Desktop Computing Strategic Project

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Sandia National Labs
• May 2, 2009
• Jeremy Allison
• Andy Ambabo
• James Mcdonald

Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by
Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin
Company,for the United States Department of
Energys National Nuclear Security
Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.
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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Project Overview
• Developed by the Desktop Support Org.
• Team consists of developers, server managers and
  desktop technicians.
• Scope is to deliver Windows desktops
• Collaboration Partners
• Networking
• Infrastructure computing
• Cyber Security

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Value Proposition
• Support costs
• Reduce desktop visits
• Streamline the desktop, gain efficiencies
• Security
• Malware
• Data loss
• Green Costs
• At the desktop
• In the data center

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Value Proposition
• Server re-provisioning
• Standard Data center configuration
• Re-provision for HPC, Corporate data processing
• Performance
• Enterprise class hardware
• Governance
• Centralized control

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Project Overview
• Target Audience
• Analysis indicates 3000 desktops COE only
• 3000 additional desktops COE 1 other app, like
  Adobe reader.
• Categories of typical use patterns Admin,
  Knowledge, Compute intensive.
• First phase to deliver COE image (XP Vista)
• Employ Streaming technology or published
  technology to deliver the 1 apps.

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project
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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Project Components
• Hosted Virtual Desktops
• The Windows computing environment is hosted or
  actually executes on high-end blade servers
• Screen images are sent over the network and can
  be rendered on thin clients, traditional PCs, as
  well as other PC platforms
• VM Ware virtual software technology
• 48 HP C7000 Blade servers, 8 CPUs/blade
• 96 Terabyte Fiber attached SAN storage
• Modeled after Enterprise Computing Virtual server
  efforts
• 16 Blade C7000 Chassis in California running ESXI
• 2 16 Tb iSCSI SAN

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Project Components
• Application Streaming
• All the necessary elements required to execute a
  particular Windows application are packaged
  and delivered to the users Windows desktop.
• The package executes in the users Windows
  environment (local or virtual), but is transient
  (not installed in the users environment)
• VM Ware ThinApp software technology

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Project Overview
• Project Components
• Published Applications
• Commonly known as Terminal server applications.
  Windows Applications, or a Windows desktop
  execute in a shared server environment.
• Established technology used within SCN, Diskless
  initiative, Anywhere.sandia.gov
• Citrix software technology employing newer
  streaming and virtual technologies.

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Deliverables
• Build Windows XP and Vista virtual images Jan
  09
• Identify top candidates for application streaming
  and build packages Feb 09
• Identify top candidates for Published
  Applications and build environment Feb 09
• Evaluate and test desktop conferencing and video
  streaming capabilities Feb 09
• Evaluate and test Remote capabilities Feb 09
• Deploy 100-200 virtual desktop clients Apr 09

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Technical Overview
• Architecture
• Phases
• Future States
• Limitations
• Risks

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Architecture
• San booting blade using HP Virtual Connect
  technology to address hardware failures quickly
• 8 node clusters across 3 chassis so can lose one
  chassis and keep greater than 50 resources
• Trunked ports provide additional bandwidth and
  failover capabilities
• RAID 5 used for Data store 30 VMs per Data
  store

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Phases
• Phase one is used to prove technology to users
  and management
• Phase two is expanding on capabilities focusing
  streaming applications
• Phase Three roaming profiles to disconnect users
  from their VMs
• Phase Four higher end capabilities to users
  (Type1 Hypervisor and other technologies.)

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Future State
• On Demand desktop.
• Small set of images to manage.
• Failover capabilities for usable states
• Less Tech time to troubleshoot issues
• Least User Privilege state but not removing
  their ability to customize environment
• Portability of the users environment

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Limitations
• Issues with View client and Flash Videos
• Issues with Graphic capabilities
• Issues with Windows Vista
• Dependant upon technology that is not quite
  ready for our needs

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Risks
• Larger attack vector for DOS or other attacks
• Failures are magnified
• Requires greater integration between
  organizations
• Have to overcome It is not physical. mentality
• Greater dependence upon the network and storage
• Until people are comfortable with the technology
  making people feel comfortable with it

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Desktop Computing Strategic Project

• Technical Details
• Server Configuration
• Thin Client and configuration
• SAN
• Deployment
• Issues