Composite Virtualization

Media Release

Unidesk Files Patent on Composite Virtualization Desktop Layering Technology (5:38)

It's All About Layers.

Composite Virtualization is our patent-pending desktop layering technology. It runs inside Microsoft Windows, and, eventually, other computing platforms, to dynamically combine the freshest operating system and applications packaged by IT with each user's profile settings, documents, and user-installed applications. IT gets single image management. Users get rich, fully personal desktops.

Management of All Virtual Desktops

Composite Virtualization works for all virtual desktops. Today, it supports server-hosted desktops accessed through VDI connection brokers such as Citrix XenDesktop and VMware View. Soon, it will support PCs and notebooks virtualized with client-side hypervisors. In all cases, its ability to create perfect desktops out of independently packaged layers is what makes effortless management and complete personalization possible.

There Are Three Layer Types.

Composite Virtualization lets you dynamically assemble desktops from three different kinds of layers:

• Operating System – Often called the gold image, these layers are ideally clean versions of Microsoft Windows. However, you can also include applications that are needed by all users. The Operating System layer can only be provisioned, patched, and updated by IT to ensure that every virtual desktop has the same secure and compliant base image. Unidesk can import your existing gold image so you can begin provisioning desktops immediately.
• Applications – These layers contain Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Firefox, McAfee VirusScan, Skype, and other applications required by your users. Any application can be packaged and delivered as a layer, even those that require device drivers and boot-time services. Applications “wrapped” inside application virtualization solutions such as VMware ThinApp can also be packaged, managed, and delivered in an Application layer. Like Operating System layers, Application layers are read-only.
• Personalization – These layers capture all profile, data, and application customizations made by users. Profile changes such as display settings, bookmarks, and printer configurations; data saved in any directory; user-installed applications; user-installed plug-ins that extend IT-managed application layers; and SIDs and application GUIDs needed by common authentication and security applications are all captured. This is why Unidesk can offer true, 100% persistent personalization, even through major patches and upgrades to the underlying layers.

The Personalization Layer Separates User State From User Data.

The Composite Virtualization layering engine is aware of all user changes. It even knows the difference between User Data, and User Applications and Settings. By storing them in separate layers, and working with CacheCloud to automatically store multiple versions of each layer, you get unprecedented control over the desktop lifecycle. You also get a faster, less expensive way to repair desktops without losing valuable user data.

If a user installs an application that includes a virus or corrupts another application, it will likely go unnoticed. The user may continue creating and saving documents on the local desktop, and only call for help weeks later. With Unidesk, you don't have to spend hours scanning the file system, the Windows Registry, and Add/Remove Programs to find the root cause. You can simply roll back the Applications and Settings layer to an earlier snapshot before the offending application was installed, while leaving the Data layer current. Your service desk has now fixed the desktop without escalating to Level 2 or 3 administrators. Your user is happy because the fix is fast, and no data is lost.

This versioning capability exists for all layers, so you can just as easily rollback IT-managed applications and Windows patches. If you deploy a new application or a Windows hot fix that creates unexpected problems, simply roll the layer back to the previous version. All desktops will be rolled back on the next reboot.

Next step: Learn how Composite Virtualization works with Unidesk CacheCloud image delivery technology