– Brought to you by 2X Cloud Computing guest blogger Brien M. Posey –

Organizations that deploy a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure often do so because they are hoping to realize some of the benefits such as easier management and improved security. The sad reality is however, that these benefits often remain elusive.

One of the biggest reasons for this has to do with the Bring Your Own Device craze. Up until a few years ago, virtual desktop environments were relatively easy to support. End-users accessed virtual desktops primarily from within the corporate network using either PCs running thin client software or dedicated zero clients. Today this simply is not the case. Users expect to be able to access their virtual desktops from beyond the network perimeter, and on all manner of devices.

The expectation for universal access to virtual desktops has historically proven to be a huge challenge for administrators. One of the reasons for this has to do with the fact that a client component is required in order to establish virtual desktop connectivity. Unfortunately, this client is anything but universal. Windows PCs require one version of the client, while iOS devices require another. A separate client is needed for each operating system environment.

Simply providing end-users with the correct client for their devices can be a big enough job, but the difficulty is compounded by the fact that virtual desktop client software evolves over time, which means that updates need to be periodically applied to the end-user devices.

Providing universal access to virtual desktops can also be a support nightmare. I once saw a user who was upset because the virtual desktop client would not installed on his 386 computer that ran Windows 98. Similarly, I recall seeing another user frustrated with a failed client installation on a computer running Windows XP. The problem was that the computer was so infested with malware that the operating system was barely functional. In both cases, the helpdesk was burdened with trying to sort out the problem even though the users were not using company hardware.

One great way in which organizations can provide users with access to virtual desktops without having to deal with these types of issues is to make the virtual desktop sessions available through a web interface. Technology exist today that allows virtual desktop sessions to be accessible from any device that is equipped with an HTML 5 compatible web browser.

Providing web-based access to virtual desktop sessions solves a number of problems. First, using web-based sessions does away with the problem of having to maintain a separate client for each operating system. Any device with a compatible web browser should be able to access the virtual desktop sessions, so the need for deploying and maintaining a dedicated client component goes away.

Web-based sessions are also easier to support. If the user can access the Internet and has a compatible web browser, they should be able to access their virtual desktops. The helpdesk will never have to determine whether a dedicated client component is of the correct version or if the client software is functioning properly.

Finally, the use of web-based clients provide the end-users with a greater degree of flexibility. In the past, users were only able to access the virtual desktops from devices that have been provisioned by the IT department. By removing the need for a client component, the need for provisioning is also removed. As such, end users can access the virtual desktops from brand-new devices that have never been provisioned, or even from a hotel kiosk.

Organizations that operate a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure should seriously consider making the switch to a web-based interface. Doing so relieves much of the management and support burden while also providing a better overall end user experience.

About Brien M. Posey

Brien Posey is a ten time Microsoft MVP with two decades of IT experience. Prior to becoming a freelance technical writer, Brien served as CIO for a national chain of hospitals and healthcare facilities. He has also worked as a network administrator for some of the nation’s largest insurance companies and for the Department of Defense at Fort Knox.

Since going freelance in 2001, Brien has become a prolific technical author. He has published many thousands of articles and numerous books on a wide variety of topics (primarily focusing on enterprise networking). In addition to his writing, Brien has provided consulting services to clients and speaks at IT events all over the world.

About 2X Software

2X Software is a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery, remote access and cloud computing solutions. Thousands of enterprises worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of 2X products. 2X offers a range of solutions to make every company’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable.

For additional information, visit www.2x.com or contact Charlie Williams by email cw@2x.com, phone +356 2258 3800.

– Brought to you by the 2X Cloud Computing Team –

A virtual desktop infrastructure offers a powerful way to centrally host desktop environments and manage them securely and efficiently, through a connection broker. In addition, the VDI environment addresses major challenges faced by the IT sector by optimizing available resources, centralizing process management, securing networks, improving scalability and agility in business processes, while reducing costs on operations and maintenance. As discussed in the earlier post, the connection broker is the heart of virtualization networks. Below we will discuss certain instances on how the connection broker works within a virtualized desktop environment.

Instance 1 – Integrating business processes across multiple locations

Consider an instance wherein a large enterprise has multiple offices spanning across various countries. Instead of managing different business processes, the company can implement cloud computing technologies to create a virtual desktop infrastructure. When a user logs in from a distant location, the connection broker uses RDP protocol to authenticate login details and provides access to required applications. This is how you get extra security to business processes while reducing operational costs.

Instance 2 – Integrating multiple desktop environments

Consider another instance wherein a large enterprise develops multiple projects. Programmers and Developers need to work on different platforms and desktop environments while designing, developing and testing the application. Instead of operating multiple platforms, the organization can install software at a central location and provide access to users according to the requirement. The connection broker facilitates the VDI environment to provide application delivery based on privileges set.

Instance 3 – Optimizing resources

Consider a large enterprise that has thousands of employees in a single location. It is an expensive task to provide a computer to each user. Instead, the enterprise can use desktop virtualization for an efficient application delivery and desktop virtualization. When a user logs in, the connection broker checks for available virtual desktops and creates sessions. As soon as the session is terminated, the virtual desktop is made available to other users. As the connection broker efficiently handles sessions, you can scale up resources during peak hours while saving money on infrastructure expenses.

Instance 4 – Augmenting BYOD environments

Another increasing trend in the IT circle is BYOD. With the usage of smart phones rising every day, companies find it beneficial to allow BYOD environments in corporate networks. While a BYOD environment offers mobility to business processes, employees are not tied down to a location. For instance, natural disasters can hamper work processes of an organization. During a natural disaster, employees can use their own devices to login to corporate networks. The connection broker checks the authentication details of the users and delivers the desktop environment of the user to his device. While service levels are met, network security is not compromised.

Instance 5 – Mobility solutions

The primary benefit of a cloud environment is mobility. It allows employees to work from any location. Consider an instance wherein a sales representative is promoting a product to a customer. If the customer is convinced to make a purchase, the sales rep has to call back to the office to get the exact price quote and close the deal. Instead, the VDI environment allows the sales rep to access their desktop environment, invoice the right price and close the deal. A connection broker is the virtual device that provides access to the desktop in this case.

2X Application Server XG is packed with powerful connection features that support multiple platforms. 2X Software is a trusted company that provides desktop virtualization and application delivery solutions for business of all sizes. Download 2X Application Server XG to implement desktop virtualization and take your business to the next level!

– Brought to you by 2X Cloud Computing guest blogger Brien M. Posey –

Private clouds can be used for a number of different purposes, but one of the most popular uses involves providing users with virtual desktops. Building a private Desktop as a Service (DaaS) architecture involves more than just hosting desktop operating systems on a hypervisor. There must be a system in place to connect end users to the virtual desktops.

Matching end user requests to virtual desktops is usually the job of a connection broker. In most DaaS environments, the connection broker receives the end user’s request for a virtual desktop session and then connects the user to one of the available virtual desktops within a virtual desktop pool.

Although this brokering of connections is of undeniable importance, there are other tasks that the connection broker must also perform if the DaaS infrastructure is to operate efficiently. One of the most important of these tasks in load balancing.

Some load balancing solutions attempt to evenly distribute virtual desktop usage across the available host servers in an effort to ensure that each host is handling an even workload. Although this approach sounds good in theory, it does have a major flaw. Evenly distributing user sessions across virtual desktop hosts only ensures that each hypervisor is hosting an identical number of virtual desktops. It does nothing to ensure that the host servers have equal workloads. This is because resource consumption is directly tied to the ways in which end users interact with their virtual desktops. One user might exert a very light workload, while another exerts a much heavier workload.

This being the case, load balancing tends to be much more effective when it is resource based as opposed to being purely session based. That isn’t to say however, that the number of user sessions can’t play a role in resource based load balancing. A good resource based load balancing solution takes a number of different factors into account as a part of the load balancing process. The number of user sessions can undoubtedly be one of these factors.

The other factors that are taken into account tend to be related to hardware resource consumption. This is especially true for memory consumption and CPU core usage. A good DaaS load balancer should be able to dynamically direct user requests to virtual desktops running on an alternate host server if it detects that a disproportionate amount of memory or CPU resources are being used on the current host.

One of the load balancer’s goals should be to balance the workload so that each host is consuming the fewest possible resources. There are two main reasons for this. First, end user workloads are not consistent. Users will inevitably generate spikes in activity as they work, and a virtual desktop host server needs to have adequate resources available to absorb these spikes.

The other reason is that host servers can and sometimes do fail. In a failure situation the user’s sessions will need to be dynamically migrated to an alternate host. An overburdened host may lack the resources to handle sessions from a failed host server.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, not all connection brokers are created equally. A good connection broker must do more than just connect end users to virtual desktops. It should also be able to handle load balancing in an intelligent way.

About Brien M. Posey

Brien Posey is a ten time Microsoft MVP with two decades of IT experience. Prior to becoming a freelance technical writer, Brien served as CIO for a national chain of hospitals and healthcare facilities. He has also worked as a network administrator for some of the nation’s largest insurance companies and for the Department of Defense at Fort Knox.

Since going freelance in 2001, Brien has become a prolific technical author. He has published many thousands of articles and numerous books on a wide variety of topics (primarily focusing on enterprise networking). In addition to his writing, Brien has provided consulting services to clients and speaks at IT events all over the world.

About 2X Software

2X Software is a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery, remote access and cloud computing solutions. Thousands of enterprises worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of 2X products. 2X offers a range of solutions to make every company’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable.

For additional information, visit www.2x.com or contact Charlie Williams by email cw@2x.com, phone +356 2258 3800.

– Brought to you by the 2X Cloud Computing Team –

With virtualization and cloud computing technologies ruling the IT industry, more and more businesses are moving towards a VDI environment in recent times. Improved scalability, agility, consistent performance and BYOD environments are some of the reasons for this changing trend. In a VDI environment, a connection broker is a vital aspect that takes up 40% of the complexity and functionality of virtual networks. By effectively configuring the connection broker, businesses can optimize cloud computing networks and greatly improve business agility.

What is a Connection Broker?

A connection broker is a resource manager that facilitates connections between virtual devices, databases and other computing resources. It is a vital entity that decides what and how each resource can access data pieces. In simpler words, it provides database and remote desktop access to the end user. In addition, Connection Brokers handle session status, timeouts and other virtual machine assignments.

How does it work?

The connection broker is normally vendor-independent and supports different virtualization platforms. For instance, 2X Software offers a powerful connection broker that runs on multiple hosts. In fact, 2X ApplicationServer XG is one of the few virtualization solutions that supports major hypervisors such as Citrix, VMWare, Microsoft HyperV or Sun VirtualBox. Access control rules are established by this connection broker so that end users can access resources based on their privileges. The connection broker authenticates and maps users to access controls using directory services of the server OS. In simpler words, the end user logs in to the network using the connection broker and it assigns a virtual desktop to that user.

Tasks performed by the Connection Broker

• Confirms user login details to assign resources
• Provides access to multiple virtual pools
• Handles sessions, terminates sessions
• Makes virtual desktops active or inactive
• Reassigns virtual resources

Benefits of a Connection Broker

As connection brokers are vital to application delivery in a cloud computing network, businesses should use an effective solution such as 2X ApplicationServer XG which provides efficiency to business processes. Below are a few benefits of a connection broker.

Optimization of Resources

In a VDI environment, a properly configured connection broker offers highest utilization of resources. Unlike a traditional network setup, wherein each user is assigned a physical machine, the virtual appliance dynamically allocates resources during login times. You only need to provide virtual machines for active users. As users log out, these virtual machines are reassigned to other users. By optimizing available resources, businesses can save on operational costs.

Centralized Management

One of the concerns of IT people in a VDI environment is the complexity of cloud computing functions. By using a connection broker, you can centralize desktop management. You can also integrate heterogeneous networks and still manage them from a single dashboard. End users are not bothered with back-end functions as they access their desktop from any location. Likewise, businesses can effectively manage clients as well as end users.

Scalability, High Availability and Data Reliability

2X ApplicationServer XG offers seamless application delivery to virtual desktops. The connection broker scales-up to meet growing user demands and provides optimized resources. Service levels are met and business performance is improved. In addition, businesses can create a cluster of connection brokers to provide highly scalable virtual solutions to end users. Likewise, data is automatically backed up and restored during crashes.

BYOD Solutions

The increased use of smart phones popularized the BYOD concept in most organizations. In a VDI environment, connection brokers provide access to these users, irrespective of their location. User credentials are validated and users are redirected to their local desktop environment.

2X ApplicationServer XG offers a powerful VDI solution for seamless virtual desktop and application delivery. Backed by several years of expertise, 2X Software takes pride in delivering a world class virtualization platform that supports all major hypervisors. Download 2X ApplicationServer XG and enjoy the benefits today!

– Brought to you by 2X Cloud Computing guest blogger Brien M. Posey –

As you plan to build a private cloud, you will need to spend quite a bit of time thinking about cloud controls. Role based security and control mechanisms must be put into place as a way of preserving the security and the integrity of the private cloud.

Role based security planning is different for a private cloud than for an individual system. Server applications such as Microsoft Exchange Server make heavy use of role based security. However, the roles that are applied for use with applications such as Microsoft Exchange tend to be specific to an individual application or to an individual server.

Private clouds are different. When you give someone access to a private cloud, you aren’t granting them access to an application or to a server, but rather to a unified collection of resources. As such, the security and control mechanisms that you implement for a private cloud must be capable of providing access to resources and capabilities, while also preventing excessive resource consumption.

There are three main security roles that you should plan on using within your private cloud. Each cloud infrastructure vendor calls these roles something slightly different, but the functionality remains basically the same. The roles that must be defined are:

• The Fabric Administrator – The fabric administrator is the administrator who is responsible for building and maintaining the cloud fabric. This administrator would oversee things like storage, network connectivity, and host servers.
• The Tenant Administrator – The tenant administrator is the administrator who is responsible for delegating permissions to cloud resources. For example, this administrator would be the one who would grant a user permission to create a virtual machine. This administrator might also be responsible for building the templates used for virtual machine creation.
• The Self Service Administrator – The self-service administrator refers to a user who has been delegated permission to create virtual machines within the private cloud. This person essentially becomes an administrator over the virtual machines that they create, but not over the private cloud as a whole.

Keep in mind that these roles only represent the basic requirements. Some organizations create more granular roles as a way to further separate job duties. For example, an organization might have a host administrator and a storage administrator, rather than a fabric administrator who oversees the entire cloud infrastructure.

Assigning appropriate administrative roles is only one of the steps required in preparing the private cloud for use. Controls must also be put into place to prevent self-service administrators from consuming excessive resources. There are two main control mechanisms that serve this purpose.

The first such mechanism is a resource quota. A resource quota defines the maximum aggregate hardware resources that the self-service administrator is allowed to use. For example, a resource quota might grant a self-service administrator eight CPU cores. Another quota might grant the same administrator 10 GB of physical disk space. The administrator is free to create virtual machines at will until the quotas are reached.

The other mechanism for controlling resource consumption is chargebacks. Chargebacks allow the tenant administrator to keep track of the self-service administrator’s resource usage so that the self-service administrator can be billed accordingly.

Conclusion

Although it is easy to get caught up in the details of infrastructure capacity planning for your private cloud, it is just as important to think of resource control from a permissions and quota perspective. Otherwise, it will be nearly impossible to keep cloud resource consumption in check.

About Brien M. Posey

Brien Posey is a ten time Microsoft MVP with two decades of IT experience. Prior to becoming a freelance technical writer, Brien served as CIO for a national chain of hospitals and healthcare facilities. He has also worked as a network administrator for some of the nation’s largest insurance companies and for the Department of Defense at Fort Knox.

Since going freelance in 2001, Brien has become a prolific technical author. He has published many thousands of articles and numerous books on a wide variety of topics (primarily focusing on enterprise networking). In addition to his writing, Brien has provided consulting services to clients and speaks at IT events all over the world.

About 2X Software

2X Software is a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery, remote access and cloud computing solutions. Thousands of enterprises worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of 2X products. 2X offers a range of solutions to make every company’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable.

For additional information, visit www.2x.com or contact Charlie Williams by email cw@2x.com, phone +356 2258 3800.

DALLAS, TX, May 6^th, 2013 – KingsGate Community Church, a leading religious congregation in the UK, has achieved a significant increase in IT availability while reducing technology related costs by using 2X ApplicationServer XG to provide a bring your own device (BYOD) environment for their members.

KIngsGate Community Church has typical office administration operations, which include extensive use of Microsoft Office, Sage Line 50 for Finance and Microsoft Project. The church also has a significant number of users with Mac laptops, so the ability to offer them simple integration in to the system was nearly impossible without a server-based computing solution. Likewise, the costs associated with purchasing new PC’s and devices, along with maintaining hardware, was not scalable with the church’s growing memberships.

To solve their issues, KingsGate Community Church turned to 2X ApplicationServer XG for virtual desktop and application delivery. The shift to a BYOD environment has resulted in the transfer of numerous PC’s for other users, and has proven to be a very successful strategy to meet the church’s growth requirements. Furthermore, it has meant that KingsGate has been able to take on more staff with very little additional cost to the organization.

“The number one benefit of 2X Software is the wide range of devices supported. Being able to implement 2X ApplicationServer XG on Macs, Windows, iPads and other devices has been very successful.”

Pete Charlton
Technical Manager
KingsGate Community Church

Read the full case study on KingsGate Community Church

About KingsGate Community Church

In September 1988, Dave and Karen Smith left the city of Oxford, where Dave was completing a doctoral thesis on the 18th Century Evangelist George Whitefield, and they both moved to the city of Peterborough. They had a mandate to build a local church that would impact the city, the region, the nation and beyond.

In 2006, after several years of praying, planning and incredible sacrificial giving, the Peterborough congregation moved into a brand new, purpose-built facility; KingsGate. In 2010, a second centre was launched in Cambridge and a vibrant, growing community is being established.

For additional information, visit www.kingsgateuk.com.

About 2X Software

2X Software is a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery, remote access and cloud computing solutions. Thousands of enterprises worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of 2X products. 2X offers a range of solutions to make every company’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable.

For additional information, visit www.2x.com or contact Charlie Williams by email cw@2x.com, phone +356 2258 3800.

DALLAS, TX, May 2^nd, 2013 — 2X Software, a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery solutions, today announced that they have released the beta version of the 2X Java Applet for Web Servers. The 2X Java Applet for Web Servers provides you with easy and secure remote access to your Windows desktop and Microsoft applications using RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) whenever you want, wherever you are. It’s specifically designed using 100% pure Java, making it compatible across different Java enabled platforms such as Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Chrome OS. The 2X Java Applet for Web Servers uses SSL security and two-factor authentication, making your computing experience secure and private.

“By adding a 100% pure Java solution to our product list, we guarantee to have a remote desktop client for any platform our customers might be using. Our remote desktop client solutions range from native desktop clients, mobile clients, portable clients to web oriented clients. These different technologies make our product development more challenging, but also more rewarding when we can provide a solution for any type of user.”

Paul Gafa
CTO
2X Software

Additionally, you can experience the full benefits of published remote Windows applications and desktops connecting to 2X ApplicationServer XG. This way, the 2X Java Applet for Web Servers seamlessly runs published Windows applications and desktops from Windows Terminal Server and all major VDI Hypervisors including Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware or Citrix Xen. The core features are listed below.

Features

• Designed using 100% pure Java
• Unlimited connections
• Unique mouse with right click
• Full keyboard with US and UK on-screen support
• Full screen experience
• Minimal bandwidth usage
• SSL security and two-factor authentication
• Windows 2012 and Windows 8 compatible

Features in Detail

Access Remote Desktops & Files

Securely access your home or business PC, hosted virtual desktops and files on-demand whenever you want, wherever you are.

Run Remote Applications

Run hosted remote applications, such as Microsoft Office, seamlessly on your desktop or device.

Secure & Private Accessibility

Provides secure, private access to your desktops and applications through SSL security and two-factor authentication.

Configurable Gestures

The 2X Java Applet now supports Configurable Gestures so that you can perform specific actions.

Sound & Keyboard Redirection

Redirect sound from any remote application to your desktop or device. The 2X Java Applet automatically opens the device’s keyboard as soon as an input field is detected.

2X ApplicationServer XG Integration

Access virtual desktops and applications hosted on hypervisors such as Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xen, VMware vSphere and more.

Learn More about the free 2X Java Applet for Web Servers

Download the free 2X Java Applet for Web Servers

About 2X Software

2X Software is a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery, remote access and cloud computing solutions. Thousands of enterprises worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of 2X products. 2X offers a range of solutions to make every company’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable.

For additional information, visit www.2x.com or contact Charlie Williams by email cw@2x.com, phone +356 2258 3800.

– Brought to you by 2X Cloud Computing guest blogger Brien M. Posey –

When it comes to developing a private cloud, you will likely have to put a great deal of planning into the hardware that makes up your cloud infrastructure. Your hardware must provide three things:

• Performance
• Scalability
• Reliability

Although each of these considerations carries its own implications, they are also complementary to one another. This has a lot to do with the fundamental nature of cloud services and with the way that the underlying hardware and software work together to deliver private cloud functionality.

Let’s start by talking about performance. In years past, server hardware was matched to the application (or application set) that was going to be running on the hardware. It was no coincidence that the hardware was referred to as a server, but the application software was also sometimes referred to as a server.

In a private cloud environment however, performance must be thought of differently. Private clouds are based on server virtualization. In a virtual datacenter, applications are not matched to server hardware. Instead, physical hardware is assigned workloads that are made up of multiple virtual machines. As such, ensuring performance means making sure that the workload that is assigned to the hardware does not exceed the hardware’s capabilities.

Another requirement for any private cloud is reliability. The private cloud must be constructed in a way that ensures that the failure of any component will not result in an outage. Obviously, redundancy plays a major role in establishing reliability and there are many different techniques for implementing redundant hardware. One of the main techniques that is used however, is host server clustering.

As you are no doubt aware, a cluster of host servers allows workloads to fail over to another node within the cluster in the event of a host server failure. While this failover capability is usually implemented for the sake of reliability, the ability to dynamically shift workloads from one host to another can also help with performance. Automation software can be put into place that will dynamically move virtual machines from one host to another if a particular host begins to run low on hardware resources.

The third concept that must be addressed when planning private cloud hardware is that of scalability. As time goes on, your private cloud will likely be required to run an ever increasing number of virtualized workloads. That being the case, the private cloud must be built in a way that will allow it to grow as the demand for private cloud resources increases.

The concept of scalability ties in directly with performance and reliability planning. Obviously higher end hardware can handle a greater number of virtualized workloads, but there is more to it than that. Host server clusters can only accommodate a limited number of cluster nodes. The exact number of nodes that can be used is determined by the underlying operating system. For example, failover clusters that are built on Windows Server 2012 can accommodate up to sixty-three nodes. Other operating systems tend to support far fewer cluster nodes however. For example, Windows Server 2008 R2 has a maximum cluster size of sixteen nodes.

Because a failover cluster can only support a limited number of nodes, it is often better from a scalability perspective to initially create your cluster using a relatively small number of high-performance nodes than to use a large number of low performance nodes. Of course even the best planned clusters may eventually become inadequate to service the anticipated demand. When this happens, the solution is typically to distribute workloads among a series of independent clusters that collectively work together to provide cloud resources.

Conclusion

Performance, reliability, and scalability must all be taken into account when planning the hardware that will be used in your private cloud. Although each of these factors should be assessed independently, they all have an impact on one another and should therefore also be considered collectively.

About Brien M. Posey

Brien Posey is a ten time Microsoft MVP with two decades of IT experience. Prior to becoming a freelance technical writer, Brien served as CIO for a national chain of hospitals and healthcare facilities. He has also worked as a network administrator for some of the nation’s largest insurance companies and for the Department of Defense at Fort Knox.

Since going freelance in 2001, Brien has become a prolific technical author. He has published many thousands of articles and numerous books on a wide variety of topics (primarily focusing on enterprise networking). In addition to his writing, Brien has provided consulting services to clients and speaks at IT events all over the world.

About 2X Software

2X Software is a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery, remote access and cloud computing solutions. Thousands of enterprises worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of 2X products. 2X offers a range of solutions to make every company’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable.

For additional information, visit www.2x.com or contact Charlie Williams by email cw@2x.com, phone +356 2258 3800.

– Brought to you by the 2X Cloud Computing Team –

How do Remote accessing tools bring agility to business processes?

Remote Access is for everyone. Whether you want to access an important file on your office desktop or provide support for a client, remote network tools enable you to remotely connect to desktops and applications in a secured network. Today, remote access has become an inevitable concept for most organizations. In an earlier post on introducing remote access, we discussed the basic aspects of this concept. Now, let us look at how remote accessing tools can help you increase your service levels to improve your business performance. Listed below are some of the benefits offered by a powerful remote accessing software.

Stay focused on business processes

By providing remote access to employees, companies can make sure that business service levels are always maintained. Consider an instance wherein an employee is not able to come to the office due to an unforeseen circumstance. Still, the employee can connect to office networks and work from home. This way, deadlines are effectively met. Whether you are at office, home or traveling around, you can make sure that you are always connected to your business processes.

Decrease employee attrition rate

One of the important aspects that impact the performance of a company is employee attrition rate. By providing access to their remote desktop, employees can enjoy the luxury of working from home. Be it part-time or full time, allowing employees to work from home is surely motivational. Employees get more time to spend with their families and work-life balance is perfectly maintained. Moreover, employees can use their preferred devices like Samsung, iPhone or a ChromeBook. They can even design their work hours. When employees are more satisfied, you can expect increased business performance.

Emergency business development

There are times when you get an attractive business deal outside of office hours. In a traditional setup, employees might not be willing to work on that deal. However, remote access tools allow them to connect to the office network and effectively complete the deal quickly, and without having to rush back to the office. While business resilience is maintained, new business opportunities are materialized.

Access to important applications

Remote accessing tools enable you to optimize resources to the fullest. For instance, Microsoft applications like Excel and Word are useful to certain departments within an organization. Instead of acquiring licenses for hundreds of users, you can install these applications on a single server and provide remote access to users. Today, 2X Software provides innovative applications like the 2X RDP / Remote Desktop Client for Chrome which enables users to access other systems using a Chrome browser. Employees who use Google ChromeBooks can access Microsoft applications using this RDP tool and save costs on infrastructure expenses.

Improved BYOD environment

BYOD and VDI has become an inevitable aspect for most organizations. By providing remote access to personal devices of employees, businesses work at an agile pace to achieve more productivity. Personal devices of employees might not have updated versions of applications. In such cases, employees can remotely connect to a server and access the updated version of the application. If implemented effectively, remote access can surely bring agility to business processes and thereby increase productivity levels.

To enjoy the unending benefits of the remote access technology, you need to choose the right RDP Client software. There is no match to the 2X RDP / Remote Desktop Clients in this regard. 2X Software solutions come packed with innovative features to provide the fullness of remote accessing technology for your business. Download the 2X RDP / Remote Desktop Client that best suits your environment today!

– Brought to you by 2X Cloud Computing guest blogger Brien M. Posey –

Although the benefits of building a private cloud are somewhat obvious, those responsible for the private cloud might sometimes wonder where to begin. After all, the process of setting up a private cloud can be a big undertaking. Fortunately, there are some relatively easy best practices which if followed, can make the development process much easier.

Step one: Scope the Project

The first step in building a private cloud is to document exactly how it will be used, and what capabilities it must be able to provide. Although simple, this step is absolutely critical because it is impossible to quantify the success of your private cloud deployment unless you have some stated goals that can be used as a benchmark.

Step two: Perform a Trial Deployment

The next step in the process is to create a small scale deployment of your private cloud. This small scale deployment serves several purposes. First, you can use a lab environment to work through the deployment and configuration process in a safe environment. It is naïve to assume that an organization can deploy a private cloud in a production environment and configure everything 100% correctly on the first try. Lab deployments allow those responsible for creating a private cloud to document the deployment and configuration process so that they can get it right when the software is ultimately deployed in a production environment.

A lab deployment is also useful for training the administrative staff. Once a private cloud has been deployed and put into production, administrators will be responsible for managing and maintaining the various components. Because the lab environment will mimic the production environment (but on a smaller scale) it is ideal for training purposes. For instance, you might use the lab to teach other administrators how to update a virtual desktop or how to deliver a new application.

Step three: Capacity Planning

Your private cloud will need to have sufficient resources to service the anticipated workload, as well as enough reserve capacity to be able to absorb any spikes in demand. Furthermore, your design must be able to accommodate future growth.

Although lab deployments are often built on modest hardware, the lab environment can prove invaluable for capacity planning. It is possible for example to perform user workload testing to determine the amount of system resources that are consumed by typical user workloads on the lab hardware. The results of the testing can be extrapolated in an effort to determine the hardware resources that will be required in a production environment.

Step four: Estimate the Cost

Once you have determined the scope of the project and have done some benchmark testing and capacity planning, it becomes possible to begin estimating the cost of the project.

Some might be quick to point out that there are costs involved in the lab development process, so some costs are incurred long before the cost of a production deployment can be estimated. However, lab costs can be kept to a minimum. It is usually possible for example, to acquire free trial versions of any required software. For instance, Microsoft provides free trial copies of Windows Server and 2X offers a free trial version of 2X Application Server XG. Likewise, it is usually possible to use modestly equipped hardware for lab testing. Some organizations even recycle old hardware for use in lab environments.

Conclusion

Building a private cloud is rarely a simple undertaking. Even so, the process can be made easier by working through a lab based deployment first. Doing so helps to familiarize administrators with the configuration process, while also setting realistic expectations and making it easier to accurately estimate project costs.

About Brien M. Posey

Brien Posey is a ten time Microsoft MVP with two decades of IT experience. Prior to becoming a freelance technical writer, Brien served as CIO for a national chain of hospitals and healthcare facilities. He has also worked as a network administrator for some of the nation’s largest insurance companies and for the Department of Defense at Fort Knox.

Since going freelance in 2001, Brien has become a prolific technical author. He has published many thousands of articles and numerous books on a wide variety of topics (primarily focusing on enterprise networking). In addition to his writing, Brien has provided consulting services to clients and speaks at IT events all over the world.

About 2X Software

2X Software is a global leader in virtual desktop and application delivery, remote access and cloud computing solutions. Thousands of enterprises worldwide trust in the reliability and scalability of 2X products. 2X offers a range of solutions to make every company’s shift to cloud computing simple and affordable.

For additional information, visit www.2x.com or contact Charlie Williams by email cw@2x.com, phone +356 2258 3800.