Many organizations are looking into Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, which is all about moving a local desktop environment to a virtual environment. Due to the many benefits it provides, a lot of companies are investing in these services. But what is VDI ?
Virtual Desktop infrastructure, also termed as VDI, is defined as the process of hosting desktop environments on a central server or the cloud. It is a type of desktop virtualization in which specific computer images run within designated virtual machines or VM’s.
These images are delivered to end clients over the networks and the endpoints include numerous devices like computers, mobile phones, tablets, and more.
How Exactly does VDI Work?
We’ve already established what VDI is, but how does it work? In a VDI, multiple hypervisors segment all relevant servers into virtual machines or VMs that host virtual desktops. Virtual Desktops can be remotely accessed by uses from anywhere, using a number of devices.
Users also have access to all applications and processes and perform all operations over a single central host server. Employees connect to their virtual desktop instances with the help of a connection broker, which acts as the software gateway or intermediary between the user, their server, and the central server.
You can find VDI in two main forms, namely persistent and non-persistent. With Persistent VDI, users can connect to the same desktop every time they use it. This gives users the ability to personalize their virtual desktops to suit their needs and operations.
Changes are saved after the connection is reset and the data is stored permanently. Thus, persistent VDI behaves like personal computers that are virtualized. Non-persistent VDI on the other hand connects users to generic desktops and no changes are saved when the connection is reset.
This form of VDI is simpler and much more cost-effective, and no excessive use and storage of data occur. They are used in companies that have numerous employees who perform a limited set of tasks or repetitive tasks.
Benefits offered by VDI
- Accessibility: The most unique feature that makes VDI so popular is the provision of access from anywhere. Traditional desktops are restricted to a single system and personalized devices could only access a single server. With VDI, you can access your desktop from any device, at any time of the day, and from any location, with complete access to the main server and all the processes connected to it.
- Advanced Security: Conventional Operation systems, apps, and data are stored on local hardware like Laptops, hard disks, and so on. In cases of stolen hardware, malware infecting the devices, or damage, the data is lost forever.
However, the advanced security protocols and pre-built tools along with automated backups ensure that your data is always safe. This includes protection from both internal and external attacks. With VDI, remote data centers store data with high redundancy levels, and remove the word data loss from the dictionary!
- Desktop Provisioning: Since you don’t have to sit down and configure every individual device manually, VDI makes it very easy to provision desktops. Systems can almost instantly be provisioned as the settings are mirrored from the desktop image.
- Cost Reduction: By upgrading to VDI services from a credible cloud service provider, you can eliminate the cost of external hardware, added security and backup features, and more. The ability of remote accessibility saves an organization the costs of optimizing all functions for remote working as well.
So now that you understand what VDI is, and how it can benefit your company; you can move on to researching the best VDI service provider for you and how to best implement this service across your entire organization.