Virtualization for your enterprise. A Dell Networking White Paper

Transcription

1 Virtualization for your enterprise A Dell Networking White Paper

2 THIS WHITE PAPER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. For more information, contact Dell. Dell, the DELL logo, and the DELL badge, PowerConnect, are trademarks of Dell Inc. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own. November 2011 Page ii

3 Contents A Dell Networking White Paper... i Virtualization for your enterprise... 2 Introduction... 2 Virtualization translated... 3 Hypervisor & Client Virtualization Software... 4 User Devices... 4 The Network... 4 Storage... 4 Services... 4 How will virtualization help my business?... 5 Increase productivity... 5 Heighten security... 5 Expedite disaster recovery... 5 Simplify provisioning... 5 How do I get started?... 6 In-house talent... 6 Evaluating solutions... 7 Implementation... 8 Management & Support... 9 Page 1

4 Virtualization for your enterprise Introduction Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) has emerged as a powerful solution in the wake of recent advances in server virtualization. VDI promises lower total cost of ownership and increased flexibility engaging benefits in today s competitive economy. Among the challenges IT managers face today is the necessity to manage a cost-effective infrastructure (from the desktop to the data center) that is responsive to new business initiatives and flexibly adapts to change. VDI allows IT administrators to more efficiently deploy data center and desktop resources, while providing a high quality user experience, pervasive security and policy management to each virtual desktop, whether the user is accessing resources from a campus or remote location. Companies can drive increased productivity, enhance management flexibility and heighten data center efficiency with VDI deployments that align core business objectives with end-user technology requirements. While there are many advantages to VDI, the actual deployment of VDI is fraught with possible pitfalls that can actually raise both CAPEX and OPEX, if not handled correctly. This paper explores the basics of a VDI deployment, including a general overview of the components, the benefits of VDI and how you determine if this technology is right for your business and how Dell can help you get started with this exciting new solution. Page 2

5 Virtualization translated Figure 1: The continuum of cloud adoption The drive to virtualization began with server virtualization, which is the practice of consolidating and partitioning servers in order to realize higher utilization at a lower cost. The result was it worked: server virtualization resulted in tremendous data center savings. Desktop virtualization takes the concept a step further, by separating the physical desktop from the software and applications and isolating each. VDI enables enterprises to host virtual desktop machines in their data center. Unlike other server based solutions that are limited in their ability to provide a complete desktop experience or are limited to specific architectures, VDI enables unlimited user access and mobility. Virtualization yields ubiquitous access and security without hardware or location limits, and allows centralized management. Unlike server virtualization, the overall virtualization solution is complicated by the fact that it essentially changes the typical enterprise user s computing paradigm from an individualized desktop to a client/server/management model. If deployed correctly, virtualization brings the agility and availability of cloud computing to the desktop. VDI dynamically allocates resources to enable a highly responsive and available environment to end users regardless of location. Desktop services become scalable on demand to quickly meet changing business needs and proactively protect against planned and unplanned downtime. Page 3

6 Virtualization vendors have different names for the elements that make up their solutions. This is one reason a straightforward comparison between vendors can be difficult. At a high level, desktop virtualization allows multiple users to access information via virtual machines, which are stored centrally. Users must typically be connected to the central virtual machine (VM) server by a LAN, WAN or the intranet. Hypervisor & Client Virtualization Software This figure presumes that the VDI deployment chosen will run via VMs. Hypervisor, which is also known as a VM manager/monitor, enables multiple operating systems to run on a single set of hardware and server resources. Hypervisors are typically installed on server hardware. Client virtualization software enables the delivery of the desktop image. User Devices One of the purposes of virtualization is to enable flexibility in the type of end-user devices, which can include managed and unmanaged devices and may encompass anything from a desktop to a laptop, tablet or smartphone. Another purpose is to enable delivery of the user s expected desktop to any suitable device that can be connected to the server. The Network The network is often overlooked when VDI is discussed, but it is, in fact, the heart of the solution. Users must be able to securely access their virtual desktops, experiencing LAN-like performance regardless of location. This requirement dovetails with the current drive to simplify and optimize the data center; in some cases, moving from legacy three-tier models to more efficient deployments. As the heart of the network your datacenter must provide resiliency, line-rate performance and unmatched scalability for the networking infrastructure required to drive successful virtualization projects. Virtual environments are built to be completely dynamic, and demand robust network automation that provides proper coordination between virtual network components and connected physical network devices. Storage Storage is a key element of a desktop virtualization deployment, just as it is in server virtualization. Storage must not only be cost effective, but also optimized to provide the right level of I/O to satisfy end-users. The type of storage chosen, as well as details in configurable backup, may seem like small considerations during evaluation, but can quickly make the difference between success and failure. Services The benefits of virtualization solutions are compelling, but the technology is still relatively new. Understanding and planning for end-user requirements is not a trivial task, and for that reason we recommend, as a part of the initial planning phases, incorporating services to help architect, roll out and optimize VDI in the most non-disruptive manner. Page 4

7 How will virtualization help my business? Increase productivity Today s global business environment is creating new and greater demands on corporate networks. Users require access to network applications and resources anytime, anywhere and from any device. A correctly deployed virtualization solution can meet this demand, by enabling remote and on-site user access via whatever device they choose. Heighten security The desktop environment has become extraordinarily complex. Today, it is practically unheard of to provide users with a standard, corporate-issued PC. Even with corporate IT governance and policies in place, users are adding their own settings and preferences, and often their own applications. This overwhelms IT staff that must learn not only how to service corporate devices, but also how those devices can interact with the vast number of elements users add. In addition, many users may access the corporate network through their own, unmanageable devices. OS updates and security patches can become extremely difficult to administer in this environment. This end-client diversity also increases the chance of a security breach. Virus and malware remediation is already challenging enough in today s desktop environment. This opens not just the end-user s device to corruption, but, by extension, the entire corporate network. And, unfortunately, you ll never know about the breach until it is too late. A correctly deployed VDI solution makes OS patches, software updates and virus/malware remediation much easier and transparent. In most cases, the user is unaware that it has even happened. Network security and compliance are also compelling values of a virtualization solution. Most security restrictions, from PCI DSS and HIPAA, to Gramm Leach Bliley and Sarbanes Oxley, require some level of access control. While access control can be deployed in a variety of ways throughout the network, virtualization provides a simple means to this end. Users must be authenticated in order to even access their device, let alone the network as a whole. Virtualization can also ease the burden of compliance reporting, by providing thorough records of end-user activities. In addition, virtualization simplifies your forensic process should there be a security breach or a suspected violation of policy. Expedite disaster recovery One of the primary benefits of virtualization is recovery. The need for recovery can be caused by lost or stolen devices, or by a disaster. In a typical desktop model, information recovery is limited to the last backup of the device, and work in progress cannot be resumed if the device is gone. In a VDI model, however, recovery is as simple as accessing the virtual desktop from a different device. Downtime is dramatically reduced, and your users are back up and working faster. Simplify provisioning Provisioning a new user in a physical desktop model can be an arduous task, made more so in a situation with limited IT staff. With VDI it is simple to provision new desktops and to keep the image updated. It is also much easier to roll out new applications and add or make changes to users as your business grows and changes. Page 5

8 How do I get started? Through this paper, you have explored many of the benefits of a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. As you have read, the benefits are extensive. A correctly deployed virtualization solution can get your IT staff out of the endless loop of servicing a myriad of disparate user desktops, and on to improving your bottom line. The key to success, however, lies with the term correctly deployed VDI solution. Virtualization remains a relatively new technology, and has been dominated thus far by a few large vendors. The technology is highly specialized today, and fraught with opportunities to make costly mistakes. Nonetheless, if properly managed, the benefits far outweigh the risks. In-house talent The first thing you must consider is whether you have the expertise needed to perform a thorough business analysis of virtualization for your situation. Ironically, many of the businesses that would most benefit from a virtual desktop infrastructure cannot clearly evaluate whether the business is a candidate for the solution. Virtualization is extremely beneficial, but proper deployment can be complex, so expertise is important. A complete evaluation would include the list below. An overview of user types. VDI can be used for all user types, but the storage and processing requirements for task workers is generally less than that required for mobile power users. A review of the end-user devices currently deployed and how they are used. An end-user security evaluation. Determine how end-users logon to their devices today and whether the security requirements vary for different users or resources. A look at how updates and patches are handled currently. This can be a significant issue and a major driver to virtualization. Virus or malware remediation. If you have had a breach, evaluate how it was handled. Understand all compliance requirements. Know which regulations you must comply with and if they are going to change. If they are going to change, know how much time and effort are required for your staff to compile this information. What operating system(s) are you using? Do you plan to update? How do you plan to accomplish that? How do you handle remote access today? This is an area where virtualization can provide enormous benefits. One of the places to find this expertise, of course, is to consult one of the large virtualization vendors. While this will get you the guidance you need, it also surrenders your IT strategy to a single vendor. At Dell, we believe that you should control your strategy whenever and wherever possible. Dell offers complete consulting services, including best practices workshops, and full assessment services to help you get the expertise you need to develop an actionable plan for the network topology, protocols and architecture that would be of the greatest benefit to your company. Figure 2: Ingredients for successful deployments Page 6

9 Evaluating solutions Once you decide that a virtualization solution is right for you, it is time to determine the evaluation specifications for deployment. At this point, there are a few critical details that must be highlighted for the overall deployment to succeed. They include: Open Ensure the solution (figure) can grow with your business as requirements change. Without such a consideration being made early in the evaluation process, you may find yourself in the same predicament two years from now, once again having to evaluate your current network due to its inability to scale with new requirements. Optimized Many applications are deployed or licensed differently in a real world virtual deployment versus in a POC or demo lab. The measure of success is constructing a virtualized environment for real world scenarios that is optimized and efficient, with the rollout delivering as advertised and CAPEX and OPEX kept in check. Automated As often happens, you find a solution and then are left with the task of dedicating resources to configure, deploy and manage access, security and routing policies. All of these things can take substantial time and consume resources you cannot afford to dedicate to the project. Best practices demand a level of automation, which frees up human resources from tedious and time consuming tasks and refocuses them on innovation. This can save substantial OPEX costs and leverages the experts only when necessary. Flexible No piece of technology should be sold as a box, but rather as part of a solution. A solution such as VDI should be flexible to accommodate and work in conjunction with technologies, such as storage, that you will ultimately require and find a vital and often tricky part of a virtualization deployment. You must ensure that the hardware you are evaluating will work as expected in your real-world environment. Dell can help you through all of the above areas to ensure your evaluation criteria are properly specified. We offer comprehensive, unbiased information about how to evaluate a virtualization deployment, including those hidden charges and issues. We can help you ensure that when you are ready to implement the solution, you get what you need and expect. Inherent to our approach, Dell will provide you with a VDI solution that is open, optimized, automated and flexible. We partner and integrate with industry leaders to ensure that you get the best possible solution while fully leveraging both CAPEX and OPEX. The result is a virtualization infrastructure that will handle your needs both today and tomorrow, including those rapidly changing areas of compliance and security. With Dell, you can easily enable a fully extensible and scalable infrastructure that can support other important initiatives, such as storage and archiving, access control, compliance, security, and much more. And all of it can be fully integrated and optimized based on your specific requirements or industry vertical. Page 7

10 Implementation Some virtualization vendors may show expertise as you evaluate their products, but leave you on your own when it comes to implementation. Not Dell. Our complete solution can assist you in deploying your tailored network solution, while maximizing the potential of your existing infrastructure. Figure 3: Components of the Dell VDI Solution Dell makes virtualization easy, with a complete solution designed to enable: Mobility Cloud computing Converged voice and data Specialized business applications, such as EMR, trading, inventory, etc. Risk mitigation Future applications, easily enabled on a flexible, open platform Dell s VDI solution includes: Network switching (Dell PowerConnect J-Series EX4500) User servers (12 Dell PowerEdge M610 s) User server chassis M1000E Management servers (2 Dell PowerEdge M610 s) Dell EqualLogic 3-tier storage o Write Cache: 2 Hybrid SSD arrays - PS6010XVS SAN o User Data: 48 TB PS6510E SAN o Data Back-up/Recovery: 48 TB PS6510E SAN Optional Components Available o UPS, Security Software, Firewall, etc. OEM Software Citrix and VMWare Dell s solution also includes a full complement of tested, preconfigured policies so rollout is simple. Page 8

11 Management & Support The day-to-day maintenance and support of a VDI deployment is vital; after all, no network is static. Dell can help you with an option for 24x7 network management. Dell operates, administers, maintains and provisions all networked systems in compliance with the service-level agreement that works for you. That means you-- and your users--get back to business. Dell also offers complete technical, warranty and product support services. Summary Virtual Desktop Infrastructure can solve many of the challenges faced by today s enterprise. It is important to realize, however, that a successful VDI rollout requires specific expertise and knowhow. Historically, this has limited many virtualization deployments to larger, centralized organizations-- those that are likely to have dedicated IT resources to dedicate to the issue. Dell changes the paradigm to help you realize all the benefits of virtualization today, regardless of your company size or distribution. We start by helping you assess your organization to make sure there is a good fit and readiness for virtualization. After that, we can help you with deployment, evaluation, implementation and even day-to-day management. Dell tailor s our solution to fit your specific requirements, ensuring that you get the exact equipment and service you need. Page 9