Case Study; University of Connecticut - Desktop Virtualization Project

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University of ConnecticutvPC Desktop VirtualizationProjectJeremy PollackDirector of IT, University ofConnecticut Library System

University ofConnecticut• Main campus - Storrs, CT• Ten campuses• 30,000 students• 9,500 faculty/staff• 1,500 lab computers

Collaboration• Desire to collaborate• We use the same technologies• Success with server virtualization• Next stop: virtual desktops• Couldnt have done it on our own• Alignment of business needs and IT Confidential

University of Connecticut vPC 700-seat desktop virtualization deployment, including VMware view, Dell desktop virtualization solutions, Dell Wyse endpoints, and Unidesk software School of Business School of Engineering •Successor to student laptop •Computer labs program •Distance and online education •Distance and online education •Staff workstations •Faculty/staff workstations University Library System •Computer labs •Classrooms •Service desks •Staff workstations Confidential

Technical architecture:three design tenets Manageability • By leveraging existing skill sets and selecting the right products, the UConn vPC architecture required very little retraining for existing IT staff. Scalability • By adopting best practices and assuming an eventual scale out, we have designed a solution that can grow. Cutting Edge • By striving to achieve the best performance and highest density, we deployed the fastest virtualization platform at UConn. Confidential

Metrics Statistics Who is accessing? What are they Affiliation % accessing?• Unique users since Undergrad 76% 9/1/12: 11,058 Grad 17%• Total logins: Faculty/ Staff 7% 126,965 • 37% of UConn• Max concurrent students sessions: 310 • 25 users over 100• http://status.vpc.u logins conn.edu • 310 over 50 • 1,358 over 25 Confidential

Student access metrics What time are students accessing? Where are they accessing from? Plus Asia & Europe! Confidential

Lessonslearned

What we found out Additional benefits: Initial expectations: • Happy Mac users!• Extend existing computer lab access. • Physical space reclamation Anywhere. Anytime. • Size of the value prop to online ed• Reliable computing platform. • Save students money• Provide infrastructure for online and • Trust and relationships built through distance ed, remote students this collaborative project• Reduce overall CapEx over 5 years• Reimage faster, deploy faster, extend reach of computing platforms• Magic!

Observations Talk to your end VDI is complicated. VDI is not a users, understand It is a new mindset panacea! Manage Collect tons of data their needs, get and new operating expectations. continuous model. feedback Labs are Application You wont save on But the added valueeasier, persistence is virtualization has a CapEx. You will save and functionality isharder. (without the place for scalability on OpEx – priceless right tools) and flexibility eventually Confidential

Hard lessons learned• Too many assumptions about VDI• Not involving full cross functional team early enough• Confusing concurrency vs. totals• Underestimating VDIs hunger for IOPS. Use SSD or hybrid SANs• Dont forget capacity for infrastructure• Scale carefully. Keep scaling carefully! Confidential

Licensing • VDI licensing is not cheap! • Microsoft campus agreement student option is required if you want student- owned devices to connect • Software licenses and vendor support are all over the place • It is getting better Confidential

Support has been surprisingly easy Total logins: Issue # of tickets 126,965 Installing View client / 162 password issues Total users: Connection problems / 121 11,058 network issues How to use SW on vPC 34 (e.g. File menu on minitab) Total tickets: 239 How do I save my work? 12

User feedback has beenoverwhelmingly positive“You are so fast. I “The VPC is one of “This is a fantastic “This is the biggest "I love using thetested it and it the most interesting solution. It is technological leap vPC for SolidWorks.works really well.” developments in IT working perfectly since the library’s Its faster than my• Brian Hartman, that I have seen at for my class!” card catalogue was personal computer, Mathematics (after R was UConn in a long • Ram Gopal, OPIM computerized.” and so easy." delivered to the vPC in time!” department head four days) • Grad student • Sean Vincent, • George Gibson, Physics undergraduate student Confidential

Successes• Increased capacity & accessibility of LIBR & ENGR labs Why?• Delivering minitab to 4,500 STATS students/semester • Carefully defined use cases• Provided reliable instructional platform for BUSN faculty • Delivered value first without and students disrupting existing services• Delivering equitable computing solution to all students • "If you build it, they will come" at all campuses, online education programs • Limited scope.• Delivering persistent desktops to hybrid Masters • Slow & Steady program with View + Unidesk• Momentum and success to drive support for growth via • Non-persistence first a new student technology fee • Unidesk for persistence• A new collaborative model for distributed IT groups at • Communication, collaboration, UConn open sharing, celebrating our success

Future plans• Student technology fee approved: supports growth to all of UConn!• Provide virtual lab access for all students and faculty• Universal access. All campuses, all locations• Deploy secondary site for redundancy• Scalable management of h/w and s/w with an eye on more research and faculty/staff usage into the future• Leverage Sassafras K2 license platform for license mgmt• Convert existing labs into UConn vPC access points• Provision and support file services for students• Modify Microsoft agreement to add students• Vision of a persistent-like desktop for every student. Confidential

Comprehensive & competent sales staffWhy Can deliver on tight timelinesDell? Understands & remembers our needs Cost competitive21

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Case Study; University of Connecticut - Desktop Virtualization Project

by Dell Enterprise on Dec 11, 2012

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