Client Computing Architectures: Many Choices to Solve Many Problems

2. Client Computing Architectures: Many Choices to Solve Many Problems Mark Margevicius

3. Deficiencies in Traditional PCs Introduce Opportunities and Architectures Desktop and laptop PCs have valuable attributes; but, in many ways, have shifted from strategic to tactical for many organizations Do PCs offer Do these sound familiar? "There has to be a better way." "Not another PC refresh." "PCs are such a pain." "PCs are waaaaay too costly."

4. Virtual Everything: Operating SystemBubbles and Application Containers Virtualization decouples each layer from the layer below Application The application is installed in a container with a copy of OS resources 2009 The virtualization layer runs on the OS to create a standardized interface for application installation Virtualization Layer Operating System (OS) The OS is installed in a virtual machine 2010 A thin virtualization layer runs on the hardware to create a standardized interface for OS installation VirtualizationLayer Hardware Mainstream for PC deployments

5. New Packaging Options:Separating Users, Hardware and Bubbles Virtual Machines Hosted on Servers • Architectural equivalent of the blade PC • Full "thick-client" image, thin-client delivery model Portable Personalities • Your preferred environment, any machine, any location • Carry it with you, store it on the network • Bubbles of various sizes: some with OS, some without

6. Virtual Machine Guest OS Applications Virtual Drivers Different CPU Privilege Levels Virtual Machine Monitor Hypervisor Hardware-Assisted Virtualization:Faster and More Robust • Intel's Virtualization Technology (VT) and AMD's AMD-V available • Technical challenges with I/O being addressed • New privilege levels, hardware partitioning and hardware policy enforcement • Virtualization becomes moreefficient, more flexible and more reliable • Requires software support New software emerging; additional hardware improvements

7. The Operating System Unbundled: Embedded Complexity Begins to Recede Load order = Standard OS component VirtualMachine VirtualMachine Applications Applications PrimaryPartition Service Appliance Service Appliance Hypervisor Hardware Mainstream for new PCs from 2010

8. Client Computing Now Has Many Homes

9. Applications Can Be Delivered Differently as Well

10. Extreme Spectrums of Client Computing Architectures PCs Hosted VMs Streaming Blade PCs Data Data Data Data LAN/WAN LAN/WAN Data VM VM VM Applications Data PC OS VMM Data Applications LAN/WAN LAN/WAN Preso Layer Applications PC OS PC OS PC OS RDP Thin Client PC Hardware PC Hardware Thin Client SBC Web Data Data Limited Functionality Low Cost Applications Applications WTS/Citrix Web Server Server LAN/WAN LAN/WAN Applications ICA/RDP Browser OS OS Hardware Hardware Different architectures can coexist More Secure Lower TCO Rigid Design More Complex Higher TCO Highly Flexible

11. Blade-Based PCs — Niche Solutions • Dedicated 1-to-1 PC-to-user ratios • Degrees of customization avail • No degradation in performance • Offers failover and redundancy • High capital costs (1.5x to 2.5x more than traditional desktop PCs) • Better economics if used as a pooled resource • Better client-side manageability • Tends to be fairly vertical; often found on Wall Street, in hospitals and network operation centers • Proprietary solutions Blade-Based PCs

12. Server-Based Computing — Mainstream Alternative Server-Based Computing • Applications are shared among users • 50-80 users (typical) per server • Applications are published to users • Lower TCO than PCs (although capital costs are higher) • Not for all apps./users • Performance issues with heavy computation or graphics-based applications • Application testing and remediation highly recommended • Large ecosystem of vendors • Battle-hardened and scaleable ICA RDP

13. Hosted Virtual Desktops — New Twist on Remote Desktops • Users connect to server using RDP • Virtual instances of Windows XP/Vista running on servers • Each server supports 10-20 users • Applications are the same as with local PCs • Provides for central management • Offers device/user independence • Interest from remote/teleworkers • Third-party tools still evolving • VMWare, Citrix, Virtual Iron, IBM, HP, Fujitsu, NEC, just to name a few! Source: VMWare

14. Which Client Architectures work best? • Server-Based Computing • Homogonous environments • Well-behaved applications • Rapid deployment needs • Security • Remote access • Lowest TCO • Most restrictive • Blades/Hosted Desktops • Blended desktop/server configuration • Identical PC application functionality • Requires server/network infrastructure build-outs • Remote access Server-execution • Traditional PCs • Performance-driven applications • Multimedia/graphics • Legacy use • Mobility (laptops) • Most flexible • Highest TCO • Application Streaming • Centralization • Application isolation • Rich application support • Remote access • Still maturing Local-execution

15. From Niche to Default:A PC Virtualization Technology Roadmap Viable now Application virtualization, hosted VMs on servers, hardware virtualization and rogue user images in VMs Viability for future deployments Application streaming Hardware security Mainstream deployment of user images in VMs Software appliances Hosted VMs OS streaming New user images in VMs by default Application virtualization PC hypervisors VMs for everyone 2007 2010 2008 2009 VMs for technical and niche users only