Extending the life of PCs by converting them to "Thin Clients"

Goal:

Review solutions to provide a seamless user experience to a virtual desktop infrastructure (or server based computing or even kiosks) by extending the life of the existing PC deployment until such time they can be replaced with an actual Thin Clients.

Note: This is a pretty long article... Jump to the Summary and then read the rest of the article if you want.

Solutions Reviewed:

(Alphabetical Order)

• 2x Thin Client Server
• http://www.2x.com/thinclientserver/
• Citrix XenDesktop: Desktop Receiver Embedded
• http://www.citrix.com/English/ss/downloads/details.asp?downloadId=1686492&productId=163057
• Citrix XenDesktop: Citrix Provisioning Server
• http://www.citrix.com/english/ps2/products/product.asp?contentID=1297541
• DevonIT VDI Blaster
• http://www.devonit.com/software/vdi-blaster/overview
• IGEL PC to TC Conversion Card
• http://www.igel.com/igel/live.php,navigation_id,1297,_psmand,9.html
• Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
• http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/software-assurance/fundamentals.aspx
• http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=54A5F01B-9D0C-460C-A132-4BFAFFB97973&displaylang=en
• Microsoft Windows SteadyState (with Windows Disk Protection - VERY COOL!!!)
• http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx
• ThinStation
• http://www.thinstation.org/
• http://www.thinstation.org/LiveCD/
• TS-O-Matic - http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/thinstation/index.php?title=TSoM
• ThinLaunch Thin Desktop
• http://www.thinlaunch.com/
• Wyse WSM
• http://www.wyse.com/products/software/wsm/index.asp

Criteria:

The choices for performing a PC to Thin Client conversion are really limitless. Tweak existing XP deployments, turn XP into a Kiosk, replace XP by installing Linux and the connection client, stream the XP OS, boot Linux off the network, boot Linux off a LiveCD/USB, replace with a thin client immediately and more.  We decided to concentrate on some basic factors to choose the ones that made the list.

1. Supports multiple display protocols out of the box.
We just want to make sure it supported multiple solutions. Some of the solutions have specific configurations or options for one display protocol, but in general to have made the list, they had to support multiple options.
Note: Citrix XenDesktop: Desktop Receiver Embedded made the list as it is built-in and the most common protocols provided by each of the solutions are Citrix ICA, Microsoft RDP, VMware View (sometimes called VDI or VMware View), HTTP and some sort of emulator (X or VT).

2. Pre-built (or mostly pre-built)
Are you really saving money if you spend 6 months turning 1 PC into a Thin client only to find out the image you have is now out of date and doesn't work on the other 1,000 workstations because they have a different video card driver? Some of the solutions cost money (so they usually are pretty quick to deploy) and some are free (which means expect some investment time on your part to read documentation, HOW TOs and a lot of forum).

3. Low Cost (or at least Lower Cost than buying a Thin Client now)
If it is cheaper to just buy a Thin Client (forget depreciation or the fact you just bought 5,000 PCs last year), then just go do that. But since most companies can't forget depreciation (budget wise or politically) , then the goal is to provide a low cost intermediary solution that can extend the life of the PCs. Potentially some of the PCs could last well beyond the normal 3 year refresh cycle and may be able to function properly for years (Anyone still have Windows 98 still running somewhere?)

 

High Level Solutions Matrix

	Cost*	OS	Configuration	Deployment	Protocols
2x ThinClientServer	Free up to 5 thin clients (limited functionality) 25 thin clients: $595 100 thin clients: $2195 1000 thin clients: $10,395	Replace existing XP with 2x's ThinClient OS	Central Management with Web Management Console	Deployed via 1) PXE and DHCP, 2) Bootable USB/CD/DVD	2x NX, Microsoft RDP, Citrix ICA
Citrix XenDesktop: Desktop Receiver Embedded	Built-in with Citrix XenDesktop (All Editions)	Keep existing XP or Vista	Central Management with Citrix	Deployed via standard Microsoft application deployment tools	Citrix XenDesktop Only
Citrix XenDesktop: Citrix Provisioning Server	Built-in with Citrix XenDesktop Advanced and above	Replace by streaming XP or Vista	Central Management with Citrix Provisioning Server Console **	Deployed via PXE and DHCP	Any protocol/application (Client for that protocol would be installed and configured in image)
DevonIT VDI Blaster	$19.99 per physical workstation	Replace with DeTOS	Central Management with ThinManage/DevonCM  (same tool for managing their thin clients)	Manual (Can't find any information on deploying the VDI Blaster via any tool)	Citrix ICA (XenApp and XenDesktop), VMware View, rDesktop and Firefox
IGEL PC to TC Conversion Card	$99.00 plus tax - LIMITED TIME PROMO as of July 31st, 2009 (originally priced at $185.00)	Replace with IGEL Linux	Central Management with IGEL Remote Management Suite (same tool for managing their thin clients)	Manual since it is a physical card that must be inserted into each workstation	Citrix ICA, RDP, X11R6, VDI support, NoMachine NX, Ericom PowerTerm LTC, ThinPrint, VoIP (SIP client), VPN and Cisco VPN, 802.11b/g drivers, Firefox
Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP)	Software Assurance customers only	Replace with Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs	Central Management with Group Policy	Manual or existing Windows XP/Vista deployment solution	Any protocol/application (Client for that protocol would be installed and configured)
Microsoft Group Policy Objects	Built-in	Microsoft Windows XP or above.	Central Management via Active Directory Users and Computers	Deployed via Active Directory Users and Computers   Workstations must be joined to the domain	Any protocol/application (Client for that protocol would be installed and configured)
Microsoft Windows SteadyState	Just requires a valid Microsoft Windows XP or Vista OS	Windows XP/Vista	Managed via GPO ADM Template	MSI can be deployed via Software Distribution or Active Directory	Any protocol/application (Client for that protocol would be installed and configured in image)
ThinLaunch Thin Desktop	1-10 Licenses: $26.00 11-100 Licenses: $23.00 100+ Licenses: $20.00   Per Workstation cost	Keep existing XP or Vista	No Centralized Management of configuration	Deployed via standard Microsoft application deployment tools	Any protocol/application (Client for that protocol would be installed and configured. Then set as the default application)
ThinStation	Open Source Pre-Built LiveCDs	Replace with Open Source Linux	Central Management*	Deployed via 1) PXE and DHCP, 2) Bootable USB/CD/Floppy	Options for Citrix ICA, RDP, VMware View, FireFox, X, VNC , VT and more
Wyse WSM	???	Replace by streaming XP or Vista	Central Management with Wyse WSM Console	Deployed via PXE and DHCP	Any protocol/application (Client for that protocol would be installed and configured in image)

* Costs are list prices from web sites. Products listed in Euros have been converted and approximated to US dollars.
** Requires PXE Boot and DHCP for Centralized Management

Note: VMware View does not have a built-in solution to turn a PC into a Thin Client, but you can use a "Shell Replacement" method to perform similar capabilities. This is a manual procedure and is not supported by VMware. That is why it is not included at this time in the comparison. ThinLaunch does a similar method but has some extra security features (Disables shutdown/lock workstation keystrokes to gain admin access, etc). This has been tested and works. See this site for more info on "Shell Replacement" from VMware:
http://blogs.vmware.com/view/2009/02/vmware-view-client-as-a-shell-for-xpe-and-xp-pro-clients.html

Note: Manual creation of Linux based LiveCDs with the appropriate client is not covered here since it can be a lot of work to get the LiveCD just right. Here are some reference articles to remaster the LiveCDs after the client installs.
http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Knoppix_Remastering_Howto

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization

 

Choosing a Solution

After doing some research, we came up with the following information to help categorize the solutions and help us identify the pros and cons with each method.

OS: Replace or Reuse?

As far as the local OS goes, the solutions basically fall into four buckets:

• Keep XP Installed
• Stream XP
• Stream/LiveCD/LiveUSB another OS
• Install with OS

Keep XP Installed

In the "Keep XP Installed" method, you have to make a decision. Do you want to manage the XP workstation (Managed PC)? Or do you not want to manage the OS (Unmanaged PC)? Unmanaged means you are not patching or running any sort of anti-virus solution on the workstation. You can use GPOs or features of the solution to lockdown the system as much as possible, but we would highly discourage that. There is too much stuff in the wild that can be brought into your organization.

Since the goal is to transition to Thin Clients eventually and therefore this is a short term solution, we would recommend you keep patching and maintaining the Ant-Virus and the Windows OS until the conversion to thin clients. You are still saving money since you don't have to support the workstation when it finally dies (replace with a thin client at that point), the updating of the hardware or the migration of the user's data when it dies.

By themselves, the "Keep XP" solutions may not directly address the goal of providing a thin client experience. Some of the solutions provide built in security mechanisms to prevent the workstation from being harmed, but these are typically local Group Policies which may not be sufficient enough to prevent every attack of the local interface.

Stream XP

Some of the solutions, like Wyse WSM or Citrix Provisioning Server can stream a new fresh copy of Windows XPe or other Windows Operating Systems, but you still will want to update and maintain that OS. While "OS Streaming" simplifies the update of the OS by utilizing a centralized imaging system, it will also require additional resources (servers, storage and possibly network changes) to implement this on the WAN. Choosing this path may depend on the current maturity of your desktop maintenance solutions when it comes to Windows Updates or Anti-Virus.

By themselves, the streaming OS solutions can only resolve the Thin Client goal of the solution. They provide an always functional system, since if the local workstation is breached, a simple reboot will return the system back to a pristine state. For a seamless user experience, this will need to be combined with another solution that is meant to turn XP into a Thin Client.

Note: This method could have been in "Keep XP Installed", but we chose to put it under its own category  since it is an optimized version of "Keep XP Installed" and it does require additional infrastructure to support this.

Stream/LiveCD/LiveUSB another OS

This is very similar to the Streaming XP category, but in this case you are typically streaming some distro of Linux to the workstation.  Some of the distro's have methods to PXE boot customized packages that include the client to connect to the infrastructure. The PXE boot process would boot the image each time and therefore would return the workstation to a pristine state each time. Other's have bootable LiveCD (a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system) or LiveUSB (similar to LiveCD with the added benefit of writing changes to the USB, if desired). You will need to spend time either customizing the package to include your client or to configure it so that is more seamless to the user.
Note: If you are streaming or live booting a Linux distro, you will need to use the Linux clients to connect to your infrastructure. Please check the Linux client capabilities as not all Linux clients have the same features of the Windows client.

Install another OS

In the "Install another OS", you can finally get away from all those pesky Windows Updates... and now you get to deal with proprietary or open source operating systems that may have just as many holes or requirements for updates. One security school of thought says "systems built on open source are not good because they are subject to any exploits that the solution may have inherited from one of system it was built on". The other security school of thought says "proprietary or open source means there are more exploits since you probably haven't utilized common systems that have already been hardened". Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.

Anyway, installing another OS can be performed in a multitude of different methods. Some of the solutions utilize an install CD/DVD to perform the replacement of the local OS.  Some have a centralized mechanism and some don't. Without a centralized deployment mechanism, this may take some time to install across all of the desktops. Since it is an installed OS, it will eventually require an update or a patch. It may not be as often as "Patch Tuesday", but it will eventually happen.

 

Considerations:

• Keep XP Installed
• This is the most flexible method for turning a PC into a Thin Client. Though you still need to maintain the OS (Windows Updates, Anti-Virus), you will have the full features set of the Windows clients for each Virtual Desktop solution, the ability to quickly switch solutions, and the ability to quickly switch back to a full PC for any reason.
• If your current desktop maintenance strategy is poor (or non-existent), then this option may be risky.
• If you are going to utilize a solution that results in XP (or Vista) still remaining on the workstation, then you should manage it and keep the Windows Updates and Anti-Virus solutions up to date. If you plan to streamline this more with OS Streaming, the additional infrastructure will be required but it will simplify the management by utilizing centralized images (The less number of images the better.)
  
  
• Streaming Windows XP/Vista or any other OS
• Streaming will require infrastructure to perform the streaming mechanism (BOOTP, PXE, TFTP, etc.).
• You will also need to create an image that supports all your different hardware platforms which may take time and testing.
  
  
• LiveCD/LIveUSB
• Cannot be centrally deployed so back to "Sneakernet" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneakernet
• Updating the image with the latest client is manual work and then all users CDs or USBs must be updated with the latest image.
  
  
• Installing another OS
• If you are installing a Linux distro on the workstation, review the capabilities of the Linux clients for your particular virtual desktop solution as certain features may not be supported in their Linux clients.
• You also need to review the deployment mechanim of the OS. Does it require physical access to install the alternative OS or does it require some additional infrastructure to automatically provision?

Management:  What features do you need?

Here we are really talking about all the facets of management from deployment to troubleshooting to configuration management.

The first question to ask is "Can the solution deploy from a central location and do I need it?".  If you have 10 users in 1 office, central deployment is a nice to have. If you have 10,000 desktops in 40 countries, then central deploy becomes a necessity.

The next question to ask is "Are the configurations managed centrally and do I need it?". If you just trying to make it one year and you don't expect a lot of changes, then you may not need this. If you are trying to make this last as long as possible, and expect lots of changes, then you will probably want centralized configuration management. Some of the solutions don't come with a centralized management capability, but since data is stored in an image, a file, a registry or configuration file, scripts or other tools can be used to manage them.

The next questions is "What protocols do I need to support now and possibly in the future?". If you only require one protocol, then that makes life easy. But if you need support for multiple protocols and may require additional ones later, then you may need to choose a more flexible solution. Don't expect protocols to be automatically added in every solution or for it to always be kept up to date. Think of it this way. It can take Vendor1, a couple months to update the client. They may decide the Linux client can take a few months longer to build and test. Once released, the solutions may take some time to update with the latest version. Something to consider. 

Another protocol factor is that protocols are rapidly being enhanced at this time. The development cycle is very quick and the client may require updates to support the latest features. The solution you choose should include the ability and ease of updating to support the latest clients.

 

 

Product Pros and Cons

This is not a technical deep dive into the solutions. Just a pros and cons based on what I read and saw of each solution.

Note: If you are connecting to a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, VECD licensing is required to license any virtual desktop OS that is Windows based. Some of the solutions may require a local Windows OS license to utilize also.

• 2x ThinClient Server
• Overview: Replace the local OS with 2x's ThinClientOS image via installation to the hard drive or PXE) or booted directly from USB, or CD/DVD. The ThinClientOS can then be centrally managed to launch the necessary connections to the backend The Free Edition is only for up to 5 thin clients. Enterprise Edition must be purchased for additional users, features and support
• Pros:
• No local Windows OS or local Windows OS license is required
• Centralized management console for all configurations
• Cons:
• Supports Microsoft RDP, Citrix ICA and the Linux NX protocol only No VMware View support at this time.
• Additional infrastructure to support this solution
• Linux clients are used and therefore may not support all the features of the Windows client.
• Linux clients may need to be updated and this is up to the vendor to provide the latest image

 

• Citrix XenDesktop: Desktop Receiver Embedded
• Overview: Windows remains installed on the workstation. The Citrix Desktop Receiver is installed and configured to connect to the virtual desktop infrastructure with pass-through authentication enabled (Passes information from Microsoft GINA - aka Ctrl+Alt+Del screen - to the client). The Citrix Desktop Receiver Embedded is then installed which forces full screen and removes access to the local desktop unless the administrator who installs it, logs in.
• Pros:
• Built-into Citrix XenDesktop cost (No extra cost for this feature)
• Can be deployed via standard Microsoft MSI tools
• Central management to determine the desktop the user can access
• Supports all the features of the Windows client
• Cons:
• Product Lock-in with Citrix XenDesktop
• Does not function for Citrix's other solutions like Citrix XenApp
• No support for another protocol than Citrix XenDesktop (ICA)
• Requires Windows XP/Vista be installed (Decision: Do you maintain the OS or not?)
• Will require another solution to provide a read-only type state like a Thin Client can provide, if desired.
• Requires Windows OS License for the workstation

 

• Citrix XenDesktop: Citrix Provisioning Server
• Overview: A Citrix Provisioning Server infrastructure is built. An image is created that contains all the necessary drivers for all the workstations the image will be deployed to (multiple images can be created, but a single image is optimal). The workstations boot via DHCP and PXE to determine which image is then booted. The Windows OS is then streamed to the workstation on each reboot.
• Pros:
• No requirement for local hard drive
• Pristine image on each reboot
• Supports all the features of the Windows client to connect to your virtual desktop infrastructure
• Cons:
• Need to update and manage the Windows OS (though this process can be streamlined by utilizing a single image for multiple workstations)
• Additional infrastructure to support this solution
• Can be used to utilize local resources when a virtual machine based virtual desktop is not sufficient for computing
• Will require another solution to lockdown the local OS and provide a seamless interface, if desired.
• Requires Windows OS License for the workstation

 

• DevonIT VDI Blaster
• Overview: Manual install of the VDI Blaster Software on an existing Windows XP installation. It creates a folder system for the DeTOS and modifies the boot.ini. Management is centralized by ThinManage/DevonCM which is available as part of the solution.
• Pros:
• No local Windows OS or local Windows OS license is required (technically only needed to install the OS. After that the boot.ini could technically be modified to no longer boot Windows, but you may need it for an upgrade since it is a local install of the DeTOS)
• Same management console for their thin clients
• Centralized management console for all configurations
• Cons:
• Linux clients are used and therefore may not support all the features of the Windows client
• Linux clients may need to be updated and this is up to the vendor to provide the latest image
• Additional infrastructure to support this solution (1 Virtual Machine)
• Additional Cost to purchase software

 

• IGEL PC to TC Conversion Card
• Overview: This solution is the most unique since it actually does turn the PC into a thin client by placing a physical card into each workstation that has a bootable flash component with IGEL Linux. Once installed, management is fully centralized via the same management console used to manage their thin clients.
• Pros:
• No local Windows OS or local Windows OS license is required
• Same management console for their thin clients
• Centralized management console for all configurations
• Cons:
• Hardware card must be installed in each workstation
• No centralized deployment method
• Linux clients are used and therefore may not support all the features of the Windows client.
• Linux clients may need be updated in the latest images and must be updated manually (or wait until the image has been updated)

 

• Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPOs)
• Overview: This solution can be done at a very low cost but does not necessarily secure the environment or provide a seamless user interface. By using Group Policies, you can lock down the desktop so that only a single icon exists on the Start Menu/ Desktop and that application automatically starts at boot up.
• Pros:
• No acquisition cost
• Cons:
• Group Policies do not stop everything since not everything in the Windows OS can be controlled via GPOs
• Workstations must be joined to the domain
• User still sees local desktop before the application takes over
• Requires Windows XP/Vista be installed (Decision: Do you maintain the OS or not?)
• Will require another solution to provide a read-only type state like a Thin Client can provide, if desired.
• Requires Windows OS License for the workstation

 

• Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
• Overview: Microsoft released Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs to address the desire for a functional Windows computing environment that has been optimized for thin client computing (virtual applications or virtual desktops). Microsoft has removed components of the Windows XP OS that are not necessary when connecting to a virtual desktop/application infrastructure. This solution requires a reimage or reinstall of the Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs OS via whatever methods you utilize today for deploying Windows XP.
  3^rd Party Screen Shots of a Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs Install:
  http://vmjunkie.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/making-a-thin-client-on-fat-hardware-part-1/%20
• Pros:
• Limited attack surface (Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs is a modified XP installation to remove unnecessary components for a thin client deployment)
• Supports all the features of the Windows client to connect to your virtual desktop infrastructure
• Can be used for any virtual desktop or virtual application solution
• Cons:
• Redeployment of the Windows OS to all workstations (using whichever method you use now to deploy Windows XP Desktops - RIS, PXE solutions, manual, etc.)
• May require customization to ensure all the features of the client are supported (Example: The clients used by the virtual desktop solutions may require IE be installed to utilize security features like SSL)
• Will require another solution to provide a seamless interface to the virtual desktop/application infrastructure, if desired.
• Current Windows XP desktops must be on Software Assurance
• It is still Windows XP and should be maintained as such

 

• Microsoft Windows SteadyState
• Overview: SteadyState is deployed or installed on an existing XP or Vista workstation. Configuration can occur locally via the SteadyState Administration Console or via Group Policy Objects. Windows Disk Protection (not enabled by default) forces all non-system approved changes to be discarded at logoff/reboot. System changes such as Windows Updates or AV updates can be allowed to still be saved to the system. THIS IS VERY COOL!
• Pros:
• Makes Windows XP/Vista like a read-only OS but still allow for system updates to occur. (Windows Disk Protection)
• Great solution for machines that are not part of the domain. (locally installed SteadyState Administration Console)
• Centralized deployment for workstations joined to the domain.
• Cons:
• Local management console is functional and in most cases will lock down enough of the user interface but standard GPOs provided by Microsoft for Windows XP are more powerful in limiting the user interface.
• Requires Windows OS License for the workstatio
  
• ThinLaunch Thin Desktop
• Overview: Replaces the Explorer shell that every Windows OS utilizes. Once installed, it provides an interface to select a "default program". The default program can be configured, if necessary. At boot, workstation auto logs in with a local account (ThinDesktopUser) and then the "default program" is launched. It is the only application available. No Start Menu is displayed. Closing of the "default program", automatically restarts the application. Key sequence can allow a log in screen to allow for local administrator access.
• Pros:
• Great solution for Citrix XenApp ("default program" = Firefox or IE), VMware View ("default program" = View Client) or Microsoft Terminal Server ("default program" = Microsoft Terminal Server Client) deployments.
• Allows for flexibility by allowing "default programs" to be modified very easily Supports all the features of the Windows client
• Workstation does not need to be joined to the domain
• Cons:
• Group Policies will need to be implemented to further lock down the system (Example: Disable C:\ access via a File->Open Menu, Enforce a Proxy server that cannot be changed, etc.)
• Optimal use is when the application or the virtual desktop/application will go full screen (Since no Windows Explorer interface exists, multiple apps with minimize and maximizing can get confusing)
• Will require another solution to provide a read-only type state like a Thin Client can provide, if desired.
• No central management console for configuring "default programs" or client deployment (Must use standard MSI deployment tools)
• Requires Windows OS License for the workstation

 

• ThinStation
• Overview: An open source Linux distribution that multiple options for deployment: Installed, PXE boot or LiveCD. The configurations can be modified to launch directly into one of the clients that have been pre-configured to connect or the user may receive a desktop interface where they can select what they want to connect to.
• Pros:
• No local Windows OS or local Windows OS license is required
• Preconfigured LiveCDs for Citrix ICA, Microsoft RDP, VMware View, and more
• Lots of documentation and forums to support customization of the configurations
• Publicly available TS-O-Matic sites can help build the configurations
• Cons:
• Building a configuration (even with TS-O-Matic) can be difficult and time consuming
• Lots of documentation and forums to support customization of the configurations (this can be a negative also)
• Linux clients are used and therefore may not support all the features of the Windows client.
• Linux clients may need be updated in the latest images and must be updated manually (or wait until the image has been updated)

 

• Wyse WSM
• Overview: A Wyse WSM infrastructure is built. An image is created that contains all the necessary drivers for all the workstations the image will be deployed to (multiple images can be created, but a single image is optimal). The workstations boot via DHCP and PXE to determine which image is then booted. The Windows OS is then streamed to the workstation on each reboot.
• Pros:
• No requirement for local hard drive
• Pristine image on each reboot
• Supports all the features of the Windows client to connect to your virtual desktop infrastructure
• Can be used to utilize local resources when a virtual machine based virtual desktop is not sufficient for computing
• Cons:
• Need to update and manage the Windows OS (though this process can be streamlined by utilizing a single image for multiple workstations)
• Additional infrastructure to support this solution
• Will require another solution to lockdown the local OS and provide a seamless interface, if desired.
• Requires Windows OS License for the workstation

Things to Watch Out For When Choosing a Solution

• Versions of the clients that are included with the pre-built packages may be older versions. This may result in loss of capabilities or lack of support when an issue is reported that may be related to the older client version.
  
  
• Features of the underlying OS may limit user experience. If the underlying OS doesn't support USB functionality, then you will not get USB support in the virtual environment you are connecting to. If the method for video optimization is to send the raw data down and use the local codecs, then the underlying OS must support codecs and have them installed for optimal experience.
  
  
• Hardware differences in the workstations could come into play. Most of the non-Microsoft OSes will utilize a generic driver for functionality, but this may not work for all of the workstations you have in the organization. This may require customization of the package, replacing those PCs with Thin Clients faster than you expected or utilizing multiple solutions to address hardware differences.
  
  
• You don't have to compromise necessarily but you may need multiple solutions to meet your need. Example: Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs provides an interface similar to Windows XP, but will not truly act like a thin client. To make it act like more of a thin client, you may need to also acquire ThinLaunch's Thin Desktop to provide a seamless user interface.
  
  
• Just because you deploy Linux doesn't mean it never needs updating. Linux may not have to go through "Patch Tuesday" but it does need upkeep from security and device related issues.

 

• Thin clients need updating to. They add new features, bug fixes, updating clients and more. So whichever thin clients you choose, make sure the management of the thin clients is easy to use and can perform every task to manage the thin clients remotely.

 

Summary

Recommendation  #1 - Though you may not want to hear it, "Keeping XP" installed seems to make the most sense as a short term solution to convert PCs into Thin Clients until the organization can start purchasing Thin Clients.  Deploying Microsoft Windows SteadyState can turn the desktop OS into a local Read-only image. Then add GPOs  (or possibly a 3^rd party tool) to remove the interface and only show the client for your solution.  This method is:

• Cost effective - Most organizations already have Windows Update tools and Anti-Virus deployed.
• Full Featured Client - Since Windows is the underlying system, the full featured Windows client can be deployed.
• No Customization/Reinstall of an OS - Customizing and deploying any OS will take time and effort. This is true if it is a Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs or a Linux distribution.
• No Additional Infrastructure Needed - Solutions that require PXE booting or streaming will require servers to provide these services.
• No Need to visit each desktop - Solutions that must be deployed manually will require visiting each desktop to convert them.
• Most Flexibility - Since every virtual desktop/application solution provides a client for Windows operating systems, you are not locked into a solution. If you utilize a Linux distribution, you may be hand-cuffed with the client not supporting the latest features or a competing solution may not have a Linux client at all.

Recommendation #2 - If you want a limited form of Windows XP and you already have in place a Windows deployment tool, then you should look at deploying Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs to at least limit the attack surface and provide only the minimum capabilities to access the environment. Again combine with GPOs and SteadyState (I haven't confirmed this since I don't have access to WinFLP and it is possible MS may stop you from doing this to simplify the user interface and provide a Read-only image

Optional Design - If you want to simplify the administration of Windows XP by streaming it on every boot, then Citrix Provisioning Server or Wyse WSM can be utilized. They will need extra infrastructure to support their services, but they both give Windows a stateless environment by always returning Windows to a pristine state each time.

 

For simplifying the user experience, that will depend on the solution you are connecting to.

• If you are primarily using Citrix XenDesktop, then the Citrix XenDesktop: Desktop Receiver Embedded is your best choice. It is built-into the solution (No extra cost) and provides a seamless user interface (User hits Ctrl+Alt+Del like they normally do, Enters username and password like they normally do, and then their desktop launches). GPOs will not be needed here.
• If you are using VMware View for virtual desktops, then ThinLaunch's Thin Desktop solution can easily replace the Microsoft "Explorer.exe" interface with the VMware View Client. It automatically disables common security capabilities (Disable Shutdown, Disable Task Manager, etc.).
  You could also review VMware's document on replacing the Explorer shell but there is no support for this from VMware. Thought it does work.
• ThinLaunch's Thin Desktop is also a great solution for Citrix XenApp, Microsoft Terminal Server or Kiosks where you only want one application run. For Citrix XenApp, you could set the default application to run IE or Firefox that then defaults to the Web Interface site. For Microsoft Terminal Server, you could launch MSTSC.EXE that has been preconfigured with correct information. You still may need to lockdown portions of the desktop to prevent C:\ access or File -> Open from being used also.

 

If you are looking to try and get closer to a thin client experience or simply don't want to use Windows for the workstation, then you really have to make some decisions.

If you want a software based solution, then I would look at DevonIT VDI Blaster (I liked this one best so far even if their latest code is Version 2 is still Beta), 2x ThinClientServer. ThinStation or any of the customizable Linux distributions (LiveCD/LiveUSB).  While DevonIT and 2x have pre-built solutions with management interfaces, you need to make sure they support the protocols and clients you want to utilize using the matrix.  ThinStation and any of the customizable Linux distributions have more flexibility, but they may take more time to deploy since you will need to perform a lot of the customization yourself.

• Recommendation #1 for replacing XP - IGEL, and DevonIT can use the same management interface to manage their respective thin client offerings also. The benefit here is you can start getting familiar with the interface for management and then when you start utilizing their thin clients, the same management interface will be used decreasing the administrator training requirements.
  
  IGEL's PC to TC card, DevonIT VDI Blaster, 2x ThinClientServer and the LiveCD/LiveUSB solutions turn the PC into a Thin Client by creating a read-only state from a solid state device or an image that is deployed each time.
  
  We liked DevonIT VDI Blaster out of these choices but it may need more time to mature in latest revision. It supported Citrix and VMware protocols and had some of the best user experience. While it isn't necessarily easy to deploy or update, that may be enhanced in the latest editions.
  
  
• Note: We found the LIveCD/LiveUSB time consuming for larger deployments due to the vast number of possible hardware configurations in disparate locations. This may work for a smaller deployment with 1 or 2 sites, but even then...

How much is your time worth when you know it will be replaced soon? Just keep that in mind when going down this rabbit hole of replacing something in the short term that will be replaced with something in the long term.

 

Just did some installations of the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solutions from Citrix and VMware and I wanted to a "versus" article to have a comparison between the two. There are some other ones there like Provision Networks (now Quest) and LeoStream, but with two large vendors like Citrix and VMware who also have direct access to the developers and code for the underlying products (like Citrix's XenApp, XenServer, Provisioning Server, and VMware's  ESX, Virtual Center, Thinstall), I just have to be realistic about the players in this space. I can't look at every solution out there and put it through its paces, so I have to work with what I have can easily access. Right now, that is Citrix's and VMware's solutions for VDI. Also I spent about 1 day reviewing the solutions, and then I wrote this article. As I spend more time with the solutions, I'll deliver more insight, but I wanted to share what I have seen so far. If I can get access to Provision Networks or Leostream anytime soon, I will update the article. Microsoft also recently bought something in this space (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2275524,00.asp) but there needs to be more information before we can really see what this technology does.

Virtual Desktop Concept
A virtual desktop is a desktop OS that is running virtually on server class hardware along with other virtualized desktops. In a Server Based Computing (SBC) model, you have 1 OS shared for multiple users, with a VDI model, you each have your own OS to do whatever the user wants. Now that the desktop OS is virtualized, there are some great advantages. Information security is kept within the data center. Desktop performance may be increased as the OS is in the data center with the back end applications reside. You are utilizing the latest and greatest server class hardware. Remotely access your desktop from any location. Maintenance of physical desktops is greatly decreased. 

However VDI isn't without its downfalls. If you don't have a good way to deploy applications into the desktop or patch/maintain applications and the OS itself, then VDI doesn't really solve that. Since it is a presentation layer remote display, any network outage or problems will result in uses not having access to their desktop and applications. (At least in most Server Based Computing models, their desktop OS and locally installed applications would still work when there was a network issue). Though there are some capabilities for USB devices, not all peripheral devices will be supported. VDI has really hit the market because standard desktop deployments are too costly and server based computing models (like Citrix XenApp or Microsoft Terminal Server) hasn't address all the user needs for customization, but VDI isn't cheap either. You will be buying server class hardware and storage to give a desktop that usually runs on cheap HW and cheap storage. If are planning on delivering lots of desktops and want save to save disk storage costs, you may need to acquire large to enterprise class storage de-duplication. And as always allowing for user customization (Private Desktops), the risk of something going greatly increases and users can attempt to install/uninstall applications that may jeaperdize the system.

So how did we end up here?
Standard desktop deployments have become too costly to maintain and control. All the application and operating system updates. Then because users have some form of control of their own system, they install an application or run some update that messes up their PC requiring the help desk to resolve. Then some admins remember the "good old days of mainframes" and in comes the next wave of computing: Server Based Computing.

While Server Based Computing (SBC) solutions like Citrix XenApp and Microsoft Terminal Server have solved many application deployment issues, there have always been concerns about delivering a full desktop experience to users. Users are used to having full control and access to everything they can do on their home PC. In a SBC world, users may not be able to plug-in random devices, or set desktop backgrounds or install their own applications. Users have very little to no control in a SBC world.

Because of lack of control, more computer savvy users and evolving computing requirements, SBC has had a hard time keeping up with all the demands a more knowledgeable user demands. Not that VDI fixes every one of the situations because it really only has come to market within the past year, but it can address situations for a lot of clients. So let's look at two of the solutions now.

Citrix XenDesktop Brief Description
Citrix XenDesktop is still currently in Beta. It is expected in Q2 of this year. No pricing has been announced yet. There will be 3 different flavors based on client requirements. The naming scheme is completed, but there will probably be Standard, Enterprise and Platinum edition. Platinum Edition will come with some remote support tools, a remote access plus VPN solution, a provisioning solution to lower the cost of disk storage and some WAN optimization clients.
XenDesktop will provide access to a virtualized desktop running on Citrix XenServer or VMware ESX. The connection protocol will be via Citrix's ICA. So whatever devices and capabilities you have today with the ICA protocol on XenApp, you can expect them on XenDesktop. These desktops can be shared or private desktops. Shared desktops can have their disk space requirements greatly reduced. Citrix's ICA protocol has been the standard for remote display protocol since was first developed in the 1990s but only recently has it made it any in roads to highly graphical based applications.  

VMware Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM) Brief Description
VDM was released early in Q1 of 2008. It is priced in two ways.

• If you have a VI (Virtual Infrastructure) already deployed with ESX and VirtualCenter, then you just need the VDM connection licenses which are about $50 per desktop plus Subscription and Support.
• If you do not have any VI or are planning to deploy a VI that is separate from your existing VI AND will be less than 3 ESX Hosts, you can buy VDI Starter Kits and VDI Bundles which is about $150 per desktop plus Subscription and Support.
  Note: If you don't have any VI and expect to need more than 3 ESX Hosts, then you will need to go with the top option AND buy the Virtual Infrastructure (ESX for as many servers as you need and VirtualCenter).

VDM is primarily a connection broker that allows a user to login, possibly be given a choice of desktops and have their desktop remotely displayed to them. That is it. For patching the OSes, VMware's solution is that you already have in place from a 3rd party company or that you implement VI 3.5 with Update Manager (requires VirtualCenter). For application deployment, VMware's solution is that you already have a solution in place or that you acquire their Thinstall technology (not part of VDM at this time). Disk storage can be a major cost in VDI and so VMware is highly recommending SAN solutions that can perform de-dup (De-duplication of data on the storage device since much of the OSes will be similar).

Installation: Citrix is a disadvantage right now as the installer for their product I'm testing with is currently in beta, but it is all I have access to at this time. Citrix's beta doesn't have a single installer, but rather multiple installers that must be deployed in a certain sequence. Citrix also seems to require you to use Citrix Provisioning Server. So even if you didn't want to deploy it, you couldn't keep going. I know this may change later, but beta code is all I have. VMware's installer was much easier and within just a few minutes with very minimal reading I was up and running. I like to test each technology and installer once with a cursory look at the admin guide. I fully really the admin guide before any deployment, but I look to know what areas they address during the installer versus what they address in pre-config or post-config. VMware wins.

Configuration: VMware's configuration is also very simple. Create a VM with a desktop OS in VirtualCenter, install the VMware Tools and VDM Agent, convert to a template, add VirtualCenter into VDM and away you go. From there you can decide on the minimum and maximum number of desktops always available for use, and assigning templates to users or groups of users. Users can either connect via a preinstalled VDM Client or via the ActiveX Control on the connection broker web site. Citrix's solution is a little more complex and requires multiple interfaces to get setup. One interface is for assigning a desktop. Another interface for creating the desktops. Another interface for creating the vDisk (what Provisioning Server calls its disk files). The steps to configure are about the same (create VM, install tools, make it a template, add into interface, assign to users), but due to multiple interfaces and having to know each different interface can be confusing to a new admin. VMware wins.
Note: Some may argue that less configuration means less features. Yes, that is true, but I'm addressing that later.

Display Protocol: Basically this is Citrix's ICA vs VMware's RDP. Just google for "ica rdp site:youtube.com" or "xendesktop vmware site:youtube.com" to see some of the videos. ICA blows RDP away. As the application requirements and user requirements grow, the display protocol will become more critical. With Citrix's extensible virtual channel system, not only can Citrix adapt their technology but other 3rd party companies have and wil continue to write products for it. While RDP is serviceable, it is not anywhere near ICA. Additionally, VMware has already written one add on component for Extended USB support to add additionally functionality to RDP which means VMware has identified weaknesses in the RDP protocol and may found more limitations as they continue down this path further. Citrix also has many capabilities with SpeedScreen to speed up Flash, IE, Keyboards, etc. Citrix wins hands down.

Pricing: Citrix is still in beta and has no public pricing so... VMware wins by default for now.

Application Delivery: VMware has only recently purchased Thinstall so some speculation has to come into play here. VMware will assume that you already have an application delivery system to get apps installed or deployed into the virtual desktops (think SoftGrid, Citrix, SMS, Altiris or maybe it is just part of a base template image). If not, then VMware's Thinstall will be a solution they will offer to complement their solution. Thinstall's roadmap has been fully released but I'm sure they are working on a better system to get to the apps/updates to the system and how the applications can interoperate. Until then, Citrix has a solution with XenApp or with Application Streaming technology. Though there might be additional cost for Thinstall or XenApp/App Streaming, Citrix has been delivering applications like this forever. Also since Citrix can deliver Applications only to partners or to many types of devices, they clearly standout. Citrix wins.

Administration: VDM is administered via VirtualCenter and a Web Site. Citrix's solution is administered via mutiple interfaces depending on what you have to do. Citrix will probably have way more options when it goes GA (general availability) since it will probably tie in with their End-point Analysis capabilities, Policies and Rules Engine. So do you like simple is better? or do you like more options and capabilities which means a little more complexity to the interface? I have to give the nod to VMware right now even with less options. It is a lot cleaner right now. VMware wins.  

Features:

• VMware Security Server will allow for remote access to deliver a desktop to the user from outside the corporate firewall. Citrix is planning on the same capability using its Citrix Access Gateway functionality that can also deliver a SSL VPN if necessary. I don't know if a Citrix Secure Gateway equivalent will exist but I doubt it. The Access Gateway user license may cost additional money, but the device itself sure will cost something. This part may be the most interesting since the SSL VPN with Citrix will quickly allow Citrix to add additionally functionality for offline capabilities that VMware tries to deliver with ACE. (Note: VMware ACE is different interface and has different capabilities than VDM)
• High Availability. VMware assumes you have a HW based load balancer to deliver high availability of the access mechanism and services. The desktop OS HA will be delivered with VMware Virtual Infrastructure's HA capability. Not enough citrix info on this yet other than if you use VMware VI3 to deliver the desktop OSes or if you wait until Q2 for the next XenServer.
• Resource utilization. VMware will be using its DRS and Resource Pools to control use of physical resources of the Virtual Infrastructure. If you use VMware VI3 with XenDesktop, you will gain this option, but XenServer does not deliver this at this time (Possibly Q2 or so).
• Citrix's Provisioning Server can really help to decrease SAN storage when using shared desktops. VMware will use a lot of storage no matter which desktop type you choose, unless you happen to have SAN technology that can perform de-duplication.
• Citrix also will be including a Remote Support tool via GoToAssist. That is pretty cool since you will need something to be able to remotely administer PCs and desktops.
• VMware has Update Manager to control Windows Updates (if using ESX 3.5 and VC 2.5). Citrix is assuming you update the base vDisk with all the updates and then perform the deployment. Otherwise you have to use another solution for OS updates.
• Citrix will integrate with its End-point analysis capabilities.
• Citrix's Session Reliability is a great feature to keep desktop connectivity alive during small network outages. Very critical when everything runs through the remote display protocol and any network link outage or slowness will affect the user.
• Citrix EdgeSight (probably bundled with highest version of XenDesktop) will be used to perform application and desktop monitoring for performance and usage.
  No super clear winner. But I'm going to give the slight edge to Citrix right now. I don't know if everyone is going to want pay for HA and DRS for desktops so any advantage VMware has with its hypervisor capabilities may not be necessary. Also the remote access solution from Citrix allows for additional features that will easily integrate with future solutions to deliver offline capabilities.

Wrap-up
Citrix's technology solutions are centered on application deployment is far more robust while VMware is the800 lb server/desktop OS virtualization gorilla in the room. So let's follow the money... Citrix doesn't make money from the OS virtualization, they make money from delivering the app. VMware doesn't make money from application/desktop delivery; they make money from virtualizing the OS. It can be safely assumed, that to gain market share in each other's backyard, they will basically give away what they don't do well on the message of its the complete package that is strategic interest to the client and therefore will make the client pay for what they do well. So beware of this. One company may give away its server virtualization to sell their other product and the other company may give away its application delivery mechanism in the hope of getting its other product sold. Don't buy the cow, when you only need the milk. You might not like what you are "not paying" for.

This is just the beginning of this battle and 1 product isn't even out of beta yet. There are still many things left to be decided. Is VDI the holy grail of desktop computing? Is SBC still a viable solution? Will SBC use go down in favor of VDI or will VDI be niche solution for one-offs (like developers or knowledge workers)? No easy answer right now since each solution has it's own pros and cons... Just like VMware VDM and Citrix XenDesktop each have their pros and cons.

Hopefully this article has given you some insight on the technologies and helps to defuse some of the fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) everyone is putting out. So grab some popcorn, and a soda... it's going to be a fun ride.

My Opinion of the VDI Space
Just to give a little background, I've been doing SBC since 1999. I came into Server Virtualization in 2001. They are both great solutions for my clients. I have been being "sold VDI" since 2006 as it being the solution for desktop deployment. I've seen the good and bad of SBC. The bad has always been around user customization and being able to install your own apps and while yes, VDI does allow for that capability... I'd rather treat that as one off than pushing everyone away from SBC to VDI. For power users, developers, applications that require a specific OS or just intensive gaming/learning applications, VDI is a very good model, but I still see that as a business owner I would want the control of the IT systems... not all of my users. Do admin assistants need to install apps? Does the kitty cat screensaver make you work better? Do you have to listen to a CD on the computer or do you have to use company assets for you iPod? I'm not saying SBC is better than VDI, just that the Total Cost of owning an SBC solution is better than VDI. Just like VDI is better to give users access to a customizable environment. Its all about requirements. What do you need now? What do you currently own now? How much is your budget? What are the issues you are trying to resolve now? What do you foresee in the near future of needing? Only questions like these can really determine what you need.

 

Let's start with the premise of "Good, Better, and Best" that I've learned from other people I worked with and admired. It is scale that rates solutions, products, actions or whatever into categories that are relative but do not always compare "apples to apples". As an example, if I had all the money in the world I'd buy a Ferrari or an Aston Martin, but that wouldn't work with 3 car seats and the cost of gas with how much driving I do wouldn't work. A solution for 3 car seats is a minivan, but my wife is putting off the "soccer mom" thing as long as she can. Another solution would be a midsize-large SUV (gas mileage is still an issue, but it supports 3 car carts, and my wife is happy - always a good thing). This is much similar to a Pros and Cons list you may setup to come up with a two sided decision (do this or don't), but a "Good, Better, and Best" exercise is little more dynamic and allows for more than just 2 decision points. I've done this exercise successfully with 4-7 decisions points. Just a quick description as I may write this as a blog topic later on. Now onto the meat of this entry. By the way, we bought a SUV.

"Citrix (Presentation Server) always gets the blame."
I always hear that from my clients and other Citrix Presentation Server admins. First of all, I always explain that Citrix is the company name. If they have problems it is with Presentation Server or some part of their infrastructure... so let's clear that one up. (Sorry, pet peeve of mine.) Citrix Presentation Server (CPS) is a technology that relies heavily on many technologies that are not part of its control. The applications installed on CPS vary from large to small, robust to clunky, applications that integrate tightly with one another (such as law firm applications) to applications that have little to do with each other. Each of these applications has compatibility issues and support issues that may be at the root cause. CPS and the applications run on top of Microsoft Windows Server 2000/2003, so any issues with the OS can be the root cause. The OS runs on top of hardware, which if not kept up with firmware or not configured for redundancy, can cause issues. All this connects to a Local Area Network that can have switch ports misconfigured causing performance issues. The LAN connects to the Wide Area Network (WAN) that can be in multiple configurations whether it is older Frame Relay, newer MPLS or simplified networks like DSL connections with or without point to point VPNs, or people coming over the Internet from their house or a hotel. The final piece of the puzzle is the client workstation which can have its own host of issues from runaway process, LAN connectivity issues, viruses, streaming media, etc. Lots of variables in the troubleshooting equation which can make it tough for issue resolution.

Let's also be honest in that all the red lights and whistles can be going off, as long as the users are not complaining... there is no problem. But vice versa also holds true in that, "everything looks fine on CPS" but users are still complaining... and you better fix it and fast.

So What Can I Do?
My suggestion is to arm the entire infrastructure with the tools they need to resolve any issue (Best ). Setup Microsoft Systems Center to watch for Operating System issues. Setup Windows Server Update Services or some other technology to perform patch management. Setup the hardware monitoring solution from your hardware manufacturer (HP Insight Manager, Dell Open Manage, etc). Acquire a network monitoring solution that can monitor latency, dropped packets, historical analysis and alerting. Most organizations are not monitoring workstation performance other than to make sure they are patched and have their Anti-Virus definitions up to date. The lack of workstation performance monitoring and the need for a true measurement of end user experience, leads CPS admins to look for an Application Performance Monitoring tool.

What can Application Performance Monitoring Tools do?
First of all the solution, should be able to tell us the end user experience from the environment as a whole, any single network subnet, any single workstation or any single user - Overall Application Performance and Drilldown Capabilities . Next the solution should be able to quickly identify where the problems lies - Root Cause Analysis and Resolution. Is it the Server resources? Is it the network between the workstation and the Citrix Presentation Server? Or is it the backend infrastructure? All this information should be historically kept to report against and to compare against when performing load/stress tests with application interface scripting. Then an abilitiy to simulate a user - synthetic tests - can be used to further ensure application availabilitiy and performance. This information should then be used for Capacity Planning of the environment. Lastly, it should also be to alert based on certain criteria selected and generate reports based on common requests by management or users.

This leads us to the next question.

So what solutions can perform Application Performance Monitoring?
Best - HP Business Availability Center (formely Mercury) is a suite of products to monitor business applications, services and systems. Mercury was always the leader in this market. LoadRunner was used to script an application usage to simulate a user. "Injectors", workstations set to run the script at scheduled intervals, running the script could be used to simulate load or to test the application every 5 minutes to make sure it is working. biggest hurdle for this solution was and still is cost. It's very costly to acquire, but it is the best at what it does and they have been doing it longer than anyone. It was also costly from a technical resource perspective since you had to be trained to gain any use of the product. Writing scripts (whether for load/stress testing or synthetic tests) was complex and took a lot of time to get write to correctly simulate a user experience. I saw some companies jump the 1st hurdle and buy the product, but never got the proper training or the main resource left and then the whole solution just became "shelfware". I was never fully trained on Mercury, but I saw lot of companies looking for solution just like this. So demand was there, but since there were very few companies that could do this. Mercury was able to charge a lot of money.

Note: I have not had a chance to review NetIQ's AppManager, but it seems to have the same pros and cons as Mercury (great solution but costly and may require a large infrastructure/support staff for upkeep and use).

Better - Citrix EdgeSight has entered the market with its acquisition of Reflectent in mid-2006. This is not an "apples to apples" comparison to HP Business Availability Center, but it does play in the same space. Citrix EdgeSight was developed as a application performance monitoring tool that was designed for desktop deployments. It has been adapted to include Citrix Presentation Server and more recently Citrix NetScaler for reporting and monitoring. The tool set for load/stress testing and synthetic tests is not complete as of yet. They just released Citrix EdgeSight for Load testing 2.5 earlier this month, but not much has been made of it yet. (I'm sure some announcements will be made at Citrix's client/partner event, iForum '07, held in late October in Las Vegas). The server resource monitoring is also new. I'm guessing that this function will replace some parts of Resource Manager for alerting and reporting on server resource utilization. Citrix EdgeSight already has usage reports that can be used for management, and has some Capacity Planning tools probably in its future. My opinion is that though it is not fully baked, Citrix EdgeSight has some great advantages that will result in clients choosing this solution. It is cost effective compared to Mercury and NetIQ. Citrix EdgeSight also has the advantage of monitoring products owned by the same company - Citrix integrates the application delivery products and now is delivering a tool to monitor them all. For many, this integration of the products may be the difference in your decision. I call this the "iPod factor". If you live and die with your iPod, and you had a choice between two very similar cars but one was completely integrated with your iPod... you would probably choose the one with iPod integration. If you live and die with Citrix Presentation Server, you should seriously look at the one most tightly integrated with CPS.

Note: There are two different agents for Citrix EdgeSight - EdgeSight Agent for CPS and EdgeSight Agent for Desktops. The Desktop Agent is not required, but it can give you a better view into the workstation and possibly give you the culprit of an issue. Example: AV Scanner or Windows Media Player running at 100% or the workstation with no available memory would absolutely affect the performance of the Citrix Presentation Server client or any other applications running on their workstation.

Good - Though there are players in the market (Scapa Technologies & Tevron for example), it can be expected that most organizations should be looking for more enterprise solutions that are not just focused on Citrix or Terminal Server. There are also loads of freeware tools for writing scripts and some companies provide load generation tools for their product for capacity planning, but that is all they do. So while these solutions will be good a few clients, the same clients will be looking for more functionality and will have to look for another solution later.

Note: If you are primarily focused on Citrix Presentation Server reporting only, then check out ATM by XTS (www.xtsinc.com). Great solution for reporting on pure CPS environments. Also some future stuff on Capacity Planning.

In conclusion
You need to review your requirements and budget to determine your best course of action. I'd love to have the "Ferrari", but I'm kinda short on cash and it doesn't meet all my requirements - the iPod integration is missing. ;-)

I think Citrix is doing the client right by providing a solution that ties all their products together, even it is coming up short on a few things right now. It needs a little more work to compete with the big boys, but it is very good bang for your buck. If you already own Citrix Presentation Server and are looking to add Citrix Password Manager or Citrix Access Gateway, I'd highly recommend you take a look at Citrix Presentation Server Platinum edition (Includes a CPS license plus Password Manager, Access Gateway user license and a EdgeSight Agent license for CPS) that is way more cost effective than buying them individually, In fact, they way the products are priced, if you have CPS and want one of the products and are thinking about buying another one, then it makes sense to price out Citrix Presentation Server Platinum Edition. I'd highly recommend an evaluation period to see the feature set and determine if you need the Desktop agent in addition to the CPS agent, to see what the desktops are doing. Talk with your Citrix representative or Citrix partner if you need to discuss specific features.

Stayed tuned for more information from iForum 07.

Just got back from a Boston trip for Ardence training. (Notes on Boston: Great town. Great Seafood. Bring a GPS to travel around.) Ardence is pretty interesting. It is actually a fairly simple solution when you break it down and can be pretty powerful in the correct circumstances. Here is some info and my thoughts on

So what is Ardence Streaming Server

Ardence Streaming Server streams on Operating System to a server, workstation or VM from the Ardence Streamig Server itself.  You would have an image or vDisk of each OS or type of server/workstation you wish to support (Example: 1 vDisk for W2K3/CPS 4.5 that are all the same, 1 vDisk for Win XP workstations with the HR/Finance Apps, 1 vDisk for Win XP workstations with the engineering Apps). Also depending on how much time you want to put into a "Single Image for all Hardware", you will need a vDisk for each Hardware type (Standard Windows HAL stuff). That vDisk can then be deployed to any number of server or workstations as you see fit. A vDisk can be Read Only (Shared) or Read/Write (Private) depending on your desired results. A single Ardence Streaming Server can to stream 50-200+ servers/workstations depending on how the Cache is set and whether you are delivering Shared or Private vDisks. (The cache is where data is stored specific to each server/workstation during the last boot.)

So how does Ardence Streaming Server work 

Each server/workstations boots and starts a PXE boot process from the NIC (all of the latest virtualization technolgies support this).  A DHCP delivers a dynamic IP Address (this of course can be set with reservation for security or administrative reasons based on your requirements).  Also as part of the DHCP scope you will deliver two options via DHCP - Option 66 and Option 67 - which deliver the IP Address of a TFTP Server and bootstrap image file name. PXE will then use Option 66 and 67 to TFTP the Bootstrap image. This will then load the Ardence PXE Boot Environment which will contact the Ardence server to determine its boot configuration (if the config - MAC Address, Workstation Name, which vDisk to use and what boot order - does not exist, the user may be prompted for the config information the 1st time). In this example, the server/workstation will boot into a Shared (Read Only) vdisk. Upon reboot any changes are lost. An administrator can make a new vDisk and assign to the workstation in the admin console and set the boot priority. On next reboot, the new vDisk (whether it has newer OS or a has newer software/updates etc). And you can failback to the previous OS just as easy.

• This can be combined with Citrix Application Streaming or Microsoft SoftGrid to deliver applications on the fly that are not part of the base vDisk.
• Ardence licensing is based on how many OSes will be concurrently up and running at any time.
• Ardence has steps to perform some "magic". Like joining the Shared (Read Only) machine to the domain, getting the domain drop down list, having the Citrix Presentation Server join the farm and get its published apps, etc.

So what does it take to setup Ardence Streaming Server

Note: Ardence Streaming Server can be setup in multiple configurations but based on the training, this is what i see as the most common configuration.  

• An Ardence Streaming Server
• For High Availability of this service, you will need shared storage, a second Ardence Streaming Server, and HA Licensing
• A DHCP Server (though they deliver a DHCP Server with the product, most common deployments will be Microsoft DHCP or a DHCP device)
• Option 66 and Option 67 must be set correctly in the DHCP Scope Options. This may be specific to a certain subnet or local depending on the design of the environment.
• Reservations are not required, but can be used for high security or ease of administration
• TFTP Server - Delivered with Ardence Streaming Server
• A vDisk Image for each type of server/workstation
• A client PC with a PXE compatible NIC
• Client must be set to boot from PXE first in the BIOS
• Some BIOS versions require "Boot from NIC" and "PXE Enabled" both be set.

So where is the "Biggest Bang for Your Buck"

Well Ardence can definetely help in administration and maintaining a base image across a group of workstations and/or servers. But to get your biggest bang for your buck, each of the servers/workstations will need to be identical in hardware so that a single vDisk can be deployed a larger number of times.  But to get that same benefit, most of your servers/workstations would need to use a Shared (Read Only) vDisk since otherwise you will be setting up a whole bunch of Private (Read Write) vDisk making administration more complex.

Citrix Presentation Servers, Web Servers and Desktops are great viable options for Ardence with the ROI going to depend on how different is the hardware within each category and how many vDisk images are needed to be built.

Time will tell.