to problems much more easily. Also, there are fewer security risks since if someone loses a laptop, nothing is compromised. All the data is stored in the remote enterprise server and not on an individualized basis.

Meeting Enterprise IT Need

VDI may have its downsides for certain businesses, but as more companies embrace what it can offer, it will likely be perfected in the years to come as it grows in usage. The IT field is undergoing constant changes as it evolves with new improvements and efficiencies. A VDI deployment is one of the latest facets of this ongoing evolution and taking advantage of it can maximize your company’s technological capabilities and increase productivity throughout your organization.