Desktop virtualization according to Virtual Computer

TalkBack 1 of 20:

Next »

• Thread View
• Flat View

One Question - Why?

Just because you CAN do it, doesn't mean you SHOULD. Virtualization barely makes sense in the datacenter (only for poorly performing OSes like Windoze that cannot run more than one or two server programs at a time), so why would you bring it to the desktop?

I've seen many schemes to do this desktop stuff before. Ghosting OSes and elaborate network transfer schemes have been proposed in the past - with the same predictable result. The complexity was ALWAYS greater than the "experts" said, and they quietly died. It comes down to this - too many "moving" parts on the client side increases administration costs.

A nice UNIX NFS automounting solution allows you to add/change/update applications on the server - and all the clients instantly have access - WITHOUT any changes on the client. All user data is saved via NFS to a file server, so once again there is no need to alter the client. All you have left is the client OS - which should be as generic as possible. This leaves you with 2 system administration task options on every client: 1. Reboot if something isn't working (although a good UNIX sysadmin can fix things remotely without resorting to a reboot), or 2) Reinstall if everything if FUBAR (takes less than 1 hour).

It's hard to imagine anything simpler than that. Every client is generic and can be swapped in and out when needed. All Application data is stored on a server as well as the user data (on another server). If you add some filesystem caching, you can even survive a network outage!

Good luck on the Virtualization stuff! In the IT world, there is always room for another second best solution . . .

Posted by: Roger Ramjet   Posted on: 12/30/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Why Isn't Server Virtualization Saving Us More? A Few Small Changes May Dramatically Increase Your Efficiency VMware Companies have rapidly adopted server virtualization over the past few ... Download Now
• Three Steps You Need to Know to Stop Data Loss Varonis Sensitive data exposed to misuse or loss... it is the stuff of nightmares ... Download Now
• Five Steps to Determine When to Virtualize YourServers VMware Server virtualization isn't just for big companies. Entry-level ... Download Now