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Follow UsBANGALORE, INDIA: While deploying Kaviza, we first loaded VMWare EXSi Hyperviser on a high end machine (Intel's Dunnington with 24 cores and 16 GB of RAM). Then we loaded Kaviza Manager (kMGR) on a virtual machine and created other virtual machine as template. Now using Kaviza Manger you can create 'N' number of machines from created template. Here are the steps to do the same.
Creating Working Desktop & template from virtual XP machine
The journey of desktop users start with creation of virtual Windows XP machine. This can be created from an ISO. In this implementation, we created a virtual machine in EXSi server itself and then installed Windows XP in it from locally stored ISO. Once this machine is ready, we need to create 'Working Desktop' that will then be used for creating templates. To create 'Working Desktop', log on to kMGR with admin's credentials.
Once you have logged in, go to 'Template' tab, and click on the link that says 'Import an existing virtual machine as a working desktop'. This would give you an option to select virtual machine. Select created virtual machine (XP in our case).
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This is how we implemented Kaviza VDI-in-Box solution. Host used in this implementation is an Intel Dunnington-based machine with 24 cores and 16 GB RAM. |
Assigning created Template to different users
As mentioned in part 1 of this story, there are two distinct ways of? getting user database. First, to create users inside kMGR and then assign appropriate templates to them. Second, to hook your existing Active Directory to kMGR. This can be done either initially while setting up kMGR or later by going to 'Admin>Configure User Database>Use an external database'.
Here you have to fill in IP address, DNS Domain, user id, and password of your Active Directory. To create users and groups inside kMGR, just go to 'Admin>Administer Users' and 'Admin>Administer Groups'.??Now that you have users, you need to assign users appropriate template. This can be done from 'Admin>Assign Users and Groups to Desktop Templates'.
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The configuration window of template that acts as base on which users' virtual desktop is created. |
How users access virtual desktop
Users need to visit kMGR URL( 192.168.5.50/dt in our case) and log in using his user id. Once you have logged in, a virtual desktop would be created on the fly and remote connection to the created desktop would be established. Once you are done with your work, created virtual desktop settings would be saved. Now from this point onwards, you can log in from anywhere and will get your own personalized desktop. This can be real cost saver as you can use thin clients instead of full fledged desktops.
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When a user logs in, a virtual desktop is created on the fly. Here is the virtual desktop as seen from EXSi server. |
Few features of Kaviza VDI-in-BOX
We have successfully implemented Kviza VDI-in-Box solution. Let's have a look at some of its features. One that stands out is the ease of implementation. You can build VDI solution?within hours in a few simple steps. Other feature is the ease of usage, this solution supports heterogeneous clients and you just need browser and display client to access virtual desktops. Ease of manageability is another great feature.
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Here you have to select the hypervisor you are going to use with kaviza for virtualization of the desktop and provide required settings for the same. |
Through simple browser based interface, you can create templates for different departments plus assign the same to appropriate users. Finally you can scale this solution with ease. Just keep attaching new servers to created 'GRID' and you are done. Kaviza VDI-in-Box also has fail over capabilities -if one of the server in grid fails, virtual desktops would be moved to other servers.