Editor's note: This article is Part 5 of a five-part series. See the previous developerWorks® articles, IBM open collaboration client solution: An introduction," "IBM open collaboration client solution: Organizational planning and user segmentation for desktop migration," "IBM open collaboration client solution: Technical planning requirements for desktop migration," and "IBM open collaboration client solution: Migrating business applications to the Linux desktop."

As the Internet becomes more prevalent in today's world, the way companies manage their IT infrastructure is changing. With the increase in the number of mobile users, there is a demand for anytime, anywhere access to business-critical applications and collaboration capabilities. This shift in the market is making it harder and more costly for IT departments to manage their traditional PCs. Companies also are challenged to reduce IT budgets and, as a result, are finding innovative ways to achieve greener, more flexible solutions throughout their enterprises.

IBM helps address these issues, across all industries, by leveraging the IBM open collaboration client solution and virtualization technologies. This approach enables thin clients or any other Internet-connected device, including hybrid models, to access platform-independent, hosted applications and full client images, anytime, anywhere.

The IBM open virtual client provides immediate value for cost, agility, and security concerns. Cost savings can be attributed to lower license costs and savings on the hardware, maintenance, energy, and management of distributed enterprise desktops. Having centralized desktop management and application management increases the speed of deployment of users. Users can get access to their desktops and applications within minutes after a crash.

What is virtualization?

Virtualization, in vogue today, is an abstraction from the physical resources. It abstracts a form of technology away from its original and real environment and delivers it in a virtual form to users. The components responsible for the mapping of real to virtual resources are known as hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM). There are many types of virtualization, ranging from storage virtualization, network virtualization, application virtualization (process virtualization), server virtualization, to desktop virtualization (access virtualization). Server virtualization is today's most common form of virtualization technology.

This article focuses on the virtualization technologies suited to the IBM open collaboration client solution in a desktop environment. In particular, it focuses on the virtualization technologies accessible through thin clients and available on Linux. Virtualization technologies not covered in this article include the following:

• Dedicated Blade PCs. IBM and other companies offer solutions with the desktop operating system running on a Blade PC, one per user. These solutions can include special server and client hardware, such as PC-over-IP, to allow the use of complex graphical software.
• Multi-user Blade PCs. A Blade PC can also run a single Linux operating system that is available for simultaneous use by multiple users. Many of these solutions are based on the open source project, Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP), which is included with some Linux distributions.
• Streaming solutions. Streaming solutions download operating systems or applications to fat clients where they run on the client hardware, but can still be managed centrally. The operating system or application can run natively or as a virtual machine on the client operating system.

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Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

A virtual desktop infrastructure runs the user’s desktop operating system in a virtual environment on a data center server. Components that make up VDI are a connection broker, a hypervisor, and a remote access protocol. A connection broker and remote access display protocol serve the desktop to a user's thin client device.

A virtual environment capable of running multiple Linux desktop operating systems is provided by the server's hypervisor. There are several popular hypervisors:

• VMware, an IBM partner, provides the ESX hypervisor.
• The open source Xen community provides the Xen hypervisor.
• Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM), another open source hypervisor, is the first virtualization solution to be part of the mainstream Linux kernel.

An IBM Business Partner, Red Hat, has acquired Qumranet, Inc. The acquisition includes Qumranet's virtualization solutions, including its KVM platform and SolidICE offering, a virtual desktop infrastructure, which together present a comprehensive virtualization platform for enterprise customers.

The connection broker can provide a variety of functions including authentication, workload balancing, session management, high availability, and host monitoring. The thin client user contacts the connection broker to obtain access to the appropriate desktop operating system (see figure 2). IBM Business Partners Virtual Bridges and Leostream provide a connection broker for accessing Linux desktops. Virtual Bridges' solution also includes support for the KVM hypervisor.

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Enterprise application access

Enterprise application access provides access to Microsoft® Windows® Terminal Services applications, Linux applications and legacy host systems. Providing access to enterprise applications in this way shortens the migration to a Linux desktop. See figure 3.

• IBM Business Partners Citrix and Leostream provide application access software for Microsoft Windows Terminal Services.
• IBM Business Partner Ericom supports Microsoft Windows Terminal Services and legacy host applications.
• The company NoMachine provides remote access to Linux applications.

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Combining virtualization technologies

As shown in figure 4, virtual desktop infrastructure and enterprise application access technologies work well together. As you can see, the virtualized Linux desktop uses enterprise application access to access Microsoft Windows applications, Linux applications, and legacy host applications. Also shown are other typical components of a virtualization solution including enterprise storage and a directory server.

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Hosted applications

A hosted application is a software application in which the software resides on a server and is accessed through the Internet. Hosted applications are often referred to as Internet-based applications or Web-based applications. In more mature deployments, they can be referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud computing applications. Hosted applications differ from the virtualization technologies mentioned previously, in that an application from another vendor is not needed to access the software remotely. All that's needed to access a hosted application is a Web browser. It can be used with or without virtualization technologies. In some cases, customers choose not to deploy the applications in-house but rather subscribe to application services and pay-per-use services (SaaS). These techniques can lower IT costs by eliminating the training costs associated with a deployment.

Although hosted applications have many benefits, there are some concerns to take into consideration. Two major concerns are security and Internet connectivity.

• Because data is transmitted over the Internet, the concern for security is justifiable. To address this concern, there are many technologies (for example, encryption, firewalls, authentication, virtual private networks, and secure protocols) in place today that ensure the secure transmission of sensitive data.
• Because hosted applications depend on the Internet to deliver the applications, reliable high-speed connections are vital to a great user experience. The good news is that high-speed Internet access is rapidly spreading; however, it is not available in all geographical areas. If your network is down, your applications are down.

Virtualization technologies introduce many benefits to an organization. Because the applications reside on the server there is no need to locally install and run the application on an individual's desktop. In addition, the maintenance effort required for these applications decreases because installations and updates are done at a central location instead of at every individual's desktop. Lower maintenance further reduces the IT budget.

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Key architectural decisions

Enterprises moving to a virtualized desktop strategy must determine the technologies and architectures that are best suited for their enterprise. Often this optimal choice involves an integration of solutions based on user segmentation of the company. It is important to first determine the various user types in your desktop community. It is possible that some segment of your users are not candidates for a virtualized desktop. Consider these key areas:

• User segmentation. Not all users are equal; they have different roles and requirements. User segmentation provides guidance and helps to identify whether user groups (segments) are difficult or easy to migrate. Migration usually starts with an easy-to-migrate user segment. For more information on user segmentation, refer to part 2 of the OCCS DeveloperWorks series, "IBM open collaboration client solution: Organizational planning and user segmentation for a desktop migration."
• Network considerations. Depending on your network bandwidth and latency, certain virtualization technologies might be unacceptable. In this situation, diskless nodes can be preferable as they run using the local processor and memory.
• Offline workers. Traditional desktop virtualization techniques, such as VDI and terminal servers, do not allow offline use. In this case, a streamed operating system, application, or virtual machine can be run on the user's desktop.
• Applications. Some applications, such as IBM® Lotus® Notes®, can be accessed through a Web browser, making the migration to a virtualized desktop easier. Some applications, however, need to first be migrated to different platforms. Some graphically intense applications might not perform well in a virtual desktop. For such applications, dedicated Blade PCs with a hardware graphics solution or a streamed approach are applicable.
• Network storage. When you are setting up a virtualized desktop infrastructure, it is important to design an associated network storage solution for image storage, user data, and backup.
• Authentication. A virtualized desktop infrastructure often employs a company's LDAP directory for authentication purposes.
• High availability. In a virtualized desktop infrastructure, availability of the user's desktop is a high priority. Various high-availability solutions can be applied.
• System management. Regardless of the virtualization technology that you choose, you need system management tools to maintain a large environment. Most virtualization technology vendors offer tools to manage the virtualized images. Often, additional system, storage, and security management tools are needed, such as the IBM Tivoli® products.

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Benefits of the IBM open virtual client

The IBM open virtual client can provide great benefit to many areas of your enterprise. Scenarios include the following:

Email, calendaring, and instant messaging

It is no secret that email and instant messaging are two of the applications that have become critical to achieving everyday business results. Installing and maintaining these applications on each user's desktop, though, can be time-consuming and expensive. The IBM open virtual client offers several ways to access these business-critical applications while eliminating their challenges. One method uses hosted applications. IBM Lotus Domino® Web Access 8 (Lotus iNotes™) allows users to access Lotus Domino 8 applications, including email, calendar, instant messaging, and presence awareness through a Web browser. Other alternatives include accessing a natively installed Lotus Notes application through enterprise application access or through a virtual desktop infrastructure.

Collaboration and knowledge sharing

As more companies expand their global presence and reach, the ability to collaborate and share knowledge in real-time across their enterprise is a major factor in their success. The IBM open virtual client offers several Web 2.0 solutions for knowledge sharing, online collaboration, online content management, and Web portals, which allow companies to execute their business strategies in a innovative and energy-efficient way. Products such as IBM Lotus Mashups, IBM Lotus Connections, IBM Lotus Quickr™, and IBM WebSphere® Portal allow users to have anytime-anywhere access to business-critical information through a Web browser.

Figures 5 and 6 show screen captures of Lotus Connections and Lotus Quickr user interfaces.

In addition to the hosted applications, companies also have the option of leveraging collaboration tools in a pay-as-you-go model (SaaS). IBM Bluehouse is an innovative set of applications accessible through a Web browser, along with IBM Lotus Sametime® Unyte® for easy Web conferencing and desktop sharing.

Office productivity

The IBM open virtual client facilitates office productivity in two ways:

• IBM Lotus productivity tools. Today, many businesses face the challenges of spiraling acquisitions and upgrade costs for traditional office suites and future access to documents that are locked into proprietary formats. The IBM open virtual client mitigates these issues with IBM Lotus Symphony™, a free productivity suite that includes three applications: Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations. Businesses can control software acquisitions and upgrade costs, provide compatibility with Microsoft Office and Adobe® file formats, protect future access to documents with support for Open Document Format (ODF), and support a global workforce with Lotus Symphony's native language support for 24 languages.
  
  

  With the IBM open virtual client, Lotus Symphony can be accessed from a virtualized Linux operating system using VDI (virtualization) technology, or it can be hosted in the form of a Windows application and be served to a Linux desktop using enterprise application access.

• Virtualized desktop productivity. There are many IT challenges when you manage distributed enterprise desktops. These challenges inhibit users' abilities to be productive in their daily jobs. Some of these challenges include the following:
  
  • Installing applications and updates
  • Performing hardware upgrades
  • Complying with security policy mandates
  • Dealing with computer viruses
  • Performing backups
  • Recovering from hard drive failure

  With a virtual desktop infrastructure solution, employees can focus on their job and not the stress of resolving these issues. Centrally managed software and thin client hardware are more stable and lead to less downtime.

Security

In a traditional desktop environment, user data is often stored on the device, leading to challenges about the security and protection of user private information and corporate intellectual property. Data loss due to theft can lead to a range of issues from bad publicity to legal action. Mitigating this exposure usually means enforcing policies for data storage or implementing encryption software at the desktop level to protect sensitive data. In a virtualized environment, the data is not exposed to loss due to a theft incident or the failure of a device, and it can be protected through the policies and procedures already in place to safeguard data in the data center. Virtualized environments can be configured to send only screens or deltas to screens to the user's device, so that no data ever leaves the data center to be stored or cached on the user's device. In this way, a virtualized environment can provide increased security over a traditional desktop solution.

Mobility

Traditionally, going mobile has meant carrying around a laptop device, with a full set of local programs and data to work away from the office. This concept of mobility creates issues of security and manageability of data and applications, and both issues limit the effectiveness of mobile solutions while increasing their operational cost. In today's connected world, you can address many use-cases for mobility through desktop virtualization, allowing users to access their work desktop from a multitude of end point devices, including traditional desktops and laptops, thin clients, Internet kiosks, and even personal digital assistant (PDA) devices. While virtual desktops require network connectivity to function, you cannot overlook the security, mobility, and data integrity benefits of such a strategy. All of the users' data and applications are available as they would be from the office, and issues such as network outage do not affect the state of the data or operations of applications running within the virtual environment. Users can disconnect and reconnect, picking up where they left off with their applications. Desktop virtualization also offers the ability to allow users to access the corporate desktop environment from their own devices, opening up the possibility of giving users an allowance to buy a device, rather than using a company-provided device. With a virtual desktop, users no longer have to carry a fully loaded laptop device to be mobile.

Desktop manageability

Desktop virtualization, thin clients, and the hosted applications model of the IBM open virtual client provide relief to the challenges of managing distributed enterprise desktops. A data center managed client solution helps in the following areas:

• Security control of PCs. Updates to the desktop images are centrally managed and often necessary on only a small set of common base images. Compliance can be automated. Installation and removal of applications happen in the data center. An organization's data is always secure and is less apt to be stolen or compromised by others.
• Hardware management complexity. Distributed enterprise desktops often include many makes and models with multiple operating system versions. Traditional PCs require more power and cooling than thin clients and have a shorter lifespan. Virtualization introduces standard hardware in two ways. The thin clients are standardized, and the virtual hardware that runs the desktop image is standardized.
• Rising cost of PC management. A desktop virtualization solution lowers PC management costs by allowing centralized management in a single location. In addition, connection management, resource availability, and utilization are improved.
• Distributed workforce. Today's organizations must deal with outsourcing, off-shoring, mobile and remote workers, and a wide range of user experiences. Trying to maintain a traditional distributed enterprise desktop strategy in this environment can be difficult, insecure, and costly. A desktop virtualization solution can meet these challenges.

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Conclusion

Regardless of which scenario best fits your organization, the IBM open virtual client allows your company to become more agile and to reduce your IT budgets. Whether your workforce uses a traditional office or a virtual office, the IBM open virtual client enables them to be flexible and mobile. The IBM open virtual client allows users to innovate and collaborate without being locked in to a specific vendor or proprietary document formats while leveraging Web 2.0 and cloud computing.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to the following people for their contributions to this article:

• Richard Allen, AG and AP Engagement Lead, Linux Integration Center, IBM
• Pino Ferrari, Sr. Consulting Sales Specialist, Linux, IBM
• Frank Heimes, IT Architect, Linux Integration Center, IBM
• Victor Leith, Senior Software Engineer, Linux Integration Center, IBM
• Carl Kraenzel, Distinguished Engineer, CTO for End User Services Product Line, IBM

Resources

• Read part 1 of this developerWorks Lotus series, "IBM open collaboration client solution: An overview."
  
  
• Read part 2 of this developerWorks Lotus series, "IBM open collaboration client solution: Organizational planning and user segmentation for desktop migration."
  
  
• Read part 3 of this developerWorks Lotus series, "IBM open collaboration client solution: Technical planning."
  
  
• Read part 4 of this developerWorks Lotus series, "IBM open collaboration client solution: Migrating business applications to the Linux desktop."
  
  
• Read about the IBM open collaboration client solution.
  
  

About the authors

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Table of contents

• What is virtualization?
• Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
• Enterprise application access
• Combining virtualization technologies
• Hosted applications
• Key architectural decisions
• Benefits of the IBM open virtual client
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Resources
• About the authors
• Comments

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