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Section 2 of 9 
Enabling Dynamic Virtual Client Computing with Intel® vPro™ Technology
Introduction
Today, an emerging trend is toward an abstraction of the traditional distributed computing model in which computing hardware, operating systems, data, and applications may be redistributed to enable alternative and more efficient forms of business computing. This trend is driven primarily by the need to alleviate IT security concerns and management complexity through increased centralization of data and operational control. This direction poses challenges as well as new solution opportunities for end-user flexibility, a richer user experience, and mobile usages.
The standard client computing models, monolithic thick client stacks (hardware, OS, applications, and data intertwined), and server-based computing (user interface remote presentation to thin clients) have given way over recent years to numerous variations appropriate to a wide range of end-user scenarios and usage patterns. These variations are a reflection of the desire to balance users' needs to be more mobile while maintaining their rich desktop experiences with the lower costs of centralized management and operations. Virtualization technologies [1] today are used to decouple elements of the desktop model and enable simpler management and delivery of an end-user environment, thus:
- reducing the cost of per-environment configuration;
- providing computing environments appropriate to security requirements;
- supporting mobile and remote workforces; and
- lowering helpdesk and ongoing support costs (including disaster recovery, and technology migrations).
As we look forward, there is not only a multiplicity of computing options, but there is also a high likelihood that enterprise customers will use many of these options jointly. Applications will be accessed locally, remotely, and in the cloud. Data will be scattered among secure, on-premises storage, personal devices, and other distributed storage systems. End-users will expect to access all of their information, independent of their computing device or location, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Dynamic virtual client computing: connecting users with their computing environments
Client virtualization technology will play a key role in this future computing environment by helping to bridge the gaps in the current client systems and supporting IT solutions, while facilitating end-user connectivity across these diverse computing environments.
In this article
Emerging Corporate Computing Models
When we look at the landscape of client computing, numerous variants of computing usage models and scenarios are emerging within the enterprise and are also blended with consumer usage patterns.
- Shared computing. Corporate or business users share PCs, or PC devices are pooled to support a functional group or line-of-business. This scenario is common in task-oriented environments (for example, call centers), traveler stations, development labs, or shared office environments.
- Flexible and secure roaming. Corporate mobile workers need access to business applications and data, whether they are operating inside or outside corporate-managed buildings and offices. In such scenarios, end users want the flexibility to compute pervasively. They will need to synchronize business data across alternative client devices and the corporate-managed data centers. At the same time, IT departments must ensure that data is protected when devices are compromised and that users continue to receive service-level support while roaming in public and un-trusted spaces.
- Customized computing platforms. Many larger corporations typically support a diverse base of business units, for example, manufacturing, independent design groups, operations, finance, sales and marketing, and so on. Different business units require access to different levels of data or to a core suite of applications. Customizing standard client-platform builds and enabling a centralized image-delivery strategy reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) and improves overall IT customer satisfaction.
- Concurrent technology migration and application compatibility. A challenging activity that a large corporation contends with is technology migration. The implications of introducing or transitioning computing systems to a new OS or driving a major business application redesign can put a significant burden on the supporting IT organization to ensure business continuity and limit TCO exposure. Emerging virtual computing models will facilitate simultaneous technology migration and legacy transition, thus ensuring application compatibility while enabling emerging uses for the end-user.
- Personal and corporate computing convergence. While still in its early stages, the trend towards consumerization may introduce alternatives to PC acquisition strategies [2] or enable greater personalization of the end-user's computing environment. Thus, the traditional physical computing environment extends to multiple virtual computing environments, allowing the coexistence and extensibility of both personal computing and corporate computing within the same physical machine.
Challenges
These new usage models present many challenges to providing general solutions to common IT problems such as these:
- Client provisioning and deployment
- Client manageability
- Application compatibility
- Environment and data security
- Mobile and distributed workforces
- Disaster recovery
- Energy management
- License management
- Regulatory compliance
Table 1: Core IT capabilities and flexible user scenarios
| Scenarios | Capabilities | User Types | Benefits |
| HW/SW Isolation |
|
|
|
| Application Isolation |
|
|
|
| Client Manageability |
|
|
|
| Business Continuity |
|
|
|
| Migration |
|
|
|
| Data Security |
|
|
|
| Onsite Roaming |
|
|
|
| Offsite Roaming |
|
|
|
| Dynamic Image |
|
|
|
There are numerous capabilities and services that IT organizations are planning to deliver in an efficient manner to a diverse set of users with varying business objectives and personal preferences. For example, how can IT ensure data security and business continuity while supporting a mobile and dispersed workforce? How can IT organizations reduce conflicts and regression testing between key business applications in an environment that provides some flexibility? Finally, how can IT organizations drive faster and more efficient transitions to a new and more diverse set of clients while minimizing costs and downtime? These challenges create a diversity of solution requirements and conflicting priorities. In what follows, we will investigate current client virtualization technologies and explore DVC as an emerging virtual client computing framework to address these diverse challenges.
Section 2 of 9