System News for Sun Users

Reduce IT Help Desk calls when using Oracle VDI

2013-05-31T16:00:00+01:00

Jaap, an Oracle VDI Desktop Virtualization specialist, writes in a recent blog post, "After a relaxing holiday you turn on your Sun Ray or launch your OVDC application to connect to your virtual desktop in the data center. But then it happens, your holiday was so relaxed that you forgot your password and you are forced to pick-up the phone and call the IT Help Desk to ask the SysAdmin to reset your password.

With the introduction of complex password requirements, this is not an unusual scenario. IT staff is often burdened with resolving these calls, resulting in an increased administrative load for the IT department. At the same moment, the end user loses valuable work time because he is locked out of the network temporarily and unable to work.

With an average of 5% of the users who forgot their passwords after the holidays and an average cost of US $25 per help desk call, this can cost an organisation with 10.000 users around US $12.500 per two or three days when the holidays are over.

How can we solve this? ..."

Oracle Secure Global Desktop 5.0

2013-04-30T16:00:00+01:00

Oracle announced a new release of Oracle Secure Global Desktop, part of Oracle's Desktop Virtualization portfolio.

Oracle Secure Global Desktop 5.0 extends secure, anywhere access to cloud-hosted and on-premise enterprise applications and desktops from Apple iPad and iPad mini tablets, without the need for a VPN client. Through support of the HTML5 standard, Oracle Secure Global Desktop 5.0 allows tablet users to access enterprise applications with just a Web browser, allowing them to easily use their own devices for work. This new release provides tablet users, in addition to PC, MAC and desktop users, certified access to Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud and Web-based Oracle Applications, including Oracle CRM.

Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.7 Released to General Availability

2012-08-17T16:00:00+01:00

Oracle has released Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.7. This highly scalable, reliable application access solution provides secure, browser-based access to applications hosted in the data center from a wide variety of client devices. It improves user experience through support for multi-monitor configurations, richer graphics and audio; delivers out-of-the-box security; expands the list of supported server operating systems and Internet browser versions; and supports faster deployment through Oracle VM Templates. Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.7 bi-directional audio; support for microphones and other audio input devices enabling the use of dictation, conferencing, training, etc.; plus enhanced Linux and UNIX graphics display.

Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Aligns with the Experts.

2012-08-15T16:00:00+01:00

In his post on Oracle's virtualization blog, Jeff Reilly cites the BriForum 2012 presentation by Ron Oglesby of Unidesk, who addressed the issue of optimizing storage in VDI so as to deliver the IOPS required for desktop workloads, a requirement that is often is in conflict with the goals of reducing the CAPEX investment of implementing VDI. Oglesby recommends the use of hybrid storage arrays to provide a combination of larger controller memory, Solid State disk for high IOPS, and lower cost array disks. Reilly points out that a ready-made solution exists to do exactly that: Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

Catholic Education South Australia Adopts Oracle Secure Global Desktop

2012-07-05T16:00:00+01:00

Catholic Education South Australia, whose 6,000 plus staff members serve more than 48,000 students in 103 schools, has moved to Oracle Secure Global Desktop to provide services anytime, anywhere and with exceptional performance, as CIO tom Mittiga explains in a brief video. This shift to an enterprise architecture, Mittiga says, has put device-agnostic services in the hands of students and staff alike.

Oracle VM 3 Templates Available for Oracle Secure Global Desktop (SGD) 4.62

2012-06-26T16:00:00+01:00

In his post "Oracle VM 3 Templates Available for Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.62" Mohan Prabhala explains that users of Oracle VM 3 can easily import the supported operating system (Oracle Linux 5.7) and the Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.62 product, which are packaged together into a template and clone them as a virtual machine in Oracle VM 3. This improvement frees users from needing to download, install and configure the supported operating system and the Oracle product(s) individually.

More Storage Options for VDI 3.4

2012-05-30T16:00:00+01:00

The release of Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4 provides the occasion for Matthias Muller-Prove to update his forthcoming VDI Overview presentation on Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4. His post is a preview. It is now the case with Oracle VDI 3.4 that users can connect almost any storage solution in combination with VirtualBox, he writes, adding that the focus on this release was the storage area.

New Smart Card Features for Oracle Desktop Virtualization

2012-05-23T16:00:00+01:00

Sun Ray Software 5.3 and Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4 now include a new smart card software stack for Sun Ray 3 Series Clients and clients installed with Oracle Virtual Desktop Client 3.1, according to a post by Chris Kawalek. This software stack allows end users to login to virtual desktops and applications and offers a more secure virtual desktop environment by enabling the use of two-factor authentication. The software stack allows administrators to deploy smart card solutions with Sun Ray 3 Series thin clients or Oracle Virtual Desktop Client on PC, Mac or Linux desktops environments, says Kawalek.

Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

2012-05-18T16:00:00+01:00

The Oracle data sheet on Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure describes the three-tiered solution (client, session and virtual desktop), which prevents the end user from connecting directly to the corporate data center. Users can deploy the Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure on multiple servers linked together into a failover group whose purpose is to protect against outages. The Oracle VDI offers a broad range of devices, operating systems, and virtualization platforms and enables centralized management of desktop services. Existing PCs can be leveraged as clients, reducing the requirement to upgrade hardware and maximizing the lifespan of PCs, according to Oracle.

NexentaVSA for VMware View Automates Deployment of VDI

2012-05-16T16:00:00+01:00

Nexenta has released a purpose-built virtual local storage appliance that dramatically simplifies deploying, managing, and calibrating storage for VMware View. Blogger Mason Uyeda writes that end users now have an application that automates the entire process of deploying VDI, and related storage, through a few simple clicks. Integrations with VMware vSphere, vCenter, and View Manager, along with local virtual storage, facilitate this automation. Uyeda explains that deploying local storage on the same compute node where the VDI machines are deployed, NexentaVSA for View cuts through performance barriers that result from network constraints, storage protocol limitations, and external storage bottlenecks.

Oracle Improves Its Desktop Virtualization Portfolio

2012-05-10T16:00:00+01:00

Oracle's desktop virtualization portfolio now includes three new releases: Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4; Sun Ray Software 5.3; and Oracle Virtual Desktop Client 3.1. Among the improvements delivered by these releases are the up to 720p High Definition (HD) video playback on Oracle Sun Ray thin client devices; the new security features including support for 802.1x identity-based network authentication enhance security; expanded storage options; and the ability to copy and paste between local applications on the client device and remote virtual desktops, new HD multimedia capabilities, and enhanced integration of smart card authentication provided by Oracle Virtual Desktop Client 3.1.

SAN versus Local Storage in VDI Environments: A Conversation with Brian Madden and Gabe Knauth

2012-05-01T16:00:00+01:00

"SAN versus Local Storage in VDI Environments," a Nexenta-sponsored discussion with Brian Maddan and Gabe Knuth, is conveniently available as a video, a podcast, and a 22-page transcript. Have it your way and enjoy this exploration of how storage decisions in VDI play out. The conversation offers insight into the pros and cons of using different storage strategies to support VDI, such as SAN or local storage, and provides suggestions on how designing your data center to support desktop virtualization differs from your experiences with server virtualization. Registration and log in are required to view the video.

NexentaVSA for VMware View Certified for Deployment

2012-05-01T16:00:00+01:00

Nexenta Systems' NexentaVSA for VMware View has received certification from VMware�'s Rapid Desktop Program and is now ready for deployment on any industry standard hardware. NexentaVSA for VMware View has been purpose built to simplify the deployment and management of storage for VDI installations by integrating with VMware vSphere, VMware vCenter Server, and NexentaStor virtual storage. The solution provides real-time analytics to troubleshoot, measure and monitor the deployment. Customers are also empowered to optimize the process of sizing, configuring and scaling their storage infrastructure for VDI, Nexenta's press release states.

Solving Storage Problems Caused by Server and Desktop Virtualization

2012-04-09T16:00:00+01:00

There are alternatives to using direct-attached storage (DAS) to remedy the storage problems inherent in server and desktop virtualization, argues Jon Toigo, president of Toigo Partners International: hardware-based replication is not the solution, he contends; VMware, on the other hand, may just be the answer. Toigo recommends storage virtualization (putting capacity management, performance management, data protection management into a virtual pool and then create pools of storage that move with the guest machine. Users can create an atomic infrastructure based on building blocks of storage that grow and scale as storage is added to it.

Why VDI? (Five Reasons People Really Use VDI)

2012-04-04T16:00:00+01:00

In two earlier posts Brian Madden has argued that VDI is not about saving money nor about making desktops easier to manage. He does find a number of viable uses of VDI, however, which he puts forward to absolve himself of being labeled a "VDI hater." These uses alone, Madden writes, are not in and of themselves sufficient reason to run out and move all your users to VDI but he concedes that every company can use some VDI�'just like every company can use some laptops and some desktops.

Design Proposal for Hosted Virtual Desktops Based on Full Oracle Stack

2011-12-19T17:00:00+01:00

The Oracle white paper "A Design Proposal for Hosted Virtual Desktops" discusses a design proposal for Windows 7 virtual desktops hosted on Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, proposing infrastructure for 500, 1000 and 1500 users. Jaap's VDI Blog Space reports that the topics under discussion include high-level architecture, capacity planning, design decisions and performance optimizations. The infrastructure is based on the full Oracle stack of products, ranging from the end-user client to the storage in the data-center.

Oracle VDI 3.3 Overview: 70-slide Presentation Covers Four Aspects

2011-08-24T16:00:00+01:00

Matthias Muller-Prove has assembled a 70-slide presentation on an Overview of Oracle VDI 3.3 that covers Oracle VDI 3.3 Architecture; Desktop Access Layer; Session Management Layer; Virtualization and Storage Layer; and Oracle VDI Center.

Sun Ray Primer Part 1

2011-08-24T16:00:00+01:00

Klaus Ruehl helpfully summarizes Sun Ray architecture into a single page overview and then proceeds to a discussion of how that architecture is used to serve Unix-based desktops. Since most end-users actually want a Windows desktop and typically do not want to get in touch with any different operating system, however, part 2 of Ruehl's article series will explain how to connect Sun Ray clients with the Windows world.

Webcast - How Oracle Uses Oracle Desktop Virtualization

2011-08-11T16:00:00+01:00

In the Webcast "How Oracle uses oracle Desktop Virtualization" Product Management Director Mohan Prabhala explains how Oracle leverages the products in its portfolio, including Oracle Sun Ray Clients, Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Oracle Secure Global Desktop, and Oracle VM VirtualBox, to solve challenges in several internal deployments. The video explains that Oracle's desktop virtualization portfolio comprises a number of technologies that can help reduce TCO, increase security, and provide more flexibility over traditional desktop architectures. Viewers will learn how Oracle desktop virtualization helps Oracle to:

Provide access to CRM applications from nearly any device
Support thousands of developers around the world with secure, centralized development environments
Enable remote access to training tools.

Registration and log in are required for access to the Webcast.

Oracle Sun Ray Clients and Cisco Universal Power Over Ethernet

2011-08-01T16:00:00+01:00

Networking and power on the same physical line? No problem at all, blogs Chris Kawalek in the post "Oracle Sun Ray Clients and Cisco Universal Power Over Ethernet." The phenomenally low power consumption of both the Sun Ray Client (as low as six watts) and the integrated 21.5 inch display (20 watts) is well within the 60 watt capacity of Cisco's Catalyst 4500E Switch, he writes. This makes it possible to establish impromptu connections in such settings as manufacturing floors and warehouses, point of sale stations, and information kiosks with only a network drop and without a separate AC power line.

Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.3

2011-07-07T16:00:00+01:00

Oracle has announced the availability of Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.3, which features an enhanced administration portal with role based access control (RBAC); offers Oracle Linux as a supported host platform; and delivers increased performance. Among the new capabilities in the Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.3 are:

Improved and simplified installation
Enhanced management interface with RBAC administration support
New platform support and availability (Oracle Linux)