After a tremendous amount of growth in the use of virtualization within data centers to enable such things as server consolidation, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery, virtualization is now also being used as a desktop computing platform. Client virtualization moves the execution, storage, and management of desktop environments from a distributed environment to a centralized environment,
where the environments are accessed by end users typically through PCs or thin clients.
Client virtualization technologies can enable organizations to simplify and improve desktop management capabilities such as software and hardware upgrades, patching, disaster recovery, and operating system migrations. Through utilizing hypervisors (virtual machine software) on either servers or desktops, IT organizations can decouple a client software environment (including operating system, application, and data) from its host hardware while isolating it from other software running aboard that device. These decoupled software environments can be hosted on either x86 servers or x86 PCs. In addition, to ease management, desktop virtualization can help organizations reduce the costs associated with desktop computing as well as improve security.IDC uses the term "client virtualization" to describe all technologies associated with virtualizing the end-user computing experience, while the term "desktop virtualization" caters to technologies that virtualize only the end-user desktops.
Q. Why is client virtualization important as part of a desktop strategy?
A. Client virtualization offers several benefits compared with traditional desktop management:
��Lower IT COSTS: Virtual desktops can measurably reduce overall IT operational costs —from prolonging hardware replacement cycles (capex) to reducing desktop maintenance and service time (opex).
��Desktop management: IT administrators can centrally manage all virtual desktops in the data center environment, thus improving IT support efficiency. In addition, administrators can quickly set up new virtual machines, ensuring virtually zero downtime.
��Continuity planning/disaster recovery: Virtual machines can be quickly deployed to most PC hardware, which can be factored into organizational business continuity planning, allowing enterprises to return to operation quickly after disasters.
��Security and regulatory compliance: Virtual machines allow for policies that can remove physical connections (such as USB drives), improving overall enterprise network security. Also, when end users connect to a virtual or session-based desktop hosted in the data center, the applications and data associated with that desktop never leave the data center; this helps organizations keep intellectual property highly secure and simplifies regulatory compliance.
��Hardware independence: Connected virtual desktops can run on most computers and thin clients without concerns about incompatible hardware or device drivers, as long as the client system can be connected to the data center to access the image.
��Additional benefits: Organizations can choose to deploy virtual machine endpoints with thin clients or other energy-saving devices, thus complying with green IT and reducing energy footprints. Additionally, improved computing reliability can increase the operational efficiency of end users/non-IT business units. Having a well-planned, well-documented, and well-implemented client virtualization strategy can bring many benefits to any organization. While some benefits can be realized in the short term to justify the initial investment, organizations should really have a long-term view when evaluating the viability of moving into a virtualized desktop infrastructure.
To get a picture of it, there are some companies I have seen that have embrace it. You can visit them and take a look and get the picture as and pick a leaf from the experience. They include Easy World Entebbe Airport, Easy World at Luwum street City center complex ground floor A17.
You will find that over ten computers (Thin clients) do share a single systems unit wrongfully and commonly known as CPU. These thin clients are able to operate independently at all times.
I personally believe that its time to embrace this green IT Environment.
