Client-Hosted Virtualization: Challenges and Outlook
Today, Dell offers virtualization-enabled server and storage configurations to help maximize server resources and reduce the IT costs associated with an ever-growing IT infrastructure. While server virtualization is not a new technology, client-hosted virtualization is still in its infancy.
What Is Client-Hosted Virtualization?
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CHV is a key technology to complete and complement Dell's flexible computing offerings: Virtual Remote Desktop (VRD) and On-Demand Desktop Streaming™ (ODDS). CHV enables the user to check out a VM from a server to a local system while connected to the network. The VM is cached locally on the client system, enabling the user to run the VM when connected and when offline — while on an airplane, for example. Once reconnected to the back-end infrastructure, the data can be synchronized again.
Why CHV?
CHV is an attractive solution for both the end user and the IT administrator. The IT administrator manages fewer images — thus increasing image stability — and the end user has a consistent experience across multiple compute environments.
A key advantage of CHV is the ability to secure applications and isolate workloads in separate VMs. This feature is of special interest to Federal Government and healthcare customers, who require application and data security.
Today, IT organizations are increasingly pressured to support employee-owned devices in the workplace. In addition, globalization is placing increasing mobility demands on end users and the systems that support them. CHV also offers the benefit of application compatibility. Multiple operating systems can be run on the same platform in separate VMs, enabling the user to continue running legacy applications side by side with the latest software tools.
CHV Challenges
Implementing CHV solutions is not without challenges. Driver support, power management, a transparent user experience, manageability and security have to be carefully planned in any CHV solution. To address these challenges, we continue to work with independent hardware vendors to create Linux and Windows drivers for hypervisors and virtual environments. We are also collaborating with leading virtualization vendors to enable their CHV solutions on Dell platforms, while providing guidance on user experience and hardware optimizations around client hypervisors.
VMware®, Citrix®, Virtual Computer and others are working to develop a bare-metal hypervisor, also referred to as a Type 1 hypervisor. Microsoft® is focusing on a Type 2 hypervisor, also called a Host-Guest. A Type 1 hypervisor runs directly on top of the hardware, while a Type 2 hypervisor runs on top of another OS, typically Windows.
The Type 2 client-hosted hypervisor has one architectural advantage over the Type 1 hypervisor — that is, it is nonintrusive. If you do not use any virtual machines, no runtime overhead is incurred on the host. The primary disadvantage associated with the Type 1 hypervisor is that it is intrusive; that is, it must be permanently installed on the bare-metal hardware, below the OS.
Outlook
Client-hosted virtualization is becoming more relevant in the small devices space, especially for mobile handsets. Virtualization can enable enterprises and consumers to manage and secure their phones easily. It will also help handset vendors to reduce material costs and development-cycle times, allowing for faster product releases.
