Chapter 11: Remote Desktop Services
Explain the types of desktop virtualization provided by RDS. Windows Server
2016 provides two main types of desktop virtualization: session-based desktops and
VDI-based desktops. There are two types of VDI deployments: pooled and personal.
Master It When should VDI be used over session-based virtualization?
Solution The primary difference between session-based virtualization and VDI
desktops is one of isolation. If particular users require a high level of isolation from
other users, such as needing to customize the operating system or reboot it, then
VDI is a good fit. For other users, such as task-based ones who are more locked
down, session-based virtualization is a good solution.Describe the benefits of RemoteFX and its requirements. RemoteFX brings
various technologies such as USB port-level redirection and improved codecs that with
Windows Server 2012 and above are available separately from GPU virtualization,
which is the other primary RemoteFX technology that allows a physical GPU to be
virtualized and assigned to VDI virtual machines running client operating systems.
Using RemoteFX vGPU enables virtual machines to have local graphical resources,
which enables the ability to run rich graphical applications, specifically those that
leverage DirectX. To use RemoteFX vGPU, the graphics card must support DirectX 11
or newer and have a WDDM 1.2 driver or newer. The processor must also support
SLAT.
Master It Is RemoteFX vGPU a good solution for OpenGL applications?
Solution Prior to Windows Server 2016, the answer would be no, as there was only
very limited OpenGL 1.1 support using the CPU and not utilizing the vGPU. This
changes, however, with Windows Server 2016, which adds virtual GPU support for
OpenGL 4.4 and OpenCL 1.1 through RemoteFX vGPUs making it a great fit for
OpenGL and OpenCL applications.Articulate the other technologies required for a complete virtualized
desktop solution. The complete user experience comprises numerous layers. The
operating system provided by VDI or session virtualization is just the foundation for
the user experience. The users need access to their profiles, their data, and their
applications. To provide data access, the most common technology is folder
redirection. For a user’s profile, while historically roaming profiles were used, a better
and more granular solution is UE-V, which provides application-level setting
replication. For the applications, technologies such as App-V and RemoteApp can be
leveraged, while specific core applications could be installed on the RD Session Host
or VDI virtual machine template.
Master It Why is it best to minimize the number of applications installed in the
VM VDI template image?