In the last few years, more organizations have started replacing their physical desktops by virtual desktops. Although virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), was once considered prohibitive, technology has advanced to the point where VDI is practical and costs are comparable to physical desktops.
The infrastructure costs are the biggest obstacle to virtual desktop deployments. VDI deployments typically require hypervisors and connection brokers, management server… the list goes on.
If you don’t have the resources to run virtual desktops on their own, Amazon Web Services (AWS), may be an option. AWS makes cloud-based virtual desks available through Amazon WorkSpaces.
Logging in to AWS, clicking on the WorkSpaces link in the Desktop or App Streaming section will allow you to access WorkSpaces. After logging in, you will be taken the Figure 1 screen.
[Click on the image to see a larger version.] Figure 1: It takes three steps to set up WorkSpaces. AWS is the term for setting up WorkSpaces. It is a three-step process, as you can see from the figure. These steps include setting up WorkSpaces, choosing a bundle, setting up users, creating a password, downloading the client, then using WorkSpaces. Click on the Get Started Now button to begin the setup process.
AWS will then take you to a screen where you can choose to perform a quick or advanced setup. The main difference between the two options is that you can link the virtual desktops with your on-premises Active Directory environment, or to Amazon Virtual Private Cloud. The Quick Setup option, on the other hand is for those who need to quickly set up virtual desktops for a small number of users or for a few people. This column will focus on the Quick Setup option.
Click the Launch button beside the Quick Setup option to be taken to a screen asking you to choose the type virtual desktop you wish to create. AWS allows you to choose between Windows 7 and Windows 10 as your desktop operating system. You can also choose to include Microsoft Office 2016 as part of the virtual desktop. No matter which virtual desktop bundle you choose AWS will install Internet Explorer 11, Firefox, 7-Zip and other versions. You can also install your software onto virtual desktops.
Selecting a virtual desktop bundle is more than choosing an operating system. You also need to decide whether you want Office 2016 included. You will also need a hardware platform to support the virtual desktop. There are four types of hardware available: Standard, Value, Performance, Graphics, and Premium. Your choice determines how many virtual CPUs are available and how much memory and storage is allocated to the virtual desktop. A virtual desktop that is valued with Windows 7 includes one virtual CPU, 2GB memory, and 10GB storage. A virtual desktop that is classified Graphics with Windows 7 has eight virtual CPUs, 15GB memory, and 100GB storage.
Prices for virtual desktops vary depending on the region, hardware selection, and software selection. For example, in the US East region, Value-class virtual desktops with an OS license cost $25 per month or $7.25 a month plus $0.22 per minute. AWS adds $15 per month for Office. Performance-class machines, on the other hand, cost $60 per month or $13.00 a month plus $0.57 an hour. Graphics-class machines can be purchased for $22 per monthly plus $1.75 an hour. The complete pricing information can be found here.
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