When we talk about VDI, we are typically describing a solution whereby a desktop PC's operating system is hosted as a virtual machine that is running on a hypervisor, with the hypervisor hosted on a server that is part of the data center infrastructure, either on-premises or cloud-based.

This VDI model is also sometimes referred to as a hosted virtual desktop (HVD), given that the virtual desktop is hosted as a virtual machine, with an end user that has access to their own instance of a full desktop. This is not to be confused with server-based computing, which only delivers a desktop session to the end user. We will discuss this in the VDI versus server-based computing (SBC) – what are the differences? section later in this chapter.

By virtualizing your end user desktop estate into a centrally-managed service, you can deliver benefits not only to the IT administrators, but also to the users. Some of these are highlighted as follows:

• Security and compliance: No data leaves the data center unless the IT department has specifically configured a policy to allow it. Equally, end users cannot introduce malware or other malicious content. All that gets transmitted to the client devices are the screenshots of the virtual desktop, with keyboard and mouse interactions being sent back to the virtual desktop. It's a bit like having a remote control for your desktop.

• Centralized and simplified management: Centralized desktops means centralized management. With desktops being virtualized and hosted in the data center, it is much easier to perform tasks such as updating and patching...

The concept of virtualizing Windows desktops has been around since as early as 2002 when VMware customers started virtualizing desktop operating systems and hosting them on servers running the ESXi hypervisor from the data center. At that time, there was no concept of a connection broker, and the phrase VDI was never commonly used. End users simply connected, using the RDP protocol, directly to a dedicated desktop virtual machine running Windows XP. This was the same as how you would manage a server remotely, that is, by making an RDP connection directly to the desktop of the server. From there, the journey began. The following timeline highlights the key milestones of that journey:

• 2005: VMware demonstrated the concept of a connection broker.
• 2006: VMware launched the VDI alliances program.
• 2007: A prototype connection broker was introduced to customers...

VMware Horizon 7 is the next generation of VMware's EUC vision and strategy to deliver the digital workspace. In the previous sections, we discussed some of the differences between VDI and SBC/RDS, and the advantages of the two solutions. However, with Horizon 7, you can deliver VDI desktops, published applications, and session-based desktops, all from a single platform.

VMware Horizon 7 was released on March 22, 2016, and included some brand new features, as well as some ones. The full release notes can be found at https://bit.ly/2O3ZYoG, with the highlights listed as follows:

• Instant Clones for faster desktop provisioning
• Cloud Pod Architecture for 25 pods, across 5 sites...

There are six different product editions within the Horizon 7 solution portfolio, each one adding different functionality and features. Each edition can also be categorized based on the role it plays in the overall solution. These categories can be described as follows:

• Virtual desktop and application delivery
• Workspace environment management
• Operations management
• Infrastructure and hosting

As for the six product editions, these are described in the following sections of this chapter.

As the name implies, Horizon for Linux allows you to centralize Linux-based virtual desktop machines and deliver them with Horizon View. The big advantage of Linux desktops is that you can...

In this chapter, we looked at what VDI is, described how it works, and how it compares to other, similar technologies. Next, we covered the history of where it all began for VMware, demonstrating that VMware was—and still is—at the forefront of virtual desktop and application delivery, which today is more commonly referred to as the digital workspace.

We then went on to discuss the latest release, VMware Horizon 7, and the different editions that are available, with an overview of each edition and its core set of features.

In the next chapter, we will take a deep dive into the technology of Horizon View and start looking at the architecture and the different components that make up the solution.