Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

[somabc]

Has anyone tried - Ulteo - Open Source Enterprise Virtual Desktop and Application Delivery solutions (SBC & VDI)

 

http://www.ulteo.com/main/images/uovd/ulteo-scheme-web.png

 

Key Features

Windows and/or Linux Application delivery

 

Ulteo's Open Virtual Desktop delivers applications that are hosted on Linux servers or via Windows Terminal Services to any Java-enabled web browser, to any desktop (Windows, MacOS, Linux, thin client), anywhere (WAN-enable).

Windows applications are served from Windows Server 2003 or 2008 servers.

 

The provided “base” set of Linux applications include the OpenOffice productivity suite, Firefox web browser, Thunderbird email client, Pidgin instant messaging client, and more. Thousands of additional Linux applications may be installed and deployed by the system administrator.

End-user Web Interface

 

Applications are delivered to users by way of:

 

* A user-friendly desktop – Users log into a full-featured desktop to access applications “published” by the administrator, or

* Through a web-portal – The application portal provides a file manager for basic file system manipulation, and icons for launching applications in individual web browser windows

[plexer]

Looks interesting but the same with all of these types of applications if you are delivering windows desktops and microsoft applications etc... what are the licensing requirements?

 

Ben

[Soulfish]

Looks interesting but the same with all of these types of applications if you are delivering windows desktops and microsoft applications etc... what are the licensing requirements?

 

Ben

 

Complicated? May look at using this to provide some basic form of remote access to staff and students.

[DMcCoy]

Looks interesting but the same with all of these types of applications if you are delivering windows desktops and microsoft applications etc... what are the licensing requirements?

 

Ben

 

"Windows applications are served from Windows Server 2003 or 2008 servers"

 

Exactly the same as if you didn't use it?

 

While the linux side may be more, the windows part seems little more than a launcher, which is a bit redundant with the 2008 R2 TS options. Not that I've tried it, just what I was reading on the site.

[gshaw]

I think there's a bit of a fight between technologies at the moment and the dust is still settling on which way to go... as it stands you could...

 

- keep apps installed on the OS, just detach it from the hardware (VDI)

- stream the apps to any OS (App-V style)

- go Citrix style via Terminal Services 2008

- classic terminal services (many users on one server box with local apps)

 

Maybe Harry Hill should decide this in his own style

[somabc]

I think there's a bit of a fight between technologies at the moment and the dust is still settling on which way to go... as it stands you could...

 

- keep apps installed on the OS, just detach it from the hardware (VDI)

- stream the apps to any OS (App-V style)

- go Citrix style via Terminal Services 2008

- classic terminal services (many users on one server box with local apps)

 

Maybe Harry Hill should decide this in his own style

 

Does anyone have an idea of the costs involved though? Say for a public cluster of 50 machines?

[gshaw]

Well if you go VDI it's 40 full-fat desktops running on a server (minus the efficiences you get from virtualising) so depends on your choice of kit... RAM usually being the limiting factor. Factor in failover etc and it does rack up a bit... countered by savings made at the desktop level.

 

Personally I'd hold out on VDI until the video issues are sorted... hopefully the PCoIP protocol will push VDI into the bigtime if it gets integrated into the clients.

 

VMware: VMware View-Point: Why PCoIP is Ideal for Remote Virtual Desktops

 

Also do you want to push these machines outside your network boundary or use it to cut hardware \ support costs?

[Axel]

VDI Licensing is not quite that simple (or cheap). See the link below:

 

Microsoft makes more changes to VECD. They're still screwing us though. - Brian Madden - BrianMadden.com

 

Also regarding PCoIP - Microsoft have a competing offering in the wings (Calista):

 

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/E/6/5E66B27B-988B-4F50-AF3A-C2FF1E62180F/ENT-T591_WH08.pptx

 

Things change very quickly in the VDI market, MS, Citrix and VMware all looking for a bit of the action - it is not a place for the faint hearted !

[gshaw]

You're right... it's a nightmare at the moment and a bit of a theme in IT recently imo... no platform or solution stability so a solution costing many £££ today is the wrong choice tomorrow