What is VDI? It is the abbreviation of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and is a form of desktop virtualization. In this article, MiniTool will introduce you to the relevant knowledge about VDI, including its working principles, advantages and limitations.

What is VDI? It is the abbreviation of virtual desktop infrastructure, and refers to a technology that centralizes the desktop environment to host a centralized server. As a desktop virtualization solution, VDI pushes specific desktop images in a virtual machine (VM) and pushes them to end devices over the network. These terminals can be traditional PCs, tablets or thin clients and other devices.

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In the VDI architecture, hypervisor divides the physical server into multiple virtual machines, each hosting a virtual desktop. Users can access these desktops remotely over the network. With the Connection Broker, users can connect to dedicated desktop instances. This agent is a software-based gateway that acts as an intermediary between users and servers.

Users can access the virtual desktop from any device or any location. All computing tasks are completed on the host server, and the terminal device is only responsible for display and input. VDI is divided into two types: persistent VDI and non-persistent VDI, each with different characteristics:

• Persistence VDI : Users can access the same desktop environment every time they log in, and can customize settings (such as wallpapers, software configurations, etc.), and all changes will still be saved after the session ends. This model is similar to a personal physical desktop and is suitable for users who need a personalized work environment.
• Non-persistent VDI : Each time the user connects to a different public desktop, all changes will not be retained after the session ends. This model is simpler to deploy and less expensive, and is suitable for a large number of employees performing repetitive tasks, such as customer service staff or cashiers, who do not require personalized configuration.

Advantages and limitations of VDI

After understanding what VDI is and how it works, let’s take a look at its key advantages and potential challenges.

Reduce hardware costs and save expenses

VDI not only improves user experience, but also provides significant cost saving opportunities for IT departments:

• Since most computing tasks are completed on the server side, the terminal device does not require high-performance hardware.
• Users can access virtual desktops through cheap thin clients, and even transform old PCs into terminals to use, extending the device life cycle.
• In this way, enterprises do not need to frequently purchase new equipment and effectively control IT budgets.

Improve security and centralized management capabilities

From a security perspective, VDI has more advantages than traditional local operating systems. All data is stored on the server side, not on the terminal device. This means that even if the user's device is lost or stolen, there will be no sensitive data breach.

In addition, the entire VDI environment is managed uniformly by the data center. Administrators can centrally deploy patches, update software, and configure policies for all virtual desktops to achieve refined control and secure isolation of operating system images. This centralized management method greatly simplifies operation and maintenance work and avoids the complexity of managing distributed equipment one by one.

Safety and performance should be treated with caution

Although VDI improves overall security, it cannot be taken lightly. Operating system images must be maintained and updated regularly, and the identity authentication of end users must be strictly controlled. To this end, digital workspace solutions can enhance protection through single sign-on (SSO), enhanced terminal security mechanisms, and data encryption during transmission.

Performance is also a key factor to consider when deploying VDI:

• When VDI was first popular in the mid-2000s, its operating performance was significantly behind that of local operating systems.
• With technological advancements, this gap has narrowed significantly, but some users may still feel the experience delay when using graphics-intensive applications or high-load tasks.
• It is recommended to conduct regular performance tuning and deployment evaluation to promptly identify and resolve potential technical bottlenecks.

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Conclusion

After reading this article, I believe you have a basic understanding of "what is VDI". At the same time, you also understand the working mechanism of VDI, the main advantages and the restrictions that need to be paid attention to. Rational use of VDI technology can help enterprises achieve more efficient and secure desktop management.

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