Users  in the marketplace seem to be getting a clearer understanding about the different kinds of cloud deployments (private, community, public and hybrid), but one area where I still see peers, customers and industry experts tripping up surrounds the definition of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).

What IS IaaS?

IaaS includes all the system services that make up the foundation layer of a cloud—the server, computing, operating system, storage, data back-up and networking services.   IaaS supports the Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) layer, which includes the development tools you use to build, modify and deploy  cloud optimized applications, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) layer, which includes the business applications.

Shades of Gray in the Cloud

While the definition of the IaaS layer is pretty straightforward, there are some gray areas where you need to ask questions: resiliency, restoration, disaster recovery, and security.

• -Resiliency refers to the stability of the foundation and whether it is built to enterprise standards;
• -Restoration refers to the ability to restore your data quickly after, say, the release of application software  updates that damages data;
• -Disaster recovery refers to the ability to get your business operations back online following a catastrophic event, whether it is a natural disaster, or an errant backhoe clawing through the power lines somewhere on the electrical grid, and finally
• -Security refers to the architecture for monitoring the access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification and destruction of data by users and programs and whether those security capabilities are “baked in.”

Different vendors offer different types and levels of service in these areas, so it is wise to define your needs carefully.

Which of these areas are most important to your company? 

Q. What is VMware View?

A. VMware View is a purpose built desktop virtualization solution for delivering desktops as a managed service. The VMware View solution helps IT organization automate desktop and application management, reduce costs, and increase data security through centralization of the desktop environment. This centralization results in greater end-user flexibility and increased control for IT organizations. By encapsulating the operating systems, applications, and user data into isolated layers, IT organizations can deliver a modern desktop. This enables them to change, update, and deploy each element independently for greater business agility. Unlike other desktop virtualization products, VMware View is built on and tightly integrated with vSphere, the industry leading virtualization platform, allowing customers to extend the value of VMware infrastructure and its enterprise class features such as high availability, disaster recovery and business continuity.

Q. What is included in VMware View 4.5?

A. VMware View 4.5 is available in the following two editions:

1. VMware View Enterprise – includes vSphere for Desktops, vCenter for Desktops, and VMware View Manager.
2. VMware View Premier – includes vSphere for Desktops, vCenter for Desktops, vShield Endpoint, VMware View Manager, View Client with Local Mode, VMware View Composer and VMware ThinApp.

Q. How does VMware View work?

A. With VMware View the desktop components are “decoupled” from physical devices and delivered as a managed service from a centralized location such as the datacenter or from the cloud. VMware View also enables the delivery of a Modern Desktop by virtualizing the desktop OS, applications and the user data. End-users can connect to their desktops, applications and data from multiple devices and across any network connection for an optimized and familiar desktop experience. By centrally managing the desktops, applications and user data in the data center, organizations benefit from improved manageability and control while end-users benefit from flexible access and improved levels of service.

Q. What is VMware View Manager 4.5?

A. VMware View Manager 4.5 is the latest version of the connection server and desktop broker that provides end-users with flexible, secure access to their personalized virtual desktop from a wide range of endpoint devices over the LAN or across the WAN. With VMware View Manager administrators have a single point of control to simply and cost-effectively manage, provision and deploy virtual desktops. The built-in security features of VMware View Manager ensure that data, information and intellectual property remain protected in the datacenter while still being accessible to end-users from a variety of locations and devices. VMware View Manager 4.5 is included as a component of VMware View Enterprise and VMware View Premier but may also be purchased separately as an Add-On for existing customers running VMware vSphere.

Q. What’s new in VMware View 4.5?

A. There are several key new features available in VMware View 4.5. Some of the more notable features include:

• Full Windows 7 support
• Industry first integrated client virtualization and VDI solution through a combination of View Client with Local Mode and View Client.
• A new administrative console with support for role based authentication, a dashboard, and troubleshooting capabilities
• Application Assignment for assigning ThinApp applications to VMware View desktops or pools
• Tiered Storage support in View Composer for increased storage flexibility and reduced storage costs
• View Composer enhancements, including detach/attach/archive of the Persistent Disks (formerly named User Data Disks), and refresh/recompose/rebalance for non-persistent pools
• View Client with Local Mode to support View virtual desktops for use cases such as Employee Owned IT (EOIT), Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC) mobile users, contractors and Remote Office Branch Office (ROBO) scenarios
• Extensibility integrating with Windows PowerShell and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM)
• Kiosk Mode to support unmanaged endpoint devices in use cases such as public or shared computing environments

For additional details and features available in VMware View 4.5 please see the release notes:http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/view_pubs.html

Q. What does Windows 7 support in VMware View 4.5 mean?

A. VMware View 4.5 supports Windows 7 Operating System running in both 32 bit and 64 bit modes as VMware View virtual Desktops. In addition the View Client in VMware View 4.5 can run on top of a Windows 7 host machine. Applications virtualized with ThinApp version 4.5 or greater are also supported with Windows 7 physical or virtual desktops.

Q. What is VMware View Composer?

A. VMware View Composer uses Linked Clone technology to reduce storage requirements by up to 70% while streamlining desktop image management by enabling the rapid creation and update of desktop images that share a virtual disk with a master image. With View Composer IT organizations can manage 100s or 1000s of desktops as a single image. All desktops linked to the master image can be patched or updated through View Manager simply by updating the master image, without affecting users’ settings, data or applications. With View 4.5, View Composer now includes support for Tiered storage making it easy for storage administrators to use different types of tiered storage for the same pool of users. View Composer and the tiered storage capability can enable further reductions in storage costs for VMware View virtual desktop deployments.

Q. What is new with View Manager Administrator interface?

A. With View 4.5 the View Manager administrator console has been completely redesigned to include a feature rich UI based on Adobe Flex technology. The new interface provides an intuitive way to provision and manage desktops. The console has additionally been designed to accommodate large scale deployment, troubleshooting and event handling. A dashboard provides administrators with a single window into the status of the entire deployment, making it easy to monitor, troubleshoot and control the VMware View environment. View Manager now also supports role based administration making it possible to assign different privilege levels to IT administrators, for more streamlined, efficient desktop management.

Q. What is VMware ThinApp?

A. VMware ThinApp virtualizes applications for increased compatibility and streamlined management. Applications are separated from the underlying operating system and packaged with a virtual operating system as an EXE or MSI file. Applications packaged with ThinApp can be run on servers in the datacenter or even a shared network drive and accessed through a shortcut on the virtual desktop. This reduces the size of the desktop image and subsequent storage needs. Since the applications are isolated and virtualized, multiple applications or multiple versions of the same applications run on a virtual desktops without conflict. Applications are managed and deployed centrally, ensuring that all desktops are up to date with the latest application version. ThinApp 4.5 is included with VMware View Premier and delivers support for ThinApp applications running on the Windows 7 Operating System.

Q. How do I manage application assignment for ThinApp applications?

A. The View Manager administrative interface provides a single console for the assignment of ThinApp applications to a pool of desktops or an individual desktop. ThinApp management can also be done via other third party management tools via Software Development Kit (SDK) support.

Q. What is View Client with Local Mode?

A. View Client with Local mode allows VMware View virtual desktops to be moved between the datacenter and physical desktop devices with security policies intact. Virtual desktops may be “checked out” onto a physical device such as a laptop enabling users to work when they are not connected to the network. Changes to the desktop are then “checked in” to the datacenter to intelligently synchronize the desktop when the user goes back online. View Client with Local Mode allows users to run their virtual desktop while offline or simply take advantage of local endpoint device resources to ensure the best virtual desktop user experience.

Q. How is VMware View licensed? How are View Client with Local Mode connections counted?

A. VMware View is licensed on a concurrent connection basis. A View desktop that is actively in use by an end-user will count as a concurrent connection. Additionally, each checked-out local mode desktop is counted as one concurrent connection. See the VMware View End User License Agreement (EULA) for more details on licensing.

Q. Are there any other components needed to run VMware View in my organization?

A. VMware View is an end-to-end solution including all the components needed to virtualize desktops and applications without sacrificing user flexibility or productivity. Companies can choose to repurpose their existing PCs to access their virtual desktops or move to a thin client to further reduce costs and reduce the desktop refresh cycle. Microsoft Active Directory is required to run the VMware View Manager software.

Q. How do I know if a Thin Client device will work with VMware View?

A. VMware has a Thin Client Certification Program for VMware View and several thin client devices have earned the status of “VMware Ready Certified “ including Linux-based thin clients. For a complete list, please see our Thin Client Compatibility Guide

Q. How is VMware View used in organizations?

A. VMware customers are transforming their desktops by replacing traditional PCs with virtual desktops that can be more cost effectively managed and controlled while providing unmatched levels of flexibility for end-users. VMware View is used in a variety of ways by the thousands of customers with the ability to:
Reduce the Time and Cost of Windows 7 Migration by 50%
Double the speed of Windows 7 migrations and cut costs in half by rapidly provisioning virtual desktops that users can access without upgrading their hardware, and by virtualizing legacy applications to eliminate OS compatibility issues.
Simplify Remote and Branch Office IT Operations
Deliver high-performance virtual desktops from behind the corporate firewall to remote or branch offices such as retail stores, bank branches, medical offices, and even offshore facilities to empower users while reducing support and maintenance costs.
Enable Agile Business Process Outsourcing
Rapidly extend IT resources to third-party service providers without sacrificing control over security policies or administrative privileges, using VMware View to centrally host virtual desktops and applications that authorized users outside the organization can access through a secure network connection on desktops and thin clients.
Extend Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery to Desktops
Leverage automated failover, load balancing, backup and recovery and other built-in datacenter-class business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities to protect desktop data and ensure continuous availability for end users at a fraction of the cost and complexity of traditional solutions.
Support Users on the Go with Follow-Me Desktops
Enable ultra-mobile users to roam freely from location to location by giving them anytime, anywhere access to familiar, personalized desktop environments and critical applications, while keeping patient records and other sensitive data secure and protected in the datacenter.

Q. What’s the best way to get started evaluating VMware View?

A. We recommend trying the free 60 day evaluation of VMware View, which includes VMware vSphere, vCenter, vShield Endpoint, VMware View Manager 4.5, View Client with Local Mode, VMware View Composer, VMware ThinApp and VMware Workstation 7.1. You will additionally need Microsoft Active Directory (not included) to run the VMware View Manager 4.5 evaluation.

Q. Are professional services necessary to deploy VMware View?

A. VMware Professional Services and VMware accredited partners have several years of experience implementing VMware View for customers. Organizations may wish to seek their expertise to expand and optimize a View installation and achieve rapid time to market. For those interested in learning how to install, configure and manage VMware View and the new components, VMware Education Services offers hands-on training courses to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to implement and deploy. In addition, VMware provides self paced tools and resources in the VMware View Eval Center on vmware.com.

Q. Can other connection brokers be used with VMware View?

A. We recommend customers use VMware View Manager when deploying VMware View. You will find that VMware View Manager is ideal for your virtual desktop environment for the following reasons:
VMware View Manager comes with a Windows client with support for PCoIP, Smart Pooling, an optional proxy server for encrypted WAN connections, optional RSA SecurID®, tight integration with Microsoft AD, Unified Access to multiple hosted desktop platforms, Virtual Printing, Multi Media Redirection and other features to simplify the management and provisioning of desktops as well as enhance the end users experience. In addition, View Composer for reduced storage and streamlined image management and View Client with Local Mode Desktop.
In addition to VMware View Manger’s comprehensive features, it is tested for large environments and tightly integrated with VMware vSphere for improved reliability, disaster recovery and data protection. VMware View is also integrated with vShield Endpoint to enable improved desktop protection and simplified management of desktop antivirus.
The entire VMware View solution comes from the same vendor – the makers of the market leading virtualization platform. Support is seamless regardless of the component and you can leverage your own VMware infrastructure expertise inside your company for your desktop infrastructure without retraining because the administrative interface is the same from servers to desktops. VMware View Manager is priced competitively to help organizations achieve year-over-year operating cost savings on their investment. Visit our TCO desktop calculator to learn how you can help reduce your desktop operating expenses.

Q. Does VMware View work with USB connected peripherals such as local printers, storage devices, scanners, keyboards, mice or other devices on the client?

VMware View supports a number of devices connected via USB to the client through support for USB redirection. Additionally, VMware View Manager extends USB device support for some devices not typically supported by display protocols such as PDAs. Any device that is USB 1.1 or 2.0 compatible may be used with the VMware View solution, provided they are connected to a device running the VMware View Windows client.

How does VMware View help prevent viruses from spreading to my network?

One of the many inherent benefits of centralizing your desktops into a virtual environment in the data center is that the desktops no longer reside on employee-owned PCs or laptops that are not easily controlled. When desktops are centrally managed in a secure data center, IT organizations can more easily apply virus scanning software and apply other standard security policies of the company. Desktops in this environment can be locked down to limit access to various network drives or shut a user off instantly when they leave the company. VMware desktop virtualization technology lets you leverage the “sandbox” capabilities of a virtual machine that is fully contained, isolated from the host operating system, and designed by desktop administrators to be a good citizen of the desktop community.

Q. How does vShield Endpoint help to enable protection of VMware View virtual desktops from viruses and malware?

A. vShield Endpoint builds upon vSphere’s unique introspection abilities to enable offloaded anti-virus and anti-malware (AV) solutions, eliminating agent sprawl and AV storm issues. vShield Endpoint simplifies AV administration in virtualized environments by centralizing AV deployment, minimizes the risk of malware infection in VMs, logs all AV events for audit purposes.

Q. Will the VMware View end-user experience be acceptable?

A. Many companies are running VMware View for a variety of uses with performance and user experience that meets or exceeds their needs. VMware View 4.5 delivers support for the PCoIP display protocol which directly addresses end-user requirements for a high quality computing experience regardless of task or location. With support for both software and hardware enabled PCoIP endpoints, VMware View is the perfect solution for the entire spectrum of end-users in an organization. VMware View also makes use of features in vSphere to ensure top performance for the virtual desktop environment. Features such as Dynamic Resource Scheduling (DRS) give each individual user just enough resources to meet their needs in the centralized data center. End-users, especially those with heavy CPU requirements, may see an improvement in performance because their centralized desktops are running on more powerful hardware in the datacenter. Organizations are encouraged to evaluate VMware View to ensure the performance satisfies end-user requirements. Customers can immediately begin evaluating View using the 60 day evaluation license or by purchasing the VMware View Enterprise or Premier Starter Kit.

Q. Is this release of VMware View compatible with the latest version of VMware vSphere?

A. VMware View is fully tested and supported with VMware vSphere. For more information on VMware View 4.5 compatibility and version requirements please see the VMware View Manager 4.5 Administration Guide.

Q. Is VMware View 4.5 supported with Windows 7

A. Yes, VMware View 4 delivers support for Windows 7 host and guest operating systems. Please see the VMware View Manager 4.5 Administration Guide for more details on operating system support. Additionally ThinApp, a key component of VMware View 4.5, enables virtualized applications to run in a Windows 7 environment.

Q. Can VMware View Manager run as a virtual machine?

A. Yes, View Manager can run as a virtual machine and share the same virtual Infrastructure as the rest of the VMware View environment. Although it is a server workload and only desktop workloads are allowed with the VMware ESX license included in the View bundle, there is an exception in the View End User License Agreement (EULA) that allows for any server workload that supports the desktop environment to be deployed. This includes View Manger, vCenter, vShield Endpoint and other virtual machines deployed to support the licensed number of View desktops.

Q. How do I find a VMware partner with VMware View experience?

A. VMware partners who are part of the “VMware Desktop Competency” have demonstrated their excellence in deploying VMware View. Your VMware Sales team can help you identify a VMware reseller in your area with VMware View experience or you can search the listings of VMware resellers, consultants, distributors and direct resellers using our Partner Locator.