Compute considerations

Compute is typically not an area of failure in most VDI projects, but it is still important to understand the computing requirements of an organization before implementing a final design. Programs that can cause unforeseen failure from a compute perspective are as follows:

• Dragon Medical/Dragon NaturallySpeaking
• Defense Connect Online
• AutoCAD
• Eclipse IDE

For VDI solutions that will be based on 32-bit Windows 7 or Vista, one vCPU can likely be used to address most basic computing needs. However, for VDI solutions that leverage Windows 7 (64-bit), or more importantly Windows 8 (all 64-bit), two vCPUs may be necessary to ensure a favorable end user experience.

For the most accurate calculation of CPU requirements, a proper assessment of the environment should be performed. This will help identify potential pitfalls such as some of the applications listed previously, prior to rollout.

While both AMD and Intel-based x86 servers will suffice for VDI solutions, in large-scale and...