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

Now that the decision has been made to centralize, the next decision involves choosing between desktop virtualization and presentation virtualization.

Option 1: Desktop Virtualization 

VECD provides organizations with a method of centrally deploying and managing Windows Vista-based desktop computers. VECD is an available option for client computers that will always be connected to the network. These client computers may be diskless and can be booted from the network so that no data or applications are stored locally. Client computers should have reliable network connections that allow for connecting to virtual machines, using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

At the time of this writing, licensing requirements specify that Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 must be used to host the virtual machines and that Windows Vista Enterprise licenses be procured for client systems. VECD can be selected if the virtualized applications will run on Windows Vista and if the organization has an infrastructure to host those virtual machines.

Option 2: Presentation Virtualization

Terminal Services allows users to access remote applications by using a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection. Since all application execution will occur on the server, client computers have minimal hardware requirements. Client computers can run a full operating system such as Windows XP or Windows Vista, or they can run any other operating system that has an available RDP client. All applications that are installed on the Terminal Services server must be able to run on the same host operating system. Any incompatibilities should be managed by using another application virtualization technology, such as SoftGrid.

Note   The Infrastructure Planning and Design: Terminal Services guide is currently under development.