Tips

Tips

• How to optimize Citrix and Microsoft deployments for VDI

  Citrix and Microsoft offer a variety of integrations to enhance their products. Find out what they are, and how organizations running VDI can take advantage of them.  Continue Reading

• How to manage Windows Virtual Desktop printing problems

  Windows Virtual Desktop printing is somewhat complicated. Learn about the products that can simplify print management for IT and make printing more seamless for end users.  Continue Reading

• How to properly set user expectations about VDI performance

  VDI performance can be a problem for end users, leading to a tense relationship between them and IT staff. Here's how to set expectations to prevent these issues among others.  Continue Reading

• Explore options for VDI disaster recovery

  Every VDI deployment should have a disaster recovery plan that doesn't break the bank. Explore some ways to implement VDI disaster recovery in an organization.  Continue Reading

• Manage Windows Virtual Desktop with a PowerShell script

  IT admins can use PowerShell scripting to manage Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop. In this step-by-step guide, IT can learn the details of this management method.  Continue Reading

• Explore pros and cons of virtual application streaming

  There are multiple ways to deliver virtual applications, and app streaming is one of them. Find out what app streaming means in a virtual desktop infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• Navigate the challenges of VDI licensing

  Finding the right VDI license plan can be difficult. Navigate some of the major challenges of VDI licensing, and learn how to overcome them in VMware Horizon View.  Continue Reading

• How to use two-factor authentication in Horizon View

  Two-factor authentication is an important security layer for VDI deployments that helps to prevent breaches. Discover the ins and outs of implementing 2FA in VMware Horizon View.  Continue Reading

• How to use PowerShell to track VDI resources

  It's never ideal to have underutilized servers in a VDI environment. Here's how IT pros can create a PowerShell script to track VDI resource utilization.  Continue Reading

• Find alternatives when Citrix Smart Scale reaches end of life

  Citrix will retire Smart Scale in May 2019, and its replacement is only for Citrix Cloud customers. Here's how IT pros can find alternatives to this VDI power management tool.  Continue Reading

• DaaS providers faced with new delivery option

  Microsoft's Windows Virtual Desktop ups the ante on DaaS with multisession Windows 10 desktops. Increased competition could encourage other DaaS providers to innovate.  Continue Reading

• Benefits of multi-user Windows 10 in Windows Virtual Desktop

  Windows Virtual Desktop could be a game-changer in the DaaS market with the introduction of multi-user Windows 10. Understand the pros and cons of this new service.  Continue Reading

• Improve VDI load balancing for Hyper-V deployments

  Managing virtual machine workloads is one of the crucial aspects of VDI management on Hyper-V hosts. The preferred method is Microsoft's dynamic load balancing.  Continue Reading

• How app layering can overcome app virtualization challenges

  App layering allows IT to manage applications independently. Learn about the other benefits of app layering and how it differs from application virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Top 4 challenges of hyper-converged infrastructure for VDI

  HCI and VDI often go well together, providing simpler scalability and flexibility for virtual desktops. But what happens when a VDI deployment has requirements outside the norm?  Continue Reading

• Secure VDI environments with these 3 tips

  Virtual desktops present unique security concerns. Take these three steps to better secure VDI environments from the start.  Continue Reading

• What to look for in a VDI troubleshooting tool

  VDI management is complicated, but the right troubleshooting tool can make it less so. IT should consider these factors when choosing a troubleshooting tool for its VDI deployment.  Continue Reading

• Avoid disastrous bottlenecks, scale storage for VDI with HCI

  HCI offers many benefits for VDI deployments, particularly when it comes to scaling resources. There are a few caveats to watch out for when planning storage for VDI, however.  Continue Reading

• Clear the confusion around Microsoft RDS

  Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is often pigeonholed as a session-based virtualization tool. IT can, however, use it for both VDI and app virtualization, as well.  Continue Reading

• How to secure Azure RDP virtual machine access with a jumpbox

  A jumpbox can be a handy tool to improve security in a Microsoft Azure deployment. For starters, it blocks the public IP address automatically associated with any VMs.  Continue Reading

• Client and server-based virtual application delivery methods

  IT pros can deliver virtual apps to users with a client-based or server-based approach. The main difference is where the data lives.  Continue Reading

• Understand Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop and its benefits

  Microsoft is bringing its virtual desktop offerings into the cloud era. Windows Virtual Desktop represents a big step forward.  Continue Reading

• Integrate legacy Windows applications with modern device capabilities

  Enabling virtual desktop users to open apps in the format that allows the apps to function best would be ideal, but there's work to do to enable this capability.  Continue Reading

• Understand the dangers of cloud-based VDI management

  Managing VDI with a cloud-based tool can become very complicated if IT hosts different aspects of its deployment through multiple cloud vendors.  Continue Reading

• How AI for IT operations improves VDI management

  Enterprise AI tools help IT pros improve VDI management by providing accurate estimates of resource requirements, root cause analysis of issues and more.  Continue Reading

• How VDI performance monitoring tools help IT

  When deciding on a VDI monitoring tool, IT must understand the unique functions and limitations of each tool. IT should find a tool that matches the exact needs of its organization.  Continue Reading

• What mobile thin clients offer and why to consider them

  The mobile thin client market might not be huge, but these portable devices can be a real boost for VDI shops in improving security and simplifying management.  Continue Reading

• What IT pros need to know about Citrix certifications

  Citrix offers a slew of certifications that prove how well an IT pro knows a certain technology. To earn a certification, IT pros must pass exams that Citrix issues.  Continue Reading

• 4 non-Windows applications VDI shops must account for

  VDI shops must manage more than just traditional Windows apps in today's enterprise. They must also address Apple-specific apps, as well as mobile-first apps and more.  Continue Reading

• How to make virtual desktop images easier to manage

  There are several common mistakes VDI shops make, including allowing users to gain elevated privileges, that make it more difficult to deliver a quality end-user experience.  Continue Reading

• How desktop and app virtualization vendors handle mobile devices

  If IT pros want to provide their users with access to virtual desktops and apps on mobile devices, they should know which vendors offer which virtualization services.  Continue Reading

• What to look for in a virtual application monitoring tool

  Poor virtual app performance makes users unhappy and unproductive, which hurts an organization's bottom line. IT can fight problems by monitoring virtual app performance.  Continue Reading

• How the move to Windows 10 could lead IT to deploy VDI

  When IT moves users to Windows 10, it should take the time to also look at the potential of VDI, a technology that has grown a lot in recent years and become more affordable.  Continue Reading

• How to simulate a multisite network with VMware Workstation

  If you want to test out a WAN link between two networks with VDI, VMware Workstation can help. Here's how it works.  Continue Reading

• How to keep DaaS pricing stable and consistent

  It's easy for DaaS subscription costs to spiral out of control unless IT takes the following five steps, including understanding how they will put the cloud-based desktops to use.  Continue Reading

• Put application virtualization products under the microscope

  Get to know the four main components that make up any app virtualization product, including client access, management and monitoring, and the delivery infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• How to select the right VDI hypervisor

  IT has several decisions to make when selecting a hypervisor for VDI, including choosing between a free hypervisor or a more feature-rich, paid option.  Continue Reading

• Monitor VDI performance in these five key areas

  To help maintain a good user experience, IT should turn to VDI monitoring products that look at the performance of deployment automation tools, write cache and more.  Continue Reading

• How to create a VDI test deployment with VMware Workstation

  It's a good idea for IT pros to test out their VDI deployment before they move users to virtual desktops. They can use VMware Workstation to do just that.  Continue Reading

• Remote display protocols dictate virtual desktop experience

  Citrix, VMware and Microsoft all offer remote display protocols with their VDI products. Each one brings a little something different to the table.  Continue Reading

• How to deploy GPU-enabled virtual applications

  More apps are graphics-intensive than ever before. As a result, VDI shops must know the steps it takes to deliver said apps to users without too much hassle.  Continue Reading

• Three VDI capacity planning steps IT must follow

  When planning its VDI deployment, IT must account for the resources users will need to avoid over or under provisioning the virtual desktops and anticipate potential growth.  Continue Reading

• The definitive DaaS provider criteria checklist

  If IT wants to move its virtual desktops to a DaaS vendor, it's critical to know what to look for, including the disaster recovery options and monitoring capabilities.  Continue Reading

• Six VDI testing steps to take with any deployment

  Whether IT is upgrading an existing VDI deployment or implementing VDI, there are a series of tests it should run, including making sure users can access their virtual desktops.  Continue Reading

• Three root cause analysis methods to help solve VDI issues

  From performing a manual assessment to working with VDI vendors' proprietary tools, IT professionals have options for figuring out why problems are happening in their deployments.  Continue Reading

• Four root cause analysis benefits VDI shops should know

  When it comes to pinpointing the source of a VDI problem, IT should turn to root cause analysis, which can also help enhance the user experience and save time.  Continue Reading

• How to pick out the right VDI use cases

  VDI can help organizations, but only if IT applies it to the right use cases. Identifying those virtual desktop use cases starts with understanding the user type and location.  Continue Reading

• Get to know root cause analysis tools for VDI

  Not all VDI monitoring tools provide the same features. IT admins in search of a root cause analysis tool may want to turn to third-party vendors.  Continue Reading

• Don't let network latency issues slow your VDI or DaaS roll

  Data can get to users faster if it is closer to them. As a result IT must keep that distance in mind when setting up a VDI or DaaS deployment.  Continue Reading

• How to configure Microsoft RDS Personal Session Desktops

  Microsoft has found a balance for virtual desktops in Windows Server 2016. Personal Session Desktops give IT the option to deploy VDI in Microsoft Azure.  Continue Reading

• Rise of the graphics-intensive mainstream apps

  VDI shops can no longer assume mainstream apps, such as Microsoft Office, do not require GPUs. This type of app, as well as websites and more, are increasingly graphics-intensive.  Continue Reading

• Don't let VDI drain the IP address pool

  IP addresses can get gobbled up in VDI deployments because each virtual desktop and each endpoint takes up an address. Admins can fight back with IP address management tools.  Continue Reading

• Is VDI susceptible to ransomware threats?

  VDI environments are in danger of ransomware attacks. They can encrypt personal and professional data that cannot be decoded once the user's session ends.  Continue Reading

• How to decide to deliver apps through VDI vs. installing them locally

  Admins have a tough choice in how they deliver new apps to their users. In some situations it's better to do it through VDI while in others its best to install them locally.  Continue Reading

• Roaming profiles help deliver a consistent virtual desktop experience

  Nonpersistent VDI strips users of their ability to customize their desktops. With user environment management methods such as roaming profiles, they can take some ownership back.  Continue Reading

• Understand the basics of VMware Blast Extreme vs. PCoIP

  For years PCoIP has been the go-to remote display protocol for View shops, but VMware's in-house protocol, Blast Extreme, is ready to take over.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Remote Desktop Session Host

  Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has made significant strides since its early days, but Remote Desktop Session Host has built up a lot of good will over the years.  Continue Reading

• How desktop provisioning works with VMware Instant Clone

  IT can use Instant Clones in VMware Horizon View to provision multiple virtual desktops with shared RAM and disk resources, which can improve overall performance.  Continue Reading

• Four problem areas to watch for when VDI troubleshooting

  When it comes to VDI, IT must be ready to troubleshoot common problems associated with virtual desktop performance, back-end infrastructure, product platforms and persona management.  Continue Reading

• Take control of virtual desktop access with two-factor authentication

  Traditional passwords simply aren't good enough for VDI shops. Instead they need to make users' devices require a second form of authentication or use one-time passwords that change frequently.  Continue Reading

• How to bake up Raspberry Pi thin clients for VDI

  Raspberry Pis are one of the lowest-cost computing options out there, so it's only natural for IT to wonder whether they're suitable as thin clients for some enterprise use cases.  Continue Reading

• Don't let VDI network latency grind virtual desktops to a halt

  Network latency problems can make even the simplest tasks impossible on a virtual desktop. IT needs to use performance monitoring to identify the source of latency to fix the problem.  Continue Reading

• Go for gold with VDI image management

  VDI golden images allow IT to deliver multiple virtual desktops based off a single base image. This setup simplifies desktop management in a lot of ways but also complicates updates.  Continue Reading

• When single sign-on technology is a good fit for VDI

  As more VDI shops deliver virtual desktops separately from applications, single sign-on provides a way for IT to reduce users' burdens when it comes to multiple logins and remembering passwords.  Continue Reading

• Compare Citrix, VMware and Microsoft remote display protocol options

  As desktop and app virtualization technologies advance, the top vendors' remote display protocols are keeping pace. Citrix HDX, Microsoft RemoteFX, VMware Blast and Teradici PCoIP protocol can all support modern end-user computing.  Continue Reading

• Why VDI is perfect for managing remote employees

  Organizations trying to support remote employees should look to VDI, which puts users in a controlled environment and makes it easier to provide support, manage licenses and ensure security.  Continue Reading

• How to set up a Chromebook remote desktop

  It's easier than you think to set up a Google Chromebook remote desktop, thanks to low-cost devices that make for great VDI thin clients.  Continue Reading

• How Citrix USB redirection supports stylus peripherals

  A new feature in XenDesktop and XenApp makes it easier for stylus users, artists and engineers to link USB peripheral devices to their virtual desktops and applications, even when they're far away from the office.  Continue Reading

• How VMware App Volumes works

  VMware App Volumes offers IT admins a way to deliver persistent applications from a nonpersistent virtual desktop pool. Learn exactly how this technology works.  Continue Reading

• VMware App Volumes and ThinApp are better together

  VMware has two app virtualization tools, but organizations don't need to choose one or the other. Using App Volumes and ThinApp together gives IT departments plenty of app delivery options.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of using an HTML5 browser as a VDI client

  Although HTML5 clients don't provide enough security for some organizations, they're one of the easiest and most widely available options for delivering remote desktops to employees.  Continue Reading

• How Microsoft UE-V syncs physical and virtual desktop settings

  Users expect the same experience whether they're on a virtual desktop at home or their work PC in the office. Microsoft UE-V syncs users' settings, so they're up to date in all their Windows sessions.  Continue Reading

• How to virtualize apps with VMware ThinApp, step by step

  It's fairly easy to virtualize apps with VMware ThinApp, you just need to know a few basic steps, including setting up a VM, taking snapshots and using the Setup Capture utility to run scans.  Continue Reading

• Let their powers combine: Use Intune, RemoteApp combo for virtual app delivery

  Microsoft Intune, App-V and RemoteApp all let you deliver apps to mobile devices, but no one approach is perfect. A combination of Intune and RemoteApp for virtual app delivery can work well.  Continue Reading

• Comparing three options for VDI endpoints

  There are a few ways admins can provide users with the hardware that makes it possible to access their virtual desktops. Get to know the three major options.  Continue Reading

• VDI hardware evaluation checklist

  Picking the right hardware for your VDI deployment is critical, but it doesn't have to be difficult. To start, check to see if your VDI software vendor has a list of compatible components.  Continue Reading

• Tablets and smartphones can be thin clients, too

  The experience of using a mobile device as a thin client has improved and it's no longer out of the question, but some pain points remain, such as connectivity and text entry.  Continue Reading

• The difference between Citrix Workspace Suite and Workspace Services

  Citrix's Workspace Services and the Workspace Suite aren't one in the same. The Suite is a bundle of products and Workspace Services is a delivery platform and control plane.  Continue Reading

• Top tools for user profile management

  You can manage profiles with Active Directory or the tools built into your VDI software, but third-party options from AppSense, RES software and Liquidware Labs offer more features and can reduce storage needs.  Continue Reading

• Zero client buying guide

  There are lots of client options to choose from for VDI. Get the details on four of the most popular zero clients and how they can meet your needs in this buying guide.  Continue Reading

• Components, features and use cases for XenDesktop 7.5

  XenDesktop 7.5 comes with XenApp, hybrid cloud integration and HDX enhancements, as well as an improved experience for workers who use mobile devices to access desktops and apps. But is there room for upgrades in products such as Profile Management?  Continue Reading

• Mobile thin client basics

  Companies with regulated information can still give road warriors secure access to virtual desktops via mobile thin clients.  Continue Reading

• What's the difference between a DaaS provider and a DaaS platform?

  Some DaaS providers also have DaaS platforms, but the terms aren't synonymous. The platform is what makes DaaS run; the provider supplies it to you.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshoot problems remotely with desktop shadowing

  Desktop shadowing tools come standard in Windows Server and Windows OSes, but you'll have to use different techniques for RDSH and VDI users.  Continue Reading

• How log monitoring tools prepare VDI environments for audits

  Log monitoring tools allow you to troubleshoot VDI problems, but they also make sure that you're ready for an audit whenever one may crop up.  Continue Reading

• The right way to do old-PC-to-thin-client conversions

  Turning old PCs to thin clients can help keep the Capex associated with VDI down, but a bad conversion can spell support troubles for IT.  Continue Reading

• Breaking down VMware GPU virtualization options: Soft 3D, vSGA and vDGA

  VMware GPU virtualization options Soft 3D, vSGA and vDGA have different uses and benefits, but they all help companies reap performance rewards.  Continue Reading

• Why remote connectivity problems happen and how to fix them

  Remote connectivity problems such as latency and bouncing have easy fixes that just take careful planning when you're setting up your VDI deployment.  Continue Reading

• Preparing for an IT audit in your VDI environment

  When preparing for an audit in your VDI environment, the best defense is a strong offense. Find out what you need to archive and who's auditing.  Continue Reading

• From VDI pilot to production: Four tips for the move

  Don't leave users out of the equation when you move from your VDI pilot project to the production environment.  Continue Reading

• Making thin client performance priority No. 1

  Thin client performance is the key to a successful endpoint because it's the issue that most affects your end users.  Continue Reading

• Three important VDI application deployment considerations

  Consider app compatibility and the frequency of updates when you choose VDI application deployment methods. Oh, and don't forget cost.  Continue Reading

• How to load balance a Citrix or VMware VDI implementation

  Whether your VDI implementation is based on Citrix or VMware, certain load-balancing techniques will keep performance on target.  Continue Reading

• How to handle peripherals support on virtual desktops

  Peripherals support can be especially tricky on virtual desktops because you often need redirection technology to make the devices work.  Continue Reading

• A sampler of VDI-friendly Windows PowerShell scripts

  You can automate desktop provisioning, monitoring and more in a VDI environment, so check out these handy Windows PowerShell scripts for VDI admins.  Continue Reading

• Where virtual desktops need certificate management

  Virtual desktops don't always trust certain security certificates, especially when applications are accessed through the Web.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of using VDI for BYOD management

  Virtual desktop infrastructure eases the stress of managing employee-owned devices in the enterprise, but beware connectivity and compatibility snags.  Continue Reading

• Taking advantage of VM snapshots in a virtual desktop environment

  With VM snapshots, you can make one desktop VM into many. Just watch out for performance when snapshotting in a virtual desktop environment.  Continue Reading

• Making Citrix XenDesktop play nice with a VMware hypervisor

  You can run XenDesktop on a VMware hypervisor, but what does that entail? Learn how clustering and vCenter Server work in a mixed VDI environment.  Continue Reading

• Using passthrough disks for desktop VM storage? Keep 5 tips in mind

  Connecting desktop VMs to passthrough disks can enhance performance, but it does add complexity. Watch out for these five hang-ups.  Continue Reading