Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a desktop virtualization technology whereby a desktop operating system (typically Microsoft Windows) runs and is managed in a data center. The virtual desktop image is delivered over a network to an endpoint device, allowing the user to interact with the operating system and its applications as if they were running locally. The endpoint may be a traditional PC, thin client device or even a mobile device.
But when organizations evaluate where to locate their VDI environments, they face some tricky choices. On the one hand, they can make investments in on-premises equipment. The benefit here is that it provides the highest levels of control. However, the same benefit is accompanied by upfront expenses and the ongoing burden of managing on-premises. An alternative approach is to push workloads to the public cloud. But once again there’s a trade-off: while this can simplify scalability, it can also introduce potential complicating factors in terms of compliance and performance.
A relatively new third option is Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s GreenLake. GreenLake offers a consumption-based approach to computing, similar to that of public cloud hyperscalers. But unlike public cloud, that equipment is located either within the organization’s data center, or a colocation facility. Additionally, with HPE GreenLake for VDI, organizations can select the type of workers to support, as well as the size of their remote/hybrid workforce. Based on this information, GreenLake provides customers a balanced mix of computers and devices which deliver services in modules optimized for each user type… as a service. The custom VDI configurations are optimized for each type of remote/hybrid worker, including knowledge users, task users, power users, and engineering users, with the appropriate configuration priced, built, and delivered in predefined, incremental sizes. Billing is calculated monthly based on usage, and organizations using GreenLake for VDI can scale up or down as needed on a seasonal, or even project workload basis.
GreenLake offers a “best of both worlds” approach to VDI for many IT Leaders, which includes a range of the benefits from each of the private, public and hybrid cloud modalities. Ultimately, these benefits reduce the complexity and improve the efficiency of the overall VDI environment and user experience.
Want to learn more? Check out the GreenLake infographic below.
ACP CreativIT has experts who would be happy to help your organization learn more about how GreenLake can benefit your business. Drop us a note at contactus@cccp.com to talk to one of our experts today or visit our website here.
