Frederick Jace
Enabling employees to work from the comfort of their own home is a great way to offer better flexibility to achieve more in their job roles. This is something that we are only seeing more of in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. With that in mind, we will take you through one of the most effective remote working solutions today; virtual desk infrastructure. VDI is a type of technology that involves virtual machines being used to manage and provide virtual desktops. Desktop environments are hosted on a centralised server, and they are then deployed to end-users on request.
Often shortened to VDI, virtual desk infrastructure is defined as desktop environments hosted on a central server. It is a type of desktop virtualisation, as the specific desktop images run in virtual machines (VMs) and are then delivered over a network to end clients. The endpoints can be devices like client terminals, tablets or PCs.
How does VDI work?
In all VDI deployments, there are the following characteristics:
- The virtual desktops reside within VMs on a centralised server
- Each virtual desktop will have an operating system image, which is usually Microsoft Windows
- The VMs are host-based, which means numerous instances of them can be housed on the same server in the data centre
- End clients need to be continually connected to the centrally managed server so that access is maintained to the virtualised desktop it is hosting
- The connection broker for the VDI implementation locates a virtual desktop in the resource pool for every client to connect once there has been successful access to the VDI environment
- At the same time, a hypervisor is responsible for creating, running, and managing the different host machine VMs that encapsulate the individual virtual desktop environments
What are the benefits of VDI?
Now that you know precisely what VDI is, let’s take a look at some of the different benefits that are associated with VDI in terms of the business environment:
- Accessibility – There is only one place to begin, and this is with accessibility. VDI supports remote access, enabling users to work no matter where they are or what device they are using. Outcomes are not going to depend on whether all of the staff report to the office. Workers also can access software inaccessible to them. Tasks can be performed quickly, and security can be improved as well.
- Flexibility – An administrator can also begin upgrades, installations, and troubleshoot procedures without the end-user having to make any input. Some activities, for example, virtual desktop creation, will not impact the end user’s productivity as they are undertaken. Because the system does not have end users tied to specific hardware, new desktop fixes and desktops reach them in no time.
- Manageability – Finally, VDI makes deployment, maintenance, and management of endpoints a lot more comfortable. Endpoints include the likes of tablets, mobile devices, and laptops. One is able to resolve faults remotely from the central station. An IT specialist can deploy apps, deal with viruses, and upgrade from the data centre to the different workstations.
Final words on virtual desk infrastructure
We hope we’ve included everything that you need to know about virtual desk infrastructure in this article. This guide should have helped you better understand how virtual desk infrastructure works and why it is such an essential part of today’s work environments. The benefits are clear for all to see.
