IT administrators face a variety of challenges

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1 Flexible Computig Optimized Desktop Ifrastructure Usig Dell Flexible Computig Solutios By Joh Schoute Ramesh Radhakrisha, Ph.D. The Dell Flexible Computig Solutios suite of products ad services is desiged to simplify ad cetralize admiistrator cotrol over ed-user s while helpig ehace security ad reduce total cost of owership. Uderstadig the features ad usage models of each solutio ca help admiistrators optimize their use i eterprise eviromets. Related Categories: Citrix Systems Dell OptiPlex s Dell Precisio workstatios Flexible computig izatio VMware Visit DELL.COM/PowerSolutios for the complete category idex. IT admiistrators face a variety of challeges related to maagemet, icludig the eed to ehace maagemet, mobility, ad security while efficietly carryig out asset tasks such as procuremet, provisioig, support, ad migratio ad patch maagemet. Flexible computig techologies offer a alterative to traditioal s that help address some of these challeges. OS ad applicatio streamig, server-hosted cliet virtual machies (VMs), ad graphics redirectio have evolved to provide value beyod the traditioal presetatio virtualizatio domais of the Citrix Presetatio Server ad Citrix XeApp platforms. The Dell Flexible Computig Solutios suite of products ad services is desiged to cetralize the processig ad storage resources of a distributed computig eviromet. This suite provides a architecture that ca help icrease cotrol, maageability, ad security while helpig reduce total cost of owership ad ehacig cotiuity. 1 Each of these solutios ca offer orgaizatios techiques for cosolidatig distributed assets. This article outlies the features ad usage models of the differet solutios. Dell Flexible Computig Solutios The Dell Flexible Computig Solutios suite is composed of three mai solutios: the Dell O-Demad Desktop Streamig (ODDS) solutio, the Dell Remote Desktop (VRD) solutio, ad the Dell Dedicated Remote Workstatio (DRW) solutio. Orgaizatios may also cosider scearios where oe or more Dell Flexible Computig Solutios are used alog with other complemetary techologies to help efficietly solve their ed-user computig eeds. Dell O-Demad Desktop Streamig The Dell ODDS solutio utilizes Dell OptiPlex cliets with Dell EasyCoect techology, Dell PowerEdge servers, ad the Citrix Provisioig Server for Desktops platform (see Figure 1). I combiatio, these compoets create a solutio based o diskless cliets that receive a streamed OS image from a streamig server i real time over a 100 Mbps Etheret LAN. The cliet uses its local processor, memory, ad graphics capabilities to optimize the ed-user experiece. ODDS works by havig a factory-optimized OptiPlex 755, OptiPlex 760, OptiPlex 960, or OptiPlex FX160 cliet mout ad boot its OS partitio usig a 1 For more iformatio o the compoets ad advatages of Dell Flexible Computig Solutios, see Flexible Computig: Advacig Ed-User Productivity with Cetralized Cotrol, by Jeremy Ford ad Roberto Ayala, i Dell Power Solutios, November 2008, DELL.COM/Dowloads/Global/Power/ps4q Flex.pdf. 1 DELL POWER SOLUTIONS March 2009 Reprited from Dell Power Solutios, March Copyright 2009 Dell Ic. All rights reserved.

2 virtual disk (vdisk) hosted o a streamig server over a Etheret etwork. Durig a cliet s first boot from the streamig server, the cliet s Media Access Cotrol (MAC) address is added to a database that provides graular cotrol over device idetity ad vdisk authorizatio. The OS streamig server the itelligetly streams its vdisk to the cliet i real time, providig oly the ecessary iformatio to help optimize cliet performace ad etwork traffic. Oce cofigured, Citrix Provisioig Server eables streamig vdisks from the streamig servers to cliets i oe of two modes: Private oe-to-oe mode: Creates a read/write vdisk for each dowstream cliet essetially takig the hard drive out of the cliet ad storig it o the server Shared oe-to-may mode: Streams a read-oly vdisk to multiple cliets Diskless Dell OptiPlex cliet Local processig May to oe Figure 1. Dell O-Demad Desktop Streamig architecture Cliet device Figure 2. Dell Remote Desktop architecture Remote processig Oe to may Flexible applicatios Microsoft Widows XP or Widows Vista vdisk Microsoft Widows XP Dell PowerEdge streamig servers Microsoft Widows Vista izatio layer Dell PowerEdge server Depedig o workload, typical ratios for the oe-to-may mode ca rage from 50 to 100 cliets per vdisk. Because each chage to this vdisk affects may cliets, this model helps dramatically reduce the umber of touch poits i the operatioal maagemet of system images, patchig, ad OS updates. Cliet device Remote processig Oe to oe Microsoft Widows XP or Widows Vista Dell Precisio R5400 rack workstatio Dell Remote Desktop The Dell VRD solutio utilizes Dell OptiPlex FX160 thi cliets, Dell servers ad storage, ad Citrix XeDesktop or VMware View virtualizatio software to ru operatig systems ad applicatios as VMs hosted o x86-based servers (see Figure 2). Ed users access their VMs from a cliet device usig either the Citrix Idepedet Computig Architecture (ICA ) protocol i the case of Citrix XeDesktop, or the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) i the case of VMware View. These protocols provide a bitmap-cache-optimized protocol desiged to work well i lowspeed, wireless, ad high-speed etworks. I this solutio, a abstractio layer is set dow o the server i the form of a Figure 3. Dell Dedicated Remote Workstatio architecture hypervisor. This abstractio layer provides provisioig, admiistratio, ad a method to create umerous logical partitios withi the server, each of which is tio ehaces data security ad cotiuity maagemet tasks. I additio, this solu- populated with a VM ruig the Microsoft through the cetralizatio ad cotaimet of the OS image ad data Widows XP or Widows Vista OS. The VMs ru cocurretly o this abstractio structures. layer, providig a co-shared VM eviromet ruig o highly available Dell Dedicated Remote Workstatio server ad storage hardware. The Dell DRW solutio is based o a dedicated Dell Precisio R5400 rack worksta- This architecture is desiged to cotai, secure, ad cetralize the maagemet of VMs ad their associated ad allocated o a per-sessio basis (see tio located i a cetralized data ceter applicatios regardless of the access Figure 3). This oe-to-oe mappig of device or user locatio. Like server virtualizatio, this solutio ca offer adva- advatage of dedicated processor, memory, workstatio to user sessio provides the tages related to the simplificatio of ad graphics capabilities. This approach Reprited from Dell Power Solutios, March Copyright 2009 Dell Ic. All rights reserved. DELL.COM/PowerSolutios 2

3 Flexible Computig helps esure a performace-orieted eviromet ad avoids virtualizatio overhead or resource-sharig complexities. A dedicated hardware compressio/ decompressio device resides withi the rackable workstatio ad redirects highperformace graphics to a complemetary peer device through hardware-assisted Teradici PC-over-IP techology. The peer device provides decompressio of the PC-over-IP stream ad eables applicatios to execute remotely o the workstatio. The dedicated remote workstatio is cofigured i a oe-to-oe fashio, actig as a dedicated device per user sessio. If more tha oe user is cofigured for access per device, the the Microsoft Widows profile architecture preserves user settigs. Profile optimizatios ca be applied usig folder redirectio ad Group Policy objects (GPOs) for streamliig the user sessio eviromet. Complemetary techologies Orgaizatios may also choose complemetary techologies such as applicatio streamig or cliet-hosted virtualizatio withi a Dell Flexible Computig Solutio to further ehace the maageability ad utility of a cetralized eterprise cliet ifrastructure. I the applicatio streamig model, applicatios are streamed o demad from a cetralized server to the target cliet OS. This target OS may reside withi either a server-hosted VM or o a traditioal local or mobile device. Admiistrators package, provisio, ad maage applicatios cetrally, which helps improve maagemet ad access cotrol compared with a traditioal eviromet. I the case of a local, streamed applicatios execute processes ad threads locally, providig ed users with a traditioal cliet experiece. Devices ca fuctio i either a olie (cached) mode or a offlie mode. I the cliet-hosted virtualizatio model, a virtualizatio layer is applied to the cliet. Target VMs reside ad operate withi the cotext of this oe cliet system. Because the applicatio suite is cotaied withi a predetermied local VM, admiistrators have the flexibility of deployig eterprise VMs o a multitude of eterprise assets while ehacig the security attributes aroud both the cliet s VM executio ad data eviromet. This helps icrease the protectio of eterprise assets ad may also allow the use of ocoformig hardware assets. From a systems maagemet perspective, this model does icur some additioal burde, as each VM ad its local host OS become a target for maagemet, patchig, ad updatig. Compariso of flexible computig approaches Figure 4 highlights key features of ODDS usig Citrix Provisioig Server for Desktops, VRD usig Citrix XeDesktop or VMware View, ad DRW usig Teradici PC-over-IP, alog with the complemetary applicatio streamig ad cliet-hosted virtualizatio techologies. Each of these approaches ca offer advatages for eterprise cetralizatio ad optimizatio ad support a myriad of cliet workloads, usage models, ad cliet devices. For example, the diskless cliet architecture of ODDS usig Citrix Provisioig Server for Desktops is well suited for orgaizatios with large groups of users utilizig the same image (OS ad applicatios). It is desiged to provide excellet applicatio isolatio while offerig ucompromised processig ad graphics performace. For admiistrators, its advatages ca iclude user sessio mobility, rapid deploymet ad provisioig, ad ehaced data security through cetralized data storage. ODDS ca also provide excellet support for peripherals whe CD/DVD, audio, ad parallel or serial port access are required. A atural extesio for ODDS is to service a VRD eviromet. This hybrid approach reflects the Citrix XeDesktop architecture, i which the hypervisor resides o the x86-based server hardware while the OS streamig through ODDS provides the oe-to-may OS imagig ifrastructure. Each vdisk is assiged to a group of VMs ad helps ease storage ad maagemet requiremets. Rapidly deployig VMs usig this techique eables the optimizatio of both server ad storage hardware. The Citrix Desktop Delivery Cotroller maages the icomig requests for VM access ad automates the deploymet ad coectio state of the VMs. VRD usig VMware View utilizes VMware View Coectio Maager. This coectio maager iterfaces directly with VMware ESX through the VMware vceter Server (formerly VMware Ceter) cosole ad VMware ESX applicatio programmig iterface (API). This vceter Server itegratio provides a cetralized cosole to maage cliet access, VM mappigs, ad the automatio ad orchestratio of the virtual eviromet. Storage optimizatios are accomplished through VMware Machie File System (VMFS) usig its sapshot ad cloig capabilities. These VMFS operatios ca provide advatages for both productio ad developmet systems where writable sapshots ca be used to create oe-tomay imagig architectures. Like traditioal server virtualizatio platforms, Citrix XeDesktop ad VMware View use a hypervisor to host remote VMs. This hypervisor provides a abstractio layer that eables server hardware idepedece ad portability withi the data ceter eviromet. While at the edpoit device, ICA or RDP provide geographical idepedece betwee the edpoit ad the server-hosted VM. This combiatio of hardware idepedece at the server ad geographical idepedece usig ICA or RDP at the edpoit device eables a flexible ad agile framework for deploymet oe that ca offer advatages such as remote access, icreased life cycles for edpoit devices, sessio portability, ad mobility. Admiistrators should carefully cosider the usability characteristics of this solutio i eviromets where high-performace graphics ad peripheral access are required. 3 DELL POWER SOLUTIONS March 2009 Reprited from Dell Power Solutios, March Copyright 2009 Dell Ic. All rights reserved.

4 O-Demad Desktop Streamig usig Citrix Provisioig Server for Desktops Remote Desktop usig Citrix XeDesktop or VMware View Dedicated Remote Workstatio usig Teradici PC-over-IP Applicatio streamig Cliet-hosted virtualizatio Device idepedece Sessio mobility (may require roamig profiles) (may require roamig profiles) Wireless capability Rapid provisioig Remote access (ICA or RDP over Secure Sockets Layer [SSL]) Cetralized storage Offlie support for mobile cliets (with future offlie support plaed i VMware View) Automated provisioig (with Citrix Desktop Delivery Cotroller or VMware View Maager) (with Microsoft Istaller [MSI] packages or GPOs) (with Microsoft Eterprise Desktop izatio) Ehaced data security Maagemet tools Citrix Provisioig Server cosole Citrix XeCeter or VMware vceter Server cosole Teradici PC-over-IP Maagemet Cosole ad coectio broker Profilig tools ad Microsoft Active Directory directory service Existig cliet maagemet tools such as Microsoft Active Directory eabled GPOs, MSI packages, ad Systems Maagemet Server Guest OS support Microsoft Widows XP ad Microsoft Widows Vista operatig systems Microsoft Widows XP ad Microsoft Widows Vista operatig systems Microsoft Widows XP, Microsoft Widows Vista, ad Liux operatig systems Microsoft Widows XP ad Microsoft Widows Vista operatig systems Microsoft Widows XP, Microsoft Widows Vista, Microsoft Widows Server, ad Solaris operatig systems Licesig Microsoft Widows Vista Eterprise Cetralized Desktop (VECD) ad Software Assurace (SA) liceses VECD ad SA liceses Microsoft Widows XP origial equipmet maufacturer (OEM) licese VECD, SA, ad Microsoft Desktop Optimizatio Pack (MDOP) liceses Local OS licese ad VM OS licese Server-to-cliet ratio Oe to may Oe to oe (persistet) or oe to may (opersistet) Oe to oe Oe to may Oe to oe Core techology User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ad vdisks RDP, coectio broker, ad hypervisor Teradici PC-over-IP Microsoft AppV or VMware ThiApp software Microsoft PC, VMware ACE, VMware Workstatio, or VMware Player Example use case Local device or virtual remote Remote access usig ICA or RDP over SSL for structured-task ad geeral-purpose productivity software High-performace or precisio workloads ad applicatios where visual iterpretatio is importat Local device, mobile device, or VM Local device, mobile device, or ocoformig hardware assets Figure 4. Compariso of Dell Flexible Computig Solutios ad complemetary techologies Reprited from Dell Power Solutios, March Copyright 2009 Dell Ic. All rights reserved. DELL.COM/PowerSolutios 4

5 Flexible Computig VM VM VM Target devices Dyamic assembly Applicatios Profile Image Applicatio streamig Roamig profile or folder redirectio OS streamig Figure 5. Example three-tiered flexible computig eviromet DRW with hardware-assisted Teradici PC-over-IP techology is desiged to provide a flexible, cetralized deploymet model while still providig the processor, memory, ad graphics performace of a high-performace workstatio. The Dell Precisio R5400 workstatio features a idustry-stadard dual-socket desig usig quad-core processors ad large memory capacity to deliver a powerful 3D OpeGL graphics experiece ad support for up to four moitors usig a PCI x16 graphics card for remote users. Fuctioal beefits of the DRW model ca iclude support for icreased distaces to ihospitable or hazardous areas. Admiistrative beefits ca iclude security ehacemets through device cetralizatio ad the simplificatio of adds, moves, ad chages as IT resources ad project teams are reassiged or reallocated. Orgaizatios might cosider a multitiered approach whe cosiderig flexible computig. For example, a foudatioal techology like VRD may be used alog with applicatio streamig ad OS streamig (see Figure 5). I this example, a virtual is rapidly provisioed ad assembled for the user. The foudatio techology is VRD while the applicatio ad image maagemet system are optimized usig applicatio ad OS streamig. The fial Applicatio 1 Applicatio 2 Applicatio HKEY_CURRENT_USER Sales Huma resources Marketig Applicatio provisioig User profile maagemet Image provisioig reflects a composite view of the three virtualizatio techologies. By combiig a variety of approaches, orgaizatios ca optimize their eviromet to help meet the eeds of both IT admiistrators ad ed users. Dell OptiPlex FX160 edpoit device I flexible computig architectures, the edpoit device acts as the iterface betwee the cliet task ad the compute ifrastructure. While a myriad of devices exist, ad i some cases orgaizatios may utilize existig assets as edpoit devices, it is importat to uderstad the usefuless of the Dell OptiPlex FX160 edpoit device. The OptiPlex FX160 ca work with a variety of solutio cocepts. Its foudatioal approach is to eable flexible computig, ad as such this device ca be cofigured for either a ODDS eviromet usig Citrix Provisioig Server or a VRD eviromet usig either Citrix XeDesktop or VMware View. Flexible ifrastructure A cetralized eterprise cliet ifrastructure model helps provide a data ad applicatio cotaimet strategy while helpig esure flexible access for edpoit devices ad ed users. Alog with the fuctioal beefits of cetralizatio ad the agility that virtualizatio ca provide, these solutios ca help orgaizatios achieve a retur o ivestmet i multiple dimesios, icludig the ecoomies of provisioig, image maagemet, ad reductios i both user-side visits ad adds, moves, ad chages for the edpoit devices. Together, ODDS with Citrix Provisioig Server for Desktops, VRD with Citrix XeDesktop or VMware View, ad DRW with Teradici PC-over-IP offer a holistic approach to flexible computig that ca help meet a variety of eeds. Joh Schoute is a eterprise strategist with Dell. His positio draws o his expertise i eterprise ifrastructure related to servers ad storage. For the past 15 years he has focused primarily o ifrastructure solutios related to Microsoft Widows, Citrix, VMware, ad high-availability clusterig. He holds Microsoft Certified Systems Egieer (MCSE), Citrix Certified Eterprise Admiistrator (CCEA), ad VMware Certified Professioal (VCP) certificatios. Ramesh Radhakrisha, Ph.D., is a member of the Scalable Systems Group at Dell. His iterests iclude performace aalysis ad characterizatio of eterprise-level bechmarks. Ramesh has a Ph.D. i Computer Egieerig from the Uiversity of Texas at Austi. QUICK LINK Dell Flexible Computig Solutios: DELL.COM/FCS 5 DELL POWER SOLUTIONS March 2009 Reprited from Dell Power Solutios, March Copyright 2009 Dell Ic. All rights reserved.