VDI Infrastructure Explained: Key Components for Reliable Performance

What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)?

VDI lets users access virtual desktops from anywhere they can connect to your centralized server and network. It’s a specialized application of virtual machines (VMs) that’s been purpose-built to deliver a full desktop environment to end-user devices. VMs are more general-purpose than this, offering backend compute for various tasks instead of specialized tech specifically for virtual desktops.

What is an Example of a VDI in Real-World Use?

Organizations use VDI in many ways. For example, a school may offer VDI to students so they can access lab software like AutoCAD from home. Students could run this resource-intensive application on a basic device like an affordable home computer thanks to their school’s VDI infrastructure.

Core Components of VDI Infrastructure

To run a successful VDI environment, you’ll need several pieces of tightly integrated infrastructure:

Compute layer: This consists of the servers that host your virtual desktops and applications. You’ll need a product like Dell PowerEdge servers, which are purpose-built for virtualization to deliver fast, responsive VM experiences to end users.
Storage solutions: VDI environments rely heavily on storage. You’ll need a robust solution to keep up with user demand and avoid frustrating speed bottlenecks.
Virtualization and management: This is the control layer of your VDI deployment. It’s where you orchestrate how the system works, streamline performance, and monitor virtual desktops. Dell infrastructure integrates with a variety of tools at this layer from providers like Microsoft, VMware, and Citrix.
Networking layer: Next, the network layer carries user sessions from their endpoint devices to the data center that hosts your servers. You may need to design a special solution featuring segmented VLANs or VPNs for secure access.
Endpoint access and protocols: Finally, users connect to VDI through their endpoints. These can be simple thin clients like Dell Wyse, laptops, mobile devices, or even web browsers.

On-Premises, Cloud, or Hybrid: Choosing a VDI Deployment Model

There’s more than one way to deploy your virtual desktop infrastructure. You can keep it on-premises, host it in the cloud, or use a hybrid model. The option you choose will impact performance, security, scalability, and cost, so it’s worth thinking about carefully.

On-premises VDI gives you full control over data and security configurations. It can also have lower long-term costs and more predictable performance than alternatives. However, on-premises VDI has a higher upfront cost and often requires in-house expertise for maintenance.

Or, you could choose a cloud-based VDI solution, hosted by Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services, among other providers. Cloud solutions have lower upfront costs and are highly scalable, but your monthly cost may vary, and you won’t have as much control over your data, which could become problematic.

Hybrid solutions combine on-premises infrastructure with cloud-based resources. This lets you control what you need to control in-house while giving you some of the flexibility and cost-saving benefits of cloud solutions.

Dell APEX enables organizations to deploy hybrid VDI solutions as a service. This makes it easy to back up your on-premises data center, scale services during peak demand times, and save money.

Best Practices for Long-Term VDI Success

Your VDI solution should reflect your organization’s unique performance needs. Considering the following best practices can help you arrive at the right solutions for your team sooner:

Understand your end users’ requirements: Consider what applications people will use, how many users will be active concurrently, and what type of performance they’ll need to complete their tasks in the VDI. The earlier you think this through, the fewer mistakes and delays you’ll have during the installation.
Monitor server performance: You’ll need to monitor the performance of your VDI over time to make sure it continues working properly. Continuous monitoring prepares you to step in quickly to solve problems as they arise. This can minimize their impact.
Implement strict security: VDI can be very useful, but it also opens new security vulnerabilities for your business. You can reduce the risk of impact by requiring end users to set up multi-factor authentication, using industry-standard encryption, and setting up continuous cybersecurity monitoring.
Plan for peak usage: When designing your VDI, plan for a capacity that meets your maximum usage projections. This will ensure everyone who needs the VDI can access it.

How to Optimize VDI Performance and Scalability

There are also some steps you can take to get better performance out of the same VDI solution. For example, you can set up dynamic resource allocation to adjust compute power on demand. This can help you meet the needs of more users more quickly.

You can also autoscale your capacity using cloud and hybrid VDI environments. These allow you to spin up additional servers when needed, and then stop paying for them when you no longer do. You’ll want to combine this with load balancing to help distribute sessions evenly and avoid hotspots.

It’s also smart to set up proactive monitoring and alerting with a tool like Dell CloudIQ or SupportAssist. This will help you find and resolve issues sooner to minimize downtime and deliver extra value.

Dell Technologies’ Tools That Enhance VDI Infrastructure

Dell offers a complete ecosystem of tools and services to enhance your VDI infrastructure. This includes:

Dell VxRail: Our turnkey VDI platform
vSAN Ready Nodes: Scalable storage integrated with VMware
PowerEdge Servers: High-performance compute nodes for diverse use cases

Our products also integrate with VMware Horizon and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. Plus, you can use our support ecosystem to get help with problem-solving through Dell TechDirect, ProSupport, and APEX Console.