What is VDI and how to use it for remote work

VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is a desktop virtualisation technology that provides access to corporate infrastructure from a mobile device or a computer. You no longer need to purchase office PCs, repair them or maintain software performance. VDI model is becoming a business standard preventing personal and corporate information from getting mixed up.

VDI helps companies to

• control access to corporate data,
• prevent downtime related to obsolete equipment or software failure,
• convert capital expenses into operating expenses,
• organise remote work,
• reduce administration in branches,
• standardise devices and technologies used.

What is a virtual desktop

A virtual desktop simulates a physical desktop. The application creates a workspace with a ready-made set of software on the server. To access a virtual desktop, the user only needs the Internet.

Virtual desktop is suitable for solving both standard and resource-intensive tasks, for example, when processing large amounts of data, audio and video files. VDI guarantees scalability, reliability and cost-effectiveness of business processes.

How virtual desktops work

To understand the benefits of a virtual desktop, you need to know what VDI is and how it works.

• VDI is a technology for deploying a virtual workstation with an individual OS image on a server.
• Virtual machines are located in a data center.
• They are accessible only through the Internet.
• A thin client is an intermediary between a server and a customer.
• Management is carried out by a hypervisor.

There are two types of cloud VDI. Persistent VDI solutions are suitable for IT specialists. They provide maximum personalisation and application compatibility. In non-persistent solutions, user personalisation is deleted when the work is completed.

The cost of VDI consists of

• format (own/leased equipment),
• hardware,
• platform, number of client devices and required licences,
• calculated min and max network load,
• required performance,
• backups frequency,
• settings of recovery mechanisms.

VDI is used for

• organising remote work,
• performing a variety of tasks for any number of users,
• ensuring security and preventive elimination of threats,
• using personal devices for corporate work.

Advantages and disadvantages of virtual desktops

Pros of VDI

• working from anywhere,
• savings on IT and equipment for employees,
• certification conformity upgrade, incl.  up to European Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),
• data security, reduced risk of sensitive data loss,
• centralised management of virtual desktops,
• access to data center functionality (security settings, backup, emergency recovery).

Cons of VDI

• not all applications are supported,
• high throughput is required,
• high network security requirements,
• lengthy deployment in big companies with many employees.

VDI solutions are suitable for large network companies facing security problems, PC performance issues, administrator overload or overmanning. Small and medium-sized businesses may find alternative solutions more attractive.