How do you manage the scalability and availability of VDI cloud vs on-premise?

We first began using VDI cloud in 2016. At the time, we were working at a large online public university where we’d deployed 300 AWS Workspaces. When our academic partners needed us to scale to 4,000 Workspaces within the week, we realized exactly how beneficial cloud can be, especially in higher education. We never could’ve scaled so fast or efficiently just running hardware in our data center.

VDI cloud offers several benefits over on-premise VDI, such as lower upfront costs, faster deployment, easier management, and greater flexibility. You can leverage the resources and expertise of a cloud provider, and avoid the hassle of maintaining and upgrading your own hardware and software. You can also scale your VDI environment up or down as needed, and pay only for what you use. Additionally, you can access your desktops and applications from anywhere, on any device, and enjoy better performance and security.

In my experience, the biggest challenge in rolling out VDI in the cloud involves building a consensus around change. In the classroom, instructors need to modify instructions and adjust to working in a new environment. It’s the same for the IT and finance teams. They need to change how they manage the budget and technical environment. It requires a mind shift. In higher education, we know we need to create solutions that are easy for students and faculty to use. That they enjoy using. Because there’s always some reticence in learning new processes, even when the technology makes your tasks way more enjoyable in the long run.

However, VDI cloud also comes with some challenges, such as dependency on network connectivity, bandwidth, and latency, which can affect the user experience and productivity. You also have to deal with the complexity and variability of cloud pricing models, and ensure that you have enough visibility and control over your VDI environment. Moreover, you have to comply with the data protection and privacy regulations of your industry and region, and ensure that your cloud provider meets your security and compliance standards.

VDI on-premise offers some benefits over VDI cloud, such as more control, customization, and security. You can design and configure your VDI environment according to your specific needs and preferences, and have full access and ownership of your data and infrastructure. You can also ensure that your VDI solution meets your compliance and governance requirements, and apply your own security policies and measures. Furthermore, you can optimize your network performance and reliability, and reduce the risk of downtime or data loss.

VDI on-premise offers some benefits over VDI cloud, such as more control, customization, and security. You can design and configure your VDI environment according to your specific needs and preferences, and have full access and ownership of your data and infrastructure. You can also ensure that your VDI solution meets your compliance and governance requirements, and apply your own security policies and measures. Furthermore, you can optimize your network performance and reliability, and reduce the risk of downtime or data loss.

It’s incredibly difficult and expensive to deploy a well-functioning virtual desktop environment in your own data center. Scalability alone is a challenge. And as users need more computing and GPU resources for things like generative AI, you’ll find yourself continuously investing more money and managing the hardware you’ll need.

However, VDI on-premise also comes with some challenges, such as higher upfront and ongoing costs, longer deployment time, more complex management, and less flexibility. You have to invest in and maintain your own hardware and software, and keep them updated and secure. You also have to plan and provision your VDI capacity carefully, and anticipate the peaks and troughs of user demand. Additionally, you have to ensure that your VDI solution can support remote access and mobility, and cope with the changing needs and expectations of your users.

The dynamic nature of services like AWS AppStream or Workspaces lets you scale when you need resources, then reduce when you don’t. This is especially beneficial in education, where usage periods are cyclical and budgets/resources can be tight.

Availability is the ability of your VDI solution to provide continuous and reliable access to your desktops and applications without interruption or degradation. To manage availability effectively, you need to ensure that your VDI environment is resilient and redundant, and can recover from any failure or disaster. You also need to implement backup and disaster recovery plans, and test them regularly. You also need to protect your VDI environment from cyberattacks and breaches, and apply the best practices and tools for security and compliance.

We’ve found that we can effectively use AWS multi-region deployment to ensure highest availability. This includes load balancing, automated backups and regular disaster recovery tests. Plus, IAM, encryption, and continuous monitoring help us maintain security, compliance and provide regular training to ensure reliable access to desktops and applications.

Availability is the ability of your VDI solution to provide continuous and reliable access to your desktops and applications without interruption or degradation. To manage availability effectively, you need to ensure that your VDI environment is resilient and redundant, and can recover from any failure or disaster. You also need to implement backup and disaster recovery plans, and test them regularly. You also need to protect your VDI environment from cyberattacks and breaches, and apply the best practices and tools for security and compliance.