VMware View

Proof Of Concept (POC)

“By the end of 2010,

all new PC deployments will be virtualized.”
Brian Gammage and George Shiffler III, August 8, 2007
VMware View
‘Regaining control’
Desktop computers are the ICT resources that
are the least efficiently utilized and the most
difficult to manage. Traditionally, the manage-
ment of the desktop computer is always a huge
challenge. Drivers, software, patches and secu-
rity are just some of the issues that can make the
work of the IT management department particu-
larly difficult.
Too much diversity and dependency
on operating systems
The current desktop landscape has a wide range
of operating systems, each of which often having
its own individual characteristics. This large-
scale diversity in desktop layouts exists because
new applications demand new operating sys-
tems or because the introduction of new functio-
nalities requires a different system. Consequent-
ly, outdated hardware is often incompatible with
the most recent system and there are insufficient
resources available to cater for the migration of
all workstations.
VMware and RES Software offer a ready-to-use Proof of Concept (POC) that
allows you to experience the added value of Desktop Virtualization for your
organization in a fast, modular and accessible manner!
Seeing is believing: A Virtual Desktop POC
Because the centralization of desktops represents an entirely new approach for many com-
panies, VMware and RES Software recommend a POC setup. This pilot project can be fully
arranged through a number of certified VMware partners. It is designed to evaluate whether
the functional and technical aspects of VMware View match the wishes and expectations of
your organization.
By utilizing the POC, you can study both the technical and organizational potential offered
by a virtual desktop within your own environment. Since there are various options for building
a virtual desktop environment, you can seek out the optimal configuration together with one
of our consultants. After the pilot project, it will become clear which desktops and users are
good candidates for a VMware Desktop Environment and (if applicable) which hardware can
be deployed in the process.
NOTE: The ‘pilot project’ provides a complete layout, which will be applied to the definitive
implementation within your organization. The ‘test phase’, which is the same as the setup
in other projects, is largely complete. This means that the implementation time will be
considerable shorter.
How do we proceed?
The POC consists of a number of phases, some of which are optional depending on the cur-
rent situation or the desired POC components.
Phase 1 Site check
Phase 2 VMware vSphere (optional) implementation
Phase 3 VMware View Manager and virtual desktop implementation and configuration
Phase 4 Application virtualization with ThinApp (optional)
Phase 5 User Workspace Management (optional)
Phase 6 End-user test
Phase 7 Report

Management is time-consuming
and labor-intensive
Management expenses account for almost
seventy percent of the Total Cost of Owner-
ship (TCO) of an average desktop. Worksta-
tion hardware and software maintenance are
particularly time-consuming for the average
IT department. Consequently, other tasks are
pushed aside and additional personnel some-
times have to be recruited. A significant volume
of the work involved in managing a desktop en-
vironment seems to consist mainly of migration
projects. In a traditional desktop environment,
applications are distributed to the decentrali-
zed desktops. This is often done by means of
automatic rollout techniques, but sometimes it
is also done manually. Each workstation has to
be individually visited, migrated and tested.
No security guarantee
The security of local data is also a matter of
great concern. The decentralized nature of the
traditional client/server architecture leaves en-
terprises vulnerable to security risks. Whatever
the level of desktop security, sensitive company
information leaks out with great regularity.
Phase 1: Site check
Objective
The current functionality of the desktops is used as the point of departure. This serves as a
basis for the desired VMware View functionality. A good inventory of the current hardware
and software and how this is going to be applied is essential for getting the VMware View
POC off to a good start. Which applications or wishes for which the VM server environment is
to be deployed will also be examined. We take your budget and company risk profile into ac-
count at all times.
Description of the activities
• Drawing up an inventory of the current and desired functionality by a consultant
• Basic infrastructure check for the VMware View POC
Result
After the site check has been performed, you will receive a transparent and definitive step-by-
step plan for implementing the VMware View POC. A well-organized checklist will enable you
to see whether the existing situation is adequate for the VMware View POC. Any modifications
required for the successful implementation of the VMware View POC will be specified.
Desktop capacity is not utilized
Modern workstations have an enormous com- Phase 2: VMware vSphere (optional) implementation
puting capacity. However, because the user
only performs one or two tasks simultaneously, Objective
only ten percent of this computing capacity In this phase, the basic VMware infrastructure will be installed. The VMware View solution
might be exploited. All of these problems re- uses VMware vSphere. If the vSphere infrastructure is already present, then this phase can be
quire a revised desktop strategy and a smar- skipped. Any modifications are implemented in consultation (if necessary, from the site check
ter, more efficient and more secure way of information). If the client does not yet have a VMware vSphere infrastructure, this will be in-
distributing applications to the users. This can stalled in the form of a server with the corresponding virtual machines.
be achieved by setting up a ‘Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure’. Description of the activities
• Existing vSphere infrastructure modification
How does it work? • VMware ESX Host installation
The VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure • VMware virtual centre console installation
View gives users access to desktops with the
aid of virtualization techniques. Virtualization Result
facilitates the hosting of desktop computers on After this phase, the VMware View POC is modified or installed. A VMware ESX server is incor-
servers. By using virtualization on the server, porated into the network and the VMware management console, vCenter, is configured and
it is possible to offer a large number of desk- operational. The infrastructure is modified and complies with the requirements for the next
tops on the hardware in the computer room. phase: the installation of the VMware View and the virtual desktops.
The available capacity is thus optimal and if
necessary, additional capacity can be activated
quickly and easily. Another important benefit
is that this creates better security and control.
Desktop virtualization can convert the entire
desktop into a server farm hosted environment.
The desktop is thus always accessible, dyna-
mically scalable and it can be monitored and
controlled from a central location.
Setting up a virtual desktop envi-
ronment will enable you to:
• Allocate, roll out and recover complete desk-
tops which will considerably increase acces-
sibility to the desktop environment.
• Offer users a complete desktop environment
even from a remote location
• Keep your sensitive business information
secure in the central computer room
• Set up a standard and centrally-controlled
desktop environment which complies with
internal and external compliance regulations
• Distinguish the user type and tailor the desk-
top requirements accordingly
Advantages of desktop
virtualization:
• Savings on expenditure by reducing the TCO
of the workspace
• More efficient use of the existing capacity
and therefore less energy consumption
• Automatic, proactive control
• Increased accessibility and fast processing
time
• Better service in the event of a calamity
Phase 3: VMware View Manager and virtual desktop
implementation and configuration
Objective
This phase involves the implementation of the VMware View Manager and a couple of desk-
tops, which are going to serve as a representative basis for the View POC. Which desktop
types should be deployed for the organization will be examined during the site check in phase
1. VMware View will be incorporated into the domain and arranged together with the client’s
system manager. Devices for the POC test users will be set up and activated.
Description of the activities
• VMware View virtual machine installation and activation
• Windows XP virtual machine installation and activation
• Windows Vista virtual machine installation and activation
• Basic configuration agents, protocols, printers, etc.
• VMware View manager; User access, Desktops, Printers, Active directory configuration
• Establish a number of clients (PC or Thin Client) for the POC
• Examination of the VMware View Manager possibilities together with the systems management
• Documentation
Result
After this phase, the basic VMware View infrastructure is implemented. VMware View is instal-
led on the (existing) vSphere infrastructure. The virtual desktops are installed and configured
for use from VMware View. The systems management is familiar with the VMware View pos-
sibilities and has discussed the possibilities of the VMware View Manager configuration with
the partner’s System Engineer (SE). The basic configuration is tested and documented. The
configuration is ready and tested for further arrangement.
 VMware View

VMware
Phase 4: Application virtualization with ThinApp
(optional)
Infrastructure View View ThinApp Offline Desktop
and Enterprice Composer (Expermental)

Proven Enterprice
Virtualization Desktop Storage Application Anywhere
Optimization Virtualization Mobility

Objective
Platform Manager

VMware ThinApp is a solution for virtualizing applications that allow customers to run prac-
What does VMware View tically all possible applications on any version of Microsoft Windows without any conflicts. In
consist of? this phase, five business critical applications will be virtualized.

VMware vSphere: Description of the activities

VMware View is based on the VMware • Packaging of five applications (more applications in consultation)
vSphere infrastructure. The integration of desk- • Application deployment
top infrastructure with VMware vSphere offers • Integration with VMware View
a number of benefits: • Application testing
• Centralized desktop management • Documentation
• Reliability and continuity
• Centralized back-up for virtual desktops Result
• Dynamic load-balancing for desktop compu- After this phase, the client’s most important applications are packaged and made available to
ters the test users. Technical testing is performed on the applications. The systems management is
familiar with the packaging possibilities and has packaged a number of applications indepen-
VMware View Manager dently using ThinApp. The documentation has been updated.
View Manager, an essential component of
VMware View, is an enterprise class desktop
management solution. VMware View manager
streamlines the management, provisioning and
implementation of virtual desktops. Users are
given secure and easy access to virtual desk-
tops hosted on VMware vSphere, Terminal Ser-
vers, Blade PC or even remote physical PCs via
View Manager. Virtual desktops are upgraded
and patched centrally from a single console
enabling you to efficiently manage hundreds
or even thousands of desktops. This saves time
and resources.
VMware ThinApp
ThinApp is an agentless application virtualiza-
tion solution. This enables you to ‘package’, dis-
tribute and start almost any Windows applicati-
on as a single EXE file on a (virtual) PC without
having to install and/or modify the local system
(file system/register). Unlike other solutions,
ThinApp does not require any pre-installed
software on the system. Thin-installed appli-
cations run from PCs, LAN, WAN, USB drive or
memory card using the existing infrastructure.
ThinApp applications fully run in user mode on
‘locked down’ systems without driver installa-
tion. This enables system managers to maintain
a secure, clean and stable system.
RES Software
RES Software is the leading provider of User
Workspace Management software. Since 1999
we have enabled our more than 2,500 custo-
mers worldwide to compose and manage per-
sonalized and secure workspaces for their end
users. Our Workspace Management products
bridge the gap between traditional desktop
management, thin clients, and virtual desktops.
The business benefits our customers have reali-
zed by using our products include a lower TCO,
broader security and an increased productivity.
Phase 5: User Workspace Management (optional)
Objective
‘User workspace management’ ensures that a standard desktop is offered in a personalized,
secure and stable manner. In combination with VMware View, which makes the standard desk-
top accessible everywhere, RES PowerFuse offers the work environment content (consisting
of applications, access to data, printers and personal settings) personally and securely based
on the end-user context (who he/she is, where he/she is located, at what time, with what type
of PC). Many companies will consider ‘user workspace management’ a value added contribu-
tion to the VMware View concept. Since VMware does not offer a solution like this itself, RES
PowerFuse from RES Software will be applied in this phase.
Description of the activities
A machine for RES Software is added to the ESX environment on the machines in the POC. Af-
ter this machine has been started, RES PowerFuse can be installed. The management console
and the workspace manager will be installed by means of the MSI. After the console has been
started, RES PowerFuse calls for the database to be created. When this has been done, you
can import the corresponding Building Block where the settings for Office 2007 and Adobe
Reader are located.
Once the workspace manager has been installed on the virtual desktop, a personal and con-
trolled workspace can be provided. Furthermore, this machine can also be used for installing
RES Wisdom; both the console and the agent act as the dispatcher. Once the agent has been
installed on the virtual machine and the integration between RES Wisdom and RES Power-
Fuse has been configured, ThinApp applications can be distributed at the user’s request. RES
Wisdom can also install the workspace manager on the virtual desktops.
Result
After this phase, a virtual, dynamic, secure and personal workspace is available to the end-
user. System managers are familiar with the possibilities offered by automated workspace
delivery. The POC is technically ready and tested by the system managers. The entire infra-
structure is ready for testing together with end-users.
 Phase 6: End user test
Objective
In this phase, an arrangement will be made for a number of end-users connected to the new
server to commence testing in a ‘live’ network. Evaluations will be frequently made with the
end-users. Any substantive fine-tuning or modifications can be implemented in consultation.
It is also possible to devote extra attention to explaining the concept and the chosen layout.

Description of the activities

• POC instruction for end-users
• Fine-tuning assistance for the systems management
• Documentation

Result
The desired functionality of VMware View, possibly in combination with Application virtualiza-
tion and user workspace management is tested by end-users. Any defects are corrected. The
systems management is familiar with the possibilities that VMware View offers and can form
an impression of the new approach to desktop management.
 Phase 7: Report
Objective
To provide a clear picture in order to make the right choices by means of a report.

Description of the activities

• POC report and documentation
• Specifications
• Recommendation and options
• Presentation upon consultation

Result
The entire POC is described in the report. The report also includes details on the feasibility of
the desired situation and what requirements are necessary to make the functionality available
to the users. Any bottlenecks will be outlined. The feasibility of the project and the possible
implementation will also be defined.

More information about VMware View:

www.vmware.com/products/view/
Download and evaluate the solution
www.vmware.com/download/view/
Use the VMware View TCO calculator:
vmware.com/go/view_calculator

VMware Professional Service offers

• Jumpstart workshops are given on the site
proof-of-concept and examples of
VMware View
• Custom made service as result of planning,
design and implementation of VMware View
applications
VMware & RES Software
RES Software is the leading provider of User Workspace Management software. Since
1999 we have enabled our more than 2,500 customers worldwide to compose and ma-
nage personalized and secure workspaces for their end users. Our Workspace Manage-
ment products bridge the gap between traditional desktop management, thin clients,
and virtual desktops. The business benefits our customers have realized by using our
products include a lower TCO, broader security and an increased productivity. RES
Software has offices in eight European countries and in the US. RES Software products
are only distributed through a network of certified partners

RES Software United Kingdom

Real Enterprise Synergy Ltd.
Quatro House Frimley Road
Camberley GU16 7ER
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)845 838 5558
Fax: +44 (0)845 838 5559
www.vmware.com
www.ressoftware.com