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Microsoft Windows Virtual PC
15 years 3 weeks ago #30122
by KiLLaBeE
Replied by KiLLaBeE on topic Re: Microsoft Windows Virtual PC
I've used VMware for the past few years and haven't found any reason to move to Microsoft Virtual PC.
VMware conducted a information session at my workplace a while ago to discuss application and desktop virtualization (VDI). I believe this is currently the newest trend in the virtualization world. The learning session was a mix between technical information and sales pitches/buzzwords so I still learning more about it and what exactly makes it a great.
The idea behind it is...you deploy any type of laptop/desktop PC out to end users and install a piece of software that will "stream" the virtual PC from ESX to the desktop PC. The great thing about VDI is that OS data, application data, and user data are all stored and maintained as separate entities in ESX -- that's where the "application virtualization" part comes from. Through a console window, the administrator can assign applications to user profiles and move user data from OS to OS with ease because none of the apps are tied to the OSs. Being that the apps aren't tied to the OS in any way, but are rather "virtual entities" in the OS, you can run applications that would not be compatible with the system (or each other) in a traditional setup (i.e.: IE7 and 6 simultaneously). I guess this is where it differs from other remote desktop solutions such as Citrix and MS terminal services. The speaker was having VPN issues so he couldn't demo it for us.
Of course, there is a license cost per application install, and if I remember correctly, the license cost was over $100. The speaker did say that vendors were developing "ESX-like" kernals that would come preinstalled on desktops/laptops that would automatically present the user with the logon screen to the ESX server, and the user would go from there. If I remember correctly, the current setup requires XP to be installed AND the separate app to be installed. This means you would have to maintain the physical PC image and the virtual image (unless you wanted your PCs to not be uniform while in the production floor). Based on the session, it sounded as though the solution would provide the most benefit to a company that did not already have an application deployment/desktop configuration infrastructure in place.
I believe VMware does offer a trial of this technology (I didn't pursue it because I didn't see benefit in it). Again, this is just my recollection of what was discussed.
I've been meaning to read these articles on VDI:
www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tut...alization-part1.html
www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tut...alization-part2.html
www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tut...ers-how-install.html
The technology is so new and abstract that I've procrastinated on reading about it, unfortunately.
Let me know if you want another excellent link to an article about ESX
. I think that's where the power really comes from.
VMware conducted a information session at my workplace a while ago to discuss application and desktop virtualization (VDI). I believe this is currently the newest trend in the virtualization world. The learning session was a mix between technical information and sales pitches/buzzwords so I still learning more about it and what exactly makes it a great.
The idea behind it is...you deploy any type of laptop/desktop PC out to end users and install a piece of software that will "stream" the virtual PC from ESX to the desktop PC. The great thing about VDI is that OS data, application data, and user data are all stored and maintained as separate entities in ESX -- that's where the "application virtualization" part comes from. Through a console window, the administrator can assign applications to user profiles and move user data from OS to OS with ease because none of the apps are tied to the OSs. Being that the apps aren't tied to the OS in any way, but are rather "virtual entities" in the OS, you can run applications that would not be compatible with the system (or each other) in a traditional setup (i.e.: IE7 and 6 simultaneously). I guess this is where it differs from other remote desktop solutions such as Citrix and MS terminal services. The speaker was having VPN issues so he couldn't demo it for us.
Of course, there is a license cost per application install, and if I remember correctly, the license cost was over $100. The speaker did say that vendors were developing "ESX-like" kernals that would come preinstalled on desktops/laptops that would automatically present the user with the logon screen to the ESX server, and the user would go from there. If I remember correctly, the current setup requires XP to be installed AND the separate app to be installed. This means you would have to maintain the physical PC image and the virtual image (unless you wanted your PCs to not be uniform while in the production floor). Based on the session, it sounded as though the solution would provide the most benefit to a company that did not already have an application deployment/desktop configuration infrastructure in place.
I believe VMware does offer a trial of this technology (I didn't pursue it because I didn't see benefit in it). Again, this is just my recollection of what was discussed.
I've been meaning to read these articles on VDI:
www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tut...alization-part1.html
www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tut...alization-part2.html
www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tut...ers-how-install.html
The technology is so new and abstract that I've procrastinated on reading about it, unfortunately.
Let me know if you want another excellent link to an article about ESX
. I think that's where the power really comes from. 
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