1. Our Experience with Desktop Virtualization
6/1/2018
Our Experience with Desktop Virtualization
Jeff Cunningham
Director of Information Systems
Department of Agricultural and
Resource Economics (AREC) 1 1 1

2. Motivation to Deploy Desktop Virtualization
Minimize end user downtime due to PC repair/replace/updates
Reduce Management and Administration of Desktop Clients
Reduce time required for desktop setup and lab reconfiguration
Remote Access
Allow Grad Students and Faculty access to costly Math\Stat software away from University
Save Department and Faculty costs of installing software on home PCs and laptops
Costs Savings – Future upgrades, Software
Support University’s Green Initiative

3. Why We Chose PanoLogic for Our Desktop Virtualization
“Zero” Client – Pano Device has no CPU, RAM, Firmware, Storage or Operating System – Stateless
Uses < 5 Watts Electricity
Integrated easily into existing VMWare infrastructure
Simplicity of Setup and Administration

4. Desktop Virtualization Rollout – Systems / Software Costs
In the datacenter
(2) Sun X4600 4xdual AMD processors
each with 64GB RAM
Sun StorageTek 2510 iSCSI SAN with 2501 Expansion Array
(17) 300GB SAS drives
VMWare ESX 3.5 licenses (added to existing Virtual Center)
On the desk
(75) Pano Logic Zero Clients with new keyboards/mice
(25) SUN 24” 1920x1200 Monitors plus existing
Total Cost: ~$87,000
Estimated Cost IF we had decided on 75 new PCs (25 with 24” monitors): ~$82,000

5. Initial Rollout Experience
Replaced 35 out of 38 Student Lab PCs with Pano Devices; then 30 older PCs used by faculty and staff
Installation
Pano Manager VM –added to existing Virtual Center; configure IP and Resources, and Power On
Less than an hour to complete
Configuration
Creation of Desktop Virtual Machines (DVMs) and Pools (Once XP template created – same time as installing new copy of XP on a PC)
Less than an hour

6. Rollout Experience (continued…)
End-user Perspective
Because we were already using Folder Redirection and Roaming Profiles – very easy transition
Processing in Math/Stat programs as good or better than PCs that were being replaced in most cases; some instances with intensive data manipulation results were slower
Some issues with video (streaming video choppy, audio out of sync)
Some USB devices not recognized
NOTE: Video and USB issues greatly improved with updated software (PanoDirect)

7. Sample Server Utilization
2 Node Cluster Average 25-35% CPU and Memory Resources With Active DVM Sessions

8. Handling Intensive Data/Processor Jobs
To Support CPU/Memory Intensive Processing in Matlab, Stata, ArcInfo, SAS etc.
Added (2) rack mount workstations: Quad core, 64bit, 8GB RAM for “large job” processing
- Authorized users access from desktop virtual machine (DVM) session via Remote Desktop

9. Benefits to Date Electrical Use
During conversion, Kill-A-Watt meters used to measure actual KWH consumption of 5 PCs (Dell GX270) and 5 Panos (same monitors, approximately same level of use by end users)
The Panos used 75% less electricity in this very unscientific experiment
Once Panos in place in the 2 labs, AC usage reduced significantly (no measurement)
This must be weighed against increase electrical requirements of servers and server room AC, but the net electricity consumption is very much in favor of the virtual desktop solution
University is perusing a “green” initiative
We have already met their goal for our department with the replacement of 75 PCs with thin clients

10. Additional Benefits (continued…)
Convenience of Remote Desktop Access
- Faculty, Staff and Students can access their software and data from home or traveling; Important consideration for flu pandemic preparedness

11. Additional Benefits (continued…)
Savings in software costs for department
Faculty can now use their home PC to access the same desktop they use during the day, avoiding the need and cost for duplicate software licenses
Secondary benefit: single set of data, saves time spent copying and synchronizing

12. Anticipated Long Term Benefits
Extending Technology Refresh Cycle
Even though the initial cost of our setup was approximately the same as buying the equivalent number of new PCs, the next “upgrade” should result in a significant cost savings
Instead of replacing PC’s in 4 years, we can make less expensive incremental upgrades over time
Enhance the existing servers with more processors and memory, or
Add additional servers to the cluster
Improvements in software, both Pano and VMWare, should also enhance the end user experience