Published: November 12, 2007   |   Updated: February 25, 2008

This step provides guidance on determining the number of SoftGrid instances to be defined. A SoftGrid instance is an instantiation of the SoftGrid Connected Mode infrastructure needed to provide application virtualization to a location.

A SoftGrid instance consists of the following server roles:

• A virtual application server (VAS), which streams applications to clients.
• A management server, with the SoftGrid Management Web Service.
• A client or server running the SoftGrid Management Console (MMC).
• A server running Microsoft SQL Server, for SoftGrid configuration data.
• Active Directory, for user authentication and application security management.
• An optional sequencer for creating the virtualized application packages. Since the application packages can be shared between instances, not all instances require a sequencer.
• SoftGrid client installed on systems that require application virtualization: desktops, virtual machines (VMs), or Terminal Servers.

Figure 3. Example of a SoftGrid instance

Once these roles are in place in a given location, applications can be streamed and managed within that location using the SoftGrid management infrastructure.

First, determine the locations where SoftGrid-enabled applications will be deployed. Any location that is being targeted must then be evaluated to determine what SoftGrid components are required for streaming applications to it.

Task 1: Determine the Number of SoftGrid Connected Mode Instances

For every location that requires application virtualization, a separate independent SoftGrid instance will need to be defined. The server and client connectivity within the location should have 100-megabit or better bandwidth with an overall latency of < 100 ms. Due to the risk of poor performance or virtualized application reliability problems, a single instance SoftGrid 4.2 in Connected Mode is not supported for multiple locations.

Validating with the Business

• Are current application deployment technologies being used? Although SoftGrid connected mode provides some enticing features, ensure that sites requiring Connected Mode require these features. The capital costs associated with implementing SoftGrid in Connected Mode and the subsequent operating costs are much greater than using the existing infrastructure.

Decision Summary

In this step, all the locations requiring SoftGrid-enabled applications have been identified. From this, the total number of SoftGrid instances can be determined.