introduction to the dell dvs enterprise...
TRANSCRIPT
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Introduction to the Dell
DVS Enterprise Solution Rack & Blade, Version 3
VMware View and Citrix XenDesktop February 18, 2013
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Dell | Product Group
Dell
Desktop Virtualization Solutions
Introduction to the
Dell DVS Enterprise Solution
(Rack & Blade)
Version 3
VMware View & Citrix XenDesktop
February 18, 2013
THIS REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND/OR TECHNICAL
INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.
© 2013 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Dell, Inc.
is strictly forbidden. For more information, contact Dell.
Dell, the DELL logo, Dell Wyse and PowerEdge are trademarks of Dell Inc. VMware and Citrix are registered trademarks in the United States
and/or other jurisdictions. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks
and names or their products. Dell, Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
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Contents
1 Desktop virtualization introduction .................................................................................................... 6
1.1 Reasons to deploy desktop virtualization .................................................................................. 6
1.2 Dell‖s Desktop Virtualization Solutions portfolio ...................................................................... 7
1.3 What is new in the Dell DVS Enterprise solution? .................................................................... 8
1.4 Why Dell Desktop Virtualization................................................................................................... 9
1.5 Reference architecture and advisor ............................................................................................ 9
1.6 Solution enhancements .............................................................................................................. 10
1.7 Design principles ........................................................................................................................... 11
1.8 Solution overview ......................................................................................................................... 12
1.9 Deployment planning .................................................................................................................. 13
2 Benefits of the DVS Enterprise solution ............................................................................................ 15
2.1 Lower energy consumption ....................................................................................................... 15
2.2 Low cost per seat .......................................................................................................................... 15
2.3 Enhanced data security ............................................................................................................... 15
2.4 “Self-Healing” image .................................................................................................................... 15
2.5 Image management ..................................................................................................................... 16
3 Dell-Wyse offers a wide range of end point devices. .................................................................... 17
3.1 Industry leading thin clients and zero clients .......................................................................... 17
3.2 Dell Wyse zero client options ..................................................................................................... 17
3.2.1 Dell Wyse Xenith 2 Zero Client ........................................................................................... 17
3.2.2 Dell Wyse Xenith Pro zero client ........................................................................................ 18
3.2.3 Dell Wyse P25 PCoIP zero client ........................................................................................ 18
4 Other software and features .............................................................................................................. 19
5 Deployment options ............................................................................................................................ 20
5.1 Dell deployment and management options ............................................................................ 20
5.2 Data center managed services ................................................................................................... 21
5.2.1 Data center management .................................................................................................... 21
5.2.2 End user managed services ................................................................................................. 21
5.2.3 DaaS options .......................................................................................................................... 22
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5.2.4 Turning CapEx into OpEx .................................................................................................... 22
5.2.5 User data remains highly-secure ....................................................................................... 23
6 Pro Support............................................................................................................................................ 24
6.1 DVS Enterprise includes three years of Dell Pro Support ...................................................... 24
7 Conclusion: Flexible solutions that are easy to order, deploy and support ............................... 25
Appendix A Solution sizing ..................................................................................................................... 26
A.1 Scalability considerations ............................................................................................................ 26
A.2 End-user workload characterization overview ....................................................................... 27
A.3 Workload characterizations ........................................................................................................ 28
A.3.1 Basic workload characterization ........................................................................................ 28
A.3.2 Standard workload characterization ................................................................................. 28
A.3.3 Premium workload characterization ................................................................................. 29
Appendix B Scaling the solution ............................................................................................................ 30
B.1 Rack server scaling ....................................................................................................................... 30
B.1.1 R720 Rack-based server scalability (Citrix XenDesktop) ................................................ 31
B.1.2 R720 Rack – based server scalability (VMware View)..................................................... 31
B.2 Blade server scaling ...................................................................................................................... 31
B.2.1 M620 Blade-based server scalability (Citrix XenDesktop) ............................................. 32
B.2.2 M620 Blade-based server scalability(VMware View) ...................................................... 33
B.3 Storage scaling .............................................................................................................................. 33
B.3.1 Local Tier 1 – 50 User/ Pilot ................................................................................................ 33
B.3.2 Local Tier 1 (iSCSI) ................................................................................................................. 34
B.3.3 Local Tier 1 – network architecture (iSCSI) ...................................................................... 34
B.3.4 Local Tier 1 Rack scaling guidance (iSCSI) ....................................................................... 35
B.3.5 Shared Tier 1 – Blade – 500 users (iSCSI – EqualLogic) ............................................... 35
B.3.6 Shared Tier 1 – Blade >1000 Users (iSCSI – EqualLogic) .............................................. 36
B.3.7 Shared Tier 1 Blade – Network Architecture (iSCSI) ....................................................... 36
B.3.8 Shared Tier 1 Blade scaling guidance (iSCSI) ................................................................... 37
B.3.9 Shared Tier 1 – Blade (Fibre Channel – Compellent) .................................................... 38
B.3.10 Shared Tier 1 Blade – Network Architecture (FC) ......................................................... 38
B.3.11 Shared Tier 1 Blade scaling guidance (FC) ..................................................................... 39
B.4 Adding physical and virtual resources ...................................................................................... 39
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Appendix C Example configurations ..................................................................................................... 40
C.1 Solution 50-500 users ................................................................................................................. 40
C.2 Expanded pilot solution 500-1000 users ................................................................................ 40
C.3 Scalable rack-based solution 50-10,000 users ...................................................................... 40
C.4 Scalable high density (Blade) solution 50-10,000 users ....................................................... 41
C.5 Large deployments 10,000 – 50,000 users ............................................................................ 41
C.6 Scaling overview ........................................................................................................................... 41
Appendix D XenApp deployment .......................................................................................................... 42
Appendix E Preparing environments for a VDI transition ................................................................. 43
Appendix F Hardware options: .............................................................................................................. 44
Appendix G Ordering your desktop virtualization solution ............................................................... 45
Appendix H Additional resources .......................................................................................................... 47
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1 Desktop virtualization introduction
Desktop virtualization has long been on the cusp of widespread adoption. Indeed, IT
professionals have been hearing about how a wider migration is “only a year away” for some
time now. Today however, the march of consumerization and several recent enhancements
in desktop virtualization software and solutions are driving a renewed wave of interest in the
technology. Companies are looking to leverage the security, mobility and productivity
benefits that desktop virtualization can offer. Their IT departments are recognizing that the
technology is one of the most powerful ways to solve data vulnerability issues and other pain
points arising from an increasingly mobile work force.
Efficient protocols and faster connectivity are enabling a new level of front-of-screen fidelity.
We leveraged advances and the latest image management tools, endpoints, and the latest
virtualization software from VMware™ and Citrix™. This allows our DVS Enterprise solutions
to provide a compelling computing experience that matches or exceeds your users‖ legacy
PC experience. You can now benefit from our expertise in architecting end-to-end solutions
and take advantage of an enhanced level of security and flexibility. Our Cloud Client
Computing initiatives enable anytime, anywhere, any-device user productivity that grows and
scale with your business.
1.1 Reasons to deploy desktop virtualization
In a VDI environment, user desktops are hosted as virtual machines (VMs) in a centralized
data center and delivered over a network to the user‖s client device. While much has been
written about the benefits of desktop virtualization, many IT professionals point to a number
of key factors driving their transition decisions. Among them are the need for a scalable
solution that can provide:
Increased Data Security
o Allows enterprise to leverage the benefits of “consumerization” without
losing control of important company data and intellectual property.
Increased Protection from Data Loss
o Mitigates the impact of a local hard drive failure by storing data centrally.
o Mitigates the impact to the business from misplaced endpoints or from
compromised devices.
Simplified Image Management
o Allows end users to leverage one common master image.
o Makes optional user personas available for user specific images.
o Simplifies image updates and patching.
o Simplifies and right-sizes software license management.
o Performs image updates in the data center and not on remote devices.
o Provides optional software to enable persistent images.
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Simplified End User Support
o Self-Healing Images
Users can reboot to a “clean” (non-persistent) master image
o Rip-and-Replace end point service model
Dell Wyse devices plug in “like a phone.”
All configuration controls and software reside on the data center.
o Simple and Secure support for almost any device
Enables “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) programs.
Encrypts all screen data over the network.
Limits data that resides on end point devices.
Delivers a robust and productive front of screen experience.
1.2 Dell‖s Desktop Virtualization Solutions portfolio
We have developed specific solution categories:
DVS Simplified: Developed for smaller and less sophisticated IT organizations.
DVS Enterprise: Developed for more advanced IT organizations that need advanced
features including persistent images, high availability, and live migration.
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Our DVS Simplified solution is an entry-level appliance that allows companies with limited
budgets and/or limited IT resources to leverage the benefits of desktop virtualization. The
DVS Enterprise solution is our flagship enterprise-class offering that provides a wealth of
features and scalability options.
1.3 What is new in the Dell DVS Enterprise solution?
Our DVS Enterprise solution has a number of important new features. Many of these were
inspired by customer insights and a desire to provide you with the maximum feature set,
device integration, and flexibility. Features of the Dell DVS Enterprise solution include:
Scalability: One solution that can scale from 50 users to 50,000 users.
o Rapid deployments of pilots for 50-500 users in just a few days.
o Readily expandable from a pilot to a large deployment.
o Deployed in management groups of up to 10,000 seats.
o Multiple user groups can grow to 50,000 or more seats.
Reduced Cost per User: Updated hardware and software configurations
deliver up to 81% more basic users per server than the previous Dell DVS
Enterprise and up to 21% more basic users per server than the original 2011
DVS Enterprise hardware and software configurations.
Flexibility: Deployable in non-Dell Storage and non-Dell networking
environments including EMC and Cisco. Also includes support for most
relevant Dell Products including:
o Servers (12G R720 rack and M620 blade)
o Storage (EqualLogic or Compellent)
o Networking (PowerConnect or Force10)
o Dell-Wyse thin clients and zero clients
o Standard clients (legacy desktops and notebooks)
o Mobile devices including tablets and non-Dell end points
Solution Services: Designed to meet the exact needs of the enterprise with:
o On-site deployment services
o Break fix services included as part of ProSupport
o Virtualization Solution Helpdesk access
o Image Creation, Deployment and Management Services
o Custom hardware and software deployment services
o Training
Management Services: Flexible options to streamline support with:
o Customer-managed on customer site
o Customer-managed in Dell Data Center (coming soon)
o Dell-managed on customer site
o Dell-Managed in Dell Data Center (coming soon)
o Desktop as a Service (DaaS) from Dell‖s Cloud
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1.4 Why Dell Desktop Virtualization
Our solutions are aligned with a long-held tradition of making the complex simple. The
result is you can benefit from the thousands of man-hours designing and testing the DVS
Enterprise solution that allow it to be deployed rapidly and easy to support. The solution‖s
components are designed to optimize user productivity and help you grow your business.
With our desktop virtualization solutions, your users can now take advantage of the emerging
trends of consumerization and device mobility. Your IT department can also enable a wider
range of devices allowing users to be secure and productive almost anywhere, anytime.
Indeed, our DVS Enterprise solution is engineered to be a comprehensive enterprise-class
solution that is:
Simple to plan
Simple to order
Simple to deploy
Simple to support
Simple to expand
These elements, together in a single solution, can ease the transition to virtual desktop
computing and give IT administrators and CIO‖s confidence that they have invested in a
solution that can grow with their business well into the future. Indeed, our desktop
virtualization solutions are designed to be flexible to meet the unique needs of your
organization regardless of size or user profiles.
The Dell Solutions approach integrates purpose-built hardware, software, and services to
deliver validated offerings. These will help you follow a predictable path for making the right
business, technical, and implementation decisions for adopting desktop virtualization.
The DVS Enterprise delivery model is recommended for organizations seeking to handle a
wide range of compute tasks. Other organizations that can benefit include those running
workload-intensive applications, those requiring high availability, live migrations, persistent
desktops, and those considering large-scale deployments of more than 1,000 users.
However, smaller organizations with compute-intensive needs can also benefit from DVS
Enterprise given its capabilities.
1.5 Reference architecture and advisor
DVS Enterprise is a comprehensive solution portfolio designed to enable you to adopt virtual
desktop computing in a scalable solution with multiple options. While there are several ways
of delivering virtual desktops, this solution utilizes the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
model.
Getting the most out of VDI requires a well-developed, reliable, proven architecture. If the
VDI architecture is undersized in terms of processing, memory or storage, then performance
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will suffer and the user experience will be inferior to that of the traditional PC. If the
architecture is oversized, then the cost per virtual desktop may be economically unfeasible.
To help you simplify the traditionally complex deployment, we have defined a specific
Reference Architecture. This approach offers a tested methodology for sizing that allows
you to accelerate time to value and increase operating efficiency over the life of the solution.
In a smaller implementation, customers can start with as few as two Dell rack servers (plus
storage and networking), supporting up to 95 premium/knowledge workers or up to 145
basic workers.
For 500 users, you will need five servers (one management server and four host servers). A
typical deployment of 50-500 users usually takes a few days. After that, the solution can
grow seamlessly to as many as 50,000 users or anywhere in between. Our investments in
R&D and solution validation help ensure that the deployment will achieve the expected
results and ROI.
DVS Enterprise leverages tried and tested hardware, software, and services to enable an
architecture that maximizes IT control while delivering a compelling end user experience. We
utilize industry standard components so you will have a clear path to expedient upgrades.
Additionally, we offer full support through the life of the solution without sacrificing choice
and flexibility.
Those considering desktop virtualization who want to get out of the cycle of hardware
procurement and management, can opt for a subscription based ―Desktop-as-a-
Service― (DaaS) model. This approach shifts capital costs to operational costs while securing
the same level of mission critical service, SLA-supported up-time, and helpdesk support. Our
virtual Desktop-as-a-Service offering takes the desktop IT management out of the equation
and allows you to focus on your core business operations and innovation.
To simplify the design and ordering process, you can reference the Dell Cloud Client
Computing Advisor. This online tool encompasses the sizing information from our testing as
described in the Reference Architecture. By answering a few questions about your
environment and preferences your IT department or Dell representative can create a full bill
of materials. The Advisor covers servers, storage, networking, software, thin clients, cabling
and deployment services required to deploy a VDI solution from a 50 unit pilot all the way up
to a 50,000 seat solution.
1.6 Solution enhancements
In early 2011, we launched our first carefully-architected and extensively-tested, on-premises
solution designed to diminish the complexity of desktop virtualization. Our original Integrated
Solution Stack (ISS), had limited options, primarily to ensure that the precisely-calibrated
solution would provide users with a consistent, compelling experience. Additionally, given
the spectrum of end point devices our original ISS was architected to function as a contained,
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stand-alone solution. Regardless of the potential variability among data center components,
it would not be degraded by the inclusion of components that might have been incompatible
or underpowered.
Our ISS was a strong starting point that we improved by adding a number of requested
options. A number of deployments followed in 2011 with custom enhancements and
augmentations. Responding to this feedback, the goal of Dell‖s DVS group was to make
enterprise adoption of desktop virtualization simple and easy and to provide a clear path for
customers to plan, order, deploy, and support a tested solution that could expand as their
business needs grew. In the meantime, the consumerization trend fueled by a wave of tablet
and smartphone adoption has led many IT organizations to reconsider the merits of desktop
virtualization. And, as the need to enhance the security of their networks to protect
corporate data increased, we responded with a compelling solution.
In early 2012, we unveiled DVS Enterprise, a solution that evolved the original ISS. This new
configuration supported a limited range of 50-500 users on our 11G PowerEdge servers.
Then in March of 2012, we updated DVS Enterprise with more efficient 12G servers. In this
newer configuration, the solution was architected to scale from pilot deployments of 50
users up to company-wide rollouts of 50,000 users. Today, our current-generation 12G
servers allow the DVS Enterprise solution to support 81% more users per server. This reduces
the number of servers required in the data center and lowers energy consumption. Ultimately,
this power efficiency decreases the overall cost per user when adopting an enterprise-level
desktop virtualization solution.
1.7 Design principles
Our DVS Enterprise solution is an advanced well-developed, reliable, and flexible solution
with the ability to scale significantly as needed. Those who choose DVS Enterprise as a first
desktop virtualization option can be assured that the solution will provide excellent
performance at a reasonable cost per user. The solution offers the ability to scale as
deployment needs expand. It also leverages purpose-built hardware, software, and services
to provide the key benefits of desktop virtualization: enhanced security, greater user flexibility,
and easier maintenance and IT support.
The DVS Enterprise solution itself is quite flexible and can be deployed into data centers with
non-Dell networking and non-Dell storage. It can also scale from only two servers serving a
handful of users in a test deployment, up to 50,000 users in an enterprise-wide roll-out. Our
DVS team and Dell ProSupport team stays with your IT department every step of the way to
ensure extremely high levels of performance that meet or exceed users‖ legacy desktop
experience.
The design principles for all of Dell DVS solutions include:
● Enhanced security – Security risks, concerns and policies are addressed or mitigated.
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● Manageability – The solution includes the tools, software, and services required to manage the environment.
● Standards based – Leverages commodity, off-the-shelf components wherever possible.
● Distributed – Non-blocking and built with distributed components to maximise the use of available computing resources and eliminate bottlenecks.
● Scalable – Capable of scaling up or down to support your business needs.
● Resilient – The solution can withstand the failure of a single infrastructure component.
1.8 Solution overview
DVS Enterprise is a combination of purpose built architectures designed to be a modular and
scalable end to end solution for a range of your IT department‖s needs. Additionally, we have
provided a defined and tested services methodology that includes three years of Dell
ProSupport. We also offer the option of post-deployment assessment, design,
implementation, and managed services. DVS Enterprise uses the latest software from Citrix
and VMware and allows you to start with as few as 50 users and scale up to 50,000 users.
Providing a scalable and predictive solution, this modular design can be launched with a
minimum configuration of only two servers.
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Our DVS Enterprise Solution includes the option of having XenDesktop running on Hyper-V. Additionally, a full Microsoft Reference Architecture is an option for deployments under 600 users.
The DVS Enterprise solution can stand on its own or deploy into existing data centers with
qualified legacy networking and storage equipment that many IT departments have come to
rely on. The DVS Enterprise solution incorporates the latest and best in our server technology
in Dell‖s PowerEdge 12G series, allowing your IT team to attach 81% more users per server.
This means fewer servers in your data center, less power consumption, and lower complexity.
As a result, DVS Enterprise is a desktop virtualization solution that can meet the demands of
even the most sophisticated data centers.
1.9 Deployment planning
Given the investment required to deploy an Enterprise-class desktop virtualization solution,
some IT departments may be concerned about lining up the right combination of hardware
and software to serve their specific business needs. The concern during the current
economic climate is that the integration into existing data centers will be challenging and
require costly consulting engagements. However, our blueprinting process works to ensure
you will receive an optimally-sized solution. To has achieve this we have established a three-
part process.
This process starts with an on-site workshop where DVS engineers carefully examine your
existing data center. The next step is a blueprinting effort using Liquidware Labs‖ Stratusphere
UX software to measure the level of IOPS and CPU cycles that your existing data center
currently requires down to individual end users. Finally, the last stage is the use of an Advisor
Tool used by your Dell representative to expedite the time it takes to deliver a full quote for
the ideal solution, a step which accelerates the time to deployment.
The DVS Solution Advisor also helps your IT team better understand the solution and various
options that are available. The Solution Advisor also presents any cost impact that may result
from preferred options such as additional user storage under various “what if” projections.
These three key steps help us reduce the potential for confusion and complexity. As a result,
when a solution is deployed it works effectively, efficiently, and without the need for
extensive recalibration or post-deployment consulting.
Our planning process and blueprint service will help you identify how to maximize the
benefits from your Desktop Virtualization investment. Our experts work with your IT team to
target user groups and measure the computing resources they require with our blueprint
process. The results of meetings and the blueprint data enable us to collaborate and define
the exact solution that fits your business needs.
If a small pilot is needed, we can often deploy a 50-500 user pilot in just a few days to allow
your IT team to experience the flexibility and enhanced productivity that desktop
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virtualization delivers. Then, when you are ready to roll out the full solution, our services
teams will be there to guide your internal IT staffers. We will define the exact hardware and
software that is needed and deliver and install the solution. In certain cases, workshops or
blueprinting may streamline the deployment process.
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2 Benefits of the DVS Enterprise solution
2.1 Lower energy consumption
Our 12G servers can be ordered with optional high efficiency power supplies that can reduce
energy consumption and by extension lower your data center‖s overall carbon footprint.
Additionally, recent third-party tests1 show that Dell Blade servers can offer lower cost and
more energy efficient production deployments than competitive blade servers.
2.2 Low cost per seat
The DVS Enterprise solution delivers a compelling balance of CPU power, memory, and
storage performance to enable a low cost per seat without compromising the end user
experience.
2.3 Enhanced data security
While VDI solutions cannot eliminate the threat from viruses and malware, our DVS Solutions
can enhance your company‖s data security. Indeed, as many IT professionals know, desktop
virtualization can streamline operations, reduce system exposure, and simplify management.
These steps enhance security by limiting the attack surface of computing environments. The
DVS Enterprise solution has the added benefit of allowing IT professionals to deploy, manage,
and integrate several key threat mitigations easily into their virtual desktop infrastructures.
Among them:
All data is in the data center is sent to each end point encrypted.
VDI management software can prevent data from being saved to a USB drive.
Virtual machines originate in the data center and remain under full IT control.
Finally, desktop virtualization can be a powerful tool to enhance your company‖s security
profile and, if implemented properly, can significantly reduce the overall attack surface of
your data center.
2.4 “Self-Healing” image
For applications that utilize non-persistent images, users can be given a clean master image
each time they log on. Therefore, if they suspect they have been infected with malware, they
can simply re-boot to receive a clean master image.
1 “Dell PowerEdge M620 Blade Server Delivered a Lower Cost VDI Solution,” Principled Technologies October 2012.
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2.5 Image management
Migrating physical desktop images to virtual images can be complex. Dell experts can build a
test image to meet your needs and save time.
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3 Dell-Wyse offers a wide range of end point devices.
3.1 Industry leading thin clients and zero clients
Dell Wyse is the global leader in Cloud Client Computing. The Dell Wyse portfolio includes
industry-leading thin, zero, and cloud PC client solutions. These offer advanced
management, desktop virtualization, and cloud software supporting desktops, laptops and
next generation mobile devices. Cloud Client Computing replaces the legacy computing
model of the relatively unsecure energy-intensive, and expensive PC while delivering lower
total cost of ownership (TCO). Dell Wyse has shipped more than 20 million units and today
enables the leading private, public, hybrid, and government cloud client computing
implementations worldwide.
3.2 Dell Wyse zero client options
3.2.1 Dell Wyse Xenith 2 Zero Client
The new Dell Wyse Xenith 2 provides an exceptional user
experience at a highly affordable price for Citrix XenDesktop
and XenApp environments. With zero attack surface, the
ultra-secure Xenith 2 makes it harder for network-borne
viruses and malware to find a foothold. Xenith 2 boots up in
just seconds and delivers exceptional performance for Citrix
XenDesktop and XenApp users while offering usability and
management features found in premium Dell Wyse cloud
client devices. Additionally, Xenith 2 delivers outstanding
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performance based on its system-on-chip (SoC) design optimized with its Dell Wyse Zero
architecture. A built-in media processor delivers smooth multimedia, bi-directional audio,
and Flash playback. Flexible mounting options let you position Xenith 2 vertically or
horizontally on your desk, on a wall, or behind your display. Using about 7 Watts of power in
full operation, the Xenith 2 creates very little heat creating a greener, more comfortable
working environment.
3.2.2 Dell Wyse Xenith Pro zero client
The Dell Wyse Xenith Pro is the next-generation zero client for
Citrix HDX and Citrix XenDesktop, delivering ultimate performance,
security and simplicity. With a powerful AMD G-series processor,
Xenith Pro is three times faster than competing devices. This
additional computing horsepower delivers HD multimedia without
overtaxing your server or network. The Wyse Xenith Pro requires no
configuration and management—your Citrix XenDesktop server
configures it out-of-the-box to your preferences for plug-and-play
speed and ease of use. The Xenith Pro draws under 14 watts of
power in full operation—less than most PCs.
3.2.3 Dell Wyse P25 PCoIP zero client
The Dell Wyse P25 PCoIP zero client for VMware View is a secure,
easily managed zero client that provides outstanding graphics
performance. This is an ideal zero client for users accessing
advanced applications such as CAD, 3D solids modeling, video
editing and other advanced worker-level office productivity
applications. Smaller than a typical notebook, this dedicated
zero client is designed specifically for VMware View. It features
the latest processor technology from Teradici to process the
PCoIP protocol in silicon. It also includes client-side content
caching to deliver the highest level of performance available
over two HD displays from an extremely compact, energy-
efficient form factor. The Dell Wyse P25 delivers a rich user
experience while resolving the challenges of provisioning,
managing, maintaining and securing legacy enterprise desktops.
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4 Other software and features
In addition to the core solution, we and our partners offer many enhancements to the core
solution. These include:
Endpoint devices ranging from tablets, to zero clients and thin clients as well as
software to re-purpose existing PCs and notebooks.
o Dell also offers keyboards, mice, displays, SmartCard readers and biometric
readers to support endpoint devices.
Dell S&P offers most application software packages including Microsoft Office
and also offers Microsoft client OS and Microsoft desktop OS VDA licenses.
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5 Deployment options
5.1 Dell deployment and management options
Standard and custom on-site installation of the end to end solution.
Installation by Dell Channel partners.
Managed Services (where Dell manages the customer‖s solution).
Many CIOs and IT managers are being asked to transform IT into an agile, automated utility.
Specifically, the goal is to support the goals of the organization and align IT with strategic
goals to lower costs, drive revenue, and mitigate risk. However, just maintaining IT can get in
the way of achieving strategic goals. Fortunately, our DVS team can shoulder some of the
burden so your IT department can focus on strategic goals that help grow your companies
business and that:
Address the big picture instead of getting bogged down in nonstop tactical details.
Tackle a greater percentage of strategic projects by deprioritizing software upgrades
and end point break-fix calls.
Achieve best practices in-house while avoiding surprise costs and risk.
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Dell Managed Services put best our practices into action for you, providing practical,
automated solutions to help your users, IT staffers, and your data center. That means you can
shift focus toward strategic projects that make a real difference to your organization — while
you lower costs and receive superior service levels.
5.2 Data center managed services
Data Center Managed Services allow you to reallocate IT resources from day-to-day
maintenance and operational support to innovation and strategic activities. Data Center IT
Outsourcing lets you optimize IT performance by offloading your data center infrastructure
management to our custom Data Center IT Outsourcing Services. Dell‖s IT Outsourcing
Services combine skilled service professionals, industry best practices, automated tools and
proven methodologies to maximize your IT investments and create an IT environment that is
efficient, effective, and scalable.
IT Outsourcing Services offer a standardized service management that delivers high levels of
reliability and predictability. Our proven delivery model ensures consistent, efficient service
delivery across the globe. Additionally, our best practices are continually refined to meet the
changing needs of our customers. Finally, our IT Outsourcing Services consist of a
comprehensive suite of services to support your IT endeavors, including: Data Center
Management, End User Managed Services, DaaS Options, and the ability to turn CapEx into
OpEx.
5.2.1 Data center management
Data Center Management allows you to respond to changing IT demands through resource
management, server provisioning and information life cycle management. Dell‖s Data Center
Managed Services give you the power to control your deployment while maximizing
productivity and efficiency. Our packaged Managed Services leverage Dell‖s industry-leading
ITO capabilities while offering scalability, flexible utility billing options and deployments that
are easy, fast and affordable. With Dell‖s Data Center Managed Services your IT team remains
in control of your on premises solution while we provide the expertise, processes and tools
to help you reduce IT costs, improve performance and shift your focus to business growth
and strategic objectives.
5.2.2 End user managed services
This service allows you to free up IT resources, improve productivity and ensure superior
service levels by offloading management of your end user infrastructure to us. You can also
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reduce security risks and lessen the impact of updates by offloading asset management to
Dell Asset Management Services. We remotely provide centralized, automated and policy-
driven asset management for all of your end-user devices throughout their entire life cycle.
Dell Services will give you full visibility into your entire inventory of Windows-based PCs
leveraging tools provided by Dell or those already in your data center. With Dell end user
managed services, you will be able to:
Track dispersed hardware and software assets
Distribute software and upgrades
Manage patches and security applications
Reduce costs through policy-based management
Save by leveraging a Dell-hosted and managed infrastructure
5.2.3 DaaS options
Dell‖s DVS Enterprise Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) options can provide lower total cost of
ownership during the course of a five-year interval. DVS Enterprise DaaS customers save on
having to spend on hardware, software, data center space, power, cooling, management,
and other significant capital expense costs. We manage the infrastructure following our own
best practices, and years of experience managing our own data centers.
We leverage our own internal IT experiences, significant proof-of-concept testing at our
Global Solution Centers, incorporating real-world experience supporting a range of DaaS
implementations for organizations. We also provide upfront consulting to assess the
strengths and weaknesses of your existing hardware, applications, systems, and processes.
This process helps us determine exactly what you will need to meet your end-user
computing goals. We also help you simplify the transition to DaaS by creating a path for your
organization to migrate your [existing data and future?] data streams to our cloud-based
services.
5.2.4 Turning CapEx into OpEx
One of the benefits of choosing Dell‖s Enterprise DaaS is the ability to shift capital expenses
to predictable and steady operating expenses. Our DaaS offering allows your IT department
to forego purchasing additional servers and storage to power desktop virtualization. It also
allows you to scale up or down depending on capacity requirements to support end-user
fluctuations in seasonal workers, remote workers, or regional contractors.
Other organizations leverage DaaS services to enhance capabilities such as high availability
(HA), streamlined OS maintenance, or endpoint management. Still others would like to
improve their data security without having to rip-and-replace existing server, storage, and
networking hardware. DVS Enterprise DaaS can minimize capital expenses by limiting the
need to invest in data center upgrades. Because the hardware is outsourced, it also limits
23
cost for power and cooling systems that may be necessary for some components. The
hardware resides in one of our first-class data centers and you only incur a monthly fee to
serve up desktops as needed.
5.2.5 User data remains highly-secure
Our DVS Enterprise DaaS offering can also help your IT department support mobile device
initiatives in which employees bring their own tablets and laptops to work (BYOD). DaaS
offers a number of benefits including the ability to streamline new OS deployments across
multiple endpoints which can reduce the overall cost of desktop management.
Additionally, DVS Enterprise DaaS enhances security because important data and I.P. never
resides on the user‖s device but instead remains stored in the data center. Finally, DVS
Enterprise DaaS allows seasonal workers and contractors to access your network using the
workers‖ own laptops or PCs in a highly-managed, monitored, and revocable interval.
Our cloud-based Enterprise DaaS is not only suitable for large Enterprises with hundreds or
thousands of workers. The service can provide organizations of all sizes with the capability to
meet diverse end-user needs with a security-conscious, flexible approach. This allows your
IT department to leverage our investment in data centers and expertise across a range of
hardware, software, networking, and services.
We are also providing best-practice guidelines to help decision makers choose the level of
control that is well-suited to tailored requirements for IT management and very specific end-
user assignments. In addition, our End User Computing Services group helps your IT decision
makers maximize their DaaS deployments to evolve as your business grows and help your
team achieve its goals and objectives.
24
6 Pro Support
6.1 DVS Enterprise includes three years of Dell Pro Support
We have taken steps to streamline support of DVS Enterprise solutions by including three
years of Dell ProSupport in the full deployment of the solution. Additionally, we have staffed
dedicated call centers with relevant software and solution experts who are available at any
hour of the day. With this high level of support, you can consider ProSupport to be an
adjunct to your internal IT staff. Our Pro Support teams can empower your IT department to
effectively extend its existing capabilities and expertise and avoid additional investments in
personnel.
This approach also removes a degree of uncertainty that IT departments often associate with
desktop virtualization. It allows IT departments to allocate resources to more strategic
projects important to your businesses. Finally, Dell ProSupport enables you to minimize
disruptions and maintain a high level of user productivity by providing:
A single point of accountability to analyze and troubleshoot all hardware or software problems.
Solution support expertise in specialized applications and software, including desktop virtualization software from Citrix and VMware.
Access to our global command center that tracks and provides ProSupport technicians to discuss your specific solution and regular status updates regarding replacement part location and ETA.
Access to Dell TechDirect, a secure online portal that allows our in-house technicians to diagnose Dell hardware issues and then quickly dispatch and track parts.
The ability to maximize productivity by minimizing repair time is one of the most powerful
elements of the DVS Enterprise Solution and Dell ProSupport. This is achieved by providing
direct access to expert technicians across the globe, with phone support for your particular
configuration every day of the year, including holidays. Further, when your IT team calls
about an issue with your deployment, our technicians have your customer information
available, speak the local language, and can provide immediate support for your
configuration. The ProSupport technicians are also trained to troubleshoot the solution often
without having to escalate the call to third party software or hardware vendors.
The cost of ProSupport is included with our DVS solutions. This ensures that your IT team will
be able to maintain a compelling desktop experience for your users that is seamless and
comparable to that of legacy PCs. Further, Dell ProSupport is always available to take the
guesswork out of DVS solution servicing, part replacement if needed, and technical support
for your data centers.
25
7 Conclusion: Flexible solutions that are easy to order,
deploy and support
Because flexibility is often listed among the most important elements in any desktop
virtualization solution Dell has responded. One of the key features architected into the design
of today‖s DVS Enterprise solution is the ability to integrate with the most relevant Dell
servers, storage, and networking options. Our flexible solution also allows you to choose a
preferred combination of elements to fit your specific business needs. This includes the
ability to deploy DVS Enterprise into non-Dell storage and networking environments.
Customers can configure the DVS Enterprise solution by following a specification threshold
list included in the reference architecture or by having Dell‖s Deployment Services team
design and integrate the solution. A third option is to adopt the solution recommended in the
Dell DVS Enterprise reference architecture available on Dell.com. For customers who prefer
an all-Dell solution, Dell‖s standard PowerConnect networking provides a reliable and cost-
effective option. In highly-managed environments serving users who are accessing video
elements, VoIP, and complex workloads, Dell‖s more advanced Force10 switches are an
alternative option. Our Force10 switches provide additional management features and
network traffic control features.
If you require high availability to ensure that worker productivity is not degraded in the event
of a hard drive failure or hardware outage, redundant servers, networking, and storage can be
configured into the DVS Enterprise solution. Disaster recovery options such as tape backup
or off-site replication can be added as a non-core capability by further architecting the
solution with Dell Storage Solutions.
Dell DVS has made significant changes to its roadmap. The goal has been to refresh our
products and create a solution architecture for DVS Enterprise that is easier to deploy, easier
to support, and easier to expand over time. The new offering still incorporates standards-
based, enterprise class hardware and enterprise class software. However, the new solution
architecture has the flexibility to integrate with legacy Dell hardware as well as with several
non-Dell networking and storage components. In this way we are making historically
complex technologies simple for customers to adopt. DVS Enterprise also minimizes the risk
of an incompatible solution that needs to be reconfigured or otherwise revised, changes that
might delay deployment.
26
Appendix A Solution sizing
A.1 Scalability considerations
The metric that you should focus on when it comes to scalability is the final number of users
they plan to deploy and the incremental path they will take to reach that goal. The second
question relates to the number of users that will ultimately be operating within a high-density
environment.
If the deployment is unlikely to exceed 500 users, a rack configuration of R720 servers
provides the lowest initial cost. If your IT team requires higher densities, high availability, and
vMotion – the ability to perform the live migration of a running virtual machine‖s file system
from one storage system to another without downtime or disruption for the end user2 –
would be best-served by selecting hard drive-less blade servers, shared Tier 1 storage from
Compellent, Fibre Channel networking to enable additional high availability. But regardless of
the configuration, the DVS Enterprise solution brings several benefits to the data center
including:
o A blueprint process to help design an ideal solution for each unique environment
o A solution optimized for user productivity
o Software to enable persistent desktops preferred by most end users
o Rapid customer deployment and a robust and secure user experience that is easy to
support and expand
o Low initial pilot cost and a solution that is expandable to thousands of users with high
availability options
o Support for most endpoints including the iPad, existing notebooks and desktops, and
most thin clients and zero clients
o Support for the latest Citrix or VMware-based desktop virtualization software
The DVS Enterprise architecture is designed to provide a scalable platform with several
appealing features:
o The components can be scaled (by adding additional physical and virtual servers to
the server pools
o The architecture has been designed to eliminate bandwidth and performance
bottlenecks as much as possible
o The architecture has been designed to allow future scaling with the objective of
reducing the future cost of ownership of the infrastructure
2 TechTarget, “Definition: Storage vMotion,” by Margaret Rouse, March 2012.
27
The solution is also designed to allow pilot deployments to easily scale in multiple groups of
up to 10,000 users per group. By starting with a proof-of-concept, CIO‖s and IT executives
can make adjustments in the features. They can also identify new requirements that may be
needed by a particular segment of the work force. Others may prefer to migrate users to
virtual desktops incrementally because they may not have the budget in place to make a
complete transition of the entire workforce all at once. Another flexibility-related benefit of
the DVS Enterprise solution is its ability to roll into broader deployments without having to
replace the initial investment.
A.2 End-user workload characterization overview
It is important to understand the range of user workloads when designing a desktop
virtualization solution. The Dell DVS methodology includes a blueprint process to assess and
categorize your environment according to the workloads defined in this section. In the DVS
solution this will map directly to the SLA levels we offer in our Integrated Stack. There are
three levels, each of which is bound by specific metrics and capabilities.
28
A.3 Workload characterizations
A.3.1 Basic workload characterization
The Basic User workload profile consists of simple application tasks. Typically a repetitive
application use profile with a non-personalized virtual desktop image. Sample use cases may
be kiosk or call-center use cases which do not require a personalized desktop environment
and where the application stack is static. In a virtual desktop environment the image is
dynamically created from a template for each user and returned to the desktop pool for
reuse by other users. The workload requirements for a basic user are the lowest in terms of
CPU, memory, network and Disk I/O requirements and will allow the greatest density and
scalability of the infrastructure.
User Workload
VM Memory
Allocation
VM Memory Reservation
vCPU Approx.
IOPS
User Data Disk Space
OS Image Notes
Basic 1GB 0.5GB 1 7-8 5GB This user workload leverages a shared desktop image emulates a task worker. Only two apps are open simultaneously and session idle time is approximately one hour and forty-five minutes.
A.3.2 Standard workload characterization
The Standard User workload profile consists of email, typical office productivity applications
and web browsing for research/training. There is minimal image personalization required in a
standard user workload profile. The workload requirement for a Standard User is moderate
and most closely matches the majority of office worker profiles in terms of CPU, memory,
network and Disk I/O. This will allow moderate density and scalability of the infrastructure.
User Workload
VM Memory
Allocation
VM Memory Reservation
vCPU Approx.
IOPS
User Data Disk Space
OS Image Notes
Standard 1.5GB 1GB 1 8-9 5GB This user workload leverages a shared desktop image emulates a medium knowledge worker. Five applications are open simultaneously and session idle time is approximately 45 seconds.
29
A.3.3 Premium workload characterization
The Premium User workload represents an advanced knowledge worker. All office
applications are configured and utilized. The user is typically working with moderate-to-large
file sizes (access, save, transfer requirements). There is some graphics creation or editing
done for presentations or content creation tasks. Web browsing use is typically
research/training driven, similar to Standard Users. The Premium User requires extensive
image personalization, for shortcuts, macros, menu layouts, etc. The workload requirements
for a Premium User are heavier than typical office workers in terms of CPU, memory,
Network and Disk I/O. This will limit density and scalability of the infrastructure.
User Workloa
d
VM Memory
Allocation
VM Memory Reservation
vCPU Approx.
IOPS
User Data Disk Space
OS Image Notes
Premium 2.5GB 1.5GB 1 9-10 5GB This user workload leverages a shared desktop image emulates a high level knowledge worker. Eight applications are open simultaneously and session idle time is approximately two minutes.
30
Appendix B Scaling the solution
The depth and breadth of our DVS Enterprise Solution allows it to scale as your VDI needs
grow. The various management components exist as virtual server instances running on
physical servers. This provides tremendous flexibility when adding resources to the solution
while keeping the existing components intact and untouched. This also adds a level of
resiliency in being able to back up copies of the server virtual images. The following tables
provide an overview of our recommended scaling of solution components.
B.1 Rack server scaling
The DVS Enterprise solution begins with a minimum configuration design based on the R720
rack mounted server. This server is a core server component providing the best performance
at the lowest dollar-per-user. However, just as when deciding on the optimal switching
architecture, there are certain deployment use cases where an upgrade or change in the
server architecture makes sense, either from a management, power consumption, end-user
desktop performance, or user density perspective.
PowerEdge R720 Compute
Host Server
For Local Tier 1 Storage
PowerEdge R720 Compute
Host Server for Shared Tier 1 Storage
2 x Intel Xeon E5-2690 Processor (2.9Ghz) 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2690 Processor (2.9Ghz)
192GB Memory (12 x 16GB DIMMs @ 1600Mhz)
192GB Memory (12 x 16GB DIMMs @ 1600Mhz)
10 x 146GB SAS 6Gbps 15k Disks Diskless
PERC H710 Integrated RAID Controller – RAID10
Broadcom 57800 2 x 10Gb SFP+ + 2 x 1Gb NDC
Broadcom 5720 1Gb QP NDC (LAN) 1 x Broadcom 5720 1Gb DP NIC (LAN)
Broadcom 5720 1Gb DP NIC (LAN) 1 x Intel X520 2 x 10Gb SFP+ DP NIC (iSCSI)
iDRAC7 Enterprise w/ vFlash, 8GB SD iDRAC7 Enterprise w/ vFlash, 8GB SD
2 x 750W PSUs 2 x 750W PSUs
PowerEdge R720
31
In the above configuration, the R720-based DVS Enterprise Solution can also support the following single server user counts:
o Basic Workload: 145 Users
o Standard Workload: 116 Users
o Premium Workload: 95 Users
B.1.1 R720 Rack-based server scalability (Citrix XenDesktop)
B.1.2 R720 Rack – based server scalability (VMware View)
B.2 Blade server scaling
When the Dell M1000e Blade Chassis along with the M620 blade server option is selected,
the management servers are also based on the M620 blade. In the DVS Enterprise solution,
the M620 management server is configured as follows:
Basic
Users
Standard
Users
Premium
Users
Physical
Mgmt
Servers
Physical
Host
Servers
Virtual
PVS
Servers
Virtual
Desktop
Controllers
Virtual
License
Servers
Virtual
Web
Interface
Virtual
vCenter
Server
Virtual
Windows
File Servers
145 116 95 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1000 800 655 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 1
2000 1600 1310 2 14 2 1 1 1 1 0
3000 2400 1966 3 21 3 2 1 1 1 0
4000 3200 2621 3 28 4 2 1 2 2 0
5000 4000 3276 4 35 5 2 1 2 2 0
6000 4800 3931 5 42 5 3 1 2 2 0
7000 5600 4586 5 49 6 3 1 3 3 0
8000 6400 5241 6 56 7 4 1 3 3 0
9000 7200 5897 7 63 8 4 1 3 3 0
10000 8000 6552 8 69 9 4 1 4 4 0
Basic Users
Standard Users
Premium Users
Physical Mgmt Host
Physical Host Basic
Physical Host Standard
Physical Host Premium
145 116 95 1 1 2 2
1000 800 655 2 7 9 11
2000 1600 1310 14 18 22
3000 2400 1966 21 26 32
4000 3200 2621 3 28 35 43
5000 4000 3276 35 44 53
6000 4800 3931 42 52 64
7000 5600 4586 4 49 61 74
8000 6400 5241 56 69 85
9000 7200 5897 63 78 95
10000 8000 6552 69 87 106
32
PowerEdge M620 Virtualization Host Server for Shared Tier 1 Storage
2 x Intel Xeon E5-2680 Processor (2.7Ghz)
192GB Memory (12 x 16GB DIMMs @ 1600Mhz)
VMware vSphere 5 on internal SD
Diskless
Broadcom 57810-k 10Gb DP KR NDC (iSCSI)
1 x Intel i350 1Gb QP mezzanine (LAN)
iDRAC7 Enterprise w/ vFlash, 8GB SD
In the above configuration, the M620-based DVS Enterprise Solution can also support the
following single server user counts.
o Basic Workload: 135 Users
o Standard Workload: 110 Users
o Premium Workload: 90 Users
B.2.1 M620 Blade-based server scalability (Citrix XenDesktop)
33
B.2.2 M620 Blade-based server scalability(VMware View)
B.3 Storage scaling
B.3.1 Local Tier 1 – 50 User/ Pilot
For a very small deployment or pilot effort, we offer a 50 user/pilot solution. This architecture
is non-distributed with all VDI and Management functions on a single host. If additional
scaling is desired, you can grow into a larger distributed architecture seamlessly with no loss
on your initial investment. This bundle, like all DVS Enterprise bundles is offered with both
Citrix XenDesktop on vSphere and on Hyper-V.
34
B.3.2 Local Tier 1 (iSCSI)
The local Tier 1 solution model provides a scalable rack-based configuration that hosts user
VDI sessions on local disk in the Compute layer.
B.3.3 Local Tier 1 – network architecture (iSCSI)
In the local Tier 1 architecture, a single PowerConnect or Force10 switch can be shared
among all network connections for both Management and Compute, up to 1000 users. Over
1000 users DVS recommends separating the network fabrics to isolate iSCSI and LAN traffic
as well as making each stack redundant. Only the Management servers connect to iSCSI
storage in this model. All Top of Rack (ToR) traffic has been designed to be layer 2/switched
locally, with all layer 3/routable VLANs trunked from a core or distribution switch. The
following diagrams illustrate the logical data flow in relation to the core switch.
35
B.3.4 Local Tier 1 Rack scaling guidance (iSCSI)
Local Tier 1 HW Scaling (iSCSI)
User Scale
ToR LAN
ToR 1Gb iSCSI
EQL T2
EQL NAS
0-1000 S55 S55 4100E
0-1000 (HA) S55 S55 4100E FS7600
0-3000 S55 S55 4100X FS7600
3000-6000 S55 S55 6500E FS7600
6000+ users S60 S60 6500E FS7600
B.3.5 Shared Tier 1 – Blade – 500 users (iSCSI – EqualLogic)
As is the case in the shared Tier 1 model using rack servers, blades can also be used in a 500
user bundle by combing Tier 1 and Tier 2 on a single 6110XS array. Above 500 users, Tier 1
and Tier 2 storage should be separated into discrete arrays.
36
B.3.6 Shared Tier 1 – Blade >1000 Users (iSCSI – EqualLogic)
Above 1000 users the Storage tiers need to be separated. At this scale we also separate LAN
from iSCSI switching as well as add load balancing and NAS for SMB file shares. The drawing
below depicts a 3000 user solution:
B.3.7 Shared Tier 1 Blade – Network Architecture (iSCSI)
In the shared Tier 1 architecture for blades, only iSCSI is switched through a ToR switch.
There is no need to switch LAN ToR since the M6348 in the chassis supports LAN to the
37
blades and can be uplinked to the core directly. The M6348 has 16 external ports per switch
that can be optionally used for DRAC/ IPMI traffic. For greater redundancy, a ToR switch used
to support DRAC/IPMI can be used outside of the chassis. Both Management and Compute
servers connect to all VLANs in this model. The following diagram illustrates the server NIC to
ToR switch connections, vSwitch assignments, as well as logical VLAN flow in relation to the
core switch.
B.3.8 Shared Tier 1 Blade scaling guidance (iSCSI)
Shared Tier 1 HW scaling (Blade - iSCSI)
User Scale
Blade LAN
Blade iSCSI
ToR LAN
ToR 10Gb iSCSI
EQL T1
EQL T2
PV NAS
0-500 M6348 8024-K S55 S4810 6110XS - -
500-1000 M6348 8024-K S55 S4810 6110XS 4110E -
0-1000 (HA) M6348 8024-K S55 S4810 6110XS 4110E NX3300
0-3000 M6348 8024-K S55 S4810 6110XS 4110X NX3300
3000-6000 M6348 8024-K S55 S4810 6110XS 6510E NX3300
6000+ M6348 8024-K S60 S4810 6110XS 6510E NX3300
38
B.3.9 Shared Tier 1 – Blade (Fibre Channel – Compellent)
Fibre channel is again an option in shared Tier 1 using blades. There are a few key differences
using FC with blades instead of iSCSI: Blade chassis interconnects, FC HBAs in the servers,
and FC IO cards in the Compellent arrays. ToR FC switching is optional if a suitable FC
infrastructure is already in place.
B.3.10 Shared Tier 1 Blade – Network Architecture (FC)
8/28/12
Peter Fine
DVS – Shared Tier 1 (Blade, FC)
Date:
Author:
Version: 1.1
DR
AC
VLA
N
Mg
mt
VL
AN
FC
Mgmt hosts
Compute hosts
Core switch
FC switch
Trun
k
SAN
vMo
tio
n V
LAN
VD
I V
LA
N
SiSi
39
B.3.11 Shared Tier 1 Blade scaling guidance (FC)
Shared Tier 1 HW scaling (Blade - FC)
User Scale
Blade LAN
Blade FC
ToR FC
CML T1
CML T2
CML NAS
0-500 8024-K 5424 6510 15K SAS - -
500-1000 8024-K 5424 6510 15K SAS - -
0-1000 (HA) 8024-K 5424 6510 15K SAS NL SAS NX3300
1000-6000 8024-K 5424 6510 15K SAS NL SAS NX3300
6000+ 8024-K 5424 6510 15K SAS NL SAS NX3300
B.4 Adding physical and virtual resources
Component Scalability (Add Physical Servers and
VMs)
Scalability (Add Virtual resources)
Virtual Desktop Host servers
Additional physical hosts added as necessary
Additional RAM or CPU compute power.
View Connection
Server or XenDesktop Broker
Additional physical servers added to the Management cluster to deal with additional management VMs
Additional Connection server VMs
Database Services Migrate databases to a dedicated SQL server and implement cluster nodes
Additional vRAM and vCPU for the virtual machine
File Services Split user profiles and home directories between multiple file server VMs
Additional vRAM and vCPU for the virtual machine
VMware vCenter Deploy additional servers and use linked mode to optimise management
Additional vCenter Management VMs
40
Appendix C Example configurations
As a best practice your IT department should have a clear idea of how many virtual desktop
users they will deploy over the next 12-24 months to inform their hardware selections. For
example, small businesses that do not anticipate more than 100 users may choose a solution
based on the R720 Rack server and EqualLogic 4100E Tier 2 storage array. This configuration
can support up to 500 users with the option of a second array that can be added to create a
full solution for up to 1,000 users.
Others may start with the rack solution leveraging the EqualLogic 6500E storage array and
1GB networking and may scale to a few thousand users. Customers who expect to scale to
tens of thousands of users and who need a high density blade infrastructure to support high
availability and distributed resource scheduling can pilot with blade servers and the
EqualLogic 6510E and PS6110XS storage arrays and 10Gb networking.
These examples demonstrate some of the flexibility and scalability options of the Dell DVS
Enterprise solution. Through the Dell Blueprint process, the Dell team helps customers
assess their needs and carefully design the solution that fits your business requirements.
C.1 Solution 50-500 users
For customers that want a rapid deployment pilot solution, have a small number of users or
need solutions for small remote offices, the variation of the solution that leverages the
EqualLogic 4100E storage array may be ideal. The solution can start with as few as two rack
servers and scale up to four (4) servers to support about 500 users. In many cases, the
solution can be deployed on-site in a few days. By utilizing enterprise class hardware,
software and management tools, it delivers an easy to support solution that provides an
excellent user experience and can be scaled up to service additional users. Additionally an
EqualLogic FS7600 NAS Unified Storage rack can be added to provide High Availability (HA)
storage.
C.2 Expanded pilot solution 500-1000 users
Deployments serving more than 500 users but do not plan to scale up to more than 1000
users can deploy a second EqualLogic 4100E Tier 2 storage array and up to 6 additional
servers to support an additional 500 users.
C.3 Scalable rack-based solution 50-10,000 users
Those who prefer to utilize rack servers can deploy 50-10,000 users with Rack servers and
1Gb networking and the EqualLogic 6500E Tier 2 storage Array. This configuration may be
41
cost optimized for a few thousand users. Alternatively, racks can be configured with 10Gb
networking and connected to a SAN (for shared storage similar to our blade configurations.)
C.4 Scalable high density (Blade) solution 50-10,000 users
If you plan to support a large number of users may find high density blade infrastructure with
10Gb networking and PS6110XS shared Tier 1 storage and accompanying PS6510 Tier 2 array
as the most cost effective option. This solution can scale to management groups of up to
10,000 users.
C.5 Large deployments 10,000 – 50,000 users
Deployments serving tens of thousands of users can deploy multiple rack or blade
management groups of 10,000 users each to scale to 50,000 users or beyond. For these
large deployments, Compellent storage may also be a cost effective design option.
C.6 Scaling overview
Details of performance testing and interconnections of the various solutions are included in
the Dell DVS Enterprise Reference Architecture document that is available on Dell.com at:
http://go.us.dell.com/signing.vmbrd-w8-sihg2
42
Appendix D XenApp deployment
Many customers use Citrix XenApp to deploy certain applications. XenApp servers can be
combined with a VDI deployment and may reduce the hardware requirements for the entire
solution. The following chart details XenApp Physical Host Server Scaling.
XenApp Physical Host Server Scaling
Basic Users
AntiVirus
Write
Basic Users
AntiVirus
Read/Write
Standard
Users
AntiVirus
Write
Standard
Users
AntiVirus
Read/Write
Premium
Users
AntiVirus
Write
Premium
Users
AntiVirus
Read/Write
Physical
XenApp
Host Servers
Physical
XenApp Host
Servers w/HA
260 200 205 160 167 131 1 2
500 385 400 312 328 257 2 3
1000 769 800 624 655 514 4 5
1500 1154 1200 937 983 771 6 7
2000 1538 1600 1249 1310 1028 8 9
2500 1923 2000 1561 1638 1285 10 11
3000 2308 2400 1873 1966 1542 12 13
3500 2692 2800 2185 2293 1799 14 15
4000 3077 3200 2498 2621 2056 16 17
4500 3462 3600 2810 2948 2313 18 19
5000 3846 4000 3122 3276 2570 20 21
5500 4231 4400 3434 3603 2827 22 23
6000 4615 4800 3746 3931 3084 24 25
6500 5000 5200 4059 4259 3341 25 26
7000 5385 5600 4371 4586 3598 27 28
7500 5769 6000 4683 4914 3855 29 30
8000 6154 6400 4995 5241 4112 31 32
8500 6538 6800 5307 5569 4368 33 34
9000 6923 7200 5620 5897 4625 35 36
9500 7308 7600 5932 6224 4882 37 38
10000 7692 8000 6244 6552 5139 39 40
43
Appendix E Preparing environments for a VDI transition
Many parts of your IT infrastructure must be optimized to support a deployment of desktop
virtualization. Dell offers planning, remediation and deployment services to help prepare
your infrastructure to support your specific desktop virtualization requirements. Some of the
areas that may have to be evaluated include:
o Active Directory Configuration
o Email/Exchange impacts (location of user storage)
o Security Certificates
o Anti-Malware SW configuration
o User data storage
o Implications of persistent VMs
o Application compatibility
o Application entitlement
o Network capacity and QoS
o Video and Audio Streaming (including Lync and VoIP)
o Web access
o OS and app licensing
o Remote printing
o USB connection (or lock down)
o Data migration from legacy PCs to DVS
44
Appendix F Hardware options:
The following hardware options are available for the Dell DVS:
Supported Hardware Compatibility
Rack Mount Servers
R620 Optional
R720 In Base Configurations
Blade Servers
M620 In Base Configurations
PowerConnect Networking
PC6248 (1GB) Optional
PC8024F (10GB) Optional
M6348 (1GB) Optional
M8024K (10GB) Optional
Force10 Networking
S60 (1GB) In Base Configurations
S55 (1GB) In Base Configurations
S4810 (10GB) In Base Configurations
PowerVault
NX3300 Optional
Brocade Networking
M5424 In Base Configurations
Customer Provided Switching
See Reference Architecture Optional
EqualLogic Storage
4100E (1GB) Tier 2 In Base Configurations
6110XS (10GB) Tier 1 In Base Configurations
6500E (1GB) Tier 2 In Base Configurations
6510E (10GB) Tier 2 In Base Configurations
FS7600 Unified Storage In Base Configurations
Compellent
SC8000 In Base Configurations
FS8600 Optional
Customer Provided Storage
See Reference Architecture Optional
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Appendix G Ordering your desktop virtualization solution
Our DVS Group makes it simple for you to order the appropriately-sized enterprise solution.
After the Blueprint process, your Dell team contact will use our Cloud Client Computing
Advisor tool to work with you to configure the solution that can help deliver optimal results
and provide room to grow for the future. A series of sizing questions during the solution
definition cycle are designed to lead enterprise customers to the solution that is right for
their needs. Those questions include:
o How many users will be transitioning to virtual desktops immediately and how
many and over the next several quarters? (Number of Named and Concurrent
Users)
o Are Rack or Blade (High Density) Servers preferred?
o Do you want Local Tier 1 storage or Shared Tier 1 storage (10Gb)? (Note: Shared
Tier 1 storage is recommended for larger deployments and is required for Live
Migration of VMs)
o What workloads will the initial users require? (What will be the percentage of Basic,
Standard and Premium defined workloads for Named and Concurrent Users?)
o Will you use Dell PowerConnect, Force 10 or third-party Switches?
o Will you use Dell EqualLogic, Compellent or third-party storage?
o Do you want high availability, redundant host servers, management servers, or
switches?
o Will your VMware vSphere or Microsoft HyperV as the Hypervisor?
o Will you use Citrix or VMware VIEW connection broker?
o Do you require persistence? (Enable the Citrix Personal Disk feature in XenDeskop)
o How much Tier 2 (user data) will you require for each Basic, Standard and Premium
user? (Defaults are 3, 3.75, and 6 GB)
o What Services will Dell Provide?
o Deployment of the solution in the customer‖s data center
o Development of new master images (VMs)
o Packaging of applications for deployment
o XenApp deployment
o What software will you require for your complete Desktop Virtualization
Deployment?
o Microsoft Server OS license for each management server *
o Microsoft SQL license*
o Microsoft CALs (if required) *
o Hypervisors and Brokers (VMware View - OR - Citrix XD & vSphere)*
o Microsoft Client OS license with VDA
o SW to enable Persistent Images
o VDI management SW
o VDI aware Anti-Malware SW
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o Application SW
o What additional Hardware may be required?
o Dell Wyse Thin Clients*
o Keyboard
o Mouse
o Display
o Server Racks*
o Cables*
o UPS
Note: Items with * can be selected in the Dell Cloud Client Computing Advisor tool.
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Appendix H Additional resources
Please contact your Dell Representative for more information on the Dell DVS Enterprise
Solution options.
Additional documentation includes:
DVS Enterprise Reference Architecture for Citrix XenDesktop with vSphere.
DVS Enterprise Reference Architecture for Citrix XenDesktop with HyperV.
DVS Enterprise Reference Architecture for VMware View.
DVS Reference Architecture for Windows Server 2012.
DVS Enterprise Sourcebook for Citrix XenDesktop.
DVS Enterprise Sourcebook for VMware View.
Dell Cloud Client Computing Advisor tool (Available on the Dell.com Advisors & Tools page).