Hi All,
My company where I'm working on is
quite small (less than 60 users) Software house, ranging from Dell
laptop and HP desktop some of them installed with Windows XP and Windows
Vista OEM licenses, To simplify the hardware I'm thinking to get 60x
Windows 7 Professional VM using Open License for just once off payment
(not yearly subscription) on the VMWare ESXi and they can just remote
desktop into those VM while the existing workstation is clean reinstall
back to the factory settings.
The VM Server host specs:
two of
Dell R710 Intel E5500 @ 2.66 GHz with 32 GB RAM (each holding 30 VMs)
Dell
MD3000i iSCSI SAN with 15k rpm 14x300 GB RAID-5
Benefits:
1.
Centralized environment
2. Rather than worrying about broken
workstation hardware and maintaining it, every person can just bring
their own hardware into the office :-o)
3. Simplify backup
Would that be a
good idea for a developer to remote desktop into the VM, while their
laptop can be use for something else (eg. playing music or browsing the
web)
any thought and comments would be greatly appreciated here.
Thanks
AWT
good idea
it would be better if you can add more memory
but workout with cost comparison as well
regards
Manic
:-o) that's what I want to know too mate, I don't know if this is the proper way of deploying VDI in small office.
Kind Regards,
AWT
it will good idea to do as you metioned in the follwing case
1. if the infrastructure is entirely new.
2.if you have to replace all the desktop and laptop otherwise, since warrentry expired
3. and already have storage in place
it will not give good ROI in the following case
1. existing hardware are already have good enough resource to run windows 7 and also have warrenty
2. New storage has to be purchased for your proposal
regards
manic
Actually most of the workstations is not covered under the warranty anymore, the specs is ranging from:
Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86 GHz up to 2.6 GHz with minimum of 4 GB RAM and some have 8 GB RAM for 64 bit OS installation.
to be honest when the existing Windows Vista and XP OS upgraded into Windows 7 for some users, they love it :-o) it performs better.
The DNS, DHCP and Domain Controller is in the existing physical machine.
yes, new SAN server will have to be purchased 😐 because local SATA hard drive in the server is not that big enough (max. 6x 1 TB SATA per ESXi server).
Kind Regards,
AWT
then
cost wise you will not have much saving when you go for VDI. it will give some ROI when you expand your no of VM in future
If you are more intrested on futures then cost go with VDI as you mentitioned above.
It will be better if you test run it before get in to full flegged setup
start with single ESX/ESXi if you have existing unused server, create few VM,s, Allow users to access and work with them.
get the feedback. If your mgmt and users are comfortable with the vm's then go ahead to purchase hardware
regards
Manic
Thanks Mr. Manic
Sounds like a plan. I wonder if anyone has different way of implementing VDI without using VMware view by utilizing the current vSphere 4 licenses ?
Kind Regards,
AWT
If you already have vSphere, you can simple use add-on license for View (just to save 100$ for each license).
Windows 7 Professional VM using Open License
I'm not sure that they exist (please check that are not upgrade license).
Usually are used or Retail or VECD.
Andre