I'm sitting in the cloud, working
Cloud technologies have become the defining vector of IT development. They are constantly evolving, complemented by new services. According to IDC estimates, in the near future the Russian SaaS market will grow eight times faster than the software market as a whole, and the IaaS market will grow nine times faster than the infrastructure IT equipment market.
What is IaaS, SaaS and PaaS? These terms mean something like the following: in the first case, the user has at his disposal a virtual computer with an OS and the required resources, in the second - access to ready-made applications, in the third - development environment, database, application server, business intelligence tools, etc. Cloud services that provide users with “virtual desktops” (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, VDI) are one example of IaaS.
VDI technology allows users to deploy virtual desktops that are functionally identical to workstations — the classic PC architecture. VDI infrastructure involves the placement of virtual desktops and other user resources in the server infrastructure and providing access to them from the company's internal network and / or via the Internet. Moreover, user access to virtual desktops and company resources is possible from various stationary and mobile devices. These can be PCs, tablets, smartphones, thin clients, etc.
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VDI allows you to deploy workstations “from the cloud” (private or public) for any employee and use virtually any device. Employees of the company can safely access their personal desktop, corporate information resources, can participate in work processes, wherever they are.
Compared to regular desktops, VDI provides several advantages. For example, as noted above, a user can access his desktop from various computers and mobile devices. System administrators can fully control the user environment - its image is stored on the server.
At the expense of it the operational solution of working tasks, more effective use of IT resources is provided. Simplified administration, reduced energy costs, increases the life cycle of equipment of the workplace. The result could be a reduction in IT operation and maintenance costs.
VDI is not a new idea. Back at the beginning of the 2000s, Citrix announced that in a corporate environment it would soon be difficult to meet a physical desktop — total virtualization is coming. This did not happen. However, VDI, as a technology, continues to evolve, a VMware View product has appeared, and VMware also talked about the fact that 2016 will be the year “VDI”. Microsoft, Citrix and VMware continued to fight for market share.
Traditional VDI values.
Analysts predict explosive growth in the “jobs as a service” (DaaS) market in the world, but the reality, as usually happens, turns out to be much more modest. However, both VDI and DaaS offer opportunities that cannot be discounted.
Placing resources in the cloud means improving IT efficiency. Deploying standard, tested configurations leads to increased reliability. In addition, you can often order high-availability (HA) or disaster-resistant configurations.
Cloud computing involves sharing access to a common pool of IT resources, rapid deployment through the self-service portal of some standard services, elasticity — flexibility in the allocation and release of resources, payment on the fact of their use. And sometimes the same technologies are used for private and public clouds. Of course, a private cloud is a high initial investment (CAPEX). In the case of a public cloud, the “entrance ticket” will be lower, but the costs will stretch in time.
However, it is not enough just to deploy the desktop in the cloud. It is necessary to provide the user with access to the resources he needs, that is, to data and applications. Some providers use VPN connections or a dedicated line connecting the client’s infrastructure to the cloud. The company pays for the services of the cloud provider, deploys the AD environment in the cloud, allocates several virtual machines under the call center, creates virtual jobs for employees who can work from home. And no offices with computers on the tables, rent and problems of IT infrastructure management.
Of course, the “virtual office” does not suit everyone. Most companies will stick to the traditional model and rent offices for their employees, but cloud services will also allow them to quickly adapt to the changing market situation, and moving to a new office will become a much simpler task. For example, for small and medium businesses, the cost of their own VDI infrastructure is usually too high, and DaaS may be an appropriate option, especially for growing companies and in unstable economic conditions. He can help out in a situation where employees need to work from different places and / or from different devices. Or, when you need to shift the tasks of managing VDI, allocating IT resources, updating software, ensuring security and balancing the load on a third-party organization.
But in some cases it is preferable to deploy the VDI environment "at home" locally. For example, these can be environments with a high degree of “customization” or workplaces where high performance is needed, configurations inaccessible to the provider, powerful graphics (although there are solutions for such cases). Finally, security requirements may prohibit data processing on the provider side.
The disadvantages of VDI include the fact that this environment is quite complicated to deploy and manage. Yes, and pays for the local deployment only on a large scale - about 200 users. DaaS is a subscription-based VDI available to companies with any number of employees. DaaS user is free from such problems - the provider assumes these tasks. However, different options are possible. For example, a customer can manage virtual images of workplaces himself.
In the general case, jobs in the cloud will be cheaper than local VDI infrastructure, they are easier to deploy and use, do not require such detailed planning as VDI pilot projects, easily scale, do not need significant initial investments. In addition, unlike VDI, the cost of DaaS is quite predictable thanks to the subscription model. This makes it easy to calculate the return on investment of the project in order to clearly show the management the relevance and importance of introducing this kind of technology.
Not surprisingly, DaaS is gaining popularity all over the world. Examples include the following services: Amazon WorkSpaces, VMware Horizon View, Virtual Bridges Verde, dinCLoud, Leo-Stream, tuCloud, and DaaS from Citrix.
How much does DaaS cost? For example, in Amazon, a virtual Windows desktop with 4 GB of RAM will cost about $ 35 per month. This is less than the content of your PC in many organizations.
Last year, VMware upgraded Horizon View. The system was able to maintain and administer simultaneously both virtual and physical desktops, and manage images of applications. It is caused by the fact that most customers use not only VDI, but also ordinary computers. Instead of installing the application directly on the PC or virtual desktop, the administrator can place it in a container that can be updated on an as-needed basis on the user's PC.
Through the Workspace web interface, users can access all of their applications, including cloud services. VMware View also includes a portal for independent access to applications and privilege management. Advanced Edition offers VMware Virtual SAN - a virtual storage area network that combines the resources of multiple servers. This reduces the need for external storage networks. And the VMware NSX network virtualization technology allows you to create virtual networks, quickly deploy a secure environment for new applications from a pool of network resources consisting of standard equipment. The application's virtual network becomes independent of the specific physical infrastructure.
Product VMware Horizon View has become the basis for the deployment of cloud services VDI providers and owners of commercial data centers. For example, in Russia, such services are offered by the company SAFEDATA.
The " Rent a virtual workplace " service, which is a part of the SFCLOUD service group of SAFEDATA, implies the provision of virtual machines on a virtualization platform for VMware Horizon View to the customer. You can get access to such a workplace wherever there is internet speed. from 300 Kbps, including mobile. That is, you can start your desktop from a wide range of devices, including tablets, PCs, laptops, smart phones, thin clients, etc. and software platforms of various types (Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, etc.).
Connection to VDI is possible via PCoIP protocol through the VMware Horizon View Client client or via HTTPS protocol through a browser. What does the customer get? The number of virtual desktops with the specified parameters and the pre-installed Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system corresponding to the selected tariff, Internet access (if required - a dedicated channel), related services (Microsoft Active Directory, DNS, etc.) and three software options:
The standard package provides system services (AD, DNS, DHCP) in a common domain, and the support and administration of the VDI infrastructure and these services (AD, DNS, DHCP) are handled by SAFEDATA engineers. The customer is just a user. He can not change the operating system settings of his virtual workplace or install additional software, in addition to the agreed. This is done on request. A dedicated channel with a guaranteed band is also not provided. The configuration of jobs is as follows:
The second option is a package recommended for more than 100 virtual desktops. In this case, the customer receives dedicated system services in a unique domain and management of the VDI infrastructure. The configuration of the virtual workplace infrastructure is as follows:
The customer receives virtual workstations with a fixed set of parameters (depending on the selected tariff), a public channel for Internet access (100 Mbit / s per 100 VDI sites) installed on each virtual machine, the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard .
As a computing platform, SAFEDATA uses the HPE BladeSystem c-Class. The system includes the HP BladeSystem c7000 blade chassis, the ProLiant BL465c G7 and ProLiant BL465c Gen8 blades, Cisco networking equipment and NetApp storage systems.
In addition to DaaS, the customer is provided with related services - for a fee: pre-installed software, Microsoft Office, etc .; dedicated L2 channel or dedicated Internet channel with guaranteed bandwidth; backup virtual machines.
Cloud solutions providers have already formed a market, now it's up to the customers. The new model conquers the market and the most far-sighted companies are already successfully developing it. The range of available cloud services continues to expand.
What is IaaS, SaaS and PaaS? These terms mean something like the following: in the first case, the user has at his disposal a virtual computer with an OS and the required resources, in the second - access to ready-made applications, in the third - development environment, database, application server, business intelligence tools, etc. Cloud services that provide users with “virtual desktops” (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, VDI) are one example of IaaS.
VDI technology allows users to deploy virtual desktops that are functionally identical to workstations — the classic PC architecture. VDI infrastructure involves the placement of virtual desktops and other user resources in the server infrastructure and providing access to them from the company's internal network and / or via the Internet. Moreover, user access to virtual desktops and company resources is possible from various stationary and mobile devices. These can be PCs, tablets, smartphones, thin clients, etc.
')
VDI allows you to deploy workstations “from the cloud” (private or public) for any employee and use virtually any device. Employees of the company can safely access their personal desktop, corporate information resources, can participate in work processes, wherever they are.
VDI vs PC
Compared to regular desktops, VDI provides several advantages. For example, as noted above, a user can access his desktop from various computers and mobile devices. System administrators can fully control the user environment - its image is stored on the server.
At the expense of it the operational solution of working tasks, more effective use of IT resources is provided. Simplified administration, reduced energy costs, increases the life cycle of equipment of the workplace. The result could be a reduction in IT operation and maintenance costs.
VDI is not a new idea. Back at the beginning of the 2000s, Citrix announced that in a corporate environment it would soon be difficult to meet a physical desktop — total virtualization is coming. This did not happen. However, VDI, as a technology, continues to evolve, a VMware View product has appeared, and VMware also talked about the fact that 2016 will be the year “VDI”. Microsoft, Citrix and VMware continued to fight for market share.
Traditional VDI values.
Analysts predict explosive growth in the “jobs as a service” (DaaS) market in the world, but the reality, as usually happens, turns out to be much more modest. However, both VDI and DaaS offer opportunities that cannot be discounted.
Placing resources in the cloud means improving IT efficiency. Deploying standard, tested configurations leads to increased reliability. In addition, you can often order high-availability (HA) or disaster-resistant configurations.
Cloud computing involves sharing access to a common pool of IT resources, rapid deployment through the self-service portal of some standard services, elasticity — flexibility in the allocation and release of resources, payment on the fact of their use. And sometimes the same technologies are used for private and public clouds. Of course, a private cloud is a high initial investment (CAPEX). In the case of a public cloud, the “entrance ticket” will be lower, but the costs will stretch in time.
However, it is not enough just to deploy the desktop in the cloud. It is necessary to provide the user with access to the resources he needs, that is, to data and applications. Some providers use VPN connections or a dedicated line connecting the client’s infrastructure to the cloud. The company pays for the services of the cloud provider, deploys the AD environment in the cloud, allocates several virtual machines under the call center, creates virtual jobs for employees who can work from home. And no offices with computers on the tables, rent and problems of IT infrastructure management.
Of course, the “virtual office” does not suit everyone. Most companies will stick to the traditional model and rent offices for their employees, but cloud services will also allow them to quickly adapt to the changing market situation, and moving to a new office will become a much simpler task. For example, for small and medium businesses, the cost of their own VDI infrastructure is usually too high, and DaaS may be an appropriate option, especially for growing companies and in unstable economic conditions. He can help out in a situation where employees need to work from different places and / or from different devices. Or, when you need to shift the tasks of managing VDI, allocating IT resources, updating software, ensuring security and balancing the load on a third-party organization.But in some cases it is preferable to deploy the VDI environment "at home" locally. For example, these can be environments with a high degree of “customization” or workplaces where high performance is needed, configurations inaccessible to the provider, powerful graphics (although there are solutions for such cases). Finally, security requirements may prohibit data processing on the provider side.
The disadvantages of VDI include the fact that this environment is quite complicated to deploy and manage. Yes, and pays for the local deployment only on a large scale - about 200 users. DaaS is a subscription-based VDI available to companies with any number of employees. DaaS user is free from such problems - the provider assumes these tasks. However, different options are possible. For example, a customer can manage virtual images of workplaces himself.
In the general case, jobs in the cloud will be cheaper than local VDI infrastructure, they are easier to deploy and use, do not require such detailed planning as VDI pilot projects, easily scale, do not need significant initial investments. In addition, unlike VDI, the cost of DaaS is quite predictable thanks to the subscription model. This makes it easy to calculate the return on investment of the project in order to clearly show the management the relevance and importance of introducing this kind of technology.
Not surprisingly, DaaS is gaining popularity all over the world. Examples include the following services: Amazon WorkSpaces, VMware Horizon View, Virtual Bridges Verde, dinCLoud, Leo-Stream, tuCloud, and DaaS from Citrix.
How much does DaaS cost? For example, in Amazon, a virtual Windows desktop with 4 GB of RAM will cost about $ 35 per month. This is less than the content of your PC in many organizations.
Last year, VMware upgraded Horizon View. The system was able to maintain and administer simultaneously both virtual and physical desktops, and manage images of applications. It is caused by the fact that most customers use not only VDI, but also ordinary computers. Instead of installing the application directly on the PC or virtual desktop, the administrator can place it in a container that can be updated on an as-needed basis on the user's PC.
Through the Workspace web interface, users can access all of their applications, including cloud services. VMware View also includes a portal for independent access to applications and privilege management. Advanced Edition offers VMware Virtual SAN - a virtual storage area network that combines the resources of multiple servers. This reduces the need for external storage networks. And the VMware NSX network virtualization technology allows you to create virtual networks, quickly deploy a secure environment for new applications from a pool of network resources consisting of standard equipment. The application's virtual network becomes independent of the specific physical infrastructure.Product VMware Horizon View has become the basis for the deployment of cloud services VDI providers and owners of commercial data centers. For example, in Russia, such services are offered by the company SAFEDATA.
DaaS from SAFEDATA
The " Rent a virtual workplace " service, which is a part of the SFCLOUD service group of SAFEDATA, implies the provision of virtual machines on a virtualization platform for VMware Horizon View to the customer. You can get access to such a workplace wherever there is internet speed. from 300 Kbps, including mobile. That is, you can start your desktop from a wide range of devices, including tablets, PCs, laptops, smart phones, thin clients, etc. and software platforms of various types (Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, etc.).
Connection to VDI is possible via PCoIP protocol through the VMware Horizon View Client client or via HTTPS protocol through a browser. What does the customer get? The number of virtual desktops with the specified parameters and the pre-installed Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system corresponding to the selected tariff, Internet access (if required - a dedicated channel), related services (Microsoft Active Directory, DNS, etc.) and three software options:
The standard package provides system services (AD, DNS, DHCP) in a common domain, and the support and administration of the VDI infrastructure and these services (AD, DNS, DHCP) are handled by SAFEDATA engineers. The customer is just a user. He can not change the operating system settings of his virtual workplace or install additional software, in addition to the agreed. This is done on request. A dedicated channel with a guaranteed band is also not provided. The configuration of jobs is as follows:
The second option is a package recommended for more than 100 virtual desktops. In this case, the customer receives dedicated system services in a unique domain and management of the VDI infrastructure. The configuration of the virtual workplace infrastructure is as follows:
The customer receives virtual workstations with a fixed set of parameters (depending on the selected tariff), a public channel for Internet access (100 Mbit / s per 100 VDI sites) installed on each virtual machine, the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard .
DaaS hardware platform
As a computing platform, SAFEDATA uses the HPE BladeSystem c-Class. The system includes the HP BladeSystem c7000 blade chassis, the ProLiant BL465c G7 and ProLiant BL465c Gen8 blades, Cisco networking equipment and NetApp storage systems.
In addition to DaaS, the customer is provided with related services - for a fee: pre-installed software, Microsoft Office, etc .; dedicated L2 channel or dedicated Internet channel with guaranteed bandwidth; backup virtual machines.
Cloud solutions providers have already formed a market, now it's up to the customers. The new model conquers the market and the most far-sighted companies are already successfully developing it. The range of available cloud services continues to expand.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/277269/
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