What Is a VDI Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and How Can It Help My Business?

By Giorgio Bonuccelli

February 1, 2018
Last updated on February 14, 2020

VDI Virtual Desktop – Nowadays, the biggest challenge IT departments in many organizations face is to centralize all the different IT solutions in a new technological model. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), desktop and application virtualization, private and public cloud, and VDI are phrases we hear often.

This post gives a brief introduction to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and also explains what it is, in what scenarios it could be used, and how it could contribute to your company.

Introduction to VDI Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

The purpose of VDI is to execute and distribute user desktop sessions from a centralized infrastructure—in one or many data centers—which can be either on-premises or in a cloud system. In a typical VDI setup, you will have a central server called a hypervisor, or a farm of servers on which the virtualization software runs, where virtual machines are created for users to use.

Advantages and Benefits of VDI: Centralizing Workstations

The benefits of using VDI are multifold, with the most significant being:

It allows users to work as if they were connected to your company’s local network from anywhere, anytime, and on practically any device with an Internet connection.
It enables you to centralize device maintenance. Update devices (both operating system and application updates) in a fast and easy way without having to go on-site to physical facilities or having to transfer big-size data throughout the network.
Desktop horizontal scaling (expansion as well as reduction) is quick and simple, allowing you to adapt to your company’s needs in every moment. This also enables optimal exploitation of the physical resources and avoids extra energy costs of unused items.
Secure your environment. Choose who does each task at every moment, prevent or provide workstation personalization, or guarantee a new corporate image in each user logon.

The VDI Solution in Parallels Remote Application Server

Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS) has a VDI solution that allows you to manage several different hypervisors to centralize, automate, and reduce the overhead costs of desktop management.

With Parallels RAS, you will be able to deploy the number of desktops your company needs in a fast and flexible way. Desktops can be parameterized depending on your company’s necessities, thanks to the combination of features like linked clones and RASprep.

Linked clones allow you to generate different user desktops based on one unique master image. This implies a storage cost reduction (the master image is shared by all the users) and simplifies administrative tasks, such as deployment or software and OS updates.
RASprep is a Parallels exclusive tool that makes desktop deployment easier for IT administrators, using clones yet personalizing computer names and adding them to an Active Directory domain.

Take Advantage of VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure)

If you have decided to take a step toward a centralized solution for desktop distribution, Parallels RAS offers you a perfect, simple, and flexible solution that allows your desktop farm to always be readily available and updated.

Try Parallels RAS for free with a 30-day trial.