Showing posts with label virtual desktop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label virtual desktop. Show all posts
Thursday, December 4, 2008
VMware View with Composer Virtual Desktops - Screenshots
I just got done doing a 20vm test deployment with Composer linked clones. One thing I noticed is that time to deploy isn't much less than the old fashioned way. I haven't had a chance to try it on an enterprise class system and SAN (right now I am using a 3 HP c-class blades with 8GB of RAM each and and HP AIO SAN. All vmotion / ISCSI / Live network traffic runs over just 2 nics). Anyway, the big news is that the space savings is amazing. Inside the wizard for the Desktop Collection I specified that the personality drive should be 512 and mapped as a D drive. After the desktops were deployed I checked the datastores and found that there were 2 VMDKs, 1 was a replica, the other was a 1.3GB VMDK. I will dig into it deeper, but I figured I would post some screenshots while I was working on it.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
VMware View Install - First Tip
So I couldn't wait to install VMware View 3 for the first time outside of beta and should have RTFM (see also Mike Laverick). Anyway for those of you who read first then install, here is the link to the admin guide. Link to guide.
More to come on the install and the performance of VMware View + Composer!!
More to come on the install and the performance of VMware View + Composer!!
Monday, December 1, 2008
VMware View (VDM 3) To Launch
In browsing around on the topic of VMware View I ran into this article. I have been beta testing the software for the last month and it finally helps get past the hurdle of ROI when you consider the cost of storage:
Article found @ channelregister.co.uk by Chris Mellor:
VMware to cut desktop VM storage by 90%
View 3.0 launch preps for virtual desktops to become standard
By Chris Mellor
Posted in Enterprise, 2nd December 2008 00:02 GMT
VMware is rebranding its Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) technology as VMware View, and having virtual desktops built from a generic golden master and user-specific files that cut VDI storage space by up to 80 per cent......
Read the rest of this article.
Article found @ channelregister.co.uk by Chris Mellor:
VMware to cut desktop VM storage by 90%
View 3.0 launch preps for virtual desktops to become standard
By Chris Mellor
Posted in Enterprise, 2nd December 2008 00:02 GMT
VMware is rebranding its Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) technology as VMware View, and having virtual desktops built from a generic golden master and user-specific files that cut VDI storage space by up to 80 per cent......
Read the rest of this article.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
ThinApp - VMware's Application Virtualization - Try It
For those out there that weren't aware, VMware acquired Thinstall in January (along with Foedus) and rebranded it ThinApp. Thinstall was a company that provided application virtualization. Application Virtualization is a very vague term, as Citrix, Softgrid (now App-V owned by Microsoft), and even web based apps can be classified as virtualized. Each vendor does it differently, but the end result is delivery of an application without having to install it the traditional way.
In lay mans terms, ThinApp allows you to create distributable msi's / exe's that behave like standalone apps. Remember the applications on Windows 95 that would just run when you clicked the exe, no registry, no writing to system32? Well that's the idea here. What happens under the covers is that an administrator uses a clean machine / snapshot method of capturing an install. Then the ThinApp software uses it's intelligence to to create a project. From that project an administrator can create exe's and/or msi's for delivery. When delivered through logon script etc as and exe the user can launch the exe without admin privileges and all dll's / registry entries are put into a virtual space. So the app thinks it has full access to the system, when in fact it is writing to a harmless virtual space. The MSI works very similarly, however it can also be deployed via Group Policy / SMS / etc and provides a better method of file association.
One of the major benefits of delivering applications this way is that there is no dependence on build of machine. As long as you are running Windows, the application will run. It runs in it's own space, so it is even possible to run ie5 / ie6 / ie7, all at the same time. The other major benefit comes from the fact that you are just launching a file. If ie7 was pushed out for example and you wanted everyone to run ie8, you would just need to replace the exe or shortcut target on the file server. There are also options for offline applications etc.
If anyone has any questions or would like more information, please email me at Morgan.Hamilton@dyntek.com.
- Try ThinApp'd Firefox and more here: http://www.thindownload.com/
In lay mans terms, ThinApp allows you to create distributable msi's / exe's that behave like standalone apps. Remember the applications on Windows 95 that would just run when you clicked the exe, no registry, no writing to system32? Well that's the idea here. What happens under the covers is that an administrator uses a clean machine / snapshot method of capturing an install. Then the ThinApp software uses it's intelligence to to create a project. From that project an administrator can create exe's and/or msi's for delivery. When delivered through logon script etc as and exe the user can launch the exe without admin privileges and all dll's / registry entries are put into a virtual space. So the app thinks it has full access to the system, when in fact it is writing to a harmless virtual space. The MSI works very similarly, however it can also be deployed via Group Policy / SMS / etc and provides a better method of file association.
One of the major benefits of delivering applications this way is that there is no dependence on build of machine. As long as you are running Windows, the application will run. It runs in it's own space, so it is even possible to run ie5 / ie6 / ie7, all at the same time. The other major benefit comes from the fact that you are just launching a file. If ie7 was pushed out for example and you wanted everyone to run ie8, you would just need to replace the exe or shortcut target on the file server. There are also options for offline applications etc.
If anyone has any questions or would like more information, please email me at Morgan.Hamilton@dyntek.com.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pano VDS 2.5 Officially Released
From an email:
Pano VDS 2.5 is now available for upgrading existing Pano deployments. A complete version of the Pano Manager Virtual Appliance will be available on 12/1 for new installations.
Pano VDS 2.5 is a significant release offering a number of new features and enhancements for both end users and administrators. For more information on this release, please click on "What's New."
For end users:
• Console Direct™ technology – Pano Console Direct technology provides a superior experience to end users whether running office productivity applications or viewing Flash videos on sites like YouTube or CNN. Console Direct connects directly to the Windows console session, bypassing RDP and its limitations altogether.
...And More. Click on "What's New" for details
For administrators:
• Online Help – Product instructions, workflow checklists, troubleshooting tips and FAQs are now all available from one convenient online help system. The online help system leads administrators through the workflow of common tasks step by step and also allows them to quickly search for their topic of interest.
...And More. Click on "What's New" for details
Thanks,
Pano Logic Customer Support
support@panologic.com
Pano VDS 2.5 is now available for upgrading existing Pano deployments. A complete version of the Pano Manager Virtual Appliance will be available on 12/1 for new installations.
Pano VDS 2.5 is a significant release offering a number of new features and enhancements for both end users and administrators. For more information on this release, please click on "What's New."
For end users:
• Console Direct™ technology – Pano Console Direct technology provides a superior experience to end users whether running office productivity applications or viewing Flash videos on sites like YouTube or CNN. Console Direct connects directly to the Windows console session, bypassing RDP and its limitations altogether.
...And More. Click on "What's New" for details
For administrators:
• Online Help – Product instructions, workflow checklists, troubleshooting tips and FAQs are now all available from one convenient online help system. The online help system leads administrators through the workflow of common tasks step by step and also allows them to quickly search for their topic of interest.
...And More. Click on "What's New" for details
Thanks,
Pano Logic Customer Support
support@panologic.com
Monday, November 17, 2008
Panologic Announces Windows Native VDI Driver - Escape from RDP
We wanted to share some news with you about an exciting new chapter for Pano Logic.
We have just preanounced that Pano Virtual Desktop Solution 2.5 will be available on November 25th 2008. While it may seem like just a dot release, it represents the introduction of Console Direct technology, a significant addition that unleashes the Pano Solution from RDP and Terminal Server Session to dramatically improve user experience.
You can learn more about Pano VDS 2.5 and Console Direct Technology at a new web page http://www.panologic.com/why-pano/consoledirect .
I've included a copy of our press release below for your convenience.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line or contact your Regional Sales Manager.
Kevin Strohmeyer
Director of Product Marketing
Pano Logic DELIVERS FIRST WINDOWS NATIVE VDI SOLUTION
New Pano VDS release delivers users a fully native Windows user experience without using RDP, providing for optimized audio, video and native support for PC-compatible USB devices, purpose built for virtualization
MENLO PARK, Calif. – November 17, 2008 – Pano Logic™, developer of a server-based desktop virtualization solution, today announced Pano Virtual Desktop Solution (VDS) 2.5. The new release is the first desktop virtualization solution to optimize the Windows user experience without using the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), which eliminates the dependence on Microsoft Terminal Services technology and provides native session support for Windows applications, video, and audio interfaces and native USB device drivers. These new capabilities are available through Console Direct™, a new technology in Pano VDS 2.5 that plugs directly into the Windows Operating System to deliver a fully native experience. In addition, new capabilities for Pano Manager improve IT’s ability to maintain and support virtual infrastructure through quick and easy role-based access for the help desk.
“With Pano Logic’s latest release, video has been significantly enhanced,” said Jeff Cunningham, director of information systems, AREC department, University of Maryland. “Additionally, the new role-based access controls allow me to assign role-based management for my Active Directory users.”
New features in Pano VDS 2.5 include:
Native Console Support – offering the ability via Console Direct to allow the Windows desktop to use its native interfaces for video, audio and USB devices. While other technologies use a Terminal Server Session with RDP, which doesn’t have access to all Windows native interfaces and therefore detrimentally affects user experience and device support, Console Direct enables the use of native drivers such as touch screens and smart boards that must communicate with the console session. Only Pano VDS allows the deployment of these interactive devices while maintaining zero management at the end-point.
Internet Video – delivering support of native video, audio and USB device drivers directly from the Windows operating system, ensuring quality video replay with any codec (including Adobe Flash Video) with no tearing and tight audio video synchronization.
Quick and easy role-based access through Active Directory – providing help desk staff the ability to have view-only access to the Pano Manager to look at alerts, statistics and connection status to quickly troubleshoot and resolve customer requests.
These new features further enhance the robust capabilities that are already a part of Pano VDS. Purpose-built from the ground up, the Pano Logic approach is to provide a zero management client and leverage a customer’s VMware server virtualization infrastructure to deliver a complete Windows desktop environment. Pano VDS can be installed in less than 60 minutes, and is centrally managed from the data center.
“Pano VDS sets the standard for desktop virtualization,” said Mike Fodor, vice president of product management at Pano Logic. “VDI is all about giving customers what they need without the headaches of a PC. To be successful at this, solutions need to deliver a rich user experience. Pano VDS is able to do this by eliminating the technical constraints of the past - that forced IT to be reliant on protocols like RDP - to deliver a robust, and easy to manage Windows experience.”
About Pano Virtual Desktop SolutionThe Pano Virtual Desktop Solution includes the hardware clients and software components required to turn your existing virtual infrastructure into a purpose-build virtual desktop solution. The key components of the solution are the:
Pano Device – Winner of the prestigious red dot award for design, the Pano device is a zero client with nothing to manage or maintain at the user end point. The Pano device connects keyboard, mouse, display, audio and USB peripherals over an existing IP network to an instance of Windows XP or Vista running on a virtualized server. The Pano device is power friendly, consuming only 3% of the energy consumed by a traditional desktop computer.
Pano Manager – A web-based management interface, deployed on your VMware VI3 infrastructure which enables administrators to automate virtual desktop deployment by integrating with existing directory services and VMware Virtual Center.
Pano Desktop Service – A lightweight service residing within each Windows desktop virtual machine that links peripherals attached to the Pano device to the unmodified native Windows drivers.
About Pano LogicPano Logic develops virtualization-based software and hardware solutions that deliver superior desktop computing. The company is privately held, and backed by leading investment firms Velocity, Foundation Capital and Goldman Sachs. Pano Logic is headquartered in Menlo Park, California and has an office in Toronto, Canada. For more information about Pano Logic, visit http://www.panologic.com/.
We have just preanounced that Pano Virtual Desktop Solution 2.5 will be available on November 25th 2008. While it may seem like just a dot release, it represents the introduction of Console Direct technology, a significant addition that unleashes the Pano Solution from RDP and Terminal Server Session to dramatically improve user experience.
You can learn more about Pano VDS 2.5 and Console Direct Technology at a new web page http://www.panologic.com/why-pano/consoledirect .
I've included a copy of our press release below for your convenience.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line or contact your Regional Sales Manager.
Kevin Strohmeyer
Director of Product Marketing
Pano Logic DELIVERS FIRST WINDOWS NATIVE VDI SOLUTION
New Pano VDS release delivers users a fully native Windows user experience without using RDP, providing for optimized audio, video and native support for PC-compatible USB devices, purpose built for virtualization
MENLO PARK, Calif. – November 17, 2008 – Pano Logic™, developer of a server-based desktop virtualization solution, today announced Pano Virtual Desktop Solution (VDS) 2.5. The new release is the first desktop virtualization solution to optimize the Windows user experience without using the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), which eliminates the dependence on Microsoft Terminal Services technology and provides native session support for Windows applications, video, and audio interfaces and native USB device drivers. These new capabilities are available through Console Direct™, a new technology in Pano VDS 2.5 that plugs directly into the Windows Operating System to deliver a fully native experience. In addition, new capabilities for Pano Manager improve IT’s ability to maintain and support virtual infrastructure through quick and easy role-based access for the help desk.
“With Pano Logic’s latest release, video has been significantly enhanced,” said Jeff Cunningham, director of information systems, AREC department, University of Maryland. “Additionally, the new role-based access controls allow me to assign role-based management for my Active Directory users.”
New features in Pano VDS 2.5 include:
Native Console Support – offering the ability via Console Direct to allow the Windows desktop to use its native interfaces for video, audio and USB devices. While other technologies use a Terminal Server Session with RDP, which doesn’t have access to all Windows native interfaces and therefore detrimentally affects user experience and device support, Console Direct enables the use of native drivers such as touch screens and smart boards that must communicate with the console session. Only Pano VDS allows the deployment of these interactive devices while maintaining zero management at the end-point.
Internet Video – delivering support of native video, audio and USB device drivers directly from the Windows operating system, ensuring quality video replay with any codec (including Adobe Flash Video) with no tearing and tight audio video synchronization.
Quick and easy role-based access through Active Directory – providing help desk staff the ability to have view-only access to the Pano Manager to look at alerts, statistics and connection status to quickly troubleshoot and resolve customer requests.
These new features further enhance the robust capabilities that are already a part of Pano VDS. Purpose-built from the ground up, the Pano Logic approach is to provide a zero management client and leverage a customer’s VMware server virtualization infrastructure to deliver a complete Windows desktop environment. Pano VDS can be installed in less than 60 minutes, and is centrally managed from the data center.
“Pano VDS sets the standard for desktop virtualization,” said Mike Fodor, vice president of product management at Pano Logic. “VDI is all about giving customers what they need without the headaches of a PC. To be successful at this, solutions need to deliver a rich user experience. Pano VDS is able to do this by eliminating the technical constraints of the past - that forced IT to be reliant on protocols like RDP - to deliver a robust, and easy to manage Windows experience.”
About Pano Virtual Desktop SolutionThe Pano Virtual Desktop Solution includes the hardware clients and software components required to turn your existing virtual infrastructure into a purpose-build virtual desktop solution. The key components of the solution are the:
Pano Device – Winner of the prestigious red dot award for design, the Pano device is a zero client with nothing to manage or maintain at the user end point. The Pano device connects keyboard, mouse, display, audio and USB peripherals over an existing IP network to an instance of Windows XP or Vista running on a virtualized server. The Pano device is power friendly, consuming only 3% of the energy consumed by a traditional desktop computer.
Pano Manager – A web-based management interface, deployed on your VMware VI3 infrastructure which enables administrators to automate virtual desktop deployment by integrating with existing directory services and VMware Virtual Center.
Pano Desktop Service – A lightweight service residing within each Windows desktop virtual machine that links peripherals attached to the Pano device to the unmodified native Windows drivers.
About Pano LogicPano Logic develops virtualization-based software and hardware solutions that deliver superior desktop computing. The company is privately held, and backed by leading investment firms Velocity, Foundation Capital and Goldman Sachs. Pano Logic is headquartered in Menlo Park, California and has an office in Toronto, Canada. For more information about Pano Logic, visit http://www.panologic.com/.
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