Session EUC2551
VDI 1.0 challenges: Storage cost and performance; 3D Graphics; Application management; Provisioning: All adds up to a frustrating experience
Broad Goals for Next Gen VDI
Efficient use of infrastructure – just in time desktops w/ zero copy architecture – Building at the point of demand- Improved flexibility- user installed apps – Dynamically assemble of JIT desktops
- Best user experience – Low latency I/O – advanced vSAN and RAM desktops
- Simplified implementation – adaptive designs, easy deployment
Next-Gen Solutions
- vSAN storage: simple, affordable
- 3D Graphics: SVGA shared GPU and DGPU for power users
- Application management: Layering for real-time desktops – fast & flexible
- Provisioning: Rapid hot cloning of VMs – 10x improvements (Project Fargo)
- Decision free VDI: Simpler path to success than ever before
New Desktop Opportunity
- VMware is poised to disrupt assumptions about VDI
- Great user experience
- Easier to manage
- Build VMs on demand
- Layering with CloudVolumes
VMware VSAN
- Reliable, scalable performance
- Lowest cost in the industry
- Planning is easy
- Uptime
- Autonomy
Next-Gen VDI: Leaner, greener and much faster
- Protect only what matters
- Consider file-sync service for user documents
- Leveraging new flash technologies: UltraDIMM (flash on DIMM) for microsecond writes
VSAN Design Topology for VDI
- Full PC in the datacenter – Inefficient design yet affordable with VSAN – Developers and some users
- Non-persistent task worker – Composer based clones – replication optional. Limited flexibility
- Non-persistent knowledge worker – Layering plus VSAN – Full user state preserved, no replication of OS VMDK
VSAN Design – Non-persistent designs – gives persistent experience with a non-persistent VDI
VSAN Futures
- All flash VSAN designs – High grade enterprise flash for cache tier, but high capacity low cost TLC SSD for data tier
- Cache tier: $4/GB data tier flash in 40c/GB range
- Key technologies: SanDisk ultraDIMM,
Layering 101:
- Types of layering: Offline composition (Mirage) vs. Real Time (CloudVolumes)
- Real-time composition leverages vSphere VMDK to mount and near instant application insertions
- The OS doesn’t realize the CloudVolumes are even mounted. It is very transparent.
CloudVolumes Key benefits
- Live delivery of applications
- Image diversity solved
- Exponential infrastructure efficiency
Project Fargo
- Uses a VM hot cloning technology to create child VMs that share all memory pages w/ parent. Think linked clones for memory and disk.
- A running VM is put into a zombie state and hot-cloned to create replicas. Avoid the whole boot cycle, including the associated I/Os.
- Pre-emptive memory sharing, lower CPU, I/O reduction
- 30x improvement in provisioning
Just in time desktop revolution
- Build to order VDI
- Very little CPU and modest disk IO to fork a new VM
- Operational flexibility
- Combine Project Fargo and CloudVolumes for near instant VDI provisioning
Zero Copy Architecture
- Transfer bits on demand, no more tax before consumption
- Examples are Project Fargo and CloudVolumes
Project Meteor
- Brining together Project Fargo and CloudVolumes
- Provision new customized desktops in 5 seconds
- This is VDI simplified
