Cisco VXI - End-to-End Architecture for VDI

As we all know, enterprise IT departments are increasingly being pressured to control costs, improve manageability, enhance security, and accelerate the deployment of new capabilities, while providing a consistent user experience across a wide range of endpoints. Desktop virtualization has become a popular solution for addressing these needs. With hosted desktop, end user desktop images (operating system, applications, and associated data) are hosted as virtual machines on data center servers. Users can access hosted virtual desktops from many locations through VDI appliances, smart phones, tablet computers, laptop and desktop computers, and other clients.

You may not have been aware that Cisco had a specific VDI strategy but they have developed the Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure (VXI) system, an end-to-end architecture for virtualization. Cisco VXI integrates and extends proven Cisco architectures for data centers, borderless networks, and collaboration to provide a comprehensive system for deploying virtualization across the enterprise. Cisco VXI offers a superior collaboration and rich media experience with best-in-class return-on-investment, by delivering a fully integrated, open, and validated desktop virtualization system.

The Cisco VXI system architecture comprises three fundamental building blocks - the Virtualized Data Center, the Virtualization-Aware Network, and the Virtualized Workplace. The Virtualized Data Center is based on Cisco's Data Center Business Advantage architecture, which creates data centers that are efficient, agile, and transformative. The Data Center Business Advantage architecture delivers faster service creation, higher efficiency and profitability through simplicity, innovative IT models, and open platforms that preserve customer choice.

The Virtualization-Aware Network is based on the Cisco Borderless Networks architecture, which reduces operational complexity and provides services needed to connect anyone, anywhere, on any device. The Virtualized Collaborative Workplace builds on the Cisco Collaboration architecture to extend the reach of the virtual desktop to a wide range of end points, while supporting critical collaboration capabilities such as conferencing and messaging.

This video is from Wyse (one of the initial Cisco VXI partners) explaining VXI and how they are collaborating with Cisco:

More info: Cisco Website

Wyse Z90 Thin Client Amps Performance of 3D Graphics

As industries such as financial services, healthcare, retail, education and government make the move to VDI environments, they are all insisting that power and performance accompany the traditional thin client benefits such as better security and management.  Wyse Z90 delivers a combination of performance, simplicity, and connectivity never seen before in a thin client.  With available dual-core AMD G-series processors, the Wyse Z90 is the world's best-performing thin client.  The Wyse Z90 is so fast, in fact, that it delivers 3D business graphics performance 187% better than the next closest leading competitor’s product, when compared head to head. The Wyse Z90 is even more powerful when compared to other competitive offerings.

At the heart of the Wyse Z90 lies an entirely new engine, one where all the major system elements – CPU cores, vector engines, and a unified video decoder for HD decoding tasks – live on the same piece of silicon.  This design concept eliminates one of the fundamental constraints that limit performance. 

Paired with updated processors and engines, Wyse’s use of Windows Embedded Standard 7 delivers the power and performance of Windows 7 to offer operating protections, helping to lessen vulnerabilities caused by virus and malware. The platform comes with strong default passwords, a secure locked-down default-user profile and monthly security updates to ensure customers receive the most secure and reliable service.

"The most important change to PC architectures over the last few years has been the integration of better graphics performance through higher-power GPUs," said Bob O'Donnell, Vice President at IDC. "Bringing those capabilities to thin clients will help ensure that those devices can meet the performance needs of today's users and today's applications."

"The goal at Wyse is to make our Windows Embedded offerings built with the Windows Embedded portfolio of platforms and technologies the best, easiest to use, and fastest clients on the planet," according to Ricardo Antuna, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Business Development and Alliances at Wyse Technology.  "With the introduction of the Wyse Z90 we've done that; more than doubling the performance capabilities of competing top-of-the-line thin clients with similar energy requirements."

The Wyse Z90 includes the first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity in a thin client, enabling the newest peripherals and speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0.  Wyse Z90 includes two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports and four USB 2.0 ports, all under your control.  With Wyse Z90, users have more display options than ever before including DisplayPort and DVI. 

Wyse Z90 also co-exists with legacy devices, taking them in stride with optional parallel, PS/2 and dual serial port support.  Wyse Z90 also includes advanced networking capabilities, with support for gigabit Ethernet, available integrated A/B/G/N dual band Wi-Fi, or FiberNIC

VMware View 4.6, upcoming release

The next release of View is rumoured to be out next week (the 24th).
http://trentsteele.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/vmware-view-4-6-to-be-released-speakerbox/

Why is this significant? PCoIP for Security Server. They call it a minor release but this is a major new feature and solves a few issues for you.  

1) Currently if you have people taking laptops or thin clients on and off the LAN and they require access over the WAN using security server they need to remember to switch their default protocol back and forth (RDP on the WAN, PCoIP on the LAN). When they forget your service desk will probably get a call. This fixes that issue.

2) PCoIP hardware devices or "zero clients" like the Samsung NC190/NC240, Dell FX100 or Wyse P20 are fantastic from an easy to configure, just plain clean for everyone solution, but don't do RDP, so these devices won't function with the current implemenation of security server. This should fix the issue of zero clients off the LAN as well.

I have a Wyse P20 that I'm testing, it works great on the LAN but I can't install a VPN on it so if I'm off the company network it makes a great paper-weight. I'll be doing an upgrade to 4.6 when it is released and further testing of the P20 and its integration with the new version of Security Server.
Stay tuned.

VMware and Wyse Drive Desktop Virtualization For Education

Universities and school districts are using the combination of VMware View and Wyse client devices to enable the computing freedom that educators and students want, while delivering the control and Total Cost of Ownership advantages school IT administrators require.

By modernizing their desktop infrastructure with VMware View, school IT administrators can centrally manage all of their virtual desktops in a school’s datacenter, significantly reducing the maintenance time and costs associated with legacy PC deployments. In addition, the desktop virtualization solution from VMware and Wyse is an energy-efficient alternative to traditional PCs.

Research firm Gartner recently compared the TCO of personal computers versus what they term server-based computing. According to their findings, “The TCO of an SBC deployment used to deliver all applications to users is 8% to 13% lower than that of a locked and well-managed PC deployment, and up to 44 to 47% lower than that of an unmanaged desktop deployment.” 

Wyse is currently offering special programs and promotions to the education industry with adjacent purchases of VMware View academic SKUs – $100 off qualified Wyse thin and zero clients as well as a 50 percent discount promotion on Wyse PC Extender. More information on these promotions is available at www.wyse.com/VMwarePromos

Lexcom is a VMware and Wyse Partner for Education