Enterprise Desktop Virtualization

Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (which Microsoft refers to by the acronym MED-V) enables organizations to centrally define virtual machines (VMs) and assign these VMs to authenticated users to run on their PCs. The technology is intended to help Microsoft customers centrally manage VMs for uses such as deploying Windows Vista-incompatible applications to users running the new desktop OS.

Desktop virtualization is a special case of hardware virtualization. Hardware virtualization enables multiple OSs and their applications to exist simultaneously on a computer. Each OS runs in a VM, which emulates a complete computer in software. In desktop virtualization, hardware virtualization is used to deploy desktop OSs and applications; this can be useful for running older applications that aren’t compatible with the OS installed on the desktop computer, or to isolate ill-behaved or vulnerable applications (such as browsers) from other applications on the same computer.

Enterprise Desktop Virtualization enables administrators to centrally define a VM that encapsulates the organization’s standard corporate desktop, including the OS, corporate applications, user data, and management tools. To help administrators manage these centrally defined VMs, they can be stored in a repository on a Web server. Administrators can then use the management console to assign these VMs to authenticated users by leveraging Active Directory. The VM can be delivered to a user’s personal computer with a variety of tools, including System Center Configuration Manager, using installation from the Web, or via media such as DVD. The Enterprise Desktop Virtualization client then manages the execution of the VM on the local computer for the user, in compliance with the policy defined by the administrator.