VDI on myvirtualcloud.net

We executed a Disaster Recovery Plan for our VDI!

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 12:40:04 +0000

I have been working with EUC solutions for a long time and for as long as I can remember, VDI solutions like Horizon and XenDesktop lacked a practical way to deliver DR.

Why Datrium DVX is Best for VDI - by Simon Long and André Leibovici

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 14:38:17 +0000

I have written in the past about how awesome Datrium DVX is for VDI, and how it removes numerous challenges in deploying and scaling solutions in single or multi-datacenter rollouts.

Most HCI vendors are continuously claiming to solve VDI challenges, but they are regularly focused on the day-one rollout – not the problems to operate VDI environment in the long run.

Hands Down the Ultimate VDI Platform - 2018 Review

Mon, 14 May 2018 08:46:21 +0000

Back in 2014 when I left VMware and joined Nutanix, I wrote two articles entitled "Hands Down the Ultimate VDI platform" (here and here) explaining how hyperconvergence and more specifically Nutanix were the perfect platforms for running VDI - and in all honesty that was one of the primary reasons I left VMware EUC CTO Office. I saw the opportunity to help thousands of organizations struggling with VDI deployments....and I was right, hyperconvergence is pretty much the default deployment model for VDI nowadays.

VDI Calculator v7.4 Update

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 14:32:16 +0000

Hello,

This is a minor update to the VDI Calculator, just adding capability and support for Intel Xeon processors with 20 cores. I'm adding that mostly because Datrium now has a Compute Node (CN) that supports Intel Xeon Gold 6148, 20 cores/socket, 2.4GHz (specs). That said this new option provides support for any hardware from any vendor supporting 20 core processors.

Future of EUC to Open-Convergence – DABCC Podcast

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 08:28:20 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to join my friend Douglas Brown's DABCC podcast and talk about the Future of EUC, DAAS, Open-Convergence, and Datrium. I think you will enjoy it!

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VDI Calculator 7.2 Now Available w/ Support for Workspot

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 20:23:01 +0000

Today I am releasing version 7.2 of the VDI Calculator, and the key feature is the addition of support for Workspot.

Workspot is a multi-tenant cloud-first solution, where the operational components of management, brokering, load balancing and more are all included in the cloud service. Their solution can be deployed on Microsoft Azure or using traditional datacenter constructs, such as SAN, or HCI platforms such as Nutanix, VSAN, and Datrium.

VDI Calculator 7.1 Available w/ Support for Intel SkyLake, Datrium and more

Tue, 23 May 2017 07:57:35 +0000

Today I am releasing version 7.1 of the VDI Calculator.

This release adds support next-generation Xeon server processor family. The new chips are based on the company's Skylake processor architecture and are manufactured in the company's 14-nanometer+ technology. The calculator now supports processors with up to 24 cores.

Citrix XenDesktop deployment? Here is everything you need to know about Nutanix vs. Other SDS

Tue, 24 May 2016 15:06:16 +0000

I have recently posted the article VMware Horizon View deployment? Here is everything you need to know about Nutanix vs. Other SDS. This time around I am consolidating all the numerous reasons for using Nutanix over other SDS solutions for Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp deployments.

VMware Horizon View deployment? Here is everything you need to know about Nutanix vs. Other SDS

Sun, 08 May 2016 17:58:02 +0000

It has been a long time since I posted on Nutanix as a platform for VDI. And given that many new features have been added to the platform, I decided that was time to refresh and consolidate previous articles into a single unified post.

Architecting EUC Solutions by Brian Suhr

Tue, 03 May 2016 16:30:17 +0000

Hi there, I hope you are having a great week.

This time around I'm here to promote a colleague's book in the End User Computing space -- no need to mention that EUC has a cozy space in my heart.

The Definitive Guide to Transforming Healthcare IT with Enterprise Cloud

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 08:13:29 +0000

I think at this point in time it's no surprise to my readers that I have been deeply involved in the Healthcare IT space and also other market verticals. Alongside an impressive and talented team I am responsible for the Healthcare vertical strategy and execution at Nutanix. Yes, I still keep my technical chops running a partner engineering team responsible for Nutanix Ready validations and product integrations. (check out the link)

.NEXT 2016; Bigger and Better Nutanix Innovation.... and XFiles!

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 15:56:07 +0000

Its been less than a year since Nutanix’s very first user conference in Miami with close to 1000 attendees. A great milestone for our company and since this time we have grown exponentially and with huge steps in market penetration.

VDI Calculator v7 Now Available w/ major changes

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 17:23:16 +0000

CHECK OUT THE NEW WEB VDI CALCULATOR HERE

Today I am releasing a new version on my VDI calculator, V7. This is a major release that include major improvements to the way VDI infrastructures are calculated, while also simplifying the process for people new to VDI sizing. I put a lot of effort into this release and had to make some big code changes to accommodate the desired outcomes. Let's go to What's New!

New 'Acropolis File Services' with Native Support for VMware Horizon UEM and Citrix Profile Manager

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 08:15:46 +0000

Nutanix has been primarily used to host virtual machines in the format of VMDKs and vdisks, but now it is also possible to natively store unstructured files such as user-generated content such as Office documents, and Windows user profiles and settings.

The Definitive Guide to End-User Computing and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Solutions

Sun, 06 Mar 2016 18:41:09 +0000

Back in 2011, in the world of SAN, I wrote an article called “VDI USER EXPERIENCE and USER ACCEPTANCE”. The article iterated through my experiences with many failed VDI deployments due to poor technical designs; mostly driven by storage performance complications.

Nutanix 4.6 Features Overview – Part 2 (Beyond Marketing)

Sun, 21 Feb 2016 08:02:10 +0000

This is the second part of the series. The first part can be found here and contains the overview for the following new features:

Native File Services
Performance Improvements
Volume Groups in PRISM
Self Service Restore (SSR)
1-Click Upgrades of Foundation, BIOS, BMC
Metro Availability Non-Disruptive vMotion and Site Migrations
Cross Hypervisor Disaster Recovery
Project Dial: In-Place Hypervisor Conversion
OpenStack Integration
Citrix Power Management Plugin
AHV Guest Customization
AHV VLAN Trunking
Prism Actionable Capacity Forecasting
Prism Customizable Dashboards
Prism Entity Explorer

Nutanix 4.6 Features Overview - Part 1 (Beyond Marketing)

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 05:00:21 +0000

Update: Part two of the series can be found here.

Only four months after releasing Nutanix Based Software 4.5 (read Prism Central and NOS 4.5, NCC 2.1, Foundation 3.0 and MORE Tech Preview Features – What’s New!), a major release with multiple new features and improvements, Nutanix is once again pushing out a major release with tons of new features and huge performance improvements (here Official Press Release).

VDI Calculator v6.5 is Now Available Raising Questions on VDI Market

Sun, 10 Jan 2016 16:10:36 +0000

Wow! What a phenomenal journey this VDI calculator has been through. It all started as an Excel spreadsheet in 2010 and later on evolving into a Flash based app and later into a Java based app. Since June 2013 when I implemented access counters using GoogleAnalytics this calculator has been used over 52,000 times by different sources, with United Stated and UK leading the pack.

Free VDI options for KVM hypervisor

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 13:30:56 +0000

Most VDI deployments in enterprises run with VMware Horizon View, or Citrix XenDesktop, or with smaller or up and coming market players such as Parallels, Ericom, and Workspot.

However, I see an increasing request for a KVM supported VDI solution. Customers want to run VDI on KVM, eliminating hypervisor license costs, therefore reducing the total cost per desktop. Furthermore, it’s also possible to remove Microsoft licenses if Linux is used. Cost per desktop has been one of the factors playing against VDI adoption and leading to many ROI discussions.

What are the VDI options for Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor?

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 14:17:19 +0000

The majority of Nutanix customers running VDI on Nutanix today are using vSphere as hypervisor. However, there is an increasing demand for Nutanix Acropolis supported VDI solutions. Customers want to run VDI on Acropolis, eliminating hypervisor license costs, therefore reducing the total cost per desktop. Cost per desktop has been one of the factors in VDI adoption leading to many ROI discussions; furthermore, vSphere is overkill for some VDI deployments.

VMware Horizon View on Acropolis Hypervisor

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 22:21:54 +0000

One of the submissions for the Nutanix Coding Challenge is quite interesting from a VDI point of view. The team at EZDC Automation used the self-service engine from vCloud Automation Center (vRA) to automate the creation and customization of desktops using the Acropolis API's and making them available in VMware Horizon View for use. In this case Horizon View is handling the connection brokering to unmanaged desktops, but both persistent and floating use-cases can be successfully deployed.

Citrix XenDesktop & XenApp supported on Nutanix Acropolis

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 07:50:35 +0000

It gives me special pleasure to talk about this announcement because this is one of the projects I have been working on for a while. With this announcement today Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp customers will be supported on the Acropolis hypervisor (AHV).

Tech Reasons why Nutanix leads the VDI industry

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:05:44 +0000

It has been a long time ago since I explored Nutanix technology with VDI lens. Features have been added to the platform since my last article on the subject, but Nutanix is still unquestionably my infrastructure of choice for VDI; not because I work for Nutanix, but because there are very good reasons for that.

Are PoC and Pilot no longer required for VDI deployments?

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 20:30:11 +0000

Back in 2011, in the world of SAN, I wrote an article called “VDI USER EXPERIENCE and USER ACCEPTANCE”. The article iterated through my experiences reviving failed VDI deployments due to poor technical design; mostly driven by storage performance complications.

VDI Calculator v6.2 is Now Available w/ Haswell support

Sun, 05 Apr 2015 21:18:39 +0000

Today I am announcing the general availability of the new VDI Calculator v6.2. This version introduces support for the Xeon E5-2600 V3 family of processors, based on Haswell microarchitecture, and Configure To Order (CTO) configurations for the Nutanix NX and Dell XC series.

How to Recover Linked Clone Desktops in a DR Site

Sun, 08 Mar 2015 19:11:36 +0000

Disaster Recovery for Horizon View has always been a hot topic. To this date VMware still doesn't provide an official methodology to protect virtual desktops. Equally, VMware Site Recovery Manager does not support Linked Clone desktops created by Horizon View Composer. Conversely, Full Clone desktops can be protected using native storage replication or vSphere host-based replication.

Linked Clones with Shadow Cloning VS. Full Clones w/ Native VAAI Cloning?

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 22:42:26 +0000

A recent discussion with one of the engineers prompted me to write this article. It’s no secret that one of the most important Nutanix features for VDI deployments is Shadow Clones.

Shadow Clones drastically improves VDI performance and end-user experience. I discussed Shadow Clones in the past. However, before explaining how Shadow Clones work let’s recap how VMware View Linked Clones and XenDesktop MCS work.

The One with the GPU Graphics Performance

Sun, 11 Jan 2015 11:00:12 +0000

Those who follow my articles know that I have always been a big supporter of VDI as a method to simplify desktop administration, reduce costs, improve user experience, increase productivity, provide remote access and enable BYOD, and provide an effective disaster recovery solution for workspaces. Whilst VDI has delivered on these promises, there has been previously room for improvement in a few areas.

VMware AppVolumes and Nutanix Shadow Cloning Marriage

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:27:38 +0000

My colleague Kees Baggerman published a brilliant post on how Nutanix Shadow Cloning not only improve performance for Horizon Linked Clones and XenDesktop MCS, but also hugely improve performance for VMware AppVolumes. I recommend reading his article here.

In his single VM test Kees Baggerman saw an improvement of almost 360% for Adobe Reader through the use of Shadow Cloning and data locality.

The New Nutanix Workload Sizer is better than my VDI Calculator, but...

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 19:28:53 +0000

For many years my VDI Calculator has been the source of truth for many VDI deployments, and still is. The calculator went through many iterations and had many features included overtime to support Horizon View and XenDesktop deployments to its full extent, including some very specialized features such as the use of Content Based Read Cache, Dedicated Replica Datastore, 3D Graphics and others. On average the VDI calculator helps 2,272 architects, system administrators and consultants every month. That's a staggering number and I feel very proud providing a free tool that many find very useful and love.