The latest buzzword in IT is “Virtualization”. Of course, the acronym can be apply to many cases, but the most commonly used case refers to the PC replacement with new generation of “terminals” that are commonly referred to as “DV”, Desktop Virtual Infrastructure. No, we are not talking about the reincarnation of V-100 green screen monsters from a generation ago! These DVs are perfectly functional personal computers with full graphic and audio capabilities, they are virtually indistinct from a full fledged desktop or laptop computer.
The new Virtual PC is based on new technologies that continue to evolve at an amazing space. The core consists of very powerful servers that can run dozens of sessions, each one supporting an individual “PC” with its own “memory”, “hard disk” and, naturally, CPU.
The secret sauce is a “Hardware Virtualization Layer” often called a “Hypervisor”, which is a program that allocates resources to each virtual machine, and also isolates them from its neighbors. As a result, completely separate computers are essentially created on the server hosting the virtual environment. The user, on the terminal or “virtual PC” receives only screen shots or sound bytes. All data is kept on the “virtual partition” on the server. As a result, the terminal can be a scaled-down version or an older version of a PC. However, local copies of the software are still needed on the terminals leaving the amount of actual savings debatable.
There are three main players in the field, VMware, Citrix and of course Microsoft. Each one with a particular flavor, however, they all share the same issue. At the end of the line there is a client and you must test the impact of the delivery mechanism, the network. Only testing with Shunra VE will ensure end-user performance and satisfaction.
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