Updated: July 9, 2020 (November 30, 2009)

VDI with Hyper-V

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) can use servers running Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V to create pools of virtual machines (VMs). Each VM has a desktop OS and applications that make up a centrally managed desktop for users.

A user running a browser connects using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) over HTTPS via the Remote Desktop Gateway. A user running a thin-client terminal or a computer uses the Remote Desktop Client to initiate a connection using RDP. The Remote Desktop Connection Broker manages connecting a user request for a desktop with an available VM. In addition to load balancing, the RD Connection Broker can reconnect a user to the correct VM if the connection was temporarily broken.

This connection method works the same way if the VDI uses racks of blade computers in place of VMs.

For simplification, management servers have not been shown, but VDI needs services from Active Directory Domain Services, Group Policy, Roaming User Profiles, and Folder Redirection to ensure that each user gets the appropriate desktop with applications and data configured correctly for that user.

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