Question

Research the common client hardware and software that is used by end users to access virtual desktop environments. Explore each of the client connection methods in detail list both pros and cons for each connection method or device. You need to have a minimum of 3 different devices or connection types discussed in your paper.

Answer 1

HARDWARE USED BY END USER TO ACCESS VIRTUAL DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT ARE:

1. Standard PCs 2.Thin client devices 3.Zero client devices  

1. Pros and Cons of Standart PCs:

Price :Desktop computers generally cost less than laptops with comparable specifications, particularly if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and only need to purchase the computer itself.

Versatility: Desktops have the benefit of being versatile as far as upgrades are concerned. You can add plenty of features to a desktop tower, including DVD burners, extra hard drives, floppy drives and specialty hardware.

Portability: The biggest drawback of a desktop computer is the amount of space it takes up and the extra effort required to move it. If you think you may need your computer at any place other than your desk, a desktop is not a good choice.

Power Usage :Because desktop computers are stationary, they run off of household power all the time. This means your battery will never die while you are in the middle of working on an important document. However, if you tend to leave your computer on without saving your data for extended periods of time, this also means that you might lose data due to a power outage.

2. pros and cons of thin client:

pros of thin client:

Cost-Effective: Compared to fat client hardware, thin clients are pocket friendly, and easy to set up. In addition, they are cost-effective in power consumption and their life spans are longer than fat clients. On average a high-end thin client should consume less than 50 watts. An average PC can go up to 200 watts on full load.

Efficient: Thin clients can access remote services. They can connect to the central office through the Internet and access all necessary resources like in a normal office setting. This extends to cloud computing services like Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) or Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).

Easy To Maintain: Thin clients are easy to maintain since their operating system and other software are on the main server. Powering the thin client, connecting to the server and downloading the configuration are all that’s needed.

cons of thin client:

Single Point of Failure: Because thin clients depend on a single server, they form a single point of failure. If the server goes off-line, thin clients will also go off-line. A denial of service attack on the server would limit access to thin clients.

Performance Degradation: Thin clients performance depends on how powerful the servers are. If you use low quality hardware or software, client performance will degrade.

3. pros and cons​ of zero client device:​​​​​​

pros of zero client device:

Optimized: Hardware is optimized for specific connection protocol (mostly for Citrix and VMware Horizons, but some support RDS), but make sure the one you pick supports your desired connection type.

Setup is a breeze: There are just a few settings and you’ll be connected to your VDI.

Fast and simple: Since there isn’t any operating system, it boots up within seconds from being powered on.

Centralized management: Many manufacturers have developed software to help manage your fleet of zero clients.

Simple.: A zero client is as simple as it gets, so the costs are bare bone as well.

cons of zero client device:

Flexibility.: Since a zero client typically doesn’t support all protocols, you’ll have to pick which one to go with and you’re likely stuck using that specific protocol for the life of the unit (some manufacturers allow you to switch protocols but will require a firmware flash to do so).

Lack of OS: Since there’s no OS, you can only manage them through the manufacturer software, not with your RMM solution.

SOFTWARE USED BY END USER TO ACCESS VIRTUAL DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT ARE:

1. virtual box 2. VMware 3. Hyper-v

1. pros and cons of virtual box:

pros of virtual box:

VirtualBox software is very easy to use and install. It takes seconds to download and install the software (Boursas, 2008). Also, its simplicity has made it a preference for users at home who wants to use different operating systems on their computers. The small size enables the software to be stored in relatively less space on the hard disk.

cons of virtual box:

Compared to Windows Virtual PC and VMware Workstation, the VirtualBox does not come with as many features. Although the features it contains are enough to run the software, certain clients require more features to enable them to perform a variety of tasks.

2. Pros and cons of VMware:

Pros of VMware:

One advantage of VMware Workstation is its ability to run on various operating systems. It is quite compatible with even the latest versions of Windows and Mac (Park, 2012). Although VMware Workstation is larger than other versions of VMware software, it occupies a little space on the hard disk giving more room for storing other items. The VMware Workstation offers seamless integration between operating systems. The software allows guest software to runat native speeds. It does not compromise the speed of the guest software making it quite preferable among users.

cons of VMware:

VMware can be very expensive. The average market price for the software is $250 (Cerling, 2010). This puts the software above the rich of price-sensitive customers. Besides,the VMware Workstation does not easy to use. The user is required to study the software and understand how it can be utilized. The software comes with a tutorial that can also be used by clients to understand its application.

3. Pros and cons of Hyper-v:

pros of Hyper-v:

Decreased management of device drivers/wide range of devices can be used.
Ease in installing new server roles.
Initialization time is reduced thanks to small code size of Microsoft Hypervisor code.
No risk of corrupted foreign code and high level of security.
No downtime for maintenance or security updates.
Services can be scaled.

cons of Hyper-v:

OS has to be installed before Hypervisor Layer can operate.
If OS crashes, all virtual machines will crash.
More maintenance due to OS security updates.
Moe overhead to manage.
Limited OS support.
Very little support for service templates.