Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/4636
www.iltanet.org Infrastructure Technologies 19 it's all about vdi change that drastically. Of course there were some big improvements throughout the years, but if you knew the products well in 2002, then you still knew them pretty well in 2008 just from working with them every day. You didn't have to invest weeks of training just to stay current. Consider now that both VMware and Citrix have had two major product releases in just the past two years. That means the IT people charged with supporting those systems need to invest a lot more time studying and learning about new features and products. They also need to make sure that existing hardware is capable of running all the new versions and products. There are also fewer blogs, technote articles and forums to turn to for assistance. The not-so-hidden cost that you need to be most aware of, however, is licensing (http://www.microsoft. com/windows/enterprise/technologies/virtualization- licensing.aspx). Lest anyone think Microsoft was going to let you move away from all those desktop Windows licenses, they have introduced a license model known as virtual enterprise centralized desktop (VECD). This is a device-based subscription license that grants you the right to run up to four copies of Vista Business or Windows 7 per device. However, unlike standard client access licenses (CALs), you never actually own VECD. Therefore, if you stop paying for VECD, you lose the right to run those virtual instances. Be aware also that VECD is in addition to whatever license you currently have or plan to have for your Vista or Windows 7. VECD is priced one of two ways depending upon whether you have Software Assurance (SA) on the desktop OS. If you currently have, and plan to maintain SA on your Vista or Windows licenses, then VECD is priced at US$23 per year. If you do not currently have SA, then the price goes up to US$110 per year. It's worth emphasizing here that if you stop paying for SA on your desktop licenses at any time, your cost for VECD will go up to the non-SA price. Most computers generally come with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Windows license from Dell, HP or other vendors, so you'll need to weigh the costs of adding SA to those versus the VECD pricing to determine which licensing model is right for you. If you choose to go with any non- Windows client (thin client, Mac or Linux), then you can also expect to pay the non-SA price of US$110 per year per device. VDI BASICS The four basic components of VDI are about the same for all VDI vendors. The underlying technologies such as application streaming and thin provisioning are what really differentiate the vendors. First of all, you have the client that sits on the desk, which can be a thin client; Windows PC, MacBook, Linux desktop, or other device. The next piece of the puzzle is the connection broker, which is where VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, Pano Logic, and other vendors come into play. The client talks to the broker to see what to do and how to get a VDI image while the broker also handles things like thin provisioning and management. Next, there is the virtual desktop itself, which is where Vista and Windows 7 come into play. Last is the application virtualization, which is where you'll hear the terms ThinApp, XenApp and App-V. These are the names that VMware, Citrix and Microsoft have given to their respective app streaming components. These components are responsible for streaming the virtualized application to the desktop. Streaming technologies have been available for a few years,